Spring Summer 23 – 1866 Life

Behind the scenes April 28, 2023

What’s Been Happening Lately…

It has been a busy month at Magee 1866, spring is in the air and there is lots happening.

Here are some of the highlights from the last few weeks…

We shot and launched our women’s Spring Summer 2023 collection this month. Rich colour and luxurious fabrics define this collection, it is packed with carefree styles that are designed to make summer dressing as simple as possible and pieces are intended to integrate into your existing wardrobe, offering maximum flexibility.

The focus, as always, is on using the finest natural fibres, with many of the fabrics designed and woven at our mill in Donegal, this collection sees styles in Irish Linen, rich blends of silk and lightweight wool tweeds for warmer months.

Take a look behind the scenes of our studio shoot.

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Discover the collection here.

New In – Women’s

Extreme adventurer, peak performance athlete, and international keynote speaker Damian Browne gave a talk at Magee of Donegal, sharing stories about his global expeditions from climbing mountains to crossing desserts and oceans.  

In conversation with MacDara Hosty, Damian described his epic 112-day solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean last year, creating history by becoming the first person ever to row from New York City to Galway as well as his future plans including an upcoming expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro.  

Damian Browne
Patrick, Elizabeth, Rosy and Lynn Temple with Damian Browne
Rosy Temple
Damian Browne and MacDara Hosty
Damian Browne and members of the Donegal Bay Rowing Club

Damian will feature in an upcoming Magee 1866 campaign and was invited by the Temple family to Donegal for the event. Go behind the scenes of the campaign shoot, shot on location in sunny Donegal.

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It was all hands on deck (literally) for the family, with CEO Rosy, Design Director Charlotte, Patrick, CEO of Magee Weaving and Chairman Lynn busy preparing the family boat ‘Sandpiper’ for the shoot.

Earlier in the month, the design team previewed Autumn Winter 2023, whetting our appetite for the colour and texture to come.

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Creative Director Charlotte attended Punchestown Races in one of the newest additions to our women’s collection, the Molly breasted blazer. Ideal for this time of year when the sun is shining but still a little bit unpredictable temperature-wise, this style is crafted in a 100% wool herringbone Donegal Tweed, designed and woven at our mill in Donegal. The versatile camel and oat base is flecked with vibrant neps of duck egg blue, yellow, and mulberry, synonymous with Donegal Tweeds.

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Finally, Patrick’s Cheviot sheep are lambing, with lots of happy new additions joining the flock. Patrick is working closely with a local shepherd in raising this flock as part of our commitment to developing Irish wool for use in our collections.

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Spring Summer 23 April 24, 2023

⁠Lightweight Summer Style – Blazers

Our signature blazer range represents the best of what we design and weave at our mill in Donegal. For spring summer collections, the focus switches from heavier weight wools to lighter fabrics, expertly designed and woven by our talented team using the finest natural fibres.

Lightweight alternatives for warmer months include soft merino, silk blends, Irish Linen, and hints of cashmere. The patterns range from classic checks to contemporary sharkskins and, of course, the two “true” Donegal Tweed patterns of Herringbone and Salt & Pepper. 

Tailored fit styles feature patch pockets for a more carefree feel while classic fit styles with standard pocketing give a smart casual look.

When designing our collections, we draw inspiration from the land and seascapes of Donegal and this season our blazers can be broken down into two colour stories.

Inspired by the Land

Earthy tones of rust orange, raspberry and greens taken from the beaches, shores and hillsides.

Inspired by the Sea

From sky blue to rich, inky navy, this range of calming, nautical shades offer endless opportunity for coordination.

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Spring Summer 23 April 13, 2023

One Suit – Three Ways

We are all about making our wardrobe work for us, and now more than ever we are looking to add select pieces that can be pulled out time and time again. As a brand we are working on our collections to enable you to do just that – mix and match, season after season.

For Spring Summer 2023 the Mourne navy-blue Irish linen blazer and matching Tina drawstring trousers are the perfect starting point – two wardrobe staples that can be styled in lots of ways. We are huge fans of linen, and this beautiful, natural fabric is designed and woven in our mill in Donegal.

Here, we have styled it three ways:

Night out glamour – just add heels and statement jewellery and you’re good to go.

9 to 5 – layer with the Eve organic cotton cashmere blend jumper for a comfortable, put together look or add a pop of print with the Patty top, made with Liberty Fabrics.

Weekend brunch – drop the blazer and pop on the Aisling oversized shirt in Irish Linen for a relaxed weekend look.

These are our suggestions, but we would love to see how you make these pieces your own, tag @magee1866 on Instagram or Facebook.

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Design April 7, 2023

Women’s Spring Summer 2023

Luxurious fabrics and rich colour define our Women’s Spring Summer 2023 collection.

Contemporary Tailoring

Experts in tailoring since the 1940s, we know what it takes to find a great fit. This season’s women’s collection features chic separates that offer sharp silhouettes.

Relaxed but tailored, new styles in Irish Linen, designed and woven at our mill in Donegal, are intended to integrate into your existing wardrobe, offering maximum flexibility.

New to the collection, the Molly double breasted blazer is presented in a bold raspberry and pink pinstripe, contrasted with bottle green, sky blue and pale yellow. This blazer is a versatile addition to your wardrobe with an option to style with the coordinating Tina Irish Linen trousers.

With capsule dressing in mind, the Mourne blazer and matching Tina trousers in a rich, inky navy-blue Irish Linen can be dressed up with heels or paired with the light merino knit Jane jumper and trainers for a weekend look. Confident style with endless opportunities for coordination.

