From the Blogs

JAK & JIL + TAVI FOR VOGUE PARIS//

A Roundup of the Irish Fashion and Beauty Blogs

Whisty Blogs Fashion: You can ring my bell Erin Watson
Good thing then that Erin Wasson’s new Low Luv X jewellery range is about to go on sale on-line at Mywardrobe.com and it’s delish; if covering your digits in ugly-pretty is your thing. It’s certainly mine – oh, make a note: if you can find a skull ring that fits, more

Stylebible: Jimmy Choo wears high heels to go partying
The shoe designer - whose creations are sought after by women across the globe - says he likes to don the footwear when going out because he is normally shorter than everyone else. more

Beaut.ie: Blather Friday
Oh L’Oreal, how you treat us, spoiling (despoiling?) us with lash inserts, the god-frigging-awful Davina McCall (that “mmmmaall my greys MUhhhhhHHmm” simper drives me around the bend and beyond) and of course, Andie “is. it. rainingIhadden. Noddiceddd” McDowell are just two of their oddly unappealing celebrity faces who unanimously make me never want to buy any of their products because I find them both really irritating.more

Whatshewears.ie: Win an Eel leather clutch bag by Tallulah Tu
Inspired by Sarah Jessica Parker's pink bag which she was rarely seen without on her recent “Did You Hear About the Morgans” publicity tour, I came across this Fuchsia Eel Leather Clutch Bag (£28, €32) on Tallulah Tu (my most recent shopping obsession).more

The Savvy Shopper: Vintage Market and Tea Party
TSS towers got very excited when we found out about the vintage market and tea party that’s happening on Saturday February 5th in Waterford.There’ll be clothing stalls selling vintage sunnies, chanel suits and 1980’s tracksuits and food stalls selling jams ,chutneys, breads, and cakes.more

Operations Manager - Designer Fashion Wholesale

OPERATIONS MANAGER - DESIGNER FASHION WHOLESALE

ZUKU by KSO

We need a good all-rounder preferably with an interest in style and fashion to oversee day-to-day operations of boutique wholesale business while also providing support to our city centre retail operation. Duties include: Customer Liaison, Supplier Liaison, Inventory Management, Order Management, Local and International Shipping. Option to do some work from home.

• Presentable Appearance
• Excellent Communications Skills
• Computer Skills
• Self Motivated
• Attention to detail
  

email youe CV to info@irishboutiques.com for more details

Stylefish presents the ultimate tranformation

THE ULTIMATE TRANSFORMATION FOR 2010

The Makeover with a Difference encompassing ‘Body, Mind & Soul’

Four companies have come together in these difficult times to offer consumers the Ultimate Transformation Package. HYPOXI® Therapy Clontarf, Style Fish, Peak Performance and Taylor Made Diets have teamed-up to offer a Body, Mind and Soul transformation package with a difference. Participants will get all the help they need to look and feel great through gentle exercise, low calorie, nutritious food prepared fresh and delivered straight to your door, personal training, life coaching, a personal stylist plus a hair and make-up course.

The Ultimate Transformation Package for Women is limited to 15 and includes:

• 18 HYPOXI® Treatments
• 18 HYPOXI®-Dermologie Treatments
• 6 week course with Style Fish
• Beginners course at Peak Performace
• The Taylor Made Diet (6 weeks)
• 3 months membership at HYPOXI® Clontarf

The above includes:

• 6 hours of personal training sessions
• Nutritional Programme Assessment
• Start to finish energy healing sessions with access to personal website

This package is valued at €3,500 but the first 15 lucky ladies to sign-up will get it for €2,500, that’s an amazing saving of €1,000. In addition, the cost can be split over the six weeks of the programme.

The Ultimate Transformation Package for Men is limited to 15 and includes:

• 12 HYPOXI® Treatments
• 30 Day Beginners course at Peak Performance
• The Taylor Made Diet (6 weeks)

This package is valued at €1,400 but the first 15 men to sign-up will get it for €1,200, that’s a saving of €200. In addition, the cost can be split over six weeks.

