Isabella Florio (born 1997) first became interested in art and design as a young child, a hobby she also enjoyed throughout her teenage years. Following secondary school, she moved to Dublin in 2016 and joined The Grafton Academy, where she studied Fashion Design for over a year. Here, Florio gained skills in pattern drafting and garment construction. After deciding to expand her knowledge and explore a new avenue of education, she enrolled in ATU to study Fashion and Textile Design. Her work here was centred around the exploration of techniques and processes relating to surface design and textile manufacturing, using a wide variety of mediums. Florio’s degree project is inspired by her Italian heritage; of nostalgic summer days spent in the South of Italy, surrounded by good food, family, and sunshine. The bountiful fruit and vegetable garden, grown by her Italian grandparents, was a copious source of inspiration, informing the motifs and silhouettes for both her print and fashion collections.
