Forevz and evz

On Thursday I popped in to the Forever 21 press morning for a little gander at their Autumn Winter offering. As per usual they had a lovely warm welcome ready for everyone, alongside the finest pieces of the forthcoming season. Stores like Forever 21 really need to tick all the boxes in terms of trends and directions, given that their target market is pretty huge and has such broad tastes, and this season was no exception. So like other high street retailers, they had their overall collection divided thematically, with ’70′s, vintage, preppy and mod being main themes F21 picked up on and developed into stories.

As it was really really busy full of the best and brightest of the Dublin fashion scene, I sort of spent half my time looking at the clothes on the rails and half the time looking at the clothes on the people there. I also managed to remember to bring my camera to a press event for the first time (win!) so I snapped a bit of both.  Interestingly, I noted that the way the crowd were dressed reflected the themes on the hangars. Not bad considering those in attendance were some of the most sartorially savvy fashion heads in Dublin.

Of course I forgot to snap all the things I liked, so you will have to trust me when I say that I really can’t wait to get my hands on the cut out denim shirt.

I liked how they had live mannequins interacting with people, the whole morning had the feeling of a salon, which is no mean feat for a mass mass retailer! The clothes themselves stood up to close scrutiny, not only on the hangers but also on the models walking around, looking great. One of the stylists didn’t realise they were models and was struck by how amazingly dressed, and tall, everyone was!

As a very generous thank you for coming along, the folks at Forever 21 gave us a bag to nab an accessory goody. I am, however, far too much of a goody two shoes, and only took one. So I shall be keeping it for myself – next time I promise I will get something to giveaway to you guys, promise!! But in fairness, with my penchant for rings, do you REALLY think I would give this baby away? It’s amaaaaaazing. I die!

dodgy iphone pic. i was so excited i tweeted straight away....

Forever 21 really have their accessories down. Every time I am in the stores or at an event like this, I find myself picking up things almost before I realise it, which is always a good thing. And you know the old saying, when in doubt, lash on a load of jewellery! No?

And to end off, a few sneaky pics of some of the other lovely bloggers I bumped into on Thursday morning. Good to see you girlies! x

This is really silly #5

Sugar Glider

 

Sugar Gliders!! LOOK AT THEM. Those eyes!!!! Yes, I know I have a problem, but I mean come on. Their little faces. I die.

Sugar Glider

They are little Australian possoms, that glide. How cool is that? I guess they are kinda like flying squirrels a bit. They are marsupials, so they have their babies in little pouches. A baby in a pouch? How very chic.

Sugar Glider

How fun would it be if you had one of these lil guys in your back garden? Maybe I should move to Australia….

Sugar Gliders

Sugar Glider

Sugar Gliders

Sugar Glider

 

Basically, if you don’t like them, I think you might be dead inside.

 

Hope everyone has a happy bank holiday weekend! xxx

 

 

Is it vintage yet?!

Back when I was making fat wads o’ cash I did a most peculiar thing – I decided to invest some of it in something…Clearly, it was not going to be something boring like stocks or bonds (in hindsight, probably just as well!), but instead in fashion. My logic ran something like this – that I probably wouldn’t have as much disposable income in the future (how right I was) so I should probably get a few designer pieces to have and mature with. So I duly went out and bought some designer shit. It’s not actually the worst logic I have ever come up with. It was nothing too extravagant – the stacks weren’t that fat, but given that the Tiger died c.2008, what I do own is in that designer limbo – where they are not yet vintage, but too far around the fashion cycle to be current either.

For the most part I don’t think about it. Sometimes though I worry I made bad investments that will never be cool again, which makes me worry about why I am not worrying about more important things in life… The other day though, I was cleaning out a bunch of stuff and I found this tshirt. I know Dior is kind of a bit of a persona non grata at the moment, but I still like the shirt. It’s fun! and I don’t own that many fun things. It’s pink! and I don’t own many pink things. It has a funny fashion take on sports tshirts, and I love the tongue-in-cheek-ness of it all. And for sure, logomania has long past, and I know that Carrie Bradshaw wore one in a SATC film and I HATE her stupid moany self involved character, but Patricia Fields is an amazing stylist so she had a point. And I know it’s not very now, but I just like it, ok.

skirt; thrifted, shoes; primark, tshirt; dior, bow; vintage

 I don’t know why but I always feel a bit like a school teacher when I wear this skirt…

Poochie?

Backwards hat & sunglasses = cool, right??

 Image via: link

Pucci is not exactly the coolest brand in fashion. However, I really doubt that anyone in the house gives a monkeys, as cool was never their thing. Pucci is luxury, Pucci is glamour and opulence. Historically, the Pucci woman was draped on a yacht, or a rocky beach in Marrakesh, or some other fantastic location, swathed in metres of printed silk. While I am most certainly not a Pucci woman, I have always had a soft spot for the brand’s vibrant prints, their colour interaction and the seemingly simple swirly doodles (yes that is the technical term) that make up the designs.

