Grand designs - the Irish designers making their mark internationally now

From Jonathan Anderson taking over as the Creative Director at Dior to Heneghan Peng’s design for the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, it is an amazing time for Irish design talent.

Irish designers are increasingly making an impact internationally across disciplines including fashion, ceramics, architecture, interiors and knitwear. They all possess a unique vision that can travel globally while remaining deeply rooted in their Irish origins.

Heneghan Peng

GEM Grand Staircase. Pic: Grand Egyptian Museum

Heneghan Peng architects is a design partnership practising architecture, landscape and urban design which was founded by Shih-Fu Peng and Róisín Heneghan in New York in 1999 and relocated to Dublin in 2001.

The duo take a multi-disciplinary approach to design and have collaborated with leading designers and engineers on projects including large-scale urban infrastructures and buildings.

Their dramatic design for the Grand Egyptian Museum at the Pyramids, was secured after winning an international architectural competition and took two decades to complete.

The striking structure, is described as serving ‘as a bridge between the past and present, blending the grandeur of ancient Egyptian civilisation with cutting-edge museum technology’. Other projects have included the Giant’s Causeway Visitors’ Centre. See hparc.com.

Róisín Pierce

Pierce uses exquisite needlecraft across design disciplines, bridging fashion, art, and sculpture, with a focus on romantic forms.

Her intricate 3D creations in ethereal white using crochet, smocking and lace stitches are stocked in Dover Street Market stores in the major fashion capitals, and 10 Corso Como, Milan. She was a finalist for the 2022 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers and received the Chanel Prix des Métiers d’Art’s inaugural award in 2019.

She has partnered with artisans and brands including French accessories house Polène, milliner Stephen Jones, historic hat house Maison Michel, and several Chanel Métiers d’Art houses. Committed to artisan skills fused with modern design, Pierce’s unique vision and amazing technical skills distinguish her as a major design talent. See roisinpierce.com.

Nuala O'Donovan

Pic: Nuala O'Donovan/Instagram

O'Donovan's sculptural ceramic work is based on patterns and geometric forms from nature with titles like Teasel, Coral and Radiolaria.

Her porcelain pieces are highly intricate, with an organic ethereal delicacy due to their form and her all-white palette. Her work has been exhibited and collected in China, Taiwan, India, the US, Canada, Abu Dhabi, the UK and Europe, and been bought by royal families, designers and artists in the music industry.

She has won a number of major awards including the Golden Fleece Award and the Centre Culturel Irlandais Residency in Paris. Her work is in the National Art Collection of Ireland, the National Irish Museum Collection and the National Museum of Northern Ireland, Belfast. In 2022 she showed at fashion designer Roksanda’s Showroom in Mayfair, creating pieces as a response to the designer’s clothing collection. See nualaodonovanartist.com.

Jonathan Anderson

Anderson is the first creative director at Dior in 70 years to oversee menswear, womenswear and haute couture. In 2025 he debuted his vision for Dior to widespread critical acclaim from the international fashion press.

 Fashion designer Jonathan Anderso Pic: Getty Images
He referenced his Irish roots in both shows including Kelly green and Donegal tweed, which highlighted the Irish textile's campaign to seek protective status. He has received many accolades: in 2015 he won both the Best Menswear Brand and Womenswear Brand of the Year at the British Fashion Awards, and in 2024 won the overall Designer of the Year.

Anderson's elevation to one of the most coveted roles in fashion will keep him busy but he is maintaining his own brand, JW Anderson. His affinity for traditional crafts may raise the profile of Irish artisan skills, as he recently teased a Made in Dublin label on one of his knits. See dior.com and jwanderson.com.

Colin Burke

The Aran handknit has had a remarkable renaissance since 2017 when it featured in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, with iconic fashion pieces such as the Hermès Birkin bag. Galway man Colin Burke is also responsible for the Aran's elevation as a coveted fashion garment as he has been re-imagining it as a contemporary luxury piece for several years.

His knits feature flamboyant balloon sleeves with a sculptural silhouette which have become his design hallmark. In his hands the Aran is directional and cool rather than traditional and conservative.

He is worn by celebrities including actors Kelly Rutherford and Roma Downey, and Glamour editor-in-chief Samantha Barry. He has also appeared in the Financial Times while Trinny Woodall has called one of his knits 'a piece of bloody art'. By reinventing a traditional piece with a unique eye, he has elevated the humble homespun into contemporary haute couture. See colinburke.ie.

Simone Rocha

Simone, the daughter of John Rocha, typically blends craft techniques (lace, crochet and handknits) with tailoring and evening wear which display her interest in exploring dramatic volume and architectural silhouettes. Favourite motifs include ribbons, pearls, red flowers and cocoon shapes.

She has collaborated with brands including J Brand, Moncler and H&M, and was guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier during Haute Couture Week in January 2024. Since her debut in 2010, Rocha has enjoyed accolades including the Harper's Bazaar Designer of Year Award (2016) as well as Fashion Awards for Emerging Talent: Ready-toWear (2013), The New Establishment Award (2014) and British Womenswear Designer Award (2016). She also received the Fashion Award for Independent British Brand in 2021 and the British Womenswear Designer of the Year in 2024.

This year marks her 15th year at the helm of her successful brand, and she continues to thrive. See simonerocha.com.

Niamh Barry

With her unique vision and innovative approach, Barry has become one of the most sought-after figures in the art and design world. She founded Niamh Barry Studio in 2001 and makes highly crafted light sculptures, installations, and sculptural furniture.

A pioneering artist, who excels in use of LED lighting she is also a master of bronze engineering, who creates three-dimensional pieces that are visually striking and evocative. In 2022 she was overall winner in the Créateurs Design awards and in 2023 won Best Product Design for her Shouldering Table, made from handcrafted bronze, inspired by the action of fishermen carrying a currach on their shoulders.

Her work has been featured in publications such as the Financial Times, Architectural Digest, and Galerie Magazine and is included in public and private collections around the world. See niamhbarry.com.

Joe Hogan

 Artistic Baskets. Pic: Joehoganbaskets.com

Joe Hogan has been hand-making baskets since 1978 in the natural willows grown at Loch na Fooey, Co. Galway. Recently he has been involved in project to document the making of the indigenous baskets of Ireland, funded by the Heritage Council of Ireland.

The baskets recorded have included creels, willow lobster pots and skibs, a traditional sciathog/potato basket and a heather lobster pot.

In 2018 he was commissioned by Spanish fashion house Loewe to make several pieces for its S/S 2019 fashion show Paris when Jonathan Anderson was their designer.

The commission consisted of six woven extra-large pods and 20 smaller ones, with an organic sculptural design. Hogan received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael Higgins in 2021. He has dedicated his life traditional craft techniques while continually innovating and educating generations of basket weavers. See joehoganbaskets.com.

* This article was originally published on Evoke.ie.