Are pop ups the new vintage?? knock knock whats on the other side.

Now vintage has established itself as the "cool" place to get "one-off pieces" and "unique" looks, these are words we hear over and over and over again - and sure we all want to look unique and different and I know I love when I get a compliment on a dress, piece of jewellery...or whatever it might be. I know its sad but I get a small satisfaction if its from another country or a small shop no one has heard of and I'm guaurenteed that no other fool will arrive in wearing what I have on.

Although how many times has someone said "ooohhh i got it.." in new york, or london or wherever... and internally I've rolled my eyes and thought of course and ffffffffllliiiiipppp!!!

Well with that long winded introduction, I'll get to my point - I think theres a new phenommmano approaching, one that has been sweeping the likes of Berlin, London all the hits of a good while, Ireland is only jumping on the band wagon quite recently.

Its the pop - up retail. These boutiques usually only for those who know about when and where they are on, as they come and go as they please - how lovely for them. I get the odd email out such happenings but I'm thinking they are going to become more and more "a deal" in Dublin in the near future - and I'M EXCITED!!!!!! Its the Vintage uniquness coupled with the added excitment of a mystery shop whats not to like.

So keep you eyes peeled out for these little pop up gems about the town!!

Sartorialist - a 4 year obsession

Ahhhh the long awaited visit of Scott Schuhman has finally graced the green shores of Ireland.

He was in Dublin last Friday for his book signing and I got to catch his talk before hand!

He gave an inspirational talk and I'm really glad I got the chance to meet him, he definetly had an interesting view on fashion and peoples style.

Go out and get his book its brillant, its everything i love about style, he seems to love tailored fashion - my favourite.

So get down to Easons, or urban ...not sure where else sells it - but you'll find it and its 25 bucks!!

Well worth the hours of drooling over the pages you will have and I havent put it down since!!!

Where have all the good boots gone??

Long has my quest to find lovely knee high boots gone on that are neither too trashy/ hooker type or out of hand expensive (as a certain pair i have seen recently with the risky tag of 980 bigs ones - weep).

This quest is a on-going one, ive searched long and hard,low and high - they is always something missing.

IE: Baggy ankles, cheap leather, too expensive - while someone not make me ones!!!!

So the dream lives on ....... and i continue to stalk the shops!

(ps: this is posted out of pure frustration on not being able to find the perfect pair and not me desribing the perfect boot- I hope you have more luck in your boot buying endevours!!)

Ossie Clarke & Celia Birthwell

Ossie Clarke was a legendary fashion designer of the sixties. He was dubbed the "The King of King's Road" by the press at the time, and for me epitomizes what 1960's glamour rock& roll and london is in my own head.

Celia is most recently known to a new generation of fashion followers from good old topshop! She is a textile designer and was formally wife too Ossie Clarke, she is the woman who taught him about fabrics. Together in 1966 they began creating some of the most glamourous and fantastic dresses ever to grace our eyes.

Worn frequently by celebraties and the wealthy at the time such as Jane Birkin above....even now some of the dresses can still be seen on the backs of the new celeb army as "vintage" pieces, Emma watson was recently seen wearing one at a premiere last month.

For me these dresses hold everything that I think glamour and 1960's is to me,these dresses hold a snapshot in the time im fascinated with and Ossie Clarke had an abilty to effortlessly create pieces which are so obviously of 60's& 70's decent but at the same time are completey timeless!

He dressed the rich & famous who inhabited the beau monde of the late 1960s and early 1970s of London. Clark made many stage costumes for Mick Jagger, the Beatles, Marianne Faithfull and Liza Minnelli, to name a few!

However like nearly every other fashion fairy it came to an untimely end.Ossie developed a heavy drug problem and he freely adopted the hedonistic lifestyle of the 1960s and 1970s, his drug use was said to of made a huge impact on his emotional state and finances.

Clark and Birtwell divorced in the 1970s. This started a slow downward spiral for Ossie.

He found a few successes in various shows after this however he then saddly met his maker bankrupt in 1996 when he was stabbed to death at 54 by his 28 year old lover in his council flat in kensignton and chelasa, london.

