(The Couturette story) Claire O Connor

Sunday, October 10, 2010

The 'Fashion Police' spotted The Couturette at New York fashion week

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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

A week that put the new back in New York

By Constance Harris
Sunday Sep 19 2010

I regularly complain that New York Fashion Week is never going to set the world on fire, such is its attachment to neutral sexuality, sportswear and a passionless beige/ grey colour palette.

But spring/summer 2011 may be the season that proves me wrong. The catwalks were ablaze with colour, sex appeal and newness, making this fashion editor sit up and appreciate the sweet fragrance of optimism and change.

Despite the 9/11 anniversary and Koran-burning theatrics, New York's fashion industry was declaring itself the business. Even Anna Wintour defrosted that infamous hauteur of hers and allowed randomers to snap shots of her with their phones.

There were big store openings -- Chanel in downtown SoHo was star infested. As was Tommy Hilfiger's superb 25th anniversary show and celebratory bash.

Tommy has always embraced change. He loves his country and he loves his customers, and he is constantly celebrating them both -- regardless of whether it wins him the approval of the notoriously snooty, international fashion media.

A decade ago, when he announced his intent to do high-end fashion (at a time when he was adored by the hugely successful hip-hop movement), the fashion pack declared him "not quite our thing" and said he would never make it into their lofty echelons.

But Tommy always does what he sets out to do. He came and he conquered. His collection for next spring, including his new Icon collection, which will be on sale in his flagship store in Dublin, is sexy, sassy, richly colourful, with much to appeal to the European consumer. Think body skimming, yet sophisticated, separates for day; striking, flowing, long gowns for evening; natty jackets; city shorts; and lots and lots of bright, vibrant, flattering, colour -- including a stunning royal blue.

Though he was not giving formal interviews at his show, Irish designer Claire O'Connor -- attending New York to show her own collection -- succeeded where no one else did and got to have a few words with Tommy. What was the best part of the last 25 years she asked him. "The start, when I did it all myself," Tommy said. "I sketched, I drew, I did everything."

But I did manage to get the man himself a few days later, when he told me about his Icon collection -- as well as how much he loves Ireland.

"I wanted to celebrate 25 years of the Tommy Hilfiger brand by creating a special collection inspired by my personal style icons," he said. "This is how I came to design the Icon collection, comprising my all-time favourite American classics, such as a classic blue blazer, a pea coat and a white Oxford shirt. These are timeless pieces."

Uptown, in his Madison Avenue store, Tom Ford, another of fashion's great survivors, was putting some boundaries up to the media. Only 80 representatives were invited to attend, and on the condition that no photos were taken. So, we have no shots of his collection on our pages.

Constantly reinventing himself and his work, Tom always has his finger on the pulse of where we are all going in fashion. And he has always been the champion of older women. His catwalk models included Amber Valletta, Julianne Moore (star of his film A Single Man) and Lauren Hutton. The looks were sophisticated and flirtatiously sexy.

Sadly, the woman who built her reputation on making real clothes for real women, Donna Karan, showed a collection that was old-fashioned and, well, past it. A bland palette of beige, cream and putty, featuring crunched fabrics, layers, ties and frayed edges -- this was clothing for women not just post-menopausal, but not interested in life at all.

And Victoria Beckham, who has been making great inroads into wealthy working-women's wardrobes, also delivered a collection that was less than what we have come to expect from her.

Thankfully others were making clothes to make people feel happy. Marc Jacobs' collection was gorgeous. Playful, soft, colourful and evocative, Jacobs is still playing with the Seventies, but his was a place we would all want to go. Lots of fitted, patterned sweaters, high-waisted, wide-leg trousers, maxi dresses, playful trench coats, playsuits and such.

I liked the quite dark, contemporary sexuality of Sophia Kokosalaki's collection for Diesel Black Gold. Also quite Seventies in feel, hers featured lots of brown leather and gold fabrics, and had a mature sexuality about it I admired.

Diane von Furstenberg also was playing, showing that she does what she believes in -- and it works for her. It works for this editor, too. She is the one designer who really does create flattering and exciting clothes for size-14 women.

Thakoon also was doing the Seventies thing, but in a dreamy, gentle way. I liked Michael Angel's collection, as well as Derek Lam's. Carlos Miele was the man of the week for event dresses, while at the opposite end of the style spectrum, Y-3, by Yohji Yamamoto for Adidas, showed how street wear should be done.