As part of this unique make-over programme, participants will take part in a fully personalised six week Style & Beauty Programme. Style Fish, Peak Performance, Taylor Made Diets and HYPOXI® will literally transform the way each person looks and feels about themselves and their style.

About Hypoxi Therapy:

Celebrities and models worldwide have hailed the fat and cellulite burning treatment as their main therapy for burning fat. Celebs such as Cheryl Cole, Robbie Williams, Simon Cowell, Louise Redknapp, Michelle Heaton, Tamzin Outhwaite, Caprice and Jordan have been using this revolutionary therapy for years. The impressive results achieved with HYPOXI® have sparked extensive publicity and HYPOXI® has been featured on many TV programmes such as GMTV, Gok Wan's How to Look Good Naked and Supersize vs Superskinny.

About Stylefish.ie:

Stylefish.ie is Ireland’s first dedicated Fashion School for Women teaching Fashion & Beauty Courses throughout Ireland. The course shows students how to have confidence and fun with clothes and make-up, how to develop style and save money by not making the wrong choices. The guarantee is that participants will walk away feeling excited about their style, make-up, wardrobe and most importantly themselves!

About Peak Performance:

Peak Performance offers the most comprehensive health screening on the market through their partners, Healthwatch. Peak Performance offers a six week Health and Fitness programme suitable for all ages and sizes which is specially designed for those who do not exercise regularly or have a good standard of health.

About Taylor Made Diet:

The Taylor Made Diet is based on the principles of a low GL diet with balanced portion control. The Diet offers a freshly prepared, perfectly balanced and portion controlled food programme that is conveniently delivered to your door three times a week. The Taylor Made Diet takes the calculation of calories and points away so you can concentrate on eating regularly and healthily so you can lose weight safely and get on with life.

Places are limited to 15 men and 15 women on a first come first served basis and interested parties can contact The HYPOXI® Centre in Clontarf on 01 8788179.

The HYPOXI® Centre in Clontarf is open from 9am – 9pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturday. Information is available by logging on to www.hypoxi.ie.

Fun and Flirty New York Label Hits Dublin

Designer Joyce Kim is the driving force behind this New York Label.
The hot new label has all the polish of daytime chic with saucy details that are just right for twilight.
Available now in Europe. It's designer fashion at high street prices.
Contact: sales@zuku.ie

Style Tricks To Look Good In The Gym

If you look good when you are exercising, you will feel better and work out harder. Just follow these simple fashion guidelines to buy gym clothes that will make you look good, even after the most strenuous workout.

First and foremost, your gym rags should be comfortable and allow your body a great range of motion. Just like your everyday clothing, your success in being stylish at the gym lies in the simplicity and elegance of your outfits.

Start with the basics

Have all your pants and shorts in one easy basic colour — black, navy, or grey is perfect. Look for ones with comfortable high quality Lycra. Make sure they are fitted around the thighs and buttocks, flaring slightly below the knee. Boot-cut and drawstring styles are flattering to most figures. A wider or asymmetrical waistband can make your waist look slimmer.

Wear fitted coloured tops

Avoid oversized shirts and shorts. If you want to look your absolute best, choose outfits that fit your body well and are in colours that flatter you. When it comes to your top, go for a nice workout top in a festive colour. When you put on a cute top, it will raise your spirits and make you feel like working out. Tops with wider straps will always look better than spaghetti straps.

An important part of looking good in the gym is wearing a good sports bra. If you are big breasted look for sports bras with wide straps that provide good support. Make sure they are made of breathable fabrics.

Wear appropriate footwear

Make sure your shoes are fresh and not worn out. Look for shoes that are appropriate for your exercise routine. Exercise footwear is designed to be activity specific. If you are a runner, look for a good running shoe. If you are an aerobics fanatic, pick a shoe that is made for aerobic workouts.

