Princess Diana's personal designer and Irish fashion icon Paul Costelloe dies
"He was surrounded by his wife and seven children and passed peacefully in London", read a statement issued by the family
Paul Costelloe, the Irish fashion designer and former personal designer to Princess Diana, has died in London aged 80.
Listen to this article
In a statement issued by his family on Saturday, they said they were "deeply saddened to announce the passing of Paul Costelloe following a short illness".
They added: "He was surrounded by his wife and seven children and passed peacefully in London."
His family asked for privacy at this time.
Mr Costelloe was born and raised in Dublin, where his father ran a successful company making raincoats.
He studied at the Grafton Academy of Fashion Design before moving to Paris, where he took a course at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris.
Read more: TikTok boss defends AI content moderation, putting 400 UK jobs at risk
He set up his own label in 1979, Paul Costelloe Collections. He would go on to present collections at London Fashion Week for over 35 years, as well as showing his work at Fashion Weeks in Paris, Milan, and New York.
His work became known for its incorporation of traditional Irish fabrics and textiles, such as Irish linen and tweed.
In 1983 he was appointed personal designer to Diana, Princess of Wales. The pair continued to work together until her death in 1997.
Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin said he was "very saddened" to hear the news that Mr Costelloe has passed, calling him "an icon of design" who "elevated Irish fashion to the global stage".
Tánaiste (deputy PM) Simon Harris said Costelloe had "led a remarkable life", and his success was down to "incredible talent, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to quality".
"He leaves behind a body of work that shaped modern Irish fashion and will continue to shape it in the years to come. He will be greatly missed and warmly remembered."