Róisín Pierce Creates Beautiful Zero-Waste Designs

One to Watch

We love seeing new designers on the rise –especially ones with exquisite and thought-provoking styles. Róisín Pierce is a designer on our radar that has caught the attention of the fashion world at large.

Originally from rural Galway, Ireland, Róisín entered her premier collection, Mná i Bhláth at the Festival d’Hyeres in 2019 and immediately won the hearts of the people.

Not only did she win the inaugural Chanel Metiers d’Art award but also the Prix du Public for best collection. This allowed her to collaborate, on multiple occasions, with the powerhouse Chanel and gave her the exposure she needed.  And she is currently one of 20 designers listed for the 2022 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers.

All three of her collections are rooted in her Irish heritage, and her first collection, Mná I Bhláth, translated to Women in Bloom, juggled Ireland’s relationship with women and religion. She shared in an interview with Vogue,

It was driven from a place of anger revolving around the power of the Catholic church and Irish mother-and-baby homes, where unwed women were sent for having children out of wedlock.

She explains how she interpreted her understanding of descriptions of women, Through my research, I discovered flowering euphemisms and symbolism for women and sex, ‘blooming’ and becoming ‘ripe,’ having ‘buds.’ Terms like ‘deflowering’ have been used to describe women losing their virginity for many centuries, almost like female sexuality needed euphemisms to cover up what had been perceived as dirty and shameful.

And she turned that into an overall arching theme throughout her collections. Her strong ties to the church become clear through her intricate and purposeful textile techniques. Her pieces are inspired by the smocking of baptism dresses and the lace on wedding gowns.

Pierce has also dedicated her design space to becoming zero-waste, which entails outside the box thinking of how to turn strips and squares into something new. A goal that is well worth the challenge. She also utilizes deadstock fabric and material recycling. Currently, her collections are produced locally and by hand in Ireland, always bringing her back to her roots.

Her most recent collection, Two for Joy, is made to spread a positive and fun message to the wearer. Clothing doesn’t have to be uptight, and Pierce’s collection reminds us of that. She took memories of her childhood and an early fascination with sculpture making and translated that through hand-embroidery and draping into fashion.

We dream of seeing more sustainable fashion designers creating for the runway, red carpets, and in general, closets of people. Like it or not celebrities carry huge influence, and we would love to see some of our favorite climate and sustainability activists in Róisín Pierce garments.

High-end fashion can incorporate sustainable practices easily, and many do to some extent. With emerging, young, thoughtful designers like Róisín Pierce, an example is set for future and current designers. We’re in this fight together towards a cleaner, brighter industry.

–Savannah Foley


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