Choose low socks that show your ankle. This makes your legs and feet look less clunky in runners.

To carry your stuff in style, keep your gym bag small and stylish. It should be big enough to fit all your essentials for one day.

Follow these simple tips and you will not only look good inside and out of the gym, but you will enjoy a successful workout too.

Delilah

Fashion Stylist

087 63 91 956

www.delilahfashionstylist.com

Finalist of the Network Galway Business Woman of the year category "New Innovative Business 2009".

Finalist of the 2009 Marketing Institute West Region Awards.

From the Blogs

The Fashion Illustrator: Gucci Spring 2009

A Roundup of the Irish Fashion and Beauty Blogs

Nicky's Rag Tales: Bermondsey Boutique Pussy Willow
Bermondsey is a stones throw from London Bridge. It’s where old London meets new, you get a real sense of history just being there, you can almost imagine yourself back in time, a timeless oasis within a big city. Even though it was Monday when I was there, the quietest day of the week ( I suspect), I felt a vibrancy from renewal and a sense of community more

Stylebible: Check it out
WIth check patterns appearing on a lot of celebs at the moment, you might want to incorporate some tartan fun into your own looks this spring summer. The rule of thumb for any pattern as statmemt ... more

Irish Fashion Blog: Dior Couture in Paris:
Some of my favourite looks from the Dior Couture show yesterday. I would attempt to review it and give you endless reasons as to why it’s fabulous and worthy of your hard-earned cash. Instead, I’ll leave it to the wonderful Hillary Alexander who always seems to do it so honestly and eloquently…more

I Blog Fashion: Nuxe Launch
Check out the latest installment of StyleNation at the launch of Nuxe in Dublin's Radisson Hotel.

Beaut.ie: Decor, Colour and Fragrance: Joe Malone meets Farrow and Ball
Most of us already do use posh our candles as a decor tool, but in April Jo Malone and Farrow and Ball will take the idea a little further with a limited-edition range of candles matched to classic Farrow and Ball colours. more

Whatshewears.ie: Ski Wear for kids
Today’s episode of Ski Wear for Kids is inspired by my nephews and nieces Luca, Finn, Oscar, Anna, Molly and Ciara who were skiing in Austria earlier this month. more

Operations Manager - Designer Fashion Wholesale

OPERATIONS MANAGER - DESIGNER FASHION WHOLESALE

ZUKU by KSO

We need a good all-rounder preferably with an interest in style and fashion to oversee day-to-day operations of boutique wholesale business while also providing support to our city centre retail operation. Duties include: Customer Liaison, Supplier Liaison, Inventory Management, Order Management, Local and International Shipping. Option to do some work from home.

• Presentable Appearance
• Excellent Communications Skills
• Computer Skills
• Self Motivated
• Attention to detail
  

email info@irishboutiques.com for more details

The Fashion Industry Insider by Nicky Harris

I arrived in London yesterday for a series of Range Meetings, which are ‘de rigeur’ in the life of a Fashion Agent. They are billed as a run through of the new collection and a meeting where the nuts and bolts of business discussed.

Well that’s it in theory. Of course the collections are already in our Showrooms and the business dealings can be sorted over email and phone. The truth is that we need to do the ‘Face Work’ that is the sitting down at table together. Meeting up with other Agents from the different countries and the collective discussion about all aspects of our business. I am always in awe of those agents who work in the larger countries because of course they deal in many multiples of the Irish market.

