Desert Island Dress

You often wonder what someone is going to be like before you meet them for one of these conversations. And I think with this week's guest, Dr Suzanne Crowe, we were particularly curious, and perhaps even a little in awe of her before she'd arrived. 

Katriona and I had both recently read Suzanne's book, Intensive Care: True Stories of Healing, Heartache and Hope from Inside Irish Children's Medicine, and I think it's fair to say it had really stayed with us. 

It's a remarkable book, and I'd challenge anyone to read it without shedding a tear for the families who have lost their beloved children, or without feeling enormous admiration for the doctors, nurses, carers and all the hospital staff who are there, day in, day out, caring for these precious, very ill children. 

And as you'll hear, we do get a little emotional at times talking about some of these stories. 

But I think what struck me most about meeting Suzanne was that you could sense this sort of reserve, a stoicism almost, which I imagine you need in a job like hers. But alongside that, there's a real warmth and empathy. And I suppose you wonder how someone manages to hold those two things together, particularly when they're dealing with such difficult situations as part of their everyday working life. 

Anyway, it was a real privilege to spend time with Suzanne, and I think you'll get a sense of why we were so keen to meet her. 

Oh, and just one small correction before we get into it. At one point, I mention a quote from Suzanne's book which I attribute to Paul Newman. I meant to say, Philip Pullman! 

So, here's our conversation with Dr Suzanne Crowe. 

✨ Stay connected with Desert Island Dress:  

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💌 Share your favourite episode of Desert Island Dress with a friend 

For more stories, news and updates — including our first live show in Copenhagen with the Embassy of Ireland and recently published articles in RTÉ Brainstorm,visit: desert-island-dress.com 

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.desert-island-dress.com  

💌 Share your favourite episode of Desert Island Dress with a friend 

For more stories, news and updates — including our first live show in Copenhagen with the Embassy of Ireland and recently published articles in RTÉ Brainstorm,visit: www.desert-island-dress.com 

This week’s guest is painter Carl Hickey. If you are not familiar, Carl’s work is celebrated for capturing those everyday, instantly recognisable moments in life. Recent paintings have depicted two guys sporting their much-coveted 3D glasses, waiting for the solar eclipse back in August; or two lads e-scooting through Dublin city; or his mam getting her nails painted by her next-door neighbour outside her home in Clondalkin during the summer heatwave. 

Speaking of heat, we recorded this chat back in the summer. The studio was sweltering, so fair play to Carl for getting through the full hour in the extra-hot seat, with not a window to open! 

Through his four items - which he had understood needed to be something old, something new and something borrowed, but the choices worked anyway - we get a great sense of Carl and his easy-going nature. We hear how he almost didn’t bother applying for college, before going on to apply himself to such an extent that he graduated with a first-class honours degree from the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) here in Dublin. 

There’s a lovely theme running through the conversation about the significance of ‘the suit’ in a young man’s life, and, in a way, how men gradually grow into it. At first, it’s something to almost play around with, dressing up, experimenting with the clothes, until one day he will find himself wearing a full suit, and it will be of no particular significance at all. He will have simply grown into it.  

Elsewhere, our conversation takes us from Guineys, a longstanding Dublin retail institution on Talbot Street, to gangster grandads in trench coats, to the remoteness of Ballinskelligs, where Carl seems more fazed by the challenge of keeping a fire lit in his country lodgings than by anything Dublin's busy streets can throw at him. 

Carl was heading out to meet friends straight after chatting with us, and he strikes us as exactly the kind of person you’d love to have at your table on a night out. 

Our thanks to Carl for keeping Desert Island Dress on his podcast list for 2026! 

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✨ Stay connected with Desert Island Dress:  

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 🌐 Website: www.desert-island-dress.com  

💌 Share your favourite episode of Desert Island Dress with a friend 

For more stories, news and updates — including our first live show in Copenhagen with the Embassy of Ireland and recently published articles in RTÉ Brainstorm,visit:

www.desert-island-dress.com  

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.desert-island-dress.com  

💌 : Share your favourite episode of Desert Island Dress with a friend 

For more stories, news and updates — including our first live show in Copenhagen with the Embassy of Ireland and recently published articles in RTÉ Brainstorm, visit: www.desert-island-dress.com 

Today, we are honoured to welcome Caoilfhionn Gallagher to Desert Island Dress. 

Caoilfhionn is a barrister and has worked in London at the renowned Doughty Street Chambers for over 20 years, alongside similarly excellent human rights barristers such as Amal Clooney, fighting for justice — particularly for those who do not have the voice or reach to advocate for themselves. Her next steps include founding an independent organisation to continue this important work.

Even after talking with Caoilfhionn for just an hour, we came away humbled by what was on our own plates, as she casually shared just some of the items on her calendar for that week alone! She is a force of nature: so articulate, insightful and hugely knowledgeable, while also being incredibly self-aware and introspective. 

As Katriona rightly points out, to hear ‘Imposter Syndrome’ come up is not where you’d expect this conversation to go. Yet Caoilfhionn brilliantly illustrates how legacy systems and organisations can create worlds that signal to you that you do not belong. 

She describes an encounter at a stuffy legal outfitter while hiring the ceremonial attire she needed to become a senior barrister — a highly prestigious appointment. When she asked for the prescribed patent-buckled shoes in her petite shoe size, the outfitter sniffed that they only stocked them from size 6 upwards. I thought this was a simple yet highly illustrative example of the social cues we might interpret as telling us that we don’t belong in certain spaces. We literally don’t fit in their shoes. 

Each of Caoilfhionn’s four items leads to beautiful conversations that stretch from the personal — including teenage memories, family love and loss — through to accents and the Irish and British social class systems, and the power of a T-shirt to advocate for human rights. 

It’s all here, told through the wonderfully worded stories of our second guest of the series, Caoilfhionn Gallagher. 

✨ Stay connected with Desert Island Dress:  

📸 Instagram: ⁠⁠@desert_island_dress⁠⁠  

 🌐 Website: www.desert-island-dress.com  

💌 Share your favourite episode of Desert Island Dress with a friend 

For more stories, news and updates — including our first live show in Copenhagen with the Embassy of Ireland and recently published articles in RTÉ Brainstorm, visit: www.desert-island-dress.com  

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.desert-island-dress.com  

💌 Share your favourite episode of Desert Island Dress with a friend 

For more stories, news and updates — including our first live show in Copenhagen with the Embassy of Ireland and recently published articles in RTÉ Brainstorm, visit: www.desert-island-dress.com 

And we are back! It’s been a slightly longer break than expected since Series 4, but we are delighted to be back, and we think we have a really great lineup of guests to take to the island this time around. To open the series, we are welcoming a person who has been on Katriona’s wish list since we kicked off this project – artist, designer, sculptor and creative Richard Malone. 

