Concept board by Emma McGilloway using a combination of family photos, garments and crocheted fabric to show the inspiration for her collection.

Emma is a sustainable knitwear designer who works with biomaterials. She enjoys using unconventional materials such as second-hand leather and plastic bags to knit and crochet with.

Her concept is based on her Irish heritage where she has taken inspiration from her grandmother who was passionate about knitting and sewing, and from traditional clothing like Galway shawls and fishermen’s ganseys.

Model wearing Outfit 1 photographed by Ciara Roche. Outfit combination of knitted and crocheted pieces in hot pink and black with long sleeves and a skirt.

The work takes influence from clubbing outfits and combines traditional knitting techniques to create modern, innovative pieces. It combines crochet, hand knitting and machine knitting to make different textures and layers.

Model wearing Outfit 2 photographed by Ciara Roche is a combination of hand and machine knitted pieces. Main dress is black with long sleeves, one sleeve hot pink, layered pieces over the top part of dress in blue and green.
Visual research page containing samples, colourful abstract sketches and old photographs
Toiles, samples and outfit sketches.