One good thing about the Fashion Business is that far from being bitchy and nasty it is filled with the kindest bunch of souls you could hope to meet

Tomorrow it’s the turn of Yummie Tummie, which is an American company with distribution throughout Europe. The new ready to wear tops and yoga pants with the secret shaping panel look ab fab bringing the product to an even wider audience. Heather Thompson the designer and celebrity LA stylist will be there and I’m really looking forward to finding all about her BF’s Heidi Klum and Beyonce! If I hear any juicy gossip I will let you know but for now I need to dress up for Dinner. There is a car arriving at seven. It’s a hard life this Fashion Business you know!!!

http://www.nickysragtales.com
Twitter.com/nickysragtales

Full List of Fee G Stockists in Ireland

ANNETTE GERALDNew Antrim St Castlebar Co MayoCo Mayo
AURORA63 Scotch Street Dungannon Co TyroneCo Tyrone
CLARA ELLEN49 Dublin Street Longford Co LongfordCo Longford
CLERY'S18-27 O'Connell Street Dublin Co DublinCo Dublin
COCO (IRL)41 William Street Listowel Co KerryCo Kerry
CORAL243 Lisburn Road Belfast Co AntrimCo Antrim
COSMO BOUTIQUEHarbour Place Shopping Centre Mullingar Co WestmeathCo Westmeath
CRINABEL BoutiqueMain Street Dunshaughlin Co MeathCo Meath
DALI Boutique Ltd26 Bridge St. Newry Co DownCo Down
ELEGANT LADYLinaskea Linaskea Co FermanaghCo Fermanagh
ERRE/ESSEMount Wollsely - Hilton hotel Tullow Co CarlowCo Carlow
ETTA J BoutiqueRosslare Harbour S.C Rosslare Co WexfordCo Wexford
FIRST EDITIONS19 Liberty Sq. Thurles Co TipperaryCo Tipperary
Pamela Scott, Dundrum D.C)Dundrum S.CCo Dublin
GLITZ + GLAMOURMain Street Charleville Co CorkCo Cork
KATIE-JANEUnit 22, Castletroy S.C. Limerick Co LimerickCo Limerick
LADIES DAY BOUTIQUEBrendan Street Portumna Co GalwayCo Galway
LISA BAKER BtqUnit F , Roslawn S.C Castleknock Co DublinCo Dublin
LORBEE'SConvent Hill Killaloe Co ClareCo Clare
MADISON2 Upper Abbeygate Street Galway Co GalwayCo Galway
MC ELHINNEYSMain St Ballybofey Co DonegalCo Donegal
MOBA Boutique76 Main Street Moira Co ArmaghCo Armagh
NICOLA ROSS1A MAIN ST. NAAS Co KildareCo Kildare
QUEEN BEE Btq13 Queen Street Magherafelt Co DerryCo Derry
RavelMain St Carrick-on-shannon Co LeitrimCo Leitrim
SERENDIPITY ( Kilkenny)34 Kieran st Kilkenny Co KilkennyCo Kilkenny
SIENA BoutiqueUnit 5 ,Corabbey Court Midleton Co CorkCo Cork
SIGNET10 Main Street Dungarvan Co WaterfordCo Waterford
THE K. BTQ (IRELAND)Adare Village Adare Village Co LimerickCo Limerick
YASMIN (MALAHIDE)8 Townyard la, Malahide Co DublinCo Dublin
YASMIN(DROGHEDA)33 Shop Street Drogheda Co LouthCo Louth
ZANDRASMain Street Birr Co OffalyCo Offaly
ZULUWine Street Sligo Co SligoCo Sligo

From the Blogs

A Roundup of the Irish Fashion and Beauty Blogs

Whisty Blogs Dublin Fashion : Jennifer Rothwell to show at showcase Ireland
Among many other designers in attendance, of course, Jennifer Rothwell will be debuting her AW10 collection this weekend at Showcase Ireland. Her design talents have brought her from NCAD to New York and back again, and earned her the “Brown Thomas Designer Mentor Programme Award” a mere 7 months after launching her label.more

I Blog Fashion: Slogan Tights
First there were slogan tees; now there are slogan tights. It appears Henry Holland, master of Cockney rhyming slang, has taken his cheeky epithets to lower levels - the legs that is. more

