DUBLIN FASHION: The 2016 #DublinFashion Festival Launch! #GalaxyStyle

Essence of Dublin:

The Event: The Launch of Dublin Fashion Festival

A humid, wet summer’s eve saw the annual launch of Dublin Fashion Festival take place in conjunction with Galaxy Ireland hosting Ireland’s finest fashion industry folk, assembled at the same time in the same place, to celebrate Dublin and it’s shopping and fashion offerings. The venue was packed to the rafters despite the dismal evening and I was delighted to be amongst those invited to celebrate!

The always uber dapper, Darren Kennedy was in attendance as this years ‘face‘ of Dublin Fashion Festival – the first time a male has been selected to represent the festival!

The Location: City Hall, Dublin
The Date: August 17th 2016.

The Outfit: I styled my outfit around this gorgeous cold shoulder kimomo – kindly gifted to me by Boohoo.com. I’m obsessed with it! I channelled my inner Penny Lane – Kate Hudson’s character in Almost Famous and went for a seventies style look (a huge trend right now), with a modern twist! I absolutely love this outfit choice and I felt stylish and comfortable – so important. 

Hat: Penneys (Primark)

*Kimono: gifted from Boohoo.com

Top & Arm Cuff: New Look

Bag: H&M

Jeans: H&M

Choker: River Island

Watch: Caravelle New York

Shoes: Korkys

Upon arrival guests were greeted at the door with a warm welcome and informed of various hubs within the venue such as the Galaxy Ireland #GalaxyStyle hangout, the Dyson Supersonic area and the West Coast Cooler bar!

The Galaxy Style Hangout Area: a welcome hub to relax in and chat whilst waiting for the event to start and afterwards to reflect on the show with some chocolate and West Coast Cooler. How swish and stylish is this set up? Just look at the seating!

There was just enough time before the show to allow guests to snap some pictures, mingle and catch up over a refreshing offering from West Coast Cooler – I opted to try the rosè (I’m usually an original WCC kinda girl!) with a blackberry and lime zest twist. Delish! I’ll definitely be trying this concoction at home!

Hanging out in the Galaxy Style Hub: Raising a glass to the Dublin Fashion Team, Galaxy Ireland and everyone else involved in the production of the festival – it’s a highlight event in my Fashion calendar year! 

The Show:

Overview: The show opened with an acoustic version of Royals by Lorde – sung busker-style, paying homage to scenes on the streets of Dublin such as Grafton Street. The room was still, only the flash of photographers could be heard, the audience were enthralled and models marched down the runway in unison to the beat of the music. The lyrics punctuated the air like exclamation points and with a roaring applause and change in pace of music, the show had well and truly begun!

Offerings from stores such as the Stephen’s Green Centre, Powerscourt Centre, Brown Thomas, Penneys (Primark), Dunnes Stores, and various other shops and boutiques around Dublin featured with bright jewel toned hues, coupled with gold hues as seen from the likes of Swamp Fashions, as well as winter white (always a fave!), mustard, burgundy and browns littering the runway – tulle, lace, fur and suede also made a striking and prolonged appearance.

Military style influences, sports luxe options as well as formal evening wear also showcased for the women as well as country gentleman chic in the form of various style of suit, for the gents from the likes of Magee and Louis Copeland amongst others in the Menswear section of the show. Lastly, as with every winter wardrobe the colour black was never far away!

A diverse mix of styles sashayed down the run-way from mid-length and long swish coats, high neck tops, pleated midi skirts, silk/lace camisoles, gladiator sandals, culotte style trousers, fur stoles, embellished garments, co-ords, skirts with slits, chokers and platform heeled sandals in a variety of heights featured in a showcase of AW16 styles available in a host of Dublin shops.