I could list the many and varied accolades Richard has been awarded to date, and I will, just for some context for those who are not familiar with him – although my sense of Richard is that these awards do not define him, and he seems to move on to his next artistic endeavour without seeking external validation. But anyhow, for context, I’ve hand-selected just a few. 

He started his creative career in fashion; his entire graduate collection was picked up by Brown Thomas in Dublin, and in 2020 he won the International Woolmark Prize (former winners include Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld). He went on to focus more on sculpture than fashion, and his work has been displayed at the Royal Academy in London. You can also find Richard’s work in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the V&A Museum in London and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. 

He also curated an exhibition titled Making and Momentum: In Conversation with Eileen Gray, celebrating modernism in Ireland and the influence of Irish craftsmanship globally. The exhibition concluded in his hometown in Wexford, Ireland – and from our conversation today, it is clear that Richard’s sense of provenance and connection to his homeplace is a huge influence on his work and on how he experiences working within the creative industry. 

At the time of our interview, earlier this summer, Richard was about to announce a new commission – which we now know is a sculpture installation for the Council of the EU’s Justus Lipsius and Europa buildings in Brussels, as Ireland takes on the EU Presidency this year. The piece is titled Cuimhne agus Séadchomhartha   (Memory and Monument), and we’ve put a link to a Guardian article below that shares an image of the installation, along with an interview with Richard. 

For someone who has achieved so much recognition, Richard seems consciously detached from external validation and prioritises preserving his native social experiences and sensibilities to inform his work, rather than assimilating into stereotypical tropes of what a creative should be. 

To this end, Richard’s four choices for the island led to such interesting considerations around accents and working-class tastes, along with social class differences and privilege in affluent art schools and London lifestyles. 

This is a thought-provoking episode, and it was worth the wait to finally welcome Richard Malone to Desert Island Dress! 

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Richard Malone's discusses his latest sculpture installation for the Council of the EU, as Ireland takes on the EU presidency this year: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/jul/09/richard-malone-ireland-eu-presidency-council

✨ Stay connected with Desert Island Dress:  

📸 Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@desert_island_dress⁠⁠⁠  

 🌐 Website: ⁠www.desert-island-dress.com⁠  

💌 : share your favourite episode of Desert Island Dress with a friend 

For more stories, news and updates — including our first live show in Copenhagen with the Embassy of Ireland and recently published articles in RTÉ Brainstorm, visit: desert-island-dress.com  

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: 

 📸 Instagram: @desert_island_dress 

 🌐 Website: www.desertislanddress.com 

💌 Our ask this series: share your favourite episode with a friend, or follow and subscribe on your podcast app — it really helps us grow! 

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 previous guest of Desert Island Dress, goldsmith, Nigel O’Reilly.  

Most recently, Marie has co-founded Só Consulting with Gavin Manley, a luxury consultancy rooted in the Irish idea of só: a state of ease, comfort and contentment, defined not by status or spectacle, but by moments of genuine connection.  

In this episode, Marie brings a thoughtful, considered perspective to her choices. As you’ll hear, each piece is carefully chosen, with her flair for storytelling illuminating the deeper meaning behind every item.  

We are delighted to welcome Marie Kelly to 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 your podcast hosts Dee & Katriona, and each of our guests by artist Louise Boughton @louiseboughton_ 

✨ Stay connected with Desert Island Dress:  

📸 Instagram: ⁠⁠@desert_island_dress⁠⁠  

 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.desertislanddress.com⁠⁠  

💌 Our ask this series: share your favourite episode with a friend, or follow and subscribe on your podcast app — it really helps us grow!  

For more stories, news and updates — including our first live show in Copenhagen with the Embassy of Ireland and recently published articles in RTÉ Brainstorm — visit ⁠⁠desertislanddress.com⁠⁠. 

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 and political energy of 1970s Glasgow, the feminist debates and vintage-hunting culture of Birmingham, and the vibrant artistic worlds she later encountered in London and Berlin. Along the way, she reflects on how clothing becomes a way of thinking - a way of positioning oneself intellectually, politically, and personally. 

It’s a conversation that mirrors Angela’s lifelong commitment to understanding how what we wear both shapes us and reflects the worlds we move through. 

And truly, our own interest in the stories behind the clothes we wear has been deeply informed by reading culture theorists like Angela McRobbie. In many ways, Desert Island Dress is inspired by pioneering researchers such as herself, which makes it especially meaningful to share this episode today. 

We hope you enjoy listening as much as we did. 

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 connected with Desert Island Dress:  

📸 Instagram: ⁠⁠@desert_island_dress⁠⁠  

 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.desertislanddress.com⁠⁠  

💌 Our ask this series: share your favourite episode with a friend, or follow and subscribe on your podcast app - it really helps us grow!  

For more stories, news and updates — including our first live show in Copenhagen with the Embassy of Ireland and recently published articles in RTÉ Brainstorm - visit ⁠⁠desertislanddress.com⁠⁠. 

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 on our family road trips from Dublin to Mayo. This, interchanged with The Saw Doctors, helped keep us upbeat as we’d crawl through inevitable bottleneck towns like Kinnegad in the midlands of Ireland.  

Listening back to those songs, brings me straight back to that time, the journey, the excitement to see Mayo relatives, the chaos of a jam-packed car, the expectation of the summer holidays ahead. The power of music transports me back, but also, looking at the music videos and posters of Liam with the band, and the aesthetic of the late 1980s/early 1990s also has that power to transport me – I am remembering older kids from my neighbourhood I haven’t thought of in years that dressed similarly, just snapshots of memories – the way they’d walk, what they wore, the waistcoat over a paisley shirt, long shoulder length hair, sideburns ... maybe they’d flick their hair just as Liam characteristically did, and still does! The power of clothing can be just as powerful as music to tap into the senses and memories.  

The day before we were to record this episode, I attended a friend’s launch of a short docu-film, sharing stories of displaced people in Ireland. Coincidentally, and unknown to me at the time, Liam features in the film, and he arrived to speak at the event. He sat down beside me, and I took one look down at his light blue Crocs, paired with a dark suit, and I quietly thought to myself, we would have a great chat the next day!

And that we did – Liam was so generous with his time, and his storytelling, and there’s a really beautiful moment in the conversation, when the sun just brilliantly shone in through the window for a moment, highlighting the star, the Réalta, that is, Liam O Maonlaí.  

🎨 This series features hand-drawn sketches of each of our guests by artist Louise Boughton @louiseboughton_

✨ Stay connected with Desert Island Dress:

📸 Instagram: ⁠⁠@desert_island_dress⁠⁠

🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.desertislanddress.com⁠⁠

⭐ Don’t forget to follow, rate & review the podcast — it really helps more people find us.

💌 And if you're enjoying Desert Island Dress, please do share your favourite episode with a friend!

