[4] Although he was attached to a large and respected fashion house, he was already a name in his own right – Michael of Lachasse – and was included among London's "big 10" in a feature in Life in 1953 about the run up to the coronation of Elizabeth II.

[8] The hallmark of Michael of Carlos Place clothes was their exceptional tailoring, and this attracted clients such as Evelyn Laye and Claudette Colbert as well as many society women.

[2] In common with other IncSoc members, Donnellan designed in fine traditional fabrics such as tweed, but also used softer and more tactile materials such as jersey and leather.

[2] Some fashion reviewers noted his impact on the precision tailoring of Clive – who trained initially with Michael and brought the Swinging London look into couture throughout the 1960s.

Although he did not close his couture house until 1971 – a period described by The Times as "fashion anarchy" – he had begun consulting to mainstream and mid-price retailers, notably Marks & Spencer, from the 1960s.

A 1970 review of his spring collection notes his skillful presentation of a new silhouette and quoted his guidance that if women didn't show the knees, they must define the hips.

[17] Donnellan closed Michael of Carlos Place in 1971; his obituary notes that he didn't blame the market or the times for this, instead citing the shortage of skilled tailors available to British couturiers.