Woman’s World Show 2012

In Ireland, the June Bank Holiday is synonymous with the Flora Women’s Mini Marathon; an annual ten kilometre stretch circling the capital, which raises gargantuan amounts of money for many of the nation’s most cherished charities.

To coincide with this charitable endeavour, the RDS host the ‘Woman’s World Show’ throughout the preceding weekend, to allow participants to collect their race numbers and to be tempted by many fashion, sport and lifestyle exhibitors who are there promoting their wares.

Having attended the Woman’s World Show for a number of years, a decline in show quality was slowly becoming evident, so much that I was reluctant to travel to this year’s event.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by both the organisation and variety of products made available to attendees at this year’s exhibition. It was an excellent day out, one which the whole family were accommodated for.

Companies such as HighHeels.ie, The Buff Day Spa and Mini Cooper allowed prospective customers to sample their products and offered invaluable competitions.

Yomiko and I

 One of the most interesting elements of the exhibition were the Special K Chewy Delight Fashion Shows. Throughout the three-day event, models paraded down the catwalk a staggering eighteen times.

Debenhams and Dunnes Stores offered the most intriguing designs, favouring many of the season’s most popular trends including peplum, pieces with sheer panels and a nude palette.

Assets Models Agency were expertly represented on the catwalk by talented individuals such as Yomiko Chen, Sarah Morrisey and Brooke Wright.

Without doubt, Yomiko and Sarah are two of my favourite Irish models. Both emit such natural grace, elegance and poise on the runway. It’s difficult not to be enthralled when they parades down the catwalk.

It was also a real treat to meet many of the models after the show. With these ladies, beauty is definitely not only skin deep!

Whilst mingling with models, I also had enough time to pick up a purchase or two. Recently, I have become increasingly more brave with my selection of beauty and make-up products.

At the exhibition, one distributor offered customers to select five items of make-up for the economical price of €10. Brands such as Bourjois, Revlon, Ciaté and even Calvin Klein were available.

Above, the Revlon (015 Grape) lipstick reminded me of Tom Ford’s  ’Black Cherry’, a colour I have been daring to try for quite some time. Bourjouis’ ’1001 Lashes’ is a consistent companion in my handbag. With naturally long eyelashes, mascara often clumps and leaves an unattractive mess. With an elongated brush, this formula leaves lashes both exaggerated and alluring.

Dolly Mix’s Demo’s have been giving me the courage to attempt simple nail art designs and to employ a more interesting palette on my nails. Thus, I could not help purchasing Ciaté’s under and top coat (wittily titles ‘Under Wear’ and ‘Hang Over Cure’).

Since Chanel’s Spring 2012 Couture collection I have been on a quest to find an apt blue shade. Bourjois’ 18 emits metallic reflections and is the colour definition of denim. In contrast Bourjois’ 12 is pearled perfection and will offer a glimmer of light, whether or not the sun is shining.

The final purchase is from Perfect Lady. The company showcased a range of beauty products and permitted customers to select and three items for the price of €5. Accompanied by my sisters, one chose a set of individual eye lashes, the other selected a rustic sienna nail polish whilst I purchased the glittering gold bottle which is shown above.

Best of luck to all participating in tomorrow’s Flora Women’s Mini Marathon, see you at the starting line!

Interview Magazine Russia; Vanessa Paradis

Vanessa Paradis can be defined as an actress, songstress, fashion icon, model, mother and lady.

The French beauty has previously shared the silver screen with Jeanne Moreau and Jean Reno, and is also in receipt of the highly accredited ‘Caesar Award’.

Within the fashion domain, Paradis has previously modelled for Miu Miu and is a Chanel muse. The French fashion house have sought Vanessa to face an increasing number of campaigns including ‘Ligne Cambon’, ‘The New Madamoiselle’, ‘Coco Rouge’ and ‘Coco Cocoon’.

Interview Russia have recently sparked my interest with their creative covers. The magazine’s May issue places Vanessa Paradis in the role of a biker chic protagonist. Attired in toughened Chanel, Paradis’ typical image is juxtaposed as she glamorously lounges on a motorbike.

