John Cavanagh (28 September 1914 – 24 March 2003) was an Irish couturier of the 1950s and 1960s. A member of the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers (IncSoc), his style has been described as reflecting Parisian chic. He designed the wedding dresses for the Duchess of Kent in 1961 and for Princess Alexandra in 1963. Early life John Cavanagh strongly identified as Irish, telling reporters that he was born in County Mayo, although his obituary in The Times states he was born in London. He was educated at St Paul's School. In 1932 Cavanagh was employed as a secretary for the couturier Edward Molyneux, first in London, and then in Paris. Molyneux insisted that Cavanagh learn how to draw before employing him. Through trial and error, Cavanagh rose to become supervisor of Molyneux's London branch, before becoming his personal assistant in Paris, where he learned how the haute couture business worked. In 1940, after war broke out, Cavanagh left Molyneux to join the British Army Intelligence Corps, where he was responsible for military intelligence and security. He was demobbed in 1946, and the following year became a design assistant for Pierre Balmain, for whom he worked until 1952. House of John Cavanagh In 1952, Cavanagh launched his eponymous fashion house, John Cavanagh, at 26 Curzon Street, London. He joined IncSoc in the same year and after just one collection – unheard of at the time, for designers normally had to present at least four fashion collections before being considered for election. His first collection was greeted enthusiastically by the fashion reviewer of The Times, who said: "He used some of the best fabrics to be found on both sides of the Channel, with a minimum of seams and maximum play with the grain of the materials themselves". The collection included boleros in piqué for daywear and satin for evening, a ballgown in Irish lace studded with crystals and a white grosgrain coat suitable for daytime or evening. The reviewer also noted his Dior model hats, faithfully copied in London by Simone Mirman – the first time Dior had allowed his designs to appear with any other couturier's clothes. Cavanagh's reputation was cemented with his "Coronation" collection for Spring-Summer 1953, marking the coronation of Elizabeth II. It consisted of dresses made up in sumptuous fabrics designed by Oliver Messel for the Sekers fabric mills. Although he had only been in