Mairi Noonan

“Chan eil a-màireach air a ghealltainn”, highlights the decline in the use of Scottish Gaelic from the early 19th Century to today. Punk ideology runs throughout the concept featuring anti-establishment ideas, the importance of cultural identity and the inherently political nature of how Scottish Gaelic has been repressed. This is reflected in my design choices using words and phrases integrated into the textiles to create a wearable manifesto.

The gradual loss of Scottish Gaelic, and associated sadness is captured in John MacLean’s poem “A’ Choille Ghruamach”, and featured throughout the knit designs. MacLean expresses his personal dismay surrounding the decline in his use of Gaelic. Though written in the 1820s, much of the same sentiments are reflected in the modern day decline in Gaelic.

Story-telling of Gaelic history through song, poetry and music allows it to be understood on a more personal level. Spectrograms from an archive recording of the poem being sung are used as imagery, connecting to the importance of archives in preserving Gaelic history. The spectrogram also demonstrates the disintegration of the language over centuries through the graduating pixels, alongside the layering of text.

My final collection features 3 garments, alongside supporting samples. Fashion is key to expressing identity, particularly in the punk subculture. My collection aims to bring together contemporary issues, historical context and punk themes of identity.