DSCAX

Ellen Kavanagh

I am a twenty-one year old Visual Merchandising student, and my final project is inspired by the WGSN Spring/Summer trends. The trends this season are grouped around the theme of emotional response.

After such tumultuous times we are seeking out a safe place, I wanted to create this safe have.

The brand I’m working with is Kilkenny Irish Design and the theme is self-care and self-reflection.

I hand painted these portraits to represent self-reflection in the mirror of this scene. I want this window to represent how long we have spent at home and how we have reflected upon ourselves.

What's on the outside reflects what's inside

The window is inspired by the WGSN Spring/Summer trends. The trends this season are grouped around the theme of emotional response.

After the tumultuous times of the past two years many people are seeking out a safe place, and I wanted to create this safe haven for my final project.

The brand I am working with is Kilkenny Irish Design, I used their products to create this space, a space to reflect on oneself and feel comfortable and calm.

I wanted to create a space that incorporates Kilkenny's beauty and wellness line. Self-care can include pampering oneself but also nurturing oneself with new books and hobbies.

It is important to connect with yourself, I want this window to represent how long we have spent at home and how we have reflected upon ourselves.

The theme of this window is self-care and self-reflection.

I wanted to emphasise the importance of getting to know yourself. I have hand painted the portraits to represent self-reflection in the mirror of this scene.

As important as it is to take care of your outside appearance it is also vital that you get in touch with yourself and your needs. When caring for what's outside can you reflect upon your inner self.

Retail design

For this project took inspiration from the city of Dublin to design our very own brand.

We developed the brand and designed everything in the store; I took inspiration from the street art in Dublin and wanted to create my own spray-paint graffiti designs as the backdrop of my store.

I liked the idea of a self-titled brand. I admire women spearheading their own companies and naming their brands after themselves. I decided to do this and add a play on the name “Ellen” and indeed display it as “LN”.

I admire women who empower other women. Tory Burch established the Tory Burch Foundation in 2009 as a way to support fellow women entrepreneurs by providing resources that help women find mentors and receive advice from experts.

I wanted to create a logo with geometric shapes and colour, and I also wanted to incorporate my own handwriting to tie in the fact that it is a self-titled brand.

For the products in my store, I was inspired by Jando. Julie and Owen McLoughlin produce prints of the city’s well-known buildings from their studio in Dublin’s city centre.

This couple was inspired by the rich history of modern Dublin, they saw a certain vibrance in the city that I personally have never seen portrayed before.

Their landmark series shows the ever-changing atmosphere of Dublin city. They add a lot to the design of my store. I enjoyed creating my own space and realising my ideas from my original sketches.