Donegal designer Hollie Marie Gallagher presented her Irish Sea collection at Ireland Fashion Week this week, which integrates Donegal tweed from our Magee weaving mill in Donegal town. We talk to the young designer on her inspirations & love of Donegal, tweed and strong Irish women.
Where did you learn your craft?
My time at ATU Letterkenny, Co Donegal really shaped my craft, during these four years I was encouraged by my lecturer to think beyond the obvious. Keeping this in mind I saw every shape as a potential design and my large silhouette evolved. In my final year I was tasked with designing a piece for industry using a local fabric and I chose Magee Weaving Mill Donegal Tweed which is rugged, flecked and rich in heritage, this is how my designs developed into what I am presenting at Ireland Fashion Week. I wanted to be able to respect our history but show that this beautiful fabric was here to stay.
“I chose Magee Donegal tweed because it is rugged, flecked and rich in heritage.”
What's the best thing about working with Magee Weaving mill?
The team at the Magee Weaving Mill in Donegal town has been so supportive to me since I contacted them in my final year at university. They welcomed me into the mill and introduced me to their world of wonderful fabrics and beautiful design. It was like the textile equivalent of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and I felt honored that they took time to show me around. I really appreciate their longevity and resilience to stay at the forefront of textile production in Donegal over the last five generations. They champion sustainability in design which aligns with my ethos and they have a link to my family that I will always treasure. My great aunt Mai McGinley née Long was married to Michael, a weaver for Magee and they lived their entire married life in a weavers cottage in Donegal. When Michael died Mai moved into my granny’s house near me and lived her final years there. Mai always spoke fondly of her time as a weaver's wife and although her vision was poor she was able to feel the tweed I’d chosen for my final designs and compare the touch to the tweed that Michael weaved. Our memories shape who we become and the path we choose to follow and I’m delighted mine led me to become the designer I am today.
“Mai always spoke fondly of her time as a weaver's wife and although her vision was poor she was able to feel the tweed I’d chosen for my final designs and compare the touch to the tweed that Michael weaved.”
Tell us about your designs for IFW?
The collection is inspired by the historical figures - Grace O’Malley, Ireland’s legendary pirate queen, and marine biologist Maud Delap who both embody the spirit of resilience that Dare to Howl works hard to promote. Both women defied gender norms standing as fearless leaders of their profession.O’Malley mastered the Irish Sea with authority and refused to conform with English laws that tried to stop her wearing the traditional cloak of Ireland, the ‘brat’. Delap defied all odds to become a marine biologist and the first person to successfully raise a jellyfish in captivity. My design merges heritage with futurism by combining authentic herringbone tweed, kindly sponsored by Magee Weaving mill in Donegal and designer deadstock crinkled taffeta sourced from Last Yarn. The modern Irish Brat will stand as a sculptural recognition of Ireland's maritime legacy, a fusion of ecological awareness, historical defiance and heritage craftsmanship. Like Grace O’Malley and Maud Delap it is a fusion of rebellion, resilience and the unyielding howl of the Irish Sea.
“Grace the Modern Irish Brat” my design reclaims the word ‘Brat’ and focuses on structural shapes and fabrics to celebrate the legacy of these two powerful Irish women and their deep connection to the Irish Sea.”
