Sybil Connolly

Sybil Connolly (24 January 1921 – 6 May 1998) was a celebrated fashion designer and global icon known for her innovative use of traditional Irish textiles in haute couture. Often described as "Dublin's Dior", she achieved international repute and success, making her one of the first Irish designers to do so. She was a member of the "Big Three" Irish fashion designers (along with Irene Gilbert and Raymond Kenna/Kay Peterson), and was described by former Taoiseach (prime minister) Jack Lynch as "a national treasure."

She worked with brands such as Tiffany & Co. and Bloomingdale's. Among her fashion label's famous clients were American First Lady and style icon Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, the Rockefellers, and the Mellons. Her activities were covered in both the fashion press and the social columns of publications such as the Hollywood Reporter. Described by Bettina Ballard, the influential editor of American Vogue, as a "personable milk-skinned Irish charmer," she came to the notice of Carmel Snow, the Dalkey-born editor of Harpers Bazaar. Snow was instrumental in introducing Sybil Connolly to the American market and press.