Graffiti-meets-fashion for award-winning designer Ríon Hannora

She began by picking up one of five RDS Craft Awards and scooped the fashion category.

Using part of her €10,000 prize to open a studio at the Om Diva Atelier on Dublin’s Drury Street, the Cork woman wrapped the week up by taking part in the annual Trinity Fashion Society show, alongside established designers including Claire Garvey, Laoise Carey and Magee 1866.

Ríon’s process involved a creative collaboration where graffiti-met-fashion-at-a-party.

Her designs were made up in cotton canvas, which she pinned on a wall at a party and invited the guests to spray paint it.

“There was about 30 metres of unbleached, raw canvas. I put out lots of colours, including neons and fluorescent paints,” she said.

“I liked that I was putting my trust in everyone who was there, and having to stand back and let people go for it was exciting.”

She then used a special industrial machine to sew through the painted fabric.

The graduate of Limerick School of Art and Design said: “I was inspired by garments from the Baroque era.

“I love the excessiveness and volume that women wore around that time, but a lot of the time they were nearly breaking ribs so they could fit into their pieces.

“That goes against every- thing that I do. I take a more feminist approach in my designs, so a lot of my pieces would be 100pc adjustable so they can be adjusted to how you are feeling on that day.”

The annual Trinity Fashion Society show took place at the EPIC Museum in Dublin’s Docklands on Friday night.

Entitled “Transcendence: The EPIC Journey of Fashion”, the event took inspiration from the journey of Irish fashion and the global fusion of ideas, featuring a diverse range of styles and designs from emerging and established Irish designers.

Established in 2009, the society has become the largest fashion grouping in Ireland.

It is one of the largest societies at Trinity College, with a social media following of over 9,000 and monthly online impressions of more than 315,000 on Instagram.

Ryan Byrne, a law student and chairperson of the society, said: “Each year, the Trinity Fashion Society aims to provide a platform for fashion-forward students to express their creativity and talent.

“The annual fashion show is not just a display of clothing, but a celebration of the passion, hard work and dedication of the participating students.

“Through these events, students develop teamwork, organisational skills and confidence, showcasing the vibrant and innovative community at Trinity College Dublin.”

The show’s models were drawn from the college’s student community.

Workshops were given in advance by committee member and second-year global business student Ola Obadina, who is an up-and-coming model signed to the Not Another management model agency.