{Not the best quality photo but I just had to include it! Galaxy Ireland treated guests to a personalised bar of chocolate – how cool is that?! It’s so hard to track down anything with my name on it! #delira #loveit }

ABOUT: Dublin Fashion Festival takes place in conjunction with Galaxy Ireland #GalaxyStyle this year. It kicked off today and runs from September 5th-11th with a schedule jam-packed with events (most open to the public) including on-street catwalk shows, a fashion photography exhibition, Luas Style Spotters to name just a few!

Head on over to www.dff.ie for all the details on the upcoming festivities!

Tell me: have any of you seen any Dublin Fashion Festival activities on the streets of Dublin in previous years?

I cannot wait for a week of  fashion, fun and frolics! 

Thank you to Clyde Carroll and the Dublin Fashion/Dublin Town Team, Galaxy Ireland, West Coast Cooler Ireland, Sadhbh and team at Elevate PR, and finally Boohoo.com/Burrell PR for kindly gifting me the kimono piece.

Thanks for stopping by guys!

Gail. Xx
Photography: © Gail O’Connor
Twitter: @DublinGail
Instagram: @littlegforce

*Kimono is a gifted PR item.

NEW in Fashion: #HOFSS16 Discover New Season Style From The Brands at House of Fraser.

With the promise of a heatwave here in Ireland, salute the arrival of summer with the SS16 Collection from House of Fraser!

I am in the process of making a concise list of key, classic pieces that I want to add to my capsule wardrobe for summer and an invitation to the House of Fraser SS16 Press Preview more than delivered.

The Event: House of Fraser SS16 Press Preview.

The Date: March 2nd 2016

The Location: The Morrison hotel, Dublin.

The Collection Overview:

Capsule pieces, practicality for the workplace, weekend wear, travel essentials – all are catered for in this stunning collection. Leather, lace, suede, print, all feature highly with neutrals playing an integral part in this playful and practical collection from House of Fraser.

 

Swimwear: includes new addition Sea Folly!

New Additions at House of Fraser!

Home to many well known and well loved labels such as Biba and Linea, exciting new additions such as Kenneth Cole and Sea Folly have made House of Fraser their home just in time for summer!

My TOP Picks!

From basic wardrobe staple pieces to key summer essentials, these are my top picks from the Press Preview.

Biba:

Linea:

I hope you saw some summer staples for your wardrobe in this post from House of Fraser and if so, tell me what!</strong

Thanks for stopping by guys!

Gail. Xx
Photography: © Gail O’Connor.

#LFW Part 1: UNFOLD – Irish Designer Fashion Week Presentation!

Unfold: #ID2015
An Official London Fashion Week event.

The Fashion Whirlwind:

London Fashion Week – one of the world’s highest profile designer showcases. My first Fashion Week and my first time in London!
The excitement!

I was lucky enough to have received a ton of invitations to phenomenal shows however, I was only there for a few days and unfortunately had to miss out on attending some. I made the most of my time there like any self-respecting fashionista would and embraced a couple of shows including the incredible ‘Unfold‘ Irish Design Showcase Presentation!

Irish Design and Designers were represented by some phenomenal masters of their craft and firmly present on the bill for London Fashion Week 2015 – with Unfold billed as an ‘Official London Fashion Week event’.

Designer Showcase:

The Unfold Presentation consisted of 11 Irish Designers: Manley, Dorai, Natalie B Coleman, Chupi, Martha Lynn Millinery, We Are Islanders, Honour Fitzsimons, Jill de Burca, Laura Kinsella, Helen Steele and Montague and Capulet

These designers showcased on the Irish Design 2015 international programme of events having been chosen following a call out earlier this year with over 40 applications.
Judges from ID2015, Design Crafts Council Ireland, key media representatives and international buyers were involved in the selection process.

Manley:

Emma Manley: Owner and Creative force behind fashion label Manley.

Having been a fan of Manley creations for a while now, I was excited to meet the woman behind the label at London Fashion Week 2015. A few weeks previously, I had been utterly elated when Emma personally invited me to see her latest collection at London Fashion Week and I am still in awe of her and forever grateful to her for extending such an invitation to me. #legend

Armed with said invitation to peruse the Unfold Presentation, I rocked up to the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London where the showcase was taking place and located Emma.

