Ashley McDonnell is passionate about sharing the incredible talent of our country’s designers with the top names in the business
With the Irish Made Awards 2024 preparation in full swing, we here at Irish Country Magazine know only too well the astounding creatives working in Ireland’s fashion industry.
Our work means that we have a front row seat to new and upcoming designers as they enter the style scene and it is a joy and privilege to showcase them in the pages of our publication.
Someone else who is doing all she can to promote Irish designers is Ashley McDonnell, host of Tech Powered Luxury – a chart-topping podcast, renowned for its deep dives into the nexus of luxury, fashion, beauty, and technology.
The production team recently headed to France for an exclusive, invite-only event during Paris Fashion Week at the prestigious Irish Embassy on Avenue Foch, kicking off its most electrifying season yet.
“Live From Paris Fashion Week” celebrated Ireland’s extraordinary contributions to the global luxury landscape, from fashion to beauty, watches to jewellery—all powered by cutting-edge technology.
The evening commenced with a fashion showcase, where guests discovered eight emerging Irish fashion designers – Aoife McNamara, Colin Burke, Tidings, The Landskein, The White Gallery, Roisin Linnane, Ros Duke and Laura Jayne Halton, who also created live fashion illustrations on the night.
Award-winning founders of leading Irish beauty brands Ella & Jo and Seoulista Beauty alongside jewellery designer Chupi Sweetman were present on the night alongside fashion-tech start-up FFACE.ME, who entertained guests with their interactive augmented reality mirror.
The evening proceeded with a live podcast recording led by Ashley featuring an illustrious panel of leading figures from the key pillars of the design industry: fashion journalist Bairbre Power, jeweller Paul Sheeran, sustainable designer Aoife McNamara, Seoulista founder Una McGurk and tech entrepreneur Shana Chu.
The evening closed with an acoustic performance by award-winning Irish group, Picture This, entertaining guests with a mix of their well-known hits as well as classic Irish traditional songs.
Alongside the sensational array of celebrated founders and industry trailblazers, over 200 guests joined on the night to celebrate the Emerald Isle. Those in attendance included: singer-songwriter Lyra, model Thalia Heffernan, journalist Triona McCarthy, founder of Cult Naked Mary Furtas, Irish athletes Andrew Coscoran and Paul Robinson, business owners Nicki Hoyne, Pat Kane and Lauren Duggan, and designer and Gaelic star Paul Galvin to name but a few.
The evening also saw attendance from key players across an array of global luxury brands including Chanel, Vogue, Sephora, L’Oreal, LVMH, Acne Studios, Forbes, TikTok, Tom Ford, Google, Stellar McCartney, Instagram, YSL, Hugo Boss, French Bloom, Jo Malone, Tiffany & Co among many more.
Irish Fashion Week
Not content with bringing attention to Irish designers on an international stage, Ashley also announced the launch of Irish Fashion Week and building Ireland’s answer to the LVMH group: a place for Irish design, creativity and entrepreneurship to be fostered for global growth. The success of the glittering event proved to her that there’s a real demand for this type of event and more than enough talent to go around.
Ireland’s Fashion Week will be different though – it won’t just include fashion brands but also products and have more focus on community and education, featuring talks, exhibitions and individual events.
