How to Take Your Summer Staples into Autumn.

Our summer wardrobes are probably the hardest to update due to the precarious nature of our weather in Ireland. We’ve been embraced by a heatwave for the past six weeks or so allowing us to leave the umbrella at home, and instead branch out and embrace real summer style!

As we don’t usually get to indulge in typified summer style that requires balmy temperatures and an abundance of sunshine, if you choose wisely, the pieces you invest in will not only see you through to autumn but also arm you with timeless pieces for summer’s to come. Another bonus of this is that we can embrace sustainable fashion and do our bit for the environment when it comes to the fashion industry.

Whether you’re taking a city break, staycation or exploring far flung destinations I’ve waded through this summer’s top trends and picked out 6 of my faves that will take you seamlessly through to autumn.

Autumnal vibe: As with all the looks in this post I’ve styled them for summer and this outfit I’d actually leave as is for autumn. Another way I’d style this laid back chic vibe is pair the blazer with a collarless shirt, baker boy hat, ankle boots and switch up the scarf to a cosier one.

Autumnal vibe: when the autumnal chill hasn’t quite taken hold, pair with a long-line cardigan, ankle boots and a scarf for a smart-casual but laid back autumnal vibe that will compliment this outfit. A great outfit to throw on and look stylish without much thought, perfect for school runs, a day of shopping, errand running and airport attire.

Autumnal vibe: Early autumn temperatures tend to allow for a love of linen to be incorporated from summer into an autumnal wardrobe. The same goes for denim jackets. I’d switch up the outfit for autumn by adding a turban style hat, swop the sandals for slip on loafers a mini crossbody bucket bag or a back pack for a laid back but stylish, comfortable back to college/school outfit. For another style twist, pair the look with a biker – style (faux) leather jacket.

Autumnal vibe: Paired with a Trench or Duster style coat, you can easily elevate this outfit to a more autumnal “off duty” vibe. Add slip on loafers, a scarf, and a tote bag and you’re good to go for a day of running errands, brunch with the girls or a cosy, fireside lunch in a country inn.

Autumnal vibe: I’m loving the revival of 90’s style at the minute that being said, I adore platform trainers paired with a maxi skirt! It’s stylish, practical and comfy, perfect attire for running errands, festival fashion, a casual dinner date and exploring city destinations. Add a military style jacket, beret and stylish fashionable backpack for a modern take on a trend revival.

I hope you enjoyed my style inspiration tips for the coming season. As I’ve mentioned in the article, if you choose wisely, you won’t end up with a pile of clothes you don’t need or want to toss after one season.

Let me know which outfit is your fave and how you’d style them for autumn! Twitter: DublinGail Instagram: littlegforce Facebook: GlamForce Blog by Gail O’Connor.

Until next time…

Gail. x

Photography: © Gail O’Connor.

Liberty & Light with Alex & Ani – LIBERTY COPPER Collection. #CarryLight

New York State of Mind:

Renowned jewellery brand Alex and Ani launched their newest collection ‘Liberty Copper‘ last week and I was delighted to be invited to attend the launch of such an innately special collection.

The Location: The Kilkenny Shop, Nassau St. Dublin.
The Date: Thursday October 20th 2016.

If you love New York as much as I do then this collection is for you!

Featuring original copper from the centenial restoration project of the Statue of Liberty, Alex and Ani bought the copper to preserve and use in this extremely limited edition jewellery collection – essentially allowing consumers to acquire their very own piece of historic Lady Liberty…Genius. Within this collection is the Sterling Silver Collection and 14K Gold collection.

All pieces come complete with a certificate of authenticity also!

{Artist Dara Kenny: live drawing the NYC skyline in a graffiti mural style.}

The LIBERTY COPPER Collection:

Charged with the HOPE of millions…

The Statue of Liberty inspires all to believe in limitless opportunities.
The light of Lady Liberty is represented in the copper flame located in the disc of the collection. By wearing a piece form this collection it is hoped that by bearing her light we too can carry the light, ignite the light in others and create a light indivisible. #CarryLight

Prices are reasonable for such a special and historic collection starting at:
Carry Light Spoon ring and Carry Light Kindred Cord Bracelet both €49.00.

