Kildare creatives receive National Designers Awards

Designers from Kildare were amongst the winners at the 2025 Design and Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) announced this week.

Textile artist and designer, Clodagh Nathan from Milicent Road in Clane was the recipient of the Overall Student award, while in the student and recent graduate sustainability category, Lucy O’Sullivan, a furniture maker from the Kildare/Meath border, was announced as the Sustainable Design award winner.

Julie Lawlor of Kilcock was also awarded for her jewellery making, Charles Imperial of Kilcullen Road, Naas for his fashion design and furniture maker Aidan O'Brien of the Curragh Road in Kildare also received recognition.

There were 26 winners of the Future Makers Awards, established in 2009, and it is a DCCI initiative which recognises talent, potential and creativity.

Furniture maker, Christopher Tuohy from Cork, was awarded the 2025 Overall Emerging Maker award, while Rachel Kenny, a paper maker from Dublin, was announced as the Sustainable Design award winner.

Future Makers is a platform to showcase the talent of the next generation of makers, designers, and craftspeople looking to take the step from training into enterprise, and it provides them with much-needed financial support.

Future Makers covers a wide range of disciplines and recognises vision, innovation and excellence among students and recent graduates. It is one of the largest prize-funded design and craft award programmes in Europe, with each winner receiving a mentoring package valued at €2,000 in addition to the award.

In total, Future Makers offers an award fund of €25,000 and mentoring package of €52,000 in expert guidance and support to the award recipients.

This year’s competition saw an impressive range of entries from all around Ireland, each one demonstrating a unique approach to creating beautiful and functional works of art.

From furniture and fashion design to ceramics and glassblowing, the shortlisted makers represent the most innovative and creative young designers and makers in Ireland, across both the student and emerging practitioner categories.

"We are pleased to announce the winners of Future Makers 2025, an initiative dedicated to recognising, supporting and building capability and capacity within the next generation of designers and makers across Ireland,” said Mary Blanchfield, CEO of Design & Crafts Council Ireland.

“The calibre of submissions this year was exceptionally high, reflecting the breadth of talent, creativity, and innovation within the sector.

“The award recipients demonstrate the vision, skill, and commitment that will ensure the continued strength and advancement of Irish craft and design both nationally and internationally."

Leah Capaldi, Artist and Future Makers Awards Judge, commented: "Irish craft isn’t just about tradition - it’s a living, growing way of expressing who we are. The Future Makers Awards, run by Design & Crafts Council Ireland, helps keep that spirit alive. By backing students and emerging creatives from a wide field of disciplines, the programme makes sure Irish design stays fresh, bold, exciting and ready for the world."

Judges this year include Victoria Donovan, a silversmith with almost 40 years’ experience and a recipient of the Kilkenny Design Workshops scholarship in 1986; Anneliese Duffy Fallon, owner of The Linen Shirt Company and founder of Fashion Connect Ireland; Leah Capaldi, a London-based artist celebrated for her pioneering work at the intersection of sculpture and performance; Brankica Zilovic, a French-Serbian artist and educator based in Paris; Belén Llamas-Ferrier, an art framer who has worked in the industry for more than 20 years and Róisín Pierce, who operates across multiple disciplines with a focus on material innovation and poetic forms.