All that glittersToil & Glitter is the ingenious name of a newly opened boutique in Greystones with a cool Scandinavian aesthetic by fashion designer Jill Barrens, writes Deirdre McQuillan.
The idea for the name came because she reckons that we all work hard for a bit of glamour. A former graduate of the Grafton Academy, Barren's fashion background has varied from working with costume designer Joan Bergin to designing children's clothes for Dunnes Stores and working in couture in the US. Her love of the simplicity and quirky elegance of Scandinavian clothes guides her buying and is the philosophy behind the shop which is all about clean lines and clutter and fuss free clothes. Toil & Glitter is at Unit 5, Theatre Lane, Greystones, Co Wicklow, tel 0833439377, www.toilandglitter
Drury Street just got brighter
Drury Street in Dublin is beginning to brighten up with the news that Smock in Temple Bar is to move there later in the year and the opening of a chic boutique called Caru by sisters Caroline and Ruth Daly. With a declared passion for fashion, the pair have taken a big leap into the business to gather all sorts of cool brands from Europe and the US for their new shop located in what was the former Urban. They have a laid back mix of not too glittery Bohemian-style dresses from around €250-€350, along with jeans, bags, jewellery and accessories.
Tips for teens
Image consultant and former model Geraldine Brand celebrates the 10th anniversary of her very successful popular teenage summer workshops this year. These week-long fashion and style workshops for girls aged 14-16 and 17-19 take place in June and July. The course covers deportment, wardrobe planning, colour analysis, skin care, make-up and interview techniques. They run weekly from June 9th to July 21st in The Boston College, St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, and cost €350. To book, visit www.geraldinebrand.com, tel 01-8327332.
Bootilicious
Knee-high all-leather boots in a choice of three heights and in three widths are what Rachel O'Byrne is promising for winter in her new shoe boutique, Dahlia, in the Triangle, Ranelagh. A former solicitor, who packed up her profession to follow her fashion passion, she has started with spring summer shoe collections in the former Wit's End boutique from three female Dutch footwear designers, some of which are exclusive to her. They are a little bit unusual with stylish details, she says of her shoe choices which range in price from €76-€260 in sizes from 36-41. Dahlia, 3 Fields Terrace, The Triangle, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.