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- Sarah Hayden
Sarah
Hayden
Fairyfort
My collection ‘FairyFort’ S/S 2025 explores a fairy fort on my family’s farm where my siblings and I used to play as children. Fairy Forts are a part of Irish landscape, typically found in circular formations in the form of trees, stone and raised ridges of land. According to Irish Folklore, they were seen as protective structures created by fairies and other mythical creatures. The magical history associated with fairy forts fascinated me as a child and so inspired me to create this womenswear collection.
The shapes were inspired by the circularity of the forts, together with the surrounding landscape such as the unique trees that make up the fort and the unusual mushroom fungus growing from them. My design process involved flat patterns, stand work and wadding fabric.
My fabrics are all satin to convey the delicate, feminine attributes associated with fairies. I contrasted this with a floral damask fabric and used piping throughout the collection in reference to the ridges of the ring fort.
To further encapsulate the mood, I was trying to depict of childhood nostalgia, in my collection I used a bright colour scheme of pinks, purples and greens to portray a sense of whimsical, childlike wonder while also tying in with the natural landscape.