Niamh Claire Killen

Urban Fabric is a textile collection driven by the city as a living archive. Layers of graffiti, posters, paint, and repair accumulate on urban surfaces through repeated interaction, creating an evolving visual record of everyday life. These elements — decay, spray paint, posters, vandalism, and wear — merge into a visual collage of activity within a space.

Drawing inspiration from the streets of Dublin, the collection captures these overlooked details and translates them into contemporary textiles. Industrial signage, peeling shopfronts, and weathered posters inform a palette that balances bright synthetic tones with more muted, worn hues.

Through weave, knit, and print, the work explores layering as both visual research and a design philosophy. I explore textile-making through layered processes, mimicking the accumulation of interactions that shape the urban visual landscape.

Designed for a unisex A/W fashion context, Urban Fabric honours the overlooked elements that make up our environment.