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As the new Netflix documentary about Victoria Beckham has revealed, parlaying a celebrity name into a successful fashion brand is not easy. It requires diligence, persistence, a thick skin and a considerable financial investment. It also means you must learn a new skill set – in the documentary, Victoria outlines how she learned from designer Roland Mouret and had to ‘kill the Wag’ persona to gain some credibility in the fashion world. In Ireland, we also have celebrities who have moved from industries like sport, modelling and entertainment into fashion. But who has survived and who should have stuck to the day job? We look at seven Irish fashion brands with celebrity founders to see how they have fared. Joanne McNally - Anxious Preoccupied The Dublin comedian started her accessories brand with co-founder Nikki Lannen in 2023. Although she initially had reservations about trading on her celebrity and how it might affect perceptions of her, she is now an enthusiastic entrepreneur. Named after an ex-boyfriend’s attachment style, which was ‘anxious preoccupied’, the range of bold vegan bags is now carried in Arnotts and Brown Thomas (Dundrum and Cork) and on online. The most recognisable style is the oversized holdall (€149) in a range of modern metallics. McNally has no intention of retiring from comedy, but her sideline has evolved from ‘being a bit of fun’ into a proper and profitable business. Pippa O'Connor Ormond - POCO By Pippa The Poco by Pippa denim range by the Kildare model sold 149,000 pairs of jeans in its first five years of business. O'Connor launched the range in 2016 and, driven by her stylish social media, a series of pop-up shops (Pippa's Fashion Factories) and a slick e-commerce operation, she grew it consistently for several years. In 2023, she expanded into beauty with her first Poco Beauty product, Universal Glow, and hasn't looked back. The range now retails in Brown Thomas and Arnotts, Dublin and Cork Duty Free, and on pococbeauty.com. A spokesperson explained that while she focuses on her beauty line, there will be no new additions to the fashion range this year but she will return to it in time. Paul Galvin - Dunnes Stores The former GAA All-Ireland-winning footballer and secondary school teacher is now one of Ireland's most successful menswear designers with his range for Dunnes Stores. He launched with the retailer in 2013 after becoming a fashion icon for young Irish men with his stylish and sometimes unconventional social media presence. He says he was always interested in fashion and would bring old clothes and shoes to his local tailor and cobbler to be re-worked prior to becoming a designer. Galvin has no formal design training but strongly believes that you should always dress to be yourself. His current collection of contemporary streetwear, titled Bas, is inspired by hurling, so he hasn't left his sporting legacy behind. Sonya Lennon and Brendan Courtney - Lennon Courtney Lennon Courtney is the fashion brand created by stylists and TV presenters Sonya Lennon and Brendan Courtney, who presented Off The Rails from 2008. It launched at Arnotts in 2012 before moving to Dunnes Stores from 2014 to 2022. Since September 2023, they have collaborated with Kilkenny Design on a range of clothing, accessories, and homeware. The duo share a similar taste for modern, fuss-free design. Friends and business partners, they aim for their brand to be 'clean and contemporary' while devoid of superfluous details. Now in their second year with Kilkenny Design and online at kilkennydesign.com, the range has a loyal following of Irish women who appreciate distinctive, colourful styles. Bono and Ali Herson - Edun The brand, which was the brainchild of Bono and Ali Hewson, was started in 2005 with the aim of promoting trade in Africa by sourcing production there. It also used organic, recycled and upcycled fabric to reduce its carbon footprint. In 2009, the couple sold 49 per cent of the brand to the LVMH group and in 2010 appeared in a glossy advert for Louis Vuitton shot by Annie Leibovitz wearing Edun clothing. However, the brand was never financially successful - it had accumulated losses of $1.8billion by 2018 - and that year LVMH sold its shares back to the Hewsons. No further collections were produced. During its lifetime, the brand had many creative directors, including Irish designer Sharon Wauchob, but struggled to find a consistent market or identity. Nathan Carter - Carter Clothing The country singer surprised many when he launched Carter Clothing in 2024, but it had already been 18 months in development. Carter – a Liverpudlian who has been adopted as one of our own – describes the range as ‘dressing well with minimal hassle’ and it’s full of easy items to build a stylish, functional wardrobe. ‘Looking my best has been a big part of my career,’ he has said. ‘I wanted to create a collection of clothes that gives everyone the ability to dress well with minimal effort – classic pieces of good quality.’ Comfort and fit are a priority, with the range including T-shirts, 100 per cent wool Aran sweaters, polo shirts, cargo jackets, joggers, hoodies and jeans. Natural fibres dominate and styles are all preshrunk to guarantee a consistent fit. The look is casual with a stylish edge and is available from carterclothing.com. Glenda Gilson - G The TV presenter and ex-model launched her jewellery brand G By Glenda Gilson with designer Natasha Obernik in 2017. Gilson, who presented Xposé from 2008 until 2019, had a very strong social media following and a love of fashion so capitalising on her popularity was a natural step. However, she admitted dipping her toe into the business world was daunting and nerve-racking. ‘The design is really simple, it’s my taste and it’s a small collection because I was frightened about going into this world,’ she said at the time of the launch. Her designs, which were durable, versatile, and affordable in rose gold, sterling silver and 18 carat gold, received a positive reception, but today G by Glenda Gilson is no more.
