Be prepared for April showers with these stylish macs. Deirdre McQuillan belts up.
A raincoat is a practical wardrobe essential for our mercurial Irish climes. Michael Mortell's cool leopard-print mac, one of the most stylish on the market, from this seasoned rainwear designer, has been the hit of the season. It sold out almost from the moment it made its first appearance (though you can still find it in a number of outlets) and the designer admits, with an involuntary pun, it was spot on.
Finding rainwear fabrics that aren't plain is difficult, he says. "All my fabrics have to be water-repellent and that hems you in slightly. Pucci prints are for people who don't go out in the rain." Mortell is known for occasionally lining his dry wax moleskins with animal prints, "which don't always get out of the trap, but this one made it."
Quite apart from appearance, rainwear is in a demanding, work-intensive league of its own. Every seam, for example, has to be double stitched. The fabrics Mortell uses are washable and can be dry-cleaned, unlike many classic waxed or oiled coats which can be expensive to maintain. Every season he introduces alternative looks, sometime using lighter nylon or polyamides. Best buys are often tried and tested shapes such as the trench with its buttoned yoke, buttoned flaps, epaulettes and D-rings, the signature details that have made it a perennial favourite.
"We are one of the best rainwear companies in the world," claims Francis Campelli, whose shop in East Essex Street in Dublin is the city's only dedicated rainwear outlet. Campelli has been exporting his Irish raincoats for 20 years to countries such as France, Italy and Japan. He specialises in a double layered cotton fabric with a waterproof membrane in between, which is soft and totally waterproof. There's a range of good looking classic styles in up to eight colours at prices from €190-€350. "Plain fabrics are what customers want", he says. The shop, which also sells accessories and bags, is open six days a week from 11am to 6pm.
On the catwalk you will see all kinds of zany prints, such as Viktor & Rolf's cute umbrella patterned showerproofs, but our selection restricts pattern to Mortell's dark leopard-print. We have included a clear Muji mac to show off what's underneath; a chic city number from DKNY that won't date; a safe black bet from a|wear and a white leather coat that can do double duty winter or summer. So, forget soggy cuts and dreary beige waterproofs, greet the rain in style.