Nicky's Rag Tales: The 'It' Bag is dead, Long Live the 'It' Bag
I usually write a round up of the weeks fashion news on a Sunday but I’m totally off the point today. Perhaps because The Sunday Times Style Magazine used to be my must have newspaper fashion insert of the week and I’m oh so fed up with it. I used to rip off the plastic ( with the same thought each week -what a waste of plastic) before I even glanced more

Stylebible.ie: Sizzling summer wear from Pepe
The SS10 Pepe Jeans Ladies fashion collection is here and wow it doesn’t disappoint. We love the versatility of this range – where every single item can be mixed and matched with other clothes or with items from their fab denim collection too. more

Chiconomics: Covet Sample Sale
Clear the diary ladies, and take your marks, as Covet is hosting an intimate sample sale of select pieces more

Springwise: Design your own Jeans
Customers of indiDenim—whose parent company runs a like-minded site for custom-made dress shirts—begin by selecting from among several jeans cuts, including slim and relaxed fits. They then choose the fabric, rise and styles they'd like for the pants' fly, leg, hem, pocket and overall treatment. Women’s options at indiDenim include super-low to high-rises, multiple leg styles and more than 30 different back pocket options; men can make their jean a basic five-pocket or add carpenter styling more

www.indidenim.com

Style Nation

Well done to the very talented Angela Scanlon and Annmarie OConnor

From the Blogs

Jak and jil blog

A Roundup of the Irish Fashion and Beauty Blogs

Simon Cowell To Produce Haiti Hit – Simon Cowell has stepped up to the charitable plate and announced that he’s organizing a “We Are the World”-style charity single to benefit the Haiti relief efforts. And while it might have been nicer had he come up with the idea himself, the orders apparently came from a bit higher up.(eonline)

Beaut.ie: Sneaky Peak: New Celebridee perfumes for 2010
No doubt there will be more than two stars lepping on the lucrative celebridee fragrance bandwagon this year, but the first two to announce their scint-tentions are my favourite Desperate Housewive Eva Longoria-Parker and superstar songstress Beyoncé.more

Whisty Blogs Dublin Fashion : (A make up interview with the Indo)
After cleansing and moisturising, it probably takes about 10 -15 minutes to do my make-up depending on where I’m going. Nights out can take twice that time more

I Blog Fashion : StyleNation 2010
Wanna know what you'll be doing in 2010? Check out my fashion calendar lowdown in the first epidode for 2010 by the StyleNation team!

Irish Fashion Blog by Angela Scanlon Awsome Lego Table by Dublin Designer Duo
It may not be fashion but it’s creativity at its best. Designed and constructed by Gearoid Carvill and Andrew Brady, video by Cormac Browne (all Dublin based). 1 word: GENIUS.

Nickys Rag Tales: Beautiful Handmade Bags from Erica Devine
Erica Devine called into the showroom today to have a chat. She had some of her beautiful bags with her and I was excited to see them up close more

Stylebible: Julianne Moore Smitten with Ford
Julianne Moore was "swept of her feet" when she first met Tom Ford.The stunning actress was introduced to the designer in 1998, when he was making her dress for that year's Academy Awards. more

The Boutique Buzz

The Boutique Buzz -http://bit.ly/8DlHso

From the Blogs

Anna Wintou from thefashionillustrator.com

A Roundup of the Irish fashion and Beauty Blogs

Stylebible: Loose Weight While Shopping (Killer heading)
From 'shop till you drop' to the new phrase 'shop till you drop ..in weight' a new study by fashion store Debenhams have found that most British & Irish women cover an estimated more

Chiconomics : Lingerie Fashion Show at Lillie Bordello on the 28th Jan

"X Marks The Spot" is a calendar dedicated to making young people aware of the many types of cancer for more info goto www.xmarksthespot2010.com

The Stylebitches: Spring 2010 Beauty Trends:

