FASHION by Deirdre McQuillan.
TOP DOG It's generally agreed that British retailing is now more exciting than its fashion. With more than 7,000 looks per season and high-speed deliveries, Top Shop is a style leader outpacing powerful rivals such as H&M and Zara. This winter, for example, there are more than 50 coats to choose from. The two featured above are just samples of a breathtaking array of limited editions that appear and disappear with dizzying speed to create what brand manager Jane Stephenson calls "the dynamics of desperation". Figures speak for themselves; on average 28,000 people pass through the Oxford Street store every day, with half of them making at least one purchase. The company's first stand-alone shoe shop has just opened in Manchester and Dublin's city centre may be next on the list for similar expansion. Watch this space.
FOR THE GIRLS Remember the name Adele Clarke; she's an up-and-coming new shoe designer with Irish origins via Zimbabwe and a protégée of our own Eileen Shields at DKNY. Her chic "female-friendly" vintage-inspired shoes are cut with comfort in mind. Having designed footwear for Hussein Chalayan for the past seven years, she is now branching out on her own with a collection that includes retro shapes with daring upper cuts, ballet pumps with hand-stitched leather and cord Louis heels. Currently on sale in Liberty, London, at prices from £300, a number of her styles will be brought to the high street, courtesy of Top Shop, hopefully by next spring.
WINNING WAY Lingerie maker Caoimhe O'Dwyer has the proud distinction of winning this year's La Perla award for the best international ladies' lingerie collection at the Mittelmoda Fair in Italy, where she was the only Irish entrant among designers from Europe, the US, Asia and Australia. Presenting the award, the head of La Perla in Italy said of her collection ("Carousel") that it was both romantic and modern. O'Dwyer is a graduate of NCAD whose "intimate apparel" in silk, satin, lace and fur silk is sold from her website, www.caoimheodwyer.com. She says her collection is inspired by romantic paintings and peony roses. She also operates a stall in the Cow's Lane market in Temple Bar on Saturdays.
A PLACE IN THE SUN Sell locally, style globally, seems to be the new philosophy of Dunnes Stores, which last season flew to South Africa to photograph its spring/summer collection and chose Barcelona as a suitably chic location with Spanish models for their winter clothes. The trendy mix of chic trench coats, cropped tweed trousers (great value at €35) and colourful, striped jumpers have a classy edge at variance with the down-to-earth prices. A pink and black check coat, for example (€100), is a winter winner, though if you see it in Barcelona, the owner will more than likely be an Irish visitor than a local.
NEW LOOK When Marks & Spencer opens its new store in Blanchardstown on Thursday, customers will encounter a foretaste of facelifts in every one of its stores. It's all part of a major effort to freshen up the interiors and highlight the clothes more effectively. That means bigger and better styled window displays, slicker presentation and upgraded lighting, but more importantly more open layouts. There are significant improvements in the arrangements of women's footwear and men's shirts, for example, and lingerie has its own enclosure, while the new-look beauty bars encourage customers to play around with cosmetics before making a choice. Best of all are the chic new changing rooms painted a moody grey and mulberry that allow an all-round view of what you're trying on. Soft new red and grey mesh shopping bags are another rather stylish touch. Now roll on the revamps elsewhere.
ALL IN GOOD TASTE If you like to dress individually and fancy a bit of bargain-hunting today, then head for the Central Hotel in Exchequer Street, Dublin where stylist and television producer Cathy O'Connor and some of her friends have organised a sample sale from a host of agents and designers who supply upmarket boutiques around the country. Dresses, for example, with price tags of €280 can be found for €100. The sale, which includes accessories such as jewellery and bags, runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.