Irish designer Colin Burke on working on every piece, focusing on one area and why his grandmother continues to inspire his work
If the Aran sweater is a traditional symbol of Irish craftsmanship, Colin Burke could be the harbinger of change. Unlike some unostentatious options, which often mirror the Irish sensibility for modesty and discretion, there is a dramatic flair to his thick Irish-made knits with their sculptural, hand-crocheted sleeves. They add a frisson of excitement to an often staid category.
The sleeves are hand-crocheted by Burke himself – notwithstanding the growing administrative aspect to the business – in his studio in Knocknacarra in Galway. With no machinery involved, a single piece can take a week or two to complete. “I wouldn’t feel motivated or passionate about it if I wasn’t trying to create something different and pushing the silhouette,” he says.
Burke’s breakout, like many Irish designers before him, came from consecutive stints during Brown Thomas’s Create initiative that spotlights ascendant homegrown talent. Since, his work caught the eye of the sedulous Nikki Creedon at, who Burke says has been his biggest champion to date. Through her, his work has reached new heights, connecting with an audience who shop Junya Watanabe and Rick Owens, along with fellow Irish designer Simone Rocha.
Burke is adapting, albeit slowly. He was encouraged by Creedon at Havana to pursue something lighter for the summer season, offering pieces in cotton cashmere instead of thick yarns. For private clients, he’s worked on tweed coats and even added feathers to his namesake jumpers. One wonders how he could translate this to future collections. But Burke is a perfectionist: his affinity for architecture and its necessity of precision and function is present in his sculptural designs.
“My granny was from Enniscrone, Co Sligo. She was a fashion buyer for a store in town. As kids we would be sent to different boutiques in town to collect things for her to try on. She loved fashion. She would wear suits out and about and she loved to accessorise with big brooches.
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