Two Mayo students are among eight finalists in the Persil Irish Fashion Awards 2011 which boasts a €10,000 prize fund.
Mona Atkinson from Balla and Aoife Conroy from Breaffy, both students of the National College of Art and Design, are delighted to have reached the final stages of this prestigious competition.
Persil’s brief to competitors is to design using red machine washable fabric for spring/summer 2011. Students were asked to design something they felt was fashionable and Irish women would like to wear, using a variety of shades of red and textures of fabric.
Acclaimed Irish fashion designer Peter O’Brien and Glenda Gilson from TV3’s Xpose, together with Carmel Breheny, marketing manager for Marks and Spencer Ireland, announced the eight finalists.
Currently in its 12th year, the hotly contested award is the largest fashion design competition in Ireland. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity for young fashion design students hoping to make their mark in today’s competitive market, and with a first prize of €10,000 is a great boost to their budding fashion careers.
The eight students are busy making their outfits for the grand final on TV3’s Xpose during April. The eight final outfits will be showcased in selected Irish Marks and Spencer stores during April and May.
