Designed & Made in Ireland
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Designed & Made in Ireland Fresh thinking, contemporary design ideas and new approaches to craft from Irish designers and makers.
Irish Design 2015 A year long programme exploring, promoting and celebrating Irish design and designers through events and activities on the island of Ireland and internationally.
Design Island A series of photographs by award winning Irish photographer Peter Rowen being exhibited at Dublin Airport as part of Irish Design 2015.
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Creative Island A curated selection of the newest products at Creative Island 2015.
Ones to Watch Introducing seven of the new and emerging designer makers in Creative Island 2015.
Exhibitors’ Directory Directory of all Creative Island 2015 exhibitors.
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DESI GNED & MADE IN IREL AND
Introduction
Over the past twenty years, the forces of globalisation have pushed production further and further east, separating design & making like never before. More recently, people have begun to question this new order and to ask for more information about the products they buy. As well as looking for excellence in design, consumers want to know about other things such as the choice and quality of materials, the craftsmanship or production technique, and the country of origin. These facts combine with the brand story to deliver authenticity and provenance, creating strong intangible value, desirability and exclusivity. The marriage of design and making is alive and well here in Ireland, which in 2015 is brimming with fresh thinking, contemporary design ideas and new approaches to craft. Creative Island, a specially selected area of authentic products designed and made in Ireland, features 89 exhibitors representing the very best of Ireland’s commercial designer-makers creating new standards in modern heritage and luxury. Now in its fifth year, this important trade initiative celebrates design and making as two sides of the same coin. The companies have been selected by an independent panel from a wide pool of applicants based on the quality of their products, their design skills and their marketability. 2015 sees Irish design and designers being celebrated and promoted through Irish Design 2015, a year long programme of events and activities in Ireland and internationally. The initiative aims to showcase the very best of Irish design in just about every form, highlighting the quality of Irish design to audiences around the world in order to develop the design and craft sector into the future. The Design & Crafts Council of Ireland is actively seeking more Irish and international retailers who are keen to promote Irish craft in their stores in a meaningful way. We look forward to helping you do business in 2015. www.ddcoi.ie
Brian McGee Head of Market Development
Emma McGrath Trade Development Manager
Nicola Doran International Retail Programme Manager
brian@dccoi.ie
emmamcgrath@dccoi.ie
nicola@dccoi.ie
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Event Programme
Selected highlights from the Irish Design 2015 programme of events. For details of the full event programme visit www.irishdesign2015.ie
December 2014
April
September
30th In the Making opens, Dublin Castle
3rd Hidden Heroes opens, Dublin Castle
19th London Design Festival starts
14th Milan Design Week starts
30th Paris Fashion Week starts
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October
1st Milan EXPO opens
1st Chicago Architectural Biennial opens
January 1st Second Skin continues, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny 18th Showcase: Ireland’s Creative Expo opens, RDS, Dublin 23rd Maison et Object opens, Paris
8th NYCxDesign starts, New York 9th Appetite for Design opens, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny June
February 7th Fresh Talent opens, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny 20th London Fashion Week opens March 4th IBEC Leadership Conference, Dublin Castle 16th Second Skin opens City Hall, London 17th Global Design Challenge launches 28th PORTFOLIO opens, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny
1st London Festival of Architecture starts
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9th The Future is Here opens, St. Andrews, Dublin 10th Digital Craft opens, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny
12th PORTFOLIO opens, Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris
17th Dutch Design Week starts
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3rd Irish Design Here/Now opens, Dublin Castle 13th Jewellery and Goldsmithing Skills & Design Exhibition opens, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny August 8th Kilkenny Arts Festival Exhibition opens National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny 15th NY NOW starts, New York
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2nd A’ Design Awards exhibition opens, Dublin Castle
13th PORTFOLIO opens, Dublin Castle
Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/ Architecture starts, Hong Kong/Shenzhen
Irish Design 2015
Irish Design 2015 (ID2015) is a year long initiative exploring, promoting and celebrating Irish design in just about every form. Through a programme of events and activites engaging the public, the design community and businesses, ID2015 aims to showcase the very best of Irish design in order to drive job creation, grow exports and increase competitiveness. As part of ID2015, Dubin has been designated World Design Hub 2015 by the International Association of Designers, providing Ireland with a platform to promote the skills and talents of Irish designers to a worldwide audience. ID2015 will see over 300 design events, conferences, exhibitions, talks and more take place on the island of Ireland and in international capitals of design and commerce throughout the year. Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland, is Patron of Irish Design 2015 and the initiative has been included in the Irish Government’s Action Plan for Jobs. ID2015 is being convened by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCoI), in collaboration with partner organisations, on behalf of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Enterprise Ireland.
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Design Island Design Island is a photographic exhibition at Dublin Airport celebrating the breadth of Irish creativity which was commissioned by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland, as part of ID2015, a Year of Irish Design. The series of 300 photographs by award winning Irish photographer Peter Rowen captures 24 designers at work in their studios, and presents evocative views of the designer, their location, the raw materials and tools of their trade. “To create, one must first question everything.� Eileen Gray
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DEPART UR ES, T ERMINAL 2, DUBLIN AIRP ORT
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SH OE DESI GN – T UTT YS S HOES , NAAS , CO K ILDARE
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MI L L I NERY – MARTHA LYNN MILLINERY, DONNYB ROOK , DUB L I N 4
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BL AC KSMI T H I NG – CALNAN AND ANHØJ DES IGN IN FORGED M ETA LS, B L ESSI N G TO N , C O. WI C KLOW
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FASH I ON DESI GN – HELEN STEELE, EMYVALE, CO. MONAGH A N
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FASH I ON DESI GN – HELEN STEELE, EMYVALE, CO. MONAGH A N
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L EAT H ER WOR K – D EBUIR, K ILDARE, CO. K ILDARE
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PR I NT – PR I NT BLOCK , CORK STREET, DUB LIN 8
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BASKET RY – JOE HOGAN BAS K ETS , CLONB UR, CO. GALWAY
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BASKET RY – JOE HOGAN BAS K ETS , CLONB UR, CO. GALWAY
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H ANDW EAVI NG – STUDIO DONEGAL, K ILCAR, CO. DONEGAL
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H ANDW EAVI NG – STUDIO DONEGAL, K ILCAR, CO. DONEGAL
Shoe Design
Fashion Design
Basketry
Tutty Shoes, the family-owned artisan shoemakers, handcraft bespoke shoes that are the essence of nuanced comfort and luxury. Each shoe is beautifully built to precise measurements on wooden lasts that match the exact shape of the client’s left and right feet. A valuable lifetime investment, as people from all walks of life have found.
Artist turned textile designer Helen Steele projects paint layers into the air, capturing the 3D designs for transfer to print on fabrics in vivid layering of contrasting colours. Helen’s designs are worn in the world’s style capitals by fashionforward fans, far from the quiet rural village where she creates her work.
Joe Hogan makes functional and sculptural baskets with birch, bog myrtle and other wild materials gathered near his home. Collectors of his uniquely tactile work gain aesthetic pleasure and a direct connection to the natural world. Joe also communicates his passion for baskets in classes hosted at his studio and in two books that he has authored.
Tutty Shoes, Naas, Co. Kildare tuttyshandmadeshoes.ie Millinery Martha Lynn forms her exciting millinery creations using traditional wood blocks, but adds a contemporary twist through her experimental use of materials such as Perspex, foam and vinyl. After training in sculpture and 3D visual art Martha was captivated by millinery as an intern working on designs for Valentino and Galliano for their AW2010 collections.
Helen Steele, Emyvale, Co. Monaghan helensteele.com
Joe Hogan Baskets, Clonbur, Co. Galway joehoganbaskets.com
Leatherwork A childhood school exchange immersed Garvan De Bruir in art and woodwork, later leading him to choose a university course in designing and making fine furniture. Garvan’s broad-ranging De Bruir collection blends natural materials, traditional craft and exquisite structural design. Hand stitched bags of rare quality, inspired by saddlery techniques of Ireland’s equestrian heartland, align with furniture and sustainable architecture ideas.