His collection of black, grey and blood-red soft jersey pieces, in a series of layered flowing tops and chains worn over figure-hugging bra tops, teamed with soft bottoms in all shapes, proved to be a nice contrast to all the American sportswear looks that are so much a feature of New York Fashion Week.

From an Irish point of view (apart from the fact that Tommy Hilfiger's mother was Irish, so we can bask a bit in his success), Edun, of Ali Hewson/Bono fame, presented its first catwalk show since Sharon Wauchob took over as designer. The autumn collection on sale in Brown Thomas Dublin has some great pieces that already hint at good things to come.

Edun for spring/summer 2011 is true to Wauchob's design signature -- and strength. It is a dark, quite complex collection featuring nothing that is usual, with plenty of coverage and depth. One to watch, I believe.

Congratulations, Ali. This time, I think, Edun is going to take off. As has New York Fashion Week. London is going to have a tough act to follow.

- Constance Harris

Sunday Independent

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

RSVP WEDDINGS magazine

What the press said about 'the eurovision dress'

Niamh wore a flowing purple dress with a neckline of Swarovski crystals by Irish Designer Claire O'Connor. ''It's a brilliant design and it makes me feel great'' says Niamh ''It's really beautiful'' -The Star-

Looking positively resplendent in the striking purple dress fashioned especially for her by Claire O'Connor
-Sunday Independent-

Kavangh bedecked in a purple gown -Irish Examiner-

Meanwhile, her costume certainly won't disappoint, as she'll be stepping out in a regal purple, long-sleeved gown by up-and-coming designer Claire O'Connor.
The eye-catching creation features a stiff bodice made of duchess silk with hand-beaded jewel embellishments along the neckline. Several chiffon over-layers and beading along the side-slit make for a show-stopping effect
-Evening Herald-

Looking Stunning after a last minute switch to a purple Claire O'Connor dress -Irish Daily Mail-

The flame-haired singer appeared on stage dressed in Claire O'Connor-designed ensemble, a regal purple long-sleeved gown, which featured hand-beaded jewel embellishments along the neckline
-Irish Independent-

She looked sensational last night in a floor-length purple dress with clusters of swarovski crystals
-Irish Daily Mirror-

Eurovision 2010

THE IRISH ENTRY AT EUROVISION 2010 DRESSED IN CLAIRE O'CONNOR

The Irish Exposure Spring Summer fashion show

Ireland Am -TV3

The Couturette has replaced 'The Little Black Dress' with 'The Little Shocking Pink dress'.......xoxox

Fashion: Irish designer's sales

30.07.10

We are all about supporting talent on Ireland AM and this morning is no exception. With the sales nearly finished, now is the time to bag a bargain and with some fantastic creations from some of the country's up and coming designers and labels, stylist Courtney Smith has brought along three more looks from her top selection.

Claire O'Connor
Dress €495

The Design Centre
Powerscourt Centre
www.powerscourtcentre.com

'It's good to buy and support Irish' - Ireland Am-TV3

http://www.tv3.ie/videos.php?video=25344&locID=

Sunday Independent - Living - Fashion

Exposed - a tide of homegrown talent

..There were internationally renowned design stalwarts , such as John Rocha and Philip Treacy, showcasing alongside fresh talent Claire O'Connor, Mia O'Connell and Dawn Fitzgerald, and yet the latter group more than held their own.......

..................I heard Claire O'Connor's silk, full length, printed dress being talked about long after the fashion show was over..... -Sunday Independent-

Spring/Summer 2010

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ANGELA HALPIN

STYLING BY CLAIRE O CONNOR

Sunday Independent Life Magazine-Best dressed lady: make mine an Irish

Sunday Jan 24 2010

The Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown is one of those events that capture the imagination. Unlike other meets, it is glamorous in an old-school, country way, but also embraces modern Irish savoir faire.

Which, when I met the Hennessy family in Cognac in France, turned out to be the way they dressed, too. Think Irish tweed suits and coats worn with bespoke shirts, topped off with hats, or caps, of personality.

The next Hennessy Gold Cup is on Sunday, February 7. This year is its 20th anniversary, and the fourth year of the Design Centre's association with the Best Dressed Lady award.

I love the Hennessy Gold Cup Best Dressed Lady because it is a competition that seems to provoke individuality. It is not all about wearing this year's Dolce, but rather about how good you are at portraying your own fashion stamp, while staying warm -- well, it is still winter!

