Burren inspires textiles student

A SOUTH-East Clare woman will have her work exhibited as part of the National College of Art and Design Degree Show starting on June 9.
Erin McClure, a final-year printed textiles student in the NCAD, won the Arnotts Scarf Design Competition in association with Betafashion.com earlier this year, which saw one of her designs sold in the well-known department store. The silk scarf was inspired by wild gorse flowers and created by combining cloud, sky and floral photography.
“The scarves did very well. The overall win was brilliant. I got huge coverage and the other girls who won were really nice too. It was nice too to feel connected to young Irish designers in textiles,” Erin told The Clare Champion.
For her degree show, which is open to the public from June 9 to 17, the Burren again provided the Killaloe woman’s inspiration.
“I have developed a collection of womenswear fashion fabrics based on the beauty of the Burren. The collection is aimed at the luxurious high-end market so it is made up of mostly silks and velvets. My designs examine the contrast between the sparce, alien-like landscape of the Burren and the unexpected elements of detail that are evident at a closer inspection of the terrain. Rare, exotic flora appear between huge ancient slabs of granite, micro textures of lichen and moss, adding dashes of colour to the expansive areas of grey,” Erin explained.
“This exhibition is a showcase of our work. It has been such a busy course and we have been in college from 9am to 9pm so people often don’t know what we are up to in textiles. I think it is a nice opportunity for people’s family and friends and people interested in our work to come along and see our work, all of the final-year students but especially the work in textiles and fashion,” she added.
With college finished, Erin isn’t sure what the future holds but desperately wants to keep designing. “I am not sure what is next for me. I have applied for a year placement and it would be great if I could get it. It would be a great opportunity but I don’t know yet. I am looking at internships and getting experience but as long as I can keep doing something creative and designing, whether that is in textiles or graphic design, I don’t mind. I am open for anything at this point,” she concluded.