OUR MILLINERY STORY
about us
Founded in 2016 by Irish milliner Sarah O’Rourke, Saraden Designs – Millinery Atelier is an award-winning Irish brand redefining contemporary millinery through sculptural design, innovation and considered craftsmanship.
Combining her background in visual arts with a passion for wearable art, Sarah creates distinctive, sculptural pieces that celebrate creativity, form and individuality.
Committed to slow fashion and sustainable practices, every piece is designed and handmade in-house by Sarah in her Ashbourne atelier, including the unique fabrics she develops herself. Fabric offcuts are reworked into new designs, minimising waste while ensuring each creation is as considered as it is distinctive.
Each piece reflects Sarah’s dedication to craftsmanship and innovation, bringing contemporary millinery beyond the traditional and into the realm of wearable art.
about sarah
Sarah O’Rourke is an award-winning Irish milliner and the creative force behind Saraden Designs – Millinery Atelier, founded in 2016. With a background in Fashion & Textile Design at Coláiste Íde, Dublin, followed by Visual Arts Practice at IADT, Dún Laoghaire, Sarah developed a strong foundation in textile design, sculpture and artistic experimentation.
It was during her studies that Sarah discovered how to create her own handmade fabrics, a discovery that would shape her distinctive approach to millinery. A self-taught milliner, she combines her artistic background with sculptural forms, bold materials, unexpected colour combinations and intricate detailing to create bespoke headpieces and hair jewellery that blur the boundaries between fashion and wearable art.
Rather than following traditional millinery methods, Sarah has developed her own techniques, transforming self-created fabrics into expressive, sculptural designs. Her work reflects a passion for individuality, innovation and craftsmanship, with every piece designed and handmade by Sarah herself in her Ashbourne atelier.
Sarah’s work gained international recognition through selections for London Hat Week in 2016 and 2018, including an invitation to present her designs at the official press launch. In 2018, she showcased her first collection on the runway during London Fashion Week. In 2022, she was selected as one of the top 10 milliners from 110 international entrants to exhibit at London Hat Week’s Morley Gallery exhibition.
In 2026, Sarah was selected as a designer for The Irish Edit at Ireland Fashion Week, during the event’s second year. This milestone marked another significant chapter in her career, bringing her distinctive approach to sculptural millinery to a contemporary Irish fashion platform.
A multi-award-winning designer, Sarah continues to push creative boundaries through original materials, innovative techniques and a commitment to creating distinctive millinery that is individual, expressive and unmistakably her own.
The fabric
Saraden Fabric is a combination of various fibres. A selection of hand made fabrics are made inhouse by Sarah by combining various fibres together. The process itself is a trade secret as it is Sarah’s niche and what sets Saraden Designs apart from other Milliners. Once a sheet of fabric is created it cannot be replicated making each design bespoke. All cut offs are reworked back into designs leaving no waste, which is something Sarah prides herself in.
Sarah does not mass produce any of her designs whether it is a ready – made or custom design or accessory. Millinery is a craftsmanship that takes hours of intricate detail to create a design.
Wearable art is a term which has been used to describe my work and is a term I warmly welcome. With my background in sculpture it isn’t hard to see where this conclusion has been drawn from. My thesis in college was called Art vs Craft and my aim was to show that through history certain art niches were considered craft and vice versa. I believe that millinery can be art as well as craft.
I “I love that I have created a niche with my fabric and no other milliner can do what i do”
Sarah O’ Rourke
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