Future Makers – Top awards for local up-and-coming designers
By Taylor Gleeson
Seven up-and-coming designers and craftspeople from Dublin have been announced as recipients of the Future Makers Awards & Supports programme, through the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCoI).
Two of the recipients, Izzy O’Reilly and Róisín Pierce come from South Dublin.
Fashion designer and Overall Emerging Maker Winner Róisín Pierce
O’Reilly, who is studying fashion design at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD), was awarded Overall Student/Recent Graduate Winner and won €3,500 for her work that the judges called “conceptually brilliant, technically competent and astute.”
Fashion designer Pierce was awarded Overall Emerging Maker Winner and won €4,500. Of her work the judges said, “traditional, technically impressive broderie anglaise made contemporary and desirable. Extraordinary craftsmanship which is breaking new ground.”
Karen Hennessy, Chief Executive of the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland said: “Supporting and nurturing a pipeline of talented Irish designers and makers with the requisite knowledge and skills to meet future needs is a key strategic aim of the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland.
“We are delighted that so many Irish designers and craftspeople have benefitted from this initiative during this time. Through the support of Future Makers, our aim is to encourage the next generation to grow their skills and expertise and to give them the confidence to take the next step in their development.”
Fashion design student and Overall Student/ Recent Graduate Winner Izzy O’Reilly
This was the tenth year of the Future Makers programme and there were more applicants than ever before. A sum of €25,000 was dispersed amongst 23 winning designers and craftspeople, out of 214 applicants.
Founded in 2009, Future Makers helps current students and recent graduates of design and craft-based studies pursuing a career in the industry of craft and design.
To learn more about the programme, go to www.futuremakers.ie.
