Interviews
NIKE X BILLIE EILISH: Freedom & Self-Expression with Rashhiiid
28 October 2022Celebrating the release of Nike and Billie Eilish’s debut collection, we sat down with Rachel Maguire, Irish designer and founder of Rashhiiid, to talk freedom and self-expression.
For Rachel Maguire and her label Rashhiiid, fashion is a means for self-expression and freedom — a tool to be liberally experimented with and enable wearers to champion their own individualism. It’s a philosophy that’s underpinned her design approach since day one, with Rachel commenting “expressing myself through how I dress has always been a necessity for me, so naturally it’s going to be at the core of my brand. I never really saw clothing as functional, more as an extension of my personality.” Clothing is a method of visual communication for Rachel, who views it as “a beautiful way to speak to people about yourself without words”. The pieces Rachel creates embody this carefree approach to styling: from intricate, upcycled garments to bold, exuberant hats and accessories made from faux fur.
Rachel’s passion for using faux fur kickstarted during her final year at university, where she “felt an urge to create a big faux fur hat, since we weren’t allowed to engage with other human beings, I felt it would express what I needed to “say” during that time”. Through experimenting and creating her own product, Rachel realised this served as the catalyst for human connection, “everywhere I went, people of all ages and genders were asking if they could touch the hat or try it on. I couldn’t believe something I had created was sparking human connection.”.
The 26-year-old creative started her brand after graduating from the Grafton Academy of Fashion Design in 2018, where her final-year collection was the first in the college’s then-80-year history to be made completely from recycled materials. On her commitment to spreading awareness and promoting eco-minded craft, Rachel has spent extensive time researching the fashion industry’s impact on the environment, sharing this knowledge with her peers to create positive change. She commented “if I was going to take part in the industry, I certainly wanted to in a positive impact sort of way. During my time at Grafton Academy, we brought in a new part to the course to facilitate people who wanted to use recycled materials for their final collections instead of having to stick to their original material guidelines.”. Rachel is also proud to maintain local craft and promote positivity in the fashion industry in her home country, Ireland, stating “the ultimate dream is to create jobs in Ireland within fashion. No matter how big it scales I want it to remain ethically handmade in Ireland.”.
In the contemporary fashion sphere, cutting through the noise is no easy feat, with the transient nature of trends and a sea of competition acting as hurdles. Rashhiiid is one such brand that’s managed to carve its own space, with a dedicated following that includes the likes of Ariana Grande, Vanessa Hudgens and Doja Cat, to name a few. The latter of the three had reached out to Rachel requesting a custom-made outfit, which Rachel elaborates “when it’s someone whose art has inspired you for their whole career, like Doja’s has for me, it feels something completely different than it just being a famous person. And when they seem inspired by your art in return, it’s mind blowing.”. It was a moment that had come full circle for her, with Doja Cat being one of her biggest inspirations while studying, someone Rachel “had in mind when designing some garments for my final collection, with her music blaring in my ears.”.
NIKE X BILLIE EILISH AT UrlfreezeShops
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