[ad_1]
Fashion graduate Ellen Edwards from Knockbridge has been shortlisted for two prestigious awards.
A graduate in fashion and textiles from Limerick School of Art and Design, Lane has been shortlisted for the Gucci Global Design Graduate Show 2022 and the Irish Institute of Designers (IDI) Graduate Award.
Being shortlisted for these two awards is a huge achievement for the 24-year-old, as her studies have been disrupted by the pandemic.
“I was in the second year when we went into lockdown in March 2020, so everything was on the line for the next three months and the third year.
This was particularly difficult for practical subjects such as fashion and textiles, which depended heavily on teachers demonstrating specialized techniques.
“My favorite way to learn is to show someone how to do things, so not having a one-on-one tutor was really hard,” says Ellen.
She missed the opportunity to do a placement with an established designer or fashion house, which is a regular part of the course.
“I planned to make my place in Glasgow when my sister Sarah was living at the time.”
Not to be deterred, Ellen bought a flat knitting machine and learned how to use it.
“When we returned to college for our fourth year, we went straight to work for our graduate collection, which was a huge undertaking.”
Her stunning graduate collection is called ‘The Reason’.
“This comes from a quote by Terry Hooley, who owns Good Vibrations Records in Belfast, about his stance on social issues in a time of crisis,” she says.
“Growing up, my parents told me stories about being young and living in such turmoil in Northern Ireland,” she says.
These are coming-of-age stories of young people sneaking out to dance, set against a backdrop of adversity.
Ellen was inspired by this contrast between her warm memories of her family and the fear of being caught in the crossfire.
It features jumpers made from pleated and twisted squares in a hand-embroidered wire style and tulle skirts.
“The protection and the wiring was meant to hold things together,” she says. “Reconstructing from the remnants of the past to create something new and functional. The embroidered jumpers are a nod to comfortable family life with ribbing and edges to tie together the military style and show the great impact of the jacket’s casual flare of the time.”
Ellen said she always wanted to study fashion from a young age.
“I was constantly making dresses for my barbie and the teddy bear always had a different outfit.”
Her passion for art was fostered by her St. Louis art teacher, Miss McEnany, and she worked at the Art PLC at Ophiuch Institute of Higher Education.
“It was my teachers there, Gerry Reilly and Claire Reilly, who told me about LSAD and once I went down to present my portfolio, everyone was so welcoming, so I knew it was where I wanted to study.”
Since graduating, Ellen has been lucky enough to find work with Irish Eyed Knitwear, which exports Arran’s knitwear around the world.
[ad_2]
Source link
