If you’ve been keeping up on the Irish fashion scene, chances are you’ve seen some of Sasha Donnellan‘s beautiful designs. After making a splash with her graduate collection at London Fashion Week last year, followed by her own show at Ireland Fashion Week in October, the 23-year-old designer and luxury fashion house founder is known for her designs rooted in storytelling and Irish heritage. 

“My interest in fashion began through a love of art, history, and storytelling,” says Sasha. “I have always been fascinated by how clothing can communicate identity and culture, and fashion design became a way for me to combine my creative vision with research and craftsmanship, allowing me to tell stories through garments rather than words.”

While the brand is still in its early stages, having launched full-time in October, she says the experience of building it has been incredibly rewarding. “Every day brings something new, and I have truly fallen in love with the journey. I graduated from Esmod Paris in 2024, where I specialised in luxury womenswear, but I was born and raised in Ireland, and spent most of my childhood in Co Mayo. The brand is deeply rooted in Irish heritage and focuses on creating narrative-led ready-to-wear, bespoke occasion wear, and now bridal.”

And that momentum has continued to build, culminating most recently in the dress you’ve probably seen all over Instagram by now – presenter, author and influencer Roz Purcell’s Celtic-inspired wedding gown.

“I feel everything has evolved quite quickly,” says Sasha. “My work has definitely become more intricate since my graduate collection, partly because I’m constantly building new skills and pushing myself technically with each piece. I’m also a very curious person, so I tend to fall into deep research rabbit holes on all sorts of topics. I pick up new interests all the time, and they naturally feed into my design language.”

Here, we sit down with Sasha to talk about her latest designs, where she finds her inspiration and how she created the perfect look for Roz’s big day.

What inspired you to create your studio? 

I always knew that I wanted to create my own brand one day, but I never expected it to happen so early in my career. After graduating from Paris at 21, I moved to London for an internship and eventually entered the world of photoshoot production. After completing several unpaid internships, I wanted to gain financial stability and industry experience, so I began working full-time in production. Despite the long hours and frequent overtime, I would often come home in the evening and sew to unwind.

I started sharing my work on Instagram, and what began as a creative outlet quickly started to be perceived as a brand. Around that time, I applied to the first Ireland Fashion Week. I already felt ambitious applying for the mixed designer showcase rather than the graduate show, so I was thrilled when I was selected. I immediately began creating four looks for the event. A few months later, I received a call offering me a solo runway show. The only catch was that I would need to present twenty looks. It was such a special opportunity that I said yes immediately. I invested all of my savings, every hour, and every ounce of energy into the collection, creating sixteen additional looks in just a matter of weeks.

That experience became the true beginning of the brand. I decided that if I was going to do this, I was going to commit fully. It was a huge risk, but it paid off, and today I am fortunate enough to spend every day building something I genuinely love.