ICONIC — MUSEUM PIECE
The Kate Dress
Presented at the Ulster Museum, Belfast as part of Ashes to Fashion — the museum's first major fashion exhibition in fifteen years.
Created in collaboration with glass artist Jennifer Hackett. The sculptural glass armour collar rests on the shoulders of the dress and reflects light across the structure.
THE ORIGINAL
Navy herringbone | Irish tweed
Where it began
The Kate Dress in navy herringbone tweed. Clean lines, defined waist, belted. The silhouette that has remained unchanged through every version that followed.
AUTUMN WINTER
Check tweed | Concrete
Into check
The Kate Dress in grey check tweed, photographed against concrete architecture. The same structure, now in pattern.
AUTUMN WINTER
Yellow check | Mallorca
In Mallorca
The Kate Dress in yellow check Irish tweed, photographed in front of a church doorway in Mallorca. Long sleeves for this version — the silhouette adapted for colder months while the structure stayed exactly as designed.
AUTUMN WINTER
Merino wool | Colour
Into merino
The Kate Dress in merino wool — and with that, into colour. The same waist, the same full skirt. Now in a deep mauve that showed how far the silhouette could travel while staying itself.
THE MUSEUM PIECE
Navy tweed x Glass armour
Ulster Museum
Ashes to Fashion — the museum piece
Selected for the Ulster Museum's Ashes to Fashion exhibition. A sculptural glass armour collar, composed of interlocking geometric forms by Jennifer Hackett, was created specifically for this piece. It rests on the shoulders of the dress and reflects light across the structure.
DESIGNER
Noema Damaris Prendergast
Founder of Noema James. The Kate Dress reflects the central philosophy of the brand — structured silhouettes, architectural balance and clothing designed to create presence and confidence. The dress was first designed in navy tweed and has evolved through checks, merino wool and linen while its silhouette has remained unchanged.
GLASS ARTIST
Jennifer Hackett
Glass artist working under Glass by Butler, member of the Glass Society of Ireland. Hackett created the sculptural glass armour collar composed of interlocking geometric forms — commissioned specifically for the Ashes to Fashion exhibition through the partnership between the Council of Irish Fashion Designers and the Glass Society of Ireland.
THE EXHIBITION
Ashes to Fashion
Ulster Museum, Belfast
On November 11th 1976, two firebombs at Malone House in Belfast destroyed the Ulster Museum's entire costume and textile collection — over 10,000 garments reduced to ash in a single night. It was one of the most significant cultural losses in Northern Ireland's history.
Fifty years later, after a painstaking process of acquisition, donation and curation led by curator Charlotte McReynolds, the collection has been rebuilt. Ashes to Fashion opened on 27 February 2026 and brings together 140 objects spanning five centuries — from an 18th-century handstitched Irish linen quilt (the sole survivor of the fire) to contemporary couture including a Chanel Haute Couture suit worn by Christy Turlington.
The exhibition features works by Jonathan Anderson, Elie Saab, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Rodarte, Christopher Kane, Paul Costelloe and Kindred of Ireland — alongside new commissions from Irish designers including Jennifer Hackett of Glass by Butler and Noema James.
The Kate Dress was selected for this exhibition through a collaboration between the Council of Irish Fashion Designers and the Glass Society of Ireland. It is the museum's first major fashion exhibition in fifteen years and runs until 13 September 2026.
As covered by: Irish Times · The Gloss Magazine · RTÉ Lifestyle · Irish News · Belfast Live · UTV