“What does my brand want to say?” is the question Irish designer Robyn Lynch was asking herself this season.
In the running for this year’s International Woolmark Prize, alongside Rhude and Bluemarble, the brief for this collection was ‘dialogue’. So, for her third standalone show on schedule since leaving talent incubator Fashion East, she decided to speak at once to her archive, and to her motherland, Ireland.
First and foremost, the entire collection was green - in her signature style, it was separated into four beautiful tones, from a dark forest hue to a bright shade that was bordering on neon. Then, she introduced shamrock and harp motifs to T-shirts and jumpers, as well as a print from SS23 that she gave an Irish makeover, for pieces that felt distinctly souvenir-chic.
As the designer told the Evening Standard “We thought, what’s the dumbest, tackiest way that you can possibly think about Ireland? So we researched the naffest Irish t-shirts we could find on the American version of eBay, took that concept, and flipped it on its head to take back ownership of it.”
As well as reimagining graphics from her previous collections, she was inspired by @modernist.ie, which is a curation of references from the Irish archives dating back as far as 1930. Whether it’s a page from a library book, the cover of an out-of-date tourist leaflet, or a vintage Aer Lingus advert, it’s a treasure trove of vintage Irish culture.
Showcasing Australian merino wool is a key element of the International Woolmark Prize, so the textile shone throughout the collection. From a super soft boucle knit with aran cable sections punctuated with her trademark sporty references, like drawstrings and pockets, to intarsia t-shirts that are a reimagination of her SS23 design, she made it clear just how versatile and beautiful the fabric can be.
Often taking inspiration from her family, this season it was Geox that tickled her fancy as her dad’s all-time favourite shoe brand. She dived into the Italian shoemaker’s archive to discover a style from 2003 that’s similar to the vintage aesthetic that’s popular today, and gave it a Robyn Lynch twist.
She continues: “My dad’s always asked me to work with Geox. None of my family are in fashion whatsoever and the key enjoyment I get out of this whole business is working with brands that they know which makes them super proud. He’s already asked me to put a 44 aside for him.”
So, what’s next for the label? At the moment, Lynch is putting all her energy into winning the Woolmark prize which finishes in May. And, if the fashion crowd’s reaction to the trainers is anything to go by, we predict a collab with Geox on the not-so-distant horizon.
