Conaill O’Dwyer is at the forefront of provocative design, and his nuanced work on fashion, sexuality and gender is ensuring that he’ll be a household name in no time. Born in Firhouse, Dublin, O’Dwyer moved to Enniscorthy when he was 8, before returning to Dublin to study in UCD. Fashion and design was a passion that emerged later in life, though his interests during his formative years did awaken his love of all things creative.

“My interest in fashion didn’t really start until I was in my twenties,” he reflects, “and probably not even until I started in NCAD. My childhood was dominated by music and art history – I suppose my interest in art history brought me on the path to design. After a summer in Paris, I decided to apply for NCAD. When I got there, it was a natural progression into design and the fashion department.”

For his graduate collection for NCAD, O’Dwyer decided to examine perceptions of gender and sexuality through the medium of fashion.