Antonia Reilly-Parker

WHF Ambassador for Ireland

Antonia Reilly-Parker is an Irish New York based Fashion Designer. She has worked with some of the biggest names in the Fashion world. Graduating from NCAD in Dublin, she worked in Paris under Karl Lagerfeld at the House of Chloé, then moving to Japan to design and launch her own Ladies runway collections in Tokyo.  Arriving in New York, Antonia has designed collections for major retailers, including Saks and Sears and was the Head Designer for the acclaimed Oscar De La Renta on his successful ‘O Oscar’ line. She moved into a senior executive design role at Walmart, leading design, product and creative services for their womenswear brands, available throughout the retail giants 4,500 stores. Antonia moved back to Europe for a number of years to lead design, product development and merchandising at C&A, a major European retailer based in Germany, with 1,500 stores in 20 countries. Since returning to New York, she has been managing the international business for a major womenswear supplier and currently works for the U.S. Polo Association Brand in Lingerie, Nightwear and Lounge.  Antonia has been a member on the board of directors of 'Origin Theatre Company' since 2006. She also served as NY Executive committee member for the 'Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland'.  Antonia was previously honored by The Irish Echo in their ‘Top 40 under 40’ and listed in the ‘Most Influential Women’ by The Irish Voice.

@antonia.reilly.parker

Mario Sierra

Mourne Textiles

Mourne Textiles is a design-led manufacturer of handwoven products based in County Down. For three generations their master-weavers have produced the mid-century visions of Norwegian design pioneer and founder, Gerd Hay-Edie. Now led by Gerd’s grandson Mario Sierra, Mourne Textiles creates contemporary home furnishings inspired by a rich weaving heritage, rooted in the landscape and community of Northern Ireland – but with a contemporary, international, collaborative outlook. By harnessing the skills and traditions of the past with a modern, contemporary aesthetic, we create handwoven scarves, rugs and homeware products that acknowledge the rich heritage weaving in Northern Ireland while always maintaining modern relevance.

mournetextiles.com

@mournetextiles

Nicola Brown

Textile Artist

Three words describe Nicola Brown's textile practice; simple, natural, crafted. She harnesses the natural dye in leaves, onion skins, seed pods and bark to create lasting prints and colour on handmade felt, wool, silk, linen and up-cycled clothes. This is achieved in a health conscious and environmentally mindful way without using any harsh chemicals. Since starting to develop a sustainable way of working Nicola has planted over 13500 trees on her property and laid out large dye borders. These support a diverse selection of butterflies, insects, birds and mammals which help convey the wider ecological aspect of her practice.

nicolabrown.ie

@nicolabrownclasheen

Andrea Cleary

Assistant Professor in Visual Art Education

Working in the field of Art and Design Education since 2001, Andrea’s practice is informed by her  identity as an artist -educator. Research interests include process led art and it's affect on ITE, outdoor art education, sustainability and art Education, wellbeing through process  focused art. Her current research approaches include  the use of practice led research,  which is the central focus of her  current PHD Studies- Investigating a process led sustainable approach to teaching art in Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Thinking through making, and reflection on context , environment and how these affect  and sustain human interaction, expression and wellbeing. As part of the School of AEM, Andrea has developed a  module for major specialism -Process Art and the Natural Environment which focuses on the use of natural materials and the outdoors. Recently involving  Collaborative Art Based methodologies to engage with staff communities called Finding Common Ground. This project has become the focus of two research papers in 2018 and INSEA World Congress presentation paper “Finding Common Ground; An Arts Based approach to research which studies the effects of outdoor arts project on, building relationships, a sense of place and well-being of educators in ITE 2019. Andrea is committed to making meaningful contributions to education through, presentations and conference contribution and the development of Art Major Specialism modules for Primary Education Students and through engagement with schools and communities.

