‘Golden Boys’ — Hannah Ennis
The Hannah Ennis Spring Summer 2020 collection ‘Golden Boys’ is the launch for a socially and environmentally sustainable menswear brand, seeking to challenge traditional shapes and materials.
After her Irish/German upbringing, Hannah Ennis moved to London to get an education and experience for contemporary menswear. ‘Golden Boys’ explores her Dublin heritage and investigates the cultural setting for menswear in Ireland today. Aimed at a young customer but keeping a broad appeal, the collection is inspired by the common trait of sportswear and knitwear on the streets of Dublin.
Hannah Ennis aims to knit some of the Irish design staples that were established by the great Irish designers of the 1950s into a modern menswear context, focussing on Dublin street style and putting an extravagant twist to it, exploring the importance of sportswear in how Irish men tend to dress today. The collection also draws on Ireland’s Celtic heritage and applies the principles and shapes of decorative Celtic gold.
By applying intricate textile techniques to sportswear materials, they are lifted out of their known context to convey a new message, allowing men who feel alienated by sports culture the opportunity to wear them and express other emotions. The title of the collection ‘Golden Boys’ reflects the untouchability of Irish sportsmen. The new shapes are inclusive to those who find glory in sports as well as those who feel excluded by it, setting a softer mood around the materials and culture.
The collection will address sustainability by focussing on local production and by integrating second-hand materials. A lot of pollution, air-miles and waste is prevented, and the customer is informed about their clothes’ lifecycle. The collection is built around materials sourced in Ireland including Magee of Donegal and Emblem Weavers in Wexford. Additionally, Oxfam Ireland have provided second-hand textiles such as ties and shirts. The history of these garments adds to the storytelling of the brand, most evident in the upcycled shirt made of nine old shirts and the ties bonded to yellow nylon featured in two outerwear pieces.
Sustainability is key for Hannah Ennis. She seeks to strengthen the emotional connection between the wearer and the clothes, creating a sense to cherish the clothes. The emotional connections and cultural aspect will be particularly appealing to the Irish menswear customer but will also attract the international consumer who is drawn in by the stories and sentiments of Ireland.
Hannah will be bringing designs from the Golden Boys range to the market, starting with the Forty Foot jumper in November. It will be available to buy at OmDiva boutique on Drury Street in Dublin. She will be pushing this jumper for other retail opportunities and will be looking to other Irish landmarks for further designs to apply to the shape. The jumper is made with 100% Merino wool and is knitted at the Stoll design centre in Leicester.
Hannah recently moved back to her hometown in Germany, Düsseldorf where she is now setting up a little studio space in an old basement swimming pool. Hannah’s studio practice focusses heavily on up-cycling old garments so she is always excited to get in new stock and see how she can transform the materials with her designs. She hopes the space will give her an opportunity to further develop the shapes presented this summer. First, Hannah will be focussing on the shirting and upcycling second-hand shirting into new and exciting shapes. That range should be presented that range by March or April next year.
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