Multi-disciplinary artist and fashion designer Aisling Duffy grew up in Dublin, and loved art from literally the time she could grasp a crayon.

“I have photos of me getting my first easel for Christmas at four!” she laughs. “Fashion became a source of expression for me from an early age. Growing up I was always dressed in parcelled clothes sent over by my American cousins. I can still remember the excitement of choosing clothes from the parcel that were so different to what was available in Ireland in the early ’90s. I think this had a huge influence on my sense of style and love of everything quirky and weird.”

Duffy’s unique style and desire to create one-off, unusual pieces that she couldn’t find anywhere else led her to study at the National College of Art & Design in Dublin, where she specialised in printed textiles. She then went on to study at the Edinburgh College of Art, specialising in mixed media textiles. Duffy has a penchant for bold and arresting patterns, which blend fun, whimsical colour choices and classic elements, to create prints that are eye-catching with obvious artistic influences, from geometric shapes to watercolour effects.

“For me it is all about trying and testing different types of materials,” explains Duffy. “That could be transparent mixed with heavy, shiny mixed with matte and so on. I tend to design pieces that are oversized or are one size fits all. For me, pattern and texture are most important, but having just done a pattern cutting course, and learning all about shape and form in relation to fashion, this may change!”

Her prints have caught the attention of major design houses, as well as the heads of some independent design projects.

“Over the years I have sold my prints to big fashion brands such as Victoria’s Secret, Belk and Pottery Barn,” says Duffy. “In 2014, I designed textile patterns for Labcoats as part of a project by the science department at the Bollington Festival. It was a special year as they were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the festival. The designs for the lab coats were all based on major scientific discoveries over the past 50 years. I have also had a number of scarf collections at the Design Centre in Powerscourt Townhouse.”

Duffy gets her inspiration from a wide range of sources, but says that the themes of environment, personal development and history all run through her work. Her recent collection combines these themes by exploring Irish identity.

“I left Ireland seven years ago and I am always drawn to the sense of living abroad but still feeling very Irish,” she notes. “The collection will explore these theses through artefacts, native animals, plants, text and language.”
 
All of Duffy’s work is produced sustainably, and she only works with fabrics that don’t involve any animal cruelty in their production. Her fashion and accessories are made-to-order, by hand, and she does accept commissions, so if you want a lovingly crafted and truly original piece, get in touch with her!

Find Aisling Duffy’s designs on her website aislingduffy.com, her Instagram aislingduffydesigns, or her Twitter aisling_duffy.