Rita Duffy

Artist

 Rita Duffy is one of Ireland's groundbreaking artists, involving different communities in Ireland and all over the world, their history and narratives. She became famous with Thaw, an art project with environmental concerns aimed to bring an iceberg to Belfast (2004). The Shirt Factory Project, part of the celebrations of Derry as the first ever UK City of Culture (2013) was an extensive examination of women’s labour, through the reinvention of a former shirt factory. In 2016 Rita was invited to co-commemorate the Easter Rising which gave rise to The Souvenir Shop, a witty exploration of the lived experience of rebellion: historical, political and social events were reworked and presented to the viewer as irreverent thought- provoking everyday commodities. In 2019 Soften the Border, developed with a small cross-border knitting group at the centre of the Bellcoo/ Blacklion bridge, gave voice to the immediate local experience, attracting global media coverage. She is an Honorary Member of Royal Society of Architects for developmental work in the built environment and in 2020 documentaries of her work were made by BBC and the European broadcaster ARTE. In 2021 she completed her Visiting Artist Fellowship at Trinity College Dublin producing a new moving image work ‘The Anatomy of Hope’

Francie Duff & Sonia Reynolds

Founders, STABLE

Founded in 2015 by Francie Duff and Sonia Reynolds, STABLE’s wish is to present the very best of Irish style, design and traditions to like-minded people the world over, who value natural woven fabrics, Irish skills and craft and the time it takes to make something truly special. Francie and Sonia are inspired daily by their home its rich culture, beauty, creativity and traditions. They design collections to wear and for home in Dublin and work with the very best of makers, knitters, and weavers and small and large producers from all over Ireland, both North and South, both young and old. They are cherished, respected friends and a vital part of the STABLE team.  The focus of their business is on using natural fibers especially Irish linen and wool, to celebrate and share what Ireland as a nation has to offer by designing and making scarves, clothing and home accessories with the purest Irish Linen, Wool, handwoven Wool, Cashmere and Alpaca. Francie and Sonia nurture and support the extraordinary skills across the country of Ireland, promoting the sustainability and quality of these modern originals, to help put Ireland on the world stage of textiles where it belongs.

Stableofireland.com

@stableofireland

Chris Weiniger

DONEGAL YARNS LTD. 

Based in Kilcar, Co Donegal the company operates a vertical production process from raw wool (graded and cleaned), through dying, blending, carding and spinning producing the famous “Donegal Tweed” multi-colour flecked yarn. Sustainability in the textile and clothing industry has gone beyond just using organic materials and efficient processes. As part of his role he is responsible in leading new product development for existing and new markets. In 2020 a collaboration  between Donegal Yarns, The Galway Wool Co-op and Rhyme Studios was formed with a commitment to work closely in bringing a fully traceable luxury product with “true meaning” to the consumer. The start of the journey from the farm with the wool passing through many skilled hands to produce a yarn for Claire and her team to designs some amazing products.Chris Weiniger has 28 years’ experience working in the textile industry, 12 years working in the family knitwear business in Ireland and Eastern Europe before joining Donegal Yarns in 2007 as the General Manager.

donegalyarns.com 

Blatnaid Gallagher

Galway Wool Co-op

With a rich background in Business & Marketing Blatnaid Gallagher founded the Galway Wool Co-op to unite Galway Wool Growers all over Ireland and renew the route to market for Irish Grown Galway Wool. Blatnaid is an MSc Graduate from The National University of Ireland, Galway, (NUIG) with a burning passion to restore the cultural integrity of Irish Grown Galway Wool. Farming organically in East Galway near the historic village of Aughrim.  The Galway Wool Co-op run a Pedigree herd of Galway’s Sheep. They also keep other rare breeds such as the Connemara ponies

