Dublin Independent Fashion Week was a bright spark in a dark season. The Liberty captured the scene with the help of a young photographer, Daniel Byrne.
Models from Aisling Duffy Studio in the Spring/Summer 2025 Collaboration. Photo: Daniel Byrne
Dublin Independent Fashion Week (DIFW), in mid-November, was an unforgettable event in the city’s vibrant arts and culture scene. Showcasing creative freedom, diversity and local talent, its much-anticipated second year was a worthy successor to last year’s successful debut.
Unlike the commercialised glamour of larger fashion weeks, this has a fresh twist with a focus on providing smaller Ireland-based designers with a platform to show their sustainable practices and give life to their avant-garde designs through the catwalk.
The Liberty hit the scene with Daniel Byrne, aged 24 from Glasnevin, a lover of fashion and the arts. The young creative is a cinematographer and photographer. He snapped some spectacular shots to really capture the beauty and style of DIFW.
“I’ve been working in New York in the fashion industry,” Byrne said. “So coming back and seeing Irish fashion materialising and being seen was really sweet for me to see – because abroad I feel that there are industries for it, but here there’s not.”
Compared to New York and other places, he said Ireland lacks the infrastructure in marketing, reach and appreciation for innovative fashion, so Byrne saw this as an amazing opportunity for raw talent to shine.
Aisling had a ‘Spring/Summer 2025’ event in collaboration with FiveOneSevenEight on Tuesday, November 12th in Fade Street Studios.
An action shot from Fade Street Studios’ event. Photo: Daniel Byrne
The event consisted of three hours of a showroom being open to the public, with attendees being able to browse and shop the ‘Aisling Duffy x Finders Keepers Collaboration’.
This collective showed its sustainability with a limited collection of screen-printed denim jeans and handmade unique bags made from upcycled vintage scarves.
“Dublin Independent Fashion Week is innovative, creative, and extremely necessary,” Byrne said. “Aisling Duffy is talented – she really is inspiring for producing this week long event because we need it for the Dublin fashion scene to blossom.”
“Fashion is so marketable and inspiring for creative people, for the people who really want art.”
Daniel Byrne
Daniel Byrne, pictured at DIFW. Photo Courtesy of Daniel Byrne
You can take a look at Aisling Duffy’s online shop here if you didn’t make it to any of this year’s events.
This year’s lineup for DIFW pushed boundaries with bold, inclusive fashion statements which reflect Ireland’s progressive spirit for the arts.
