Alexa Chung wore an Irish designer on the red carpet at last week’s Met Gala, dazzling in a one-of-a-kind white lace gown.
Karl Lagerfeld was the designer that gave Róisín Pierce her first inspiration, and the man who made her want to work in fashion. The designer dressed Chung in a stunning gown for the event, which was inspired by Lagerfeld’s work with Chanel.
For Róisín Pierce, Chanel was a brand she aspired to. The different fabrics, textures, and creations, designs Lagerfeld made for Chanel were revolutionary in the fashion industry.
Róisín was contacted by Alexa directly for the biggest fashion event of the year after her designs caught the model’s eye. The two started messaging back and forth on Instagram. Alexa had seen Róisín’s work on Vogue Runaway and instantly knew it was what she wanted for the first Monday in May.
Róisín works like no other designers do, she doesn’t sketch her designs but rather experiments with embroidery, crochet, and cotton lace to create her looks.
The two met in London where Róisín showed off her collection and Alexa was blown away, opting for the Two For Joy collection for the Met.
Róisín told Vogue: “The top is made up of multiples of satin crepe squares, patchworked together with overlaid delicate daisy-stitched organza. The squares are manipulated and pulled to create a highly textured centred flower throughout the piece.”
The designer continued, “We appliquéd these larger organic smocked flowers that were joined together with bows that float on top, forming a collage of pretty details. The skirt is made up of strips of a delicate star-flower embroidery set on a gauzy organza that floats. High-shine satin crepe strips are [also] smocked to form these little swirling petals that hug the waist and legs.”
The collection consists of a lot of white tones which reference the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland. Giving a nod to Lagerfeld’s haute couture bride, Róisín used this to take a look at the unmarried mothers in this country in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.
As Lagerfeld loved two-tone mixes in his designs, Alexa paired the white gown with a pair of black Jimmy Choo court shoes from the brand’s autumn/winter 2023 collection.
Róisín, primarily a womenswear designer, incorporates innovative and artisanal techniques and aims to symbolise Irish women’s history through her designs.
According to her own site, she focuses on creating work with zero waste cutting, producing the products through “deadstock, material recycling and subsequently cultivating new surface textural opportunity through her core sustainable practice.”
