Sarah Swan is a designer of luxury limited edition cashmere and modal scarves. She studied History of Art and Italian in UCD and Interior Design at the Dublin Institute of Design. Internships in London followed with Joseph, Christophe Gollut and Mimmi O'Connell, in Paris with Miguel Cancio Martins and in Dublin with Louise Kennedy.

Although Sarah always had a great interest in fashion she initially set out on a career in Interior Design and worked on a variety of commissions including redesigning the Samsara Bar in Dublin. Sarah also owned and designed Mandala an Asian healing day Spa for 8 years.  She then realised that her true passion and talent lay in the creative process and soon after that her brand “Sarah Swan Dublin” (now Sarah Swan Studio) was born, and her first scarf collection was produced.

A scarf can instantly transform an outfit from mediocre to marvellous, from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Sarah's scarfs are both useful and beautiful, a true expression of style and personality. They are versatile and can be worn elegantly draped around the shoulders or given more structure with the addition of a belt.

It is very important to Sarah that her scarves are produced from ethically and sustainably sourced fabrics such as Mongolian organic cashmere and Modal. The organic cashmere is handpicked from the soft undercoat of cashmere goats and is combed instead of sheared. Modal is a more eco-friendly alternative to cotton and is a form of rayon made from beech trees which blends perfectly with natural fabrics such as cashmere, silk or cotton.

Sarah's love of travel has inspired her many collections. “The Cuba Havana” scarf is based on photographs she took while in Havana. While a trip to the Leopardsong game reserve South Africa provided inspiration for The Swan Song Collection which featured scarfs with names such as “African Sunset” and “Lioness Courage”. Her Italian Collection is based on biblical and cultural imagery and her “Cruise collection” is based on different styles of map with such atmospheric names as “La Mer Antique” and “North Atlantic Ocean”. Ireland's exquisite scenery inspired the “Irish Heritage” collection with names such as “Powerscourt at Dusk” and “Kilkee Reflections” bringing evocative images of our unique landscape.

Sarah has previously collaborated with Artist Peter Homan to produce a limited-edition scarf collection which was inspired by the sea, light and landscapes. She has also worked with Equine Artist Tony O'Connor bringing the gracefulness of the horse to Sarah's Equine collection - the two worlds of Art and fashion working together in perfect harmony.

Sarah is the eldest of three sisters who all attended Holy Child Killiney and she is looking forward to meeting up with some of her former class in September for their much-anticipated reunion. She lives in Sandymount with husband Mark and two children and is currently working on her next exciting collection in which she hopes to incorporate homewares. Please see www.sarahswandublin.com for more details.

By Sinead Farrell