1 What is your earliest style memory?

My Holy Communion outfit. It’s not because I loved it, but more because I didn’t want to conform to the same as everyone else.

I wore a white hat with flowers in it and a dress to my knee whilst everyone else wore a long dress with a veil. I would love to see a class photo, as I was definitely different!

2 What has been your best style investment?

An amethyst ring I bought from Tiffany’s in 2012. I bought it to mark the birth of my daughter, Hannah. It’s a beautiful statement piece of jewellery, which I will pass to her when the time comes.

Fiona Heaney is the creative director of Irish fashion brand fee G.

It was expensive but it brings me joy every time I wear it. It will never date and it goes with everything.

3 What is you biggest style regret?

None. What you wear as you grow up is an expression of who you are at that time. I believe that your style evolves as you pass through different stages of your life. I experimented in my teenage and college years and don’t regret any of it.

4 Who is your style icon?

I have many! For street-style cool, it is model/designer Anine Bing. Her style is inspired by Scandinavian simplicity with LA energy.

Her look is one of a modern woman seeking a timeless yet rebellious approach to everyday style. For over-the-top, haute couture glamour, it’s Leonie Hanne.

A German fashion influencer always seen sitting front row at Paris and Milan fashion week, she’s definitely one to watch for her brand collaborations from Dior to Valentino.

5 What is the inspiration behind the latest collection from fee G?

This year has taught us many things. Amidst its challenges it has crystallised our awareness of that for which we are grateful and what remains true.

With the new fee G collection, you can indulge your wanderlust with pieces that conjure up a sense of poetic freedom and sanguine optimism.

The SS22 collection was designed during lockdown three of the global pandemic.

The studio was transported to my home, where I poured passion and love into the design, to create an uplifting season for the fee G brand. The result is a joy of dressing, imbued with optimism and movement.

6 What is your “hero piece” from the collection?

The Hamptons dress. It’s a button shirt style dress made from blue stripe cotton. It has the most stunning embroidery on the sleeves, making it very unique and distinctly fee G. It’s such a versatile style; wear with heels for an event or with sandals or trainers for a summer cool look.

The Hamptons dress is Fiona's ‘hero piece’ from the fee G SS collection €252.

7 What are your top three style tips for 2022?

  • 1 Get dressed up to celebrate! It’s been so long since we got to meet with family and friends, it’s definitely the time to make an effort. Invest in a new piece for the season and if you can, buy Irish design. Irish designers know what colours and silhouettes suit the local customer. So many of us have changed what we are wearing during the course of the pandemic and the styles we wore pre-2020 may no longer suit or fit, which is OK. It’s a great reason to treat yourself to something new.
  • 2 Embrace colour. All bright colours suit the Irish skin tones. We wear bright hues like pinks, corals and pattern really well. I believe colour can be uplifting as well as flattering.
  • 3 Wear more dresses. They are easy (just one piece) and can be worn everyday or for occasions. We have used quirky embroideries and individual prints, which are key in the fee G collection for SS22. Prints and embroideries have been created in our Dublin studio and are exclusive to the fee G collection, so are very different to what you can find on the high street.

    • Alice dress €257.

    8 Who is your favourite designer?

    Tory Burch. I love American style and I love everything about the Tory Burch brand; from her designs and editorial shoots to her philanthropy and investing in female-led companies. When I walk into a Tory Burch store, the interior, level of finish of modern cool design is everything I would aspire the fee G brand to be.

    9 What is your top tip for looking after your clothes and ensuring sustainability?

    Air clothes after wearing and hang them up, not on a chair in the bedroom! Spot clean and only wash when you need to. Try and dry-clean as little as possible because of the chemicals involved. If you look after your clothes, they will last so much longer.

    Summer picnic dress €246.

    10 What are your hopes for fee G for 2022?

    That the pandemic will be firmly behind us and we can socialise, travel and embrace life again. I believe it will happen. I think the SS22 collection is our most exciting and creative to date and I hope that our customers love it. I look forward to seeing my designs on wonderful Irish women this season as they get to celebrate and enjoy time with family and friends again.

    The SS22 collection from fee G is available online at www.feeg.ie and will be arriving in selected boutiques from the end of January.

    Read more

    Style File: Fiona Heaney, Creative Director of Fee G & Luke Lovely

    'During COVID, I wanted to design the most colourful collection in years'