Paul Costelloe, the former personal designer for the late Diana, Princess of Wales, has died aged 80 in London, his eponymous fashion brand has confirmed.
Their statement said: "We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Paul Costelloe following a short illness. He was surrounded by his wife and seven children and passed peacefully in London.
It concluded: "We kindly ask that you respect the privacy of the family during this time."
Beyond designing for Princess Diana, the Irishman was famous for his classically elegant tailoring, luxurious womenswear, and corporate wear for the likes of the Irish Olympic Team and British Airways.
Paul Costelloe's career
Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1945, to an Irish father and American mother, he was the youngest of seven children. His father owned a raincoat factory in the city, which exposed him to materials and fabrics from a young age.
After training in the Grafton Academy, Paul started his career at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris, eventually becoming the design assistant to designer Jacques Esterel between 1969 and 1971.
He soon moved to Milan to support Marks and Spencer in their attempt to enter the Italian market. Though this was unsuccessful, he remained in the city, working as a designer for the luxury department store, La Rinascente.
Paul relocated to New York, where he was appointed as a designer to Anne Fogarty, though he soon left to establish his own label, Paul Costelloe Collections, in 1979.
Paul Costelloe was Princess Diana's personal designer
In 1983, four years after founding his brand, he was appointed as the personal designer to the late Princess Diana, and collaborated with her until her death in 1997.
Paul mostly dressed the former Princess of Wales on formal occasions, but was not one to shy away from some controversy: one of their most iconic looks was a chiffon skirt that became slightly see-through when backlit, and caused quite a stir at the time.
During an appearance on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs programme in 2021, he opened up about what it had been like working for the first wife of King Charles.
He described designing her clothes as "one of the most amazing experiences" of his life, calling her: "So genteel, so feminine, so warm, so humorous."