Women in Business - Fashion
We have 52 brilliant Irish women (one for every week of the year) excelling in beauty, fashion, food and home.
The myth of the self-sacrificing, self-deprecating Irish woman is out, and the reality of the multi-talented and hardworking female boss is in.
As you’ll see, the abundance of creative talent of Mná na hEireann is astounding.
Fashion
1>> SONYA LENNON, LENNON COURTNEY No stranger to the world of design, Sonya Lennon cut her very fashionable teeth working as a stylist, before making her way onto our screens in 2008, where she co-presented RTÉ’s flagship fashion show, Off the Rails.
From there she and Brendan Courtney created the Irish fashion brand Lennon Courtney in 2015. With cutting-edge, sharp and professional pieces at prices real women can afford, the brand has become truly established.
Visit lennoncourtney.com
2>> JOANNE HYNES Bold, bright and rebellious, Joanne Hynes is a designer you cannot miss. Her Dunnes Stores collaboration has brought her right into the forefront of accessible fashion, but this mega star’s designs have sold all over the world. In the past, Joanne has had successful collaborations with Pretty Polly hosiery in 2012 and Joanne Hynes for Topshop 2006.
The Tuam native graduated from London’s Central Saint Martins, 2001. Her big break came when Nicola Formichetti (Lady Gaga’s stylist) spotted Joanne in London and ordered some of her designs.
Visit joannehynes.com
3>> FIONA HEANEY, FEEG Since its inception in 2003, Fiona Heaney’s fee G brand has become a firm favourite with the Irish style set. Instantly recognisable thanks to the NCAD graduate’s love of vibrant colour and eye-catching pattern, it’s become the go-to for occasions such as weddings, communions and christenings.
Visit fee-g.com
4>> LOUISE KENNEDY The doyenne of Irish fashion since 1983, Louise Kennedy’s iconic
style is stamped all over our country and beyond. From the boardroom to the red carpet, Louise Kennedy has designed for an impressive list of fashion lovers. From her Merrion Square hub which has become synonymous with the label itself, Louise’s designs have the ability to stand the test of time and imbue the wearer with an air of elegance and sophistication; key factors in why she has remained so popular for so many years.
Visit louisekennedy.com
5>> SIMONE ROCHA Simone Rocha has fashion in her blood. Her father is fashion designer John Rocha, who became a household name in Ireland in the ‘80s/‘90s. Simone has carved out her own path and style identity. She launched her graduate collection in 2010 at London Fashion Week and has since gone on to scoop up a host of awards. She’s worked with J Brand, Moncler and last year she collaborated with Swedish retail giant H&M to much acclaim. Celebrity fans include Rihanna and Kate Middleton.
Visit simonerocha.com
6>> ZOË JORDAN Offering up fresh, clean lines, with a twist of modern elegance, Zoë Jordan has established herself as a mainstay of the modern young woman’s wardrobe.
With a queue of celebrities such as Kiera Knightly and Cara Delevigne adoring her creations, the ‘Zoë Jordan Girl’ is full of confidence, passion and spirit.
Visit zoe-jordan.com
7>> HELEN CODY One of Ireland’s most coveted bridal gown designers, Helen Cody has worked in Paris as a stylist for French Vogue, as well as stints in New York and London, before coming back to Ireland to re-launch her label in 2013.
Made of exquisite Italian and French silks, cashmere and laces, her exceptional pieces are the stuff of sophisticated couture.
Visit helencody.com
8>> JENNIFER ROTHWELL Princess of prints, Jennifer Rothwell’s vivid designs are exquisite. Renowned for her striking digital prints on luxury fabrics such as silk, she has worked with names including,
Norma Kamali, Katayone Adeli and Calvin Klein, before setting up her own label in 2006.
Visit jenniferrothwell.com
9>> HELEN STEELE Serving up a delectable range of technicolour delights, Helen Steele is without doubt Ireland’s most kaleidoscopic designer and artist. Creating “wearable works of art”, the Co Monaghan born designer’s visually stunning pieces, are what the world needs right now.
Visit helensteele.com
10>> SORCHA O’RAGHALLAIGH With a list of celebrity fans as long as both arms, there’s no doubt that Sorcha O’Raghallaigh is destined for fashion greatness.
Everyone from Lady Gaga, to Beyoncé has flocked to the designer’s one-of-a-kind pieces which focus on embellishments and a clever use of textiles. Offaly-born Sorcha trained with both John Galliano in Paris and Diane von Furstenberg in New York.
Visit sorchaoraghallaigh.com
11>> LAINEY KEOGH Lainey Keogh’s cashmere creations and spiderweb pieces became the must-have item of the style set in Ireland in the ‘90s. She soon garnered a reputation for excellence all over the world, amassing a bevy of dedicated followers including the late, great and very stylish Elizbeth Taylor and modern mavens Naomi Campbell and Jennifer Aniston.
