D.CONNOR PETRIN
SCHOOL
INSTAGRAM_NATIONAL COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN DUBLIN
INSTAGRAM PROFILE
About D. Connor Petrin:
D. Connor Petrin is an Irish womenswear designer whose practice merges conceptual storytelling, artisanal craftsmanship, and a sharp sensitivity for pattern drafting and garment construction. Currently completing his BA at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, with academic experiences at Accademia di Brera in Milan, Petrin has already built a strong international profile. His work spans fashion weeks, textile design, and collaborative capsule projects, including his award-winning collection for DHL Express Italia at Milan Fashion Week S/S 2025, where he was named second best designer.
His graduate collection, Ring Around the Rosie, is a Fall/Winter womenswear line that draws inspiration from the ritualistic elegance of equestrian culture. At its core is the symbolism of the dressage test — a performance of control, precision, and grace — reframed through the lens of fashion. The collection explores dual narratives: the heritage of Tattersall horse markets and the ceremonial preparation of mares for presentation. Rosie the First, the muse at the center, emerges as both competitor and spectacle, poised between ambition and vulnerability.
Materials and silhouettes embody this tension. Sculpted leather “trophies” and tailored forms assert power and prestige, while rosettes bloom across puffball dresses, softening the image with fragility. A trench coat reimagined as prelude to ceremony opens the show, while puffballs in the finale collapse into exhaustion — echoing the circular rhythm of pursuit, victory, and decline. Tradition and performance intertwine, questioning where identity ends and spectacle begins.
Petrin’s design philosophy reflects his passion for equestrianism, sustainability, and storytelling. He has honed technical expertise through professional experiences with Francesca Liberatore during Milan Fashion Week, textile development at Schmid Milano, and luxury retail and trend forecasting in Dublin. His work often involves rethinking materials — from reusing DHL uniforms in adjustable garments, to experimenting with fish leather and artisanal textiles sponsored by Lineapelle Milano.
With Ring Around the Rosie, Petrin situates womenswear at the intersection of heritage, ritual, and contemporary identity. His vision suggests that fashion is not only an act of dressing but also a performance of ambition, fragility, and the perpetual search for distinction.
