Bernie Murphy Irish Designer

Bernie Murphy is an Irish designer and educator based in Buncrana, Co. A former garment technologist in the manufacturing industry. She creates her current contemporary fashion designs using Donegal Tweeds. Bernie likes to manipulate fabrics to create interesting compositional arrangements which capture the creative functionality of traditional Donegal tweeds within her fashion design. From an early age she watched her mother knitting and sewing for family and friends. This fostered her interest in fashion design and textiles. The main focus of Bernie's contemporary designs captures the natural environment that surrounds her, its unpredictable beauty and spirit, and to reflect the elements of the textile and design skills that have been handed down across the generations in this unique region, her homeland of Donegal. Her artwork explores new approaches and an engagement with unconventional materials and the body is at the heart of my practice. The use of innovative techniques, materials, form and context explores the crossover between art and fashion in simple ways to stimulate both physical and cultural associations within those who encounter her design work. The "Homelands" Collection was launched on her new e-commerce website, https://www.berniemurphy.com in April 2017. Each garment is an expression of luxury and style within contemporary Irish fashion and textile design. She also has experience in teaching masterclasses/workshops at all levels and currently works as a part time lecture for North West Regional College, Derry & Spraoi agus Sport, Carndonagh, Co.