Handweaving
De Bruir, Kildare, Co. Kildare deBruir.com
High up on Donegal’s rugged and remote Atlantic coastline, Studio Donegal is designing and handweaving the purest luxury fabrics using traditional craft skills preserved from generation to generation. Discerning buyers around the world recognise and value the unique texture and weight of the fabrics made with locally sourced yarn and used to produce Studio’s contemporary clothing, accessories and homewares.
Husband and wife team Michael Calnan and Gunvor Anhøj have forged their business creating boldly primitive exterior sculptures and elegant interior fittings. In the grounds of Palladian mansion Russborough House, they add texture and shape to iron, steel, bronze and copper. They are proud to leave hammer marks as a signature of the traditional methods that they use alongside contemporary techniques.
Studio Donegal, Kilcar, Co. Donegal studiodonegal.ie
Calnan and Anhoj, Russborough House, Blessington, Co Wicklow calnan-anhoj.ie
Print Block, Dublin printblock.ie
Martha Lynn Millinery, Dublin marthalynnmillinery.com Blacksmithing
Print Block is a three-year-old studio collective of textile designers unafraid to make bold style statements, believing in the power of pattern to lift the mood. Their initial aim has been achieved, of providing professional textile print facilities previously non-existent in Dublin. Its excellent facilities and not-for-profit collective ethos resonate and creatively enable its members.
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Creative Island A curated selection of exciting new products from Creative Island 2015 demonstrating new standards in modern heritage and luxury. “Imagination is the beginning of creation.� George Bernard Shaw
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01 Rathlin Knitwear C83
06 McKernan Woollen Mills C66
11 Ekotree C88
02 Studio Donegal C91
07 Shevlin Millinery C87
12 Rathlin Knitwear C83
03 Studio Donegal C91
08 Studio Donegal C91
13 Foxford Woollen Mills C45
04 Studio Donegal C91
09 31 Chapel Lane C24
14 Ekotree C88
05 Foxford Woollen Mills C45
10 Hรกta C62
15 Studio Donegal C91
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01 31 Chapel Lane C24
06 Naoimh Primm C80
02 R贸is铆n Gartland C92 03 Natalie B Coleman C79 04 Nicola Brown C13 05 The Brendan Joseph Studio C86 C REAT I V E I SL A N D AT SH OWC ASE
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01 Brooke and Shoals C35
06 Saint Maren C18
11 The Handmade Soap Company C15
02 The Handmade Soap Company C15
07 Max Benjamin C46
12 The Handmade Soap Company C15
03 Bog Standard C31
08 Saint Maren C18
13 Brooke and Shoals C35
04 La Bougie C10
09 Bog Standard C31
05 The Handmade Soap Company C15
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01 ChristinaBelle C70
06 Helena Malone C57
02 Scribble & Stone C75
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03 Martina Hamilton Collection C84
08 Bláithín Ennis C73
04 Chupi C59
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01 Thomas Diem Pottery C21
06 Jerpoint Glass Studio C34
11 Living Ginger Designs C37
02 Castle Arch Pottery C8
07 Castle Arch Pottery C8
12 Superfolk Design Studio C30
03 Jerpoint Glass Studio C34
08 Thomas Diem Pottery C21
13 Sarah McKenna Ceramics C40
04 DANU Designer Ceramics C38
09 Superfolk Design Studio C30
05 Living Ginger Designs C37
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01 At It Again! C39
06 Fawn C11
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07 Clover Rua C4
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08 Grand Grand C14
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01 Caulfield Country Boards C36
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02 Buanbury Boards C43 03 Caulfield Country Boards C36 04 Snug C16 05 Bunbury Boards C43 C REAT I V E I SL A N D AT SH OWC ASE
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Ones to Watch Over the past 5 years Creative Island has worked to foster new talent in Ireland, mentor and develop them and provide a commercial platform to meet retailers and establish their wholesale presence. Here are seven ones to watch from 2015. “There can be no tradition without innovation.� Earle Hitchner
Merchants of Linen 31 Chapel Lane
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Their modesty belies an exceptional eye for these cloths, their use for items essential to any home and one of the freshest homeware collections in Ireland for years.
31 Chapel Lane is a Cavan-based merchant for organic Irish Linen that focuses on craftsmanship using sustainable, high quality, natural Irish Linen and traditional Tweed woven in Ireland. Cavan native and architect, Damien Hannigan, and his Australian partner, Joi Fu, design and produce simple day-to-day items like pocket squares, cushion covers, baby swaddles, tea cloths, napkins and supper candles that add subtle and complementary colour and grace to the home. ‘We create pieces that have longevity and are functional. Our look is simplistic and modern,’ says Damien. They work with well-established linen and wool mills and talented individuals throughout Ireland and are proud to invest in Irish manufacturing. The label is also a member of the Irish Linen Guild. There is a stage in the production of linen, known as scutching and heckling, during which the fibres of the flax stalk are separated from the woody material that has, until then, bound them together. The makers of 31 Chapel Lane would say that this is the moment at which flax becomes linen. They love
such moments; instances in which the qualities of things are altered slightly but irrevocably by the processes applied to them. They try to work in this way, choosing durable, natural and luxurious fabrics, then through the simple processes of design and manufacture they imagine and create items for home and for life. As one of the companies chosen to sell their wares at the Makers and Brothers pop-up shop on Dame Lane during Christmas, 31 Chapel Lane is now enjoying serious attention from some of London’s finest luxury craft retailers. ‘The New Craftsmen, a real and online shop based in London’s Mayfair, has been stocking some of our goods since November 2014. They are committed to showcasing the finest craft makers from across Britain and Ireland. They are dedicated to the makers, materials, methods and design and so it’s a fantastic place for our work to feature.’ They had a very successful weekend Christmas pop-up at Another Country in Marylebone, London, for whom they made a small collection of bespoke Irish Linen table linen at the start of 2014, which have been selling exceptionally well.
At the pop-up they were able to meet their customers and hear their positive response in person. Another Country will continue to stock the existing bespoke items 31 Chapel Lane have already produced for them and will introduce new items for 2015. Damien and Joi have been invited by Monocle magazine to participate in their annual Christmas Market in 2015. This is an esteemed company indeed for a label which launched as recently as 2012 and while they are still in the stage of carefully watching their outgoings as much as their incomings, they say the invitation alone is certainly a huge privilege.
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Greeting Success Bold Bunny
We may live in a digital world but nothing still beats the feeling of opening a handwritten card, either plopping onto the mat at home, a beacon amongst the bills, or accompanying a gift, says Ali Jones, a graphic designer who set up her hip greetings card company Bold Bunny after she found it impossible to buy Irish-made cards that she liked. ‘I’m a fan of cool, contemporary design. I love quality paper stock and the stationary of New York design house’s Kate Spade, Roger La Borde and Smythson.’ The illustrative nature of what she found on the market wasn’t reflecting her own personality. While pregnant with her first child Lola, Ali received lots of cards she really didn’t like, so she set about designing eight of 54
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her own. She showed them to friends and family and their reaction was so positive that she decided to set up Bold Bunny. ‘My cards are typographic, very wordy and play on Dublin slang,’ she explains. ‘A thank you card features six army tanks on the front, for instance. Another simply says, “You’re a Life Saver” and has a print of a lifebuoy on it.’ A house-warming card reads, ‘Good Luck in Your New Gaff’. ‘You’re Deadly’, ‘Love You Lots Like Jellytots’ and ‘If This Was the 90s I’d Make You a Mix Tape’ are all phrases that are charming to receive. She has cards for civil partnerships, weddings and is reprising a very secular Holy Communion card. She is extending the collection to
include a baby range which will have lots of strong colour, as she considers a lot of what is on the market as too pastel and washed out. The cards include one welcoming the little bundle of joy into the world with the words, ‘Greetings Birthling’. A self-professed card keeper, she prioritises them over letters and has kept every one her father ever gave her, including Christmas cards that he sent to her and her sister from each of Santa’s seven reindeer, complete with hand-drawn stamps. Ali doesn’t like cards with printed messages inside so hers have been left blank. Turn the card over and you’ll see a different comment to the one on the front. This attention to detail has fans flocking back for more.
