Three young Donegal designers made their way to Galway today for the finals of the Irish Fashion Innovation Awards. 

Niamh Porter, Raphoe, Amy Devlin, Convoy and Helen Murray, Dunfanaghy qualified as finalists in this year’s Student Designer of the Year 2018 category, which is sponsored by the Local Enterprise Office in Galway. The three young woman are all students on the BA Fashion with Promotion course at Letterkenny Institute of Technology and are being taught by lecturer, Sharon Maxwell. 

 

The awards ceremony is a platform for fashion designers and fashion students, showcasing the highest expression of creativity from the most innovative designers in Ireland. Recognised as a launching pad for Ireland’s most talented designers, the event attracts entries from promising fashion creatives competing for the prestigious awards. Designers will be judged on innovation, design integrity and choice of materials. 

 

The LYIT fashion students were given a brief which asked them to design a look that innovates for how we will dress in ten years’ time. The young designers were told to reflect perceived future lifestyles and be based on science fact rather than science fiction. Obviously they impressed the judges and are now have been given the opportunity to be showcased with all other finalists in the GALWAYnow magazine, as well as receiving radio and television press coverage. 

 

Helen Murray said the preparation for the competition involved a lot of hard work but worth it all. 

“It’s a great opportunity to get your name out there and have it associated with a competition of such distinction. It’s also a great opportunity as a student designer to really experiment and to go all out with your designs,” 

 

This is Niamh’s second year in a row to make the final and she said she was thrilled to be given a second chance to showcase her work. 

“Last year, I played it safe with my designs, but this year I’m more confident and have been more experimental. I’m really excited to return to Galway to see my work on the catwalk – it’s a fantastic night.” 

 

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Fashion with Promotion is in its third year of being taught at LYIT but has already saw some of the valuable skills and expertise from its future graduates. The intention of the course is to prepare students for employment or to exist as a designer. 

 

Sharon Maxwell, LYIT Fashion Lecturer, said she was ‘so proud’ of the young women and described their designs as ‘amazing’. 

“This is the second year that our students will have their work on the catwalk of what is referred to as the Irish Fashion Oscars. It is the main platform for Irish Fashion students where they will compete with final year students from other fashion colleges in Ireland.”