Deirdre McQuillan

1 month ago | irishtimes.com | Deirdre McQuillan

Ruth KentRuth Kent’s first introduction to design as a teenager was an exhibition called Global Irish Design Challenge in the National Craft Gallery in her native Kilkenny during transition year. It sparked the idea of a career in design, “which I had never thought of as an option”, she recalls. For two years she worked on putting together a portfolio.

1 month ago | irishtimes.com | Deirdre McQuillan

Irish crochet queen Róisín Pierce, the only Irish designer on the official Paris Fashion Week schedule, presented her latest collection, her sixth, at the Irish Embassy in Paris on Friday. Called “Nothing Pure Can Stay”, it is the third time she has shown in the Embassy, following her last 21-piece collection “O Lovely One” which marked her growing international reputation and endorsement by Comme des Garcons, the luxury fashion brand founded by Rei Kawabuko at their Dover Street Market in Paris.

1 month ago | irishtimes.com | Deirdre McQuillan

As Paris Fashion Week opened on Monday, rumours were circulating that Irish fashion star Jonathan Anderson is set to be appointed as the next creative director of the French luxury goods giant Dior. Mr Anderson, a son of former Irish rugby international Willie Anderson, recently withdrew from Spanish luxury brand Loewe and from showing his eponymous brand at London Fashion Week.

1 month ago | irishtimes.com | Deirdre McQuillan

“There’s a lot of femininity, soft detail and frothiness without too much fluffiness,” says Tracey Despard, head of women’s fashion at Brown Thomas, commenting on some of the latest collections in the store selected by her and her buying team from the main global players. At the 2025 spring show in the Merrion Hotel, Dublin, they were artfully presented around a set resembling an artist’s studio, with work from fashion artist Poppy Waddilove illustrating some of the main fashion items.

1 month ago | irishtimes.com | Deirdre McQuillan

“The way in which women dress is changing,” says Helen Wheeler, designer with Lynda Heather of Naya, one of the biggest Irish brands. “It’s more about comfort and easy elegance than structured tailoring,” she adds. Naya’s latest collection, its biggest to date, boasts nearly 200 pieces that come in sizes from 8 up to 22, aiming to cater for all body shapes.