Ireland Fashion Week opened at Slane Castle on Wednesday (7th) night last week for the second consecutive year, with Irish designers and creatives joined by international fashion figures for a ceremony celebrating the country’s fashion industry.
Model Coco Rocha and designer Alana Hadid were among the guests at the Co Meath venue, where the event brought together people working across fashion, food, music and the arts.
Held in partnership with M&S Ireland, the opening marked the second year of the retailer’s involvement.
This year’s theme, “Coming Home: An Island In Motion”, focuses on the relationship between Ireland’s creative talent abroad and the development of its fashion industry at home.
Founder Ashley McDonnell (pictured above) said the choice of venue reflected a desire to place Irish history and culture at the centre of the celebrations, while welcoming international figures to the country.
“It’s an honor to partner with M&S to open Ireland Fashion Week 2026 at Slane Castle,” she said.
“Opening a new fashion season with friends of Fashion Week and M&S for our second year together has become a tradition, following our 2025 opening dinner at the Irish Georgian Society.”
She said the locations had been “chosen with care to reflect the richness of Irish history, culture, and architecture”.
The evening also highlighted the contributions of Irish creatives working beyond the runway, with chef Mark Moriarty overseeing the food, Corina Gaffey leading the fashion styling and artist Rachelle Cunningham producing original illustrations.
Moriarty, who directed the food for last year’s opening dinner, returned to lead the culinary offering, with Irish food again central to the event.
Cunningham created artwork and stationery depicting the M&S autumn and winter collection against the backdrop of Slane Castle, bringing together the retailer’s clothing and the setting for the ceremony.
Other guests included Jamie Lee O’Donnell, Ivana Mili?evi?, Lina Hadid, Lauren Whelan, Khaki Kid, Max Hart, Laura Pitcher, Maureen Moores, The Fashion Roadmen and Bairbre Power.
The ceremony also formed part of M&S’s celebration of a century in fashion. Organisers highlighted the retailer’s role in the careers of Irish fashion professionals who have worked both at home and internationally, including in London.
McDonnell said the partnership extended to practical support for those involved in staging the week’s shows, with M&S providing food for designers, models, artists, stylists and backstage teams.
“Our partnership with M&S goes beyond the Opening Ceremony and even beyond the runway itself,” she said.
She said the retailer was helping ensure that the hundreds of people working across the shows were “well taken care of” during one of the busiest periods in Ireland’s fashion calendar.
The gathering at Slane placed established international guests alongside Irish creative talent, reflecting the wider ambition behind this year’s theme.
For the organisers, the opening was an opportunity to recognise the designers and the teams supporting their work, while drawing attention to Ireland’s contribution to fashion overseas and its capacity to develop the industry at home.