Hope Macaulay Brings Technicolour Dream World To Derry's Fashion Fest

One thing you can say about local fashion designer Hope Macaulay’s work is that it certainly catches the eye!

Her art-inspired collections explode onto the catwalk in a riot of colour that’s both playful and captivating in equal measure.

Inspired by a lifelong love of art, the clothes are the Portstewart designer’s canvas and Hope certainly isn’t afraid to be bold when it comes to creating her ranges of statement prints and chunky knits.

Now working from her own studio, she will be showcasing some of her latest collection at Fashion Fest taking place this Saturday, 19 October.

Hope will bring a kaleidoscope of colour to the Guildhall catwalk for the event which is the annual highlight in the North West fashion calendar.

Inspired by the works of her favourite artists, her collections blend together the disciplines of fine art and functional design to produce pieces with a freshly painted look and feel, that make them almost like walking canvases.

Hope’s recent catwalk collection, “A Surreal Rome,” caught the attention of the crowds at Graduate Fashion Week, New Designers, Salon International and London Fashion Week, which was a major coup for the up and coming designer. The designs conjure up a vibrant dream world inspired by the history, mythology and art of Rome, captured in a bold splash of pastels and neons – statement pieces that have become her trademark, as she explained.

“I went to UCA Epsom to study an art and design foundation course where I chose the fashion textiles pathway. I then progressed on to my degree course in Fashion Textiles: Print at UCA Rochester.