In our time-pressed digital, world a hand written card carries extra weight because it shows you took the time to select the right card and commit your thoughts to paper.
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Bringing it all Back Home DANU Designer Ceramics
Travel broadens the mind. DANU Designer Ceramics makes use of souvenirs found on maker Ruth Power’s passage to India. The work of ceramic artist Ruth Power has been strongly influenced by her travels which she says gave her a new way of seeing things She studied at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD), Dublin, and began designing one-off gallery pieces, earning her a Design & Crafts Council of Ireland Future Makers Award in 2011. Her globe-trotting took her to Asia where she was drawn to the colour palettes and decorative arts of India and Indonesia. ‘I brought home many souvenirs and some of these have inspired my contemporary stoneware collections,’ she explains. She has repurposed antique wood blocks found in Rajasthan, originally used in textile printing, to create a decorative flourish on her rectangular-shaped serving 56
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platters. This she extended into a full tableware range that includes dipping bowls, cheese boards, bowls cast from a fallen coconut shell and tumblers that are a contemporary take on the traditional lassi cup. Fittingly the range is called Wanderlust. In her tableware she uses photographs that she took on her travels as visual references as well as searching online for arresting hues. Her colour palette is inspired by the rich colours of Indian textiles, walls and doors. It includes a hot Bollywood pink and a warm indigo blue glaze that coats many of India’s doors. In some of the ware she uses an opal white clay, making her pattern really pop. The ceramics look deceptively simple but marry just the right amount of decoration for them to appeal to minimalists and maximalists alike. The latter will
love the fact that Power also has an eye for imagery and has styled and photographed all her own imagery, setting a sophisticated scene that will also appeal to the restaurant and food industries. On a practical level, her presentation platters are food safe and dishwasher proof. Her brand name, DANU Designer Ceramics, comes from the name of a goddess who appears in several cultures, Power explains. ‘Danu was the primordial Celtic goddess of earth and creativity. She was also the Hindi goddess of water – these three elements are fundamental to the creation of ceramics.’ The goods are packaged in simple matte grey crepe paper decorated with a printed stamp, made using the same woodblock as is used in her tableware.
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Prince of Darkness Pierce Healy
The jewellery of Pierce Healy has a certain Nordic noir sensibility. Each piece starts life as a drawing. These lines are transferred to metal by hand making them mini lithographs that you can wear. 58
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Piece Healy is first and foremost an illustrator who uses his pen and ink drawings as a base layer for his jewellery. Textured rings that act as armour, they are dark to look at and extremely tactile to touch. His work requires scrutiny to really understand what it’s about. The more you look, the more you see. Every confident textured line tells a story. These lines are transferred to metal by hand engraving onto oxidised silver – as if blackened by fire – 18 carat gold and platinum. Each piece of jewellery is heavily decorated. ‘My drawings influence a lot of my work. Texture is crucial to the storytelling. By hand engraving each piece, it looks and feels like a very fine drawing – a mini lithograph you can wear.’ He has created an alter ego for his illustrative work, an old-world sounding ‘Otto Van Winkle Peterstein’, a play on several artists he admires. Dubliner Healy studied metals and design at NCAD and then travelled to Sweden where he took fine art, with a focus on contemporary jewellery, at Konst Fack, University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm where he was taught to ‘go with his gut feeling and analyse the work later’. His gut then took him to San Francisco where he pursued a career in the genre of art jewellery. Although he resided in sunny California, his work retains that Nordic noir
sensibility, channeling the blackness of the Swedish winters he liked so much. So Healy doesn’t do shiny or happy. But a current of black humour runs through all his work. His work has been exhibited in Finland, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Belgrade, California and Ireland and he is represented by the San Francisco-based art jewellery gallery, Velvet Da Vinci. Pierce is the grand nephew of Michael Healy, a pioneer artist of the modern Irish stained glass movement who, after art school, worked as an illustrator for the Irish Rosary before developing his glass talent. He taught cubist painter Evie Hone the craft of stained glass in the 1930s at his studio, An Túr Gloine. Both Healy and his contemporary, Harry Clarke, translated their illustrative skills into the medium of glass. In his own way, Pierce Healy is continuing that family tradition. Of his creations he says they are ancient yet modern. ‘The tattoo crowd likes the rawness. So do a lot of women in their fifties.’
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Keeping it Simple Snug
Snug is a new range of covetable Irish-made furniture that is also affordable – a selling point that is music to design lovers’ ears.
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Nell Roddy and Conor Kelly are the people behind Snug, a contemporary range of furniture that is made in Snugboro, in the Glen of Imaal, Co. Wicklow. The couple who are partners in business and in life, met at secondary school in Dunlavin. They now live at the foot of Lugnaquilla, Wicklow’s highest mountain, in a homestead that has been farmed by Conor’s family since the late 1800s. It is an inspiring place to work. The glen is also home to the Coolmoney military range used by the Irish army for tactical manoeuvres and for weapons practice. The night sky is often lit up by flares that Nell says ‘look like fireworks’ when the army are on night manoeuvres. As well as dabbling in the music industry, Conor trained as a cabinet maker. Rather than create a range that looks to Ireland’s craft past he loves simple modern furniture, ‘designs that are functional yet contemporary,’ he explains. The project was born of a need for covetable furniture at prices that won’t break the bank, ‘furniture that we would like to have in our home and that we could afford to buy,’ as Nell puts it. They have spotted a gap in the middle market for those that don’t want entry level generic pieces but are priced out of the high-end designs. As well as fulfilling orders, Conor likes to spend time on the lathe trying out new ideas,
some of which have made it into their new range. The current collection features a new bench, a new chair, a new sideboard and a new candlestick. Working with Irish ash when it is available, they hope to introduce other indigenous woods into the collection as well as new colours so that it continues to look fresh and modern. The inspiration remains the same, says Conor. ‘We make well designed, affordable furniture using traditional techniques. Good looks don’t have to cost the earth.’ Snug creates pieces that are made with care and built to last. The designs are competitively priced, especially the accessories which include milking stools and coat hooks, items that are really appealing to the home market. Conor feels design should be for everyone, not just those with deep pockets. He says they’d ‘rather be busy making a smaller profit than not being busy’.
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Talking Point Design Superfolk
On the strength of one show in Stockholm in 2010, Gearóid Muldowney and Jo Anne Butler of Superfolk had their designs – pared-back tables and benches – stocked internationally, in Waldraud (Zurich), Bensimon (Paris), and Cobine (Tokyo). They also set the casual dining tone in Tom’s Deli, one of several restaurants run by celebrity chef Tom Aikens, located in London’s Somerset House. On paper it seemed Superfolk had arrived but selling large items such as their tables and benches proved difficult and the pair, partners in life and business, returned to the drawing board to scale down their ideas. From the shed that is their workroom, situated just outside Westport, Co. Mayo, at the foot of Croagh Patrick, the mountain from which St. Patrick is said to have banished the snakes from Ireland, they’ve boxed clever. By using ash off-cuts from their furniture-making, they’ve constructed a pot stand or trivot. Visually interesting in its own right, it also performs a function: ‘It’s a design unadorned by oil or varnish that will get grubby with age and will tell its story of use.’ When not in use the playful piece becomes a point of interest in 62
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a kitchen, hanging from a hook by its leather loop. The trivot is packaged in cardboard boxes screen-printed by Jo Anne. With a mug they designed for Makers and Brothers they outsourced production to a reputable ceramics firm. Designed to be a vessel from which you could drink tea or a craft beer, they produced about one hundred units and plan to continue with similarly small scale productions, manageable as a team of two. They’ve been playing with prototypes and want to grow the business organically so that there is a sustainable living in it for both of them. The couple discuss and sketch ideas together. Muldowney, who trained as a silversmith, then tries making them. ‘Sometimes you just know when something feels right and looks right,’ he says. ‘A lot of it feels like an experiment,’ he says. ‘The collection is expanding to include more tableware and occasional furniture, foldable tables and stools. All of the pieces relate to food in some way. ‘We’re starting with what’s on top of the table and moving out from there.’
