Dingle woman's passion for fashion

A passion for fashion
Dingle student shortlisted for major fashion award

A young Dingle woman is set to take the Irish fashion world this season as one of her designs has been shortlisted as one of the top eight in the country which have been selected to compete in the prestigious Persil Fashion Awards which will be showcased on a special edition of the Late Late Show this April.
Karen Clarke (23) from Lady's Cross, Dingle is a fourth year student at renowned fashion institute the Limerick School of Art and Design. She has been named as one of the top eight fashion students in Ireland, selected from over 200 students who entered the competition hailing from fashion colleges all over Ireland. The eight top designs will be on display in Dunnes Stores outlets throughout the country and the winning outfit will be manufactured and distributed in their shops nationwide. The winner will also receive a prize of €10,000. Of the eight finalists that will compete in this year's award, five were selected from Karen's class in the Limerick fashion college.
"My house-mate Michelle Wilson from Clonakility has also been selected, we are over the moon to be competing together" enthused Karen.
"We have been working towards these awards since day one in first year and for five of us from the same class to be competing together on the Late Late show is fantastic!"
The Persil Fashion Awards will be televised live on the Late Late Show this April where the young designers showcase their outfits on the catwalk.
The brief for this year's awards was to create size 12 woman's outfit for the spring/summer season inspired by fashion trends of the 1980s. Karen, a past pupil of Scoil Naisiúnta Ceann Trá and Meánscoil na Toirbhirte Dingle, is currently busy at work on her garment in Limerick. "The theme for my garment can be described as Madonna meets Strawberry Shortcake! explained Karen.
Bucking the size zero trend, Karen is also happy that the garment is to be made to fit a size 12 , making it accessible to more women.
The panel of judges that will select the winning design include Irish fashion designer Joanne Hynes and Dunnes Stores head of fashion Dermot Colgan.
Top Irish designer Paul Costello is also involved in the project, having launched the Persil Fashion Awards earlier in the year.
The judges are are looking for individuality and an understanding of today's fabrics and current fabric development in relation to machine washing. Designs will also be accessed on workmanship, design skills and potential to develop a career in fashion.