After a successful debut last year, Belfast Design Week returns from Saturday 5th – Friday 11th November 2016 to celebrate Belfast’s creative industry with a full programme to suit design enthusiasts from all backgrounds, including fashion.
Taking place on Tuesday 8th November at The MAC, Belfast, the festival’s runway show Designed By. will showcase collections from a range of Northern Irish designers, offering both ready-to-wear and occasion wear.
Sponsored by Cleaver Fulton Rankin Solicitors, the evening has been designed to provide a platform for forward-thinking designers who are balancing aesthetics with functionality and commercial viability. Fitting this bill are clothing brands such as Attune Womenswear with its botanical manufacturing principles, and Tamsin Blackbourn’s sustainable range of ladies wear.
Designed By. is set to be an additional platform for local established and up-and-coming designers to showcase their wares. Recent graduates from the Ulster University, Kyree Forrest and Jeremy Huddleson, and former Belfast Metropolitan student Gordon Donaldson will be representing the next generation of NI designers, while the show’s inclusion of collections from recognised names RUEDI and Marie-Claire Ferguson is testament to the calibre of the homegrown fashion and accessories industry.
Jessica Fok, Belfast Design Week said: “With the state of the current retail market, we’re past the stage of people purchasing clothes for the pretty-factor. Sophistication in consumer purchases means individuals now consider product durability, versatility, and production source before buying. We hope this Designed By. highlights how local designers are adapting to these market changes while presenting the flair of their designs and brand signatures.”
As a start-up voluntary organisation, Belfast Design Week is grateful to sponsor Cleaver Fulton Rankin Solicitors for their support and assistance in spearheading Designed By’s launch and its vision for advocating native apparel designers.
Sarah Burrows, Cleaver Fulton Rankin Solicitors said: “Belfast Design Week is a terrific platform for NI’s creative sector to showcase their skills at both a domestic and an international level. Cleaver Fulton Rankin Solicitors is delighted to be supporting this new event Designed By. and we’re looking forward to seeing collections from some of NI’s finest designers in the spotlight.”
Cleaver Fulton Rankin Solicitors are also getting involved in Belfast Design Week by hosting an event of their own; a Designer Breakfast to discuss intellectual property protection at The Thinking Cup, Belfast, on Friday 11th November.
For tickets and further information on the Designed By. runway show visit www.belfastdesignweek.com.