This year the judges are Aisling Kilduff, owner and buyer for the Design Centre, milliner Philip Treacy, Caroline Sleiman of Hennessy and fashion blogger and stylist Annmarie O'Connor. The prize is a €4,000 gift voucher for the store, with a runner-up prize of €1,000. You can enter the competition by registering on the day at the new registration desk in the Tote Hall, or you can pre-register online atwww.hennessybestdressed.ie. But of course there will still be fashion scouts, because we all know what a reticent lot Irish women are!

"Irish women are very modest about their style," Aisling told me. "They love their clothes, but they don't like to scream about how much effort they put into their look." Aisling cut her teeth working with the best of Irish design and Irish customers, back in the early Nineties. Throughout the Celtic Tiger, when we all seemed to want only foreign designers, Aisling still kept a large part of her fashion floor full of Irish design while picking up edgy, international talent, such as Preen and Jasmine di Milo. "My customers always appreciated Irish design," Aisling explained. "But this past year, customers are coming in and the first thing they ask me is: 'Where are the Irish labels?' And the fact is, they are now nearly the whole store, such has been the demand."

Aisling has been scouting for new Irish talent. Philip Treacy, John Rocha, Roisin Linnane, John McCormack, Claire-Ann Lawler-Darcy -- most of us know these. But, I'll bet, not Claire O'Connor, Sean Byrne, Eilish Kennedy, Dawn Fitzgerald and Mia O'Connell. All are unique, gifted design talents.

Aisling's shop floor is a mixture of modern, sharp tailoring mashed with a soft, romantic, individualistic femininity. Practicality and beauty: a perfect combination for the Hennessy Gold Cup's Best Dressed Lady!

Photography by Andreas Pettersson

Fashion edited by Constance Harris

Sunday Independent

Victoria Smurfit in Claire O'Connor

So here is 'the red carpet showstopper' they were chatting about on TV3's Xposé

As seen on Xposé (TV3)

Claire O'Connor's red silk duchesse evening gown has been described as 'certainly a red carpet showstopper' - Xposé.

http://http://www.tv3.ie/videos.php?video=22540&locID=

6 page editorial for Sunday Independent Life Magazine

16-08-09

It's been my experience that most young designers are somewhat premature in launching themselves onto the marketplace. But not Claire O'Connor.

She set high standards for herself, working for several years with highly respected designers to learn her craft. Consequently, she is more than ready to take her place in the ranks of exclusive designers, as the Claire O'Connor collection joins Philip Treacy, Preen and Jasmine di Milo in The Design Centre.

Claire is what Pauric Sweeney would call a demi-couturier. That means her garments are not entirely hand-sewn, but most are hand-done one-offs, with a labour-intensive detail. Claire is an originator, creating unique clothing. Her style stamp is a cross between Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix, featuring sophisticated tailoring, body-con fit, sex appeal, urban savvy, eclecticism and visual interest.

"My passions are hip-hop music and high-end fashion, so in my work I am diffusing the two," Claire, who has two labels, explains. "My style is classic, with a bit of an edge. I do get a lot of inspiration from the Paris couturiers. I love exceptional tailoring and finish. But I also love challenging the 'normal'."

Claire's playful attitude masks her superior competence and cutting ability. Her creations range from funky streetwear to sophisticated occasionwear, the latter featuring sumptuous cocktail dresses and evening coats with drop-dead fit and hand-embellished work. She is obsessive about fit and finish.

"After graduating from the Grafton Academy, I worked for Marc O'Neill. He had an unusual eye for design and was obsessive about cut -- I learnt a huge amount," she says. "I then worked for Jen Kelly, haute couturier. There I learned the importance of attention to detail and finish. But," she adds, "I can never resist playing. It has to have a twist to keep it interesting."

Claire set up her own label five years ago and she got a lot of bridal and occasionwear commissions. But when she started doing a ready-to-wear range of jersey pieces for Designer Knitwear Direct in Dalkey, she won a new fanbase. Her willingness to work with customers' needs, creating individual patterns for women up to size 22, has won her devoted loyalty. One fan describes Claire as "a little miracle worker".

Her collection for The Design Centre comprises 12 dress styles, which can be bought ready-to-wear or ordered to fit. There are also some stunning jackets and coats with unique detailing. And this is just the beginning. Expect great things.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGELA HALPIN

FASHION EDITED BY CONSTANCE HARRIS

STYLED BY CLAIRE O'CONNOR