Blog entries tagged as "irish-designer-week"

Irish Designer Week: Martha Lynn Millinery

Friday 3 February 2022 - Photoshoots, Photo Inspiration, News, Irish Designer Week, Fashion - Tags: martha-lynn-millinery, irish-designer-week, talented-irish-designers

By Amy Croffey

Born in Co Roscommon, Martha Lynn is a young, passionate milliner based in Dublin. Her creations are a combination of traditional elements with a modern twist that she creates in her studio on 51 South William Street in Project 51.

Martha takes inspiration from everything and anything. “Each piece has been inspired by something different. It could be anything from materials to people,” she says.

Her designs are composed of simple clean lines. “I like to introduce a little element of excitement but I like to keep the design classic,” she adds.

Her most important advice for brides who are trying to find the perfect headpiece is to be comfortable and confident in what they are wearing and to consider the style of dress as well as the wedding theme.

On the issue of buying Irish, Martha believes that we all need to support each other. “In the current climate I think it’s really important to support and encourage Irish designers. With the right support we can continue to develop our designs and grow our business giving our customers a better quality and selection of products,” she says. “There is so much Irish talent. We really need to build on what we have.”

Martha tries to buy Irish materials as much as possible when creating her headpieces. At the moment, she is just selling her designs in Ireland but she also has customers in the UK, Australia and America.

For more information on Martha Lynn Millinery call 00 353 85 777 1641.

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Irish Designer Week: Edel Tuite

Friday 3 February 2022 - Fashion, Irish Designer Week - Tags: irish-designer-week, edel-tuite

Edel Tuite is a well-known name in Ireland, renowned for her luxurious bridal gowns and bespoke service to brides. She aims to take the drama out of the wedding dress hunt by offering a highly personalised one-to-one service and start to finish wedding dress design and dress making service.

Grafton Acadamy graduate, Edel sharpened and expanded her skills by working with celebrated bridal designer Bridgette Moore. Her passion for design and flair for couture catapulted her into the bridal industry and she launched her own collection in 2001.

In 2008 Edel won Best Traditional Wedding Gown at the Irish Bridal Designer of the Year.

“Edel’s popularity is due to her reputation for creating unique, expertly crafted gowns that truly capture the beauty and spirit of a bride," says a Clients praise her honesty, professionalism and fun, friendly nature.” 

Edel prides on her personal service. She is fully aware of the needs of even the most discerning bride. Her customising service offers the opportunity to mix and match elements of any dresses her customers wish to emulate, from necklines, to fabrics, to lengths and details.

Edel’s specialises in natural silks which are especially good for girls getting married abroad in hot climates. Her new collection includes luxurious French laces, silk crepes, samouse Italian silk, chiffons and silk taffeta with her exclusive signature hand embellishments of hand beading and embroidery techniques.

Edel Tuite Bridal Design, Upper Mell, Drogheda, Co. Louth

To make an appointment with Edel call +353 41 987 2951 | 086 824 9575 or email [email protected]

www.edeltuitedesign.com

Irish Designer Week: Mia Elmes

Thursday 2 February 2022 - Fashion, Irish Designer Week - Tags: mia-elmes, irish-designer-week, wedding-dresses

Mia Elmes is a bridal designer with an admiration for understated elegance. As part of Irish Designer Week she speaks to Karen Birney about the importance of accentuating a woman's curves, of loving the suppliers you choose, and of supporting the Irish designer industry.

Graduate of Ireland’s centre for fashion design, The Grafton Academy, and the prestigious London College of Art, Mia Elmes first arrived on the designer stage with her contemporary ready-to-wear collection for Topshop Designers in 2005.

She built on the success of her flagship store commissions by establishing herself as an evening and bridal designer and soon garnered a name for her romantic, tailor-made designs and bespoke service.

Jane Eyre

Her bridal collection consists of sumptuous silk chiffons, antique embellished lace and soft lines. Her inspiration, she says, came from the eldest of the Bronte sisters.

“My signature style would probably be flowing chiffons and silk satins with simple, elegant tailoring," says Mia. "The romantic time of Jane Eyre was a great influence on my collection, when women wore fine silks to create beautiful, delicate silhouettes.”

The silhouette or ‘fall’ of a garment is of particular interest to Mia as she endeavours to construct complimentary garments to suit every shape and style. It is a task perfectly accomplished in her most favoured gown of her collection.

“My favourite gown is a silk and chiffon gown,” says Mia. (above left)  “For me it reflects the importance of flowing shapes to accentuate the waist and glide over the hips to create an elegant silhouette.”

