Paul Costelloe, one of the biggest names in Irish fashion, has died at the age of 80.
For more than 40 years, Costelloe spearheaded his family-run, eponymous fashion label. He is survived by his wife Anne and their seven children.
In a brief statement on Saturday, his family said they were “deeply saddened to announce the passing of Paul Costelloe following a short illness.
“He was surrounded by his wife and seven children and passed peacefully in London.”
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Famed for classical, elegant tailoring, Costelloe was a designer for the likes of Princess Diana, Wedgwood and British Airways. For the last 20 years, he partnered with Dunnes Stores to produce a range of menswear, womenswear, homeware and more.
Costelloe was born in Dublin in June 1945 to a Limerick father and a New Yorker mother. He was the youngest of seven children, and his father owned a raincoat factory in Dublin, exposing him to materials and fabrics from an early age.
Having trained in the Grafton Academy, Costelloe’s career in the fashion industry began in the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris. He was appointed design assistant to Jacques Esterel, before moving to Milan where he worked as a designer for luxury department store La Rinascente.
Four years in New York followed, and then came the establishment of his label, Paul Costelloe Collections, in 1979. He married his wife the same year, and the couple went on to have seven children – Jessica, William, Robert, Gavin, Justin, Paul-Emmet and Nicholas.
In 1983, Costelloe was appointed as a personal designer for Princess Diana, with whom he is often associated. The pair collaborated until her death in 1997.
He mostly dressed Diana for formal occasions, but one of his most memorable outfits for the late princess was a chiffon skirt that became slightly see-through when backlit, that caused some controversy.
As a result of Diana’s flourishing brand, Costelloe was invited to show at London Fashion Week in 1984. Last year, he celebrated a remarkable 40-year run as a fixture of the event.
At this year’s London Fashion Week, his brand presented a show that was the epitome of his work over the past four decades: An ode to the old heritage, bold and vibrant streets of Rodeo Drive in 1960s Beverly Hills, with the collection titled Boulevard Of Dreams.
In 2010, Costelloe was one of six contemporary Irish fashion designers featured on a set of Irish postage stamps issued by An Post, alongside Louise Kennedy, Lainey Keogh, John Rocha, Philip Treacy and Orla Kiely.
Along with Kennedy, he was a celebrity guest judge for the 2013 final of RTÉ Television’s Craft Master show.
Costelloe and his wife divided their time between Putney in London and Monkstown, Co Dublin. Costelloe continued designing through his later years. In September 2024, he launched his first bridal collection, Primavera.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was “very saddened” to learn of Mr Costelloe’s death.
“An icon of design, Paul elevated Irish fashion to the global stage,” he said in a statement.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said Mr Costelloe’s fashion house had built an extraordinary legacy that would live on.
“His was and is a quite remarkable Irish success story. His collaborations…reflected not just his skill but his abiding pride in his Irish roots which often inspired his craftsmanship,” he said.
“He leaves behind a body of work that shaped modern Irish fashion and will continue to shape it in the years to come.” – additional reporting: PA
