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Irish designers steal the show at Paris Fashion Week

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Irish designers steal the show at Paris Fashion Week

Celebrities such as David Beckham, Jennifer Lawrence, and Kim Kardashian packed the front row at Paris Fashion Week shows as throngs of onlookers frenzied outside venues across the city to catch a glimpse. 

However, on the catwalk, it was a cohort of Irish designers who stole the show.

Among the Irish names staking their claim in the French capital during the women’s autumn/winter 2024 season were Róisín Pierce, Jonathan Anderson at Loewe, and Seán McGirr at Alexander McQueen.

In the salons of the Irish embassy on Friday morning, Dublin native Róisín Pierce telegraphed a message of joy and hope amidst ongoing political and military conflicts across the globe.

Irish Designer Róisín Pierce’s show at the Irish embassy in Paris built on the rich craftsmanship she is known for. Picture: Ellius Grace

The all-white procession sees Pierce build on the rich craftsmanship she is known for. Three-dimensional smocking is fused with handcrafted Irish crochet and lace overlaid with organza, flower chains are constructed from hand-crocheted lace, and recycled cotton dresses are laboured over with ruching and ruffles.

Angelic in their appearance, Pierce suggested they were like goddesses who fell from the stars to act as a salve against the ferocity that rages in the world today. 

A model wearing one of Róisín Pierce's creations at her autumn 2024 ready-to-wear collection during Paris Fashion Week. Picture courtesy of Róisín Pierce
A model wearing one of Róisín Pierce’s creations at her autumn 2024 ready-to-wear collection during Paris Fashion Week. Picture courtesy of Róisín Pierce

“I’m a sponge to everything that’s taking place in the world so it’s hard not to channel that message in the collection,” said Pierce.

Ahead of the show, Pierce, who works on the brand with her mother, Angie Pierce, announced a brand development partnership with Dover Street Market Paris, which will see the label receive support with sales, production, and distribution.7

In the Irish embassy on Friday morning during Paris Fashion Week, Dublin native Róisín Pierce telegraphed a message of joy and hope in her autumn 2024 ready-to-wear collection. Picture courtesy of Róisín Pierce
In the Irish embassy on Friday morning during Paris Fashion Week, Dublin native Róisín Pierce telegraphed a message of joy and hope in her autumn 2024 ready-to-wear collection. Picture courtesy of Róisín Pierce

Later that day, Jonathan Anderson presented a tour-de-force collection for Spanish leather goods brand Loewe in a purpose-built box on the grounds of the Chateau de Vincennes.

Son of the former Irish international rugby captain Willie Anderson, the designer mused on class and wealth. 

Jonathan Anderson takes a bow. The Irish designer presented a tour-de-force collection for Spanish leather goods brand Loewe during Paris Fashion Week. Picture: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty  
Jonathan Anderson takes a bow. The Irish designer presented a tour-de-force collection for Spanish leather goods brand Loewe during Paris Fashion Week. Picture: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty  

As an outsider looking in, he upended preconceived notions of what constitutes preppy style with Surrealist results. 

Bucolic scenes, inspired by painter Albert Wood, typically found in tapestries in a manor’s drawing rooms are painstakingly embroidered with caviar beads into prints on clothes.

One of Jonathan Anderson's creations at the Loewe AW24 show as part of Paris Fashion Week. 
One of Jonathan Anderson’s creations at the Loewe AW24 show as part of Paris Fashion Week. 

Etonian morning suits are styled with billowing silk trousers and waistcoats are paired with cargo pants. Wood carvings are applied to lapel collars. By resisting tradition, Anderson challenges who truly dictates how we dress by proposing a compelling alternative.

A model wearing one of Irish designer Jonathan Anderson's pieces for Loewe Womenswear autumn/winter 2024-2025 show during Paris Fashion Week. 
A model wearing one of Irish designer Jonathan Anderson’s pieces for Loewe Womenswear autumn/winter 2024-2025 show during Paris Fashion Week. 

Now in his 10th year at Loewe, Anderson has transformed a sleepy leather house into one of the most covetable luxury brands in the world with his aptitude for materialising newness each season.

On Saturday night, Dublin’s Seán McGirr became the second designer ever entrusted with the legacy of Alexander McQueen.

In his show description, McGirr spoke about a “rough opulence” and “revealing the animal within”.

Alexander McQueen Womenswear AW24 show at Paris Fashion Week. Dubliner Seán McGirr is the second designer ever entrusted with the legacy of Alexander McQueen. 
Alexander McQueen Womenswear AW24 show at Paris Fashion Week. Dubliner Seán McGirr is the second designer ever entrusted with the legacy of Alexander McQueen. 

Staged in a disused train station on the fringes of the city, his look for McQueen is decidedly younger, sexier, and more experimental than the romantic yet raw femininity linked with his predecessor Sarah Burton.

It was more referential to the late namesake designer who routinely toyed with proportions of the body, with slick tailoring and a flair for drama.

One of Irishman Seán McGirr's creations modelled on the catwalk during the Alexander McQueen Womenswear autumn/winter 2024-2025 show at Paris Fashion Week.
One of Irishman Seán McGirr’s creations modelled on the catwalk during the Alexander McQueen Womenswear autumn/winter 2024-2025 show at Paris Fashion Week.

Backstage, he talked about the cinched silhouette and colours such as Lamborghini yellow and Aston Martin blue (McGirr’s father is a mechanic; the design of cars fascinated him growing up).

One might think that taking the helm at a legacy brand would intimidate a young designer but McGirr asserted that he was more “excited” than anything else. With experience at Uniqlo, Dries van Noten, and fellow Irishman Anderson under his belt, he is a suitable contender for the job.

Paris Fashion Week started on February 26 and features 109 brands hosting 71 catwalk shows and 38 presentations.

A piece by Dubliner Seán McGirr is modelled during the Alexander McQueen Womenswear autumn/winter 2024-2025 show at Paris Fashion Week.
A piece by Dubliner Seán McGirr is modelled during the Alexander McQueen Womenswear autumn/winter 2024-2025 show at Paris Fashion Week.

There were terrific results from Hermès and Victoria Beckham over the weekend.

Beckham’s outing on Friday night was a smorgasbord of conceptual ideas with interesting riffs on tailoring — blazers doubled as bibs; shirt collars as necklaces; briefcases as the newest handbag style. At the end, the designer emerged on crutches after recently breaking her foot, waving to well-wishing attendees and embracing her husband, David Beckham.

Victoria Beckham's Paris Fashion Week outing on Friday night was a smorgasbord of conceptual ideas with interesting riffs on tailoring. Picture: Lisa O'Connor/AFP/Getty
Victoria Beckham’s Paris Fashion Week outing on Friday night was a smorgasbord of conceptual ideas with interesting riffs on tailoring. Picture: Lisa O’Connor/AFP/Getty

Saturday’s Hermès show was a deeply chic lesson in radiant simplicity. Supple leathers sculpted the body while delectable suede, and furs paraded the runway in shades of burgundy, buttery yellow, and vermillion. Creative director Nadège Vanhee even added a passage of grungy looks like studded biker jackets to give a masculine edge to otherwise soigné proceedings.

It was in contrast to the complex collections by Junya Watanabe and Issey Miyake, which pushed the boundaries of clothing and sculpture. Paris Fashion Week concludes on Wednesday with a blockbuster show from Louis Vuitton.

   

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