The blazer range also features styles in lightweight summer silk and cotton blends for warmer months, like the Aoife patch pocket blazer in a luxurious soft peachy-pink herringbone.

Mourne Irish Linen Jacket and Tina Trousers in Navy Blue

Carefree Style

Summer is about family, trips away and relaxing. This is reflected in some of the more carefree styles in the collection. Again, the focus is on natural fibre fabrics with Irish Linen featuring heavily. Renewable, biodegradable, and coming from an all-natural source, linen offers a rich, soft feeling that cannot be imitated by manmade fibres.

Styles designed to take the guesswork out of summer dressing, the Rebecca is a standout piece. Crafted in a rich blend of silk and cotton, this midi length shirt dress in a neutral oat and pale blue check is an outfit on its own. Another easy to wear piece, the oversized Aisling shirt in Irish Linen is lightweight and comfortable with an exaggerated shape inspired by men’s shirting.

Classic Tweeds

Staying true to our roots in Donegal Tweed, this season sees a selection of jackets in timeless tweeds. The styles range from the casual Clodagh overshirt to the new, longline Molly double breasted blazer. The colourful flecks synonymous with Donegal Tweeds are visible throughout and are perfectly complemented by the colourful new season knitwear in merino wool.

As always, each piece in this new collection is carefully executed from concept to design to make, ensuring that they stand the test of time.  

Discover Women’s SS23

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Spring Summer 23 April 6, 2023

Stay Sharp in Summer Tailoring

Experts in tailoring since the 1940s, weknow what it takes to make a good suit. This season, the designs are straightforward and timeless with a focus on high-quality, natural fibre fabrics. What more would you expect from weavers of fine cloth for over 150 years and five generations?

The pallet features earthy shades of brown, camel and green, inspired by the landscape of Donegal, as well as classic navy and greys with subtle and unexpected pops of colour throughout.

The range of summer-weight suits feature styles in 100% Irish linen and lofty blends of cashmere, linen and wool, designed and woven at our mill in Donegal and perfect as the weather warms. Laid back and carefree, these suits are just made for destination weddings, add an extra dimension with the coordinating waistcoats.

Staying true to our roots in Donegal Tweeds, this season sees two striking suits in 100% wool, woven at our mill. The rich dark green glencheck is flecked with the colourful neps Donegal Tweed is known for, while the classic Green Windowpane Check offers a timeless country look. Style with a shirt in 100% Irish Linen for a contemporary update.

With styles across classic and tailored fits, refresh your weekday wardrobe with a host of options for the office. Our travel suits are designed to stay looking crisp on the move and designed for maximum versatility while the flexible Mix & Match range sees jackets, trousers and waistcoats sold separately, allowing you to find the best fit for you.

Whether you are a future groom, a guest or want to update your 9 to 5 wardrobe, we have a range of tailoring options to suit every occasion.

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Design April 5, 2023

Made with Liberty Fabrics

Founded, like us, in the 19^th century, Liberty Fabrics are titans of textile design.

Shortly after opening on Regent Street London in 1875, Arthur Liberty became renowned for his silks. By the 1890s Liberty Fabrics was a byword for the very best of avant-garde textile design. Today, every bolt of Liberty fabric is the product of a bespoke production process: hand drawn or painted by the in-house design team in London, Soho. Transformed onto fabric at Liberty’s own Italian printing mill, near Lake Como. Liberty Fabrics are created by skilled technicians who oversee the production of over 300 different designs every year.

We love working with Liberty Fabrics and have been incorporating their original patterns into our collections since the late 1990s. Known for small floral, abstract, and paisley prints in vibrant colours, the Liberty Fabric archive houses over 45,000 designs. These delicate and playful patterns are the perfect complement to the Donegal Tweeds of our men’s and women’s collections.

Luxury fabrics are at the heart of what we do with our own tweeds and linens, which we design and weave at our mill in Donegal, Liberty’s signature Tana Lawn® cotton is an ideal companion to these. A famous masterpiece of fabric technology, Tana Lawn® is fine, cool and durable with a silk-like feel.

Explore all styles Made with Liberty Fabrics.

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Spring Summer 23 March 10, 2023

Men’s Spring Summer 2023

Carefree Style

When designing our collections, we draw inspiration from the land and seascapes of Donegal where we have been designing and weaving natural fibre fabrics and creating iconic clothing and accessories for over 150 years and five generations.

Our Men’s Spring Summer 2023 collection is no different, with each piece carefully executed from concept to design to make, ensuring they stand the test of time.

Finn Donegal Tweed 2-piece Suit in Blue Glencheck

We have been tailoring since the 1940s, this season the suit designs are simple, straightforward, and timeless. The fabrics are a carefully curated selection of wools and linens in earthy shades of brown, camel, and green and classic greys and navy.

Our signature blazer range embodies the best of what we design and weave in Donegal. Heavy wools are replaced with lightweight alternatives for warmer months – merino blends, silk, linen, and cashmere – in classic checks, plains and the two “true” Donegal Tweed patterns, Herringbone and Salt & Pepper.

There is a strong focus too on casual styles, pieces to pack for breaks away. Our knitwear range showcases fresh colour across cottons, merino and cashmere blends and Spring Summer 2023 also brings a bright collection of cotton pique polos.

Fincashel Donegal Tweed Bomber in Navy Salt & Pepper

Outerwear spans both casual and tailored with transitional seasonal pieces – packable raincoats, short faux suede and tweed bombers and Donegal tweed shirt jackets. Tweed and linen gilets complete the collection.

Discover More Men’s SS23

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