With smoked eyes, a neutral palette and quiff-ed tresses, this cover will send tremors throughout the beauty domain.

This unconventional cover is fashionably alarming and whets one’s appetite for the accompanying editorial. The magazine will hit news stands on April 26th.

Previous Interview Russia edition’s worth noting include the publication’s January issue with Lana Del Rey and the April edit featuring Keira Knightley, both were nothing short of inspirational.

ONLY – The Liberation

ONLY is synonymous with the creation of feminine silhouettes, whilst also challenging the boundaries of androgynous and sophisticated attire.

Whilst much of their catalogue is composed of denim, the tapered pieces accentuate the female’s natural beauty and grace.

The brand’s latest collection, entitled ‘Only Because We Can’, is the definition of roughened glamour.

The distressed, structured denim is contrasted against flowing fabrics, creating an alluring image, reminiscent of the 1990′s waif models.

Have you ever watched a television programme or a film and wondered where the actor / actress acquired their attire? It would be a dream, if one could merely press pause and the scene would direct you to garment and allow to you purchase immediately.

This has been a dream of mine for a while and was ecstatic when ONLY presented their interactive fashion feature film ‘The Liberation’.

The film is set in Florida, USA and follows three chic and strong ladies, each representing a different ONLY girl, as they travel to a small town, and wreak fashionable havoc on the mundane lives of the local people.

The protagonists bond with a local innocent girl and help bridge the gap for her to a life of maturity and independence.

‘The Liberation’ propels the audience into the scenes by leaving each moral decision up to you. Including stealing a pair of jeans, escaping from the town and peaking on other characters, you choose the story’s denouement!

Whilst enraptured by the action of the film, one can stop and examine the characters’ clothing by merely clicking on the screen, exhibiting a detailed image of the garment and an option to purchase.

With a hypnotic soundtrack by Lune and the possibility of winning a pair of ONLY jeans, watching ‘The Liberation’ is a necessity. (Follow the link above for the interactive footage, the video below is merely just a trailer)

One can follow ONLY’s latest trends on both Facebook and Twitter.

Dublin’s Creative Quarter

When the term ‘Fashion Capital’ is raised in conversation, a litany of European and international dwellings immediately come to mind.

To mention but a few, these destinations include; Paris, London, Milan, New York, Stockholm and Tokyo. Each city is unique, exhibiting a different branch of personal style and cultural influence.

Although the city is petite in mass, Dublin and it’s inhabitants have a lot to offer within the domains of creativity, fashion inspiration and often, eccentricity.

This week, in lieu with Unique to Dublin and the St Patrick’s Festival, the city is providing a platform to encourage innovation and raise the profile of the capital’s chic café’s and belle boutiques.

The newly titled ‘Dublin’s Creative Quarter’, encapsulates South William Street to George’s Street and from Lower Stephen’s Street to Wicklow Street.

On the 16th of March, from 6pm to 8pm, an agglomeration of businesses in the Creative Quarter aim to provide a mass of activities, events and promotional offers to entice and excite customers.

Although many business and offers are involved, I’ve selected some of my favourites to illustrate the efforts being made.

Project 51, the Irish design collective, will be presenting their clientele with an opportunity to meet and greet several of the store’s designers.

As this company boasts individuals such as Sinead Doyle, Jennifer Rothwell and Geraldine Murphy, it is one which is not to be missed!

Bow, in the Powerscourt Townhouse is also inviting their customers to meet designers and owners Wendy Crawford, Margaret O’Rourke and Eilis Boyle throughout the day.

The store is also one of only two Dublin stockists of ‘Cambridge Satchel Co.’, this will definitely be one of my highlights of the day.

Om Diva, located on Drury Street, is a haven for vintage / intricate finds whilst also studying courses in fashion illustration and fascinator creation.

On the 16th of March at 6pm, fashion historian Ruth Griffin, will speak about the fashion history of local Dublin whilst also providing a tour of their eclectic building.