Superfolk is a brand that has downsized its designs from large pieces of furniture to talking point tableware.
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Style and Structure Zoë Carol
Zoë Wong of Zoë Carol is a fashion designer with a science background. Since she was a young girl she had wanted to study fashion but at her parents insistence she got a solid degree under her belt before pursuing such a flight of fancy. With a BA from Trinity College in geography she boarded a plane to New York to The Parsons New School of Design, whose alumni include Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Alexander Wang, Prabal Gurung, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernadez, founders of Proenza Schouler, and Jenna Lyons, president and executive creative director at J.Crew. When she graduated she stayed on in New York learning the business by working with low-key fashion brands: cashmere clothing company TSE; Libra Leather, a custom finishing leather goods company whose clients include Rag and Bone, and Pour La Victorie, where she designed shoes. Ireland was in the deepest of recessions when she returned home in 2010. She opened an upscale vintage shop Horse and June on Drury Street, stocking garments by Nina Ricci, Dior and Balenciaga. It was the fit and the finish of these garments that caught her attention; she has subsequently incorporated some near-forgotten dressmaking techniques – straps to hide your bra from view and discreet belts at the waist – into her own designs. When she was asked to design costumes for a fashion film, Storm in a Tea Cup, which showed at Dublin Fashion Week 2011, designing her own clothing collection seemed like the natural next step.‘I wanted to do something clean, sophisticated and contemporary. There is a sense of femininity but it’s of the grown-up kind. My clothes are for the woman I hope to be one day.’ 64
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For Wong that means well-tailored, wellfinished garments, featuring French seams and hand-stitched hems. ‘The integrity of how they’re made changes the whole look of the garment,’ Wong explains. ‘It’s about using couture techniques, adding value to the pieces so that they feel beautiful to wear as well as look beautiful.’ Her AW15 collection was sketched while on a plane to Hong Kong, where she spent part of her childhood. She grew up in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway but it the sensibilities of two of the world’s most vibrant cities, Hong Kong and New York, which inform her work.
The devil is in the detail of Zoë Carol’s clean, sophisticated, contemporary clothing. Using couture techniques her ready to wear feels as good as it looks.
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Exhibitors Directory Alphabetical directory of exhibitors from Creative Island 2015 “The artist is the creator of beautiful things.” Oscar Wilde
31 Chapel Lane Damien Hannigan & Joi Fu
Áine Knitwear Anne Behan McConnell
Ana Faye Anna Vahey Casey
31 Chapel Lane is a Cavan-based merchant for organic, sustainable, high quality Irish linen, with focus on craftsmanship and traditional weaves. Working with well-established linen and wool mills and talented individuals throughout Ireland, they design and produce simple but unique day-to-day items that add a little colour and grace to the home.
Anne uses natural fibres and dyes in her knitwear creations. Her pieces include an eco-line of hats, scarves, mittens, jackets and waistcoats, popular in Scotland, Germany and Japan, she sources most of her materials from within Ireland, many from Kilcar in Co. Donegal.
With an international background in fashion and accessory design, Anna Faye launched her first range of exclusive handmade leather bags under her own name in autumn 2008. Her design is refined and elegant, using pure, clean, geometric lines juxtaposed with elegant curves.
+ 353 61 35 4708 anne@aineknitwear.com aine.ie
+ 353 87 685 3095 info@ansfaye.com anafaye.com
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Anna Nielsen Prints Anna Nielsen
Artysmarty Angela Cuthill
At It Again! Maite Lopez, James Moore, Jessica Peel-Yates & Niall Laverty
Each of Anna Nielsen’s monochrome prints is drawn by hand and takes about six weeks to complete. She draws the human form and looks to life for inspiration. She is the recipient of an Irish Book of the Year Award for her design contribution to Filíocht Ghrá na Gaeilge (Cois Life, 2008).
Tasmanian-born, Dublin-based Angela Cuthill is the designer/maker behind Artysmarty. She creates each individual piece of jewellery or fabric by hand. Her range includes badges, earrings, necklaces, rings and hair accessories. Wood, plastics and resin form the basis of materials which are then handcrafted into contemporary pieces.
Comprising Flemish/Englishwoman Jessica Peel-Yates, Dublin designer James Moore, animator Niall Laverty and thespian Maite Lopez, At It Again! produce witty distillations of classic Irish works of literature, including Ulysses, Dracula and The Portrait of Dorian Gray in printed ‘manual’ kits and illustrations.
+ 353 1 474 4444 info@artysmartyshop.com artysmarty.ie
+ 353 86 818 5537 info@atitagain.ie atitagain.ie
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+ 353 87 753 9872 mail@31ChapelLane.com 31ChapelLane.com STAND REF C24
+ 353 404 40 708 + 353 87 655 8887 nielsenanna@mac.com annanielsen.com STAND REF C20
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Belinda Northcote Designs Belinda Northcote
Bláithín Ennis Bláithín Ennis
Bog Standard Alix Mulholland
Belinda Northcote is a botanical artist who uses watercolours, pen and ink in her work to make limited edition fine art prints, flower and insect drawings, a timeless Beatrix Potter-style collection of children’s prints, and more recently, greeting cards. Belinda has also created a textile range of 100% Italian silk, wool and linen mix scarves.
Bláithín Ennis’ unique approach and ability to source, manipulate and combine unusual materials, to produce wearable, affordable, striking jewellery, immediately set her apart upon graduation. With mixtures of delicate and robust metals, sparkling crystals and soft whimsical shell mesh, her pieces have an avantgarde, ethnic motivation behind them.
While studying business at university, Alix Mulholland wrote the business plan for Bog Standard, a fragranced giftware range that includes scented candles, scented drawer sachets and room fragrances. She recently added car fragrances to her product mix. To this day, Irish Linen continues to be her number one selling fragrance.
+ 353 21 464 6464 info@belindanorthcote.com belindanorthcote.com
+ 353 87 767 6026 info@blaithinennis.com blaithinennis.com
+353 48 908 12145 info@bogstandard.ie bogstandard.ie
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Bold Bunny Ali Jones
Breda Haugh Jewellery Design Breda Haugh
Brooke & Shoals Alison Banton
Graphic designer Ali Jones’ cards are typographic, wordy and play on Dublin slang such as: “Good Luck in Your New Gaff”, “Love You Lots Like Jellytots”. Filling a contemporary and secular gap in the market, Bold Bunny greeting cards offer Irish-printed relief in a digital world of soon-forgotten communication.
Breda Haugh’s elegant jewellery is handmade in silver and gold in her studio workshop in the Design Tower, Dublin. She passionately explores different concepts in her work, with surface textures bringing tactility and atmosphere to the pieces. Breda is also a jeweller for the National Museum of Ireland.
+ 353 86 388 9298 cards@boldbunny.ie boldbunny.ie
+ 353 1 670 5738 bredahaugh@eircom.net bredahaugh.com
Alison Banton trained at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery, France, and opened her scented candle shop in Greystones eight years ago. She has blended the essential oils herself and sources Irish candle makers to help make her soy wax candles. Lately, she launched an organic body range using seaweed extract, grapefruit and rose geranium.
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+ 353 1 287 4199 alison@brookeandshoals.ie brookeandshoals.ie STAND REF C35
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BTU Glass Scott Benefield
Bunbury Boards William Bunbury
Button Studio Jane Walsh
Set up in Randalstown, Co. Antrim in 2011 by Scott Benefield and Andrea Spencer, BTU is the first new independent hot glass studio in Northern Ireland since the 1970s. They make contemporary giftware based on Venetian glassblowing techniques but with a contemporary design aesthetic.
Bunbury Boards produce worktops, bookshelves, tabletops and other bespoke items made from fallen and dead timber in the Lisnavagh estate woodlands. Each board comes with its own unique report, with an image of the tree, the reason why the tree died and what has been done to replace it.
