Up The Aras - Graduate Collection
This collection was inspired by a dream I had as a ten year old. Just before waking up, the dream had taken me “dancing crazy with the girls in Áras an Uachtaráin”, the Áras an Uachtairáin being the home of the President of Ireland. I wanted to recreate the bizarre nature of this dream, an irreverent party in a stately home. Referencing different aspects of dancing culture and clubbing culture from history, I took silhouette inspiration from the icons of 1970's New York, Studio 54 and the formal wear worn by the President of Ireland. Delving through archives of Studio 54 I became fascinated by the dazzling and glamorous lifestyles of the rich, beautiful and famous. I collaged together references from icons such as Bianca Jagger, Jane Fonda, Cher, Pat Cleveland, Richard Gallo and Grace Kelly to create my own vision of the party I wanted to throw at the Áras! My aim was to create a tongue in cheek collection that invited the viewer into an audacious soiree in Áras an Uachtaráin, breaking the margins of an uptight stately environment to one of pure disco-fuelled chaos.