From rags to stitches: Young Project Fashion designers are happiest with a sewing machine

12-year-old Erin Hopkins, left, and 14-year-old Leila Mellett, right, with Beth Brady, 17, wearing some of the garments they created as students with Project Fashion. Picture Moya Nolan

At just 12 years old, fashion designer Erin Hopkins already has a string of commissions under her belt which include a formal dress made especially for her teacher.

The first-year student of St Gerard's School in Bray, Co Wicklow, is looking forward to showcasing her collection at Project Fashion’s Young Designer of the Year awards, which will take place in January at Croke Park.

The fashion enthusiast has been making her own clothes since she was eight, and she says her favourite commission to date was for her former sixth class maths teacher Caoimhe Mellon.

“It started off as a joke,” she told the Irish Examiner. 

“My sixth class maths teacher, Ms Mellon, said she was going to a wedding, and I said I would design a dress for her. 

"She seemed really interested in what I was doing, so I brought a measuring tape into school and started working on a practice dress. She showed me some pictures she liked on Instagram which I was able to take inspiration from. I also brought in some fabrics for her to choose from which I had picked up from a wholesaler. 

"Mum had Ms Mellon come around to the house for a few fittings, and she also visited us last June on the morning of the wedding so I could see her all dressed up and with her make-up done.” 

Erin Hopkins, left, with the dress she made for her sixth class maths teacher Caoimhe Mellon.

Erin’s love for fashion was sparked by her grandmother Nuala who taught her how to make dresses for her dolls at the age of six. Her mother later signed her up for fashion design and dress making classes with Project Fashion in Greystones.

The initiative was the brainchild of Paul Alexander Keely, whose designs have been stocked by shops such as House of Fraser, in 2014 to save what has become a dying art. He now runs classes in 33 locations across the country.

Erin said she regards Paul and project fashion tutor Caroline as some of her most important mentors.

“Project Fashion has been really supportive and I learn so much from it,” she said.

“My mum is also a great support. She helps me pick out the fabric and drives me up to buy it too. Sometimes, she will help me glue the diamonds. My nana is always very helpful too.” 

Hours of dedication

Staff at Gerard's Junior School in Bray also championed Erin’s designs.

“They placed mannequins with my pieces on them in the school. One little girl from first class came up to me to show me a dress she had made for her dolls. She had made it after seeing what I had done," Erin added.

While other children are in their bedrooms playing computer games, Erin is happiest on her sewing machine. Her mum Áine said she often spends hours on the lovingly-made garments.

“I go through a lot of fabric,” she told the Irish Examiner. 

“I’m going to ask for some new fabrics for Christmas and also a new mannequin, because the one I have is a bit broken.” 

Erin said her dream is to go to fashion school in New York.

"I’d like to have a brand and do fashion shows for Paris Fashion Week. Jonathan Anderson is the new head of Dior and he is somebody that I really look up to. His designs from his last fashion show were very cool. I take inspiration for my designs from online or in newspapers but my ideas come from everywhere really.” 

Paul Alexander Keeley, the founder of Project Fashion with Beth Brady, Leila Mellett, and Erin Hopkins are hard at work ahead of the awards. Picture: Moya Nolan

Leila Mellett, 14, from Greystones also attends Project Fashion classes, but said she first picked up a needle and thread at the age of eight.

“My parents are a great support to me,” Leila said. “I like to do really over-the-top dresses, and my dad will help me think about the mechanisms behind them. 

"Both of them played a big part in a Marilyn Monroe-inspired dress that I made. It was white, like the original, but my one had fish wire attached to the hem of the skirt. I attached this to an automatic umbrella so, when you press the button, it looks like it is being blown up by the wind just like in the film The Seven Year Itch.

"There are so many things about fashion that I love so much. It’s something I’d love to do for the rest of my life. If I was to be like any designer, it would be Coco Chanel. I also love Prada and Victoria Beckham. At the moment, I’m really just trying to get the basics right while I’m still quite young.” 

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Beth Brady is also making waves on the fashion front. By the age of 12, the Leaving Cert student had already amassed a collection with 14 pieces. She ran her own business, Mask Mayhem, in addition to this during the pandemic. To date, her designs have featured on Ireland AM and earned her a Civic Achievement Award from Meath County Council.

Beth Brady with Erin Hopkins, left, and Leila Mellett, working hard on their designs. Picture: Moya Nolan

“One of the first pieces I made was a two-piece set, skirt and waistcoat, out of two old pairs of trousers purchased at Oxfam, Navan,” she told the Irish Examiner.

“I also upcycled my neighbour’s wedding dress.” 

Torin O’Neil from Santry, Dublin, whose love of design started with Project Fashion classes as a child, spoke about the opportunities he has gained. 

His designs were showcased as part of Ireland Fashion Week across the country.

“My mum put me into the Project Fashion classes at the age of 10, and it’s something that stuck,” the 22-year-old said.

“I picked up a needle and thread and haven’t put it down since. The first thing I made was a waistcoat at the age of 11, and I have since graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Fashion Design.

"Getting to take part in Ireland Fashion Week was a huge honour for me. I was also asked to speak as part of a panel at Google, which was a real highlight for me.”