National College of Art and Design graduate Jane Walsh makes her jewellery and gifts by turning ordinary objects into exceptional pieces. Her colourful designs appeal to everyone young and old. Her collection includes rings, cufflinks, earrings and wall art for celebratory occasions.
+ 44 7879 210554 info@btustudio.com btustudio.com
+ 353 59 916 1784 sales@bunburyboards.com bunburyboards.com
+ 353 87 670 9530 jane@buttonstudio.ie buttonstudio.ie
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CarveOn Alan & Gary McCormack
Castle Arch Pottery Ray Power
Caulfield Country Boards Pearse & Louise Caulfield
CarveOn is an old-style accessories label for the contemporary world. Specialising in wood, leather and canvas products handcrafted in their workshop in Kill, Co. Kildare, CarveOn regularly works with companies, retailers, artists and individual customers on custom designs and completely bespoke projects.
Ray Power studied ceramic design at Crawford College of Art and Design in Cork and has been producing Castle Arch tableware and giftware at the Castle Yard in Kilkenny since 1997. Drawing inspiration from Newgrange spirals, traditional motifs and centuries of patternmaking, they specialise in embossed dishes and lush colour glazes.
The progeny of John Caulfield Joinery in Co. Meath, Pearse and Louise combine their food and joinery backgrounds to create practical solutions for food preparation. The company offers a personalised range of boards to retailers and is also exploring ramekins and wooden tumblers for the food and drinks industry.
+ 353 56 775 1933 ray@castlearchpottery.ie castlearchpottery.ie
+ 353 4 69 24 0521 hello@caulfieldcountryboards.ie caulfieldcountryboards.ie
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+ 353 83 192 2724 hello@carveon.com carveon.com STAND REF C61
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Chaïm Factor Chaïm Factor
Christina Keogh Jewellery Christina Keogh
ChristinaBelle Jewellery Christina Goldston
It is the abstract composition in wood that excites furniture designer Chaïm. He sources locally and uses native timbers where possible. His contemporary work explores materials to optimum effect, using wood, stone, metal and glass to the advantage of each individual piece. Some items are limited edition.
Goldsmith Christina Keogh works with sheet silver, gold and freshwater pearls. She shapes and changes surface textures to add glimmers of interest. While a precious thing, she believes jewellery should be worn and used. Her pearls are strung on silks of inky blues, emerald greens, royal purples and crimson reds.
New Yorker and gemologist Christina Goldston’s twenty year journey started in her family’s Brooklyn fine jewellery business, before grading diamonds at Tiffany & Co., New York and working with Appleby’s and Boodles here in Dublin. Her work features semi-precious gemstones, fresh water pearls, crystals and metals like sterling silver and gold vermeil.
+ 353 0402 30581 info@hillpicketstudio.com chaimfactor.com STAND REF C25
+ 353 86 264 6365 info@christinakeogh.ie christinakeogh.ie STAND REF C54
+ 353 86 826 0001 info@christina-belle.com christina-belle.com STAND REF C70
Chupi Sweetman-Pell Chupi Sweetman-Pell
Clay Creations Brid Lyons
Clover Rua Anita Elliott & Martin Gleeson
Chupi jewellery is made for your inner magpie with delicate pieces in sparkling gold and the shiniest semi-precious gems. Irresistibly drawn to “wild and natural things”, Chupi began by casting found items including swan feathers, tiny twigs and acorns. Her work is stocked across Ireland, in the US, UK and inflight with Aer Lingus.
Ceramic designer Brid Lyons’ sculptural creations are whimsical and full of colour. She takes inspiration from the work of Tim Burton, people-watching, Pinterest and paint charts. Working in porcelain, paper porcelain and stoneware, she tests new ideas in her namesake gallery in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny.
Textile designer Anita Elliot (John Rocha, Quinn and Donnelly) and graphic designer Martin Gleeson use a primitive screenprinting process to produce clean, contemporary and graphic prints and gifts featuring hand-drawn images of Dublin landmarks and writers. Their range at Creative Island will include mugs, tea towels and tote bags.
+ 353 1 443 4440 info@chupi.ie chupi.ie STAND REF C59
+ 353 56 772 4977 bridlyonsceramics@yahoo.ie bridlyonsceramics.com STAND REF C1
+ 353 87 122 7332 cloverrua@gmail.com cloverrua.com STAND REF C4
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Counties of Ireland Jewellery Marion Fink & Soraya Ricalde
Cushendale Woollen Mills Philip Cushen
DANU Designer Ceramics Ruth Power
Counties of Ireland Jewellery create sterling silver pendants in the shape of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. They also offer a bespoke service and can set a stone into your birthplace, or have your county name or another small inscription engraved on the piece.
Set on the millrace of the River Duiske in Co. Kilkenny, Cushendale is a mill run by the Cushen family since 1880. They dye, card and spin all their own yarn, making wool blankets, luxury mohair throws and fashion accessories. “Because we dye all our own yarns, our colours are unique to us,” says Philip Cushen.
Ruth Power studied ceramics in NCAD and earned a Design & Crafts Council of Ireland Future Makers Award in 2011. The colour palettes and decorative arts of India, Indonesia and Hong Kong have inspired her stoneware tableware collections. Her ceramics look deceptively simple but appeal to both minimalists and maximalists.
+ 353 87 259 5973 countiesofirelandjewellery@gmail.com countiesofirelandjewellery.com STAND REF C63
+ 353 59 972 4118 info@cushendale.ie cushendale.ie STAND REF C27
+ 353 86 668 0544 info@danuceramics.ie danuceramics.ie STAND REF C38
Declan Killen Goldsmith Declan Killen
Dublin Linen and Lace Rosaleen Byrne
Ekotree Diarmuid Neilan
Goldsmith Declan Killen creates gold, platinum, sterling silver contemporary jewellery inspired by heraldry and treasures of the Irish bog. Killen also uses opals, sapphires and diamonds in his one-off pieces which are handcrafted in Dublin.
Inspired by countless cottage industries before her, Rosaleen Byrne set up her christening robe and accessory business in her own home, to create heirloom pieces with a modern appeal. Her collection uses Irish Linen and includes booties, bonnets, shawls and romper suits, decorated with Celtic embroidery inspired by The Book of Kells.
Using his multidisciplinary background in fashion design, product development and environmental science, Diarmuid Neilan set up Ekotree, a small scale knitwear manufacturing plant in Killaloe, Co. Clare. He makes scarves and throws in 100% alpaca and an alpaca/ merino mix, as well as sweaters and shawls.
+ 353 1 677 0829 info@declankillen.com declankillen.com STAND REF C65
+ 353 1 867 2431 info@dublinlinenandlace.com dublinlinenandlace.com STAND REF C49
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+ 353 83 302 1452 ekotree.knitwear@gmail.com ekotree.ie STAND REF C88
Elks Lucy Clarke
Enibas Sabine Lenz
Fabulous Felt Kate Ramsey
Simon O’Connor and Lucy Clarke set up Elks, a children’s clothing label, in 2012. The contemporary collection of practical clothing made from natural fabrics, mainly Irish tweeds and linens, fuses the contrast of rugged countryside with slick city living. Their new baby range will feature linen baby blankets and kimonos.
Sabine Lenz opened her shop in Schull, Co. Cork twelve years ago. Inspired by myth and legend, Sabine uses script and symbols to infuse her contemporary designs with an ancient feel. The “Croí Álainn” and “Bo fhaol do Thuras” ranges have become her signature collections.
Using raw merino wool, Kate Ramsey, originally from Poland but now based in Limerick, creates a fabric that is hand-felted and hand-dyed using cold fast dyes. She uses her felted fabrics to make contemporary scarves, wraps, bags and jewellery.
