The Brill Building Launches "The Breathless Collection" to Raise Lung Cancer Awareness for The Marie Keating Foundation

Nov. 11, 2025

This International Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the Marie Keating Foundation unveils its most powerful and thought-provoking initiative yet–The Breathless Collection–a capsule collection of clothes and accessories designed to replicate the early symptoms of lung cancer. The leading cancer charity focused on early diagnosis and survivorship hopes the provocative education-based approach will encourage people not to ignore warning signs such as breathlessness, fatigue, or a persistent cough or a change in cough lasting more than three weeks.

A central element of the campaign is The Making of The Breathless Collection–a short film that takes audiences behind the scenes as lung cancer researchers, survivors and creatives collaborate to design the garments. The film reveals the craft, care and intention behind each piece–illustrating how creativity and compassion can combine to drive awareness and change. 

Lung cancer still takes more lives in Ireland than any other cancer, across both men and women. While advances such as immunotherapy and personalised treatments are improving outcomes, early detection remains the key to saving lives. The five-year net survival rate for lung cancer in Ireland is just 24%, and while this has been slowly improving in recent years thanks to new treatments, awareness of symptoms remains worryingly low. 

The Breathless Collection features bespoke garments and accessories–including a gilet, scarf, tote bag, shoes and coffee keep-cup–each designed to physically replicate the hidden weight, restriction and exhaustion that people with lung cancer may experience before diagnosis. Weighted fabrics and shoes as well as constrictive tailoring mirror symptoms too often dismissed as the toll of everyday life or aging.

Lung cancer survival rates are proven to improve dramatically when the disease is caught early. Greater symptom awareness will save lives. The problem? Too often the symptoms can be dismissed as simply the toll of daily life or getting older. What does fatigue or breathlessness feel like when it’s something to be concerned about? How will patients realise or loved ones notice? These are the questions the agency team led by creatives Peter Snodden and John McMahon asked. The Breathless Collection answers that.

Designed in collaboration with leading Irish cancer scientists and lung cancer survivors with the support of fashion stylist Cathy O’Connor and shot by renowned photographer Barry McCall, the collection transforms clinical symptoms into a tangible physical experience–to draw attention to symptoms that can too easily be dismissed by patients or their loved ones as the toll of everyday life or aging. 

The Marie Keating Foundation has consistently invested in innovation to build symptom awareness with the public through its award-winning Big Check Up campaigns–including Ireland’s first poster to catch lung cancer with messaging that only revealed itself when someone coughed, and the innovative “Filter Out Lung Cancer” Snapchat AR lens. 

Roisin Keown, CEO, The Brill Building commenting on the idea behind the campaign said: 

"This is a creative innovation that really can save lives.  We know that lung cancer survival rates are proven to improve dramatically when the disease is caught early. However, too often the symptoms can be dismissed as simply the toll of daily life or getting older. What does fatigue or breathlessness feel like when it’s something to be concerned about? How will patients realise or loved ones notice? These are the questions creative team Peter Snodden and John McMahon asked. The Breathless Collection answers that. Real world impact - that's what we pride ourselves on creating at The Brill Building.”

 

As part of the campaign, Irish TD Deputy Catherine Ardagh, a long-time advocate for cancer awareness, took part by wearing pieces from The Breathless Collection. Her participation highlights both the urgency of early detection and the importance of political leadership in delivering change.

Deputy Catherine Ardagh said:

“By the end of the day, I could feel the literal weight of what this campaign represents. It powerfully captures the daily struggle people face when living with undiagnosed lung cancer. Through my role in the Oireachtas, I am submitting a written Parliamentary Question to the Dáil calling for the introduction of a National Lung Cancer Screening Programme. We must act–early detection gives people a chance of better outcomes.”

 

Throughout November–International Lung Cancer Awareness Month–the public and public figures, ambassadors and members of the Oireachtas are being invited to “walk in the shoes” of those living with undiagnosed lung cancer by wearing items from the capsule collection. Their experiences will be shared across social media to raise awareness and drive a national conversation on early detection and screening.

Participating retailers and independent boutiques around Ireland will host the samples inviting the public to try on the pieces, understand the symptoms and look out for those in their loved ones and friends.

Supporting the campaign, Dr Martin Barr, Clinical Scientist and Clinical Senior Lecturer, Thoracic Oncology Research Group, Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute, said: 

"The key to successful lung cancer treatment and better survival outcomes, is early detection. Yet, too often, symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue, a pain in the chest or shoulder, or a persistent cough are overlooked until the disease has progressed. Initiatives like The Breathless Collection are vital in translating symptoms of lung cancer into something people can feel and understand–reminding us that awareness and early action save lives. We urgently need to ensure that early detection, through greater awareness and a national lung cancer screening programme becomes a reality for everyone in Ireland.”

 

Liz Yeates, CEO of the Marie Keating Foundation added: 

“Lung cancer remains Ireland’s biggest cancer killer–claiming more lives each year than breast, prostate and colorectal cancers combined. We are calling on the government to introduce a national lung cancer screening programme without delay, and we’re asking the public to join us by signing our petition and sharing this message. Early detection saves lives–and together, we can help ensure more people get the chance to survive.”