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Ireland Fashion Week will take over Dublin for a second year running from October 7 to 12 2026. The event is expanding significantly from its 2025 debut with 75 designers across eight shows and showcases.
The scale-up from 55 designers and seven shows last year reflects surging demand within Ireland’s design community, said founder Ashley McDonnell. She has previously held leadership roles at LVMH, Dior, Google, and Puig. McDonnell felt that “Irish designers had the vision, but not the visibility;” that’s how IFW came to be.
The event remains free for participating designers, with organisers covering 100 per cent of production costs for graduates and up to 80 per cent for more established names. This includes venue hire, models, hair, makeup, photography, staffing, lighting, and press.
According to backers, the initiative has channelled roughly €7 million in industry support toward the country’s fashion ecosystem since launching, alongside brand bootcamps run with national and international experts.
“The Irish Edit” is a new addition this year, transforming the traditional runway into an immersive showroom experience. It invites both fashion and accessory designers to remain immersed in their showcase throughout the presentation and to create relationships with press, buyers, and attendees. Jewellery, bags, hats, and footwear will have their own dedicated space in the show, beyond just being accessories for the clothing line. The Irish Edit lineup includes several jewellery and accessories names, such as Rodanthe Jewels, Maya and Mason Fine Jewellery, and Sunday Finest Jewellery.
Derry designers Aoife Harvey and Bray Zhang will be featured in the Irish Edit after completing the event’s industry bootcamp. Harvey, winner of the BBC TV series ‘A Stitch Through Time,’ is known for her sustainable, upcycled pieces and intricate craftsmanship.
Zhang, a Donegal-trained designer with a Paris internship under Gaurav Gupta, takes traditional silhouettes and gives them a modern twist for his womenswear and menswear designs. Under his eponymous label BRAY ZHANG, he redefines ‘quiet luxury’ by a unique blending of cultures and gender-fluid tailoring. Traditional Donegal tweed with Chinese silk? What’s not to love?
The organisers hope to give a proving ground to new and often self-funded designers and accessory brands, widening access beyond established fashion houses. With international attention and global buyers at the doorstep, Ireland Fashion Week is a premier platform for established and emerging designers.
The 2026 lineup spans established names and award honourees like RASHHIIID and Sasha Donnellan Studio, alongside a wave of emerging graduate talents participating in the 2026 Graduate Runway Show, themed “Damhsa.”
Ahead of the shows, Ireland Fashion Week has unveiled its 2026 campaign with Derry Girls star Jamie-Lee O’Donnell. She attended the inaugural 2025 event and has since become one of the initiative’s more visible champions.
“If I’m honest, I’m not sure I play a specific role within the Irish fashion industry other than a supporter and champion of it as a whole.” She commented that the industry’s next five years must include historic venues and creators from diverse backgrounds and locations.
O’Donnell also spoke about the relationship between costume and character in her acting work, saying she treats wardrobe as inseparable from her performance.
SOSU Cosmetics will be the Official Makeup Partner and Dripping Gold will be the Official Body and Skin Finish Partner. Founded by Irish entrepreneur Suzanne Jackson, beyond the event itself, the partnership will include “Brand Bootcamp” and “Supper Series” touchpoints throughout the year.
The expanded 2026 fashion show follows a well-received debut. Held 6 to 10 October, 2025, the inaugural Ireland Fashion Week drew more than 2,000 attendees. The shows celebrated designers including Aoife McNamara and generated an estimated €1 million in production value and support.
That moment carried into March 2026 when Ireland Fashion Week held its first-ever Awards dinner celebrating Emerging Designer of the Year and Outstanding Contribution, among other categories. Paul Costelloe was posthumously honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award, received by his son William Costelloe. The star-studded guest list included model Rosanna Davison, Laura Whitmore, and Jamie-Lee O’Donnell.
Dublin’s fashion calendar this year also includes Dublin Independent Fashion Week (DIFW), a designer-led platform running from 10 to 16 September 2026. Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson will stage Dior’s first-ever runway show at the historic Old Library, Trinity College Dublin. He will be presenting his Fall/Winter 2027 Collection on 4 December 2026. With back-to-back shows, Dublin seems to be the fashion hub of the island this year.
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