+ 353 28 28868 orders@enibas.com enibas.com
+ 353 86 230 4905 kate@fabulousfelt.ie fabulousfelt.ie
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Fawn Fán Regan
Fiona Kerr Jewellery Fiona Kerr
Fiona Mangan Bespoke Headwear Fiona Mangan
A graduate of Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Fán Regan’s work takes the animal kingdom as a point of reference. Her hand-printed work can be bought framed or unframed and is mounted at Cow’s Lane Designer Studio and other stockists.
Fiona Kerr works organically, discovering shapes and forms while at the bench, and drawing inspiration from the process itself. Ideas originate in nature’s geometry, something which at first appears chaotic. The sequential patterns of nature then inform her designs. Working mainly to commission, she also remodels antique fine jewellery.
Hailing from the same countryside as royal milliner Philip Treacy, Fiona Mangan is an architect turned milliner who uses her knowledge of form, proportion and structure in each of her creations. She makes bridalwear, hats for weddings and race meetings and is the recipient of several international awards.
+ 353 87 968 4976 workshop@elks.ie elks.ie STAND REF C52
+ 353 85 236 0146 info@fawn.ie fawn.ie STAND REF C11
+ 44 28 6638 8957 fiona@fionakerrjewellery.co.uk fionakerrjewellery.co.uk
+ 353 87 918 1589 fionamangan@hotmail.com fionamangan.com STAND REF C77
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Fiona Mulholland Jewellery Fiona Mulholland
Foxford Woollen Mills Joe Queenan
Garrett Mallon Jewellery Garrett Mallon
A talented jewellery designer with a reputation for conceptual design, Fiona Mulholland’s jewellery comprises funky colourful pieces, pure form geometry, made of Plexiglas and silver, which use the natural edge of the glass to maximise its luminosity. Although constructed using modern manufacturing solutions, each piece is finished by hand.
Founded in 1892, Foxford Woollen Mills is situated on the river Moy in the heart of Co. Mayo and is one of the last working mills in Ireland. Employing over forty people, Foxford allows a tradition spanning thousands of years to survive and flourish. The luxurious range includes blankets, throws, rugs and scarves.
Goldsmith Garrett Mallon is a stone-setter by trade, and uses highly pigmented semiprecious stones set in silver. Local folklore inspires Garrett’s designs, Cloicín is a collection inspired by the stony shores of Carlingford Lough – his take on the torc.
+ 353 87 678 0374 mulhollandjewellery@gmail.com mulhollandjewellery.com
+ 353 94 925 6104 sales@fwm.ie foxfordwoollenmills.com
+ 353 42 937 5940 info@garrettmallon.com garrettmallon.com STAND REF C82
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Grand Grand Fergus O’Neill
Green Gorgeous Linda Sheridan & Paula Stapleton
Hanna Hats Of Donegal Ltd, Amanda, John Joseph & Eleanor Hanna
Grand Grand is the work of designer Fergus O’Neill, trained at Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology and a believer in interdisciplinary collaboration and design through process. Kicking off with the ‘Keep Going Sure It’s Grand’ project, he now produces a range of silk-screened prints and greeting cards with the unique Grand Grand humour.
Linda Sheridan (interior designer) and Paula Stapleton (graphic designer) set up Green Gorgeous two years ago. Using sustainable industrial wool felt and toxin-free dyes, they make wall art and simple items for the table and more recently, a felt wine cooler. Next season, they plan to expand into eco rubber and resin.
Founded in 1924, Hanna Hats continue to create timeless tweed caps from the finest of Donegal Tweed. Every hat is assembled by hand at the factory in Donegal Town using locally woven tweeds including herringbone, houndstooth, checks, plaids and salt-and-pepper weaves; all key elements in the signature patchwork caps, hats and bags.
+ 353 86 822 1948 hello@grandgrand.ie grandgrand.ie
+ 353 1 554 7818 info@greengorgeous.ie greengorgeous.ie
+ 353 74 972 1084 info@hannahats.com hannahats.com
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Háta Ronan Hanna
Helena Malone Goldsmith Helena Malone
Hilary Nunan Hilary Nunan
Ronan Hanna, of the famous Donegal hat family, is harnessing the renaissance of the North-West of Ireland by working with weaver Ciaran Molloy to develop Hata’s next generation tweed cap. Made with mohair and merino wool instead of the traditional lambswool, it is soft as a pillow on the head!
Helena Malone is inspired by nature and its inherent structural balance. In her strong, sculptural and feminine designs, she is drawn to colour, interesting textures and unusual stones (onyx, carnelian and jasper) and pearls. Her collections’ names are indicative of their effect: “Elegance”, “Rhapsody”, “Sense of Nature” and “Pop”.
Hilary Nunan, a graduate of the Crawford College of Art and Design, uses natural fibres, mulberry tissue, binding materials and acrylic paints to create framed landscapes and seascapes. Mounted in floating box frames, these pieces are popular with interior designers who have commissioned Hilary to create works sympathetic to their colour schemes.
+ 353 87 698 7988 helena@helenamalone.ie helenamalone.ie
+ 353 86 355 8993 hilarynunan@gmail.com hilarynunan.ie
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Irish Linen House Greg Whelan
Jennifer Slattery Textiles Jennifer Slattery
Jerpoint Glass Studio Rory Leadbetter
Irish Linen House creator Greg Whelan spent twenty years working as a designer in the fashion industry and so his designs make a strong fashion statement for tableware. He designs and embroiders table runners, napkins and place mats in 100% Irish linen saying, “It is ornate yet elegant.”
Jennifer Slattery was a graphic designer before retraining in textile design and embroidery. Her collections feature digital printed imagery and embroidery, and comprise tableware, cushions and throws. Informed by an appreciation of heritage, she is attracted to the flaws that exude character. “My work is a celebration of the everyday heirloom,” she says.
Jerpoint Glass Studio is a family business making glass in Kilkenny for over thirty years and handblowing in the same fashion as it was 2000 years ago. They offer gallery-style pieces as well as a range of tableware. Their glassware has featured in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, as well as numerous BBC period dramas.
+ 353 74 974 0494 ronanhanna@hata.ie hata.ie STAND REF C62
+ 353 1 820 8774 info@irishlinenhouse.com irishlinenhouse.com STAND REF C26
+ 353 86 075 4086 mail@jenniferslatterytextiles.com jenniferslatterytextiles.com
+ 353 56 772 4350 enquiries@jerpointglass.com jerpointglass.com STAND REF C34
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La Bougie Lucy Hagerty
Linda Wilson Knitwear Linda Wilson
Living Ginger Designs Louise Browne
Every element of a La Bougie hand-poured candle – the fragrance, the wax, the wick, the glass – is painstakingly sourced, tested and prepared in the company’s boutique chandlery, using essential oils and aromatics from around the world, a blend of up to five different waxes and a selection from 15,000 wick and wax combinations.
Linda Wilson Knitwear offers a range of stylish, handcrafted contemporary knitwear, all made at her studio on Dominic Street in Limerick city. The fluid yet dramatic clothing is fashionable without being formal and is produced in natural yarns such as cashmere, silk and wool blends. Colour and texture are important to Linda and her designs are inspired by the Irish rural countryside.
Louise Browne, a second-generation potter, works in slab-built, three-dimensional porcelain. Working from her studio in Oughterard, Co. Galway, the beaches along the west coast of Co. Clare inspire her Wave vessels. Her smocked work is one of her signature ranges and she recently added new plates to her collection.
+ 353 21 470 8821 customerservices@labougie.com labougie.com STAND REF C10
+ 353 61 419477 info@lindawilsonknitwear.com lindawilsonknitwear.com
+ 353 91 557967 livinggingerdesigns@yahoo.ie livinggingerdesigns.com STAND REF C37
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Liz Christy Liz Christy
Maria Cardenas Leo Cullen & Maria Cardenas
Martina Hamilton Collection Martina Hamilton
Liz Christy hand-woven scarves and stoles are beautifully crafted using Donegal spun tweed and merino wool. Hand-dyed bouclés are interwoven with fine cottons. These contemporary fibre combinations are a signature of Liz Christy’s original scarves, designed and crafted by hand at Swallow Studios, Co. Monaghan.
