Designs on technology by Samsung

Fashion designers juggle many hats in their careers. From designing in their studios and styling private clients to working remotely on buying trips, these six creatives reveal how beneficial it is when fashion meets tech.

Helen Steele; artist and womenswear designer

The energy that artist and designer Helen Steele brings to her work is evident in the vibrant, colourful prints she produces. Be it a canvas or a dress, Helen’s signature look is brave and bold, and it has captured the imagination of Irish women everywhere looking for pieces that are fresh and innovative. Music is essential to Helen’s creative process. Only when she puts in her Samsung Gear IconX does the adrenaline begin to flow and a direction take shape. “What’s wonderful about these earbuds is that they’re cordless,” explains Helen. “I tend to work with oversized canvases, so I need the flexibility to move around within my studio. With Samsung, I can do that, without any noise pollution!”

Emma Manley; founder of Manley womenswear and accessories

Having trained at Alexander McQueen in London before establishing her own label in 2010, designer Emma Manley understands perfectly how traditional design requires modern technology to achieve the standard of product her eponymous label is known for. As a young designer who has grown her business in the digital age, Emma is also acutely aware of how important social media is to promoting her business and expanding her clientele. That’s why the Samsung Galaxy S9 proved such a hit with her. The phone’s camera has been reimagined to capture stunning pictures in bright daylight as well as super low light. The phone’s innovative dual-aperture lens, which can switch automatically between different lighting conditions, adapts like the human eye, making it easy to capture superb quality images. “For young fashion brands like mine, it’s terrific that the technology exists now to take crisp, clean photos of your work without having to invest in expensive camera equipment.”

Peter O’Brien; womenswear designer and costume designer for the Gate Theatre

The renowned womenswear designer is as famed for his exquisite illustrations as he is for his clothes. On the day of our shoot, Peter arrives with two beautiful drawings, one of which will grace the cover of this month’s Adam’s jewellery auction catalogue. Having been in the business for almost 40 years, Peter has seen many changes in the fashion industry, not least of which is the ability to swap pen and paper for digital drawing tools. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 offers this facility and much more besides. Samsung’s most powerful tablet yet, it offers an improved viewing experience with its 10.5” viewing screen and 16:10 screen ratio. “While viewing my designs on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4, it rang true what a difference technology has made to the creative industries,” says Peter.

Anthony Peto; milliner

With a hat shop in Dublin and two stores, as well as an atelier, in Paris, the milliner is always on the go, travelling constantly between Dublin, and the fashion capitals of London and Paris. It sounds terribly glamorous, but the reality is a diary packed with appointments and meetings that cannot be missed. Timing is everything, and that’s why the Samsung Galaxy Watch is of such value to a man who tours three cities month on month. This watch offers so much more than just the correct time, of course. It boasts a four-day battery life, which is something that impressed Anthony. “Four days from a single charge is super. But what I found really helpful was the daily briefing displayed on the watch face each morning. It gives me an instant heads-up on my schedule for the day.” With the Samsung Galaxy Watch, then, you literally wake up to what you need to know each day.

Natalie B Coleman; founder of Natalie B Coleman womenswear and NCAD lecturer

Balancing her own label with a teaching career and a family, not to mention a master’s degree, which Natalie is currently studying for at Trinity College, means working smart. The Galaxy Note9 is the perfect piece of tech for women who need to work efficiently and effectively. It provides Natalie with the largest infinity display ever – perfect for someone who spends her days looking at visuals – an all-day battery, which makes running low on charge one less thing to worry about, and powerful, expandable storage, allowing Natalie to keep rather than have to delete a multitude of files for each of her different disciplines. But the Galaxy Note9’s Bluetooth-enabled S Pen is what really sold Natalie on this device. “I travel a lot with work, so I’m always sketching my inspirations on the move. Being able to control the Note9 remotely makes the whole process more fluid. As a drawing tool, it’s also terrific and feels as natural as a pen and paper.”

Silvana Landa; founder and designer of Landa Bags

As a designer, businesswoman and mother, it can be easy to look after everything and everyone else but yourself. Silvana Landa, founder and designer of Landa Bags, knows something of this. Having just successfully launched her range of exquisite, premium leather handbags, she’s had an incredibly busy time trying to perfect the proverbial balancing act. “You put yourself and your own needs last at busy times,” she explains. “That’s why I like this Samsung Galaxy Rose Gold Watch so much. It forces me to pay better attention to how I feel each day, and it helps to keep my fitness goals on track. The GPS is one of my favourite features, as I can track my run and monitor my speed and pace.”

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