In order to look to the future, a reflection on the past is always essential. Without doubt, this will be an informative and inspiring evening.

Beaux Bows in George’s Street Arcade are taking a gargantuan 50% off, the price of all hair accessories throughout the day.

With delicate and feminine pieces galore, it is a discount one cannot afford to miss

The calendar of events and a map of industries involved are available to download.

On the eve of our national holiday, step out on the cobblestones and support an Irish business or two!

L’Odyssée de Cartier

Louis-François Cartier founded Cartier, the luxury jewellery and watch company in Paris, 1847. Since these humble beginnings, the brand has swelled and been the diamond home for royal coronations around the world.

To mark the company’s 165th anniversary, a visual masterpiece, L’Odyssée de Cartier, was constructed.

The cinematic footage places the audience in the shadow of a panther, an image synonymous with the Cartier brand, as he prowls around important locations and significant occasions in the brand’s esteemed history.

The artistic mini-film exhibits the most technical and impressive special effects, to gain the attention of their current clientele and future fans.

Arnaud M.Bamberger, Cartier UK’s executive chairman explained that;

“This project has been treated like a real movie, we wanted the best special effects, a big director, an incredible model and props to intertwine with our incredible history. We wanted a movie we would be proud to show to Steven Spielberg.”

The advertisement draws to a close at the Place Vendôme, where the jungle feline crosses paths with supermodel Shalom Harlow in the historic halls of the Grand Palais.

Whilst ‘L’Odyssée de Cartier’ is truly a work of art, it costed the company an estimated €4 million to create over a period of two years.

At only three and a half minutes, the excerpt is most definitely a projection of the future of advertising and merchandising.

“We want to build up an awareness of Cartier worldwide to give us hige impact around the world, It’s not a commercial decision, more a celebration of our history and a chance for us to bring that to a wider audience”.

Free People; Freja Beha Erichsen

Free People was founded just over forty years ago, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Having attracted the attention of local consumers, the brand began to expand. With the opening of a second store, the proprietor renamed the chain to Urban Outfitters.

In 1984, the company decided to create a line suitable for wholesale, entitling this line with the company’s original name of Free People. This evolving produced a varied catalogue of garments appealing to the diverse fashion taste buds of their dedicated clientèle.

The company has creatively identified five genres of customer for their brand; ‘Meadow’ the bohemian customer, ‘Candy’ the girly customer, ‘Ginger’ the body-con customer, ‘Lou’ the tomboy customer, and ‘Sandy’ the beach customer.

For their February catalogue, the company have enlisted the help of Danish beauty, Freja Beha Erichsen.

The campaign was lensed by Joshua Allen and portrays Erichsen in each of the brand’s customer profiles.

In previous catalogues, the company has collaborated with Karlie Kloss, Sasha Pivovarova, Jessica Hart and Bambi Northwood-Blyth.

Free People can be found online at the website, on Facebook and on Twitter.

Images via Free People

Coco Rocha; Le Carré Hermès

Hermès first began as a harness workshop in Paris in 1837. Soon after its humble beginning, the brand acquired the French patent for the zip, thus they were the first company to create and market luxury ladies’ handbags which closed via zip.

Other iconic dates in the house’s history include the 1956 release of the Kelly bag, made iconic by Grace Kelly as she used the accessory to conceal her pregnancy. Whilst in 1984 actress Jane Birkin favoured the brand’s Birkin bag as the ultimate accessory.

For the design house’s Spring / Summer 2012 collection, Canadian model Coco Rocha exhibits the historic ‘carré’ in a variety of elegant, chic styles.

The silk scarf often provokes an image of a stifled upper class, for me a silk scarf is the perfect accessory and can transform any ensemble.

People’s Choice Awards

The People’s Choice Awards were held last night in the Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles. The arrival of this ceremony is always rather exciting as it marks the beginning of ‘Awards Season’.

Many of television’s biggest stars paraded down the red carpet in some of the catwalk’s most intricate and beautiful designs. For me, the best dressed award must be presented to Ginnifer Goodwin, closely followed by Miley Cyrus.