Maria Cardenas is a third-generation Columbian tailor who moved to Ireland almost twenty years ago. She makes simple garments in wool jersey, tweed and linen. Her crisp white shirts in high grade linen boast French cuffs, zigzag stitch details, French seams and well starched collars and plackets.
Former sculptor turned goldsmith Martina Hamilton takes a figurative approach to making jewellery. No two pieces of hand-made jewellery are the same. She works in precious metals, mainly sterling silver with 18 carat gold accents from her studio in Sligo.
+ 353 42 9746614 info@lizchristy.com lizchristy.com STAND REF C58
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+ 44 28 406 31412 leo@mariacardenas.com mariacardenas.com STAND REF C89
+ 353 71 914 3686 info@martinahamilton.ie martinahamilton.ie STAND REF C84
Maureen Lynch Jewellery Maureen Lynch
Max Benjamin David & Mark Van den Bergh
McKernan Woollen Mills Anke & Eugene McKernan
Maureen Lynch’s designs espouse elegant simplicity and high quality. Each piece is pared down and sculptural, playing with movement and light, eliminating all manner of fuss. It eliminates all manner of fuss. All designs come in sterling silver, 9 carat yellow gold or a blend of both for subtle interest.
Mark and David Van den Berg of Max Benjamin, which was named after their nephews Max and Ben, have been producing 100% soy-based quality flagrance candles since the early 1990s. Evolving from the original Oberg range of handpoured pillar candles, the range now includes luxury natural wax candles, diffusers, bath and body lotions, soaps and scent sachets.
Eugene and Anke McKernan have been making scarves in their Co. Clare workshop since 1985. They use historic Hattersley domestic looms and a modern multi-gauge Stoll knitting machine. The McKernans display excellent craftsmanship, original patterns and an array of textures and colours, setting their work apart to become treasured keepsakes.
+ 353 1 286 3647 info@maxbenjamin.ie maxbenjamin.ie
+ 353 61 921 527 info@scarves.ie scarves.ie
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Metal and Ink Ken Coleman & Anne McDonnell
Moobles and Toobles Nadia Cruikshanks
Naoimh Prim Naoimh Prim
Intaglio fine art printmaker Anne McDonnell and jeweller Ken Coleman (Stradbally Jewellery) create a very unique set of gifts designed to be shared between two people. McDonnell’s small silver plates for her drawings are reworked into pendants by Coleman. A two dimensional piece of art becomes three dimensional when shared.
Moobles and Toobles is a hobby that became a career for textile designer, Nadia Cruikshanks. Bold pen drawings feature on her baby bodysuits, blankets and soft furnishings. She sources a cotton which is 100% organic as well as non-toxic eco-friendly inks. The result is the softest fabrics which wash and iron easily.
Textile printer Naoimh Prim makes screenprinted scarves and pocket squares using found objects from the hedgerows and the beaches of the sunny South-East. She uses locally sourced Irish Linen from Wexford made by Emblem Weavers. Her process is organic where the onscreen drawing, the printing and the sewing are all done by hand.
+ 353 1 214 7052 info@maureenlynch.ie maureenlynch.ie STAND REF C81
+ 353 821 0434 thelittledesignshop@gmail.com metalandink.net STAND REF C76
+ 353 87 968 1013 mooblesandtoobles@gmail.com mooblesandtoobles.com STAND REF C42
+ 353 87 636 7919 hello@naoimhprim.com naoimhprim.com STAND REF C80
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Natalie B Coleman Natalie Coleman
Nicola Brown Nicola Brown
O’Riain Pottery John Ryan
Natalie B Coleman makes clothes that are delicate, romantic, cool, feature lots of print, have a sense of humour and are driven by narrative. Recently, she partnered with textile artist Caroline Schofield whose designs are digitally printed onto silk crepe overlaid with layers of silk organza, giving a whimsical effect.
Nicola Brown is a fine art felter and textile printer. Her designs use eco printing crepe de chine, chiffon silks and ultra-fine merino wool with vegetation she has found in the local hedgerows. This process involves laying these elements on sophisticated textiles and extracting colour from the vegetation through natural dye techniques.
John Ryan, the man behind O’Riain Pottery, makes functional and decorative stoneware, drawing inspiration from the surrounding rural landscape, local colours and textures. John is personally involved in all stages from throwing to glazing to firing. His special glaze makes O’Riain Pottery durable and highly resistant to chipping and scratching.
+ 353 87 278 9740 clasheen@gmail.com clasheen.com
+ 353 71 918 3838 oriainpottery@hotmail.com oriainpottery.com
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Paul Maloney Pottery & Prints Paul Maloney
Pierce Healy Studio Pierce Healy
Rathlin Knitwear Donal Sweeney
Master craftsman Paul Maloney brings earth, hand and fire together in a range of contemporary giftware and tableware. The Ocean tableware range, his signature collection, is a contemporary black and white design with a deep sea-blue glaze running through the pieces. Paul is also an accomplished painter and reproduces quality prints of his original artwork which depicts life in his native Wexford.
With a certain Nordic noir sensibility in his work, Pierce Healy’s jewellery is textured, dark and has a broad appeal. Working in oxidised silver, 18 carat gold and platinum, he doesn’t do shiny. He uses hand engraving to make each piece, in effect a mini lithograph you can wear.
Rathlin Knitwear is a progressive craft business based in the Gaeltacht area of South-West Donegal. The company uses a wide range of new and traditional types of raw material including a signature line in Donegal Tweed wool. The wool is hand-loomed into sweaters, scarves and hats.
+ 353 8779 36081 sales@nataliebcoleman.com nataliebcoleman.com STAND REF C79
+ 353 53 912 0188 maloneypottery@eircom.net paulmaloneypottery.ie STAND REF C7
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+ 353 87 923 3138 hello@piercehealystudio.com piercehealystudio.bigcartel.com STAND REF C64
+ 353 74 973 8287 rathlinknitwear@eircom.net donegaldesignermakers.com STAND REF C83
Rebeka Kahn Artwear Rebeka Kahn
Red Rufus Christina Sanne
Róisín Gartland Róisín Gartland
Dublin-based jeweller and ceramicist Rebeka Kahn studied graphic design in Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. Her pieces are fused with coloured glass creating an effect evocative of Irish and exotic topography. Her methods are organic: “Raku is an exciting process – the end result is in the hands of the fire,” she says.
Inspired by her own red setter, Rufus, Christina Sanne and her small team of sewing ladies create these unique friends bursting with classic style and charm. Each SockDog is carefully embellished with ribbon, buttons, felt and fabric.
Róisín Gartland’s understanding of the exceptional leathers and suedes she uses is innate. It is a fluid material in her hands and with them she is making capes so soft they can be rolled, cuffs that hug the arm like a second skin and leggings that sculpt. She is also experimenting with relief and printing techniques.
+ 353 (0) 86 609 3808 info@rebekakahnartwear.com rebekakahnartwear.com
+ 353 86 833 2250 christina@redrufus.ie redrufus.ie STAND REF C44
STAND REF C5
+ 353 87 249 0984 info@roisingartland.com roisingartland.com STAND REF C92
Saba Jewellery Geraldine Murphy
Saint Maren Denise McGahan
Sarah McKenna Ceramics Sarah McKenna
Animation is a clear influence on the work of Geraldine Murphy, the designer and maker behind Saba Jewellery. Geraldine works in silver with gold embellishments and enamels. Her designs are pared back so that they thrive in metal. In recent years, Geraldine has introduced enamel wall art to her Saba collection.
Self-taught and self-determined, Denise McGahan of Saint Maren wants us to rediscover the restorative and therapeutic sensory experience of artisan bathing using her handmade soaps, bath and face oils. The products come in smart grey linen boxes, sourced from a flax mill in Dungiven and are printed locally.
Sarah McKenna makes playful contemporary ceramics with a nostalgic feel, hand building each piece in her 250-year-old studio in Dundalk, Co. Louth. Serving dishes are inscribed with “food of love” and Beatles’ quotes decorate pitchers and dinky milk jugs. Her tiles are beautifully finished in a white wooden frame made in Clonakilty, Co. Cork.
