“Being alone and creating in isolation you become very independent and decisive on your own accord.”
Fallout from Covid-19 has impacted every sector of society and has led to dramatic changes in the fashion industry which is struggling to chart a new course amidst big chain closures, the end of the runway calendar and uncertainty from head to toe. In this month’s fashion feature we talk to a number of the key players on the scene here, who explain how they’ve been affected and where their future lies.
THE GRADUATE: Tom Langton, NCAD
Tom Langton was, like all fellow students, into the home straight when the shutters abruptly came down. The NCAD Fashion Design student was preparing his graduate collection “based on bodies of research that are within the realm of literature, collected materials, photography and personal experience” when suddenly things were “cut short and access to specialised machines, staff and large peer groups of other practitioners was also removed from our working lives pretty quickly.”
However, he has found the drive to collaborate and outsource has had a positive impact. “Being alone and creating in isolation you become very independent and decisive on your own accord. I realised the importance of searching for specialised makers to collaborate with me. People have more time to use their hands. I have recently become friends with a lady who lives in the Wicklow mountains. She knits for me and we now have a strong back and forth dialog on creating new knits.”
Langton also acknowledges missing being in a fast-paced collaborative working space. “Things happen a lot quicker when there is even the slightest bit of pressure.” As for where his future lies, he is under no illusion regarding the limited prospects here which will most likely lead to moving to a place with “a more proactive fashion industry.”
“I think menswear design is something that seemingly is out of reach or is definitely underrepresented in Irish design currently. It’s changing though, slowly. There are certainly one or two incredible coatmakers still based and working in Dublin which is refreshing. However, looking for an opportunity to further my career in contemporary menswear through internships or in entry level employment would have to be done overseas.”
Words: Michael McDermott
Photo Credits: Faolán Carey
Check out other perspectives in this month’s Fashioning A Future series here: The Retailer – Andy Collins, Indigo & Cloth