spywear: Brionis have been called poor men's suits. It's not because they're cheap - prices start at €3,000 - but because, if the Italian company is to be believed, its bespoke outfits are so skilfully made, by hand, in such superb cloth that they can last for 10 years. (Presumably, that's on the basis that their wearers don't change shape over the decade.)
Paul O'Connor, head of menswear at Brown Thomas, says there is no shortage of Irish customers prepared to pay for a Brioni or other made-to-measure suit, from Zegna or Armani. Brioni, which has been dressing James Bond since 1995 - most recently in Casino Royale, with Daniel Craig - is just one of the labels in O'Connor's department, which now takes up almost the whole lower ground floor of the Grafton Street branch, in Dublin 2; others include the ultrastylish Dior Homme, Alexander McQueen, D&G, Diesel, DSquared and Gucci.
borrow your bling
If you baulk at the idea of spending €1,000 or more on a handbag, how about renting one? It's the latest trend in the US, according to the New York Times. One online company, Bag Borrow or Steal, charges between $22.50 (€17.50) and $305 (€240) for a bag for a month, including insurance (membership is $9.95, or €7.80, a month). The YSL Muse, for example, which costs $2,000 (€1,570) in New York, costs $175 (€137.50) a month. At Borrowed Bling, another website, you can rent diamonds, dress studs and chandelier earrings for $30-$100 (€23.50-€78.50) a month. Here in Ireland, renting a dress suit for the night is as far as it goes at the moment, but renting might catch on yet.
knit picked
Sinéad Clarke, who graduated from Limerick's School of Art and Design in June, has just received a prize at MittelModa, an international design competition. Her collection won her the Missoni Award for Most Innovative Knitwear Design, worth €2,000 and a three-month internship with the Italian knitwear company. She also won this year's RDS craft award in fashion with the same collection and seems destined for a promising career. With knitters such as Lucy Erridge and Michelina Stacpoole as tutors, the Limerick school has always been strong in knitwear. Now it's exporting its talents to Italy.
