Róisín Pierce Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear: O Lovely One, Sculptor of Lace, You Outdid Yourself
In a gilded room at the Irish Embassy in Paris, with the nation’s flag whipping just outside the window, rising fashion star Róisín Pierce presented an achingly romantic collection of nearly all-white, intensely handcrafted lace looks that were some of the most original things to come down a runway this season.
“O lovely one, girl that fell from a star. Sent from celestial worlds of hope.” That’s how the poem began that she wrote with Michelle Freya to accompany the collection, and had printed in the show notes. “Sorrow is the sparrow perched upon her ivory silk and pearl…”
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In words and cloth, the Dublin-based designer mused about the sorrow of conflict, something Ireland knows all too well, and how conflict textiles such as Irene MacWilliam’s Peace Quilt inspire her to try to mend a ruptured world with her cacophonous work and find healing in beauty.
“The collection is about hope, love, the narrative we created about a girl that fell from a star, and the idea she would heal the Earth and the different versions of how she would appear,” said Pierce, who was a finalist for the 2022 LVMH Prize for her exploration of traditional Irish craft.
The looks cast a spell with flower chain bustiers, sculptural smocked skirts and dresses skimming the body; sheer organza tops floating with petals and trailing ribbons; tunics and bloomers collaged with crochet lattices and floral vines, and more marvels. The intensity of craft and the sense of sculpture in the garments was amazing, and this season’s collection also had a subtle subversion and sex appeal.
Lots of customers are seeking the all-white looks for wedding attire, she said. But a Hollywood heads-up: Several looked well suited for the red carpet, namely a floral diamond lace dress covered with wispy sheets of organza, and a side-slit gown with a crochet and floral cup bodice with alluring cutouts.
Pierce introduced color for the first time, on a deep blue sleeveless dress with gorgeous smocked details.
“Color is something I always wanted to do,” she said, noting that she wears all black most of the time, and could see producing the new collection looks in black as well.
Pierce recently joined the brand development division of Dover Street Market, which should jump-start commercial growth.
And she wants people to feel free to wear her handcrafted treasures their own way. To that end, the floral-chain bustier, white shirt and lace-trimmed tie front jacket would look great with jeans. Also new this season? Swinging from the hand, a tiny crochet bud bag, or as she calls it, “a posy holder.” Utterly charming.
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Launch Gallery: Roísín Pierce Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear Collection
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