Paul Costelloe dies at 80: the Irish designer who dressed Princess Diana and shaped London Fashion Week. Timeline, legacy, and why his work still resonates.
Paul Costelloe, one of Ireland’s most recognisable fashion names and a longtime favorite of Princess Diana, has died at 80. The designer built a label defined by sharp tailoring, lyrical prints and a warm Irish sensibility that spoke to both couture clients and the high street.
News of the death circulates across British and Irish fashion circles, prompting tributes from designers, stylists and retailers who grew up with his shows in London. For many, his name is familar with the early image of Princess Diana in the 1980s and early 1990s, a time when Costelloe’s refined daywear helped define a public-facing royal wardrobe watched around the world.
Paul Costelloe at 80 : what we know and why it matters
Born in Dublin in 1945, Paul Costelloe rose during the late 20th century as one of the most exportable Irish fashion talents. His label became a regular at London Fashion Week for decades, a steadfast presence while trends whirled from power dressing to minimalism to street-led luxury.
He became closely associated with Princess Diana, whose patronage in the 1980s elevated the brand beyond the catwalk. Those polished coats, neat skirt suits and soft-shouldered jackets were not just looks. They were signals of a new, assured public style that felt modern yet respectful of tradition.
The house expanded beyond runway collections into accessories and lifestyle lines, bringing a precise, feminine tailoring language to a broader audience. That bridge between rarefied fashion and accessible design anchored his reputation in both Ireland and the UK retail scene.
From Dublin salons to royal closets : the rise of Paul Costelloe
The designer honed a clean, wearable silhouette that translated from private fittings to global photo calls. The 1980s and early 1990s marked a decisive period. Appearances by Princess Diana created instant demand, with international buyers seeking the same confident lines and flattering cuts they saw on front pages.
While many contemporaries chased spectacle, Paul Costelloe doubled down on craft. Tailored wool coats, silk day dresses and crisp shirting formed the backbone of collections. It was a language of ease rather than excess. The approach aged well as fashion cycled through eras, keeping his work aligned with how people actually dress.
By the 2000s, collaborations and diffusion ranges brought his name to new shoppers, while core collections stayed focused on fit and finish. That balance preserved the label’s credibility with editors and helped it weather retail shocks that hit so many heritage brands.
Legacy, influence and the clothes that still work
Paul Costelloe’s legacy rests on clarity. A belief that a great coat can carry a season. That print should lift, not overwhelm. That a jacket lives or dies by its shoulder and waist. On runways and in department stores, those principles held steady for more than forty years.
There is also the cultural imprint. The Diana years connected Irish design to a global audience at a time when London was reasserting itself as a fashion capital. Photographs from that period still circulate every season, inspiring stylists who build new looks from the same clean lines and poised proportions.
In practical terms, the clothes endure. Vintage Paul Costelloe pieces from the late 1980s and 1990s continue to turn up in resale, prized for structure that has kept its shape and fabrics that have not tired. Collectors look for label-era hallmarks, from precise seaming to muted checks and quietly romantic florals.
What comes next for the brand will be watched closely. Archives carry the DNA that can guide a future chapter, and the market still rewards designers who understand real-life wardrobes. The story Paul Costelloe wrote across Dublin studios, London runways and royal engagements leaves a clear blueprint: design with kindness to the wearer, then let the clothes do the talking.