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 episode with a friend, or follow and subscribe on your podcast app — it really helps us grow! 

For more stories, news and updates — including our first live show in Copenhagen with the Embassy of Ireland and recently published articles in RTÉ Brainstorm — visit ⁠⁠desertislanddress.com⁠⁠. 

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 a Sociology of Fashion module, and Katriona through Dana’s excellent books, Gods and Kings, and Deluxe: How Luxury Lost It’s Lustre - when teaching a luxury fashion principles module. 

It’s a testament to Dana’s extraordinary range — a writer who understands fashion from every angle. 

Today, she reflects on the garments that have accompanied her through a life immersed in fashion, storytelling, and change.  

Here’s Dana Thomas on Desert Island Dress. 

🎨 This series features hand-drawn sketches of each of our guests by artist Louise Boughton @louiseboughton_

✨ Stay connected with Desert Island Dress:

📸 Instagram: ⁠@desert_island_dress⁠

🌐 Website: ⁠www.desertislanddress.com⁠

⭐ Don’t forget to follow, rate & review the podcast — it really helps more people find us.

💌 And if you're enjoying Desert Island Dress, please do share your favourite episode with a friend!

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 episode with a friend, or follow and subscribe on your podcast app — it really helps us grow! 

For more stories, news and updates — including our first live show in Copenhagen with the Embassy of Ireland and recently published articles in RTÉ Brainstorm — visit ⁠desertislanddress.com⁠. 

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 equality and reproductive rights, her voice has been one of determination, conviction, and courage. 

Her activism runs alongside that of women like Catherine Connolly — both championing equality, inclusion, and the belief that political life can be grounded in empathy and integrity. 

We recorded this conversation in early summer, before Catherine announced her presidential campaign, but its release now feels fitting. As you’ll hear, Ailbhe’s choices and stories capture the spirit of women who’ve helped change Ireland for the better.  

For Ailbhe, there were signs of this determination right from the cradle … keep listening to hear more of Ailbhe’s coveted pair of little red shoes! 

🎨 This series features hand-drawn sketches of each of our guests by artist Louise Boughton @louiseboughton_

✨ Stay connected with Desert Island Dress:

📸 Instagram: ⁠@desert_island_dress⁠

🌐 Website: ⁠www.desertislanddress.com⁠

⭐ Don’t forget to follow, rate & review the podcast — it really helps more people find us.

💌 And if you're enjoying Desert Island Dress, please do share your favourite episode with a friend!

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 episode with a friend, or follow and subscribe on your podcast app — it really helps us grow! 

For more stories, news and updates — including our first live show in Copenhagen with the Embassy of Ireland and recently published articles in RTÉ Brainstorm — visit desertislanddress.com. 

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 materials from the public, photographers, and photojournalists — and if that sounds like your kind of thing, the exhibition runs until March 2026 at Collins Barracks. 

What struck us that evening was Gavin’s enthusiasm for the Desert Island Dress project, and the care he put into choosing his four items to bring to the island. From challenging ‘fashion norms’ on the streets of 1970s Dublin, to celebrating the craft of a well-tailored three-piece suit by the late 1980s, Gavin never shies away from contradictions. Instead of shedding one identity for another, he layers and curates them — creating a fusion of all he has been, and all he is becoming.

As his most recent album title suggests, we are invited to Ecce Homo - “Behold the Man.” 

We hope you enjoy this colourful journey through time, subcultures, and shifting institutions — with the absolute gent that is Gavin Friday. 

🎨 This series features hand-drawn sketches of each of our guests by artist Louise Boughton @louiseboughton_

✨ Stay connected with Desert Island Dress:

📸 Instagram: ⁠@desert_island_dress⁠

🌐 Website: ⁠www.desertislanddress.com⁠

⭐ Don’t forget to follow, rate & review the podcast — it really helps more people find us.

💌 And if you're enjoying Desert Island Dress, please do share your favourite episode with a friend!

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 episode with a friend, or follow and subscribe on your podcast app — it really helps us grow! 

For more stories, news and updates — including our first live show in Copenhagen with the Embassy of Ireland and recently published articles in RTÉ Brainstorm — visit desertislanddress.com. 

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 the conversation as much as we did. 

We were particularly delighted to learn how influential Ireland and Irish culture have been for Jo — from her early teenage crushes, through her first journalistic job in Cork at the Cork Examiner, cutting her teeth as an apprentice, to spending the last 30 years in domestic bliss with a previous guest and friend of Desert Island Dress, Irish playwright Enda Walsh!  

What a fabulous guest to kick off the series! We absolutely loved chatting with Jo, and we left the conversation as total fangirls of the one and only Jo Ellison. Enjoy this episode!  

🎨 This series features hand-drawn sketches of each of our guests by artist Louise Boughton @louiseboughton_

✨ Stay connected with Desert Island Dress:

📸 Instagram: @desert_island_dress

🌐 Website: www.desertislanddress.com

⭐ Don’t forget to follow, rate & review the podcast — it really helps more people find us.

💌 And if you're enjoying Desert Island Dress, please do share your favourite episode with a friend!

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 politics of appearance in public life.

Don’t forget to catch Mandy’s full episode from earlier this week, and follow us to stay updated on what's happening next with Desert Island Dress.

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.

We also explore the shifting boundaries between workwear and leisurewear, the emotional weight of investment pieces, and how fashion plays a role in confidence and communication.

📌 Follow Mandy Johnston on Instagram: @mandyjohnstonpr

📌 Learn more about Mandy's radio show Taking Stock on Newstalk: https://www.newstalk.com/shows/taking-stock-834298

📌 Keep up with Desert Island Dress on Instagram: @desert_island_dress

Next Episode:We’ll be back this Friday with our post-analysis episode, where we reflect on Mandy's choices and dive deeper into the themes that emerged in this conversation. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it!

🎧 Desert Island Dress is available on all major podcast platforms. Subscribe, rate, and review to help us keep sharing these incredible stories!

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 critical need for young people—especially boys—to see strength in empathy, discipline, and belonging.

From martial arts to mindset, this is an episode about the values we wear and the influence they carry.

📌 Follow Leon Diop on Instagram: @leon_diop_

📌 Learn more about Black & Irish: https://blackandirish.com/

📌 Keep up with Desert Island Dress on Instagram: @desert_island_dress

🎧 Desert Island Dress is available on all major podcast platforms. Subscribe, rate, and review to help us keep sharing these incredible stories!

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 experiences that led him to create Black & Irish, a platform dedicated to amplifying Black and mixed-race Irish voices.

Leon reflects on childhood nostalgia, the impact of fashion as a form of self-expression, and how clothing connects us to our past, our culture, and the communities we belong to.

We also get into an unexpected connection with Mariah Carey, the role of sport in shaping identity, and the importance of finding confidence in your own skin.

