What women want

By Maria Moynihan

After over 30 years at the forefront of Irish fashion, Michael H knows what real women want to wear. And if you happen to live in Carlow, that doesn't mean green.

No matter how much Vogue might extol the flattering properties of any of the 40 shades of green, the fashionistas of Carlow will not touch the colour. Meanwhile, the women of Dundalk seem to have an unnerving aversion to burgundy.

Why? Well, according to Lisa Heather of Michael H, such trends are symptomatic of the psychological impact of being forced to wear the most unbecoming of all garments: the school uniform.

It's just an observation. But such local trivia shows how Michael H has had the pulse of home-grown style for over 30 years. Through its four brands - Gold, Lady Augusta, Personal Choice and Rouge - the Irish fashion house has built up a strong relationship with women in rural Ireland. And perhaps more than most, Michael H knows what real women want to wear.

Who is Michael H?

Michael H takes its name from entrepreneur Michael Heather. Having worked in the rag trade for many years, Heather had noticed a gap for quality occasion wear, and so established Michael H to fill the Irish wardrobe. In the style-free '70s and '80s, his designs stood apart from the crowd and quickly earned a following. Over 30 years and many awards, including The Late Late Show Lifetime Achievement in 1997, Michael H is synonymous with Irish fashion.

The fashion house has four premium brands. The longest established is GOLD, the classic occasion wear collection that scooped "Brand of the Year" at the Drapers Awards (the Oscars of the fashion world) in 1998 and 2005 - a first for any Irish company.

Lady Augusta started as a ladies' golfing range before evolving into a stylish weekend leisure collection. Personal Choice, a chic and modern collection, caters for the curvier lady, in sizes 14-26 from this season due to popular demand (previously, the range started at 16). And then there's Rouge, a sassy, sultry range for the trend-setting girl.

Prices average at about €300-€350 for an outfit, with an emphasis on mix and matching. The company also stocks a collection of jewellery, hats, fascinators (feathered head gear), and bags so that - bar the shoes - the customer can dress in Michael H from head to toe.

Family affair

While Michael built the brand from scratch, its future is in the hands of his daughters, Lynda and Lisa. Lynda studied in the London College of Art and Design before heading up the development of the Gold label and was appointed MD on Michael's retirement last year. Lisa, who is Retail Director, worked from the shop floor up. "When I asked my father for pocket money, he said, 'go earn it'," she laughs.

"So from a very young age I started worked in our branch in the Ilac Centre on Saturdays. I love being on the shop floor looking after customers.

"My sister Lynda had flair for design, so it worked well. But Michael is still involved and comes in regularly."

The Michael H customer

Lisa's role is to oversee the eight Michael H shops. The company also has concessions with the Shaws group and is sold by over 150 stockists nationwide. While Michael H is a Dublin-based company, the brand is very strong in rural Ireland.

"Certainly in our country locations, an awful lot of local, hard-working women, who may be wives of farmers, see us as the place to dress them really," says Lisa.

According to Lisa, the greatest transformation in Irish style is that women are no longer slipping into shapeless skirts and sensible brogues once they hit their middle years. Rather, the Michael H customer is dressing "younger" than ever before.

"A 60- year- old woman is dressing to look like a 40-year-old, while the 40-year-old is dressing to look 20 and 30," explains Lisa. "That's the trend and we've had to adapt to.

"Women are also looking after themselves more. They're buying the dress, going to the beauty salon, and it's not perceived to be bad. I think women deserve to look after themselves and look well."J

mmoynihan@farmersjournal.ie

Spin:

30 years designing for fashion conscious women.

Highlights:

Unique styling, high quality, attention to detail, perfect fit and clever co-ordination.

Brands: GOLD, Personal Choice, Lady Augusta and Rouge.

Customer:

Confident and discerning when it comes to fashion.

Company:

In 1977, Michael Heather opened his first outlet in Caple St. The business has progressively grown from a small manufacturing plant on Wolfe Tone St to a company of over 100 people with headquarters in Dominick St, Dublin, production facilities in Ballyfermot and stockists throughout Ireland and the UK. Expansion is ongoing.

Accolades:

Michael Heather was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award on The Late Late Show in 1997. GOLD has won 'Brand of the Year' at The Drapers Awards in 1998 and 2005.

Further Information:

To view the current collection from Michael H or to find out more about the company, please visit www.michaelh.ie or call 01-872-5044.