Olwen Bourke

Olwen Bourke designs bespoke bridal and occasionwear, with a focus on sustainability and craftsmanship. The celebration and evolution of hand craft and traditional techniques sit at the heart of her designs, re-imagining embroidery, lace and vintage textiles into contemporary silhouettes. She currently collaborates with Irish lace makers to create bespoke lace embellishments for her bridal dresses, thus creating unique heirloom pieces, while helping to revive the rich art of lace making in Ireland.

Olwen studied fashion design at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin (NCAD), where she was awarded a first-class honours BA degree, as well as the Designer of the Year Award from Enterprise Ireland and the Irish Clothing and Textiles Alliance. She moved to London and became a bespoke dress designer for TV and film, including for the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing and for the Royal Opera House and the Royal Ballet. During this time, she honed her skills designing one-off made to measure pieces for celebrities, private clients and special events. She went on to design for fashion houses in Paris and London. She launched her own namesake bridal brand in 2018 and creates her gowns at her Dublin studio.