This is a conversation full of warmth, humour, and deep insights, and we are so grateful to Leon for sharing his stories with us.
📌 Follow Leon Diop on Instagram: @leon_diop_
📌 Learn more about Black & Irish: https://blackandirish.com/
📌 Keep up with Desert Island Dress on Instagram: @desert_island_dress

Next Episode:
We’ll be back this Friday with our post-analysis episode, where we reflect on Leon’s choices and dive deeper into the themes that emerged in this conversation. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it!

🎧 Desert Island Dress is available on all major podcast platforms. Subscribe, rate, and review to help us keep sharing these incredible stories!

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 actually means.

From the cultural nostalgia of Claddagh rings and Aran jumpers to the modern expressions of Irishness in music, sport, and multicultural identity, we wonder: how is Irishness being redefined by a new generation of creatives?

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review to help more people discover Desert Island Dress!

Follow us on @desert_island_dress

🎧 Listen now on Spotify/Apple Podcasts/any other platform links!

In this episode ofDesert 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 Irish designers, Nikki shares the pivotal moments that shaped her journey in fashion. We explore the influence of her stylish mother, the joy of discovering extraordinary pieces, and the philosophy behind her approach to curating a wardrobe that lasts a lifetime.

Through her chosen pieces, Nikki reflects on fashion’s power to evoke memories, tell personal stories, and create lasting connections. Whether it’s a treasured garment from Japan, an iconic designer piece, or the dress that holds the most profound personal significance, her selections reveal a deep appreciation for fashion as more than just clothing—it’s a way of life.

Join us for a conversation filled with nostalgia, insight, and a true passion for style.

🔔 Don’t forget! Our post-analysis episode drops this Friday, where we’ll unpack key themes from today’s conversation and reflect on Nikki's selections in more depth.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review to help more people discover Desert Island Dress!

Follow us on Instagram: @desert_island_dress

🎧 Listen now on [Spotify/Apple Podcasts/Other platform links]

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.

We also discuss the groundbreaking Laundrette advert of 1985, which reimagined masculinity, and Levi’s latest REIIMAGINEcampaign featuring Beyoncé—an intervention in the cowboy myth and American music history. What does it mean to frame and reframe history? And how do brands, fashion, and photography shape the narratives we tell?

Join us as we connect Rich Gilligan’s love for 501s with the broader conversation on identity, storytelling, and who gets to define Americana.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review to help more people discover Desert Island Dress!

Follow us on @desert_island_dress

🎧 Listen now on [Spotify/Apple Podcasts/Other platform links]

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 dive into:
🎞️ How Rich’s early years in Dublin’s skate scene shaped his creative eye

📸 The connection between photography, identity, and self-expression

🧥 The sentimental power of clothing and the stories they carry🏙️ Life in New York, creative hustle, and finding a home in his work

Join us as we explore the emotional weight of garments, the importance of capturing authenticity, and how Rich’s journey—both on and off the skateboard—has influenced his approach to style and storytelling.

🔔 Don’t forget! Our post-analysis episode drops this Friday, where we’ll unpack key themes from today’s conversation and reflect on Rich’s selections in more depth.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review to help more people discover Desert Island Dress!

Follow us on @desert_island_dress

🎧 Listen now on [Spotify/Apple Podcasts/Other platform links]

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 we become, and the concept of conspicuous consumption—how our relationship with clothing shifts as our lives and careers progress. Inspired by Nuala’s reflections, we also consider the enduring power of vintage finds, the influence of creative environments, and the changing dynamics of style between college life, work, and motherhood.

Get Involved:We’d love to hear from you! Do you have a treasured item from your past that still holds deep meaning? Send us a message on Instagram or share your story in the comments—we’d love to feature listener memories in a future episode.

📢 Support the Show:

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review to help more listeners discover the stories behind the clothes we love.

✨ Follow Desert Island Dress:

Instagram: ⁠⁠@desert_island_dress⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠www.desertislanddress.com⁠

Find out more about BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour:

Instagram: @bbcwomanshour

Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qlvb

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 reporting to the heart of one of the UK’s most iconic radio programmes. And while she might not consider herself a dedicated fashion enthusiast, her life has been surrounded by people who are – from her stylish mother, who still picks out clothes for her at 90, to the fashion designers she’s lived with along the way.

Clothes, for Nuala, are less about trends and more about the stories they hold – from the nostalgia of childhood outfits, to the vintage treasures of her time in Milan, to the practical, hard-wearing staples that have accompanied her on assignments from Westminster to war zones.

Her selections reflect the places she’s called home, the moments that shaped her, and the deep connections between clothing and identity. We were honoured to step into her world and hear the stories behind Nuala McGovern’s Desert Island Dress choices.

📢 Support the Show:

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review to help more listeners discover the stories behind the clothes we love.

✨ Follow Desert Island Dress:

Instagram: ⁠@desert_island_dress⁠

Website: ⁠www.desertislanddress.com

Find out more about BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour:

Instagram: @bbcwomanshour

Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qlvb

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 fabric.

In this episode of Desert Island Dress, we’re joined by the brilliant Leah Hayden Cassidy, a Dublin-born, London-based barber whose talent and creativity have made her a standout in the industry.

But today, she’s not here to talk about hair—she’s sharing the pieces of clothing that mean the most to her. From sentimental treasures to everyday staples, Hayden reflects on how style connects her to family, heritage, and the memories that shape who she is.

It’s a chat filled with warmth, nostalgia, and plenty of laughs as we explore the deep personal meaning behind the things we wear. Whether it’s a beloved item passed down through generations or something that’s become part of her signature look, Hayden’s choices tell a story of identity, tradition, and self-expression.

📢 Support the Show:
Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, rate, and review to help more listeners discover the stories behind the clothes we love.

✨ Follow Hayden Cassidy:
Instagram: @hayden_cassidy
Website: www.haydencassidy.com

✨ Follow Desert Island Dress:
Instagram: @desert_island_dress
Website: www.desertislanddress.com

In this postanalysis episode, we reflect on our conversation with acclaimed playwright Enda Walsh, the first guest of Desert Island Dress Season 3. 

From childhood T-shirts that unlocked a sense of scale and colour to the unspoken rules of teenage fashion, Enda’s stories gave us so much to think about. We revisit the moments that stood out most—his vivid storytelling, the emotional weight of clothing, and the way garments can root us in time and place. Along the way, we dive into themes of memory, identity, peer approval, and self-expression. 

We also explore the power of place in shaping personal style, how clothing codes are policed in different social spaces, and why some garments stay with us—either physically, like Enda’s framed childhood T-shirt or as ghosts of fashion choices that didn’t quite land. 

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. 

📲 Follow us on Instagram for more @desert_island_dress  

💌 Got thoughts on this episode? We’d love to hear from you! 

