Showcase 2012

Suzannagh Grogan, Textile designer

This year was my first year hearing about Showcase(I know, where have I been?!. It was therefore a real treat to get to experience it as a visitor with my student tag hanging around my neck!!

Showcase is an annual event that allows makers to display there work as retail buyers stroll up and down the isles in the RDS. The goal: get them to love you and your work! The prize: well your product could be then distributed into retail units all arouond the world and also there are some awards up for grabs also!

The Crafts Council of Ireland have a strong presence at Showcase. The craft being produced in Ireland at the moment (not that I am an expert) seemed to be a very high standard at there were some innovative products. There is a real sense of our Irish Identity at Showcase when you see the products created. This perhaps, in these....don't yawn now...RECESSIONARY TIMES....may be due to makers desire to sell internationally in markets that havn't had the slump that Ireland has.

I spoke to textile designer Suzannagh Grogan. Suzannagh creates digitally printed silk scarves. Digital printing on textile is not available in Ireland so she has to get the images digitally printed onto the silk in the UK. When Suzannagh was approached by an American buyer she said they would not buy her product. Why? Because it was not 100% Irish made. This is what sells in the states....worth taking note of this!Also, why has nobody with some spare cash thought of buying a machine that can print on silk.....hmmm maybe I will return to knitting for the time being!