Deirdre McQuillan's style file
DUBLIN FASHION WEEK The second Dublin Fashion Week will take place at the Morrison Hotel, on Ormond Quay, Dublin 1, from Monday, February 6th to Wednesday, February 8th. Gathered together in one place for three days, Irish designers and buyers will once again have the opportunity to do business without having to travel abroad to other, more expensive, fashion fairs, according to Sonia Reynolds, who initiated the event. Last October, the 21 designers who took part in Dublin Fashion Week raked in €1 million worth of sales; the February event, which precedes the London, Milan and Paris ready-to-wear shows, provides another opportunity for commercial success as well as raising the profile of Irish fashion.
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GET SHIRTY T.M. Lewin, one of the UK's longest-established shirtmakers, opened its doors iSouth Anne Street in Dublin just before Christmas, in the former An Post premises. This is the company's first venture outside the UK. It offers a huge variety of shirts (made mostly in China) grouped not only by collar size, up to size 19, but by four sleeve lengths. It is one of the few places in the city where you can find a size 14½ collar. The cuffs are mostly double, so need cufflinks, but the more casual styles, such as country checks, are single cuff. The shop also has suits, some very good knitwear and accessories. Shapely women's shirts come in sizes six-18 and there are also knitted tank tops in pure wool in various colours for €45. Prices for men's shirts are from €95 to €130 and keen bargain hunters are falling for the introductory offer of 50 per cent off all stocked items.
PHILO LEAVES CHLOÉ
In fashion terms, the year got off to an inauspicious start with the news that Phoebe Philo (left), the talented creative director of Chloé, has quit her job with the French company. The 31-year-old British designer says she wants to spend more time with her family - she had a daughter last March - so the much-lauded spring collection for 2006, with its lovely white lace dresses, is her last for the French house. Known for her fresh, girly collections and much-coveted Paddington bags, she leaves Paris on a high note. According to industry sources quoted by the New York Times, Chloé's estimated annual wholesale volume is about $300 million (€250 million), and its products are one of the Net-a-Porter website's biggest sources of revenue. The autumn-winter collection will be designed by in-house staff. A new Chloé boutique opened last weekend in Brown Thomas, Dublin.
IT'S A BLAST
One of my best buys this Christmas was the new "ionic" high-powered hairdryer made by Elchim for Peter Mark. It is a steel machine that sounds like a Boeing 707 on take-off. It's a lightweight, 590g device that dries the hair in minutes, outperforming any other I've used. As well as a conventional handle, it has an adjustable swivel grip that allows you to hold it like a video camera for greater flexibility, though I didn't find that a particular advantage. It has soft-touch switches, two speeds and four temperatures, so you can give the dried hair a final cold blast. At €99, this Italian-made dryer, called "Il Futuro" can be found in Peter Mark salons nationwide.
BESPOKE JEWELS
Bridget Byrne's chunky jewellery has an Etruscan richness to it, with its colourful blend of Swarovski crystal and beads, faceted shapes and colours. The necklaces can be worn as collars or chokers, and make a strong statement whatever way they're arranged. There are also some striking all-black pieces. "I never wear black jewellery," says Byrne, "but in Ireland, black crystal is my biggest seller." Byrne, who has been working in public relations with Lainey Keogh for more than two years, started making jewellery for her sisters, and the business grew from there. Now she works closely with the shops she supplies, boutiques such as Halo, Costume, Lara and Clothes Peg, as well as others nationwide. Her bespoke pieces are much in demand for weddings because she can match any colour scheme. Fans of her jewellery include Naomi Campbell, Nadine Coyle and Jodie Kidd. Prices start at €39 and go up to €200. Her jewellery can be also be bought direct on 085-1490821.