The Local Enterprise Showcase section at Showcase houses some of the best up-and-coming talent in craft, textiles and design from across Ireland.  Tapping into towns and communities across the country, the Local Enterprise Showcase is managed by the Local Enterprise Offices and gives an opportunity for their clients to showcase themselves to some of the biggest buyers in Ireland and internationally.  At Showcase 2022, the area will house over 100 of Ireland’s best small design and craft businesses, all hoping to secure significant interest from buyers both at home and abroad. 

“It’s been a challenging two years for all businesses, particularly those in the design and craft sector, but now we look forward," says Breda Fox, Head of Craft & Design, Local Enterprise Offices. "To have a physical event for our up-and-coming talent to look forward to is particularly exciting.  Many in the sector have innovated, pivoted and found new markets online, but to have the Local Enterprise Showcase back at Showcase 2022 will be a huge boost for the sector."

“It can be a springboard for the year for many of those businesses in attracting new buyers and, in many cases, it may be their first exhibition so buyers are getting to see something new and unique," she continued.  "It’s going to be exciting seeing what some of Ireland’s best craft and design talent have been creating over the past two years since we had a physical event and no doubt the Local Enterprise Showcase will be full of the best upcoming talent in the sector.”

Shock of Grey - colourful jewellery with personality 

Dublin City LEO

The moment she discovered her first lock of grey hair designer Sarah Carroll Kelly knew it was now or never in terms of starting her own business. And so Shock of Grey was born.

A popular brand among customers and members of the media alike, Shock of Grey jewellery is bold, beautiful and colourful and guaranteed to appeal to customers with an individual sense of style and colour.

The brand founder makes all the jewellery by hand from unpredictable materials such as wood, brass, plastic, silicone and clay. The pieces are designed, wood cut, clay moulded and painted in her Dublin studio. Each piece is individually handmade and therefore no two pieces are exactly the same. 

This is the brand’s second year at Showcase having participated in the digital show last year. “I hope to broaden my audience nationally and internationally and to showcase new pieces including my hand-painted rings, earrings and necklaces,” says the designer and maker who is also a sculptor, artist and musician. 

Find Shock of Grey at Stand J102

a  o  i  f  e ® - sustainable luxury accessories 

Kildare LEO 

a  o  i  f  e ® designs bags and accessories from cradle to cradle within a circular framework model. This luxury Irish fashion brand has embraced sustainability throughout their supply chain - from the materials used to the packaging the products come in. 

The bags are made with Econyl ® regenerated nylon yarn and handcrafted by artisans with heritage in bag making. .

The brand launched behind the scenes in 2017 - developing and testing materials and working “without compromise” with regards to the ethical and sustainable standards that founder Aoife Rooney has set for her brand.

This brand is fast becoming known for its innovative designs which includes the convertible Tote-to-Backpack design, the Cross-Body Belt Bag and the Sling Bag designs.

“We need to work in harmony with nature to preserve life and create a closed-loop, circular fashion process understanding the whole life-cycle of a garment,” says Aoife. “It’s all a shift in the mindset: a circular economy and circular product like ours is restorative, regenerative by purposeful design. It replaces that idea of end-of-life with a sustainable shift in mindset to restoration.” 

Find  a  o  i  f  e ® at Stand J10

Dust + Rock - handy products for busy people 

Waterford LEO

Busy mum of three and commercial pilot Susan Furniss Radley founded her brand Dust + Rock to create “the original wrist pocket” to keep one’s mobile phone close to hand. 

Based in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, the brand founder has recently been a winner in the Virgin Media Backing Business campaign and has opened a new office and fulfilment centre in the seaside town of Dungarvan. The award of €100,000 has also enabled Susan to launch her new website.

Dust + Rock wrist pockets come in two sizes - mini and maxi - and are perfect for keeping your phone, keys, cards and essentials close to hand when out walking or exercising outdoors.

Find Dust + Rock at Stand J21

InnerZen - natural and organic skincare products

Cork South LEO

With the tagline “Where Nature and Holistic Wellbeing Intertwine”, InnerZen Organics is a small but growing company based in Co. Cork which specialises in natural and organic products that are specifically "anhydrous" or made without water. 

Brand founder Fiona Long has spent her entire career in the beauty industry, specialising in holistic therapies and brings this experience to the creation of her affordable, natural and organic range of skincare InnerZen. 

The brand uses natural oils, butters and essential oils to create a range designed to enhance the user’s wellbeing through water-free products which include eye creams, facial oils, dry body oils and rich body butters.

Find InnerZen at Stand J87

Rothlú - unique fabric and paper jewellery 

Mayo LEO

In late 2017, Frances McGonigle started experimenting with remnant un-dyed silk, cotton and linen fabrics as well as scrap paper accumulated from past work in bookbinding, discovering in the process a way to indulge her love of resist patterning, and a way to transform the material into jewellery. 

The act of turning waste fabric into beautiful wearable pieces has since become a “real thrill” for the designer whose jewellery is hand-patterned and hand-dyed using batik, sgraffito and shibori processes. 

Frances generally uses batik methods on fabric and shibori methods on paper. Batik involves using wax to resist applied dyes, whereas shibori involves pleating and folding of paper to create shape and form. The result is jewellery which is beauitiful in its subtlety and different to designs elsewhere on the market. 

Find Rothlú at Stand J35

Find more brands that are supported by their Local Enterprise Offices here.