Steve Barth
Irish designer Roísín Pierce debuted her signature all-white ethereal collection at the American Church in Paris. Pierce drew inspiration from Ireland’s history of female oppression, exploring how women were further controlled when Ireland became a free state in 1922. She incorporated handicrafts executed in light-as-air ensembles to depict the emotions and effect of Sylvia Plath’s Lady Lazarus poem on the designer. The collection entitled ‘Beware, Beware’ is a physical embodiment of the poem and became a revenge poem that references women’s lack of freedom. Pierce and her mother started a two-women crusade to preserve Irish crochet lace, conceived during the Great Famine in the mid-1800s. The result is that the Victorian era applied in a modern way, with comparisons in aesthetics to the work of Cecile Bahnsen, whose collection also explores similar handiwork and fabrics.
Crafts at the Heart of Pierce’s Distinctive Multi-Faceted Designs:
Crafts are at the heart of Pierce’s distinctive multi-faceted designs. Pierce and her mother held intimate classes for a year to teach Irish crochet lace to young practitioners to continue the tradition. Ireland’s history of female oppression had been a significant influence on the collection, making reference to the church community’s subjugated archetypical female roles such as bride and communicant. The muted palette, fabrications, and embroideries became the colour, playing with the 3D aspect of the garments.
Beware, Beware Collection: A Physical Embodiment of the Emotions and Effect of Sylvia Plath’s Lady Lazarus Poem on the Designer:
Roísín Pierce’s fall 2023 collection entitled ‘Beware, Beware’ depicts the emotions and effect Sylvia Plath’s Lady Lazarus poem had on the designer. The reference which is related to women’s lack of freedom made it a physical embodiment of the poem with its feminist undertones. Pierce constructed a lace version of chainmail that became a vest layered over a dress with complex smocking. Crafts have always been acceptable for women’s occupations, so the brand is telling it in this context but also references a feminine background that isn’t acceptable.
The Preservation of Irish Crochet Lace:
Pierce and her mother have started a two-women crusade to preserve Irish crochet lace, which was conceived during the Great Famine in the mid-1800s. They held intimate classes for a year to help continue the tradition. The Victorian era applied to Pierce’s designs in a modern way, with comparisons in aesthetics to the work of Cecile Bahnsen, whose collection also features similar handiwork and fabrics.
Irish Heritage and Women’s Occupation:
Crafts are at the heart of Pierce’s distinctive multi-faceted designs, making reference to the church community’s subjugated archetypical female roles. The collection entitled ‘Beware, Beware’ talks about women’s lack of freedom, recalling how women were oppressed in Ireland when it became a free state in 1922. Irish crochet lace is one of the key features that Pierce and her mother have been trying to preserve, which was conceived during the Great Famine. Crafts have always been acceptable for women’s occupations, so the brand explores these themes in a modern context.
Revenge Poem That References Women’s Lack of Freedom:
Roísín Pierce’s collection was entitled ‘Beware, Beware,’ which depicts the emotions and effect Sylvia Plath’s Lady Lazarus poem had on the designer. The collection became a physical embodiment of the feminist poem with its sustainable fabrications, which happen to play with the 3D aspect of the garments. Pierce constructed a lace version of chainmail that became a vest layered over a dress with complex smocking. The church recalls the theater in which Plath’s Lady Lazarus displays her metamorphosis, sometimes to a jeering audience. Pierce notes that crafts have always been acceptable for women’s occupations, but the brand tells it in this context and also references a feminine background that is not acceptable.
