Emma Curtis, St. Angela’s College BA Textiles, Fashion and Design year 2 student is one of 12 students from colleges around Ireland who’s work will be featured in the Dublin Fashion Week ‘Young designer of the Year’ competition outside the bank of Ireland in College Green, Dublin,  next Tuesday the 9th of September. 
Emma’s coat/cape is one of the 3 designs which formed her mini degree collection from the second year of her BA in Textiles, Fashion and Design with Business Management degree in St. Angela’s College.  The theme for her work was ‘The Cloths of the Ocean’. The movement and shape of the mussel shell is reflected in Emma’s coat/cape which is made with white neoprene and gold leatherette with a light weight lining with a hand painted print. The white neoprene drape dress was printed with a hint of gold leatherette and imitates the different shell shapes and movement within them. The three toned chiffon dress with gold leatherette cuff and rolled hem was inspired by the scallop shell. Each piece comes together creating a clean elegant look.
Emma’s designs were also featured in an exhibition in the Radisson Hotel on Thursday the 12th of J7une at the Yeats’ Nobel Dinner, and her dress was one of the final 10 in ladies day at the Galway Races this July.
Searching for the most creative and innovative designs that can own the runway, the Dublin Fashion Festival Young Designer of the Year judging panel included the Irish Independent’s fashion editor, Bairbre Power; renowned fashion photographer, Barry McCall; TV3 Xpose producer Debbie O’ Donnell; Aisling Kilduff, Owner of the Design Centre; Deirdre Devaney, Ladies Fashion Director, Arnotts and Caroline Hanratty, Head of Personal and Private Shopping, Brown Thomas. The final 12 designers will take part in a spectacular catwalk show outside Bank of Ireland on College Green on Wednesday, 9th September. The designers’ pieces will be showcased in front of an invited audience of key fashion influencers including press, fashion buyers and established designers, as they compete for the title of Young Designer of the Year in one of Ireland’s largest and most renowned fashion events.

This is the third year of the 3 year BA in Textiles, Fashion and Design with Business Management in St Angela’s College. Although there are other fashion or textile design focused courses in Ireland, this is the first course where students can study fashion, textiles and design along with the much needed business management for this competitive industry. The course in St. Angela’s is dynamic and unique in the fact that it offers all of these things. The expertise of experienced lecturers who have worked in the industry, such as local designers Rebecca Marsden and Anna Faye contributes to its uniqueness. The degree course is on the CAO form for entry in September 2016.