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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"Seriously, we’re not just being nice"

Having only momentarily listened to White Denim before attending their gig Friday night in Academy 2, I was blown away by the phenomenal performance and musical talent of this three piece Texan band. The band started out with what could have easily been a jamming session of the Jimi Hendrix band, the psychedelic rock sounds were electrified in the small and intimate venue of Academy 2. This then ascended into the band’s hit song Shake, Shake, Shake, played to perfection, which appeared to be a theme for the band that night as they continued with the rest of their set. Marred only by slight technical faults and temporary pauses between songs, the band played an outstanding gig to an enthusiastic audience. Highlight of the night was definitely the finale, where the band played a previously unreleased track claiming “We won’t be playing this in any other city…. Seriously, we’re not just being nice”. And from the exceptional response of the audience, I think they might want to reconsider playing it again. After all, who doesn’t love a bit of cowbell?

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Fashion Ace

Week One of Wimbledon is almost over and we've seen our fair share of fashion faux pas, and mainly by the unbelievably muscular Serena Williams (her older sister Venus has a much better figure for the outragous outfits the doubles partners wear). But we have also witnessed some pieces that will definitely be imitated on court this summer.

With Nadal's skin tight t-shirts out of the picture this year due to a knee injury, others have had to step up to show off their style on court as well as their skills. Roger Federer, the number 2 seed and tournament favourite, darned a waistcoat during warm up on Centre Coat on Day One which set the bar fairly high for the other players to follow. White and Gold are his signature colours for Wimbledon, and his crisp white t-shirts are subtly embroidered with his initials beneath the polo's buttons; co-ordination is key for his footwork and attire as he matches his headband, wristbands, runners and sportsbag together. Unfortunately he has left his knitted cardigan back in Switzerland this year, but hopefully it will be available on ebay soon enough! His initials were also vivid on his reworked jacket from 2007. It has been described as a suit jacket with utility styling as it featured three front pockets and one on his left arm's sleeve.

"It's kind of a little bit more of a modern look with the military, but staying true to Wimbledon with the white," he has said of the new jacket that will no doubt be a signature look in sport-stores around the world.

Speaking of military, Maria Sharapova has also wore a military inspired jacket as she strolled onto court for her first match, and seemed to stroll swiftly off as she won quite comfortably. She has the modelesque features of a catwalk Queen, and she certainly has the legs too which make her a great canvas for new styles of tennis gear. Her tuxedo jumpsuit from last year was indeed fashion forward, but not practical for the court and it's good to see that she has reverted back to the classic white dress. Pity her groaning doesn't coincide with her innocent beauty though!

I look forward to seeing what fashion forces Week Two will produce. Let the most fashionable win!

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Rocks Socks

Move over Asos, there's a new website in town. Motel Rocks is a fabulous little find, with stunning dresses perfect for summer sun and festival madness. Prices aren't ridiculous and there's even a great little section on the website dedicated to "under £20". Don't expect to find much more than dresses here, but the range of frocks suffice. Personal favourite is this little number, ideal for my festival wardrobe.

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