Who would you fashionably crown?

Ginnifer Goodwin chose the ‘Margot’ hot pink dress from Roksanda Ilincic’s Spring 2012 collection. Choosing to embellish the look with ‘Kryle’ ankle boots by Jimmy Choo and Kzeniya’s black envelope clutch, this ensemble is the perfect combination of femininity and toughened glamour.

Within the past twelve months, Miley Cyrus has been the unofficial ambassador for Roberto Cavalli on the red carpet. However, last night Cyrus’ stylish choice was pleasantly surprising. The actress wore a David Koma Spring 2012 look, accessorising with pink metallic pointed heels and a silver reptile-esque clutch.

Other actresses who impressed included Nina Dobrev, Lea Michele, Chloe Moretz, Lucy Hale and Kayley Cuoco.

Fashion Foie Gras & Cocosa

One of my favourite blogs, ‘Fashion Foie Gras’, recently announced their collaboration with online fashion retailer Cocosa.

Cocosa present the customer with an agglomeration of luxury brands and pieces in time-limited sales.

The website have teamed with Emily Johnson, of Fashion Foie Gras to offer her readers the chance to win a beautiful lace dress by Issa. The piece retails for £1,100 and fans of FFG merely have to attempt to style the dress and offer a suggestion as to where one might wear such an ensemble.

The above image is my attempt at styling this classic gown.

I adore wearing pieces which incorporate the dainty and ladylike fabric that is lace. However, the perfect antithesis for such an ensemble is toughened and leather accessories.

For this look, I have pulled pieces from the collections of A-Wear, Christian Louboutin and All Saints. Collectively, these pieces imbue an image of resilience with a softer core, enabling the mannequin to emit confidence, charisma, style and grace!

The restricted palette of mustard and black thrust the Issa gown into the spotlight, permitting the darker tones the role of accentuating  the simple and chic nature of the dress.

This ensemble would be perfect to exhibit at any function or event where the wearer wishes to feel comfortable and promote envy amongst those around her. Personal style bloggers would be agog to see such a dress paraded down their local cobblestones!

How would you style such a piece? Where would you suggest wearing it to?

What To Do; Two-O-One-Two

Image: Comments Yard

Happy New Year!

This year will host a mélange of exhibitions, events and occasions which will tickle one’s fashionable taste-buds.

With the extraordinary success of the Met’s ‘Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty‘ exhibition, many other designers and icons have collated their collections and assembled their archives for display in 2012.

These include; Marc Jacobs, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Louboutin and Elsa Schiaperelli/Miuccia Prada‘s summer collaboration.

With Awards season commencing in the coming week and Paris’ Spring Haute Couture parading down catwalks at the end of the month, it is fair to say that two-o-one-two will be a year to remember.

Which events and occasions are you most eagerly anticipating?

When?	What?	Where?
January 23rd – 26th	Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week: Spring 2012	Paris
February 9th – 16th	New York RTW Fashion Week: Autumn / Winter	New York
February 10th – April 17th	Exhibition: IMPACT: 50 Years of the CFDA	The Museum at FIT, New York
February 17th – 22nd	London RTW Fashion Week: Autumn / Winter	London
February 26th	84th Annual Academy Awards	Kodak Theatre, Los Angeles
February 28th – March 7th	Paris RTW Fashion Week: Autumn / Winter	Paris
March 9th – September 16th	Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs – The Retrospective	Les Art Décoratifs, Paris
March 18th	Alternative Miss Ireland	Olympia Theatre, Dublin
March 25th -	Yves Saint Laurent – The Retrospective	Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado
March 28th – July 1st	Christian Louboutin – The Retrospective	Design Museum, London
April 5th	The South William Street VVIP Awards	Andrews Lane Theatre, Dublin
April	50 Years of James Bond Style	The Barbican, London
May 10th – August 19th	Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion	The Costume Institute, MOMA, New York
May 19th – January 26th	Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950	Victoria and Albert Museum, London
July 27th	Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremony	London