Fashion Flashback

Post-Primary Competition 2013. National Museum of Ireland - Country Life.

1st Prize winning entry.
Detail on the back of the dress.
Detail on the front of the dress.

Winning Entries

This year we challenged schools to design and make a fashion piece inspired by the theme of the museum – ‘Life in Rural Ireland’.  We were really impressed by all the students who took this theme and gave it their own modern twist.  The art rooms of these schools must have been very busy working on their projects. Each entry was full of creativity and innovative ideas were put to the test.  From a dress with potato slices to unusual headpieces and even a necklace with hanging limbs!

However there was no contesting the first prize winning entry, a modern dress with a traditional theme designed and made by Aoife Halligan and Niamh Neyret. Both girls are 2nd year students of Davitt College, Castlebar, Co. Mayo. The school’s art teacher Ciara Silke encouraged them to enter the competition. The girls won tickets to the Junk Kouture Fashion Awards show in Dublin that took place in April and vouchers for Easons. The girls describe their inspiration for the work:

‘For our dress we made braids out of greaseproof paper to symbolise the beautifully woven grass and straw that we saw on our visit to Turlough House. We were fascinated by the corset we saw in the Museum and this inspired the ribbon at the back of the dress’.

This dress will be on display in the Activity Room, Level C in the Museum Galleries until 21st June 2013.

Please see full competition results below.

1st Prize:

Designers: Aoife Halligan and Niamh Neyret, 2nd years students.

School: Davitt College, Springfield, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.

Art Teacher: Ciara Silke.

2nd Prize:

Designers: 2nd year Art students. Rachel Gaughan, Rachel Gaughan, Chloe O’Brien, Amanda Conroy, Lauren Mullaney, Chloe Durkan and Rosemary Dunne. These students were awarded joint second entry for their group entry.

School: Balla Secondary School, Balla, Co. Mayo.

Art Teacher: Lisa McSherry.

3rd Prize:

Designer: Neasa Egan, first year student.

School: Our Lady’s Bower, Retreat Road, Athlone, Co. Westmeath

Art Teacher: Ciara Henriques.

Visit museum website to see all winning entries: http://www.museum.ie/en/info/fashion-flashback-competition.aspx .

Well done to all the students who entered and a special thanks to the art teachers and their schools.