Sinéad O’Dwyer explores freedom in Copenhagen for SS25
Text by Alexandra Pozdarie
Sinéad O’Dwyer’s Copenhagen debut celebrates diversity in all its forms, and proves once again that inclusivity is not just a buzzword for the Irish designer and recipient of the Zalando Visionary Award 2024.
As the first model made their way along the runway, a poem echoed through the park: “The white of crisp paper, Or a sail,” read the first line, seamlessly mirroring the white cutout mini dress that opened the show. It was just the first of many moments that signalled the brand’s continuing partnership with Hair and Care Foundation, designed to offer an inclusive runway experience for blind and low-vision guests, through immersive audio and the provision of fabric swatches to touch. Blind model and broadcaster, Lucy Edwards, walked the show with her guide dog, a first at Copenhagen Fashion Week.
What followed was the brand’s unwavering dedication to diversity, in a way that feels neither tokenistic or over the top. With no sample sizing, the show featured models of all shapes and sizes, including long time collaborator, Alva Claire, and musician Mahalia. “Your lustrous skin between elastic, the body joyfully, breathing”, continued the poem, custom written by London-based author Anastasiia Fedorova.
Freedom was the core of this season, and more specifically referencing the time O’Dwyer lived in North Carolina for a year as a teenager. “It was the first time that I felt I really fit in, and fell in love for the first time,” she told British Vogue before the show. The freedom to explore and assert oneself was clear in the wide range of this collection.
O’Dwyer explored her own brand of minimalism, including a long ribbed beige vest with lace underwear, peeking from underneath, and a bold foray into denim, a new fabric for the designer, with tailored maxi dresses, wide leg trousers and jackets. Her cutout knitwear signature look was also present in the form of figure hugging bodysuits in splashes of neon green, interrupting the otherwise muted colour palette. All looks were paired with bubble soled shoes created in collaboration with Grounds Footwear, and neon coloured Ecco bags personalised with a signature squiggle.
The space she carved for her brand, inherently diverse and inclusive, allows O’Dwyer the freedom to explore while staying true to her roots and sets her up as an exciting and disruptive force in the fashion industry.
