Cultures come together for striking NCAD graduate fashion showcase

This year’s National College of Art and Design (NCAD) fashion graduates reference the past while looking to the future through diverse cultural and familial backgrounds, articulated through both traditional craft techniques and new design processes.

The Fashion Design degree annual fashion show took place on Monday the 27th of May. The event was supported by The Westbury, a Doyle Collection Hotel, which hosted the event and sponsored the production of NCAD’s fashion film, and by Brown Thomas, which offered a bursary and mentorship to one student, chosen by Brown Thomas Fashion Director, Shelly Corkery as the ‘Designer to Watch’.

The twenty graduating designers presented collections which draw heavily on their individual backgrounds in this showcase. The students explored local, national, and global cultural identities expressing there work through a dual approach to design and production, bringing together vernacular skills and innovative technologies.

The result of which are collections that transcend place, time and seasons, referencing the past while looking forward, and reflect an increasingly connected world.

NCAD unveiled the collections in the below fashion film, sponsored by the Doyle Collection.

Speaking at Monday’s event, Angela O’Kelly, Head of Design for Body and Environment at NCAD, said:

“From garments passed down through generations of the same family, to traditional dress of the Philippines and Nigeria, to explorations of military, biker, GAA, and skate cultures, the references contained in this year’s graduate collections are rich and eclectic. This not only reflects today’s interconnected global community, but demonstrates the ‘à la carte’ approach to identity taken among our students, and people today more generally … By transcending the seasons, they are sending out the message that less is more.”

Brown Thomas ‘Designer to Watch’ Bursary Prize Winner

This year’s winner of the Brown Thomas ‘Designer to Watch’ bursary is Heather Gilroy, who was chosen for her collection ‘Among the Flat Pink Roses’. The prize consists of a €4,000 bursary, an installation of designs in CREATE at Brown Thomas in July 2019 and a mentoring programme with the management team.

Brown Thomas Fashion Director, Shelly Corkery said:

“In such a fast-paced and dynamic industry, one in which newness is highly sought after, identifying the next generation of design talent is a core part of our business. Showing great promise, this year’s NCAD students have demonstrated remarkable capability across all aspects of the design process, from concept to construction and presentation, and I have no doubt that they are at the outset of long and successful careers.”

Angela O’Kelly added:

“As the fashion industry becomes more conscious of its environmental and social footprint, there is an increasing onus on designers to work conscientiously and consider the impact of their work in a more holistic and nuanced way.”

The NCAD fashion showcase 2019 was hosted by The Westbury, a Doyle Collection Hotel, which also sponsored the fashion film.

Pat King, CEO of The Doyle Collection, said:

“At the Doyle Collection, we are proud to play a part in supporting NCAD and the next generation of emergent Irish design talent. Having first collaborated with NCAD five years ago, 2019 marks our third year to sponsor the production of the fashion film.  Hosting this event is a highlight in our calendar, and we are delighted to see the excitement and enthusiasm of students and professionals.”

Members of the public will be able to view the students’ collections and fashion film at the NCAD Graduate Exhibition 2019, which will run from Saturday, 8^th June to Sunday, 16^th June 2019.