Limerick's First Lady
Celia Holman Lee talks to Andrea Smith about her beloved family and shares her expert tips on how to look fabulous.
Ask Celia Holman Lee how she got on with her husband Ger during the pandemic, and the answer reflects the Limerick woman’s brand of directness, mixed with a wicked sense of humour.
“There were days when we were fighting like cats and dogs and we killed each other,” she laughs, “and other days when we were fantastic and got on really, really well. It was up and it was down, but we came out of it and we’re still together.”
The ever-glamorous model boss started dating Ger Lee (as she always calls him) when she was 16 and he was 18, and they have now been together 54 years. She might be the creative face of the Holman Lee Agency, but Ger takes care of the business side of things and she'd be lost without him.
The impact of the pandemic on the fashion and modelling industries deeply grieved the proud Limerick woman, as clothes shops were closed - some never to open again - and fashion shows and annual festivals were cancelled. Anyone who has ever met Celia knows how deeply passionate she is about her job, so it’s no surprise that she found the whole experience “surreal.”
“Watching the industry I’ve been part of since I was 15 being wiped out from under us has been really scary. It was very, very difficult.”
“Watching the industry I've been part of since I was 15 being wiped out from under us has been really scary,” she says. “It was very, very difficult. I came back a bit on TV as the RTÉ Today show was very good to me and allowed me to film the fashion slots from Limerick. But I missed the friendships I've built over the years with the people we meet at the likes of the Rose of Tralee and the Ploughing Championships, because all of that was gone.”
Celia and Get
Celia feels fortunate that her children, Ivan and Cecile, and five beloved grandchildren live nearby so she was able to see them when visits were allowed. She tried to use lockdown to embrace social media a bit more, and was surprised when a series of videos on good posture that she recorded in her garden got great traction.
“To see something I had been teaching all of my life going viral really knocked me sideways,” she says. “I find the whole online world quite difficult, to be honest with you, because every time you get good at something, a new version comes along and the whole bloody thing changes again.” So we won’t expect to see Celia doing her thing on TikTok then? “Definitely not,” she says. “It’s Facebook and Instagram and the rest of them can go to hell because I'm not going near them.”
Celia is known for throwing a great bash, but the pandemic resulted in a more lowkey celebration of her 70th birthday last December than originally planned. “I was going to have a massive celebration because I love parties,” she says.
“I can't complain as other people got belted up over weddings and christenings. I went with the family to the Savoy hotel and we stayed over and had dinner and it was lovely.”
While the standard retirement age is 65, it won’t surprise anyone to learn that there is no sign of Celia wanting to slow down, as she lives and breathes her job.
“There should be choice,” she says, firmly.
“If you want to go at 65, you go, but if you don't want to, you should be allowed to stay and what you can off er should be taken into consideration.”
Celia attributes her famous work ethic and drive to being born into a wonderful, hard-working family headed by her dad, Jackie Holman, a lovely, quiet man who worked in CIE.
EARLY LIFe
Celia as a young model in the 1960s
Her beloved mum Kathleen didn't cope very well with life and existed in her own world at times, due to what Celia believes was undiagnosed and untreated depression.
As the only girl, a lot fell to Celia, who adored her mum and misses her hugely. "She taught me about survival and is still always in my thoughts,” she says, welling up. “She was beautiful and did everything she could for me. With people like my mother, you love them so much and your whole being becomes watching them and minding them. I think I got great strength from that and a real empathy. It made me into who I am now and gave me a knowledge and understanding of life.”
Celia left school at 15 to work in retail and was approached by a model agency scout on the street. Then a noted Irish dancer, she thinks she was successful as her dancing background helped her to move well with the clothes. Models back then were expected to maintain a particular image and be meticulously groomed at all times, and this discipline stood to her for the rest of her life.
Celia married Ger at 22, and they opened a boutique, Celia Lee's, which lasted for 19 years. They also started the modelling agency, initially catering for shows around Limerick, but expanding through sheer hard work and determination to the rest of the country.
Celia and Ger have two adult children, Cecile and Ivan, and she is very proud of them both. “I get on very well with my kids,” she says. “They’re wonderful, to be honest with you, and they’re fantastic parents and spouses and very good to myself and Ger as well.”
The grandchildren - Henry, Erika, Ryan, Tommy and Alexander - are aged between three and 11, and Celia describes them as “divine.” While we probably already know the answer to this one, but is she a strict grandmother? “Not one bit,” she admits.
“They can do what they like as far as I’m concerned. Their parents can chastise them if they want but I’m not doing it. They're as good as gold when they're with me anyway and they tell me they love me so I must be doing something right.”
The fashion industry has changed a lot since Celia started her agency, as influencers have come to the fore and more diverse body types and ages are being embraced. This, Celia feels, is a very positive development, and she was delighted to see older women like Helen Mirren walking for top designers pre-pandemic.
“They were dressed magnificently,” she says. “They weren't coming out in the minis or the skintight clothes with their arms out. They were dressed by the designers in their version of what suited each particular lady.”
Celia says that designers have woken up to the fact that plus size women are killing it on the social media influencing front, and are now creating ranges that embrace and flatter curves. “Half of the internet sensations are beautiful, curvy women,” she points out. “I'm loving the playful dresses that fall from under the bust, the nice full sleeves, the V necks, the soft knitwear, the longer jackets, and the easy baggy trousers with a crop leg that are out there now for plus sizes. It’s about time that the whole bloody lot of us in the rag trade and modelling industry woke up to women of all shapes, sizes and ages.”
When it comes to her own looks, Celia is a fan of ultherapy, which is a non-invasive skin tightening and lifting treatment. She is stunning, of course, but acknowledges that she has been blessed genetically. “We have to look up at the gods sometimes and thank them,” she says. “I love my few drinks, and I prefer champagne, of course, but make do with red wine and prosecco. I try to eat as best as I possibly can and I don't binge, because I’m 50 years in the business and it was kind of bred into us.”
The last year has been challenging but Celia says she is very happy with her life in general.
“Getting to where I am now, being content and being with my fabulous Ger Lee is wonderful,” she says. “And my children and grandchildren are the gift at the end of it all - they really are.”
CELIA’S TIPS FOR LOOKING FABULOUS
When it comes to feeling fabulous, Celia believes that taking pride in your appearance gives you great confidence. Here is some of the advice she has shared with Woman's Way on putting your best foot forward.
>> Dress for your best points. A waistline just below your bust will let the dress drape over your tummy or hips if you don't like them. If your knees are the issue, wear a dress that ends just below the calf, which is the thinnest part of your leg.
>> Learn how to apply your makeup. If you think you look too pale but don’t like false tans, check out the moisturising body lotions that have a bit of colour in them and give a beautiful glow.
>> Try and be comfortable in what you're wearing so you're not fixing yourself the whole time. For example, if you decide to wear a dress that shows o your boobs, you don’t want to spend the night worrying that it’s too low.
>> Size should not be an issue because there are so many labels out there that are embracing curves. If you're happy with your curves and you love your body, you will be the most wonderful, great-craic person to be around because you don't have issues with yourself.
>> If you buy a dress and the shape looks good on you, look at the label at the back. The next time you’re looking for an outfit, you’ll know that this designer or label makes clothes that work for your body.
>> Most of all, be strong in yourself, because no matter who throws compliments at you, the only way you can truly be confident is by believing in yourself.
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