Maje magic My best fashion consultant in Paris is a friend whose daughters, mother and even grandmother are the keenest shoppers I know, adroit at identifying the hottest brands, the latest trends and the keenest prices, regardless of their differing ages.
The trait just runs in the family. It was through them that I first heard of the Zara phenomenon, years ago, and on a recent visit they took me to one of their favourite shops, Maje, on the chic Rue du Four. Described as being "for girls who like their clothes grown-up, sexy and chic", it was packed with mothers and daughters buying lustily. Maje's prices are affordable and its fabrics good quality. It's a great surprise to discover that it's now in Dublin, one of Arnotts' edgy new brands on the reorganised fashion floor.
hanava must-haves Nikki Creedon's new-look Havana boutique in Donnybrook, Dublin 4 - all white, freshly painted and cool - is full of winning winter clothes that once again demonstrate what a good buyer she is. Colours are mostly dark but subtle, and there's a mix of fluid knitwear in all the new shapes alongside the quirky black elegance of her familiar labels, such as Comme des Garçons, John Rocha and Yohji Yamamoto. A surprise instant success has been Sharon Wauchob's rock-chic clothes from the Northern Irish designer based in Paris. In fact, many of the most beautiful items are French, such as the wispy bell dresses of Vanessa Bruno, the flattering kimono coats of Rick Owens and the gentle tailoring of Anne Valerie Hash (left). New knitwear from Lainey Keogh is flecked with gold, while Lucy Downes's Sphere One cashmeres come in soft, flattering shapes in shades of grey. Mawi's Belle Epoque jewellery and kilt-pin decorations are desirable extras.
turning green Edmund Chesneau took the bold step of reissuing some of his classic bags with a fresh twist alongside new styles for winter 06. The result has been one of his most successful collections to date. A surprising bestseller is a structured yellow leather bag with a double handle, silver fittings and a front pocket. The stable hide used comes from the same factory that supplies Vuitton, though Chesneau's prices start at around €300. The most eye-catching item of all, however, is the capacious lime-green Lotus bag (left), with silver fittings, which comes with a small bag inside. A striking accessory for winter worn with black or grey, it is available from Chesneau's shop on Wicklow Street, Dublin 2 (01-6729199, www.chesneaudesign.com), for €495.
portrait gallery Gap, the €12.5-billion-a-year retail giant, started life nearly 40 years ago, when a US auctioneer named Donald Fisher couldn't find a pair of jeans to fit him. Since 1974 its signature black-and-white advertising campaigns, featuring portraits of celebrities wearing Gap clothes, has engaged the talents of outstanding photographers such as Herb Ritts, Steven Meisel, Annie Leibovitz, David Bailey and Patrick Demarchelier. Individuals, a book of 250 iconic portraits from the Gap collection, is being launched on October 13th in Gap stores and bookshops worldwide, as part of the Product Red collection. All profits will go to the Global Fund's fight against Aids. The portraits will be on show at Colette, in Paris, from Tuesday until October 29th; then, from St Valentine's Day next year, they will spend three months at the National Portrait Gallery, in London. Here in Ireland we can now see Gap's pepped-up clothing lines at its large new outlet in Arnotts, Dublin 1, which was due to open yesterday.