As it will be spring in 11 days I thought we had better ready ourselves. Have a little looky at the trends ‘they’ are telling us will be all ova’ our faces for the next couple of months. ‘They’ always know best. They come from the same place ‘The man’. And we all know you don’t question him.more

I Blog Fashion: Talent for Haiti (Please Support)

An online auction has been organised by designers Eilis Boyle and Helen James to raise as much funds as possible for the Haitian relief efforts. All proceeds (minus eBay and PayPal fees) will be donated to Medecins sans Frontieres. More

What Will I wear Today: Eyes to the floor ladies

ok so this post isn’t technically about fashion, just more of a ranting post if you will. some might say i am just being prudish and i should be more liberal to this sort of thing. i say no more

Red Lane Boutique Goes Online

Fashion Favourite RED LANE goes Online

Fashion favourite store in of the south east Red Lane Boutique in Tramore, county Waterford, has just launched its online store www.redlane.ie
The store, which is perched on the corner of Queen Street in Tramore, boasts a superb mix of clothing, footwear and accessories and their friendly staff are always on hand to help. However now you needn't budge from the comfort of your office or home pc, in order to browse their stylish wares.

Red Lane owner Catherine Keighery stocks style in an astonishing range of colours. Even in the depths of winter Red Lane is still bursting with bright colours and with designs from Aftershock, DESIGUAL, Fee G, St Martin, Religion Jovanna London, Kate Fernley and Manouk accessories to name but a few.

Redlane.ie features over 700 garments online and will deliver anywhere in Ireland the very next day! So fixing redlane.ie on your fashion radar might not be a bad idea.

Prices are reasonable and occasionally surprisingly cheap and if that doesn’t convince you, perhaps bang-on-trend glamour will do the trick. Worth checking out for alternative evening wear, smart day wear and for a huge range of complimenting shoes and accessories, Red Lane Boutique, Queen Street, Tramore, Co Waterford. 051 395395 www.redlane.ieCatherine Keighery proprietor of Red Lane Boutique launching her brand new online fashion store www.redlane.ie photograph Patrick Browne

Lady Umbrella T-Shirts Launching Tomorrow

A wee bit about the Teees

So, briefly a bit about the tees..they are all 100% 180grms combed cotton with a soft discharge print. The t-shirt itself is designed and custom made for us as well as the print on it. T-shirts have a smooth woven 100 denier damask neck label which is also soft. All of our t-shirts come with customised hang tags which are signed, dated and numbered by the Elena (the designer) so each t-shirt is unique to the person who buys it. For the price we are launching with an introductory price of 24.99euro for a period of one week - as a thank you to those who have been fans and following us so to give them a chance to get our tees at a nice low price. It is also possible to get a promo code by joining the fanpage and letting us know which tee is your favourite and we'll send the exclusive promo code to the person then which would make the price just 22.50euro for a tee. Shipping, well, shipping is free worldwide on all orders :) After the first week our tees will be sell for 29.99euro but the promo code will still be good so just 26.99euro.

Website - www.ladyumbrella.com
Facebook - www.facebook.com/ladyumbrella
Twitter - www.twitter.com/ladyumbrellaltd

The Fashion Industry Insider by Nicky Harris

News from the Showroom on ‘Miserable Monday’

Well the news bit is true but the Miserable Monday bit? not likely ! I always look forward to Mondays and especially at this busy time of the year. Luckily one of my showroom assistants arrived back last week and just in time too. I’m afraid my organisational skills are a little lacking and the presence of some one else is sometimes all I need to get me more organised.

Some samples have arrived and others are still on the way. The minute they arrive then emails of changes to the range start flooding in. Each day these changes have to be noted. They can simply be colour changes but invariably they are cancellations. Samples that will never be made and sometimes these are items that we love and think would sell. Marketing brochures by the lorry load gather in large boxes and take up valuable room. Sometimes they are worthy of giving out to prospective customers but often they are of such bad pictorial quality or are photographs of the wrong samples for this market that I tear my hair out at the waste. Waste of money, paper, time and effort only to be consigned to that big recycling bin.

