Irish designer's white garments represent oppression of women

Róisín Pierce made her Paris Fashion Week debut at the American Church yesterday morning. Pictures: KCD

Irish designer Róisín Pierce made her Paris Fashion Week debut at the American Church on Tuesday morning with a collection that spanned ethereal, handsmocked and crocheted dresses atop undulating layers of airy organza.

Inspired by censorship and the oppression of women, with an eye on the Government and the Catholic Church, Pierce’s three-dimensional forms, like full-body shrouds, flowing capes, and cowl-neck dresses, were rendered in all white with painstaking craftsmanship.

“It’s a retelling of how femininity was challenged in Ireland and Ireland’s difficult relationship with femininity and sexuality through craft,” said Pierce, whose first collection in 2019 studied the lives of institutionalised women in the Magdalene Laundries.

Despite the lightness of her cloud-like designs and the sombre message that permeates her work, Pierce asserts pieces like crocheted tops resemble chainmail and capes layered over dresses imply that women are the heroes in the story.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

“There’s a lot that’s reminiscent of what happened to women in past in the present day with Roe vs Wade, what’s happening in Afghanistan and Iran. It’s quite tragic and this collection is about a freeing of women and how women will not be controlled,” said Pierce.

The colour white — the only colour Pierce has ever worked with — is intended to represent the innocence of women and also how it is lost, while also serving as a blank canvas on which the skilful construction is best seen.

Róisín Pierce's designs are a 'retelling of how femininity was challenged in Ireland'.

Originally from Rathfarnham, Dublin, the designer referenced traditional Irish lacework. She collaborated with three generations of lacemakers in her Dublin studio to illuminate Ireland’s history of meticulous craftsmanship. 

It materialised itself in the cascading flowers that ripple across sheer organza and scalloped edges.

In 2019, Pierce won the inaugural Chanel Métier d’Art award and the Prix de Public at the Festival d’Hyères, an annual photography and fashion event in the south of France.

The Chanel prize included a collaboration with hatmaker Maison Michel, a subsidiary of the French luxury brand.

Designer Róisín Pierce is from Rathfarnham in Dublin.

Last year, Pierce was nominated for the €300,000 LVMH Prize, an award for emerging designers under 40. The same year, she was named on the Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ list, which brought even more legitimacy to her burgeoning business.

The US luxury department store Nordstrom bought pieces from Pierce’s previous collection, further solidifying her position as a rising star.

Paris Fashion Week concludes on March 7.

Paris Fashion Week, which started on February 27 and concludes on March 7, features 66 runway shows, 41 presentations, and countless parties and events.

Top brands including Dior, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel are listed on the official schedule of the nine-day event.

Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson, son of former Irish international rugby captain William Anderson, will show his latest women’s collection for Spanish luxury goods brand Loewe on Friday morning.