High street Couture
Dunnes is fast becoming a go-to fashion destination... and Peter O’Brien is the latest to join the ranks
IT’S a Thursday morning — the dawn of Peter O’Brien’s debut collection launch for Dunnes Stores — and I’m in the Gate Theatre listening to the Irish designer wax lyrical with actress Cathy Belton about working in Paris and the evolution of fashion.
I have met O’Brien several times — at The Tenement Museum and in Royal Hospital Kilmainham for his collaborations with Arnotts and, more recently, at Castletown House in conversation with Deirdre McQuillan. O’Brien is refreshingly funny. He doesn’t filter conversation. There is no facade, no airs or graces.
He had invited the Press to the theatre — home to many costumes designed by himself over the years — to preview a very different offering: his 21-piece capsule collection for Dunnes Stores.
It all started last year, when Dunnes owner Margaret Heffernan approached the couturier, who has worked for Christian Dior, Givenchy and Chloe. ‘We hit it off immediately,’ he says. ‘A 15-minute meeting turned into two hours. She has been incredibly supportive.’
This is O’Brien’s third foray into High Street ready-to-wear. First he teamed up with A-Wear and then with Arnotts, both of which introduced his designs to a much younger generation. Now the Dunnes collection sees his pieces hanging alongside those of Irish design favourites Paul Costelloe, Lennon Courtney, Joanne Hynes and Carolyn Donnelly.
O’Brien’s collection shows off his signature palette and elongated, flouncy silhouette. There are beautifully tailored, double-faced crepe and grosgrain coats in his familiar black and navy. Belted and two-tone dresses with collars are tailored and flouncy while trapeze tops come in pops of red and orange. There are high-waisted Oxford bag trousers, oxblood patent stilettos and printed silk scarves.
Prices start at €85 for a scarf and climb to €370 for a coat, which, considering the fabric quality, makes some pieces, such as his classic single-breasted coat, value for money.
Heffernan’s effort to re-invent the store’s brand appeal and position Dunnes as a more upmarket fashion destination is proving very successful, particularly her latest venture with Joanne Hynes. Will O’Brien’s collection be another big hit? Longstanding fans will be delighted to access his signature designs, but prices may be higher than the average Dunnes customer is prepared to pay. Still, it’s lovely to see pieces by one of Ireland’s most talented couturiers in Dunnes alongside brands like Savida — and to see Heffernan rooting for Irish design greats.