Catwalk dates for the Jaeger London range (which is our newest collection) are still to be confirmed. It seems that London Fashion Week is as organised as me, which gives me some peculiar comfort.

I’m off to London on Sunday so will be blogging from there next week. It will be interesting to see what’s happening and London is one of those rare Fashion Vibrant cities. A quick run around my favourite Indies is on the cards. That’s if the flights go and we haven’t been hit by another weather related catastrophe. Which if we are thinking about catastrophe’s lets do something for the beleaguered and struggling people of Haiti and remember how truly lucky we all are.

Have a good week ahead………..

Nicky

www.nickysragtales.com
Twitter.com/nickysragtales

Irish Fashion Innovation Awards

Galway-based production company ‘Golden Egg Productions’ has decided to honour the work of new and innovative Irish fashion designers with the first ‘Fashion Innovation Awards’ which will take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Galway on March 18th next.

The contest is open to fashion designers, and fashion students from fashion colleges, throughout Ireland both North and South.

The awards are a celebration of Golden Egg’s tenth year in business. The company who publish the magazines Galwaynow, Limericknow, and Weddingsnow is headed up by Patricia McCrossan who says: “The awards aim to give visibility, support and a voice to young talent from every corner of Ireland, north and south, offering a fantastic opportunity for their work to be shown to a jury made up of fashion design and journalism experts.”

Awards will be given in the following categories: ‘Student Designer of the Year’, ‘Accessory Designer of the Year’, ‘Jewellery Designer of the Year,’ and ‘Designer of the Year’. A very special award will be given for ‘Contribution to Irish Fashion’ which will be nominated by the judges who include some of the most respected names in the Irish fashion industry including Eddie Shanahan, world-famous jewellery designer Slim Barrett, Deirdre McQuillan of the Irish Times, as well as TG4’s 'Paisean Faisean' presenter Blathnaid Ni Dhonnchadha.

Anyone wishing to participate in the awards should log on to www.goldenegg.ie/events for more details. The finalists in each category will be announced on 1st February.

To Sparkle or not to Sparkle

This Article is From the Lovely Bebhinn from HellwaFashion

Mmmmm I really didn’t want to do this, but I almost jacked in blogging and joined the fashion police force after the crimes I’ve seen out and about this week.
During the festive season I turned a blind eye to sparkles, mainly because I’ve lived through many a Christmas in Ireland, where perfectly fashionably acceptable girls lose all sense of their own style (and all sense for that matter) and don highly inappropriate tight sequined dresses for two weeks.
The thing with this years sparkles is that they are a fashion trend and are here to stay well into the new year.
I hate to state the obvious here but sequins draw attention. We need to tread with care when tackling this trend.Before we start a “size zero” debate, I’m a curvy girl myself, If you have curves by all means celebrate them, but please don’t have normal folk assuming it’s a “baby shower” type of celebration.
If you have Kate Mosse’s figure you would look a million dollars in a sequined jumpsuit if you don’t then please note the following.
1. Very heavy sequined dresses (think mid-range designer) are likely to look good as they are so heavy they will hang well on a curvy body and accentuate your curves. Cheap dresses will make you look pregnant. Changing room mirrors can be deceiving so make sure you check and double check the fit.
2. A sequined jacket is a great way to wear the trend – if you keep it simple. Generally a sequined jacket will hide your arms and accentuate your femininity. Keep the rest of the look simple, jeans, plain top, killer heels and a nice bag.
3. Sequined bags (especially in gold) are perfect. I recently saw a girl head to toe in black, with a big, squishy gold sequined bag. You could spot her a mile off, she was grabbing attention for all the right reasons while dressing in forgiving, fashionable black.
4. If you’re not comfortable seeking attention but still want to be in on the trend. Wear a sparkly necklace and wrap it around your wrist a couple of times (or a couple of sparkly bracelets). It looks fantastic when someone is talking or just resting their hands on the table. It also draws attention to your wrists, which for most of us are a good feature (and for me the skinniest feature you’ll find on my body!) so it’s a win, win really.
5. Shoes that sparkle are ok too.

