The stunning scenery of Ireland has always been a huge source of inspiration for us here at aoife® , which made the harmonious raw backdrop of the countryside of Mullingar the perfect spot to bring the beauty of our latest campaign to life.
Designing with the environment at heart has always been a core value for us and the main purpose of everything we do. Being able to immerse ourselves in the nature of Ireland was a key factor in communicating our brand, so when we discovered the incredible restored Georgian villa with 160 acres estate at Belvedere, surrounded by such incredibly raw wilderness it instantly felt perfect to tell our story.
Beginning at 5am on a rainy day in December, the 160 acres of woodland surrounding the listed building felt eerily calm in the deep darkness of the early morning as we arrived but quickly came to life with the rising of the sun as the nature of the Irish wilderness burst into life. Buzzing with excitement and in awe of our incredible surroundings, the aoife® team congregated to begin the first shot of the day.
The serene sounds of our surroundings and the rich tones of nature all made perfect sense in that moment as we shot the range of earthy green and deep black styles. From the multiple shades of green in the giant overarching trees, the soft tones of the leaning reeds in a state of partial bloom, the cool blues and silvers in the never-ending depths of the waters, even the muted whites of the two swans that befriended us during the day, the whole journey of the collection was brought to instant life as the styles appeared as almost belonging amongst the undeniable beauty of the Irish nature on that cold winter’s day. It felt truly exhilarating to be wrapped in such wonder and with such an amazing team to share it with.
There was a further meaning to our work throughout the day brought to our attention with the unpredictable behaviour of the weather as though it was begging for the attention of our audience. From the calm chill of the morning break to the winds that thrashed our faces during our third shot and the short aggressive downpour which greeted us on leaving the Belvedere estate, it was a sure sign of the dangerous state of our eco-system and brought meaning to our mission to stop the damaging effects of fast fashion and the immediate work needed to protect our world from climate change.
Special Credits: A very special thank you to the talented team who collaborated with me on the Belvedere Shoot: Paul Byrne founder of Good Idea and the master mind behind our branding in conjunction with videography by Colin De Pris, Louise Kennedy our talented stylist.Kenny Whittle campaign photographer extraordinaire, Sian Fitzgerald creative make up artist, special thanks to 1stoptionmodels Ieva Paulikaityte ,Cian lindsey, Pieszak/Lips & P’s for supplying sustainable clothing and the event management team Eugene and Hannah Rooney, last but not least a gracious thank you to the Belvedere house and gardens for hosting us with their spectacular venue for our event.
