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1st March 2024
01:02pm GMT
Aoife McNamara is a name in fashion who is not only known for her talented designs but also for her leadership and trailblazing outlook on sustainability within the industry.
If you've driven through Adare in Co Limerick only to be distracted by the allure of a quaint and enchanting little cottage, you were likely looking directly at the homebase for her brand, also named Aoife McNamara.
Every inch of this aesthetically pleasing little abode is sustainable, much like Aoife's brand of nature-inspired clothing. It's a vision that was born many moons ago and brought into reality in the hopes of a better future for our planet.
Since the rise of Aoife McNamara in 2019, the brand has become a symbol of sustainable fashion, as its ethos states: "clothes inspired by nature, to protect nature.”.
"Interconnected design is what I like to call it," Aoife tells Her.ie, adding that she doesn't follow trends or the belief that fashion falls into two seasons. Instead, she works in rhythm with nature.
Often, we will see a brand with a similar message to its consumers, but it's not every day that we come across a brand that applies that message to their every move, each day.
Aoife McNamara prioritises this message vocally just as much as she prioritises it while creating her beautiful clothing.
Over time, it has become "50 per cent about the education," fashion sustainability, creating conscious consumers, upskilling to limit waste, and meeting like-minded people who share the same goal: to protect our planet.
Aoife describes herself as a 'dreamer'. Given the path she has walked down to achieve her success today, we would agree.
As a young girl in school, she was inspired by subjects such as art and tech graft, which is shown today in her designs.
After attending a fashion show at Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD), where she would later study the craft, the vision began to take shape.
"I just remember being mesmerised that a person could create clothes. I always knew fashion, of course, but I was having this connection to that realisation that, like, 'Oh my God, you can actually make these beautiful garments yourself’.
"I think that was a lightbulb moment, and I was like, 'Okay, this is exactly what I want to do.'"
Studying fashion at LSAD then brought about another lightbulb moment, albeit a less exciting one: the negative impact that the fashion industry has on the planet.
Aoife explained: "I only decided I wanted to set up my own brand when I started working in the industry, and I started to really understand the impacts that the fashion industry was having on the environment.”
"I was so disconnected from that; I think a lot of us are disconnected from that, and I was just like, 'You know what? I just really want to make change.”
That's right, the eponymous brand was born from a dream of changing the world.
During our scrolls, we've likely all seen the beautiful blue daisy-adorned corset from Aoife McNamara's season nine collection, Bláth Fiáin.
The co-ord is one of many standout pieces that have been created by the Irish designer, inspired by Ireland's wild beauty.
Which location in Ireland serves as her biggest muse, you might wonder?
To this, she said Co. Clare without even thinking - which inspired her last two seasons.
"The Burren in Clare is where I've gotten the inspiration from my past two seasons; all the sunsets in County Clare, we are very lucky to have the sunsets here.
"It's my biggest inspiration and I feel like it always will be. There are just so many nooks, beauty and inspiration coming from here."
Aside from her goals of bringing the brand and its sustainable message to a global audience, with big events on the fashion calendar abroad, Aoife McNamara has some exciting projects on the horizon right here in Ireland.
Interbeing is an event series being launched by the brand to shine a light on the interconnectedness of all things around us, "bringing it back to this circular design and reconnecting," she explained.
"I've done a lot of research, and I think the big disconnect is that we're all separate from nature.”
The term Interbeing was coined by Thich Nhat Hanh, which means to "recognise the truth of our interconnectedness, not just to one another but also to nature, and to realise that everything relies on everything else."
Aoife says the series, which launches in the coming weeks, is 'Earth Art Therapy’.
The events will range from well-being to sustainability-focused upskilling and will feature mindful activities such as conscious movement mornings and yoga, as well as workshops in upcycling or mending clothing.
"We have mending workshops, natural dying workshops, learn-to-sew workshops, circular design workshops, and educational talks.
"We've built it out all around this Interbeing series, which is so exciting because I think that we need to rethink the gap between us and nature.
"That's a big passion point of mine."
Stay tuned for updates on the upcoming Aoife McNamara Interbeing series:
Social Media: @aoifemcnamarax @aoife_ireland
Website: www.aoifemcnamara.com
Aoife McNamara is the campaign ambassador for Logistics and Supply Chain Skills Week 2024. For more information on events and the Logistics and Supply Chain sector please visit www.gov.ie/LogisticsWeek.
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