Interviews
Bypassing Industry Standards – Sinead O’Dwyer
Jemima Hunter
June 23, 2021
Fashion designer Sinead O’Dwyer is transforming bare bodies into art; outlining every curve and shape of a figure and demonstrating that beauty that comes with being comfortable in your own skin.
The Irish born designer became hooked on fashion when she started to appreciate that being original and memorable in the industry is what counts. ‘I thought fashion looked like a place where you could be ugly and weird – it was like, Ok, maybe I could exist there!’
O’Dwyer had struggled with body dysmorphia since she was young, complusively measuring herself from the age of eleven. Whilst completing a BA in Fashion in the Netherlands, the designer realised the fashion course hadn’t established patterns for all sizes, which triggered O’Dwyer’s ongoing advocacy for body inclusivity. ‘Patterns are basically cut for size eight and then scaled up to size, which is ridiculous.’
Innovator O’Dwyer made the leap to move to New York and began her career with an Alexander Wang internship. She started to appreciate her unique abilities when she realised she was capable of working under pressure in a large well-known establishment. Following some advice from a former girlfriend, O’Dwyer came to the realisation ‘I could have my own job and then make my work as well.’
London based O’Dwyer, finished her MA from The Royal College of Arts in 2018 and started to experiment more with silicon and other materials in order to manipulate the look of skin. ‘I was immediately drawn to the resin room.’ The designer’s technician, Matt, started to help O’Dwyer begin making 3D formations of her silicon work which later became her signature work in the industry.
The same year, she established her own studio, creating work that represented the female form in an honest and eloquent way. The idea took root as a result of her indignation that female bodies are misrepresented in the fashion word. ‘I’ve seen it cause practically every woman I have ever known to view their bodies in a negative way, due to poorly fitting garments.’
Now as the first fashion designer to be represented by a contemporary gallery, flaunting her designs at London Fashion Week and appearing on online and printed platforms, O’Dwyer is changing the previously set unrealistic beauty standards in order to empower women all over the world.
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