Pictured at the Nokia Young Fashion Designer Award were: 1. Emma Forsyth & Elaine O’Shea; 2. Sian Gray & Alan O’Hara; 3. Angelique Kouvelis & Aoife Byrne.
The winner of the Nokia Young Fashion Designer Award 2009 was announced at a high profile fashion spectacular in the old Habitat building, Dame St, this week. Aoife Gallagher (pictured left) from Donegal, and currently in her fourth year in NCAD, impressed the panel of international guest judges with her winning design, entitled, ‘Hidden Light, Natural Movement Exposure’. Aoife was awarded with the coveted Nokia accolade as well as receiving a Nokia Supernova handset, €5,000, media profiling opportunities for the year and a work placement with retail partner House of Fraser. This year students from colleges across the country, were invited to submit a mood board and design notebook illustrating one individual outfit inspired by Nokia’s latest Supernova handset. After beating numerous entries, 20 finalists then brought their Supernova inspired creations to life at the glamorous fashion show finale.
Aoife’s design is based on the idea of transformation, thought and natural and unnatural movement. The creation consisted of a structural bulb like dress, which played on the eye by revealing different colours from every angle.
Ensuring its position as the premier student design award in Ireland, this year’s judging panel included some of the leading figures in Irish and international fashion; top fashion blogger Susie Lau, Fashion Wire Daily European editor Godfrey Deeny, Head of Menswear at Hermes Brendan Mullane and established Irish designer, Louise Kennedy. Also assisting the judges was Irish knitwear designer and student mentor Tim Ryan.