You can shop the collection below.

{Creating my tote bag courtesy of Damn Fine Print.}

The launch was buzzing with quintessential New York vibes from live mural drawing from Dara Kenny to the brilliant Bugle Babes belting out a jazz compilation.

Guests were invited to create their own tote bag courtesy of Damn Fine Print – featuring the New York skyline and Lady Liberty.

I adore the extra attention to detail these special touches bring, they add finesse to an event and allow guests to take home mementos continuing the experience at home.

The evening was festive with guests agreeing it felt like a kick start to dare I say it…Christmas!

This is an extremely limited collection – availability from The Kilkenny Shop and Arnotts Dublin. Best get your skates on if you intend to own a piece of the collection!
If you do pick up a piece let me know! Twitter: DublinGail – Instagram: @littlegforce – Snapchat: DublinGail

Social Pics: from IMAGE Magazine.

Thank you Alex and Ani and Hunter Communications for the invitation to such a special occasion.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time…

Peace – Love – Unity.

Gail. x

Photography: © Gail O’Connor.

Social Pics: © IMAGE Magazine.

*Not sponsored .

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.

Classic Summer Style Lookbook: The VACATION EDIT!

Reflective Style:

They say style is reflective of who you are and where you’re going, an extension of yourself and who you want to be.

For me, style can be mood dependant, I adore styling outfits and expressing how I want to present myself on any given day  – meaning boho vibes/preppy/edgy styles are plucked from my wardrobe on the daily. My own style is constantly evolving, however they’re are some style preferences that are innate to me such as All-American preppy, Hamptons-esque style with Spanish and French influences. 

I’ve also become known for my love of and consistent sporting of a leather jacket to add a touch of edginess to an outfit. Another style I have an affinity with is Boho/Beach/Festival style – I’m talking 70’s influences of “Almost Famous” Penny Lane style as well as maxi skirts and dresses, play-suits, denim skirts, kimonos, fringing, head crowns and head-chains.

I decided that whilst on holidays this year I would bite the bullet and get started on my style posts and after a bit of a blogging hiatus I’m back and refreshed!

I am often asked where I get my clothes from and how to style certain items of clothing and accessories for various events people have in their lives. I’ll be sharing my styling tips in my outfit posts so feel free to share my content with anyone who may benefit from it!

I hope you enjoy guys!

{Style shoot: Soaking up the rays and getting those poses down, on the steps of Russborough House.}

Giving the Cold Shoulder:

Cold shoulder, off the shoulder bardot – these are the styles of the summer when it comes to summer tops and tees and I for one am embracing it all!
Fun fact: In seventeenth century France reigning monarch King Louis XIV favoured the off the shoulder look with the décolleté exposed on the women in his court at Versailles – and it seems the feminine allure of this type of style is continuing to unfurl, having a bit of a renaissance centuries on.

These styles are all over the high-street this summer with some beauts in Zara, Primark, H&M and so many others!

The Outfit:

For my holidays I wanted to exude an “off-duty” preppy style which for me is a Hamptons-esque style – preppy, smart casual attire featuring lightweight materials that are easy to layer, the addition of a stylish hat to make outfits pop and to hide behind from the sun’s rays, comfy footwear for all of the exploring and an eye-catching, classic bag to hold all of my essentials.

These key pieces have become part of my summer capsule wardrobe and are staple pieces that work time and time again for many different occasions or excursions from running errands at the weekend to hanging out at a falconry!

