Anya Hindmarch and her latest brilliant bags

You have to hand it to Anya Hindmarch for coming up with ingenious ideas for bags. The latest from the “I am Not a Plastic Bag” designer is her Build a Bag concept. Starting with a base of full-bodied, very soft tumble leather (about €900) in either a large or small size, each lined with suede with a detachable loose pocket inside, the customer can select handles (mink, leather or shearling in a broad colour spectrum), shoulder straps (embroidered, stickered or leather) and then accessories – bag charms, decorative key fobs, intricate leather ruffs, tassels or stickers for the final flourish. This allows the customer to create a bag instore exactly as she wants it from hundreds of different combinations and take away at the time of purchase. The pop-up runs in Brown Thomas until December 24th; customers can also buy accessories for other bags.

Covetable cosy knits

This is the time of year when cosy knits become covetable and the latest shades are wintry – deep blues, ferns, burgundies and greys. In Dublin, Monaghans, synonymous with cashmere, celebrates its 57th Christmas in business this year and a third generation on hand in the store. In his 90s, Tom Monaghan is still in the shop five days a week alongside his daughter Suzanne. Now, his student granddaughters Hayley and Michaela are also giving a helping hand with the shop’s classic cashmere collections for men and women which include sweaters, scarves and gloves as well as range of wool and cashmere coats for both sexes. The soft grey long-sleeved cashmere polo neck (pictured) is €330. Visit Monaghans, Hibernian Way, Dublin (open 9am-6pm daily and on Sundays from 12-6pm.