What a very sorry end too this amazing talent!!

He is said to have inspired Marc Jacobs, Stella mc carthy, Anni sui amoungst others, its is clear to see how he did with the free flowing beautifully created designs - it is obvious how inspirational he was at the time and probably will be for many more decades to come!

For a little piece of the world of at least one half of the legendary ossie clarke legacy then have a snoop in topshop for Celias newest creations and if your very lucky enough to seek out and buy one of the rare ossie clarke creations.

This is a salute to an unbelievable talent.

I HEART American Apparel!!

Well well well Dia is muire dhuit American Apparel....you have found me at last in Dublin on our lovely emerald isle!Im so delighted its opening so soon and just around the corner for Trinity.

I will never be without good leggings or onesies again!!!!

I would definetly recommend alot of their stuff...although I might be a tad bias as I love plain clothes!

Amoungst other things their hoodies look unreal on both girls and guys, its good quality, comfy, looks great and comes in ever colour under the sun (It has all the hits!).....like a lovely spanx lycra-ie cotton rainbow! Well I might be going abit over the top but hey.

Also its alittle on the high price side considering its just plain basics... but if your going to spend some cash it might aswell be on a basic that you can put with just about anything and somehow they've just got it right with shape ,fabric etc..

So go on in when it opens and check out whats sure to be replacing alot of clothes on dubliners backs this year! (It might even replace the ever repellent eye sore ugg boot A&F look - you never know miracles have happens!)

All in all I love it and have for a long time..... ohhh im gona get me some stretchy clothes!

mmmmmmmmmm TTTrraasshy

The 1980's is a decade thats memory still frigthens most - don't even deny cringing on old photos...even of people you dont know "...uuuuuggg so eighties..sick..."

But low and behold shes back for a holiday and shes all dressed up and updated & its quickly seeeeeeppping its way back into our wardrobes without us even knowing!!

Rag& Bone Spring 2009

Alittle shoulder pad here, a splash of neon there, and before you know it we're all out wearing power shoulder pads, stone washed jeans and blue eye shadow and listening to wham....well not quite!

Im hoping this is just a passing phase and doesnt get all out of control...i'll happily leave this all in the past ...im grand for stone wash, thanks though!

Balmin Spring 2009

I do like some of the new takes on it, so treat this with caution and apply sparingly...........because i do love a good mix n match!

So rip the denim and slash that lace!

King of Tights

Tights, tights and more tights. Tights are a part of the ultimate functional items that will be found in every girl, woman and sure why not man's wardrobe (For fancy dress of course), and yet they are an usually hard item to buy or find a great pair!



One word - WOLFORD
A friend Introduced me to these a few months ago and Ive never been more delighted!




If you dont already own a pair of these my best advice to go and invest in these!
Now i do love my dunnes own brand velvet tights but for a glamourous feeeeeeellll buy a pair of Velvet de luxe 66 or cotton velvet!

These babies are about 40euro (Stteeeep i know but how many pairs of tights from dunnes or pennies have you bought in the last 6months???) in Harvey Nic's but if fortunately your anywhere in europe You'll pick them up for 25 quid!

They last fffffffffffffffffffffoooorever, they are thicker, better quality and most importantly LOOK BETTER!
Instant Glamour!

They are an Austrian company set up in the 1990's and do tonnes of other hosiery and lingiere but these are by farrrrr my favourite!

Another brand of tights i swear by are TABIO ,these are not as expensive at about £10/12. These are unbelievable aswell, really duriable - as in ive had a grey pair for a year and they havent ripped, got holes in them and ive worn them NON STOP!(Plus i may have slept in them on more than one occassion - i swear to test their duriablity) although you can only get them in London -Kensigton!

Do it do it - Give your legs a treat!

FOLK..im excited!!!

Well as the year rolls in its obvious a little mini folk fashion trend is filtering down from the catwalks in Milan and Paris and im delighted! Scattered in and out of all the top designers new spring summer collections for 2009, even in Karl Largerfeld for Chanel, Marc Jacobs, DKNY to name but a few. Folk has reared its very lovely tassled & suede head!
DDDDeelllighted!

