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Inishowen designers reach fashion
final
16.03.10
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THE fashion flair of
two Inishowen students will be on display this week
at an all-Ireland design competition. Oliver
Doherty, from Culdaff and Tara McCauley, from
Quigley's Point, have been selected as Student
Designer of the Year finalists in the first ever
Golden Egg Fashion Innovation Awards in Galway later
this week. |
Oliver and Tara each
designed a cocktail dress based on the theme
‘Galway’, as part of their Foundation Art course at
the North West College in Derry.
The awards are designed to showcase the most
cutting-edge designers in Ireland today. North West
College textiles and fashion lecturer, Kathleen
Doherty, was thrilled for her students.
“It was such a surprise as our local students were
up against those from the National College of Art &
Design in Dublin, |
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University College
Galway and many other colleges across Northern
Ireland and the Republic. And, there were just 12
places available!” said Kathleen.
Reaching the final, along with two fellow art
students in Derry, meant Oliver and Tara could made
their cocktail dress designs a reality with the €100
budget provided by Golden Egg. The final designs
will now go head to head at a glamorous awards
ceremony in Galway this week, where the designers
will be judged on their innovation, design integrity
and materials. |
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The judging panel
includes Deirdre McQuillan, fashion editor of the
Irish Times, Eddie Shanahan, international fashion
consultant, and Bláthnaid Ní Dhonnchadha, fashion
reporter for TG4 & RTÉ.
The overall winner will collect a €1000 prize and
will feature in leading Irish fashion publications. |
They will also get to
display their work in a window installation during
the Galway Arts Festival fortnight.
A large group of students, family and friends are
preparing to travel to Galway to support the North
West Regional College four.
Kathleen Doherty added: “All the students on the
course are so supportive of the finalists and we all
consider them as winners already. The fact they will
showcase their work at such a prestigious fashion
industry event is a huge prize in itself."
Meanwhile, both Oliver and Tara have applied for
fashion degree courses in either Dublin, London or
Belfast. Their teacher said the Golden Egg
experience had allowed them to discover the
realities of fashion design – from sketches to
catwalk-ready pieces. Now, both can hardly wait to
see their design coming down the catwalk. |
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