When Team Ireland graced the opening ceremony dressed in an all-white uniform bearing shamrock, prov- ince and county references there was a magical feeling of national pride – and everyone wanted to know what talented creative was behind the designs. That would be Dublin-raised, New York City-based designer Laura Weber, who was tasked by the Olympics Federation of Ireland to create the official uniform. Three years in the making, the uniform comprised two jackets (white for the opening ceremony and green for the closing), a fine-knit t-shirt, trousers and trainers. The jackets were embroi– dered with each athlete’s name, county emblem and four shamrocks to represent the four provinces. White was the chosen colour for its association with the Olympics’ Greek heritage, prosperity and hope, and Ireland’s Olympic centenary. Weber has described it as her proudest achieve- ment, but the designer has countless career highlights stateside too. Her atelier LW Pearl offers couture services to fashion designers where she and her team interpret a designer’s vision with bespoke stitching, beading and other embellishments. The NCAD textile graduate is the embellishment designer of choice for Marc Jacobs, Proen– za Schouler and Thom Browne. She serviced the outfits of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour and Sabrina Carpenter’s current Short N Sweet tour. And her intricate embroidery featured on Jill Biden’s outfit for her husband’s inauguration in 2021. She is the youngest own- er of a fashion factory in Manhattan’s Garment district and she is putting Ireland on the global fashion map in extraordinary ways.
