DEIRDRE MCQUILLANtalks to Dr. Denise Meagher, anthropologist.
DESCRIBE WHAT YOU'RE WEARINGIt's a purple satin halterneck dress, which I designed myself. It has a handpainted hawk, which was the inspiration for my recent installation of six pieces of clothing which took place in the Hilton Hotel, Kilmainham, in conjunction with the Nenagh-based photographer Tom Doherty. For me, the hawk is a symbol of freedom and energy. Designing is my hobby and I work on a small scale with a seamstress.
IS WHAT YOU WEAR ALWAYS FOR SALE?Invariably I get approached about what I wear and sometimes it is for sale. I only wear things once or twice, maximum, for evening. Daywear is different, but I hate to be seen in the same outfit twice.
WHAT ABOUT THE JEWELLERY?I'm wearing pearl earrings and a pearl bracelet, and I love my pearls. I have been collecting them for years. You can find good pearls in old furniture and antique shops in the country because they usually don't know their value. I can tell the real ones by the feel and the colour and I think the diamante clasps add to their beauty.
WERE YOU ALWAYS INTERESTED IN CLOTHES? Since as far as I can remember I have loved fabrics and colours, and after my Leaving Cert I asked my father if I could do a grooming course in Dublin at the Brand Agency. I learnt a lot, such as always keeping nails and hair well groomed and shoes polished. Little tips. There is so little emphasis on deportment in schools nowadays.
HOW DO YOU CONNECT CLOTHES WITH ANTHROPOLOGY?Anthropology is about people and about how they express themselves through the practice of life. I love how people dress themselves and their home spaces, and people express themselves through these things.
HOW DO YOU DRESS DURING THE DAY? I wear jeans, any type that suits, and white shirts, which I buy from Anne Fontaine in Paris. I have loads of them and occasionally have blouses made for me by a good local seamstress. I believe in spending money on good footwear and always have good pairs of brown and black boots in winter, which I buy in the sales, sometimes in BT. I'm not into labels, but more into quality.
WHAT IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM YOU'VE EVER BOUGHT?It was an extraordinary, colourful fur coat that I bought for my 34th birthday in Poland. I couldn't afford it now. I don't spend a lot now and most of what I wear is my own or what I pick up in the sales. I've become quite frugal.
DO YOU WEAR COLOUR?I love black and white for daywear, but for evening, I prefer a simple dress in a dramatic colour. Simple cuts, simple shifts suit me best.
HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?I was an au pair in Paris at the age of l9, working for an employee of Yves St Laurent. Natalie was stunning and I learnt French style from her, so I think there's a French twist to the way I dress. And I go nowhere without my Chanel No 5 eau de parfum. I think it's important for a woman to have her own scent.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PET HATES?I dislike Ugg boots intensely, but what I really hate is lack of individuality. Fashion can dictate too much and I prefer dateless style, which is beyond fashion. It is important to express yourself through what you wear. I like to quote Jackie Kennedy Onassis: "Another facet of style is freedom – without it there is no individuality."