Ríon Hannora on the importance of having a connection to our clothing
We sit down with stylist and designer Ríon Hannora to talk capsule wardrobe items, vintage favourites, and the hand-me-down she treasures most.
Ríon Hannora is a zero-waste slow fashion designer and stylist based in Dublin.
In October of last year, Ríon led the organisation of Dublin Independent Fashion Weekend, which showcased innovative Irish design while giving seven Irish designers the platform to showcase their work to the public.
Through her work as a stylist, Ríon has worked with the likes of Kate Nash, CMAT, BIIRD, and Faye O’ Rourke from Soda Blonde, and through her creative fashion design, Ríon treats the body as an exhibition space, designing each garment to be a walking piece of art.
Read on for our interview with Ríon…
How would you describe your own personal style?
I feel like my personal style ranges quite drastically. I definitely feel as though I’m playing different characters according to what I wear that day. I’ve noticed that whenever I wear jorts, I tend to become very masc in the way I carry myself. I find that I even take up much more space within my stature and my posture becomes much more slumped.
But, I’ve also been known to wear the odd frock or two as well, and I definitely become much more aware of myself and my body when I do. Depending on the day you catch me on, I could be anywhere within this scale, from jorts to frock. But one thing about my own personal style is that I always enjoy playing and having fun with my clothes.
What is your approach to clothes shopping?
I very rarely actually go shopping with the intention of buying new clothes. The closest thing would be when I go charity shopping, and I rarely have a specific thing in mind when I do go. I may end up with a new fun mug or a bag of buttons for 50c, or on a good day a new piece of clothing, and my rule for that is, “will I regret this tomorrow if I don’t buy it?” or “will I ever be able to find something like this ever again?”
If the answer to the first question is ‘yes’ and the answer to the second is ‘no’, it will probably be coming home with me. I stay away from high-street shops entirely. They are tailor-made to lure us in with all of their hyper-trendy yet copied designs. It’s easier to just not darken their doors, because they will get you!
What are your thoughts on ‘haul culture’?
I have a problem where I personify everything I own. If I haven’t worn a piece of clothing in a while, I’ll start to feel bad that it hasn’t gone out for a spin, and if I don’t feel like I will be the one to bring it out, I’ll normally give it to a friend who will. This means that everything I own is very special to me for one reason or another.
Haul culture is, of course, the complete opposite to this. The lack of connection to our clothing means people dispose of things very easily or go for quantity over quality. There’s also a lack of understanding of where our clothes even come from. I think people don’t understand that there is no machine that makes clothes, people make all of our clothes, no matter how cheap they are.
Why is slow fashion and conscious consumerism important to you?
Being able to make clothes is such a gorgeous and traditional craft that is unfortunately dying, so I am honoured to be able to carry it on. We maybe can’t control the conditions in which people make a lot of our clothes, but we can control how we treat our clothing.
By taking good care of our belongings—fixing, mending and altering them—we are showing respect to those who made them. Although it may not be feasible for everyone, buying a small batch of pieces from local designers can really go a long way. Not only are you funding someone’s passion, you are getting high-quality, and probably very unique, pieces.
Tell us about five capsule items in your wardrobe
Number one would have to be a vintage denim Calvin Klein skirt that I bought in San Francisco years ago that has been through a lot with me. It’s starting to fray at the seams so I’m going to have to copy the pattern and make myself another one before it completely erodes. Anyone that knows me well enough will know this skirt.
Number two, would have to be my leopard print Dr. Marten loafers. Three would be a leather jacket I found within a pile of scrap fabric back in college, which I cropped and threw paint all over. Four, is my baseball cap that’s covered in brooches. A lot of the broaches come from either my mom or a vintage shop I used to work in in Cork city. So it’s very special to me.
Last but not least, I love tights. I have a whole drawer dedicated to my glorious tights collection.
One purchase you regret
I don’t regret any of my purchases. If I buy something that I later find isn’t for me, I’ll find its rightful owner eventually, and give it to them.
Your most hard working piece of clothing
All of my shoes work so hard. As a stylist, I am constantly running around the place, and I cycle everywhere. I wear shoes until the seams are splitting and the soles are coming off of them. My current rotation of shoes includes the leopard print Dr. Martens loafers, Nike Dunk Low Valentine’s Day trainers, and Adidas Japan LVs. My shoes need to be run-around-proof.
The hand-me-down you treasure
Both my granny and my great-granny were and are amazing dressmakers. I have a royal blue crocheted cardigan that my great-grandmother made which I absolutely love. My boyfriend’s aunt also gave me a pair of leopard print buffalo boots that she used to wear clubbing in the ‘90s, which I treasure dearly.
The holiday purchase
I bought a bag in Copenhagen from this independently run art gallery’s gift shop called Tofu Space. I first went in there thinking it was a restaurant, hoping I was going to be eating some tofu, but left instead with the most outrageous bag. It’s made by a Taiwanese designer who calls themselves Embryo. The bag’s handle looks like it could be the skeleton of a cat or a tiny dog (it’s plastic), and the bag itself is made up of white faux leather, faux fur, faux teeth and even a silver fidget gadget embedded into it. It’s one of my favourite things I’ve ever bought.
The most quintessentially ‘you’ piece
My family home was sold a few years back and my parents moved into a house in the small village my grandfather grew up in in West Cork. This new house came with white net curtains in the windows, which my mom was just about to give away before I asked if I could have them.
I made them all into these pleated skirts and actually wear one quite regularly. It’s a really nice piece for layering or just by itself, and because I’m both a designer and a stylist and a lot of my clients have worn this skirt on stage and in shoots, including Kate Nash and Faye O’ Rourke from Soda Blonde.
This one skirt perfectly encapsulates everything I try to achieve within my practice. Giving a new lease of life to fabrics that have already been through a lot, and having it up on stage in front of loads of people. I even got snapped by Vogue wearing it once during Copenhagen Fashion Week! That skirt owes me nothing.
The vintage shop(s) to know
My studio is currently above Om Diva on Drury Street in Dublin so maybe I’m biased but without a doubt, it is my favourite shop in the world. Ruth Ni Lionsaigh who runs the place is such a powerhouse. One of the floors is dedicated to vintage, another floor is for contemporary pieces, and then the top floor of the shop is dedicated solely to Irish design. There is no other shop like it in Ireland and I feel blessed that I have to walk through it every day on the way up to my studio.
Who to follow online for style inspiration
I like to take inspiration from other forms of art rather than other fashion heads. American painter Ben Evans (@benisright) comes to mind. I love his use of colour and light. I have followed him for years. @gentlethrills is also someone I really look up to. Her use of humour and neon colours within her work is so unique and gorgeous. You can really tell that she has so much fun making her art, something that is also a big priority for me. If you’re not having fun, what’s the point?
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