World said ‘Yes’ to the Dress!

Carrickmacross Lace is already world renowned, but earlier this month, it was introduced to a new generation of fashionistas when a stunning, hand-crafted gown was modelled during Paris Haute Couture Week. And next month, it’s set to feature in Vogue magazine!

American supermodel Kristen McMenamy modelled the dress to bring designer Michael Stewart’s show in the Irish Embassy on July 6 to a spectacular close.

The Clare-born designer, whose London-based label Standing Ground was invited to present on the opening day of the prestigious event, commissioned what is believed to be the first full Carrickmacross Lace couture dress of its kind. More than 4,000 hours of needlework went into the project, with lace artists working in secret for months before the gown was revealed on the Parisian runway.

At the heart of the project was designer Natalie B. Coleman, who co-ordinated the collaboration between Stewart’s London studio and the lace makers, some affiliated to the Carrickmacross Lace Co-op and some working independently.

“He commissioned a full Carrickmacross Lace dress, and it closed the show. It’s absolutely stunning. There were 26 hands on it, but most of the work was performed by 10 women,” the south Monaghan based designer said.

Dress makers

The artisans who carried out the majority of the work were Theresa Kelly, Martha Hughes, Sarah Hughes, Bríd Deery, Ann McMahon, Áine Hanrahan, Geraldine O’Reilly, Breda Woods-Cassidy, Elizabeth Daly and Mary McMahon.

“Michael came over and met the women, then he made the pattern and drew all of the motifs by hand. The lace artists worked individually but, in the last week, they all worked together in Martha Hughes’ house. It took over 4,000 hours to complete the needlework. They were all sworn to secrecy. They worked incredibly hard on it,” Ms Coleman, the project coordinator, praised the team’s efforts.

It was Ms Coleman, herself an internationally renowned fashion designer, who first introduced her friend Michael Stewart to Carrickmacross Lace.

“He first found out about the lace when I showed at London Fashion Week in 2019. When he thought about showing at couture week, he asked if I would help support it. Because I’m back living in Carrick and I’ve worked with some of the lacemakers in the past, I was the liaison between the artisans in Co Monaghan and the studio in London,” she explained of the origins of the project.

Prestigious

For Natalie, the significance of the achievement cannot be overstated: “It’s very prestigious. It’s the highest you can go to show anything. For Carrickmacross Lace to be seen at that level internationally is huge. It’s really big for the future of Carrickmacross Lace, Ireland’s only couture technique. Now it’s seen as an art form, not a hobby, the highest level of craftsmanship.”

The dress was funded by the Design and Craft Council Ireland and is not for sale, forming part of the designer’s personal archive: “It belongs to Michael. We’re hoping that the dress will come back to Ireland in November to launch Irish Design Week at Collins Barracks, the National Museum of Ireland.”

Ms Coleman, who has championed the craft for years, said the project was about demonstrating the relevance of traditional skills to contemporary fashion: “I think it’s important to express how modern handcraft can be. That’s what was so special about the dress. It was enriching all the heritage and craft skills in Ireland but bringing them to a stage that they deserve to be seen on. It has actually never been done, a full dress like this. It’s very special.

“I’m really passionate about Carrickmacross Lace because I’m from the area. It was just such an opportunity for people to see the lace, craft and skill that has come out of Carrickmacross.”

Origins of Carrick Lace

Carrickmacross Lace, based on an Italian technique was brought to the town by Mrs Margaret Grey Porter, an Irish philanthropist and reverend’s wife, in the early 1820s. In the 1840s both the Bath and Shirley Estates established lace schools in the late 1840s as a Famine relief measure. The Sisters of St Louis who resided in the town opened their lace department in the convent in 1888 and they carried on the tradition until 1984 when Carrickmacross Lace Co-op was founded.

Elizabeth Daly, Chairperson of Carrickmacross Lace Gallery, also known as the Co-op, contributed approximately 200 hours of work on blackberry motifs and believes the project has transformed awareness of the craft.

“We always talked about it and wondered, would something big ever happen? Then when it did, you didn’t know whether to believe it or not because it’s so unreal.”

She said the international attention had already generated renewed interest and enquiries: “Carrickmacross Lace is really back on the map now because everybody’s talking about it.”

Reflecting on the skill involved, she added: “It is a gift. If it was a recipe, the ingredients were time and patience.”

The project has attracted support well beyond the lace-making community.

Minister of State Niamh Smyth described seeing Carrickmacross Lace on the Paris catwalk as a proud moment. The Design and Craft Council Ireland, which funded the dress, falls under the remit of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.

“To see something as old, treasured and precious as Carrickmacross Lace designed in this way and to make it to the catwalk in Paris, it just breathes new life into the treasured skill. I just couldn’t be prouder.”

She is working with the Design and Craft Council to bring the gown home: “We are going to work towards putting it on permanent display in Dublin.”

Special documentary

Pamela Kerr, Head of Enterprise with Monaghan County Council, revealed that a special feature film on the project has the potential to create lasting benefits for the county.

The film documents the making of the dress, tells the stories of some of the lacemakers too, against the backdrop of the drumlins, and follows the gown all the way to Paris.

“Monaghan County Council was delighted to help support the production of this documentary on Carrickmacross Lace, one of Ireland’s most recognised heritage crafts and a unique part of County Monaghan’s cultural identity.

“We believe this documentary has the potential to be a catalyst for renewed interest in the craft, raising awareness of its remarkable history, its global significance and the extraordinary skills of the lace makers who continue to preserve this tradition today.”

Ms Coleman thanked the Carrickmacross Lace Co-Op, Monaghan LEO and the Design and Craft Council of Ireland for their support of the project.

“It’s a really beautiful legacy. It hasn’t been done before. We hope to launch it in September, have a special screening back here in Carrickmacross, show it at the National Museum of Ireland during the exhibition and film festivals.”

Appeal

However, before that happens, the designer made this appeal: “We are looking for urgent funding to finish postproduction and we are short approximately €15,000. So, we would really appreciate any contribution at all.”

Corporate and private donations would be most welcome. Email enquiries can be sent to: info@carrickmacrosslace.ie

For the women who spent months sewing, cutting, embroidering and assembling the gown, there was a sense of achievement and pride in seeing their work on to the most prestigious runway in fashion, ensuring a centuries-old tradition was seen, admired and celebrated on a global stage.

Vogue, the international fashion magazine will feature the story of the dress from conception to completion in its September issue, which will hit the shelves on August 18. It’s sure to be a sellout in Carrickmacross!