Interview: 10 Years of The Tweed Project
A decade ago, from a small studio in Galway City, one of the West’s biggest fashion success stories of recent years emerged. Driven by a desire to produce contemporary pieces using traditional Irish fabrics, designer and stylist Triona Lillis and Ard Bia’s Aoibheann McNamara’s label The Tweed Project has gone on to win awards, celebrity fans and a steady stream of devoted customers.
“We saw a need and desire to design and produce with our beautiful indigenous fabrics,” says Aoibheann. “It was just innate for us and lucky there is the continued appetite for it.”
A decade of Irish craftsmanship: the birth of The Tweed Project
The brand launched in the early summer of 2014 at Inis Oírr’s cool and creative Drop Everything festival, an apt pairing. Since then, their designs have been on everyone from Tommy Tiernan to Macklemore, a sign of their local and global appeal.
They walk the fine line between having a strong sense of place and fitting in anywhere. While the fabrics are traditional (their linen is sourced from Emblem weavers in Wexford, the tweed from Molly & Sons in Donegal and Kerry Woollen Mills) and the tones often reflect the moody hues of the west of Ireland landscape, the aesthetic is contemporary and utilitarian, inspired by Japanese workwear.
Evolving aesthetics: tradition meets contemporary design
From the lush green- and gold-flecked greys of their early work to the bright reds and yellows of their 2022 collection and the ice cream shades of this year’s pieces, the duo has a knack for honing a distinctive and instantly recognisable aesthetic, something repeat customers admire. “They love its evolution, but its staying the same,” says Aoibheann.
Authenticity, integrity, sustainability – and a healthy dose of fun – are constants, as is their commitment to slow and steady design.
Their new collection, Aoibheann says, features soft summer colours like cream and blush pink, as well as delicate lines and gentle silhouettes – “a softness that lacks in the world right now.”
As for what’s next, the duo look set to continue to soak up inspiration from their surroundings. “We are both looking forward to a quiet summer in the Burren, watching the sunsets and sunrises.”
Portrait Cliodhna Prendergast | Photography Doreen Kilfeather