Photo by Andrew Nuding from SLEEK 63.
Irish designer Sorcha O’ Raghallaigh first got our attention when one of her glimmering headpieces was featured in the autumn issue of SLEEK—so naturally we had to find out more about her. Having learned from the likes of John Galliano and Diane Von Furstenberg, the Central Saint Martins’ grad takes inspiration from the zodiac to create magical headpieces that have been featured everywhere from British Vogue to Vogue Italia and LOVE, and worn by icons including Lady Gaga, Florence Welch, Grimes, and most recently Kelsey Lu. From a magnificent set of glinting teardrop horns, to a luminous pink feathered crown and a majestic diamond-frosted silver wig, O’ Raghallaigh’s 12-part Zodiac collection is a masterclass in fantastical bespoke design (some of her pieces can take several weeks, even months to be made). We sat down with the designer to find out more about her artisanal craft.
Your bespoke headpieces have been featured in a number of fashion editorials recently—including SLEEK 63. What drew you to creating headpieces?
I took a break from my brand about 4 years to go and work for luxury design houses in Italy. When I decided to start creating my own work again I wanted to start slowly and small, so I could enjoy the process—I was drawn to creating headpieces because the work had the potential to be sculptural, fun and intricate, something I could build slowly in my own time. It’s a lot of pressure creating full collections and I wanted this experience to be something I enjoyed making, with an artisanal, craft approach—and it was!
What is the inspiration behind your headpieces—do you have a particular muse in mind? How would you describe your aesthetic?
When I was still working in industry, I created a series of drawings inspired by the 12 zodiac signs, purely as a creative outlet. When I was researching the zodiac, I found a trove of endless inspiration and so many amazing medieval drawings that I knew it was a theme I wanted to move into other disciplines of my practice, so I designed and created 12 headpieces inspired by the spirit and symbols of each of the 12 signs. Each one is quite different due to this, but they are mostly texture driven which is always the starting point for my work.
Kelsey Lu wearing Leo headpiece. Photo by Djenaba Davis-Eyo.
Can you talk me through the design process of your pieces. How long does one take to make and how are they made?
I have quite a tactile and organic way of working, usually after doing research I will always start with developing textures and embellishments since I always let the technique/ texture/ embellishment lead and inform the shape and overall design. Some pieces are quicker to make than others, but everything is completely handmade so everything takes time. Some of the handmade wigs such as the ones featured in SLEEK took up to six weeks to make by hand.
Your clients have included fashion icons like Lady Gaga, Madonna, and Maisie Williams. Who has been the most interesting person that you have worked with, and which of your designs was the most exciting to create?
I recently created a version of one of my headpieces for Kelsey Lu. I’m so in awe of her music and work! I had her playing in my studio whilst I was creating my last collection—her music really makes you feel something, so having her wear my work recently was truly an honour. I think the most exciting project I worked on was with Selfridges in London, when they let me design and create an entire window for their Oxford Street store. I love the idea that fashion transcends a product, that it can be a feeling that allows you to expand your ideas into a space. We built a whole set and created lots of special pieces for this. Selfridges gave me complete creative freedom which made the whole experience even more fulfilling!