Exactly 12 issues ago, I gushed over Sinéad Burke’s meteoric success and, by consequence, seam-bursting schedule: a sartorially-charged paean that, considering the sheer abundance of Burke’s dynamism, should publish at least annually on these pages.
The past several months have since galloped by, and I’ve grown increasingly sure that Burke has secretly pilfered some time-pausing device… How else could she sandwich in such a panoply of meaningful projects?
Continuing to shatter boundaries and rouse dialogues concerning design and diversity, Burke captivated Davos back in January with a zealous address – clad in cerulean, custom Gucci, bien sûr – and in February, judged 2019’s #WoolmarkPrize (devised to bolster the fashion sector’s future visionaries) in tandem with Tim Blanks, Alber Elbaz and other industry linchpins; all whilst donning bespoke Richard Malone.
She spent International Women’s Day with Michael D and Sabina Higgins, alongside 150 female innovators in academia and science, dressed in a floral Prada frock: a few weeks later, she was appointed to the President’s Council of State.
She penned galvanising prose for British Vogue on the hate crime that triggered a transformative campaign (it’s far too good to paraphrase, so please seek the piece out) and, just last month, spellbound Seth Meyers – and myriad other spectators – as a guest on his show, sporting a Gucci tuxedo and Ferragamo heels (in case you can’t already tell, her wardrobe is #fire).
Somehow, the above barely encapsulates her year: she also became the first little person to frequent the Met Gala; endured countless body castings to create the world’s first mannequin with dwarfism; launched the ridiculously chic “Sinéad Doll” in collaboration with Lottie Dolls, which merits the top spot on Christmas wish-lists; joined fourteen other “Forces for Change” in surely the most memorable September issue ever conceived (kudos, British Vogue!), thus becoming the first little person to grace a Condé Nast cover.
Most recently, this extraordinary human has conversed with all manner of luminaries for “As Me With Sinéad”: a Lemonada Media-backed podcast which sees Burke capture Victoria Beckham, Florence Welch, Jamie Lee Curtis and many more at their most comfortable.
Though they explore what it’s like to live in their bodies with enlightening gusto, the podcast also celebrates the inclusive nature of audio; a medium that swiftly sidesteps this image-centric age.
Words: Amelia O’Mahony Brady