#DesertIslandDress #EndaWalsh #StorytellingThroughClothes #Podcast #IrishTheatre 

Welcome to the first episode of Season 3! 

To kick off the new series, we’re joined by one of Ireland’s most celebrated playwrights, Enda Walsh. Known for his poetic, deeply human storytelling in works like Disco Pigs, Misterman, Ballyturk, and Lazarus, Enda’s writing is unmistakable—lyrical, intense, and often laced with humour. 

In this episode, we step away from the stage and into Enda’s personal world through the clothes that have shaped his life. From childhood moments of discovery to teenage experiments in self-expression, Enda reflects on how clothing captures memory, identity, and creativity. Along the way, we talk about growing up in Ireland, the influence of colour, and even a surprising encounter with Enya in a bargain basement. 

This is a warm, thoughtful conversation about the stories we carry in our clothes—sometimes sentimental, sometimes surprising, and always deeply personal.  

🎧 Listen now on your favourite podcast platform. 
📲 Follow us on Instagram for updates. 
📩 Have a story to share? Get in touch (DM on Instagram) —we’d love to hear it! 

#DesertIslandDress #EndaWalsh #StorytellingThroughClothes #Podcast #IrishTheatre 

In this special post-analysis episode, co-hosts Dee and Katriona delve into their reflections on last week’s conversation with renowned Irish designer Peter O’Brien.

Highlights from the Discussion:

- Peter O’Brien’s Creative Philosophy: Exploring his fluid approach to design and the beauty in letting the work speak for itself.

- Fashion vs. Function: A lively debate on the intersection of practicality and artistry in clothing. Are we buying a story, a function, or both?

- The Blur Between Fashion and Costume: How Peter's background in costume design informs his ability to tell stories through garments.

- The Realities of the Fashion Industry: A candid look at the challenges and demands of a career in fashion, and Peter’s refreshing take on embracing imperfection and humour.

What You’ll Learn:

- How storytelling shapes our relationship with garments, even when designers downplay the narrative.

- The evolving role of the runway: from buyer-focused events to influencer-driven spectacle.

- Why some of the most meaningful pieces are those imbued with personal memories and longevity.

🧥 Have a story about a garment that means the world to you?

📩 Follow Desert Island Dress on @desert_island_dress

and join the conversation

🎧 Don’t miss an episode—subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

W: www.desertislanddress.com

In this episode of Desert Island Dress, we’re thrilled to sit down with renowned Irish fashion designer Peter O’Brien. Peter takes us on a nostalgic journey through his formative years in fashion, sharing his memories of childhood creativity, from sneaking sequins onto his mother's beachwear to drawing dresses in schoolbooks. With his characteristic wit and candour, Peter recalls the inspirations and pivotal moments that shaped his illustrious career, which spans from designing for top fashion houses to creating costumes for stage and film.

We explore:

Peter also shares his personal Desert Island Dress selections, revealing not just the garments but the stories, emotions, and memories stitched into each piece.

Join us for a delightful and insightful conversation with one of Irish fashion’s true originals, Peter O’Brien.

Guest Info: Peter O'Brien is an Irish fashion designer and costume designer, known for his work with leading fashion houses and his timeless, elegant designs.

Follow Peter O'Brien: @peterobrienoffical

Listen and Subscribe: You can listen to Desert Island Dress on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.

@desert_island_dress

In our follow-up post-analysis of Desert Island Dress, Dee and Katriona reflect on their thought-provoking conversation with dress historian Hilary O'Kelly. This post-analysis discussion touches on the personal and cultural themes that arose during Hilary’s episode and expands into broader topics surrounding fashion, identity, and self-expression.

In This Episode, Dee and Katriona Discuss:

Key Themes:

Why Listen:
If you were intrigued by Hilary O'Kelly’s insights on dress and memory, this episode takes those ideas further by exploring how fashion influences not just how we dress, but how we see ourselves and others. Dee and Katriona provide thoughtful commentary on fashion’s wider social impact, making this episode a must-listen for anyone interested in how clothes shape our personal and cultural identities.

Connect with Us:
Website: www.desertislanddress.com
Instagram: @desert_island_dress

Hello and welcome to the Desert Island Dress podcast with myself, Dee Duffy and herself, Katriona Flynn. This week we are joined by ... 

Dress historian & academic, Hilary O’Kelly  

Hilary teaches fashion and dress history & theory as part of the Critical Cultures programme at the National College of Art & Design in Dublin.  

Hilary's knowledge and insight into garment context, purpose and societal construct are thought-provoking and hugely considered, but more than anything Hilary is the most engaging and engaged lecturer and academic. Ask anyone who has studied fashion, textiles or Jewellery at NCAD and the name Hilary O'Kelly will be amongst their most important and fondest memories.  

Hilary's book Cleo: Irish Clothes in a Wider World – is a study of Cleo - one of Dublin's oldest clothing businesses. In it, Hilary documents the store’s promotion and preservation of Irish traditional clothing and crafts.  

Hilary’s ownpassion for clothing, be it the clothing itself or the making processes, and the memories and storytelling around these aspects, is beautiful and so important in our conversations around dress.  

We truly were honoured to head down memory lane with Hilary through the medium of HER clothes and the stories they tell.  

This is the Desert Island Dress podcast. 

In this special post-analysis episode, Dee and Katriona unpack their conversation with the unstoppable Zeda the Architect. From her boundless energy to her deep love of fashion, Zeda left the hosts inspired—and with plenty to discuss.

This lively recap explores:

Whether you’re a fashion lover or just tuning in for the stories, this episode promises to spark thought, joy, and maybe even a little debate about the value of fashion in our lives.

Join the Conversation:
What stuck with you from Zeda’s episode? Share your thoughts with Dee and Katriona on Instagram: @desert_island_dress

Don’t Miss an Episode:
Subscribe, review, and share Desert Island Dress to keep up with the latest conversations about fashion, memories, and everything in between!

In this vibrant episode of Desert Island Dress, we are joined by the ever-inspiring fashion stylist, Zeda the Architect. Known for her bold, eclectic style that blends statement pieces with architectural flair, Zeda’s work continually pushes the boundaries of personal expression through fashion.

Zeda brings her signature energy as she shares the stories behind four treasured items that have defined her style and career. From her iconic leopard coat, now dubbed the "Vogue coat," to her adventures in custom-made Nigerian attire, Zeda reveals how her sartorial choices reflect her heritage, personality, and love for fashion experimentation.

In this episode, you'll hear Zeda’s thoughts on:

Zeda's infectious enthusiasm for fashion as a tool for storytelling and self-expression makes this a must-listen for anyone who loves pushing the boundaries of style.

Follow us:

@desert_island_dress

www.desertislanddress.com

Follow Zeda:

https://www.zedathearchitect.com/

@notzeda

In this post-analysis episode, hosts Dee and Katriona dive into the rich tapestry of storytelling, style, and strong women inspired by their recent guest, Marie Louise O’Donnell.

