I love hardy Perennials both in the plant and the fashion word and Shirt Dresses are a perfect example. The great Summer casual dress that is easy, comes in all price ranges and styles. It’s probably worth buying a good one and in a neutral colour because if you choose your shirt dress correctly you will get wear after wear. Dress down with flat shoes and a slouch bag or dress up with accessories and heels for a look to take you on to an evening event. The weather is due to hot up (fingers crossed) so I’m getting my Shirt Dresses out of mothballs now! [well, not really moth balls because they smell like an elderly aunt circa 1960!]
I met Stylist Ann- Marie Proudfoot a few weeks ago and she mentioned she was looking for some items of clothing. I’m in the middle of a big clear out fromthe showroom as we prepare for all the new collections so I invited Ann-Marie to come and ‘borrow’ whatever took her fancy. Armed with a bag full of stuff this is what just came in to my in box so I thought I would share these great images with you. The neckpiece is from the fabulous new German collection Solsani which will arrive into the shops in August for the first timeand the skirt is a gorgeous lace Yummie Tummie skirt from last season.
It’s quite common in London, Paris and New York Art Museums to put on exhibitions featuring Fashion. It’s very unusual in Ireland and even more so when it is a designer who has only been on the world stage since 2009. An exhibition of celebrated Greek fashion designer Mary Katrantzou opened at IMMA last night. IMMA is one of Irelands gems, a Modern Art Museum housed in the historic buildings of the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham. As part of the on going twentieth anniversary celebrations of the opening of IMMA, Brown Thomas have put together this specially curated exhibition. The exhibition pieces will be on display in the Brown Thomas windows from Monday next. A spectacular retrospective of the past four seasons is on display at IMMA . The video below is interesting because the designer is interviewed about her current collection and the inspiration for her amazing graphic prints which can also be seen. Mary Katrantzou proves without a doubt that in this case at least Fashion is definitely Art of an incredibly high standard.
Divine Boutique was where I spent the whole morning. Usually when I drop into a boutique I’m interested in I am usually there for an hour or so. This morning took a while longer and this was due to the constant stream of customers who were busily choosing items of clothing, trying them on and heading for the till!. Mary Greene, owner par excellence and her assistant Elaine McDonald (who also modeled for me) were happily serving women and guiding them into the right clothes. Mary Greene opened Divine Boutique in the Manor Mills Shopping Centre Maynooth, Co Kildare in 2005 and her Malahide shop a year later. Always stylish, Mary has constantly been in the fashion press ever since. Divine started out stocking high end designer fashion, recently Divine have managed to change their offer without compromising on style or quality which is no mean feat. Check out the video interview where Mary tells me frankly how she has adapted to the change in her business through the recession.
Mary Greene wearing a Totem Maxi Dress
Elaine in Dress by Totem
Dress La Rochelle €109
Jump Suit Neurotica exclusive to Divine
Dress BDBA Bracelets Crystal Wishes
Gown for hire €80 for three days.
Model; Elaine McDonald ; all accessories Divine Boutique ;photographed at Manor Mills Shopping Centre, Maynooth Co Kildare, Ireland
Every now and again I come across something interesting. Hong Kong born, raised in the UK with no background in the world of fashion and living and working in the Leicestershire countryside,Yan To’s third collection was picked up last season by Harrods. Yan works with elastic and has perfected a unique method of bonding it to fabric and using it in an almost sculptural way. He says that it is hugely figure flattering and judging by the sales of the collection this must be true. Celebrity endorsements are not something he is persuing refusing to give freebies to the many celebrities who have come a begging. Yan says that all his customers are equally important.
For next season he is introducing a little colour to his largely neutral palette and perfecting his unique elastic technology , continuing to find new ways to apply it to women’s clothing design One can only wonder where this designer will go next.
Kate Middleton is back from her honeymoon and looks bronzed and happy. Kate had someone run to Reiss (or maybe she went herself) to get their bandage dress. Michelle Obama in matching chair colour makes the picture perfect. (I predict a stampede to Reiss as I write!).
Kate wears so much high street and I can imagine her doing a huge amount of online shopping. I hear through the trade that people are now buying two or three sizes when shopping on-line and the amount of returns is huge as a result. If I were her or in fact anyone who shops for clothes online I wouldview a range of fantastic designer evening dresses, denim, footwear, lingerie and accessories at Ellos UK online with free delivery on items and the option to buy now and pay later.
Following a brilliant weekend which involved a grand house in the Cotswolds, two Ferry trips, one Magnum of Chateau Margaux and one seriously exciting rugby match in Cardiff which involved lots of screaming and shouting, oh and jumping up and down, I decided to have a quiet Monday and found myself visiting Sorrento Boutique just beside the Manor Mills Shopping Centre in the busy University town of Maynooth in the lovely county Kildare.
The owner is Tanya Cumisky whose mum is Sandra, owner of Venezuela in Skerries. Tanya spent many years learning from Sandra and opened Sorrento over a year ago. Her customers are from all around the Kildare area. Labels to note include Selected Femme, Moloko,Sarah Pacini, Annette Gortz and Myrnie &Me. There are lots of great accessories and shoes to complete the outfit. I took some pictures and a video so you can get an idea of whats on the rails at this lovely light filled Boutique.
It’s the middle of May and it’s freezing. Well actually I am freezing. At a dinner party last Saturday three of the women were wearing tights and black dresses. The trick is to dress like Spring but feel warm at the same time. No one feels like wearing flowery little dresses and bare legs only to shiver your way through the day and obsess about goose bumps. Only the very young can dress in skimpy clothing at this time of year. We Irish seem to think if we see blue skies then it must be warm right? No, actually blue skies do not always equal temperatures that mean we can strip off. At this time of year enter the humble but oft misunderstood cardi. A firm favorite of mine ( I have quite a collection). They do keep you warm so it’s worth investing in ordinary but good quality ones that will do a good job at keeping you warm and smart at the same time. Don’t forget skin coloured fine hosiery if you don’t feel like going bare-legged. Falke Shelina do a great job and sell a toeless version so you can still get your toes out!
Trousers are back and in a big way too. I know that because women wore them in significant numbers at Punchestown a couple of weeks ago and it’s not long ago that you wouldn’t be caught dead turning up to the races in anything but a dress. It’s a welcome trend offering more choice though I’m reluctant myself to take the plunge yet. One thing that needs to be said is that trousers need lots of care when choosing them as one pair can have the effect of making you svelte like ,while another can make your backside look like the size of a small country. If you have thighs like mine then anything with pleats on the front is a definite no no too. Just writing this is making me happy to continue to reach for my trusted and easy to wear dresses. After all I don’t have to worry about putting them with anything except some good hosiery and heels!
