It has to be the best commission any designer in the country could hope to receive. Unquestionably, it provides an unrivalled high-profile opportunity to show clothes before an international audience. At tomorrow's presidential inauguration of Mary McAleese, almost as much attention will be paid to what she wears as what she says. In fashion circles over the past week, there has been intense speculation about who might have had the good fortune to be offered the job of dressing the new President for the morning's ceremony in Dublin Castle. At the same time, the President-elect's circle has been very determined not to release the name of the chosen designer until the last possible moment. Meanwhile the woman who won the commission, Armagh-born Miriam Mone, has wisely opted to say nothing to anyone. Discretion is the hallmark of her personal style and that may be one of the reasons she was selected by the McAleese team early during the presidential campaign.
Mone was one of a handful of designers chosen by stylist Helen Cody and hairdresser/make-up artist Mary Bruton for the Government's candidate in the election. The burgundy suit worn by Mary McAleese on her campaign posters, for example, came from Miriam Mone. As that outfit suggested, the designer offers clean, welltailored clothes which manage to be elegant but not too ostentatious. A year ago, she produced a collection which looked as though created for Lady Lavery; now her designs are to be worn by a President. Absolutely no details of her designs for Mary McAleese are being released in advance.
Although distinctly modest and low-key, Mone is no stranger to being in the spotlight. Exactly two years ago, she won the Late, Late Show Designer of the Year Award and says "it automatically catapulted my name into the centre, whereas before I wouldn't have been that wellknown". The award also led to an increase of sales by some 31 per cent on the previous year's figures. Presumably after tomorrow, Miriam Mone can look forward to a further boost in demand for her clothes.
Seven years ago, Louise Kennedy was asked to dress Mary Robinson for the latter's inauguration and her success since then has been steady. Around the same time as Kennedy began working with Mrs Robinson, Mone set up in business on her own. She now sells through a number of outlets both North and South, and has also started to export to Britain and the US. A licensing deal with a Japanese company next year also looks promising. But the home market will probably see the most immediate surge in new business as photographs of the threepiece ensemble Mone has made for Mary McAleese will be examined everywhere.
Recently she commented: "It was a huge dream for me to get into the Late, Late Show Awards and then win." With her latest commission, it must seem as though she has won first place in the fashion lottery. N.B. Look out too for the clothes the newly-inaugurated President, Mrs McAleese, will be wearing tomorrow night for the Government reception in Dublin Castle. These have been made by another of the country's most successful designers in recent years, Mary Gregory.