{Getting up close and personal with some Birds of Prey with species such as: Snowy Owls and White Tailed Eagles to Falcons  after a wonderful in-depth tour of the falconry at Russborough.}

Classic Summer Capsule Wardrobe Pieces:

Top: Primark
Skinny Jeans: H&M
Shoes: Primark

The Accessories:

Bag: Fiorelli

Hat: Marks & Spencer

Sunglasses: Primark

Chain: Accessorize

Bracelet: Pandora

Midi-Rings: H&M

Tan is: B Bold Tan a must have accessory!

Tell me are you a fan of the cold shoulder trend? What are some of your favourite summer pieces?

Thanks for stopping by guys and I hope you enjoyed this style post as much as I had fun shooting it!

Gail. Xx

Photography: © Gail O’Connor.
Shot on location in Russborough House & Parkland.

Santorini Vibes and a Goddess Glow: Summer Style Inspiration!

{Santorini Vibes: shades of blue and pops of white, taking fashion inspo from the picturesque, hillside vista of Santorini, Greece.}

When a colour palette compels you to blog about it…

As a writer and blogger I find inspiration in everything. From nature, to a conversation, to trend forecasting in Fashion/Beauty etc – however when a colour palette inspires you to write an article on it you know you’re obsessed and you may as well give in and do it!

Santorini Vibes:

If I can’t go to Santorini, I’ll bring Santorini to me – taking inspiration from the islands colour palette in particular the white and blue hues associated with this Greek island!

Into the blue:

{Postcards from Santorini: The Santorini hillside vista that inspired this post.}

I can’t get enough of this colour palette…

I’m talking every shade of blue, paired with white for the ultimate holiday mindset. From washed out denim and cobalt to pastel and Santorini Blue (yeah I totally just made up that name) but you know the one, that blue that conjures up images of deep blue rooftops that majestically overlook an equally blue sea signifying a beaming beacon of relaxation, and an unequivocal Greek island experience of an island way of life of a by gone era. Coupled with white washed, glistening walls this colour palette simply screams summer and the blue and white sun soaked hillside, has immersed itself in my fashion subconscious and seen me dress in island blues on repeat!

Stripes, prints, block colours I’m loving it all – mixing and matching within the palette, block colours of white and blue with prints and stripes in the same hues – adding the odd pop of colours such as yellow, orange, nude, navy and tan to compliment the look.

The Goddess Glow:

These white and blue hues are off-set for me by a gleaming golden glow to the skin lending a bolder, crisper look with added “pop”, to any outfit! I get the ultimate grecian goddess golden/bronzed glow from a new release in the tanning world which I have been trialling lately!

I rarely sit in the sun in the summer months to “get a tan” and if I do you can bet your bottom dollar I’m smothered in Factor 50 because well you know, who needs the wrinkles? Especially nowadays, when self tanners have come such a long way!

The Tan of Choice:

I’ve been trialling *B BOLD Smart Mousse Tan for about 4 weeks and I have to say it never fails to give me major Mediterranean Island/Tropical vibes when I wear it. #vibes #thefeels

The colour pay-off with this tan is unreal. No really. From sunkissed glow to golden hue to a deeper bronzed tan, this tan is perfect to achieve any depth of tan you wish! It’s a one stop shop, making it perfect for travel – the high performance of the tan is a pleasant surprise and it is a welcome addition to the self-tanner market here in Ireland.

Look out for the FULL review on *B BOLD Smart Mousse Tan coming very soon!

All the usual suspects in fashion have variations on this summery palette and in an array of textures – such as Primark, Debenhams, House of Fraser, Marks and Spencer, Zara, H&M and Savida to name just a few.

There you have it, some summer style inspiration in the form of colours and textures in various hues of blue for a fashion colour palette that’ll take you through summer feeling like you’ve been to far away climbs even if you haven’t! My summer capsule wardrobe sorted.

Now all I need is an actual trip to Santorini…although it’ll probably be more like somewhere in the west of Ireland! I’m not complaining though, after all I’m channelling those Santorini vibes…

What is your favourite colour palette for summer? What inspires you when choosing pieces for your summer wardrobe? I’d love to know!