The reason I mention this is that I was particularly taken by Peter Dundas’  Resort 2012 collection for the brand. While staying true to Emilio’s vision, Dundas has for the last number of seasons been sharpening the Pucci look, updating it for a modern audience. The traditional Pucci has been given a modern palette, a bit more negative space and a tweak on scale, and looks great.

Pucci Resort 2012

There is something sort of ethnic and tribal about Pucci prints, despite their kaleidoscopic colour palettes. There is also something Kandinsky-esque about them – a colourful collection of abstracted shapes put together to create maximum impact – and while I am not sure that Emilio was so cracked on synaesthesia, there is certainly an echo of cacophony in his work. Dundas has simplified the colour schemes, but with similarly maximum impact, reworking classic prints and creating fresh ones.

Pucci Resort 2012

Pucci Resort 2012

But woman cannot live on print alone, and thus Dundas has cleverly designed sharply cut block colour separates worthy of Anna Dello Russo herself. Can’t you just see her in them?

Pucci Resort 2012

Pucci Resort 2012

all images via style.com

Film Fatale

Like classic films? Like taking fashion inspiration from classic films? Then you will like Film Fatale.

The brain child of The Screen Cinema’s Anna Taylor, Film Fatale is a monthly club showing classic films in a fun way; with booze, dancing and dress up. Held in the Sugar Club, attendees are encouraged to pay homage to the characters and style of the films, by coming dressed in vintage-inspired wear. The August installment is Roman Holiday, with the iconic Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, immaculately dressed by the legendary Edith Head, who won an Oscar for her efforts.

 

If that wasn’t reason enough to get you out of the house, after the screening is a themed after-party, with the Film Fatale resident dj’s playing music from the era with a summer twist, so you and your like-minded friends can dance the night away, dressed immaculately! The nights are always a roaring success, in part because the Fatale crew are genuinely enthusiastic about the nights they put on, and also because people really get into the spirit of things, dressing up and generally getting on board with the theme of the evening.

I could say that Dublin needs more of this kind of thing, but in fact all it needs is more people to go to the things that are already on. People like Taylor are doing their best to bring something different to Dublin’s nightlife, but they can only do so if people show up on the night. So if you like fashion, fun and classic film, make sure you are at the Sugar Club on Saturday 6th August!

Tickets €15 are available at www.tickets.ie from 6th July.
Doors open at 8pm
After-party from 11pm with tickets at the door (€5).

For more info and pics from previous nights, check out Film Fatale on Facebook.

images via doctormacro.com, lurlynncrochet.blogspot.com, www.fabaudrey.com, acertaincinema.com

 

 

A Photo Story

 

 

The morning after the night before…

This weekend, the girls and I roadtripped to Mayo, where a gang of us partied between the watchful eyes of Croke Patrick and the Atlantic ocean. The following morning, we set about exploring, and I brought along my camera. I wish I did more things like this.

All photography: Jane Kenny, except photo of us in the water taken by a friend (I’m the last blonde on the right, in up to my neck)

Oh and here is me, reluctantly shot by the ever wonderful Tri. xx

Sunglasses & Tshirt; H&M, Shorts; American Apparel, Espadrilles; Penneys, Goofy face; stylist’s own

Thread Launch

Mathematically speaking: Fashion (I love) + Party (I love) = (I love)(fashion + party)

Business people would call it synergy. I like to call it a real good time. Friday marked the launch of Thread magazine, a new quarterly fashion magazine. With Aisling Farinella at the helm, it was sure to be a great publication, and the Thread team did not disappoint. Concise yet loaded, the newsprint magazine features some of Ireland’s hottest talent. It was a party to celebrate a publication that exemplifies Irish fashion media at its most innovative, resourceful and exciting; and in keeping with their Friends theme, South Studios was full of friendly faces on Friday night.

I look forward to the next edition, and I can’t wait to see what they do next!

A couple of friendly snaps I took on the night (above), and the magazine itself….

 image via peterfingleton.blogspot.com

Be sure to snap up a copy (they are free!) in the amazing Indigo & Cloth, Bow or Costume before they are all gone!

Dream Team

It is always amazing and exciting to work with people, but there is something very special about creating images with people close to you. Two such pals are Triona O’Neill and Julie Flynn, with whom I collaborated to produce a lookbook for Triona’s prints, who had been used in Triona’s pal Aine’s collection for Om Diva. Phew, that’s a lot of pals!

Anyway, Jules modeled and I took the photos. We went for a sort of playful-sporty type vibe, to match Tri’s fun prints. Apart from having a lot of fun on the shoot, I feel like we got the images that really show Triona’s work off well. I can’t wait to learn more about lighting so I can manipulate it a bit better, so if anyone wants to teach me I’ll make you a really nice cup of tea! xx

All images:

Photographer: Jane Kenny

Model: Julie Flynn (@Morgan the Agency)

Clothes: prints by Triona O’Neill, for Aine’s label, available at Om Diva, Drury Street, Dublin 2

Balmania?

The king is dead, long live the king.

I did a little cry back at the start of the year when I heard that Christophe Decarnin was gone from Balmain. Such a perfect combination couldn’t possibly be replicated, no? Who could POSSIBLY fill those shoes? Even though I couldn’t afford a button on one of his jackets I was GUTTED.