Think feathered headdresses, Long-haired capes, Plastic necklaces, Leather, suede, Goat and Sheepskin stoles, Neon scarfs, electric bright make up and that rules are made to be broken.

Maybe Im some sort of indian folk Gypsy person in my heart or maybe a love of beads and all things tasslily appeals to me!Whatever the case you will be seeing mr. and mrs. folk inspired pieces everywhere from now on!
No doubt Folk inspired people will be spilling out of every music festivel this year, in our mix and match trendless year of 2009!

I have even come across it in warehouse...they have a whole selection - WAREHOUSE....come on they are the epitamy of " this is my black going out dress and thats it"...well maybe thats alittle to harsh I have picked up a few very lovely things in there over the years!

I have invested this season myself by buying beautiful brown suede ankle boots with ...yep you guessed it TASSLES!lol and on sale no less even BETTER! I do love them as i was trying to shelter them from the rain last tuesday night ... in the very lovely dry Dublin?? or monsoon season dublin????i think the latter

Look to Anna Sui and Louis Vitton this year - Unreal!

Anywho get a piece of the folk action and tassle tease your folk side with abit of this mini trend.....sure why not!

(Photos by Patrick Demarchelier - Vogue)

3.1 Philip Lim

P.s: keep a look out for this guy!

He's quoted as saying "..They want the crazy.." a few days before his spring 2009 collection

And we do!!

So heres a little selection of his more subdued spring collection. It may not be "..the crazy.." but its still fabulous and well put together!

He mixes both women and mens fashion together on the catwalk, giving women boyfriend blazers and the men more affeminate shoes and accessories!

Is he trying to mix the two just alittle bit......i still know the difference Philip Lim!!!!

2009 ...the trendless year!!!??

Ive noticed over the last 6 months with an ever present recession, the catwalks are filled with amazing new clothes of all different origins from sheer fabrics, jewel encrushed dresses and accessories,bold jewellery, sport influenced,Glamour & romance etc..... but it seems ever so mis-matched - MY FAVOURITE!!! yet there seems to be no certain trends as such

How lovely that we are seeing the flea markets, swap shops, vintage shops springing up all over Dublin and Ireland alike! (Such as the Sheeben Chic on geogres street every saturday at 12-4-just one of many)

Vikor& Rolf spring 2009

These are the designs for the new year 2009, its pretty obvious when you look down at a few of these that there is a variety of origins for this year

Vikor& Rolf spring 2009

We are moving into a new exciting fashion period I think, that im sure will be documented and branded in years too come. We've never had so much too choose from 50's, 60's, 70's right through to the current day and never has there been so little inhabitions, about anything really - But does this mean we have been over sensitised??Be there, done that attitude???hhhhhmmmm Doubt it - the love of great fashion will always be there!

John Galliano spring 2009


Marc Jacobs 2009 - instagating a very oriental theme throughout his collection this year
God bless Marc Jacobs,Vivennan Westwood,Balmain and all the rest that instilled our mixed matched culture!

Dolce & Gabanna 2009

Dolce & Gabanna 2009 - also with an oriental or asian twist, with the silk fabrics and structures of the sleeves and pants they have designed

Chole spring ready to wear 2009 - the colours are always fresh and clean with chole

Chole spring ready to wear 2009

Chole spring ready to wear 2009 -I may have liked the chole collection this year A SMALL BIT

Shabby homeless chic? I very much like it... - Burberry 2009

Burberry 2009

Balmain 2009

Balmain 2009

That was just alittle bit of the mix matched fashion about the catwalks

Although I was very much looking forward to and a little disappointed with Luella - it was really sad, maybe because her idea of geek chic is everywhere now we are so used to seeing what shes capable of ..... damn maybe she has a few suprises in store for summer, fingers toes and legs crossed!

Also Jil Sander not that amazing but she did have a few unique dresses

Happy new year too us!!!Bring on timeless individual fashion