Tarika Kinney - Fashion Design
Rooted in my Irish and Indian heritage, my work explores the intersection of memory, material and maker. Guided by my ethos of Ancestry to Alchemy, I craft garments from reclaimed fabrics using slow, tactile processes.
Each piece is intimate, ever-evolving, and designed to be felt, remembered, and lived in.
"Showcasing my work at "Islands of Design" feels especially meaningful after my recent collection, The Irish Sea. That body of water connects this small island to the wider world, a reminder that Irish creatives continue to make waves far beyond our shores."
This platform celebrates not only our landscape but our people, a community of makers who draw inspiration from the textures, colours, and histories that shape us. We create from what surrounds us: the land, the sea and the deep rooted craft traditions that define who we are.
Like the blue that runs through our fields of green, creativity connects us all. It is this shared sense of place, care and collaboration that makes our island so unique, a reminder that design here is not just made but felt, lived and continually renewed.
My dream pop-up design museum would bring together the artists and designers who have continually inspired me, and have blurred the boundaries between body, material, and emotion.
At its centre would be Alexander McQueen's Oyster Dress, a piece that feels alive, fragile, and powerful all at once. Nearby, Ana Mendieta's Silueta Series would ground the space, her connection to nature moving beyond surface to something deeply physical, merging the human form and the earth itself. In one corner, Tracey Emin's My Bed would sit as a raw testament to vulnerability and the chaos of creation, supported by the delicate yet powerful textile work of Lisa Kokin.
This pop-up museum would celebrate people and place in all their complexity - how design, more specifically craft, can hold emotion, memory, and transformation. It would be less a static exhibition and more a living space, where beauty feels human, imperfect, and deeply alive.
Belfast's culture is undeniable, and its creativity thrives in connection. I want to see a community that truly celebrates each other, where designers and artists lift one another up, share ideas, and grow together.
Our strength lies in that sense of togetherness, shaped by our land, our history, and our people.