Thanks for stopping by guys!

Gail. Xx
Photography: © Gail O’Connor.
*Post contains PR sample – All views/opinions on the product are mine as always! .

FASHION NEWS: M&S skips Catwalk to Launch AW16 Clothing Collection!

High Street, High Stakes:

The Driving Force of a Forward Thinking approach to the Fashion World?

Fashion is entering a major transitional phase right now and following the lead from couture Fashion Houses including Tom Ford and Burberry, British high street chain Marks and Spencer have shaken off tradition in favour of current market trend: meeting the demands of consumer instant gratification. That said today saw the release of the M&S AW16 Collection – a full six months ahead of its usual release date.

What is behind this current trend to break with traditional seasonality of collections?

The reasoning behind such a move by a high street store is in tandem with the reasons and vision behind the aforementioned couture Fashion Houses who during February’s London Fashion Week, expressed their concerns and analytical decisions towards their business models. In short, it is a move to meet the instant gratification and satisfaction demanded by the consumer market.

I have previously covered this shift in how designers are shirking the conventional approach to catwalk shows and presentations in my Fashion Alert: Designers to Take Less Conventional Approach to Fashion Week Presentations? post recently – how the  digital and social media age, coupled with the rise in Influencer Marketing is dictating consumer demands and shifts, in how and when consumers want to purchase goods. Designers are now allocating budgets to Digital, as it is an area that is that is going to impact on business.

{The Big Easy Collection: an AW16 exclusive from British retail giant Marks and Spencer.}

Skipping Ahead: Shopping NEXT Season Now!

Defining seasonality in countries such as Ireland or the UK is often difficult, with weather patterns, particularly heat, differing drastically from other countries especially in the summer months – the beauty in the design of this twenty piece collection entitled the ‘Big Easy’ is that it incorporates, an array of hand-picked, exclusive pieces in neutral hues and soft prints, sleek silhouettes and minimal aesthetic that will fit right into your summer capsule wardrobe. These ideal pieces are perfect for those temperamental summer days and accompany key pieces and style staples for when it comes to the seasonal autumnal weather that the collection was designed to cater to.

*Look out for stand-out pieces such as: leather culottes, tunic style shirts and dresses, and fashionista fave the flat strappy, pointed toe shoe.

{White out: Another look from the Marks and Spencer AW16 exclusive from Marks and Spencer.}

You can shop the ‘Big Easy‘ collection now in- store or online – this instantaneous shoppable option from the fashion industry, looks set to become the next trending theme in Fashion commerce so best get used to it folks!

Thoughts?

What are your thoughts on this bold move by Marks and Spencer? As a retail/clothing consumer, are you excited to be able to shop a season ahead or do you prefer things the way they were – shoppable in season? I’d love to hear what you guys think!

Me?  From a consumer stand-point, I think if trans-seasonal collections like this one from M&S are released, where pieces can be easily incorporated into the current seasonal wardrobe, offering even more functionality then I say bring it on, because you know I’m getting the wear out of my key pieces!

From a business stand-point this shake up in the fashion world means major change for manufacturing and supply chains to traditional buyers and for retailers, actually facilitating purchases.

I hope you enjoyed this “Fashion News” style post and thanks for stopping by!

Gail. Xx
Images: © Marks and Spencer.

Source: Marks and Spencer and Daily Mail 
*Not sponsored.

EXCLUSIVE: An Evening with Dior – A French Fragrance Journey!

Date with Dior: the heritage, the fragrance journey!

When Dior come to Dublin and are hosting an event you know you’re in for a treat. That said, when you’re a fragrance fanatic and you hear it’s a Dior Fragrance Event, in one of your favourite places in Dublin, you hot-tail it to the event pronto!

The Event: Dior Fragrance Event.

The Location: Residence Members Club, St.Stephen’s Green, Dublin.

The Date: Tuesday, April 12th 2016.

FASHION ALERT: Designers To Take a Less Conventional Approach to Fashion Week Presentations?!

