Six Donegal business owners got the opportunity to showcase their designs and products at one of the country’s largest international trade shows, Showcase Ireland, last week.
Creative exhibition, Showcase Ireland, is now the foremost place for retailers to discover unique, design-led fashion and knitwear, jewellery, craft, gifts, and home accessories and it attracts buyers and press from Ireland and around the world. Each year, more than 300 Irish brands are exhibited at the fair, including emerging Irish businesses supported by their Local Enterprise Offices.
Grace Korbel, Business Advisor at Local Enterprise Office Donegal said Showcase Ireland provides Donegal businesses and designers with a huge opportunity: “We are delighted that our six Donegal designers and small business owners who went to Showcase Ireland this year had such a positive experience. Showcase Ireland is the ideal place for our Creative Coast members to share their beautiful Donegal brands and creativity with the world.”
Edel MacBride was one of the Donegal designers that showcased her designs at the exhibition last week. Edel has established a brand with a slow fashion philosophy that focuses on handmade knitwear. Speaking about the event, Edel said: “We were placed in the Design Ireland area and showcased some of our collection which featured Donegal Yarns and heritage skills reimagined. Our products are handcrafted with devotion in Donegal, and it was an amazing opportunity to be able to share the designs with people visiting from all over the world.”
Kevin Callaghan from Condie, the production design company based in Donegal took the trip to Dublin to showcase wall-mounted designs like this one.
Another Donegal brand that featured in the exhibition was Condie, an Irish production design company based in Donegal, founded by Kevin Callaghan. The Condie collection is made up of laser cut aluminium wall-mounted designs that turn any space into a work of art. Donegal designer, April Rose Murphy also showcased her handwoven Donegal tweed and linen at the event.
A design from the John Collins Designs collection
A piece from April Rose Murphy’s collection (right). Both designers went to Showcase Ireland 2022.
Husband and wife duo, Laura and Kez, took their unique gift brand, Papertree, on the road to Dublin from their studio nestled in the heart of Donegal. Since 2012, they have been combining intricate design and craftmanship with digital tools and machinery to create well crafted, distinctive, personalised gifts. The team from John Collins Designs also showcased their designs which are foraged, textured, guilded and made in the heartlands of Donegal.
Isobel Sangha, owner of The Donegal Natural Soap Company in Glenties, Co. Donegal. Photo by Joe Dunne 19/10/21
Isobel Sangha from the Donegal Natural Soap Company was also among the six Donegal businesses that travelled to Dublin for Showcase Ireland 2022. Commenting on the experience Isobel said: “I was so grateful for this opportunity to showcase my range of products to people from all over the world. Showcase Ireland is a fantastic way of giving Donegal craft makers and designers like myself a platform on a global scale.”
Find out more about each of the Donegal designers and Creative Coast Donegal here: www.creativecoastdonegal.ie
