The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2022 - Issue 32

ROBYN bitecatwalk LYNCH S ustainable menswear designer Robyn Lynch debut- ed her first solo runway collection for AW22 with support from outdoor specialist Columbia exploring innovative design practices whilst keeping its sustainable roots. Previously, the designer had produced collections for Lulu Ken- nedy’s Fashion East in the Fall 2019 from her family home in Malahide and presented subsequent virtual shows during the pandemic. The ten-piece collection was based on Columbia’s innovative ‘OUTDRY’ technology in environmentally conscious materials. Nylons made out of ocean waste contrasted against the re- flective thread and beaded embroidery, referencing her home island and creating semi-abstract prints across the garments. Lynch is consistently looking within her world when establish- ing references for her silhouettes. Her family wardrobe is a core inspiration, with several pieces elevated from sentimental objects of emotional importance into contemporary show pieces. Four of her dad’s Dublin foot- ball jerseys from the 1990s and noughties were scanned and inputted into an algorithm created by Synflux, a speculative fashion lab based in Japan. Their innovative, digital-first design practice distorted the scans and transformed them into tromp l’oeil intarsia knits made in cotton yarn. Lab-dipped nylons are custom dyed into saturated Pantone shades and cut into cargo trousers and tracksuit-style bot- toms.The signature monochrome looks in chartreuse, electric blue, brown and grey were walked in knitted balaclavas and customised Columbia winter boots. The five-pocket trousers were embroidered with Irish silhouettes, vintage hiking trou- sers, and abstracted cycling tops. One of the models walked wearing a luminous knitted balaclava paired with a matching scarf and knitted jumper. Whilst the collection was short; it was a colourful representa- tion of sustainable outwear and sportswear. https://robynlynch.co.uk