Desert Island Dress

Welcome back to our post-analysis episode of  Desert Island Dress . Every other week, we take a moment to reflect on the stories and choices shared in the main conversation and pull on one of the threads that caught our attention.   🎨 This series features hand-drawn sketches of each of our guests by artist Louise Boughton @louiseboughton_  ✨ Stay connected with  Desert Island Dress :   📸 Instag...

Welcome to our final guest episode for Series 4 of  Desert Island Dress  with Marie Kelly, a writer whose work moves effortlessly between fashion, culture, art and everyday life.   Beginning her career in London before returning to Ireland, Marie has spent more than two decades telling stories across luxury magazines and premium brands, with clients including Victoria Beckham, Stella McCartney and...

Welcome back to our post-analysis episode of  Desert Island Dress .  Every other week, we take a moment to reflect on the stories and choices shared in the main conversation and pull on one of the threads that caught our attention.    🎨 This series features hand-drawn sketches of your podcast hosts Dee & Katriona, and each of our guests by artist Louise Boughton @louiseboughton_  ✨ Stay conn...

Today, we are thrilled to share a conversation with someone whom both Katriona and I have admired for many years in our academic lives. When studying and teaching fashion, her work has always been a guiding force. She is the sociologist, feminist thinker, and cultural scholar, Professor Angela McRobbie.  Our discussion with Angela travels across countries and decades, bringing us into the creative...

Welcome back to our post-analysis episode of  Desert Island Dress .  Every other week, we take a moment to reflect on the stories and choices shared in the main conversation and pull on one of the threads that caught our attention.    🎨 This series features hand-drawn sketches of your podcast hosts Dee & Katriona, and each of our guests by artist Louise Boughton @louiseboughton_  ✨ Stay conn...

Hello Desert Island Dress listeners, and welcome. We hope you are enjoying the series so far, and today we are so very delighted to share this week’s guest with you – Irish musician, singer, and songwriter, Liam Ó Maonlaí.    My first recollections of Liam were as the lead singer of Irish band, Hothouse Flowers – I was probably about 9 or 10 years old, and we’d have the anthem ‘Don’t Go’ blaring o...

Welcome back to our post-analysis episode of Desert Island Dress . Every other week, we take a moment to reflect on the stories and choices shared in the main conversation and pull on one of the threads that caught our attention.   ✨ Stay connected with Desert Island Dress :  📸 Instagram: ⁠⁠@desert_island_dress⁠⁠    🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.desertislanddress.com⁠⁠   💌 Our ask this series: share your f...

This week, we are joined by Dana Thomas, journalist, author, and one of fashion’s most insightful voices. Based in Paris, Dana has spent her career exploring how the fashion industry really works, from sustainability and supply chains to the inner worlds of luxury and design.  We first came to Dana’s work through her writing — I discovered her book  Fashionopolis , while teaching sustainability on...

Welcome back to our post-analysis episode of Desert Island Dress . Every other week, we take a moment to reflect on the stories and choices shared in the main conversation and pull on one of the threads that caught our attention.   ✨ Stay connected with Desert Island Dress :  📸 Instagram: ⁠@desert_island_dress⁠    🌐 Website: ⁠www.desertislanddress.com⁠   💌 Our ask this series: share your favou...

As Ireland celebrates the election of Catherine Connolly as President, it feels timely to reflect on the women whose work helped make this kind of leadership possible.  This week’s guest is one of them. Ailbhe Smyth — academic, feminist, and lifelong activist — has helped shape Ireland’s social conscience for more than five decades.  From the early women’s movement to the campaigns for marriage eq...

Welcome back to our post-analysis episode of Desert Island Dress . Every other week, we take a moment to reflect on the stories and choices shared in the main conversation and pull on one of the threads that caught our attention.   ✨ Stay connected with Desert Island Dress :  📸 Instagram: @desert_island_dress    🌐 Website: www.desertislanddress.com   💌 Our ask this series: share your favourite...

Today we have another wonderful guest for you — the creative, singular, stylish disruptor and artist, Gavin Friday. We first met Gavin back in May at the launch of a new exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland. The exhibition, curated by Gary O’Neill, celebrates Dublin youth culture, street style, and subcultures from the 1960s to the 1990s. Gary has spent the last two decades collecting mate...

