Fashion journalist Sarah Magliocco speaks to some of the organisers and designed involved in this year's Dublin Independent Fashion Week about broadening their vision and making a home for independent fashion in Ireland.
Stepping through the gates of the Guinness Storehouse is an experience generally preserved for tourists or fervent stout enthusiasts, but on a mild Sunday evening in mid-September, the second floor of the famous fermentation plant is buzzing with some of Ireland's most creative minds in fashion.
Designers, models, musicians, artists, media and influencers are gathered amid blue-toned neon lights for Pellador’s 'Passage of Play' showcase.
The cavernous room feels symbolic for the show organisers, as it comes as part of the Dublin Independent Fashion Week (DIFW) schedule. Now in its fourth year, DIFW was created in 2023 by local creatives to support talent and create a space for emerging and established designers to showcase their work.
Built by a council of volunteers, DIFW announced its formal transition to a registered non-profit organisation in May 2026, working towards establishing fashion as a formally recognised fundable art form within Ireland’s public funding system.
At the Pellador show, the runway creates a chasm through the centre of the room, flanked by benches and chairs with an island of moss and flowers marking its end. Pieces from collections past and present are worn on the backs of attendees, from the earlier knitwear pieces homaging Italia '90 and Inter Milan football kits, to this year’s appliqué hoodies and cottage-print tees.
The lights go down and a rendition of Maniac 2000 booms from the speakers before the models begin their strides, with highlights from the collection including a knit iteration of a camogie skirt, a gauzy sheer shirt, a shamrock embroidered double-denim suit and a cream knit jumper directly referencing Ian Wright’s "I Love The Lads" handwritten undershirt.
It marks a next step for the brand, who utilise modern and traditional Irish cultural imagery and references in their collections. While Pellador cannot by any means be reduced to their homages to Ireland, its choice of location makes perfect sense, with The Guinness Storehouse a touchstone of national identity for many and Pellador a means of expressing Irishness - and stylishness - through clothing.
The show also stands as a representation of how much the fashion week has developed over the years, taking over the capital from September 10 to 17 this year, with the Pellador show just one of more than 40 events marked on the DIFW calendar.
The week has long been held as an opportunity for Irish fashion to be seen at home and further afield.
To launch the 2026 edition, DIFW took over the GPO on O’Connell Street with their POSTMARKED event, with work by 60 designers. The Opening Ceremony was a highlight for many, and the historical significance of the location was not lost on the night, with fashion and beauty historian Laura Fitzachary speaking to connect the audience with the building and the work on display, draped in a cape by Not Another Dove.
Creator of the cape Maria Patriarca, whose brand explores animal activism, sustainability and nature liberation, shared her delight at seeing her pieces in the halls of the GPO:
"It was genuinely amazing and surreal seeing that particular garment in the GPO. The theme for the show had a lot to do with letters and communication, and that piece that was chosen for the GPO was inspired by messenger pigeons" she told RTÉ Lifestyle.
Models posed by the iconic sorting desks, allowing attendees to take in the full scope of the works on display.
Among the designers shown was Cornelia McNamara's brand Cú Mara. Cornelia told RTÉ Lifestyle that DIFW is "an authentic representation of the phenomenal fashion scene we have here in Ireland.
"I feel honoured to have had my pieces featured on the runway in the GPO, I couldn't have imagined a better venue. The GPO is an extraordinarily well preserved historic landmark, an iconic symbol of Irish independence, and really captured the essence of the entire week and kickstarted it with a bang."
Mihai Mar, Chair of the Board of DIFW, makes the connection between Dublin "Independent" Fashion Week and the literal representation of Independence the walls of the GPO hold.
"It was such a monumental moment within a symbol of Irish independence, and bringing Irish fashion there has been wonderful. I'm not sure if they've ever had a fashion show of that scale in this space, so it's nice knowing that we made a little bit of Irish fashion history this year" he said.
The organisation and the platform they can offer to designers has grown over the years, with Mihai explaining that "numbers, growth, events, quantity, everything" is on the up. "We're building our foundation and I think it's getting a lot stronger," he said of year four. "Having 42 events this year was huge and blew my expectations away. I would be more than happy if we were able to maintain this."
However, the organisation has goals for its growth that stretch beyond its current offering.
Looking forward, Mihai said: "We want to accept people at all stages. We would love the opportunity to support designers even more, whether that is through an accelerator programme or a bursary to help them. And it's not just about the designers, it’s about the whole industry. We would love to offer professional rates for hair, makeup, lighting, photography, and more, for all those people that have been supporting us over the years."
Funding is always a crucial conversation when it comes to creative pursuits in Ireland. DIFW aims to keep helping fashion talent remain in Ireland through support and success, instead of being lost to the European fashion capitals and international brands.
The organisation is calling for stronger cultural and funding recognition for fashion in this country in a landscape where structures and funding opportunities for fashion are relatively lacking.
Moving into year 5 - for which planning has already begun - the organisation aims to secure even more exciting venues and mark their milestone fifth iteration with cultural institutes around the city in their continued mission to fight for further recognition of independent Irish fashion.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