“The dress is perfect for a destination or summer bride when accessorised with simple flowers and a diamond headpiece. For a winter bride it would look stunning with a fur shawl and red roses.”

Bartering

Mia says she has noticed a ‘considerable rise’ in brides consulting Irish bridal designers in recent years, which is a welcome trend for home-based talents.

“This rise in interest is because the bride prefers to have the control of seeing her gown being made along the way and can change any design features throughout the process,” she says.

Another reason she believes brides are opting to go directly to designers is because they can often be bartered with.

“Irish designers are always willing to add in another feature or item so that the client will get better value for money,” she says. “I think it is important to support the Irish industry as there is a huge amount of incredible talent right on our doorstep!”

When it comes to finding the perfect dress for the big day, Mia believes that having a gown that suits your chosen venue and type of wedding is important. “Try to imagine the overall theme of your wedding,” she advises. “Bring together elements of different gowns by gathering images from magazines and sites.”

“It is important that you like the people you will be working with to have your gown made,” she adds, “so research your options and take the time to visit different shops and designers.”

Upstyling

With a past experience in fashion houses such as Ted Baker, Mia obviously has her ear to the ground when it comes to new trends in the fashion industry. The recent rise in the popularity of swap shopping and upstyling has meant Mia’s customising service is proving a very popular aspect of her work.

This budget-friendly service is perfect for guests who have more than one wedding to attend in a year and don’t want to purchase more than one dress.

Mia Elmes Bridal Couture, 11 Lakelands road, Upper Kilmacud road, Stillorgan, Dublin

To make an appointment with Mia, email [email protected] or phone 0861671523

www.miaelmes.com

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Irish Designer Week: Sarah Foy Designs

Wednesday 1 February 2022 - Supplier Spotlight, Fashion - Tags: wedding-dress, exclusive-designer, irish-designer, irish-designer-week, sarah-foy

Sarah Foy is a home-grown talent. At Sarah Foy Designs she crafts fresh and exclusive bridal designs dreamed up and created in her personal studio in Clontarf, Dublin. As part of Irish Designer Week, WeddingsOnline editor Karen Birney speaks to Sarah about her influences and methods and why she thinks the future of the Irish design industry is in the hands of the designers themselves.  

Sarah Foy's work has long been influenced by her years of travel, her immersion in the wider fashion industry and her experience elegantly dressing women in all their many forms. Her hand-made, one-of-a-kind, often eco-friendly gowns are born of a desire to create something timeless and familiar, yet fresh and distinctive.

“Simple, soft, feminine silhouettes really inspire my work,” she says. “I love designing pieces that at their core are elegant, but ultimately unique in some detail,”  

This year, Sarah is looking to the laid-back glamour and elegant simplicity of the roaring 20s for inspiration.

“I have been influenced a lot this year by 1920s glamour,” she says, noting a penchant for liquid satins and detailed embellished pieces. “The effortless sophistication of that era really works well in bridal and evening wear.”

Sarah’s unique designs are a process, one that she strives to make exciting and pleasant for both her client and for herself.

At her little-piece-of-bridal-paradise in Clontarf, Sarah holds private one-to-one consultations where she invites brides to share their individual style, ideas, hopes and expectations.

A Partnership

The entire process is a partnership, a joint venture between bride and designer, where the bride's ideas are encouraged, her mind opened, and in the end, her dreams made real.

From the initial sketches, design selections and mock ups, to adjustments, fabric selections and final fittings, Sarah thoroughly examines the fit of the garment, so you feel flawless and confident when it comes to your moment to shine.

“We dress brides to suit their shape, style and personality,” says Sarah. “This makes one of the most important aspects of any bride's wedding day also one of the most enjoyable. “

When the cut is finalised, those extra delicate details are added in the form of individually covered buttons, hand beading and intricate lace embellishments. “We create a unique piece for each client,” she says, “spending time on the small details and always trying to consider the overall look for the day rather than just the dress we create,” says Sarah.

Sarah’s personal wedding service doesn’t stop there, she also designs for mother of the bride, bridesmaids and flower girls. What better person to entrust your mother and best friend to than another woman who knows you style intimately and will be with you every step of the way? "These outfits and dresses are all created to blend with the overall look of your wedding,” she says.

Buying Irish

“The bride’s focus should firstly be finding the dress for her,” Sarah replies when asked if a bride should consider buying Irish designs. “If that dress is Irish made then it is an added bonus."

Sarah believes the future of the Irish design industry however is in the hands of the industry members themselves. “I think as Irish designers, we need to ensure that customer service and high quality standards co-exist with the most innovative Irish designs,” she says.

To make an appointment with Sarah, phone 086 1780220 or email [email protected]

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