Irish designers launch Dublin Independent Fashion Weekend

Dublin Independent Fashion Weekend is the brainchild of a group of independent fashion designers from all over Ireland.

Designers showcasing their work include Ríon Hannora, Aisling Duffy, Laoise Carey, Mar Knitwear, The Zero Waster, Shock of Grey and Seeking Judy.

Taking place in The Chocolate Factory from October 20-22, the eight creatives will showcase their work in a series of fashionable events ranging from a catwalk show, to exhibitions, to pop-up showrooms.

The inaugural DIFW fashion show be followed by a panel discussion hosted by I’m Grand Mam podcaster, PJ Kirby.

“I know some of the designers involved,” PJ told RTÉ Lifestyle, “especially Ríon, whose designs I have worn to events in the past. She was speaking with her friends, other designers, and they wanted to make something happen to get their work out there more.”

“She asked me to host the panel and I said, ‘no bother, sure I could talk for Ireland’,” he laughs. “I’m just happy to be involved, I think it’s so special that these designers are doing their own thing and taking back their power.”

As some one who enjoys playing with fashion himself, the podcaster says he is delighted to shop local as a way to cut down on his carbon footprint and support homegrown talent.

“I’m always shopping local and trying to shop as Irish as possible,” he says. “I love to wear garments that will last for a really long time, and to find something I can wear for years to come. I also love to look to my own wardrobe because, obviously, the most sustainable thing you can do in fashion is to wear what you already have.”

“So many Irish designs can be worn for years and worn in different ways,” he continues. “Their approach to making garments is about avoiding waste and taking a slower approach to fashion.”

The 6’4 Corkonian says he loves to “have fun” with fashion, and often looks to Irish personalities for style inspiration.

“All of the designers and models at the weekend, I’ll probably be following them all on Instagram to look at what they’re doing,” he says. “I love looking at people who really inspire me, like Zeda, who was the Fashion Editor at Stellar Magazine, I love looking at what she does.

Merging fashion, art and music, DIFW will also be host to visual artist Aisling Phelan, who will be casting live digital projections across the space throughout the weekend while DJ and sound artist Sloucho will be creating a sonic landscape with their dance electronic beats.

Tickets are available now and more information about Dublin Independent Fashion week can be found on their Instagram @dublin_ifw.