Wildlife: Swell For Leather

Úna Burke is a Galway designer who has achieved international acclaim. Her stunning leather accessories have attracted a host of famous clients. She uses vegetable-tanned bovine leathers and employs traditional working techniques. Her belts, jewellery, handbags and abstract body pieces have shown at London and Paris Fashion Weeks.
The larger figurative pieces are developed on a commission basis, for private art collections, public exhibitions and museums.
Úna’s work is concept-based, a primary influence being military chic. Studying for her MA in Fashion Artefact at London College of Fashion, she produced her multi-award-winning graduate collection ‘RE.TREAT’. It won a 2009 Design Award for Best Static Collection. She had previously been enrolled at Limerick College of Design.
Setting up her label in 2010, Úna has gone on to win several national and international awards, including ‘Irish Designer of the Year 2011’. She was nominated for WGSN’s
Global Fashion Awards in New York. Her work has featured in art events across Europe, Asia, Middle East and the US. In addition it has featured in top publications like Vogue, Grazia, Collezioni, i-D and Numero. Now her pieces are available for purchase in 27 stockists worldwide.
Recently Úna collaborated with Nick Knights SHOWstudio for a six week exhibition and film project. She has also produced performance costumes for 12 of Madonna’s dancers, items for Daphne Guinness’s private wardrobe and a sculpture for Phillip Lim’s private art collection. If that wasn’t impressive enough, Úna has dressed Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Heidi Klum and Taiwanese popstar Elva.