Sybil Connolly | |
|---|---|
 Connolly, c. 1954 | |
| Born | 24 January 1921 Swansea, Wales |
| Died | 6 May 1998 (aged 77) Dublin, Ireland |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
Sybil Connolly (24 January 1921 – 6 May 1998) was a celebrated fashion designer and global icon known for her innovative use of traditional Irish textiles in haute couture. Often described as "Dublin's Dior", she achieved international repute and success, making her one of the first Irish designers to do so.[1] She was a member of the "Big Three" Irish fashion designers (along with Irene Gilbert and Raymond Kenna/Kay Peterson),[2][3] and was described by former Taoiseach (prime minister) Jack Lynch as "a national treasure."[4]
She worked with brands such as Tiffany & Co., Bloomingdales and among her fashion label's famous clients were America's First Lady, and style icon Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, the Rockefellers and Mellons.[1][5][6] Her activities were covered in both the fashion press and the social columns of publications such as the Hollywood Reporter.[7] Described by Bettina Ballard as a "personable milk-skinned Irish charmer,"[8] she came to the notice of Carmel Snow, the Dalkey-born editor of Harpers Bazaar. Snow was instrumental in introducing Sybil Connolly to the American market and press. [6]
- ^ a b "About Sybil". The Hunt Museum. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ "Regard Dublin Stylists As Distinctly Different". The Central New Jersey Home News. New Brunswick, New Jersey. Associated Press. 21 April 1963. p. 15. Retrieved 30 January 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ O Sullivan, Kathleen (16 November 2016). "'Fashion with an Irish Brogue': The Life And Legacy Of Sybil Connolly". headstuff.org. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ staff (14 May 1998). "Sybil Connolly". The Economist. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
- ^ Tierney, Tom (1985). Great Fashion Designs of the Fifties. New York, NY: Dover Publications. p. 17. ISBN 978-0486249605.
- ^ a b "Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks: 1953 – Life cover, by Sybil Connolly". The Irish Times. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ Robert, OB̀yrne (2000). After a fashion: a history of the Irish fashion industry. Raidió Teilifís Éireann., Aer Lingus. Dublin: Town House and Country House. ISBN 978-1860591150. OCLC 44422186.
- ^ Penelope, Rowlands (2005). A dash of daring: Carmel Snow and her life in fashion, art, and letters (1st ed.). New York: Atria Books. ISBN 9780743480451. OCLC 61448288.
