Pat Crowley (fashion designer) facts for kids

Pat Crowley (born May 17, 1933 – died December 16, 2013) was a famous Irish fashion designer. She created clothes for many important people, including the Irish president Mary Robinson.

Pat's Early Life and Family

Patricia Vernon was born in Taylor's Hill, County Galway, Ireland, on May 17, 1933. She was the oldest of seven children. Her father, Herbert Scott Vernon, worked for the Bank of Ireland. Her mother, Netta Vernon, was from County Cork.

When Pat's father passed away at age 60, her mother moved to America. She worked there as a housekeeper to earn money for the family. This helped Pat's brothers finish college.

Pat met her future husband, Conor Crowley, at a rugby match in Lansdowne Road. Conor was a partner in an accounting firm. Pat and Conor got married in 1957. They waited a while to have children because Pat wanted to keep working. In 1968, they had their first child, Vernon. Later, they had two more daughters, Fiona and Lisa. The family lived on a large farm in Dunboyne, County Meath.

Pat studied fashion design at the Grafton Academy in Dublin. Her mother encouraged her to go there, even though her father didn't think women needed an education.

Pat's Fashion Career

After graduating, Pat first worked as an air hostess for Aer Lingus, an Irish airline. This was a very exciting job at the time, and it allowed her to travel a lot. She was even on the first transatlantic flight from Ireland!

In 1960, Pat started working for Irene Gilbert, another top Irish fashion designer. Irene Gilbert was known for designing clothes for Grace Kelly, a famous actress and princess. Pat learned many important skills from Irene, like how to drape fabric and how to run a fashion business, including sales and marketing. Pat traveled to the United States many times for Irene Gilbert, which helped her prepare to open her own business. She worked for Irene for seven years.

In 1968, Pat Crowley started her own knitwear business. She opened her workshop and store on Duke Street in Dublin. Her store sold her own creative designs, as well as clothes from famous designers like Valentino and Thierry Mugler.

Pat's unique designs were very popular. She hired 600 knitters across Ireland to help make her clothes. Her special way of making traditional wool jumpers stood out. Pat became a well-known figure in the fashion world and appeared on TV shows like "Head To Toe" on RTÉ. In 1992, she showed her Autumn/Winter collection on the show.

Dressing Famous People

Pat Crowley designed clothes for all kinds of people, from presidents to movie stars. She often traveled to America to sell her clothes to wealthy women. She had many famous clients, including Miranda Guinness and Rosaleen Linehan.

One of Pat's biggest achievements was designing the outfits for Mary Robinson, the Irish president, when she met Queen Elizabeth in London in 1993 and Pope John Paul in Rome in 1996. Pat also designed the dress that Marie Heaney wore when her husband, Seamus Heaney, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995.

In 1990, Pat Crowley won the Satzenbrau Designer of the Year award. Her clothes became more colorful but always stayed elegant. Miranda Iveagh, a famous Irish fashion icon, loved wearing Pat's designs. She said she felt "frightfully happy" in them.

Later Life

In the late 1990s, Pat Crowley was still very busy with her fashion career. Her husband, Conor, was also busy competing in horse racing championships. They both loved horses and rode them every day on their farm.

Pat had a hip operation in 1999, which marked a change in her health. Her husband, Conor, passed away later that year. Around this time, Pat was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a condition that affects memory and thinking.

A year later, Pat decided to retire and closed her fashion boutique. She sold her farm and moved to Sandymount, Dublin. Later, she moved into a nursing home, where her children cared for her. Pat Crowley passed away on December 16, 2013, at the age of 80. She was buried in Rooske Cemetery in Dunboyne.