Emma Manley started her fashion label in 2010 and my oh my, has she come far in the fashion world! Friendly, approachable, genuine and one of those people you just want to be friends with – Emma is a pleasure to speak with and graciously talked me through her latest collection when I was treated to a preview of Unfold at London Fashion Week.

The S/S16 Collection from Manley, focuses on incorporating colour into the staple Manley silhouette whilst keeping the instantly recognisable allure of a Manley piece.
*I’ll be delving deeper into Manley S/S16 Collection and Manley as a brand in another part of my #LFW2015 Blog Series, so keep an eye out for that soon!

Chupi:

Irish contemporary jewellery designer Chupi Sweetman-Pell finds inspiration in the beauty of nature and her original hand sketched designs take life in the the form of exquisite cut and dedication to her craft evident in her collections, featuring objects from the wild such as twigs, leaves, feathers and acorns.

Known for her more delicate pieces, the latest collection has incorporated statement jewellery in the form of heavier pieces, giving the collection a little something for everyone!

I’ll also be shining a spotlight on Chupi as a brand in my LFW Series so stay tuned folks!

We Are Islanders:

We Are Islanders is known as a contemporary design label that meshes heritage and craft with ethical production. The collection is inspired by a mythical island which was believed to be located off the coast of Ireland. This collection is reminiscent of a resort wear collection and I adore the fresh colour palette.

Natalie B Coleman:

Feminine, funky, contemporary – is how I would describe the thought-provoking and magical creations from Natalie B Coleman. The theme is Support Your Local Girl Gang and again I adore the colour palette and the print on skirts and blouses.

Martha Lynn Millinery:

Fashion Fact:

Having interned in London with Philip Treacy and Stephen Jones in 2010, Martha returned to Dublin and started her own label – and these creations are some of the incredible results!

Capulet and Montague:

Characteristics of Lisa McCormack’s designs for Capulet and Montague are a modern, boldness with a simplicity and purity in design allowing the designs and materials speak for themselves!

Honour Fitzsimons:

Fashion Fact:

With a BA in Fashion Design and Knitwear behind her as well as a host of intern-ships at some of the most prestigious Fashion Houses such as Diane von Furstenberg in New York, Honour is known for her love of creating edgy, wearable, versatile, yet cosy pieces. This collection does not disappoint and is as versatile as ever.

More snap-shots from the Unfold Preview:

Laura Kinsella hat (white) – features as well as pieces from the other showcasing designers.

Dorai:

A hand-crafted jewellery line from Maria Dorai-Raj who has honed the goldsmithing techniques she learned in Florence, Italy to produce her very own jewellery collection.

Taking in the views over London on the balcony at ICA.

The Outfit:

My head to toe high street look shows you can attend Fashion Week and not break the bank!

Eventually, I would of course love to incorporate and showcase designs from some Irish Designers or featured Designers to future shows I’ll be attending (who wouldn’t?), but for this look I decided on a “High Street Meets Fashion Week” look.

Look features: Penneys (Primark), H&M, Vero Moda and Dunnes Stores and Mango.
Hair: Major thanks to my girl Emma in Peter Mark.

Nails: “Amazing Amy” of Vanity Rooms.
Make-up: applied by yours truly – featuring Urban Decay, L’Oréal, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Sleek Make-up, Rimmel, Topshop, and Catrice.

That concludes Part One of my London Fashion Week experience – check back soon for Part Two!

Massive thanks you’s go first and foremost to: Emma Manley for her kind invitation to Unfold, Chupi for talking me through her designs and all of the other designers showcasing, as well as Justine from the PR and Ryanair for a great first experience flying with them!

Thanks for stopping by guys!

I hope you enjoyed my first instalment of my experiences at London Fashion Week! Any pieces catch your eye? Who is your favourite Irish Designer? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to know!

Stay tuned for Part Two coming soon!