And then a really funny thing happened. About a week ago I realised I was over the distressed rock-n-roll look that Christophe’s Balmain so immaculately embodied. I’m not exactly sure when it happened, but as with all tastes, things change imperceptibly and slowly, so that one day you wake up and realise that your all-time-favourite-ever is now in fact not really your favourite anymore.

I was therefore absolutely delighted to see Olivier Roustein’s Resort collection for Balmain, his first for the brand. It was faithful to all the things I love about Balmain/Decarnin – heavy hardware, kick ass attitude, razor sharp tailoring, but was less dirty rock star and more….dare I say it, Beyonce? It’s glamour with an edge, and a wildness.  Which is clearly my favourite kind of glamour. There is also a tinge of Africana running thoughout which is totally what I’m digging on too at the moment. It feels right for now, a fresh update to the Balmain moniker, which was in danger of becoming a bit of a (still totally awesome) one trick pony.

If this is just the beginning for Mr Roustein, I cannot wait to see what he has in store for us next. Oh, and did I mention – the shoes? Swoon!

Balmain Resort 2012

Balmain Resort 2012

Balmain Resort 2012

Balmain Resort 2012

Balmain Resort 2012

Balmain Resort 2012

Balmain Resort 2012

all images via style.com

I wish it were summer

My blog challenge fell by the wayside after about two weeks, as most of the things on the list were just not my style. But the notion of summer clothes and got me thinking – what is my summer wardrobe? Do I even have one?

In September, like many other fashion nerds, I dutifully went through the catwalk shows, noting styles I might like to sport come springtime. This is noteworthy because I went through my Spring-Summer 11 file earlier, and found that many of the styles I lusted for back in September bear no correlation to what I am wearing now. Three collections (pre-fall, fall and resort) have since swanned down the runways, meaning that naturally, I have become excited with new shapes and colours.

The pace of fashion is a really topical issue at the moment, and the rate high street knocks out new styles has received not inches but miles of coverage in the media. Whether it’s a good or bad thing is for another day, but we are creatures who value novelty. A constant need for newness is what drives innovation and stops us from getting stale, a willingness to embrace newness is what keeps us relevant and connected with society. These are both good things.

But does that then mean what we call the Spring Summer collections are intended to be absorbed, digested and excreted before spring has even sprung? A 6 month lag time would make even the most patient person bored. And with the speed of the high street turnaround, designers really can’t afford to take that long in production. It’s not really for me to say how to reorganise fashion weeks, but there is clearly something amiss.

With all that in mind then, I looked back at the trends from September’s shows to see what I still dig, and a few things that I really do not.

Chloe SS11

Still can’t get enough nude tones. Although I wear midi skirts (and knife pleats) less than anticipated; same with leather tops. Although it’s not for a change in taste, just can’t seem to find the right ones.

Viktor & Rolf SS11

If anything, my appetite for shirts has only grown since September. I have a ridiculous number of them, although none as awesome as this Viktor & Rolf number. Sheer is another trend I have thoroughly embraced, and going back to work in American Apparel is feeding that addiction at a dangerous rate!

Rebecca Minkoff SS11

Cigarette pants, cut-out shoes, big necklaces. Check. Mustard, check. However, this does not feel fresh or exciting anymore, it’s more like a go-to utilitarian look.

Jil Sander SS11

Forals & Maxis. Despite making both a massive part of my final collection in college, I am wearing both…well, not really at all…I really love the look, and this Jil Sander dress is AMAZING, but somehow I can’t find a way to fit maximal print into my wardrobe. Having said that I have a few ideas to translate my prints into more wearable garments, so stay tuned to see how I make this happen!!!

Marc by Marc Jacobs SS11

STRIPES! Ms. Prada totally ruled on the stripe front for Spring Summer 11, but I love this outfit, as it has a ’70′s theme that I am starting to embrace (I tried on a floppy hat in work the other day and I can’t stop thinking about it…). Also, I want that hair….

Costume National SS11

So this is basically what I want to look like almost all the time. All, like, designer-y and shizzz… “Black-out summer” was one of my trend folder titles for this summer – I am a demon for black on black, so it’s like they made this one for me!

Givenchy SS11

Looking like a goth is cool right? Chiffon everything to soften the look, and I really want to unpick the sleeves of one of my blazers.

Dries Van Noten SS11

And I still want a Dave Byrne-esque blazer! I love the way it has a louche line, with the lapels coming right the way down.

3.1 Philip Lim SS11

This colour palette is still going strong for me, and shorts are proving a perennial favourite. Neutrals and black and blue are like the subtle girl’s guide to colour blocking!

Moschino SS11

And finally, my old trusty favourite, mom jeans! Teamed with leather jacket. It’s as if Rossella Jardini saw me on the street or something…I kid, I kid.

Holly Fulton SS11

And finally, these pants are in the still-not-wearing category. As with the full-on floral thing, I like them, I just don’t have the balls to wear them. Although I think print and wide legged trousers are here for the next while, and I’ll be in London soon, so watch this space!