Cecily MacMenamin Born: May 20th 1941 Died: November 17th, 2012Cecily MacMenamin, née O'Brien, who died last week aged 71, was a noted fashion buyer, style leader and longstanding board member of Brown Thomas.
She was born in Dublin, and was the sister of the late Peter O’Brien, a well-known musician. After attending school at the Holy Child in Killiney, she modelled for a time with her friend Hilary Frayne, who later married Brown Thomas owner Galen Weston.
MacMenamin remained a close friend of the Westons until her death and was a much-loved godmother to their daughter, Alannah, now creative director of Selfridges in London. MacMenamin was far more interested in design and how clothes were constructed than in being a model.
Her career started in couture with Irish fashion designer Irene Gilbert, and she often recalled with characteristic good humour her ability to hand roll and stitch the edges of silk scarves.
From 1963 to 1970, MacMenamin worked with Donald Davies, the Enniskerry-based Irish company famous internationally for its relaxed shirtwaister dresses.
During a period of rapid expansion at the company, MacMenamin was responsible for its London shops, whose clients included Catherine Deneuve, Liza Minnelli and photographer David Bailey.
When Weston bought Brown Thomas in the 1970s and set about revitalising the store, MacMenamin was an obvious choice as fashion director. In the 1980s her Private Lives boutique became synonymous with elegance and innovation.
A popular and effective ambassador for Brown Thomas, she was the first to introduce designers such as Jean Muir, Yves St Laurent, Sonia Rykiel and Armani to an Irish audience, later persuading others including Hermes, Chanel and Gucci of the value of an Irish market.
MacMenamin also championed Irish designers such as Paul Costelloe, Lainey Keogh and Michelina Stacpoole, who she argued was comparable to Missoni.
Many of her clients were high-profile socialites such as Miranda Iveagh, Breda O’Kennedy and Maureen Cairnduff, but she also masterminded the transformation of Mary Robinson’s dress style as president of Ireland.
She was a key figure when in 1991 Brown Thomas relocated across Grafton Street and she retained close ties with the company until her death.
MacMenamin was well known for her outgoing, fun-loving personality as well as her astute fashion sense. Indeed, her enthusiasm for fashion was equal to her enthusiasm for people, and she made friends wherever she went.
“When she entered a room, she took it over,” recalls Alannah Weston.
“She just charmed everybody. But she also drove a hard bargain in the showrooms of Milan, Paris and London.”
MacMenamin was a devoted mother, cook and gardener who never conquered a fear of flying. Her warmth, gaiety and irreverent spirit drew people from all walks of life to her, and her home in Sandymount was an open house for family and friends.
She is survived by her husband, retired businessman Joe MacMenamin, daughters Sarah and Anna, and grandchildren.