Gail. xx

Photography © Gail O’Connor.

*Apologies for this going up later than I had planned guys, I picked up a nasty virus whilst in London and have been fighting it since!
As some of you may know by now, I’m not one to put up a shallow, rushed blog post just to get it up quickly, so this post was a labour of love as per usual! ♥

FASHION TRENDS: The Preview of House of Fraser Autumn/Winter Fashion 2015!

The Date: Wednesday 19th August 2015:

Wednesday saw me dashing about town dodging heavy downpours, umbrella in one hand, shades in the other. It could have been an Autumn day except for the sticky heat. Summer in Dublin…

The weather was fitting however as I was attending the House of Fraser AW2015 Press Preview in the Dean Hotel, Dublin.

The Event:

I met with some of my blogger possë Lorna and Mei Ling and excitedly entered the venue.

Upon arrival we were greeted with Prosecco and given the low-down on the collection.

I browsed the room, scoping out my favourite labels and lusting after several pieces.

The Overview:

The in-house collections from House of Fraser collectively consist of “Weekend style”, classic separates, print, leather, embellished pieces and suede, these are some of this seasons latest trends and representation of such is maximised in each label. Silhouettes are stream-lined and clean in collections such as that from Linea.

Amongst the collection you will find pussy-bow blouses, cigarette trousers, blazers/jackets, cosy knits, embellished dresses and tops, coats adorned with panels of leather, ankle boots, and a vast assortment of handbags  – all in a palette of pastels and classic fall colours such as, rust, plum, green, merlot and camel – with winter favourite black never too far away.

A vast contrast of textures and colours, to delve into this Autumn/Winter – sure to please even the fussiest of shoppers amongst us, courtesy of House of Fraser!

The Preview:

BIBA:

These particular pieces from BIBA (below) are actually exclusive to the Dundrum House of Fraser store!

My Biba Wishlist Pieces:

My Label Lab Wishlist Piece: The Waterfall Leather Jacket – standout piece for me!

Linea Weekend:

My Linea Wishlist Piece: This is reminiscent of the iconic Chanel jacket, a feminine yet versatile piece that can be dressed down paired with a tank top, heels and skinny jeans for a brunch date or dressed up paired with cigarette cropped trousers or a leather skirt – hence I love it.

Linea:

My Linea Wishlist Piece: The cosy, sleeveless, long-line waistcoat. Perfect for work or play!

Another BIBA Wishlist Piece: Blue snakeskin-effect trousers.

Another favourite was this:

Suede A-line Pale Grey Skirt.

Excess Baggage? No. Such. Thing.

With aforementioned autumnal hues such as plum, tan, merlot and raspberry featuring strongly throughout the AW2015 collections as well as monochrome, metallic and classic black, accessories and handbags are treated to the same colour palette.

Some of my TOP picks:

The Blue Room:

Spaciously arranged, allowing attendees to peruse the collection at their leisure.

The Outfit:

I am loving these platform-esque plimsole type shoes at the moment, casual yet smart and still giving me added height…yes please!

I love this ensemblé, the monochrome from head to toe, never goes out of style and I will definitely be recycling this look. My version and a modern take on power dressing! I got so many compliments on it too!

A Haven for Homeware!

Not only were we treated to a preview from their in-house clothing collections, we were also treated to a sneaky peek at the new homewares pieces available for the coming seasons! Spoilt.

The collection is rolling out in stores at the moment and over the coming weeks, so keep an eye out in House of Fraser for your favourite pieces!

Massive thanks to Kenneth, Jessica, Natalia and all of the House of Fraser Team for their invitation and hospitality at the event.
The first of many I hope!

Thanks goes to the staff of the Dean Hotel also.

I hope you enjoyed this sneak preview post of what’s to come this Autumn/Winter from House of Fraser!

Until next time guys, I’ll love ya & leave ya!

Gail. Xx

Photography & words: Gail O’Connor.

SHOP the Looks: House of Fraser