(Runner - up - Niamh Rafferty from Griffith College with her piece 'Encased')
(runner up - Matthew Karp from Limerick senior college with 'Butterfly effect'
Ah, what a time of the year. Time for all those late nights, coffee breaks, cigarette burns, pin cushion accidents and hysterical teary laughter moments to all account for something. I am talking about, the Nokia Young Designers awards.
This year I was invited along to see a selection of the creations made by some of the art colleges of Irelands finest students. Although Miss Penny had rather a large blast from the past instead with a lot of familiar faces from LSAD turning up! Representatives from the major colleges such as Limerick school of art and design , National college of art and design, Griffith college, Limerick senior college and Grafton academy.
The collections were all placed on maniquins while the mood boards and sketchbooks loitered upstairs waiting to be viewed. I watched the photocall where designs from Clarissa Hinz and Jialing Zhao were on the backs of some of Assets most indemand models (one did note the VERY familiar face of one model….tee hee hee. Less said about that the better) It was at this point I noticed a very familiar face, Debbie Walker, one of the judges. As this site seems to be rather a love – in for Project Catwalk stars (see previous posts about Wayne and Una Healy) I watched Debbie on one of the series. She now works as a senior buyer for the website asos.com (see the below posts about asos.com black collection) and looked comfortable in a lovely pair of skinny jeans. So once the students returned to the building I could get down to the commencing of interviews and the picking of my picks of the show….
(winning design - Emmy Slattery from NCAD with 'Knotted')
It wasn’t hard to pick our top 5 designers. I examined from every angle, including color, catwalk trends, materials used, cut and execution of the garment. Every last detail including details used, stiching and even what zips where!
So here goes,
NO 1 – Jialing Zhao and ‘Fashion Area 51’.
Zhao based her collection on a study of crop circles and interconnectivity. She was interested in shape and using alternative materials to sculpt her garment. She had an amazing piece of plastic which had been made to look like metal adorning the side of the piece. Although when I asked her who her inspiration was, she said Vivianne WestWood, one cannot help but think of Versace’s latest collection. Spring colors and metal bodices. This design and her use of alternative materials helped me to decide that her piece was my top pick of the day. Jialing Zhao is in her final year in Griffith College.
NO 2 : My second pick was a designer who I didn’t manage to get a chance to talk to.
Averil Blakely and ‘ Medusa.’
I chose this piece as I loved the tie dye effect running down the center of the dramatic maxi gown. There is something really beautiful about a well executed maxi dress. The intense purple of the maxi dress contrasted sharpely against the gold bolero which sat on the shoulders of the manniquin. Adorned with a knitted piece on one shoulder. Blakely is from NCAD.
NO 3 : Julia Doherty. ‘Pixelate.’
I had no time to speak to this designer although her piece was one of my top picks for the same reason as Zhao’s. The use of unusal material. Doherty tapped into the trend for graphic prints by adding squared almost quilted effect pieces of metal to the dress. I did spot the designer (who is actually stunning with cropped red hair and amazing dress sense) cleaning the metal pieces with a baby wipe complaining it attracted dust a lot! Julia Doherty is from NCAD
NO 4 : Aine Kilbridge and ‘ Modern Romance.’
I had almost dismissed this piece until I stopped for a closer look. I have a tendence to lean towards a more aggressive fashion piece (that’s putting it midly as readers of the blog will note) and to dimiss the gentle ladylike ones. But a closer inspection of this piece revealed a really interesting mix of fabrics. The designer had chosen a wonderful lavender feather to construct the skirt (Which I had dismissed as ‘a bit too Topshop until I got closer) I realised she had woven in pieces of wool to make them have the same effect as the feathery bits on the skirt. Brilliant! It was then that I noticed the metallic waist belt and the corset and the black sheer panel. If I had to pick a celebrity to wear this I would have chosen Nicola Roberts from Girls Aloud. With a sheer tights and a platform shoe. Which is the reason I selected this piece. Because I could already see someone wearing it. Oh and did I mention it was on trend as it was was assemytrical as well? Oh and just to add that Kilbridge is studying in Grafton academy.
NO 5 Ina Marie Igoe
I stopped for a chat with the designer as having met her before I have always found her to be a lovely person. She was more then happy to have a quick chat about her design. Inspired by OVI she researched interconnectivity and architecture working them into her piece using variious elements. We loved the red ruffles on the front of the A line dress. Our quick catch up revealed that the designer had taken some time to live in Paris (the smell of green tinged envy off me was incredible) and I had to ask had the Parisian way of dressing affected her personal style (BTW the designer was rocking an incredible fur trimmed cape and 40’s style vintage hat, oh and long leather gloves. Possibilty one of the best outfits of the day)
She confirmed that Paris had been an eye opening expierience that had changed her approach to fabric and design. Changing to more contemporary feeling pieces.
She is in her last year at Limerick school of Art and Design.
I decided to let the designers carry on and feeling we had enough material for this blog and subsiquent article off I trotted on my platform fringed ankle boots. Smiling to myself after spotting the coffee area of the show filled with designers. The colleges sitting together. NCAD to NCAD and LSAD TO LSAD.
Unfortunatly this is the point where I mention the fabulous night that was in it and the smell of champagne and success for one designer.
But alas, Having a prior commitment at five that night which another designer I was taken ill (seriously. it was not funny in the slightest) and missed the night. I had to walk to my apartment after fainting at the collection launch (yes, with the print outs in my hand) on the phone to my mother incase I collasped on the way. Not fun. Making it there in one piece I had to do a ring around this morning and apologise to the people who I missed!
Anyway, Thank you to the girls from Elevate PR who helped me with access, interviews and were generally lovely lovely people. All the designers who stopped to give me their time and to the judges for letting me interview them!
Whazzz on next ?
Next time on the event section of this page : We are checking out the collections at Dublin Africa FASHION week. Stay Tuned kids..
We are also pleased to announce that we are going to be meet designer Alice Temperley in the next few weeks! scream! so will be getting all the gossip for you there!
0 Yorumlar