Check these outAmong the myriad of inexpensive bags in Costelloe & Costelloe's spring collection is a cheerful number in gingham called Brigitte, after Bardot, who popularised the check pattern in the 1960s. It comes in red or blue check with a chain handle and zip front, and costs €42. Or, for €48, you could get bigger bag called Kansas, which features bucket pockets, strap handles and a tiny lock. Both bags are available from branches of Costelloe & Costelloe.
Seduced by shoes
If you can't tell your walled vamps from your baby dolls, or your pumps from your platforms, then you're not up to speed on shoes. The Seductive Shoe: Four Centuries of Fashion Footwearis a stunning new book that is not only sumptuously illustrated, but is one of the most authoritative books on the history of shoes from the 17th century to the present. Instead of the usual designer-by-designer format, it traces the development of styles from the so-called "ooze" shoes of 1650, with their red leather heels (could Christian Louboutin have been inspired by them?), to zany Chinese-made cotton and rubber sling-back platforms.
The book is written by Jonathan Walford, a private collector and curator who was one of the founders of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. It demonstrates how major historical events influenced styles and production, and illustrates how modern some shoes from previous centuries can look (take, for example, the 19th-century English tartan ankle boots or the French, gold kid evening pumps). The only Irish inclusion is a pair of floral, embroidered wool shoes from 1735.The book also provides a glossary of shoe terms,along with biographical notes on designers, shoemakers and retailers who shaped footwear history.
The Seductive Shoe: Four Centuries of Fashion Footwear is published by Thames & Hudson (£24.95 in the UK).
Add some sparkle
"Modern Tribal" is the title of Swarovski's spring/summer crystal jewellery collection by creative director Nathalie Colin-Roblique. It is contemporary in spirit and the colours reflect the neutrals that are in fashion at the moment, such as this crystal tooth and ring clasp "claw" necklace (€189). Bolder items include a necklace on a comet theme, composed of wooden beads and embellished with crystals (€255), and what you could call "backlaces", which swirl down a naked back.
The collection, which also includes evening-wear clutch bags made of leather patchwork and crystal mesh, is available from Swarovski shops on Grafton Street, Dublin 1 and Henry Street, Dublin 2.
For something even more extravagant, Colin-Roblique's latest creation is a handmade, red cocktail dress that took a month to complete and made its debut in New York on February 2nd. Weighing more than 3.17kg (7lbs) and adorned with 78,000 ruby crystals, the dress is designed to raise awareness of heart disease in women and to raise funds for research.