Roisin Dubh

PHILOSOPHY “It is well known to Mystics that if someone meditates upon a symbol around which certain ideas have been associated by past meditation, they will obtain access to these ideas, even if that glyph has never been elucidated to them by those who have received the oral tradition by mouth to ear.” ~ Dion Fortune The philosophy within this powerful quote is echoed by New Zealand fashion designer Roisin Kearney, who creates garments which activate change and empowerment through psycho-active symbolic art. Designing layers of meaning into her clothes is important to Roisin and each garment tells a story of some sort. Often this is through her use of images and icons from antique religions, especially the ancient Celts and Indians. BACKGROUND The label ‘Roisin Dubh’ was launched in 1998. Pronounced “rosheen dove“, it means “dark rose” in Irish but is also a poetic name for Southern Ireland. Featuring ornate and opulent screen printed images, patterns and words, designer Roisin ni Caernaigh draws her inspiration from a fascination with the ancient world, it’s legends, folklore, sonnets, poems and symbolism. She says: “I was always fascinated by the potential of screen printing. You can get a message across, but you can also replicate it a thousand different ways using different colours and different fabrics.” Designing layers of meaning into her clothes is of central importance to Roisin, who creates garments which can activate change and self-empowerment through their intentional display of screen-printed psycho-active symbolic motifs. Each successive collection has individualistically reflected this philosophy, thereby developing the visual and artistic design direction that is not only Roisin Dubh’s point of difference, but also its unique fashion lineage.