www.galwaywool.ie 

@thegalwaywoolco_op 

Claire McGovern

The Rhyme Studio

Rhyme Studio is an interior design and sustainable design manufacturer based in New York City with a production studio in rural Ireland. Born in Dublin, founder Claire McGovern’s first business was an acclaimed art and design gallery evolving into the multi-disciplinary studio she operates today. In 2018 she debuted a responsible eco-fiber Irish wool carpet & tapestry design collection made entirely by hand in rural Ireland. 2022's design collection features pure Galway Wool spun by Donegal Yarns and the debut of a "Real Irish Wool" textile collection. The studio's objective is a circular production model and a percentage of sales are devoted to supporting Irish sheep farmers. A miracle fiber that is virtually unrivaled, Rhyme Studio wool is renewable, traceable, resilient, air purifying, sound absorbing and breathable. In the USA carpet industry alone more than 2.5 million tons of synthetic, chemically toxic material is sent to landfill each year while barely 5% of carpet is recycled. Once the fiber of choice, perfected by nature, wool today accounts for only 2% of the current needs of the global textile industry while resource draining cotton and dirty synthetics dominate current global usage, have no credible recycling concept and mostly wind up in landfill or shed micro plastics that flow into our oceans. Rhyme Studio is a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and designs have recently been published in the New York Times, New York Magazine / Curbed, Architectural Digest, Interior Design, Irish Arts Review, Irish Times & Cover Magazine.

www.rhymestudio.com

Colin Burke

Fashion Designer and Craftsman

Colin Burke, is redefining Irish knitwear with his range of contemporary luxury clothing which combines traditional Irish motifs and modern sensibilities. Every piece of Colin Burke knitwear is lovingly made by hand in the west of Ireland by Burke and his team of skilled handknitters some of whom have been knitting for over seven decades. Influenced by his love of architecture, Burke creates clothing for discerning clients that are sculptural in appearance and a joy to wear. Using only the finest of yarns, Burke’s designs weave together craft, landscape and colour to result in contemporary garments with stories knitted into every stitch.Inspired by his stylish late grandmother Maureen, Burke’s designs knit together history and modernity to create modern heirlooms to be treasured now and passed down to future generations. Ethically made to order from sustainable materials, the very best things truly do come to those who wait.

www.colinburke.ie

@colinburke_

Joe Hogan

Basketmaker, Ciaran Hogan BasketsJoe Hogan started basketmaking in the late 1970's as the living tradition of  Irsh basketmaking was in decline. He spent many years researching and making indigenous Irish baskets. This resulted in the publication of Basketmaking in Ireland in 2001. Over the past two decades he has devoted most of his making time to artistic and sculptural baskets through a desire to connect more deeply with the natural world. Joe lives and works near Loch Na Fooey in north west Connemara, where he grows his own willows,  His work was shortlisted for the Loewe Craft Prize in 2018. 

breadbasket.video

www.joehoganbaskets.com/

Lucy Downes

Sphere One

Lucy Downes is an Irish designer, growing up between the mountains of Wicklow and the city of Dublin. From a young age, Lucy was immersed in the modern architecture, design and painting movements in Ireland. She has always been drawn to botanical structures, for instance by the way the sepals of a flower open out, enveloping while unveiling the precious petals inside. She admires simple, understated shapes such as Tapio Wirkkala’s glass, the ceramics of Hella Jongerius, and the work of Alexander Calder, belying their complicated techniques. She strives to marry these influences with ergonomic lines of the body and the beautiful inherent qualities of knitted medium - drape, stretch, volume and texture. These inspirations, together with a first class honours degree in fashion design, a number of awards and 10 years as a designer for Donna Karan New York, inform her conceptual process, while a post-graduate scholarship award to Shima seiki, world leaders in knitwear technology, underpins the technical strength of her work. Each season at the Sphere One studio in Dublin, Ireland, new styles are conceived, using draping, folding and stitch techniques to develop original designs and intelligent features. Clever detailing and an innovative palette are the hallmarks of every collection, with many of the colours bespoke dyed for Sphere One. “Colour lab dipping and combining are my favourite parts of the design process. Ever since I spent time tea-staining fabrics at Donna Karan to achieve the perfect antique hue, I have been captivated by the subtleties and beauty of colour.” 

www.sphereone.ie 

@sphereonecircle