The result of an ongoing examination of what it means to live on the island of Ireland or any island – this globe included – We Are Islanders looks to reflect the necessity to gaze outward, not inward, and to challenge accepted norms.
In consideration of the social and environmental story of our time, We Are Islanders creates trans-seasonal collections that marry old crafts with new skills and celebrates the journey created by process, not plan.
We Are Islanders launched in The RHA Gallery, Dublin recently, presenting their debut collection, Tidal. The label challenges the concept of heritage, merging the old and the new while fusing art and fashion. The Autumn/Winter collection brings a contemporary twist on traditional Irish fabrics through signature details of quilting, cording, binding and hand printing. Materials such as beetle-finished Wexford Linen and Tipperary Wool are incorporated with less traditional sustainable fabrics like bamboo silk and salmon leather skin.
Included in the collection are one-off pieces that were dyed by the high tide on Sandymount strand during the instillation 4/704, as part of Dublin Fringe. The project explored what it means to live on a tidal island in the face of rising sea levels. The cloth that was dyed by the tides served as a textural time lapse, while projected images, soundtracks and light installations transformed the undertaking into a fully sensorial experience.
4/704 highlighted We Are Islanders’ desire to constantly buck convention and challenge old ideas. It did so by using the socio-cultural zone of fashion and apparel as a platform in the visual arts. We Are Islanders, thus, is a creative fashion and art project that aims to challenge accepted norms and use the medium of clothing to ask questions.
Produced locally using only sustainable materials, this fashion label refuses to compromise on style and quality while remaining dedicated to better practice. From organic and fair trade cotton and reclaimed factory remnants to silks, Irish wools and organic salmon leather, the materials used in all collections have been chosen for their luxurious qualities. All prints are hand-drawn illustrations created manually in Dublin using non-toxic dyes.
For more information on We Are Islanders and to browse their stunning collection, visit weareislanders.com