Robyn Lynch opens debut exhibition at Now Gallery

Irish-born, London-based menswear designer Robyn Lynch has been awarded the Now Gallery 2023 Fashion Commission, following in the footsteps of Matty Bovan and Nicholas Daley, and has opened her first exhibition at the gallery on London's Greenwich Peninsula.

‘Greetings From Ireland’ is open at the Now Gallery in London until February 25, 2024, and explores the creative process behind the Robyn Lynch brand, while paying tribute to Lynch’s Irish roots in the humorous style for which her brand has become known.

Lynch is known for her brand interweaving Irish identity and cultural narratives into her collections, often reminiscing fond nostalgic memories of growing up on the outskirts of Dublin in a pre-social age. ‘Greetings from Ireland’ exposes the vigorous research, design and documentation process behind the scenes of her eponymous label, shining light on the community and collaborators who have helped shape the brand.

Pivoting away from the traditional fashion week presentation towards a consumer-first approach, Lynch has been exploring new ways of engaging, educating and connecting with audiences in response to the changing consumer digest and TikTok's appetite for authenticity. This exhibition presents a fun, real and relatable insight into the Robyn Lynch world, while offering “an accessible entry point to the brand for all to experience,” adds the gallery in the release.

The exhibition is housed within an alien-like giant smiley face bouncy castle caged by scaffolding, created in partnership with Irish artist, set designer and long-term collaborator Rory Mullen and opens into the “headspace of the studio” with videos documenting every source of inspiration and decision-making process and toiles suspended from the ceiling pinned with scribbled notes embellished with spelling mistakes hang unfinished.

The aim is to invite the visitor to examine the meticulous design and development process, reflecting on the evolution of a collection from ideation to development, while also highlighting the rawness of Lynch’s design approach and visual aesthetic to offer a deeper and personal understanding of the designer and brand.

Now Gallery presents Robyn Lynch’s debut exhibition

The exhibition culminates in a retrospective documenting the brand's journey from working on the kitchen table to the present day, featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the studio to fashion week alongside a snapshot of the community and creatives who have adopted and grown with the brand. The documentary-style film captures the fun, vibrant, youthful energy of Robyn Lynch, depicting the final stages of the creative process, the showcase of the brand when the collection is born and worn in the real world.

Lynch has also collaborated with videogame developer and publisher Kepler to create an interactive video installation with acclaimed new media artist Pauric Freeman. The installation applies Lynch's subversive, tongue-in-cheek design approach to new digital contexts as digital clothing and graphics are super-imposed onto the audience's body, which changes with every move.

Jemima Burrill, curator at Now Gallery, said in a statement: “For our 2023 Fashion Commission, we were looking for stories and processes and how the two intermingle. After meeting with Robyn, we became aware of the careful documentation of her practice through images and video. She has made dozens of films of the people who have helped her along the way, particularly those at the industrial estate where her father works; footage of the man who lent her first sewing machines.

“It is the essence of how fashion starts, with a strong will and a lot of help. We are really excited to see her fill the gallery with a humorous and also thoughtful, Irish take of what it is to be a fashion designer in 2023.”