Is this the end of the line for the traditional runway show?
Are design houses now favouring a less conventional runway model over the traditional 6 month window between collections?

With big changes coming to fashion these questions linger on the lips of many of us fashion lovers looking at the bigger picture.

NEW in FASHION: The COS Collection of Style – SS16 Preview!

Longing for brighter, warmer, sunkissed Spring days? I’ve got just the remedy! Feast your eyes on the exquisite new season collection from COS.

The Event: the COS SS16 Press Preview.

The Date: 12th November 2015.

The Location: Kerlin Gallery, Anne’s Lane, Dublin.

Held in the beautiful and appropriately minimalistic surroundings of the Kerlin Gallery the collection became the art and breathed life into the stark canvas of the room.
The perfect vibe to accompany the Spring/Summer 16 showcase by COS, a brand known for its premium, minimalist chic approach to apparel at a high-street price point.

The Welcome:

A warm hug and the offer of a delicious Chai tea on arrival coming in from a damp and blustery day, was the beginning of a wonderful afternoon taking in all things COS at the COS Press Preview for their SS16 Collection. Delightful.

The Overview:

Celebrating Essentials and Reinterpreting Calm at COS This Season.

The Collection:

Women’s wear is treated to a theme of reduction and reinvention in a palette of blush, cream and sandstone hues. A pared back naturalistic approach to the collection sees the company highlighting an evident organic, effortless and functional appeal – sure to make this collection a stand-out for the pretty, practical and chic lovers amongst us!

Elegance simply abounds in this collection…

Organic Oragami Approach.

A stand-out piece for me was the pearl linen silk shirt, falling in folds that elegantly drape around the neckline.

Back to Basics: Nude Rules.

Sandstone hues take inspiration from the organic shapes of sand dunes seen in Renate Aller’s photographs and results in garments organiclly structured and delivered with a calming influence.

With a firm focus on a reduction in details, and the use of luxurious fabrics such as silk, the collection is simply stunning.
Neutrals in summer are always in style.

Raw Denim:

The collection sees denim celebrated for it’s functionality, desirability and simplicity. Denim is set to be a HUGE trend this SS16 and is layered throughout the collection right down to the accessories!

The Accessories:

Knotted leather sandals in grey or white.

Angular, metallic jewellery featuring details such as compressed, recycled denim adds another contemporary twist to the collection.

{I love this angular take on the jewellery, this piece in particular!}

Menswear:

Tailoring, fresh silhouettes, car coats and boat necks feature strongly in the Menswear Collection for summer.

The overall vibe to this press event was sheer elegance complimented by a chic and minimal approach to the presentation, perfectly complimenting the brand. I am looking forward to picking up a a couple of pieces from this collection and incorporating them seamlessly into my wardrobe capsule collection.

This was one of my favourite press events that I have attended. I cannot get over the overall attention to detail. From the presentation of the collection calmly and eloquently communicated by the PR representatives for the company, the aesthetics of the show place adding an almost ethereal feel to the event, to the welcome spread of a selection of teas and nibbles laid out, complimented with a seating area.

A calm, cool and chic presentation – to be honest I expect nothing less from COS.

The collection is rolling out in-store from February – so not long now to wait!

What are some of your favourites that stand out from the collection? Tweet me @DublinGail/Tag me on Instagram @littlegforce or leave your faves in the comments section below!

Thank you to Baluba for the invitation and the Kerlin Gallery.

Thanks for stopping by everyone!

Gail.Xx
Photography: © Gail O’Connor.

FASHION TRENDS: Irish Exclusive? The H&M Studio A/W2015 Collection Pre-Launch & Show.

With London Fashion Week came the buzz of S/S16 collections and if you’ve been following me on my social media channels you’ll have seen that I witnessed some London Fashion Week shows in person! Yes folks, I was lucky enough to be invited to numerous shows for London Fashion Week but more of that in an upcoming blog post series and it is not to be missed, so stay tuned!

