FASHION

Rebecca Browne, also known as Rebecca du Brun, was born in Belfast, and grew up with a love of art and design. At 18, she moved to England for university, completing a UAL Foundation Diploma at Leeds College of Art, before studying at the Fashion BA course at Manchester School of Art. Browne’s work is truly unique, as she takes the term ‘fashion’ loosely, and loves to explore different methods of pattern cutting. Browne encourages freedom and mistakes in her method of painting, experimenting with unusual forms of mixed media whilst playing with the idea of scale. “The most exciting part of the process for me begins with making the textile fabric,” says Browne. “I love to work with silk and begin by painting metres of fabric, before turning it into what I call textile sculptures. I see my designs as sculptures and consider the full 360 degree view, with the most exciting shapes happening around and at the back of the body. I painted over 80 metres of fabric for ‘Memory Is An Interpretation’ with some pieces completely covered in beads.” Browne is fascinated by neuroscience, and as a musician herself, explores the relationship between music, memory and the brain in her work.

“That was the inspiration for one of my collections,” she says. “I conducted an in-depth research project with themes including memory loss, removing painful memories, and how music can help patients with Alzheimer’s. This really turned my work into a celebration of music. When a musician plays their instrument, fireworks go off in the brain and this inspired my metres of patterned beading. I took reference from the Cliffs of Moher, creating textiles with similar texture to represent memory loss. I love the late Oliver Sacks and learnt a lot about neuroscience, as well as collaborating with an Irish radiographer to receive first-hand MRI brain scans.”

Fashion designer Fintan Mulholland hails from Co. Monaghan, has a studio in Belfast, and from what we can tell, is set to become an international superstar in the very near future. His BA collection sold out, and he has already won five awards for his work, as well as a Paul Smith scholarship to study design in Tokyo. In 2016, just months after completing his MA, Mulholland was asked to collaborate in Brown Thomas’ Create showcase.

Mulholland always enjoyed art in school and brought his creative flair to studying Textile Art and Fashion in Belfast School of Art. Experimenting with print and embroidery, Mulholland found his niche working with knit. While yarn and knit are often dismissed as dated, Mulholland’s stunning and intricate work shows the versatility and modernity of his chosen textiles and techniques. “My approach to fashion through the craft of knit is to build an understanding of the yarn through experimentation and sampling,” he says. “Through that, I see the potential of each object from the yarn itself. I aim to get a full understanding of the capabilities and limitations of the equipment I use, and then use this to my advantage by pushing these limits to create innovative and interesting garments. This then allows me to plan and execute my silhouette in materials that lend themselves to the garment both sensually and visually. I use alpacas and mohair yarns for their handle, I think they age and wear beautifully. For construction pieces I use linen, merino and wools.” One of Mulholland’s most striking collections was inspired by his travels in Japan. Appreciative of all kinds of art, he was drawn to prehistoric Japanese sculptures featuring sharp symmetry and humanoid features.

“The figures show various kinds of body distortion – exaggerated limbs or sexual organs, while geometric forms tend to shift from symmetry to asymmetry. Often the geometric pattern becomes the infilling for naturalistic design, and from that appears an individual. Seeing links in the sculptures from my previous work in the lines and curves made me want to use some aspects for their mystery and shape.”

One of our all-time favourite Irish shops for gifts, jewellery and accessories is The Temple Wolf, an Irish online store filled with irresistible pieces that range from boho chic to gothic glamour. “I describe The Temple Wolf as ‘a store for boho dreamers’ so I try to appeal to the bohemian girl,” explains The Temple Wolf founder and designer Emma Laing. “Think tassels, crystals, coin jewellery, dreamcatchers etc. I choose and/or design the pieces based on things I always wanted but either wasn’t able to afford, or couldn’t source in Ireland. I have always had a fascination for skulls, pentagrams etc. so you’ll always find a sprinkle of that in the shop! My favourites at the moment are the turbans, chunky amethyst rings and ‘Feminist’ necklaces!”

The Temple Wolf features the Eire collection, boasting beautifully delicate jewellery such as necklaces and rings. They have the silhouette of Ireland, with a tiny heart shape cut into the piece. It’s a gorgeous collection that would make the perfect present for friends and family who now live abroad.

“I am Ireland’s biggest fan!” enthuses Laing. “I am one of those annoying people on Facebook who is constantly sharing videos of beautiful scenery in Ireland. I think we have an absolutely stunning country and I can confidently say – after doing very official research all over the world! – that we have the best people too. When I was abroad, I was very proud to tell people that I’m Irish, and when I came home, I began to think about what I could bring back with me to show I was Irish. The Éire necklace was born out of this desire. People seemed to love it and so I began to develop the idea – giving an option for the province your heart would be placed in and expanding the collection to include earrings and rings.”

• To browse and buy Emma’s curation of jewellery and accessories, visit TheTempleWolf.com. She also loves chatting to customers on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram