FASHION DESIGNER Helen Cody has described the theft of more than €20,000 worth of couture outfits from her studio as devastating.
The designer, who moved into the studio in Dublin only last month, said she noticed the pieces were missing when she arrived at the premises yesterday morning.
The 18 pieces, which include coats, dresses, waistcoats, trousers and jackets, were intended to be showcased at Ms Cody’s autumn- winter couture show in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens and at the 2008 Irish Fashion Awards ceremony on August 27th.
Ms Cody is nominated for the Designer of the Year award in the ceremony which is part of Dublin Fashion week. Ms Cody said the theft was devastating as she had spent considerable time on the pieces, which were all part of her new collection.
“Hours of work went into the clothes, they were all handmade and hand-finished,” she said. “They’ve only stolen black pieces, from what I can see they haven’t taken any colour.”
Dublin Fashion Week spokesman Chris Pollock said the loss of a new collection was devastating to any designer at any time. “Motorola Dublin Fashion Week is totally shocked and appalled by what has happened to Helen, especially in light of how unique and time-consuming each of her couture pieces is.”
Éilis Boyle, who is also nominated for the Designer of the Year Award, said she was shocked. The stolen pieces would be difficult to remake as they were so unique.
A suitcase containing her new collection was lost on a flight from Paris a few years ago, Ms Boyle added, so she understood how she felt. Although she got the suitcase back, there were three weeks of not knowing if she would have to close her business for six months.
Ms Cody said she would keep working despite the huge amount of time that had been lost, but that her autumn-winter show on September 5th would most likely be smaller. A National College of Art and Design graduate, Ms Cody has previously won the Late Late Show fashion designer of the future award.