The Dubliner died in London on Friday night after a short illness, "surrounded by his wife and seven children", his family said in a statement yesterday.
Voices from the world of fashion and beyond lined up to pay their respects to the Dunnes Stores collaborator, who had served as Princess Diana's personal designer from 1983 until she died in 1997.
Former Miss World Rosanna Davison told the Irish Mail on Sunday yesterday she was 'so sad' to hear of Costelloe's passing, calling him a "key figure in Irish fashion".
"His work, his vision, and his decades of creativity are woven into Ireland's fashion history," she said.
"He championed Irish talent, brought Irish design to an international stage and inspired so many of us along the way."
The model said she had first walked for Costelloe at his London Fashion Week show in 2004. And just last month, she was part of his show as the grand finale for Ireland Fashion Week.
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"Paul, along with the Costelloe family and the whole team, always treated me with warmth, kindness and real encouragement," she said.
"I'm proud to have known him, proud to have worked with him, and grateful for the friendship and opportunities he gave me over the years. His legacy will live on in all the people he supported and inspired."
Paul Costelloe.
Nadia Forde, who also modelled for Costelloe, told the MOS she was "really sad" to learn of his passing.
"He was such a charming man and he really knew how to make people feel beautiful.
"For Paul, it wasn't just about looking beautiful - for him it was so much more that you felt beautiful...He really took care of you when you were in his studio, where he worked with his team, who were like a family.
"You really felt that strong sense of family when you worked with him."
Taoiseach Micheál Martin wrote on social media to say that he was 'very saddened' at the news of Costelloe's death.
"An icon of design, Paul elevated Irish fashion to the global stage," he said, extending "deepest sympathies to his wife Anne and their family."
Tánaiste Simon Harris said that he was also "saddened" to learn of Costelloe's passing, writing in a statement that the designer's collaborations, "including his memorable work with Princess Diana, reflected not just his skill but his abiding pride in his Irish roots, which often inspired his craftsmanship".
Donegal-based designer Edel MacBride, who had worked with Costelloe on knitwear collections, said that she was 'deeply saddened to hear Paul Costelloe has died'.
"Adieu, Maestro and gentleman," she wrote on X.
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Sometimes outspoken, he once said Irish women "wouldn't know style if it tottered up to them in 10-inch heels", and courted controversy in 2013 when criticising retailers for using plus-size models and mannequins.
But as he subsequently told the Irish Daily Mail: "I think you just have to be comfortable in yourself and try and keep a little bit fit. 'It's terrible when men - and women - let themselves go altogether. Now, I'm not into the crazy guys jogging five miles a day and all that - that's a little over the top - but just trying to keep yourself alert and aware of your body."
* This article was originally published on Evoke.ie.
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