What to Expect:

- Reflections on Marie Louise O’Donnell’s life, career, and her storytelling through clothes.

- How garments can encapsulate sentimentality, memory, and era-defining moments.

- The symbolic power of black in fashion and its role in identity and storytelling.

- A thought-provoking dive into cultural figures, from Kamala Harris to Edna O’Brien’s 'The Country Girls'.

- The challenges and perceptions of women’s fashion in political and societal spaces.

- Romanticising tragic heroines in literature and their cultural implications.

Key Themes:

- Sentimentality and storytelling in fashion.

- The politics of clothing and self-presentation.

- Literature’s influence on how we view women and identity.

- Cultural and societal reflections on women’s roles through clothing and style.

Notable Quotes:

- "By being anti-fashion, you’re still engaging in the fashion conversation—it’s all part of the discourse."

- "Her black wardrobe was as much about simplicity as it was about drama—a reflection of her striking personality."

- "The power of visual storytelling in fashion is undeniable—what we wear is as much a statement as the words we speak."

Join the Conversation:

Have thoughts on the episode? Share your favourite insights and reflections on fashion, literature, or storytelling!

Visit our website:

www.desertislanddress.com

Follow us on Instagram to join the discussion: @desert_island_dress

In this captivating episode of Desert Island Dress, we sit down with the ever-charming Marie Louise O'Donnell to explore her vibrant life through the lens of four unforgettable fashion moments. With her quick wit and delightful storytelling, Marie Louise, a former senator, broadcaster, and academic, transports us to the fashionable (and sometimes not so fashionable) eras that shaped her.

In this episode, we discuss the powerful role that fashion can play—not just in how we present ourselves to the world but how it connects us to our past, our families, and our identity. From bell-bottomed misadventures to the elegance of tweed and cherished heirlooms, Marie Louise offers a glimpse into the ways clothing has marked pivotal moments in her life.

Listen in to Marie Louise reflect on her evolving relationship with fashion, her artistic influences, and the unspoken power behind a well-loved garment.

Key Highlights:

Takeaway: Fashion is more than just clothes—it's memory, identity, and a connection to who we are and where we've come from.

Listen to this delightful conversation, filled with humour and wisdom, only on Desert Island Dress!

@desert_island_dress

www.desertislanddress.com

Learn more about Marie Louise:

http://marielouiseodonnell.ie/

In this follow-up episode, co-hosts Dee and Katriona unpack the highlights and takeaways from their conversation with Laura deBarra, diving deeper into themes of sustainability, garment care, and wedding dress dilemmas.

From Saturday Uniforms to Care Labels
Katriona reflects on Laura’s concept of a “Saturday uniform” and how it resonated with her childhood memories of valuing a few key outfits. This segued into a discussion on the importance of care labels, as Laura had linked care practices with sentimental value, sharing her grandmother's cardigan story as an example of a cherished, well-cared-for item.

Wedding Dress Dilemmas and Sentimental Heirlooms
Dee delves into the emotional conundrum of wedding dresses: beautiful, often expensive items designed for a single day. Drawing from theories on emotionally durable design, the hosts consider how a wedding dress could be reimagined to serve multiple purposes or be passed down in a meaningful way. This conversation extends to heirlooms and modern attitudes toward sentimental keepsakes in a world with limited storage and evolving values.

The Practicalities of Garment Care
The hosts underscore Laura’s emphasis on practical, sustainable garment care—like using a steamer instead of overwashing clothes—to extend the life of beloved pieces. This theme resonates with Laura's personal brand, which merges functionality and style with an educational twist, akin to Jamie Oliver’s approach to food.

Ethical Fashion and Transparency
Katriona and Dee discuss fashion's sustainability and ethical sourcing challenges, referencing brands like Loro Piana and their ethical controversies. They explore how fabric composition, care practices, and brand transparency can empower consumers to make more sustainable choices.

Connect with Us:

Follow Desert Island Dress @desert_island_dress on Instagram to share your thoughts on today’s episode.

Don’t forget to subscribe to stay updated on upcoming episodes in this season.

\Welcome to another episode of Desert Island Dress with your hosts, Dee Duffy and Katriona Flynn, where we uncover the memories and stories behind the clothes we wear. 

Today, we have a very special guest, Laura deBarra, the brilliant mind behind the bestselling books Gaff Goddess and Garment Goddess. Laura is not just a style icon but a champion of resourcefulness, combining her love of fashion with her incredible DIY skills. From mending treasured garments to breathing new life into household items, Laura has a uniquely practical relationship with clothes and fabrics. 

In this episode, Laura shares how hands-on skills, from sewing to mending and upcycling, have shaped her wardrobe and life. And how her approach to clothing is about more than just style—it’s about sustainability, creativity, and emotional connection.  

Join us, as we head down memory lane with Gaff Goddess, Garment Godess, that is Laura de Barra, through the medium of clothes and the stories they tell.  

This is the Desert Island Dress podcast.  

www.desertislanddress.com

@desert_island_dress

In this follow-up episode of Desert Island Dress, Dee and Katriona sit down to unpack last week’s conversation with sustainability advocate Gwen Cunningham. They delve into the intriguing stories Gwen shared, including the myth of the selkie, which opened up a rich discussion on women’s identity, freedom, and societal expectations.

Drawing from Gwen’s four selected items, Dee and Katriona explore the surprising ways in which clothing holds memories, connects us to our roots, and can even challenge us to think differently about our environmental impact.

As they discuss Gwen’s treasured items, from a well-worn Superman T-shirt to a childhood cloak tied to Irish folklore, Dee and Katriona also reflect on their own memories and the items that shaped them as children. The conversation explores the notion of "emotionally durable design" and considers how our emotional connections to clothing might influence a more mindful approach to fashion.

In this Episode, We Reflect On:

Continue the Conversation:
What items of clothing from your past hold special meaning for you? We’d love to hear your stories! Share with us on Instagram @desert_island_dress.

Listen & Subscribe:
Don’t miss our future reflections and guest episodes! Subscribe to Desert Island Dress on your preferred podcast platform to stay up-to-date with new episodes.

In this episode of Desert Island Dress, hosts Dee Duffy and Katriona Flynn sit down with Gwen Cunningham, an advocate for the deeper meaning behind the clothes we wear and keep. Gwen shares the stories of four treasured items from her wardrobe, each piece connected to pivotal moments, relationships, and phases in her life. From a memorable Superman T-shirt to an intricately embroidered childhood cloak, Gwen’s choices reveal how clothing can carry layers of identity, memory, and meaning.

