Irish designers are defining Fashion Month

As the Spring 25 collections start to be unveiled, the current season sees Irish designers take centre stage at Fashion Month, reaffirming their prominence in the global industry. From London to Paris, their collections captivate with an unmistakable blend of heritage, innovation, and craftsmanship, pushing the boundaries of contemporary fashion. Names like JW Anderson, Simone Rocha, and the rising Sean McGirr of Alexander McQueen lead the charge, while newcomers like Róisín Pierce and Michael Stewart of Standing Ground carve out new paths of creative influence.

This season, Irish designers not only participated in Fashion Month—they defined it. Whether through JW Anderson’s artistic exploration, Sean McGirr’s debut at McQueen, or the careful craftsmanship of Róisín Pierce and Michael Stewart, it’s clear that Ireland is a powerful force in contemporary fashion. These designers reflect a new chapter, blending our country’s rich history of craft and storytelling with modern aesthetics and global relevance.

Jonathan Anderson

Jonathan Anderson, the Northern Irish designer behind both the eponymous JW Anderson and luxury fashion house Loewe, continued his reign as one of fashion’s most experimental and intellectual forces. His Loewe AW24 collection was a masterclass in surrealism and sculptural design. Playing with exaggerated forms and textures, Anderson’s creations challenged the wearer’s perception of space and movement. Pastoral and floral prints inspired by American artist Albert York are featured on dresses, sweaters and pantaloon trousers, some completely embellished in caviar beading.

His love for trompe l’oeil saw fur collars on cashmere overcoats and tailored blazers turn out to be silver carved wood and he also presented one of the stand-out dresses of the season with a full-length gown in a graduated bold check. Dresses seemed to float or twist in unexpected ways, while he continued his signature exploration of gender-fluid silhouettes, offering pieces that feel both boundary-breaking and refreshingly wearable. His continued blend of avant-garde ideas with impeccable craftsmanship demonstrates Anderson’s ability to transcend trends while staying rooted in luxury. With Loewe under his direction, Anderson has cemented his role as a leader in rethinking the relationship between fashion, art, and function.

Sean McGirr at Alexander McQueen

Stepping into the shoes of the legendary Sarah Burton, Sean McGirr, an Irish talent, made his highly anticipated debut at Alexander McQueen this season.

Recently appointed as creative director, McGirr’s first collection for the iconic British house was a stunning homage to McQueen’s darker, more dramatic legacy, while infusing it with his own take on modern tailoring. He took bold risks with sharp suiting and structural silhouettes, elevating them with unexpected details, such as supersized knitwear and also leather pieces that gave the collection a sense of gothic grandeur. In what he aptly called “rough glamour”, he captured the brand’s essence and reshaped it for a modern era. His collection delivered a masterclass in blending toughness with elegance.

Think leather overcoats, cinched tightly at the waist that have an undeniable edge, while sharply tailored jackets paired with billowing trousers evoked a sense of power yet vulnerability in equal measure.

McGirr’s vision is set to breathe new life into McQueen, reminding us that Irish talent can bring both reverence for tradition and fresh creativity to established fashion houses. This was a nod to McQueen’s past but with McGirr’s vision firmly on the future.

Simone Rocha

Simone Rocha, known for her romantic, feminine designs, took a slightly darker, more gothic turn for AW24, exploring the themes of fragility and strength along with death and rebirth. Considered part of a triptych, it follows on from her Dress Rehearsal collection in Spring and her celebrated couture collaboration with Jean Paul Gaultier called The Procession. Her Autumn collection was a finale named The Wake, inspired by Queen Victoria’s black mourning robes and the coffin-like archives of John Paul Gaultier’s past collections. Rocha’s collection was a heady mix of corsetry on black, navy and white, with pops of scarlet red interspersed through the latter half of the show. As one Vogue editor remarked, the word to describe the collection was Prim-iscuous… where the juxtaposition of Rocha’s covered-up Victoriana aesthetic and the sexual allure of sheer fabrics and boned corsets was somehow a perfect blend.

Adorned with delicate embellishments from crystal pallets below the bust of corsets to fur shoulder and hip pads, to a variety of ribbons and bows, all adding to the fantastical, almost fairytale-like quality of her garments. With roots deeply planted in Irish culture, Rocha continues to blend her heritage with modern femininity, creating a vision that is both whimsical and powerfully grounded. Rocha’s work is always imbued with a sense of narrative, telling stories of heritage, womanhood, and identity, solidifying her as a cultural storyteller through fashion.

Róisín Pierce

In a similar vein, Irish designer Róisín Pierce debuted her autumn winter collection at Paris Fashion Week presenting a breathtaking display of intricate craftsmanship and sustainable design. Known for her emotional storytelling, Pierce once again wove a narrative steeped in fantasy, folklore, and a delicate sense of nostalgia. Pierce’s aesthetic, rooted in Irish craft, is rich with historical references, including intricate lacework and delicate crochet. She has become synonymous with intuitive construction processes and self-invented, zero-waste techniques. Her garments this season reflected a meticulous approach to design, with hand-smocked dresses and sculptural forms drawing inspiration from Irish craft traditions. Her collection entitled “O Lovely One, Fallen from a Star,” celebrated femininity through poetic, all-white garments that conveyed both purity and power. With the exception of one single navy dress, the collection was dominated by all-white looks, a signature of Pierce’s, but this time, the purity of white felt even more celestial and otherworldly. Each piece was a labour of love, created with a meditative attention to detail that honours the traditions of Irish textile artistry while pushing them into the future. The silhouettes ranged from the angelic to the architectural, with flowing, floor-length gowns, loosely structured bodices, and voluminous skirts. Peek-a-boo crochet delicately placed over the body gave a sensual, flirty feel to the angelic theme. This was the second time her collection was hosted by the Irish embassy which was supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Design and Craft Council of Ireland. Róisín is now represented by Dover Street Market’s showroom in Paris, a dream for a young designer, which will help her with production as well as sales. As sustainability becomes more central to the fashion industry, Pierce’s approach positions her as not just a designer to watch but a key player in shaping the future of fashion.

Michael Stewart of Standing Ground

Perhaps one of the most notable achievements came from Michael Stewart, the Irish designer behind Standing Ground, who just recently won the prestigious LVMH Savoir Faire Award. This accolade is a testament to Stewart’s meticulous dedication to craft and innovative design process. Standing Ground has become synonymous with fluid yet architectural silhouettes and innovative materials, pushing minimalist design to its fullest expression. Standing Ground’s AW24 collection was architectural in its simplicity, focusing on expertly draped fabrics that contour the body in a way that feels both statuesque and organic. His designs exude a quiet power, with each piece standing as a testament to precision and the beauty of restraint. Stewart’s win signals a major moment for Irish fashion, as he joins the ranks of some of the most celebrated emerging talents in the world. In his first solo show for Standing Ground at the current SS25 London Fashion Week, Stewart gave a lesson in sensuous draping. He has mastered the art of working with jersey, with ruching, beading and fringing. His work, which reflects an avant-garde yet highly wearable aesthetic, is a striking representation of the new wave of Irish designers making waves on the global fashion stage.

As we move into a new era, these Irish creatives are more than just designers—they are ambassadors of a fashion renaissance that merges heritage with future-thinking design. We Irish are historically and culturally renowned for our storytelling, be it through literature, art or music, so perhaps it’s the ability to harness this talent and infuse it into the commercial and creative business of fashion that makes us so successful. The world of fashion is paying attention, and the Irish influence is unmistakable.

Photography by Catwalkpix and brands.