Autumnal Vibes:

For now: it’s Autumn – so I’m taking you through the latest A/W2015 collection from a favourite store of mine – H&M!

#DublinFashion

At the height of Dublin Fashion Festival we saw things kicked up a notch with a jam packed schedule of fashion shows, previews, makeup tutorials and catwalks strewn across the Dublin cityscape!

The Date: Tuesday September 9th 2015.

The Event:

With Dublin Fashion Festival well and truly under-way, I attended the H&M Studio AW2015 Collection Pre-Launch event in conjunction with Stellar magazine.

The Location:

H&M Flagship store, College Green, Dublin.

The flagship store was packed to the rafters with press, bloggers and various other fashion folk as well as some lucky Stellar magazine readers!

The Hype:

Consistently showing at Paris Fashion Week, the H&M collections are amongst some of the most highly anticipated collection drops of each season.

Guests were treated to the exclusive chance to shop the collection before anyone else, whilst sipping on bubbly and listening to the set list of a live DJ. Illustrator extraordinaire, Conor Merrimen furiously sketched delighted guests who looked on in awe at his skill and talent.
Ireland found itself with the bragging rights and exclusivity of being the first country to have access to the collection, now in-stores! Über cool.

Drop the beat: DJ, model & TV presenter Vogue Williams, banged out the tunes all night!

The Collection:

Much like nature’s paintbrush in Autumn, the H&M Studio A/W2015 Collection is a myriad of colour from lush greens, camel tones and rich burgundy to various shades of rust and cream.

A departure from the usual high street norm, this collection sees classic, staple pieces combine and compliment the edgier, statement pieces – all easily incorporated into your wardrobe for the coming season.

Metallics, embellishments, print, sequins, leather and lurex in the form of bra-lettes, seventies style shirts, lightweight turtle neck sweaters, trousers, co-ordinates, jackets and jumpsuits dot the collection and with co-ordinates/two pieces set to be huge trends this A/W embracing any of the predicted trends is easy with this collection.

The collection in pictures!

Up Close and Personal:

Intermittent fashion shows presented the A/W2015 Collection to us in a spectacular manner with models entering onto the shop floor from the escalators, beautifully spaced all the while showcasing the collection magnificently.

I adore when fashion brands use “live models”, at a launch in a store environment be it a fashion show or simply walking the room to show their offerings. It gives potential consumers the chance to see the movement of the clothes up close and personal, as well as the “off hanger effect“…What’s that you ask?
You know when you see something on a hanger and think “hmm, that’s not for me,” but when you actually see it on someone, you’re compelled to have it and start reaching for your wallet!

That’s what I like to call the “off hanger effect”. Happens the best of us.

Kudos to Jules Fallon. Linda Conway and team for their co-ordination of the models and overall presentation. Thoroughly enjoyable and gave attendees a front and centre experience with the showcase.

Seriously Stylish: styling by Linda Conway.

Menswear: was a more pared down and muted affair, whilst still hitting the mark in the style stakes.

Menswear: Sleek silhouettes came in the form of the classic trench, long-line coats, laid back leather jackets, fitted tees, chino-style trousers and staple shirts.

Work it: yep, there I am in the reflection snapping away – tan bag, tan booties!

Tell me – did anything catch your eye from the collection? What trends are you loving for A/W2015? I’d love to know! As always you can leave a comment below, Tweet me: @DublinGail or Tag me on Instagram: @littlegforce and check out the Blog Facebook page: Glamforce Blog by Gail O’Connor!

Thanks to everyone involved in such a wonderful showcase of fashion for the coming seasons, a truly enjoyable night of catch ups, fashion and fun. What more could we have asked for?!

I hope you enjoyed this fashion post and found it informative, especially if you’re tempted to add some new pieces to your A/W wardrobe!.

Thanks for stopping by!

Gail. Xx
Photography: © Gail O’Connor.
Final Image: H&M.