Eddie: A Rebellious Designer with a Big Heart

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My son said to me, “Dad, when are you going to start easing off?”

And I said, “Well, it will be time enough when they screw the lid down.”

-Edward McIlwaine

It’s a moody summer day in Northern Ireland, oscillating between sunshine and down-pouring rain. A man in his 60s makes his way through the forested hillside of Glenariff. He is wearing patched hiking shorts, has brilliant white hair, wears a pair of small, round eyeglasses, and carries a Nikon DSLR camera firmly in his right hand. He comes to a barricade on the trail–a wooden structure heavy with “Do Not Enter” and “Danger” signs. The man tosses his rucksack over the fence, before climbing over.

Meet Edward McIlwaine, a 66 year old fashion designer and photographer from Northern Ireland.

35 Years of Design: Constantly Learning, Constantly Evolving

Over the past 35 years, Edward McIlwaine has been what might be considered a creative jack-of-all-trades, with experience ranging from clothing design to photography, landscape design to international marketing. He explains his work ethic as a hunger, describing how he left art college and dove head first into the fashion design career.

I think life is about learning. I don’t think you should just draw a line under “Clothing Designer” and call it that. -Edward McIlwaine

Twenty years later, McIlwain’s marriage came to an end with divorce, the cause of which he attributes to his long hours devoted to work. Ironically, his response was to expand his skill set and pursue additional avenues of work. He pursued an International Marketing Degree, landscape design, product design, and photography. “I’m a designer,” concludes McIlwaine, when asked about his work. “I mean, there is design in all of those things. Photography, even, is a form of design.”

A Creative Eye: Capturing a New Angle


IMG_5712-5McIlwain’s creativity was alive well before he attended art school. He can recall his passion for photography at the age of 10, and his pursuits of the hobby throughout his whole life. However, throughout the past several years, the hobby has expanded to become a greater part of his identity. With media passes, support form camera companies, and a website, McIlwain’s hobby has become much more than just a hobby.

McIlwain’s photography ranges from landscapes to “white knuckle” sports such as surfing, catamaran races, and horse racing. He goes to great lengths to find unique shots, whether it requires the patient timing in capturing a wave crashing against a rocky cliff, or experimenting with exposure settings, camera motion, zooming, and composition that violate the typical rules of photography.

Andy Hill is the owner of Troggs Surf Shop, as well as a surfer and photographer. Hill and McIlwain have been friends for nearly a year, now, and have an appreciation for one another’s work. Hill observes, “Eddie has an incredible eye for capturing images in a way that I wouldn’t capture them. That’s why I like his style. He’s a real people’s person, and that’s portrayed in his photographs, which are very people focused.”

Perseverance, Rebellion, and Passion

I’m not out to please everyone else. I’m out to please myself. -Edward McIlwaine

In order to achieve a unique shot, McIlwain will do just about anything, such as getting eyelevel with the oncoming flurry of hooves at the horse races, or getting drenched in water while standing at the end of a pier to capture the incoming storm waves. Often times, getting the shot requires crawling over fences or barricades into spaces that are labeled authorized personnel only.

“If a challenge pops up, I have to accept it. I would never run away from a challenge. -Edward McIlwaine

The idea of “going against the grain” appears as a trend in McIlain’s life and the stories he shares. He recalls being the only male in his program at art school.  At his first fashion design job, he was the first man the company had hired for a design team. He also admits that his photographs often contradict the norm for photography rules such as composition and exposure. “I’m a bit of a rebel,” McIlwain admits.

A Humble Person, a Generous Heart

Eddie uses photography to bring joy to people. He’s selfless and has a big heart for people.
 I find him to be an incredible person. -Andy Hill


Officially, McIlwain is retired, yet he has an abundance of projects on his plate. “I’ve had a very good life of fashion design,” he explains, “and it’s now time to help other people. I just try to help people who are maybe in a rut, have stopped thinking for themselves, to try to get those creative juices going.”

McIlwain has traveled in Africa on four occasions over the past few years. During these travels, he has used photography to capture both the beauty and hardships of life in Uganda. He has made connections with community members to help support their goals. He is working with one woman with her idea to create a clothing design college for locals, and with a man who dreams of opening a catering college to help prepare locals for jobs in the tourist industry. “So many people have a dream,” says McIlwain. “I’m just trying to bring that dream to reality.”

Hill describes how McIlwain so willingly helps others, and his sincere humility in lending a hand. “You don’t mind doing anything for Eddie,” explains Hill, “And he wouldn’t mind doing anything for you, as long as he thought you were getting a better life experience out of it.” 

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“I can’t just sit down and think ‘I’m just going to let life pass me by,’ ” explains McIlwain. “I mean life’s for living! And as long as I can get one leg past the other, I’ll keep going. I will never give up. Like when I was playing sports, and even when we were being beaten, you don’t give up till the final whistle, or the flag drops and you can’t do anymore. And that’s what you have to encourage people. Don’t give up so easy.”