Community Spotlight: Scope Studios – Instilling the Hope of Belonging Into Dublin's Fashion Scene

“So much talent gets lost because creativity is like a muscle, and if people are uncomfortable with stepping outside of the box while training it, our industry can never grow to the heights which other countries have reached and have proven possible. Self-expression leads to creation. That is what drives innovation in the creative and cultural sector.” 

• Scope Studios 

Scope Studios is an up-and-coming fashion collective that is rewriting the tropes of the industry as being cut-throat, competitive and considerably challenging to get your foot in the door by focusing on fostering a community unbound by doors and instilling a scope of grounded hope into anybody with a passion for fashion. Conceptualised by three UCD students ofcreative and cultural industries(@lauren.mcnallyx, @ellabocullen and @leahxrandles), Scope Studios aims to do what college did for them in bringing like-minded people together and proving the idea that progressing your passion for fashion – be it modelling, videography or design – can be done in Dublin through cultivated belonging instead of digitalised isolation. It was lovely getting the chat with the three about why fashion means so much to them, its evolution in Irish culture and the influences and direction which the studio hopes to take it towards!

So, what is Scope Studios?

Lauren: Scope Studios emerged from a desire to create a community of people who are striving to work in fashion or simply have a love for it. We all agreed that there isn’t a good enough space in Dublin for interest in fashion to blossom, so (through social events and broader representation) our goal is for everyone to feel that maybe they don’t have to leave Ireland in order to follow their dreams in fashion. 

Ella: Yeah, because there is a huge culture for it in Dublin, but it is mainly influenced by the independent. There is a major gap in access and infrastructure between community-based fashion in Ireland and the established industry that connects to the wider world. Like so many Dubliners, we really do have enough interest to substantially impact our creative economy, but there isn’t enough infrastructure; I think we experienced this firsthand by having just begun to work in this area ourselves, and that’s when Scope came to life. 

Leah: And alongside film and music, the Dublin fashion industry has really been booming recently as designers are embracing their unique culture more so than ever before with the Irish revival. For example, Dublin Independent Fashion Week was a major inspiration for us as we began to see just how much talent there really is in Ireland that remains untapped. The Irish are dominating high fashion on the grand stage right now, whether it be Sean McGirr or Jonathan Anderson, and it really does help young people believe in the actuality of our fashion industry, which gives us hope for our community – that begins Scope – a community that begins at the beginning. 

And speaking of beginnings, you recently had your first event on the 21st? A fashion month highlight watch party with a DJ and all in Curveball, Temple Bar; how did that go? 

Ella: Ah, we were so happy, honestly, it was a huge success that definitely surpassed our expectations. We were worried at first that only a few friends would show up, but it was great because there were actually plenty of people who’d just seen our socials, and so there was lots of real networking. We got to see strangers bonding over their love of fashion, which had literally been us three at the beginning of the year! We fought tooth and nail trying to organise all the logistics and have people place their trust in us, but it was so worth it in the end. 

Leah: Yeah, it was so nice seeing our goal come to fruition. Visitors had the space to bond and enjoy themselves in the same way that’s common for film and music, but less so for fashion. We achieved it on a scale that is buildable and expandable, and we are really excited to increase the scope and go so much bigger for next time! 

Lauren: For example, I had some family show up, and they actually came up to me after, saying I made friends through that, as they spoke about various shows and designers with complete strangers; it was an active process and one that creates opportunities for future collaboration. 

And so what inspired all of your passions for fashion? 

Leah: Well, I was very lucky in the way I grew up in a creative family where creativity was respected, and I was allowed to be creative, so I have been since childhood, and I’ve always funneled it through fashion. My friends and I would be doing anything from inventing fake businesses to throwing fashion shows around the estate. I’ve always been self-assured. I’ve always known who I am (well, to a point, haha), and so I’ve always chosen clothes to express my grasp of identity. I think all of us had the dream of a career in fashion someday, and then we realized – I don’t know anyone, and I have no connections – so… then if you want something solved and something done, you do it yourself, and you go find a way to make those connections: so that’s the goal of Scope Studios. 

Ella: My introduction to fashion was never direct; I’ve done a lot more work with film and music, and so fashion funneled through both of those cultures. Personally, I definitely lean more on the streetwear side of things, with crucial introductions to fashion coming from Virgil’s work, which led me down further industry research. Growing up in a small town, the people around me were often less comfortable with their self-expression because of our surrounding environment and this inspired Scope’s mission. So much talent gets lost because creativity is like a muscle, and if people are uncomfortable with stepping outside of the box while training it, our industry can never grow to the heights which our countries have reached and proven possible. Self-expression leads to creation. That is what drives innovation in the creative and cultural sector. 

Lauren: Yeah, and I’m from Tallaght, so growing up, there was definitely never this sense of an open fashion community, and it was very easy to go out there and feel that it was impossible to adequately express yourself. The outfits I wore as a teenager weren’t always accepted by peers, but wearing what I felt voiced myself, and it has always been so important to me. I had imagined university through the outfits I would wear and the fashion freedom which it would finally provide. However, the general science course in Maynooth just wasn't what I'd dreamed of, and it was disheartening to feel that nobody shared my interests. So, I dropped out, took a gap year where I dived even deeper into slow fashion, sustainability and all sorts of things. Fashion is more than what you wear.

After the year, I had the confidence to join the course in UCD, and I met Ella and Leah and quickly discovered so many people who shared my interests. The change of environment changed who I was and changed how I now operate in the world. 

Finding that space for ourselves within each other after searching for it for years made us want to create that atmosphere for others who don’t have that same opportunity: that’s the mission statement of Scope Studios. 

That’s lovely – it was great chatting to you all, and good luck with all the big things coming! 

Check out @scope_studiios for opportunity, community or more fashionable information!

Written By: Ben Lynch

Edited By: Kirsten Baldwin