Dublin Center Is Home to Irish Fashion Design
Since starting four years ago, The Design Centre has risen from its early digs in a basement off Stephen’s Green to a spacious and lofty area on the second floor of Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, one of this city’s most posh shopping retreats.
The reasons for the centre’s rapid rise and astounding success are quite clear: Ireland’s terrific young fashion designers, to whom the centre is dedicated. This place showcases the collections of about 20 innovative couturiers whose fine sensibilities, fresh approach and exemplary workmanship have been attracting a lot of attention, both locally and in some of the world’s fashion hot spots.
At this year’s Irish Fashion Awards show held in Dublin on Oct. 27, prizes for best dress, best suit, best separates, best evening wear and best knitwear--in other words, for five of the six fashion categories covered--plus the overall award for Irish Designer of the Year, were won by designers affiliated with The Design Centre.
And at Monte Carlo this year the coveted Christian Lacroix Linen Award went to Mariad Whisker, while the prestigious Fil d’Argent Award went to Lainey Keogh, both Irish designers affiliated with The Design Centre. The collections of both Mariad Whisker and Lainey Keogh, and their award-winning costumes, are shown and sold at the center.
In giving Marian Whisker, Lainey Keogh, Louise Kennedy, Mary Gregory and other widely recognized designers early recognition and opportunities, the center has encouraged, if not groomed, Irish fashion. Here, Irish designers have been able to continue their innovative approach to design, while they have constantly improved the quality of their product.
With the hard-won help of Ireland’s Industrial Development Authority, The Design Centre keeps Irish fashion at the forefront by offering its wide range of established collections directly to the public at affordable prices; by showcasing the most promising and accomplished recent graduates of Ireland’s various art and design colleges; by familiarizing foreign buyers with the work of Irish designers and encouraging them to come to see the collections and by offering marketing and organizational advice to designers whose collections are shown at the center.
Tourists who shop here have the advantage of buying beautifully made, high-style outfits that are still reasonably priced. In general, styles are on the cutting edge, but not so far out that they’ll be in orbit by next season. Instead, the subtle invention is sure to please even conservative yet individualistic and style-conscious dressers.
Knits take on unusual shapes, fabrics are draped differently and bows, buttons or buckles are used to accent necklines, cuffs or skirt slits. There are delightfully different uses of traditional Irish linens, woven fabrics and tweeds, plus superb updates of traditional Aran sweaters done up in linen or cotton yarns.
Among the various collections on display, this year’s award winners do stand out. Louise Kennedy, named Irish Designer of the Year, created soft-as-butter suede trousers ($340 U.S.) with slightly flared legs that taper at the ankles, to be worn with stunning suede bolero jackets ($570) with fringed edges.
These come in mix-and-match black and earthy olive tones. The loose-fitting gray wool coat dress ($430) has a deep shoulder-covering collar, plus sets of three buttons placed provocatively at the back of the collar and on top of a deep pleat in back. The tailoring on Kennedy’s cashmere coats with sheared beaver collars ($475) is exquisite. These are real buys.
Mariad Whisker presents wonderful tailored waistcoats ($210) to be worn with high-waisted, ankle-length A-line flared skirts ($181) and see-through chiffon blouses with ruffled collars and cuffs ($138). All are in mauve, burgundy and pink tones.
In addition, Whisker’s full-length coat, with a broad belt that ties loosely in back ($320), her double-breasted raincoat with a similarly belted back ($282) and her stylish gray wool suits featuring jackets with leg of mutton sleeves and flared skirts ($172 to $182) are extraordinary.
Glynis Robins, who won the Irish award for best knitwear, does hand-knitted, form-fitting basic black wool cardigans with broad chenille collars in khaki, burgundy or blue, selling for $283.
Lainey Keogh, the Christian Lacroix Linen Award winner at Monte Carlo, makes hand-knit linen and silk updates of traditional Aran patterned sweaters, but these versions have raglan sleeves and short waists done in ecru and earth tones for $435. Similar woolen styles sell for $282 to $362.
Mary Gregory was a founding member of The Design Centre. This season’s Mary Gregory collection features a fabulous wool coat dress that fastens in front and back with crossover flaps anchored with buckles.
The style, available in olive, buttery yellow and ivory, was named “best dress” this year and costs $274. A fabulous white cashmere and wool coat that has a cape-like scrolled collar that covers the shoulders almost to the waist costs $506, and thick woolen shawls with scrolled ends come in smoky blues and grays for $129.
Sharon Hoey’s delightful crocheted evening dress ($289), with a loose-fitting, wide-shaped, short-waisted, long-sleeved and boat-necked top in cream color or khaki, and its form-fitting little black skirt, took top honors in the evening wear category at the Irish Awards. Hoey’s fashions--in taffeta, velvet, chiffon and organza--are often elaborated with braiding, beading and sequins.
Designer Tony Close, known for his exceptional tailoring, offers suits in which stunning red or olive green jackets are worn with knee-length straight black skirts ($145). There are also stunning conservative business suits ($175) with form-fitting, hip-length jackets in Prince of Wales fine wool or various black-and-white checks or plaids. The modified hunting coat in forest green wool has a deep slit up the back and costs $398.
Michelle McGill’s collection includes lovely long-sleeved linen shirts ($115) with four-button cuffs and switchable suits ($435) with red-and-green box jackets that can be worn interchangeably with a black straight skirt.
Hot Dog, the label belonging to designer Dorothy Ronan, makes snuggly sheepskin jackets ($578) with huge collars to be turned up against the wind. The colors are black, milk, gray and timber. There are also hip-hugging leather flare skirts ($346) and wool-and-chenille sweaters ($245) with bold geometric patterns.
Lynn-Mar, the label of knitwear designer Lyn Elliot, makes updated Aran sweaters in machine washable cotton ($174).
The Design Centre sets aside space for innovative student collections. Showing now is Deirdre Fitzgerald’s fancy evening dress in gold knit, with swirling skirt decorated with small plaid bows ($335), plus a black cardigan with squared neck and spangles ($200), as well as children’s clothes designed by Amanda Foley under the Serendipity label.
Foley boldly mixes multicolored fabrics to create cheerful, colorful layered skirts with scalloped hems ($44), smoking jackets ($44) and overalls ($44) that look like jester costumes complete with tiny bells and tassels. There are also charming pointed hats ($15) and shoes adorned with feathers ($12).
Before leaving the second floor at Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, stop in at Joan Doherty Weaver, next door to The Design Centre, for beautiful hand-knit sweaters in contemporary colors and patterns (priced from $160), and hand-loomed linen or wool scarfs (from $18) and shawls (from $22).
Prices in this article reflect currency exchange rates at the time of writing .
