Irish Designers causing an Up-Rising

Meeting House Square was all dolled up last week as it hosted this seasons Fashion Breakthrough event for up and coming Irish designers. Each year it showcases home-grown designers who are in the transition from leaving college to having their own label, and the designers vary from each end if this fashionable spectrum. I had the pleasure of assisting stylist Angela Scanlon once again, and helped her style each of the 13 designers' collections. The Spring Summer 2010 Press show in the afternoon showcased some amazing pieces that had Xposé and Style Nation on the edge of their seats, with designers such as Lisa Shawgi and Sinéad Doyle stepping out of their A/W comfort zones and flourishing the catwalk with some bright and crisp designs that were fit for any Fashion Week.

The theme of the main catwalk show in the evening, presented by actress and journalist, Holly White, was Uprising and the models in big boots donning back-combed afro's and dramatic eye make-up set the scene effectively. Other designers for the evening show included Beibhinn Flood showcasing her dramatic florals, Sophie Rieu and her delicate Unicorn label and Heidi Higgins undoubtedly wowed the audience with her iconic sky blue dresses that contrasted against her stark black designs.

These designers are sure to make headway in the Fashion industry over the coming years, and Zoe Boomer already counts Natasha Beddingfield as a dedicated follower of her fashion. Fashion BreakThrough "aims to create an accessible, unique platform for fresh design expertise via a vibrant fringe event that accentuates all that is exceptional in the art of Irish Fashion" according to the Dublin Enterprise Board's reporter, and I feel it has accomplished just that. Photographs from the catwalk show are soon to follow this post, hopefully they'll be worth the wait if last years' ones are anything to go by.

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Channel Your Inner Chanel

I don't know if anyone other than Miss Mary-Kate could pull of the latest extravagant Chanel sunglasses, but I would sure love to try. The two-tone detailing might cause some sight confusion whilst modelling them but we're used to impractical fashion at this stage! These would complete my festival look fabulously. Sadly, the price of my pending Electric Picnic ticket denies my urge to don these beauties, and anything else new for that matter. One can dream...

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Quack, not Duck.

I have previously blogged about this particular little store but after a recent visit I felt it needed another mention. Quack & Dirk houses a mixture of vintage gems, handmade pieces and imported garments under its cute orange roof. Located just off the bustling traffic polluted Fairview Road in a renovated garage, Q&D is a breath of fresh air. Once inside, the drones of buses and horns of cars are immediately muffled by the swinging tunes coming from a laptop tucked away in the corner. The vintage line named Auntie Maureen caught my eye instantly. The owner, Deirdre Cantwell, pays homage to her Aunt’s Narnia-like wardrobe she used to raid as a child housing wonderful vintage finds and at a great price too. On location, Deirdre also tailors and makes her trademark duck-egg blue pieces in one of the cutest offices/till areas I have ever seen! The prices are undoubtedly reasonable giving the extravagant boutiques in the City Centre some stiff competition. Open Wednesday to Saturday, this hidden gem is definitely worth a visit on the way home from a High Street filled day of shopping. You’re guaranteed to find something new and unique each time you venture down the concrete grey lane and step into the bright orange and white interior of Q&D.

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(Image taken at Q&D Fashion Show, this was my favourite piece by far!)

Prepare the Pearls

This year we will witness the release of two major cinematic and fashion combination experiences. The first of which, Coco Avant Chanel (Coco before Chanel), will be released nationwide this Friday.
Already somewhat on trend, this film should provide us with inspiration for the rest of our summer wardrobe with styles of English tweeds, simple loose jersey dresses, twin set jacket cardigans, sailor stripes, monochromatic accessories and men’s tailoring. And let's not forget those iconic draped pearls.
Starring the effortlessly beautiful Audrey Tautou as Coco Chanel, I think this film should act as a reminder to put down that fake tan, steer clear of the nasty neon fad, and inspire a more simple, yet glamorous trend that Coco herself epitomized.

The second film is, of course, the much anticipated “The September Issue”, a documentary following Editor of world renown Vogue Magazine, Anna Wintour. Humorous, scary or envy inspiring, Anna Wintour is in a league of her own when it comes to the fashion industry. Favourite line in the trailer is definitely “September is the January in fashion”. Release date is in early September.



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New Model on the Horizon

Lisa Madden, to my amazement, lost out to a pregnant Carrie-Ann Burton whilst competing for a modelling contract on the TV Series The Model Agent. That did not stop the 16 year old Cork-born beauty as she has recently signed with Assests model agency and she is already causing a stir amid the Dublin fashion industry. She was one of the best models I have had the privilege of styling, and also the youngest! Be sure to check out her first editorial shoot in Stellar shot by Lili Forberg which will be out next month. I would reccommend getting a copy, this girl is going to be a star!

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Freestyler, rock the microphone.

I recently helped the ridiculously stylish Angela Scanlon on a portfolio shoot for a couple of models from Assests and B-Scene agencies under the photographic direction of the lovely Lily Forberg. It was an amazing experience to be working with two of Irelands most influential and well-known fashion faces and I learned a lot working with them, mainly to just be confident at what you do and you'll make it. Here are some of the shots from the shoot at The Beacon Hotel in Sandyford; there was actually a bathtub in the middle of the room which came in handy for the swimwear shots! I'm definitely digging this styling buzz!

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Sequel was a bad choice

Can we all just please recognise that this is a disgrace



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