Paul Costelloe
Encyclopedia
Paul Costelloe is an Irish designer and artist who has been a leader in British and Irish fashion for the last 30 years. His father, a successful figure in the Irish rainwear market, was originally from Limerick
and his mother, an American from New York. He was the youngest of a large family of seven children. In 1979 he married his wife Anne, with whom he, like his parents, has had 7 children. In 1999 he moved from Dublin to London where his designer label is based.
in Dublin, but left at the age of 16 and worked in a pig factory in the town of Cappoquin in Co. Waterford. Having looked into book-keeping for a short-period of time, a process of elimination left fashion design as the most obvious career choice due to his artistic strengths.
Soon after, in the late 1960s, Paul moved to Paris and trained in the Faubourg Saint Honoré Hautes Coutures boutiques and went on to become design assistant at Jacques Esterel. After a move to Italy where he worked as a designer for the upscale retailer, la Rinascente, Paul shifted across the Atlantic to New York where he experienced working in the burgeoning fashion industry on 7th Avenue. Upon his return to Dublin from the States in 1978, he set up his own independent fashion label in 1979; Paul Costelloe Collections.
The Paul Costelloe label was expanded to the UK in the early 1990s and with it, a new label; Paul Costelloe Dressage. By 1994, the business was established enough to have a flagship store in the prestigious Knightsbridge
area of London. The Paul Costelloe name is now well known throughout Ireland, the UK and abroad, with his clothing seen in retailers such as House of Fraser and John Lewis. The number of stand-alone stores has also seen a boom with shops appearing in all the major cities of the UK including Edinburgh
, Manchester
and Cardiff
. In 2000, Costelloe went into partnership with Signature Brands which specialises in the management and development of top fashion brands.
Despite having been quoted as describing his catwalk shows as "just PR" (Mirza, 2008), London Fashion Week
has been an intrinsic part of Paul Costelloe ladies wear. He has presented his Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter catwalk collections at London Fashion Week every season for the last 15 years, and has opened the week for the last 6 seasons due to the consistent flare his shows bring. According to the fashion industry journal Drapers
, Costelloe's “staying power is beyond dispute” (Mirza, 2008.) The models he has used include Jerry Hall
, Caprice
and Jodie Kidd
.
Women’s-wear makes up the most important aspect of Costelloe’s label, but in the past few years, Paul has injected his expertise and style into a new menswear line, a home-wear range with Dunnes Stores in Ireland and an optical collection of designer glasses.
Corporate wear has presented Costelloe with the opportunity to offer his services to many large corporations and businesses throughout the UK and the world. He designed the landmark uniform for British Airways
which was in use for 12 years from 1992 to 2004. Other airlines include Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, and Delta Air Lines. He has also designed the uniforms for British Gas, Sainsbury’s supermarkets and the Formula One team, the Orange Arrows.
The Costelloe brand has moreover entered the sporting world as he has designed the uniforms for teams and their relatives. The most prolific of these have been the Ireland Olympic Team uniforms for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the outfits for the WAGs
(Wives and Girlfriends) of the European Ryder Cup Team in 2006 at the K Club (Ireland) and at the Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky in 2008. Most recently, Costelloe designed the uniform for the England Women’s Cricket Team who claimed victory in the 2008 Ashes Series against Australia and in the 2009 Cricket World Cup.
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
and his mother, an American from New York. He was the youngest of a large family of seven children. In 1979 he married his wife Anne, with whom he, like his parents, has had 7 children. In 1999 he moved from Dublin to London where his designer label is based.
The Paul Costelloe Label
Originally based in Dublin, but now in the heart of London, Paul Costelloe’s fashion house has developed into a family run business and he continues to be at the helm of his own collections. He was educated at the well-known Catholic school, Blackrock CollegeBlackrock College
Blackrock College is a Catholic voluntary secondary school for boys aged 14–18, located in Williamstown, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. The College was founded by French missionaries in 1860, to act as a school and civil service training centre. Set in of grounds, it has an illustrious...
in Dublin, but left at the age of 16 and worked in a pig factory in the town of Cappoquin in Co. Waterford. Having looked into book-keeping for a short-period of time, a process of elimination left fashion design as the most obvious career choice due to his artistic strengths.