+ 44 773 728 6020 info@saintmaren.com saintmaren.com
+ 353 86 349 9195 info@sarahmckenna.ie sarahmckenna.ie
STAND REF C18
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+ 353 83 123 3158 info@saba.ie saba.ie STAND REF C72
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Scatterpillar Designs Jacinta Leigh
Scribble & Stone Jennifer Kiernan
Séamus Gill Jewellery Séamus Gill
Jacinta Leigh studied textiles in the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. After graduating, she moved to London where she won the New Designers Award at the Business Design Centre, London. Her passion for recycling materials led her to Scatterpillar, a soft toy venture which reuses her children’s drawings and outgrown clothes.
Jennifer Kiernan worked as a fashion supplier, has collaborated with designer Helen Cody and cut patterns for Quinn and Donnelly before setting up Cow’s Lane Design Studios in 2009. Her label, Scribble & Stone, consists of affordable and casual fashion jewellery designed for everyday wear.
Séamus Gill, a Dublin-based silversmith, with a serious profile in North America, works primarily in silver but has recently created sculptural pieces in sheet bronze, using the same, age-old silversmithing techniques. He works in harmony with his materials, exploiting their malleability and natural movement.
+ 353 87 970 0535 scribbleandstone@gmail.com scribbleandstone.com
+ 353 1 677 5701 seamus@seamusgill.com seamusgill.com
STAND REF C75
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Shevlin Millinery John Shevlin
Simply Special Shirley Hunter
Siobhain Steele Ceramics Siobhain Steele
John Shevlin is a second generation hatmaker. He remains the only blocked felt and straw hat manufacturer in Ireland, the only maker of real Panama hats for ladies and gents and in addition to his fashion work, he has created designs for the stages of the Abbey and Gate theatres.
Former bank worker Shirley Hunter’s Simply Special handmade cards make use of white space, featuring die-cut designs on white card. This is a company that has a craft back-end but is design-led and fashion-forward.
Ceramicist Siobhain m makes handmade giftware. In her new collection, “Message in a Bottle,” vessels come with a label and a scroll on which the giver can write a private message, insert it in the bottle and seal it shut with a cork. As gifts go, they will charm and fascinate and become keepsakes to covet.
+ 353 86 396 3820 jacintaleighartist@gmail.com scatterpillardesigns.ie STAND REF C41
+ 353 87 245 5565 info@shevlin.ie shevlin.ie STAND REF C87
+ 44 28 8166 1066 srussellhunter@btinternet.com simplyspecial4u.com STAND REF C12
+ 353 87 754 8526 siobhainsteele@gmail.com siobhainsteeleceramics.com STAND REF C29
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Slated Tara Hammond
Snug Conor Kelly & Nell Roddy
Studio Donegal Tristan Donaghy
Tara and Ed Hammond began Slated when Ed, a trained roofer, created a table runner from slate for a dinner party with friends. Using 150-year-old methods and skills, success has been accidental but steady for the couple, their tableware becoming popular with Harvey Nichols’ Dublin eaterie and Nevin Maguire’s restaurant in Blacklion, TV shows and cookbooks.
Nell Roddy and Conor Kelly are the people behind Snug, a contemporary range of covetable but affordable Irish-made furniture, made in Snugboro, in the Glen of Imaal in Co. Wicklow. Simplicity and functionality are their inspiration, making objects they would want in their own home.
Studio Donegal is a traditional handweaving and clothing business which also sells upholstery fabrics, throws and cushion covers. Studio Donegal was set up by the Donaghy family 30 years ago to maintain the Donegal tradition of handweaving.
+ 353 86 825 9308 tara@slated.ie slated.ie
+ 353 87 648 6522 hello@snug.ie snug.ie
+ 353 (0)74 9738194 info@studiodonegal.ie studiodonegal.ie STAND REF C91
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Superfolk Design Studio Gearoid Muldowney & Jo Anne Butler
Susannagh Grogan Designs Susannagh Grogan
The Brendan Joseph Studio Brendan Joseph
After successfully stocking their pared-back tables and benches internationally in 2010, Superfolk’s Gearóid Muldowney and Jo Anne Butler returned to the drawing board to scale down their ideas and production. Working outside Westport, Co. Mayo, they design a collection of tableware and occasional furniture, folding tables and stools.
With an international portfolio of design (Macy’s, Estée Lauder, Victoria’s Secret, A-Wear, Liz Claiborne, Anthropologie) under her belt, Susannagh Grogan launched her own label in 2009. It now includes digitally printed silk scarves, wool scarves, large leather clutches and gloves in printed soft Italian leather.
Brendan Joseph is a hand weaver of scarves and ties. He has written computer programmes to create highly textured, fine gauge loomed accessories, often carrying up to 5,000,000 stitches in one piece. His new collection is woven in silk and natural, undyed linen, creating light and dark textures.
+ 353 86 340 1835 info@susannaghgrogan.ie susannaghgrogan.ie
+ 353 86 384 1722 brendan@brendanjoseph.com brendanjoseph.com
STAND REF C60
STAND REF C86
+ 353 87 798 24945 info@superfolk.com superfolk.com STAND REF C30
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The Handmade Soap Company Donagh Quigley
The Irish Handmade Glass Company Tony Hayes & Danny Murphy
Thomas Diem Pottery Thomas Diem
Former thatcher Donagh Quigley founded The Handmade Soap Company with his partner Gemma McGowan in 2009. Applying a natural creativity and craftsmanship, their products are 100% natural, blending exquisite essential oils and are free from sodium lauryl sulphates, parabens and petrochemicals.
The Irish Handmade Glass Company specialises in coloured cut and blown glass. Founded by four former-Waterford Crystal craftsmen, three master blowers and a master glass cutter, they create affordable, contemporary giftware, handmade on their premises in Waterford City’s historic Viking Quarter.
A second generation potter, Thomas Diem’s studio in Ashbourne, Co. Meath is where he creates his functional domestic range using clean lines and decorative flourishes of colour. Everything he creates is handmade yet meshes functionality with design consciousness.
+ 353 41 988 4704 info@thehandmadesoapcompany.ie thehandmadesoapcompany.ie
+ 353 51 858 914 irishhandmadeglass@gmail.com theirishhandmadeglasscompany.com
STAND REF C15
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Vivien Walsh Vivien Walsh
Zoë Carol Zoë Wong
Vivien Walsh designs and creates contemporary fashion jewellery from her studio in Monkstown, Co. Dublin. Each piece is handmade using semi-precious stones, crystals, delicate filigree stampings, pearls, glass beads and fine chains collected from around the world.
Zoë Wong, a graduate of Parsons The New School of Design, New York, makes minimal, contemporary feminine clothing for her label Zoë Carol, displaying uncomplicated tailoring and a modern fit. Her couture techniques (French seams, hand-stitched hems) add value so that each piece looks as beautiful as it feels. She will show AW15 at Creative Island.
+ 353 1 214 4555 info@vivienwlash.com vivienwalsh.com STAND REF C78
+ 353 (1) 672 9748 info@zoecarol.com zoecarol.com STAND REF C90
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+ 353 1 835 9083 info@diempottery.com diempottery.com STAND REF C21
Design AAD Contributors Brian McGee Head of Market Development DCCoI Emma McGrath Trade Development Manager DCCoI Photographer “Design Island” Peter Rowen Photographer “Creative Island” Trevor Hart Assisted by Sylvie Cordenner Stylist Eleanor Harpur
Brian McGee Head of Market Development brian@dccoi.ie Emma McGrath Trade Development Manager emmamcgrath@dccoi.ie Nicola Doran International Retail Programme Manager nicola@dccoi.ie
For more information about Irish design and craft visit: giveirishcraft.ie or email info@dccoi.ie Design & Crafts Council of Ireland Castle Yard, Kilkenny, Ireland +353 (0)56 776 1804 info@dccoi.ie www.dccoi.ie