Girl’s Night

Eimear Lynch, making her debut as an author, spent 2023 and 2024 traveling across Ireland, capturing with her camera how groups of girls get ready together for a night out. Drawing from her own teenage memories of sharing clothes with friends and preparing in front of makeshift mirrors, Lynch has immortalized this rite of passage that, despite evolving, retains its core essence. Her work is compiled in ‘Girls’ Night’ (IDEA, 2024). “It’s extraordinary. It’s the kind of book that other photographers, art directors, and fashion brands will reference. An instant classic,” says the publisher.

Lynch’s photographs depict teenagers in their bedrooms and bathrooms, applying makeup and experimenting with looks. She visited various communities, from rural areas like Toome in County Antrim to urban settings like Dublin, capturing a diverse range of styles and outfits. What struck her most was how, despite the passage of time, the process of getting ready for a nightclub remains largely unchanged. The girls still spend hours on this ritual, from applying self-tanner to doing their hair and makeup.

A common theme in the images is the popularity of tight-fitting bodycon dresses. Many teenagers buy these dresses from fast fashion brands like Pretty Little Thing and pair them with Converse sneakers. Lynch also noted that, thanks to social media tutorials, most of these girls are highly skilled in makeup and hairstyling.

‘Girls’ Night’ is not just a collection of photographs but also an emotional and nostalgic chronicle of adolescence, with contributions from Gráinne McCullough, Marley Nolan, and Eimear Lynch. Handwritten notes accompanying the images and a foreword by Irish designer Simone Rocha, who reminisces about her own teenage years, add a personal and authentic touch.