As the conversation unfolds, Gwen reflects on her enduring passion for secondhand items, the significance of textile repair, and the intangible power clothing holds in preserving personal and cultural narratives. Through laughter, nostalgia, and poignant moments, Gwen, Dee, and Katriona explore the emotional resonance found in garments that remain long after the trends fade.

In this Episode, We Explore:

Join us for an intimate discussion on how garments become much more than just clothes, carrying with them stories, relationships, and legacies that span generations.

Share Your Story:
What item of clothing holds a special place in your life? Share with us on Instagram @desert_island_dress—we’d love to hear the stories behind your most treasured pieces.

In this episode of Desert Island Dress, your hosts consider the world of branding, exploring whether it’s all just marketing spin or if there's something genuinely meaningful behind it. Following their thought-provoking conversation with fashion powerhouse Brendan Courtney, they reflect on some of his insights and the broader implications of branding in the fashion industry.

From high-end labels to accessible favourites, they ask: What makes a brand feel authentic? Are we as consumers just buying into cleverly crafted stories? Or is there a real, lasting value in the stories brands tell? The hosts share personal anecdotes and explore themes of identity, loyalty, and the fine line between meaningful connections and consumer manipulation.

Key points covered include:

Listener Takeaway: Whether you’re a brand loyalist, a fashion skeptic, or somewhere in between, this episode will have you questioning what makes a brand truly valuable—and whether we’re all just falling for a good story.

Connect with Us:

Hello and welcome back to the second series of the Desert Island Dress podcast with your hosts, Dee Duffy and Katriona Flynn.  

To kick off the series, we are thrilled to welcome Brendan Courtney, beloved Irish TV presenter and fashion designer, as he takes us on a personal journey through his love for fashion, sharing how clothes have shaped his identity from a young age.  

Brendan knows the power of style as a form of self-expression, recalling his teenage years of reinvention with his iconic red leather biker jacket and bleached hair, which helped him transform from a bullied kid to a confident and creative force.  

As someone who is usually the one exploring other people’s homes and memories on his hit TV series, Keys to My Life, it was special to have Brendan with us this time to share his most cherished pieces.  

Join us, as we head down memory lane with Brendan Courtney, through the medium of clothes and the stories they tell.  

This is the Desert Island Dress podcast.  

Join Dee & Katriona as they unpack last week's Desert Island Dress podcast episode.

Hello and welcome to the Desert Island Dress podcast with myself, Dee Duffy and herself, Katriona Flynn. This week we are joined by ... 

stylist, creative director and consultant, Aisling Farinella. 

Aisling works across fashion and cultural platforms with her styling featured in prominent Irish and international editorial and advertising campaigns. If you were to explore who Aisling has worked with, it would probably be easier to start with who she hasn’t worked with!  

She acts as an industry mentor for the Design & Crafts Council Ireland, has judged numerous design industry awards, and is a commentator on Irish fashion to publications including The Times Style, i-D and Irish Arts Review,  

Aisling guest lectures at the National College of Art & Design and Limerick School of Art & Design and has been a keynote speaker at design conferences including Offset and The Future.  

When Aisling joined us as a guest for Desert Island Dress, we wanted to explore her own attachments to garments and pieces. In exploring Aisling's work and throughout the interview that passion for creative talent and nurturing that talent was so evident. 

But also, the importance of key relationships and friendships, as well as the themes of motherhood and womanhood, were so wonderfully explored and presented. The significance of provenance was deeply rooted in the context of these stories, from Sicily to Dublin to Connemara - we thoroughly enjoyed being transported to these locations, item by item. 

And if we were being cast away to a Desert Island, we might ask for the archive of Thread Magazine as our luxury item! Thread was a ground-breaking fashion publication co-edited by Aisling, beautifully documenting Irish creative talent at home & abroad.  

Join us, as we head down memory lane with Aisling Farinella, through the medium of clothes and the stories they tell.  

This is the Desert Island Dress podcast. 

Join Dee & Katriona as they unpack last week's Desert Island Dress podcast episode.

This week's guest is Perry Ogden, the visionary fashion photographer whose work has left an indelible mark on the world of fashion and beyond. His photographs have appeared in countless magazines worldwide including Italian Vogue, Luomo Vogue, British Vogue, W, the Face and Arena, and he has shot advertising campaigns for Ralph Lauren, Chloe and Calvin Klein.

Renowned for his unique ability to capture the essence of his subjects, Perry's photographs tell compelling stories that transcend the superficiality often associated with fashion imagery. 

In the unlikely case that our fondness and awe for Perry's work didn't translate through the sound waves, we urge you to take a look at some of his commercial, but in particular more personal projects for yourself - from his PONY KIDS photography series, his book PADDY & LIAM, to his feature film Pavee Lackeen, Perry captures an intriguing essence of identity and beauty in the ordinary and somehow becoming extraordinary.

 And what of his Desert Island choices and the man himself?! just as perhaps his dealings with his subjects in his work, his choices were thoughtful and considered, stories of hope in sometimes, unexpected places, and beautiful connections with people. It seems as though Perry is all about people and place, but with a real sense of respect for people in place. 

Join us, as we head down memory lane with Perry Ogden, through the medium of clothes and the stories they tell.  

This is the Desert Island Dress podcast. 

Join Dee & Katriona as they unpack last week's Desert Island Dress podcast episode.

This week we were thrilled to sit down and chat with Deirdre McQuillan - a freelance feature writer, author, and the esteemed Fashion Editor of the Irish Times newspaper. Deirdre has been at the forefront of the fashion industry for decades, offering her keen insights and expert commentary on the ever-evolving world of style.

Her journey through the fashion landscape has seen her influence trends, champion emerging designers, and provide a voice on the cultural significance of fashion in Ireland and beyond.

So whilst we may have felt Deirdre to be an obvious choice to discuss matters relating to fashion, and to have an easy time selecting her four items, Deirdre took us on many surprises through her choices, not alone, her own, perhaps, unintentional entry into the world of fashion writing and discourse.

We honestly could have chatted for far longer, as we were both captivated by Deirdre’s storytelling around matters so important to her, including the historical and present-day rights of women globally, which resonates deeply.

Please do join us, as we head down memory lane with Deirdre McQuillan, through the medium of clothes and the stories they tell.  

This is the Desert Island Dress podcast. 

Join Dee & Katriona as they unpack last week's Desert Island Dress podcast episode.

Hello and welcome to the Desert Island Dress podcast with myself, Dee Duffy and herself, Katriona Flynn. This week we are joined by ... 

Master goldsmith and High Jewellery Designer, Nigel O’Reilly 

This is our first on-location recording, visiting Nigel at his beautiful showroom and studio in Castlebar, Co. Mayo. While we missed the pragmatic soundproofed walls of our usual recording studio, we were quite happy to be at the hub of creativity, surrounded by an exquisite jewellery collection.  