Welcome back to our post-analysis episode of Desert Island Dress . Every other week, we take a moment to reflect on the stories and choices shared in the main conversation and pull on one of the threads that caught our attention.   ✨ Stay connected with Desert Island Dress :  📸 Instagram: @desert_island_dress    🌐 Website: www.desertislanddress.com   💌 Our ask this series: share your favourite...

Kicking off our fourth series, we are so excited to welcome Jo Ellison to Desert Island Dress .  Jo Ellison, as many of you will know, is the editor of HTSI/ How to Spend It at the Financial Times , and formerly Fashion Editor at the Financial Times and Features Editor at Vogue . Having Jo spend time in the “hot seat,” as Katrina would call it, was a dream come true, and we really hope she enjoyed...

In this post-analysis episode, we reflect on our conversation with Mandy Johnston and explore the themes that stuck with us—effort, authenticity, and the subtle power of getting dressed. From the blurred lines of post-COVID workwear to the quiet authority of a well-chosen outfit, we discuss why what we wear still matters. We also share a standout clip from The Diplomat that perfectly captures the...

In this episode of Desert Island Dress , journalist, broadcaster, and communications expert Mandy Johnston joins us to share the stories behind the clothes that have shaped her life. From career-defining purchases to sentimental staples, Mandy reflects on the power of dressing with intention, the fine line between fashion and style, and why great clothes—like great friends—stand the test of time....

In this post-analysis episode of Desert Island Dress , we reflect on our powerful conversation with Leon Diop. We explore his choice to wear a Charles Oliveira hoodie and what it reveals about resilience, identity, and surrounding yourself with positive role models. We also unpack the cultural urgency of Netflix’s Adolescence , the rise of harmful online influencers like Andrew Tate, and the criti...

In this episode of Desert Island Dress , we’re joined by activist, community leader, and founder of Black & Irish , Leon Diop. Through his chosen garments, Leon shares his journey of self-expression, resilience, and identity—exploring what it means to be both Black and Irish in modern Ireland. We talk about the power of storytelling, the importance of representation, and the personal experienc...

In this post-analysis episode, we reflect on our conversation with Havana boutique founder Nikki Creedon—not just through the lens of fashion, but through a wider cultural conversation sparked by her long-standing support of Irish design. Inspired by a quote from retail expert Mary Portas, who suggested that Irish retailers should "sell the feeling of being Irish," we consider what that feeling ac...

In this episode of Desert Island Dress , we sit down with Nikki Creedon , the founder and owner of Havana boutique, one of Dublin’s most beloved fashion destinations. For over three decades, Nikki has curated a space where craftsmanship, individuality, and timeless design take centre stage. From her early days working with Paul Costelloe to building a boutique that champions both international and...

In this post-analysis episode, we dive deeper into Rich Gilligan’s Desert Island Dress choices, with a special focus on Levi’s 501s and their cultural significance. From their origins as durable workwear for Gold Rush miners to their association with rebellious youth, counterculture movements, and high fashion, we explore how Levi’s has continuously redefined itself through cultural storytelling....

This week on Desert Island Dress , we’re joined by Irish photographer Rich Gilligan , whose work has captured everything from underground skate culture to high-profile editorial portraits. Known for his ability to find beauty in the in-between moments, Rich’s photography is deeply rooted in storytelling, nostalgia, and the personal connections we form with the things we wear. In this episode, we d...

In this post-analysis episode, we reflect on our conversation with journalist and BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour host, Nuala McGovern. From her formative years in Italy to the friendships that have shaped her, we explore how clothing serves as a marker of identity, memory, and personal evolution. We discuss the deep connections between fashion and self-expression, the role of friendships in shaping who...

Welcome back to Desert Island Dress , the podcast where we explore the garments that have shaped lives through memory, emotion, and experience. Today, we're joined by the brilliant Nuala McGovern – Dublin-born journalist and broadcaster, and now a familiar voice as a host on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour . Nuala’s career has taken her across the world, from Italy to the United States, from frontline...

In this follow-up episode, we take a closer look at our conversation with Leah Hayden Cassidy . From the deep connections between fashion and identity to the role of heritage in shaping personal style, we unpack the key takeaways from Hayden’s Desert Island Dress selections. Join us as we revisit the highlights, share our thoughts, and explore how the pieces we wear hold meaning far beyond the fab...