A local sustainable fashion designer continues to stitch her way to success with her latest project: a wearable glass outfit that aims to make a statement both physically and metaphorically.
Aoife Harvey, 25, founder of AH Design’s has collaborated with Dublin glass artist, Madeleine Hellier to create a piece that highlights gender inequality in society.
As part of an initiative led by The Council of Irish Fashion Designers and The Glass Society of Ireland, the pair have partnered for ‘Glass Runway,’ a Belfast-based exhibition aimed at ‘encouraging dialogue on inequality, diversity, and inclusion’.
Within the exclusive collaboration, the designers crafted ‘The Corsuit’ – a unique creation blending elements of a traditionally feminine corset with those of a suit typically associated with masculinity.
Discussing the process behind the design, the Claudy creative explained how the piece “serves as a visual representation of the historical and contemporary aspects of gender differences and similarities”.
“In this project, Madeleine and I designed an outfit that conveys a powerful message through the combination of a corset worn over a suit. This design reflects the historical and contemporary aspects of gender differences.
“The corset, historically associated with women, symbolises the constraints and rigid gender norms imposed on them. Its constrictive nature metaphorically represents societal pressures and expectations, especially regarding beauty standards and traditional roles.
“In contrast, the suit, a symbol of professionalism and authority traditionally associated with men, highlights the differences in social expectations and opportunities based on gender. The amalgamation of the corset and suit aims to provoke contemplation on these limitations and expectations, fostering a visual dialogue on gender inequality,” Aoife explained.
With a focus on environmental responsibility, AH Design embraces the mantra “stylish yet eco-conscious.” This ethos is reflected in the project which is crafted from “upcycled materials that would otherwise end up in landfill.”
“As a sustainable fashion designer, I create clothing from reclaimed and vintage fabrics that I source from various places—charity shops, vintage shops, eBay, and Vinted. I find the most beautiful fabrics everywhere, and my aim is always to transform something seen as unusable into something beautiful and wearable. I like to call it “stylish but eco-conscious.”
“The fabric for both the suit and corset have been salvaged and upcycled using discarded upholstery, denim, and leather, otherwise destined for landfill”.
She added: “Being part of this collaboration with Madeleine is exciting—it shows what is possible when two creatives come together. Despite only meeting once and doing the rest online, we managed to make it work beautifully through great communication and creativity.
Working with glass for over two decades but having never worked in fashion prior, glass artist Madeleine Hellier described the precise decision-making process for selecting the most suitable glass for this project.
“Following discussion with Aoife, a lot of thought went into sourcing the right glass for the project. Safety was the first concern – the item had to be durable and wearable, and we also knew we wanted an array of colours to bring our design to life. I opted to work with pre-formed glass elements which come in an array of shapes, sizes, and colours and all have these beautiful fluid edges.
“The glass on the ‘Corsuit’ is 98% recycled glass with 2% oxides to add colour. We are happy that we ticked the sustainability box without compromising the beauty of the materials we would use”.
“I would be sustainable in my own practice anyway – so all the left-over scraps from my studio or the monthly workshops I host, are passed to a local mosaic artist to be repurposed as new craft,” Madeleine stated.
The Dublin artist also explained how the pair’s partnership ‘has been a dream from day one’.
“We really wanted the work to be truly beautiful aesthetically but also to bring a sense of joy and celebration. It was also important that the work felt and looked collaborative, and we achieved this. Neither of us could have made this work alone but it is more than the sum of its parts – working with Aoife was an absolute dream partnership from day one,” Madeleine said.
Discussing her fashion career so far, Aoife attributes much of her inspiration to her Derry roots and the support she receives at a local level. The clothing designer also encouraged those interested in the industry to get involved in local initiatives as ‘there are so many great resources on our doorstep’.
“Coming from a small community like Claudy everyone is incredibly supportive and encouraging. It’s amazing to represent the talent that we have here in fashion design and textiles, which has deep roots in the shirt factories of Derry,” she said.
“There are many local resources and opportunities for those looking to enter the fashion industry. The Belfast School of Art’s art shop is fantastic—they run events and late-night art sessions frequently. Being part of the Council of Irish Fashion Designers has been incredible and led to opportunities like this collaboration. I also highly recommend Northwest Regional College, where I studied for three years in art and design. It provided me with a solid foundation for my fashion design career.”
The Corsuit will debut at the ‘Glass Runway’ fashion show on June 4 at The MAC theatre in Belfast, featuring special guest fashion designer Sara O’Neil. Free tickets are available here. The project and other Irish creations can be viewed at Craft NI, Belfast, from June 6 to July 25.
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