FASHION designers who are pushing boundaries in their field are showcasing their work at the iconic Titanic Belfast venue this month.
Four local designers are sharing their designs at the Titanic Belfast Curates…Northern Threads exhibition.
They are Sara O’Neill, Amy Anderson, Gráinne Maher and Hope Macauley.
While their pieces are all distinct and unique, they share a common thread of blending heritage influences with a fresh contemporary edge.
Four designers are exhibiting their work at Titanic Belfast this monthO’Neill founded her brand Éadach in 2014, in which she uses fashion as a form of storytelling.
Raised in Portrush, her work is inspired by music, subculture, mythology and coastal landscapes.
Her pieces to date include hand-drawn prints on silk, linen and natural fibres that explore Irish myths, women’s histories and Ulster’s mill workers.
Anderson founded Kindred of Ireland in Belfast in 2020 after discovering a photo of her grandmother spinning linen in a mill in Moygashel.
That inspired a reconnection with lost textile traditions and her brand works with family-run mills and local seamstresses to reimagine Irish linen for a modern wardrobe.
Titanic Belfast Curates...Northern Threads is now open to the public and is free to viewAnderson’s designs feature oversized silhouettes, thoughtful construction and rare beetled linen finishes.
Belfast-born designer Maher is known for combining traditional craftsmanship with a rebellious, avant-garde style.
Inspired by the Galway-born milliner Philip Treacy, she moved from music into millinery, where she creates bold contemporary headpieces that challenge traditional occasion wear.
Maher is now expanding into leather goods, using sculptural forms and refined materials to tell stories of place, craft and identity.
Taught to knit by her grandmother, Macaulay creates bold, colourful, sculptural knitwear inspired by the landscapes of Northern Ireland’s north coast.
Having studied fashion textiles in London, she returned home in 2018 to build her globally recognised, family-run label.
The exhibition will remain open until September 30To complement the designers’ displays, Titanic Belfast is also collaborating with fashion designer, Una Rodden, who will have a designer in residence in situ within the exhibition.
Pieces created by Ulster University lecturers Dean Liggett and Gráinne Taylor, from their Threadlab collection, will also be exhibited.
“We are immensely proud to unveil our first exhibition under the Titanic Belfast Curates banner – an initiative shaped and delivered by our own team, whose passion and expertise bring a distinctive perspective to the storytelling, Titanic Belfast CEO Judith Owens said this week.
“Northern Threads invites visitors to engage with the creativity emerging from Northern Ireland today, highlighting how a deep-rooted sense of place continues to inform and inspire contemporary design,” she added.
Running daily from May 1 to September 30, Titanic Belfast Curates…Northern Threads is situated in The Andrews Gallery at Titanic Belfast, where it is free for the public to visit.
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