Age, Biography and Wiki

Christopher McDonnell was born on 1943, is a British fashion designer (born 1943). Discover Christopher McDonnell's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 81 years old?

Popular As N/A
Occupation Fashion designer; fashion journalist and academic
Age 81 years old
Zodiac Sign
Born 1943, 1943
Birthday 1943
Birthplace N/A
Nationality

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 1943. He is a member of famous fashion designer with the age 81 years old group.

Christopher McDonnell Height, Weight & Measurements

At 81 years old, Christopher McDonnell height not available right now. We will update Christopher McDonnell's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
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Dating & Relationship status

He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Not Available
Sibling Not Available
Children Not Available

Christopher McDonnell Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Christopher McDonnell worth at the age of 81 years old? Christopher McDonnell’s income source is mostly from being a successful fashion designer. He is from . We have estimated Christopher McDonnell's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income fashion designer

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Timeline

1960

Christopher McDonnell is a British fashion designer who operated in the UK between the 1960s and 1980s.

1967

In 1967, McDonnell established his fashion business close to Sloane Square with two friends Peter and Mary-Anne Marrian acting as business partners.

His first collection was attended by a London correspondent of American fashion trade magazine Women's Wear Daily (WWD), who returned the next day with colleagues from New York.

This resulted in a double-page spread in WWD and a tie-in with Saks Fifth Avenue, which made McDonnell's name more familiar in the US than the UK in the early days.

The company he'd co-founded was known as Marrian-McDonnell initially to reflect the business partnership, while in the US the brand was always known as Christopher McDonnell.

1970

In 1970, as part of the short-lived London Designer Collections (a successor to the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers), McDonnell showcased his work in a fashion show alongside designs by, among others, Mary Quant, Ossie Clark, Alice Pollock, Thea Porter, Gina Fratini and Caroline Charles.

1971

In 1971, he was among eleven UK fashion designers chosen for an exhibition showcasing British talent at The Louvre – at the invitation of the director of Musée des Arts Décoratifs – entitled L'Idee de la Forme.

Other designers included Barbara Hulanicki, Bill Gibb, Jean Muir and Beatrice Bellini for Women's Home Industries – McDonnell chose to show an outfit comprising tweed tunic, tapestry-patterned sweater, blouson short pants with leggings and long doeskin cape.

In November 1971, a feature in The Guardian compared McDonnell's fashion direction to that of Jean Muir and said he planned to launch four collections a year.

By this stage, McDonnell was also teaching at the Royal College of Art and his garments were stocked by the London tailor Simpsons of Piccadilly.

1972

Writing in The Times in 1972, Prudence Glynn described Marrian-McDonnell as a rarity in London, representing what many saw as the future of the fashion retail business: "It carries a range of clothes and accessories either all designed within the firm or very tightly edited to fit in with a recognizable style. The shops are small, individual and closely geared to the needs and tastes of a particular customer, who could always go there and know that she could find her kind of clothes."

A second Marrian-McDonnell store opened in South Molton Street in 1972.

1973

In the US, he was known under his own name, and in the UK he operated under the brand name Marrian-McDonnell before switching to an eponymous label in 1973.

Establishing a niche for sophisticated clothes in choice fabrics with a French approach to tailoring and style, McDonnell's designs were described by Angela Neustatter in 1973 as having a classic quality that set him apart from many of his contemporaries: "Christopher's clothes are not for the so-called 'beautiful' people; they are for people who just want to look beautiful – and there is a difference. We are all tired of fashion revolutions."

Christopher McDonnell studied architecture before moving on to a fashion degree at the Royal College of Art under Janey Ironside.

His first job after graduating was with the magazine Queen, then owned by Jocelyn Stevens, working on the fashion team led by Lady Clare Rendlesham.

In 1973, the partnership with the Marrians was dissolved and McDonnell began trading in the UK under the brand name Christopher McDonnell Ltd, establishing a short-lived partnership with Graham Fraser (Fraser was formerly associated with Feathers boutique and later co-founded the label Workers for Freedom with McDonnell's one-time assistant Richard Nott).

That year, McDonnell also produced a branded diffusion line for the raincoat maker Quelrayn, including embroidered cotton, velvet and seersucker coats.

Once described as the English Yves Saint Laurent for his French approach to tailoring and fabrics, McDonnell's design inspiration was Balenciaga and he said his aim was to design clothes that could be worn by women between the ages of 18 and 45.

The label became well known for its woollen and jersey knitwear and its use of fine materials such as tweed and silk – although it also responded to fashion trends such as the early '70s craze for cheesecloth and calico.

By 1973, an article in The Guardian noted he had carved a niche for daywear, in contrast to a focus on eveningwear by many designer contemporaries, and was the first British designer to produce a classic silk shirt for women.

The article added: "He has a feeling for fabrics, whipping up the luxury naturals...in pure silk, raw silk, heavy linens, cottons, natural wools and cashmeres...His day clothes provide the perfect balance of the tailored and the dressmakery."

1974

In 1974, McDonnell's business was bought by the bank Slater Walker.

1975

In 1975, with a flagship premises at 45 South Molton Street, the brand was singled out – along with Jeff Banks, Stephen Marks and Stirling Cooper – as a fashion house likely to survive the arrival of cheaper mass-market and 'no label' brands.

At that stage, McDonnell's operation was smaller-scale than the other three – he handled everything from fabric selection to production of clothes.

He had reduced his label's prices to compete in a market where increased manufacturing costs had narrowed the gap between high-end and high-street brands.

In common with Ossie Clark and many French fashion houses, he had a manufacturing operation in Hong Kong.

1976

By 1976, Slater Walker was mired in financial difficulties, having been bailed out by the Bank of England, and abruptly withdrew from its venture with Christopher McDonnell, leaving him – as he said in 1980 – "completely broke".

He had to negotiate to get his brand name back, as it was by then owned by Haw Par Corporation under the Singapore group umbrella.

McDonnell collaborated with coatmaker Andre Peters to produce a designer label collection, before working abroad for two years.

1980

He returned to the UK in 1980 and produced a co-branded autumn collection for the couturier Mattli.

Christopher McDonnell continued working in the fashion industry before becoming a fashion academic at Savannah College of Art and Design.