PRESS RELEASE - NCAD Fashion Show 2016

Rising stars of Irish fashion design to be showcased at annual NCAD Fashion Show



Thursday, 14th April 2016



The rising stars of Irish fashion design will be showcased at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD)’s annual Fashion Show, taking place at 12.30pm Tuesday, 10th May in the unique surroundings of the underground carpark of The Westbury.

The event will take the form of a catwalk show and will feature the work of 32 graduating students, showcasing three to six looks each. This year’s Fashion Show is exceptional in that it is the first time the work of two graduating years (three and four year degree) will be showcased. For the second year running, the event is supported by Brown Thomas, offering a bursary and mentorship to one student, chosen by Brown Thomas Fashion Director Shelly Corkery as the ‘Designer to Watch’.  The event is also supported by The Westbury, a Doyle Collection hotel.

The annual show presents an opportunity for graduating students to showcase their creative identities and their work processes as they begin their professional careers. The show will feature a range of collections, from highly conceptual garments to ready-to-wear, high-street designs.

Speaking ahead of the show, Angela O’Kelly, Head of Design for Body and Environment at NCAD, commented: “NCAD’s annual fashion show has become a staple of Ireland’s design calendar and continues to be a leading fashion event. This year, holding our catwalk fashion show in the urban surroundings of The Westbury’s underground carpark further cements the positioning of NCAD as Ireland’s number one producer of cutting-edge fashion designers.

“The annual Fashion Show serves as a springboard to launch the careers of our graduates and showcase the knowledge, skills and talent that our Fashion Design graduates have acquired and developed during their time in NCAD. We’re very excited about the innovation, quality of design and breadth of creativity that will be showcased at this year’s Fashion Show – it’s an exciting time for the fashion design industry in Ireland!”

Brown Thomas’s ‘Designer to Watch’ prize will consist of a €4,000 bursary, an installation of designs in Create at Brown Thomas in July 2016 and also a mentoring programme with the management team.
Brown Thomas Fashion Director Shelly Corkery commented, “Following on from such a successful partnership last year, we are delighted to support the NCAD graduates for a second year. Discovering new design talent is so exciting and keeps the industry moving forward. This year the chosen ‘Designer to Watch’ graduate will be part of CREATE which is a wonderful opportunity to showcase both their talent and innovation along with gaining commercial experience in the industry.”
The NCAD Fashion Show 2016 is also kindly sponsored by The Westbury, a Doyle Collection hotel. Pat King, CEO of The Doyle Collection, commented, “We take great pleasure in supporting and nurturing Ireland’s emerging young fashion designers; this was reflected in our activities as corporate sponsor of ID2015, the year of Irish design. Following the success of last year’s NCAD graduate fashion show held in our beautiful Grafton Suite, we are extremely excited to be welcoming back the graduate students this year and to be hosting the first-ever fashion show to be held in the underground carpark of The Westbury – this space is sure to create a cutting edge catwalk in Dublin’s metropolitan heart.”

Further information about NCAD’s BA (Hons) Degree in Fashion Design is available at: https://www.ncad.ie/undergraduate/school-of-design/fashion-design/.

Tickets for the Annual NCAD Fashion Show Gala Event, taking place at 4pm and 7pm on Tuesday, 10th May, are available at www.ncad.ie from 20th April.

ENDS



Contact: Sarah Harte / Emily Brennan, DHR Communications, Tel: 01-4200580 / 087-9858259 / 086-1658629

Notes to Editors:

- Angela O’Kelly, Head of Design for Body and Environment at NCAD, as well as a number of students, are available for media interview on request.

− Images available for download here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/01xlo0gkqvhc95s/AABCmjhV7jDPOJTywDf3ZDU9a?dl=0

− Follow NCAD on:

   o    Twitter and Instagram:  @NCAD_Dublin            #NCADFashion
   o    Facebook www.facebook.com/NCAD.Dublin.

− Media wishing to attend the Fashion Show Media Preview, taking place at 12.30pm on Tuesday, 10th May, please contact David O’Donnell, media@staff.ncad.ie or call 01-4200580.

- The schedule for the day is as follows:

11.45am         Refreshments for guests

12.30pm         Media preview begins (NOTE: it will not be possible to conduct any media interviews during this time; however, video recordings of the show are permitted and media interviews can be conducted after the show)

1.30pm           NCAD Fashion Show Photocall

4pm                Afternoon Show

7pm                Fashion Show Gala event (NOTE: as above).

8.30pm           Fashion show ends