London’s party scene has a new queen, and her name is Sinead Gorey. Born and bred in South East London, Sinead’s label is a love letter to British youth culture — from the chaotic charm of Bromley house parties to the “chavvy-chic” icons of her teenage years, Gorey’s influences span everything from British heritage to contemporary trends, blending nostalgia, rebellion, and confidence into her signature cutouts, eye-catching prints, and provocative silhouettes.
While her work is deeply rooted in the British rave scene, it isn’t confined by it; her designs evolve with her, drawing on everything from nostalgia to unexpected obsessions like TikTok aesthetics and medieval history. In this interview, Sinead shares her journey from thrifting treasures on eBay to gaining attention on one of fashion’s biggest stages, London Fashion Week.
South East London has such a rich and diverse cultural history. What are your earliest memories of growing up there, and how did it shape your sense of style and creativity?
My earliest memories of growing up in Bromley is spending weekends at the Glades shopping centre getting up to mischief, house parties, Facebook photo albums. I remember getting the bus to school every day admiring the older girls at the back decked out in Juicy tracksuits, Ugg boots, and Paul’s Boutique bags. My sense of style has come a long way from then, but I’ll always have a soft spot for those "chavvy" aesthetics.
What was it like navigating fashion as a teenager in London? Did you thrift, DIY, or have some secret spots where you shopped for clothes?
I was an eBay addict, buying vintage designer bits for super cheap. I have also been an avid charity shop miner from early on.
If you could have any celebrity walk one of your collections, who would it be and why?
It would be iconic to have Kaya Scodelario walk, her role as Effy in Skins is just the epitome of every teenage British girls muse in the late 2000s.
Is the Gorey girl a reflection of the rave scene, or has she evolved into something broader?
I think that she has evolved as I have evolved over the years, I’m 27 now and my interests have changed from when I first started the brand. I still love a good knees up, but long ago are the days where I would go raving every weekend. The brand will always carry the attitude that reflects what I remember the rave scene to be like, although its very different now to when I was going to squat parties. I like to bring in different references each season, and always feel inspired by my British heritage which has become a large part of the brand’s influences.
You made your London Fashion Week debut in 2019 with a solo presentation, supported by the British Fashion Council. Can you take us back to that moment — what was it like to step onto one of the world’s biggest fashion stages so early in your career?
I hadn’t even graduated yet. I was lucky enough that someone from the BFC had seen my graduate collection at the Silver Building, where I put on a presentation and party. They had a slot become available at LFW in the discovery lab for a presentation, offered it to me for free, and of course I took it! All I had to cover was the models and glam, luckily I had a lot of stunning friends and talented hair and make-up friends. It was a surreal experience and to be honest I had no idea what I was doing. Covid hit maybe five months later and I wasn’t able to show for another few years.
Did it open doors you didn’t expect?
In the beginning it didn’t really open many doors, I have had to work really hard to get the recognition I am starting to finally receive, I was never a NewGen designer, so I had to do it all on my own.
How important is it for emerging designers to find these types of opportunities early on?
It’s important to show full collections as an emerging designer, but I think shows or presentations aren’t right for every brand. With the rise of social media, there are so many other ways to market your brand, so it’s just finding what’s right for you.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in preparing for LFW?
Sponsors dropping weeks before the show, not having a venue until days before, having to get out loans because of cash flow problems, samples not arriving in time, the list is endless.
How important is the setting of your shows to the storytelling behind your collections?
I think that where you host your show is so important, its the easiest thing in the world to just hire a space, put in some benches and lights, and then throw models down the catwalk. It really is the effort that goes into the set and concept around the collection that creates any sort of emotion in the people watching.
Are there elements or motifs you think will always remain consistent no matter how much your brand evolves?
For sure, the sexy, tight silhouettes will always remain, as well as cut outs, vivid prints, and bright colours. I’m interested in exploring tailoring and creative pattern cutting techniques at the moment, so this will be reflected in the new collection.
How do you begin the creative process for each season — does it start with a single visual idea, a memory, or something else entirely?
Usually it’s something I have thought about the season before but never managed to achieve, alongside what I’m currently into. I have been really interested in British medieval history recently, reading books on ancient British witches and my whole TikTok feed is at the moment is pub and country living. I’m really into British plaid and tartan fabrics, tailored wool capes, and sexy dog-walking fits. It’s usually very random things like this that help inspire parts of the collection, but always keeping a party-girl muse at the core.
What role does fabric experimentation play in your creative process, and how do you decide which materials will best reflect your vision for a collection?
Every season, I manage to find a new fabric I obsess over and then that takes up a lot of the new collection. I recently found a wet-look coated jersey that I can’t stop thinking about, so I’m sure that will take up a lot of the next season.
Custom collaborations, like your recent work with Converse and Ed Hardy, play a big role in your collections. What’s the process like when integrating an iconic brand into your designs while maintaining your signature aesthetic?
It’s amazing to be able to work with big iconic brands, but I think it’s important to make sure that they align with your own brand aesthetic. For example, last season we worked with Converse and the whole concept behind the show was ‘Prom’. Converse was the perfect partner for this! Using the iconic knee-high style, but with our own custom colour ways and studded naval piercings, we were able to put our own spin on it.
Social media has made a huge impact on how fashion is consumed and celebrated. Do you think platforms like Instagram and TikTok have changed the way you approach your design process or how you market your collections?
Social Media has such a big part to play in how people shop, everything is very trend led so I think it would be insincere to say that they don’t impact the approach or how you design. Having a viral moment on socials is a good feeling, but at the end of the day it’s timeless design and silhouettes that will stand the test of time.
Looking back on your career so far, what do you wish you had known when you first started? Is there anything you would have done differently?
I wouldn’t have rushed everything so much at the start. I would have spent longer at the start really figuring out what the brand represents.
What’s next for the Sinead Gorey brand? Do you see your brand staying rooted in the party and rave culture it’s known for, or are there opportunities to expand into other aesthetics or lifestyles?
I think the brand has already started to veer away from rave culture as such, I think we represent so much more than just that. It’s more of a feeling or attitude. It’s rave, it’s party, it’s British, it’s punk, it’s fun, it’s sexy, it’s nostalgic and everything that surrounds that.