Don’t make us blind with your bling, follow these rules and sparkle and shine.

The dress in the picture left is available from Net-a-porter.com. Also worth browsing around their "jacket" section for ideas on how sequined jackets should be worn.
*Before I start fielding calls from the embassy, Irish women are not solely to blame, I’m sure other nationalities are worse, but I’ve only ever experienced Xmas in Dubai or Ireland, so I’m drawing from experaince.

Styleisle

Ireland’s latest fashion website has arrived.

www.styleisle.ie was born as Irish women evolve into chic fashionistas who are not afraid of a little style adventure. The website gives women a chance to see the latest fashion tips, trends and get an insight into the lives and careers of professionals who work the style 9 to 5.

Styleisle.ie was launched on 3 January 2010 by Lorna Weightman. Lorna is the latest fashion blogger whose desire for all things fashion started at an early age by playing dress up in her mum’s clothes (like all little girls do). This led to a love of designers, dresses and denim which eventually sparked the idea for a fashion forum.

The site includes a monthly interview “styleisle file” with people from the Irish fashion world from how they interpret latest trends to where they see the Irish fashion market going in the future. The “styleisle-con” will be a piece on street style from around the country, and will feature a different person each month. The site also points visitors in the direction of key fashion finds each month, from where to find a great little black dress to a great accessory that will compliment your wardrobe!

We are also in the process of building a blog which will be added in February called “I have nothing to wear” where visitors can ask questions or just log onto to read about the latest style hot topics.

At present, this site is not posting advertising; however, we hope to incorporate this into the site later in the year.

If you have any queries in relation to the site or press, or if you would like to feature in the styleisle file page, please email Lorna Weightman at info@styleisle.ie.

The Fashion Industry Insider by Nicky Harris

I suspended the Fashion Police last week as I along with half the country was snowed in. Venturing out to forage for provisions amounted to donning my hill walking gear. Boots that have taken me hundreds of kilometres across three continents. Boots that clung to wet rocks, boots that sank into deep wet bogs in the Wicklow hills and the same boots that were washed away in a tidal river (along with me attached) in Brazil last year! Needless to say the top half was covered in several layers of thermal and hiking gear. Not a pretty sight I agree, but boy did I care? Not a jot.

Back in the showroom for the first time after a few days the less than glamerous side of the life of a Fashion Agent was the order of the day. Writing envelopes (lots of them) sorting samples and pricing them. Oh and cutting off labels from tights to bring to the Charity shop.

Last week in New York in a lane behind H&M on 34th st in Manhattan lots and lots of unwanted clothes were being sorted. Unfortunately the clothes had been slashed as to make them totally unwearable. Fingers were cut off gloves. Arms off dresses. Legs off trousers… You get the picture. These clothes weren’t for the Charity Shops nearby they were for the garbage collectors. Within minutes the story was on- line in the NY Times, minutes later Twitterville was all a-Tweet. I was one of those Tweeters (I’m addicted since I got my iPhone) and the story made the second top trending Twitter subject within hours. People were tweeting for boycotts and protests against H&M. Not good PR at all. What was needed was very swift damage control. It took H&M one whole day to respond and apologise stating that it was not company policy and that they were treating the matter very seriously indeed. Tweeters responded in kind and are a forgiving lot.

The moral of the story. If you are a retailer embrace Social Media and respond immediately to any negative publicity. Old Media may tell the story the outcome may very well depend on Facebook, Bloggers and Twitter.

Have a good week ahead.. Nicky

http://www.nickysragtales.com

twitter.com/nickysragtales