From the moment her MA collection Re.Treat won the London College of Fashion Off Catwalk Award for Design 2009, Úna Burke has unashamedly challenged the role of the fashion designer with her ability to create luxury leather accessories that confidently take on both titles of fashion accessory and contemplation artefact. Her sculptural pieces, constructed with traditional leather working methods take on a structured form through her use of brass fittings to give that striking and bold effect that has become Úna’s trademark. Each collection exhibits Úna’s intricate, complex and detailed vision of fashion design as she approaches her work as an artist. “I am always thinking about what fashion means, how I can express a certain story or message through my designs. I like to challenge the conventions of the fashion industry by integrating different subjects into my work.” Úna Burke offers the industry a powerful yet personalized aesthetic, where each piece tells a story of imagination and a desire to create products that will encourage contemplation, make people question their source, and really appreciate the high quality of craftsmanship.

Úna’s first collection, Re.Treat, addressed the sensitive subject of human trauma, where the pieces drew on prosthetics for inspiration and told a story of protecting and encasing the body, allowing it to heal. For Úna, one of the important parts of the design process was being able to talk to customers. “The three-hour presentation that I did to exhibit my first collection was an opportunity for me to talk about the sensitive subject I was dealing with, to ensure that people would understand what the pieces meant.” A chance to hear about the design process and the meaning behind a collection is a rare treat in the fashion industry, where often you are only aided by a simple three-line press statement to go hand in hand with a half-hour show. This very intimate form of presenting her work further qualifies Úna’s role as one of the most unique designers working in fashion.

The Spring/Summer 12 collection Bastet, named after the Egyptian goddess, signifies the powerful, confident and unique woman Úna is designing for. She described the process of bringing this collection to life in a way that really is reminiscent of Alexander McQueen’s approach to design. Úna’s own interest in human behaviour provides the foundation behind the story of each collection. “I was focusing on ancient cultures for SS 12, and became fascinated with Egyptian burial rituals and the need to protect the body in the after life. I then focused on creating pieces that, like armour, would protect the body.” One of Úna’s most interesting pieces from this collection is the handbag shaped like the human heart, and not the commercial romantic heart we’ve come to know, but rather the real organ. This creative process is testament to Úna’s experimentalism. “There are more important things than just fashion,” she said. And it’s a belief that’s reflected in her evocative designs.

Over the last two and a half years, Úna has attracted the attention of editors, notably Sarah Maino, Vogue Italia’s editor, who asked Úna to present her work during Milan Fashion Week. From features in magazines to exhibitions, Úna’s work has won more than eight awards, whilst continually addressing a growing demand from personalities like Daphne Guinness, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna.

Úna described her most recent collaboration with designer Philip Stephens for Unconditional Spring/Summer 12 as “a lot of fun because Philip was really able to understand what I was doing with my work.” The collaboration allowed Úna’s striking structural accessories to adorn flowing silk dresses, adding a strong dimension to the Unconditional collection. Úna said the catwalk as a platform for her accessories “allowed my work to come to life,” contrasting with her usual method of showing the pieces alone on the naked body where the dramatic impact can often make the accessories look unrealistic, but when teamed with Philip’s collection, her pieces became suddenly more “wearable and realistic.”

Does Úna hope of one day having her own show? “I am at crossroads as to which direction to take my work, but I will definitely continue to develop the body pieces alongside belts, bags, and traditional styles of jewellery,” she said. When asked about designing for a more commercial audience, she said, “within each collection there will always be more toned-down pieces. However, I have been surprised to find an incredibly positive reaction to the strongest pieces of the collection, the most experimental pieces are the best sellers.” With Lady Gaga and Rihanna as public personas transforming her work from that of “contemplative artefact” to striking fashion statement, it is no wonder Úna has garnered mass interest from the trend hunters and key thinkers of the fashion industry.

Úna’s dedication to wearable art is a product of her determination to create pieces that cannot be defined in the normal fashion sense. She sees “individuality as a wonderful thing” and encourages people through her own work to use fashion as a celebration of experimentalism. While Úna’s personal style might be understated, she will wear her own pieces with pride. “I love wearing the double-layered belt with the lime elephant colour combination,” she said. We can imagine how this one piece transforms something quite simple into a look that invokes drama and glamour. We hope that the Irish designer continues to produce awe-inspiring accessories that not only make us feel and look incredible, but inspire us to think more about the artistic quality of great craftsmanship.

Photo credit: Andreas Waldschuetz and James RJ Dwyer