FASHION: by Deirdre McQuillan
GET SASSY They look like embroidered armadillos and have names such as Strut, Dolly, Holster and Breast, and Britney bought a couple on her recent trip to Dublin. These are the cult bags of Bracher Emden that seem designed to be noticed and geared to a celebrity lifestyle with their Swarovski crystal, elaborate embroidery, leatherwork, rivets and lacing. David Bracher worked at Erikson Beamon for eight years before joining up with Richard Emden to form their company two years ago after a friend asked them to make a bag. Their flagship store is in Monmouth Street in Covent Garden, where their sassy bags attract the attention of stars such as Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Beyoncé, Madonna and Kylie. They can now be found in Brown Thomas's increasingly large bag department, where prices start at around €300 for the Duck.
SHOW AND TELL "Art jewellery is about creating meaning on several levels," says Norwegian art historian Dr Jorunn Veiteberg. "It is a means of communication and a social symbol." In his introduction to a major exhibition of Norwegian contemporary jewellery, the largest ever assembled, he argues that it follows current trends in pictorial art while embracing values traditionally belonging to the crafts. What is interesting about the exhibition, which opens in Kilkenny in August, is the use of materials such as bone, rubber and wool as well as pearls, gold and silver. There are many dramatic pieces, such as a "Spider Woman" necklace made of sterling wire and a very beautiful and tactile necklace fashioned in undulating strips of birch and bone. "Dancing Queen" is a whacky tiara made from copper, acrylic and silver, straight out of a fairy story. An amusing brooch by Kirsi Grov employs Lego bricks, and a conventional pearl necklace interlaces the pearls with garden peas on silken threads. The exhibition, which is part of Kilkenny Arts Festival, runs from August 6th to October 3rd at the National Craft Gallery, Castle Yard, Kilkenny.
SERIOUS SHOES Nozomi means hope in Japanese; it's also the name of two footwear boutiques in Limerick and Ennis that have become a mecca for serious shoe shoppers. Mary Flanagan Ryan is passionate about the art of the sole, so to speak, and her shops carry well-known brands such as Bruno Magli, Armando Pollini as well as Birkenstok and Furla, whose shoe range is exclusive to her in Ireland. She also stocks the handcrafted creations of Francesco Graffei, with uppers in soft glove leather or crochet decorated with Neapolitan silk flowers and Swarovski crystal. And from Japan come Japonica shoes with their slim wedges, kitten heels, cute handmade decorations and silk linings. Nozomi Shoe Boutiques are in Catherine Street, Limerick and O'Connell Street, Ennis, Co Clare. Pictured: turquoise mules by Gibellieri (€190), worn with Philip Treacy hat (€420).