Visit laineykeogh.com
Accessories
12>> NICKI HOYNE Nicki Hoyne is very much the embodiment of a modern success story. She started an online fashion and accessories store called My Shining Armour in 2014, where her items would gather cult-like status and sell out. Always someone who’s been ahead of the curve, she soon wanted to focus on more sustainablefashion production and make meaningful fashion accessories people would hold onto.
In October 2020 she launched her first collection of crossbody camera bags and by the following Spring, she created her stunning flat point toe tassel shoe.
Visit nickihoyne.com
13>> PAULA ROWAN Most recently seen on the very fashionable fingers of Lady Gaga in the blockbuster film, House of Gucci, Paula Rowan may just be the most famous glover in the world. A gifted craftsperson and follower of traditional glove making, her signature style is a thing of sheer beauty. Elevating the humble hand into something on par with a work of exquisite fi ne art, conveying sophistication in every gesture, it’s no surprise her designs have made it on the hands of some truly incredible people. Madonna, Kendall Jenner, Helen Mirren, Chloë Sevigny - the list is endless.
Visit paularowan.com
14>> KEIRA AND DAIRINE KENNEDY, KDK Stylish sisters Keira and Dairine Kennedy couldn’t find stylish scarves to pull outfits together and so they put their creative minds to work and decided to set up a brand.
Their luxury scarves feature unique prints on cashmere and silk. They’ve immortalised scenes from all over the country, from the Sugar Loaf in Co Wicklow to the cobbled streets of Dublin.
Stocked in a host of hot design destinations in Ireland, including Brown Thomas and Avoca, the women who both have backgrounds in the world of business have diversified into eye masks, throws and hair accessories.
Visit kdk.ie
15>> SÍNE VASQUEZ, SÍNE VASQUEZ JEWELLERY Using traditional goldsmithing techniques and drawing on her family heritage of stonemasons and carpenters, Síne Vasquez spent 14 years as a specialist cancer physiotherapist. She studied traditional jewellery and goldsmith skills at the School of Jewellery Ireland in 2013. She went to set up her own brand and continues to support cancer patients as a jeweller, through her partnership with Tanzanian children’s cancer charity wearetlm.org.
Visit sinevasquezjewellery.ie
16>> SIOBHAN QUINN, BALLYBOY DESIGN Siobhan Quinn capes feature pure Irish tweed and opulent silk linings in an array of sumptuous colours. With a background in marketing and management consultancy, she set up the label in 2015 in her native Co Longford and has amassed a loyal following of admirers who adore her contemporary take on the classic Irish tweed cape.
Visit ballyboydesign.ie
17>> LAURA WEBER, LW PEARL Laura Weber landed in New York in 2013 with no job, nowhere to stay and no contacts to speak of. With the sheer determination that has defined her, she headed to the Garment District in Manhattan and the rest is history. With a passion for embellishments and embroidery she produced pieces for the likes of Michelle Obama, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga. Even the First Lady of the United States, Dr Jill Biden, has worn a coat and dress exquisitely beaded by Weber.
Visit lwpearl.com
18>> CIARA SILKE Ciara Silke worked in New York at Diane Von Furstenberg. Immersed in a world of opulent fabrics, psychedelic prints and given the chance to flex her design muscles, she thrived. She came home to set up her eponymous label in 2014. Since then her creations have graced the Hollywood elite as well as the hallowed pages of Vogue.
Visit ciarasilke.com
19>> CHUPI SWEETMAN, CHUPI Chupi Sweetman’s heirloom pieces of jewellery have become must-haves, now sold in over 67 countries. Chupi oversees most of her growing and successful global business online. With an air of the old-meets-new, each piece is an investment and a marker for a milestone, although increasingly more of Chupi’s customers are women buying for themselves.
Visit chupi.com
20>> JULIE PEELO, PEELO
After spending 20 years working as a top accessory designer for brands like John Galliano and Diane Von Furstenberg, Julie Peelo is doing it for herself. Her pieces have been worn by everyone from Jessica Biel to Jennifer Lopez. A graduate of NCAD, Julie came home to Dublin and set up her own label in 2020.
Visit peelo.ie
21>> MARGARET O’CONNOR Millner, designer, DJ and artist, it’s impossible to pigeonhole the irrepressible Margaret O’Connor. Her big break came in 2013 when Lady Gaga donned one of her creations at the Isabella Blow Exhibition in London. The Clare native, who studied Fine Art in Galway and Mayo Institute of Technology, has worked with renowned milliner Philip Treacy. With a range of awards under her belt, her accessories designs include jewellery and headpieces.
Visit margaretoconnor.ie
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