Stars of Irish film, music, fashion and sport gathered at the 3Arena’s Studio last week to launch a national celebration of the Irish fashion industry.
Ireland Fashion Week, powered by Visa, has unveiled its stunning 2026 campaign, Coming Home: An Island in Motion, bringing together eight leading figures from Irish film, music, fashion, sport and culture against the extraordinary Atlantic landscape of Roundstone, Connemara.
The campaign launched on Thursday (18th) with a large-scale projection of the Ireland Fashion Week 2026 hero image onto the Convention Centre, followed by a city-wide OOH initiative across 85 Dublin locations.
Photographed by internationally acclaimed Irish photographer Damian Foxe, the creative project launches the countdown to Ireland Fashion Week, which returns from 7–12 October 2026 with eight shows, more than 90 designers and a programme spanning established names, emerging talent, graduates and the wider Irish creative community.
The launch featured actor Jamie-Lee O’Donnell; racing driver Max Hart; Irish fashion icon Celia Holman Lee; Ireland Fashion Week Model of the Year Marwa Noelle Ali; musicians Travy and Abdu Huss, known as KhakiKid; digital creator Lauren Whelan; and actor and model Ivana Milicevic.
Together, the cast reflects the many different ways Ireland is experienced today. Their stories cross generations, countries and cultures, but each is connected by an understanding of home and by a role in shaping contemporary Irish life.
Ashley McDonnell, Founder of Ireland Fashion Week, who played a pivotal role in casting and producing the campaign, said: “Coming Home: An Island in Motion is a celebration of Irish creativity in all its forms. We have brought together an extraordinary cast spanning fashion, film, music, sport and culture, dressed in Irish design and photographed against the breathtaking landscape of Roundstone.”
“We wanted this to feel both familiar and unexpected. To capture the Ireland we know and love while showing the confidence, diversity and creative energy shaping the country today.
“Each person involved brings their own story and interpretation of home, but together they represent an Ireland that is proud of its roots and excited about its future.
She added: “Ireland Fashion Week is ultimately about celebrating the remarkable talent we have here and giving people across the country the opportunity to discover, support and take pride in Irish fashion.”
For the shoot, the streets, shoreline and working harbour of Roundstone were transformed into a striking fashion landscape.
Traditional boat workshops, weathered buildings and the dramatic Connemara coastline provide the setting for imagery that feels at once familiar and unexpected, pairing the raw character of the west of Ireland with the polish and ambition of an international fashion editorial.
Speaking about her involvement in the project and Ireland Fashion Week 2026, actor Jamie-Lee O’Donnell (pictured below) said: “Fashion has always been a brilliant form of self-expression for me.
Photograph: Damian Foxe.
“It can say so much about who you are, where you come from and how you want to present yourself to the world.
“Ireland is full of fearless, imaginative creatives who deserve to be seen on an international stage.
She added: “Being part of this campaign feels incredibly special.
“The landscape in Connemara is unmistakably Irish, but the fashion and creative direction show a country that is constantly evolving and redefining itself. I’m genuinely proud to help launch it.”
This year, the Ireland Fashion Week City Hall show will spotlight the internationally respected Irish designer Sinéad O’Dwyer, whose progressive approach to inclusivity, representation and innovative pattern-cutting is redefining contemporary luxury.
Ireland Fashion Week ‘Coming Home’ 2026 campaign. Marwa Noelle Ali wears Dress and Hood – Jack Shanahan. Photograph: Damian Foxe.
A recipient of the Zalando Visionary Award and British Fashion Council NEWGEN support, she was also a semi-finalist for the 2025 LVMH Prize.
Two of her designs are currently held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
The six-day programme will also feature Brother Wolf by Pádraig Whelehan, Mná by Sarah Plunkett Chadwick, Aoife McNamara, Sasha Donnellan, Bold Golf and RASHHIIID.
The opening Irish Roots show at St Helen’s will showcase established and emerging Irish labels, while Damhsa, the graduate show, will bring more than 40 designers to the RDS.
The Irish Edit showroom at 1 Windmill Quarter will present a further 30 designers.
More than 20 international publications, leading creatives, journalists and models are expected to attend this year, alongside international model Coco Rocha.
Rocha was discovered at 14 while competing at an Irish dance feis and has since walked for fashion houses including Dior, Chanel and Jean Paul Gaultier.
Created by Artistic Director David Allen, the IFW 2026 campaign Coming Home is built around community, contrast and celebration.
The people and working culture of Roundstone are woven throughout the story, while the cast represents an Ireland that values its heritage without standing still.
The photographer for the campaign, Foxe, who was born in Dublin and is based in London, has created work for international editions of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Vanity Fair and previously served as Fashion Director of the Financial Times’ HTSI.
Stylist Brian Conway selected looks from designers taking part in Ireland Fashion Week 2026, including Paul Costelloe, Sasha Donnellan, Triona, Magee 1866, Louis Copeland, Jack Murphy and Alacoque Daly, among others.
Hair was created by the Dylan Bradshaw team using L’Oréal Professionnel, with makeup led by Lan Nguyen-Grealis using SOSU Cosmetics.
Visa returns as title sponsor for 2026, supporting Irish designers and creative entrepreneurs as they build their businesses, embrace digital commerce and reach new audiences.
Ireland Fashion Week also has the support of Tourism Ireland and Dublin City Council, whose backing will play an important role in this year’s programme.