Public go Gaga for Aran as Gucci film sets trend
HOLLYWOOD has popularised the traditional Aran jumper, with sales of the iconic garment shooting up 95% in some shops after its appearance in the film House of Gucci starring Lady Gaga.
Paul Byrne, owner of the Sweater Shop on Dublin’s Nassau Street, said he’s seen a huge spike in sales of polo neck Aran jumpers after Hollywood star Adam Driver wore one in the crime drama from director Ridley Scott.
He said the jumper is one of the shop’s best-selling items.
‘It’s going from a low seller to a massive seller,’ he said.
This isn’t the first time stars from across the pond have influenced sales of the traditional jumper.
Mr Byrne says sales spiked in 2020 when US pop star Taylor Swift wore a white Aran jumper in promotional material for her awardwinning album Folklore.
Before that, sales increased after actor Chris Evans wore an Aran jumper in the 2019 film Knives Out.
‘So for the last three years there has always been something pushing it which is great,’ Mr Byrne said. ‘When you see an A-lister in an Aran, everyone jumps on it.
Mr Byrne said the Aran jumper has been a popular buy for all ages.
‘With Taylor Swift definitely we had more attention from younger customers that we didn’t have before, and then Knives Out and the Gucci film are bringing it to a broader mix,’ he said.
Linda-Mae Meagle from the Donegal Shop in St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre echoed Mr Byrne’s comments, saying that Hollywood stars have made the Aran jumper a ‘steady seller’.
‘It’s great reintroducing young people to Aran but it’s all ages really. People get it for the parents or grandparents or for their kids,’ she said.