This collection celebrates my grandmother Mary McPhail, who was a professional mezzo soprano in the Theatre Royal, Dublin. The broad silhouette, ornament and structural detail of this collection are worked up from her neat, orderly 1930’s/1940’s style as a tailor turned singer. Her collars, neck ties and lace trims have been transformed from details of costumes into the silhouette of garments. The collection modernises these sources through scale and fabrication techniques creating a young, feminine aesthetic. Transformability, like changing career, is a key element of the collection including multifunctional garments that can be worn in several different ways.
