My name is Conor O’Brien, I’m 23 years old and I am a designer, sewing tutor and professional harpist. I have had a love for fashion and design since a very young age. I graduated from the National College of Art & Design in Dublin, Ireland with a First Class Honours in BA Fashion Design in 2023.

I started knitting at the request of my college tutors as part of a college project, and under the influence of my grandmother’s tutorship and esteemed knowledge of Irish craft and textiles I fell in love with making.

I started Conor O’Brien Studio in 2021 with the ethos of providing a grassroots approach to fashion, with respect and dignity for the maker at its core. I want to offer consumers with well-made clothing in the best materials I can find, crafting wardrobes with “future vintage pieces” at justified price points, that will stand the test of time and reject the fast-fashion industry of today.

I aim to conserve Ireland’s rich textile heritage by creating clothing that offers dignity to the garment worker with fair pay, dignity to the environment with natural fibres, and dignity to the wearer with a unique style.

Photography by Terrie Burton, Noir Photique