Hollywood beckons as Irish designer prepares for Oscars red carpet
Laura-Jayne Halton — after hearing Irish producer Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly on RTÉ’s John Murray Show discussing the nomination of her production of Head Over Heels — took a chance and sent some of her designs to the Oscars-bound Kerry girl.
Less than half an hour later, the 28-year-old hit the jackpot.
“I couldn’t believe it. I sent a quick email to Fodhla and next thing her stylist had contacted me. Overnight, I put together some ideas and the next day they gave me the go-ahead as their designer.
“The timescale was very tight. I got the thumbs up on Jan 24 and five days later Fodhla was due to fly to Hollywood. A few sleepless nights were had, but I met her in London before her departure for the final fitting. Thankfully, it was perfect, with just a small alteration to the hem-length to be completed,” said Laura-Jayne, who is from Kilcock in Co Kildare.
And for Laura-Jayne, who has studied fashion design at Galway Technical Institute, furniture design in Letterfrack, and worked on the Sarah Jessica Parker brand design in New York, another boost arrived when she was sponsored to make the trip to Los Angeles for the Oscars ceremony.
“After I got the contract, the John Murray Show brought me on for a chat as well. Then the CEO of Life’s 2 Good in Galway, James Murphy, kindly offered to sponsor my trip to LA to see my work on the red carpet.
“It is amazing, as someone who is just two years in the fashion design business, this is a huge boost. The Oscars red carpet is the holy grail of the fashion industry, so this is a huge chance for me. It is a great opportunity so hopefully I can make the most of it.”
While she hasn’t got her hands on a ticket for the Oscars, she is looking forward to attending the Oscar Wilde Party, which this year honours actor Colin Farrell.
“I keep having to pinch myself to remind myself that this is all real,” she said.
“My passion was always fashion but I never really considered it as a career, until the recession came. I threw myself into the course and I really believe that you get what you give.”