The craftsmanship of Nigel’s work is so intricate, and the paucity of materials so evident that there is something very special about witnessing this kind of a maker and product in a small town in the west of Ireland, and yet perhaps that is in ways the mystic, integrity and magic behind the brand. Indeed, even referring to Nigel O'Reilly's makings as products or indeed the namesake as a brand feels futile because the craftmanship and outcomes are much more like beautiful art, unique and timeless.  

And what about the item choices for the Desert Island Dress podcast? were they equally opulent and extravagant? They were wonderfully emotional connections to the key figures of the craftsman Nigel O'Reilly, grounded in the simplicities of everyday family life which lives side by side with the escapism of the creations being dreamt up by the Mayo native.  

We were so grateful for the insight into these two parallel worlds, if you haven't seen Nigel's work, once you do you will never be able to forget it. 

Join us, as we head down memory lane with Nigel O’Reilly, through the medium of clothes and the stories they tell.  

This is the Desert Island Dress podcast. 

Join Dee & Katriona as they unpack last week's Desert Island Dress podcast episode.

Hello and welcome to the Desert Island Dress podcast with myself, Dee Duffy and herself, Katriona Flynn. This week we are joined by ... 

Niamh Fitzpatrick is a psychologist specialising in mental health and performance psychology.  

You might notice Niamh mentions our persistence in inviting her as a guest on Desert Island Dress, and she tells no lies, we have been persistent! We have been aware of Niamh's work for many years, from her former Agony Aunt days on Today FM, to her role as Irish Olympic Headquarters Psychologist.   

Niamh has been described as warm, insightful, creative and enthusiastic and we can confirm that she is all these things, and so much more. She is a wonderful storyteller, her four garment choices, from wellies to Wexford jerseys transported us from beautiful childhood memories to unimaginable moments of loss and tragedy.  

Niamh's openness and integrity in memories and love of her family and friends will have a long-lasting impression on you, there is such clarity and calmness in her conversation and dialogue. We are thoroughly grateful to Niamh for joining us, for giving so openly her memories and stories, and for forgiving our persistence. We have no regrets! 

And if you enjoy the episode, Niamh's book ‘Tell me the Truth about Loss’, is a beautiful and hopeful book which continues some of the themes discussed throughout the recording. 

Join us, as we accompany Niamh Fitzpatrick down memory lane, through the medium of clothes and the stories they tell.  

This is the Desert Island Dress podcast. 

Join Dee & Katriona as they unpack last week's Desert Island Dress podcast episode.

This week we are joined by Irish fashion journalist Ruth O’Connor. Ruth is an experienced journalist, specialising in design, craft, trends, sustainability and business, her ability to create a headline moment is evident and left us wanting to know more about her clubbing days and a famous or what should be famous, 'coat'. More of that later.  

In other moments Ruth shared more emotional relationships and connections as she recalled the important people in her life, and the stems of her passions and advocacy for sustainability, heritage skills, innovation and Irish design became so evident.  

Ruth's intrigue and support of Irish talent and creativity, and even just her kindness and support for this podcast show the true sentimentalist she is, and how she finds great resonance in what we choose to wear. 

Do check out Ruth's musings in her weekly lifestyle column Desire Lines, in the Irish Examiner newspaper, along with her frequent contributions to Image magazine, Galway Now, The Gloss, and the Sunday Times. Ruth has also written for the Irish Times, Irish Country Magazine, The Business Post, and The Currency, and has been a mentor and a judge with the Design & Craft Council Ireland and the Institute of Designers in Ireland.  

Safe to say, she is a highly respected voice in the Irish fashion scene, and we thoroughly enjoyed heading down memory lane with Ruth through the medium of clothes and the stories they tell.

This is the Desert Island Dress podcast.  

Join Dee & Katriona as they unpack last week's Desert Island Dress podcast episode.

Hello and welcome to the Desert Island Dress podcast with myself, Dee Duffy and herself, Katriona Flynn. This week we are joined by ... 

Irish music journalist, blogger, and editor of RTE’s Brainstorm, Jim Carroll  

Jim brought all the energy and we loved it! What quickly transpires about Jim is his passion for creativity, his ability to offer compassionate but constructive commentary and a sense of perspective to the cultural landscapes, in particular Dublin's.  

There is no doubt that he has a great ear for music and a sense of the next big thing, and long-lasting great big things, but his eye also for clothing detail quickly arose. From garment construction to the social cues these pieces hold, the conversation was charming.  

If you haven't read Jim's writings or attended his events you really should – we'll pop some suggested links in the show notes.   

We thoroughly enjoyed heading (energetically) down memory lane with Jim through the medium of clothes and the stories they tell.  

This is the Desert Island Dress podcast. 

Join Dee & Katriona as they unpack last week's Desert Island Dress podcast episode.

Hello and welcome to the Desert Island Dress podcast with myself, Dee Duffy and herself, Katriona Flynn. This week we are joined by ... 

The one & only, Davina Devine! 

Davina is one of Ireland's most recognisable Drag Queens & Cabaret showgirls, having served on stages all over Ireland & Internationally for over two decades. 

Charismatic and glamorous, Davina confirmed our suspicions of a large archive of fabulous costumes and looks, but it was lovely to hear the choices Davina selected for her Desert Island Dress collection, Yes there were sequins and wind machines but also nods to the Spice Girls and perhaps unexpectedly journalist Vincent Browne got a mention!.  

A true Diva, and a wonderfully warm & genuine guest.  

Davina Devine is queen of many talents Singer, Model, DJ Brand ambassador, one-half of the podcast Petty Little Things (a good play on words is not lost on us) and host of the iconic club night Thirsty Thursday at The George in Dublin.

We loved joining Davina on her trip down memory lane through the medium of (fabulous) clothes and the stories they tell.  

This is the Desert Island Dress podcast. 

Need a new podcast recommendation?

Are you interested in the clothes we wear? The stories they tell? Do you wonder Why we wear, what we wear, whenwe wear it?

Or are you someone who claims never to give clothing a second thought? Even so - this is the podcast for you!

I’m Dee Duffy and I’m Katriona Flynn, and together we will explore the many stories a simple garment can unravel on our new podcast, Desert Island Dress.

Inspired by the classic BBC radio broadcast, Desert Island Discs, our new podcast follows a similar arrangement.

We ask guests to choose four items of dress, items which have shaped their lives and that they could not bear to leave behind on the mainland. Every other week, Dee and I then reflect on our guest’s stories, unpack anything of social, historic, fashionable or just general interest, and have a good reflective chat on the conversation.

Desert Island Dress - coming soon on all major podcast platforms – subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode!

Website: https://www.desertislanddress.com/

Instagram: @desert_island_dress

Find out more about your hosts:

Katriona Flynn: linkedin.com/in/katrionaflynn

Dr Dee Duffy: linkedin.com/in/drdeeduffy

Image credit: XrayVeasey