Designs inspired by American artist win Limerick fashion award

Bridget Murphy, 23, from Kilmacthomas, Waterford, was announced the overall winner of the Limerick School of Art & Design graduate fashion show, which took place at the Campus’ LSAD Gallery on Clare Street.
Twenty-eight final year students from across the country showcased their collections which featured highly concept garments representing the future of creative design talent in Ireland.
Bridget won the coveted IFIL & AIB Graduate Business Development Award worth €5,000 including a three-month paid work experience with leading Irish fashion designer Danielle Romeril in London.

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Her collection, called ‘Untitled Forms’, was inspired by American abstract expressionist painter Franz Kline focusing specifically on the painting Delaware Gap where she looked at the movement and connectivity of Kline’s brush strokes.
Bridget used tactile industrial materials such as tape and household paint, which Kline also used in his work.
She also used fraying textures and a deconstructed form, representing the emotional exposure of Kline as an expressionist painter.
Jonathan Redfern, 22, from Tipperary won The ECCO award for the most innovative use of fabric and received €2,000 to further his fashion career.
Jonathan’s collection, called ‘Hunter’, was inspired by the traditional garments worn by Mongolian eagle hunters who wore clothes for hunting on mountainous terrain.
With bulky shapes, heavy fabric and its touches of decorative trimming Jonathan’s collection uses contemporary and tradition within six specific looks. Jonathan used woven denim, hand dyed linen, hand woven wool, leather and overlay.
Michaela Kennedy, 25, from Wicklow won the LIT award for the most unique cut and technical creativity within her collection and was presented with a cheque for €2,500. The concept behind Michaela’s collection was to explore the suspense between life’s achievements and disappointments with inspiration taken from the sculptor Do-ho Suh. Michaela’s aim was to capture the illusion of suspension with the ascension and descent of the staircase to represent the journey of life using a combination of bonded woven fabrics, bonded synthetics and molded acetate.
The judging panel included internationally renowned Irish designer and LSAD graduate Danielle Romeril, who also showcased her latest collection on the night, chairperson of the Council of Irish Fashion Designers, the show’s producer Eddie Shanahan and AIB’s SME specialist Maeve Duff.
“LSAD has an incredible record for showcasing creativity and skill,” said Mr Shanahan, who is also chairperson at the Council of Irish Fashion Designers.
“Several of this year’s participants will undoubtedly set up their own labels, contributing to the growing strength of the industry in Ireland, while others will go on to make significant contributions to leading brands at international level.”
It has been a successful year for LSAD with work published in the ‘Emerging Fashion Designers’ book.
Many of the LSAD graduates including Emma Mc Kay and Rebecca Marsden were included in the coveted CREATE at Brown Thomas, while graduates Michael Stewart and Laura Kinsella were selected alongside eight emerging Irish designers to participate in In the Fold”during LondonFashion week as part of ID2015.
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