Sweeney, cited by Vogue as a leading light in Irish fashion, won the award for his website design, but is already well known in Europe and the US for the hand finished textiles that are the core of both his luxury home and fashion collections. All pieces are highly labourintensive, with Sweeney's fine-art drawings and paintings being embellished directly on to fine silks, linens and velvets. The website, www. ciaransweeney. com, designed in collaboration with Irish company Guilty Fish, features a secure online store serviced by ecommerce company Realexpayments, and illustrated with images by fashion photographer Tony Higgins.

The American Design Awards was set up in San Diego, California six years ago to "educate designers worldwide in quality, ethical design". Sweeney is delighted with this latest accolade. "The fashion industry is a notoriously tough business and I am pleased that our efforts to retain our individuality in an increasingly mega-corporate market have been rewarded."

The material girl herself, Madonna, is just one of a list of celebs familiar with the Sweeney fashion style, also worn by everyone from President Mary McAleese and The Corrs to Kylie Minogue and willowy fashion model Jodie Kidd.

A former NCAD lecturer, and producer of the annual college graduate show, Sweeney has also shared the fashion catwalk with the likes of John Galliano, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood. His home accessories range, featuring luxury bed linen, throws, curtains and cushions, was launched last year in Harrods and Liberty also carries a capsule collection.

Sweeney has also created the interior design for properties as diverse as a Knightsbridge pad to a French Riviera villa at St Jean de Cap Ferrat.