Soon after, in the late 1960s, Paul moved to Paris and trained in the Faubourg Saint Honoré Hautes Coutures boutiques and went on to become design assistant at Jacques Esterel. After a move to Italy where he worked as a designer for the upscale retailer, la Rinascente, Paul shifted across the Atlantic to New York where he experienced working in the burgeoning fashion industry on 7th Avenue. Upon his return to Dublin from the States in 1978, he set up his own independent fashion label in 1979; Paul Costelloe Collections.
The Paul Costelloe label was expanded to the UK in the early 1990s and with it, a new label; Paul Costelloe Dressage. By 1994, the business was established enough to have a flagship store in the prestigious Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
area of London. The Paul Costelloe name is now well known throughout Ireland, the UK and abroad, with his clothing seen in retailers such as House of Fraser and John Lewis. The number of stand-alone stores has also seen a boom with shops appearing in all the major cities of the UK including Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. In 2000, Costelloe went into partnership with Signature Brands which specialises in the management and development of top fashion brands.
Despite having been quoted as describing his catwalk shows as "just PR" (Mirza, 2008), London Fashion Week
Fashion Week
A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know...
has been an intrinsic part of Paul Costelloe ladies wear. He has presented his Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter catwalk collections at London Fashion Week every season for the last 15 years, and has opened the week for the last 6 seasons due to the consistent flare his shows bring. According to the fashion industry journal Drapers
Drapers
Drapers, formerly Drapers Record, was founded on 6 August 1887 as a magazine for the women's clothing retail trade. It is now the leading weekly business-to-business magazine covering the fashion retail sector...
, Costelloe's “staying power is beyond dispute” (Mirza, 2008.) The models he has used include Jerry Hall
Jerry Hall
Jerry Faye Hall is an American model and actress, also known for her long-term relationship with Mick Jagger, with whom she had four children.-Early life:...
, Caprice
Caprice Bourret
Caprice Bourret is an American supermodel, actress, television personality and businesswoman. She currently resides in the United Kingdom where she runs her company By Caprice Lingerie Ltd.- Early life :...
and Jodie Kidd
Jodie Kidd
Jodie Kidd is an English television personality and fashion model.-Early life:Jodie was a showjumper as a child and attended St Michael's School, Petworth.-Family:Jodie is the granddaughter from Hon...
.
Customers and Product
Costelloe has described his target customer as an "international, modern woman, aged between 27 and 97. She is discreet; she wants to be seen but not screened” (Costelloe, 2009, www.londonfashionweek.co.uk). It's probably fair to say that this typical target customer is likely to shop with a taste for quality and classic items that look likely to endure the test of time.Women’s-wear makes up the most important aspect of Costelloe’s label, but in the past few years, Paul has injected his expertise and style into a new menswear line, a home-wear range with Dunnes Stores in Ireland and an optical collection of designer glasses.
Corporate wear has presented Costelloe with the opportunity to offer his services to many large corporations and businesses throughout the UK and the world. He designed the landmark uniform for British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
which was in use for 12 years from 1992 to 2004. Other airlines include Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, and Delta Air Lines. He has also designed the uniforms for British Gas, Sainsbury’s supermarkets and the Formula One team, the Orange Arrows.
The Costelloe brand has moreover entered the sporting world as he has designed the uniforms for teams and their relatives. The most prolific of these have been the Ireland Olympic Team uniforms for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the outfits for the WAGs
WAGs
WAGs is an acronym, used particularly by the British tabloid press, to describe the wives and girlfriends of high-profile footballers, originally the England national football team. The term came into common use during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, although it had been used occasionally before that...
(Wives and Girlfriends) of the European Ryder Cup Team in 2006 at the K Club (Ireland) and at the Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky in 2008. Most recently, Costelloe designed the uniform for the England Women’s Cricket Team who claimed victory in the 2008 Ashes Series against Australia and in the 2009 Cricket World Cup.