For Your Reading Pleasure

Oh! What a super press month it's been. For your reading pleasure you may wish to sample:
1) Today's Daily Mail - the lovely Katie Byrne interviews me for MY STYLE on p. 34.
2) Last weekend's Irish Examiner - I take a trip to Dail Eireann and get a flash front page spread. We likey!
3) This month's IMAGE - check out the Fashion Bloggers' Brunch in Miranda's Diary.
Happy reading! xxx

Sleep Deprivation and Janice Dickinson

I'm shattered. Totally shattered. Yes, I know, it's not unusual of a Monday morning; but I'm normally full of beans - ready and raring to go Mexican jumping beans. What's with the lassitude you may ask? Check out the fellow fashionista to my right. Yup. Good old Janice is back and so are the highjinx at Janice Dickinson's Modelling Agency. The new season is equally camp and plump full o' botox but you gotta love this woman. And I do! So much so that I watched back-to-back episodes waaaay past my beauty sleep time. Anorexic models, teenage Russian brides and would-be gay pornsters are all part of her new model lineup. It's addictive - beware!

Photo credit

Fashion Bloggers' Brunch Debrief

How would you describe the perfect way to spend a Sunday morning? My definition includes scoffing some frech toast with fabulous fashion folk while goo-ing at the contents of a fat goody bag. Ah yes - that had to be a segue to the monthly FBB get together. The lovely folks at Odessa hooked us up yet again with some fierce chow; while Clarins kindly provided a yummy bag of tricks including their new Colour Quartet palette, Jolie Rogue lippy, Fix' Make-Up spray and Multi-Active Jour cream. The convo was pretty saucy too! Here's the goss!

1) Indigo&Cloth is hosting a groovy Wrangler in-store party on Oct. 9th. Bung it in your iPhone now!
2) 575 should never have changed the name of their jeans to May 75. Hello? Why?
3) Katie and Ailbhe are hosting a major swap party in November. Deets to follow. I am well excited about this!!!
4) The NY Times article on Dublin - did you read it? Did we what? We ate it up! Total gossip fodder.
5) Ever walk around Dublin at 5am? Apocalypse Now? 28 Days Later? Garrett's got the low down.
6) Tatty Devine dinosaur necklace as seen on the lovely Kirstie - love it! love it! love it!
7) Why is it I can never finish that 3rd piece of Odessa french toast no matter how hard I try?
8) Sex is in the air and in an upcoming article from Jessie. And it's the chicks under scrutiny this time! Look out for it!

Democrats Do It Better

I must admit. I am loving Michelle Obama's style. Kudos to her for having a well-manicured finger on the trend pulse. Whether it's a fluted sleeve jacket, a jewel colour gown or a taste of origami pleats, the woman works it with the style and the dignity required of a first lady in waiting. Lovin' your work!

Image credit: Media Bistro

Thieving Ain't Classy

No one likes being ripped off. It's just not good manners. People may balk and shout at fashionistas paying top dollar for designer duds but I've got a bigger bunion to bitch about. Banks! I got a nice little surprise this morning when I fond out €88.50 has been 'withdrawn' from my account as a slap on the wrist for going €3.50 over my limit. Sweetie, my algebra may not be as hot as my fabulous shoe collection, but even I know that doesn't add up. I'm seriously considering taking my pitiful size zero account elsewhere. Not impressed. (Exeunt: she turns on her heel and stomps like Giselle out the door and straight to AIB.)

Fashion Bloggers' Brunch

Yay! Sunday marks the sophmore installation of the Fashion Bloggers' Brunch. Seats are all booked but due to popular demand we'll be changing venues from October to accommodate more fabulous fashion bloggers. I wonder could we strike a deal where we take the Odessa french toast and Bloody Marys with us. Hmmm... There's a thought!

PS - did I tell you I was air kissing distance away from Jennifer Saunders at the Betty Jackson show at LFW? I nearly had to be stretchered out. What if Lumley docked up? A&E for sure. God Bless Edina & Patsy. Amen!

Hair Bows - Oh So SS/09!

It was the look that was everywhere at London Fashion Week - bows. Be it as oversized accessories at Emma Bell, on platform shoes at Bora Aksu or on the head of just about every punter milling about the BFC tents. We're not talking subtle either. It seems big ass bows are the way forward and bitch you better know how to rock it; or look like a plank at your peril. Here are a few top SS/09 tips for the nu-Minnie Mouse brigade.

Bows - How to Wear 'Em:

1) Tone down the cutesy look with some masculine threads.
e.g. Wear an oversized black bow on slicked back side-parted hair (chignon optional) with rolled-up boyfriend jeans (a la Katie Holmes), men's brogues (patent are oh so cute) and a boyfriend jacket.

2) Opt for some Victoriana punk
e.g. Oversized hair bow on sleek hair with cut-out studded ankle boots (Gucci), tulip skirt with origami edges and racer back tee (a la Margaret Howell).

Key points: hair must be sleek; references must be mixed; avoid going full on femme lest you be mistaken for a Victorian doll...or a mental patient.

Have fun kiddies!

Notes from London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week, apart from providing much in the way of aesthetic stimuli, taught me a few lessons and just may have made me a more stylish soul. Here are my 10 LFW commandments.

THOU SHALT...
1) bring a spare pair of flats on all occassions. Heels may raise your fashion game but gel soles do not count as a legitimate business expense.
2) affect an air of digestible torpor. My freshman excitement could be smelt a mile away.
3) develop a neck as long as a giraffe. Often times, plonking yourself down in the front row doesn't get you exposed as the blagger you are.
4) chat to people. Contrary to 'Devil Wears Prada' inherited wisdom; fashionistas love some banter and jaw. Nicole Farhi had a good aul chin wag at the Betty Jackson show. She's a peach!
5) check out Vauxhall Fashion Scout. Their media centre is a haven away from the BFC bun fight. Speaking of which, they also hook you up with free pastries and coffee. We likey!
6) get thy facts right. At the Steve J & Yoni P show I was asked who the lady in the front row was. 'Gotta be Isabella Blow,' I said; forgetting of course she was dead. Winds up it was blogger Diane Pernet. Looks like she's not the only one who's got A Shaded View on Fashion.
7) always be camera ready. Disney Rollergirl snapped a pic of me at Jaeger for her blog in which I look like I took a Xanax. I can assure you it was only fashion fatigue; but a bit of pre-show slap would have saved face. Literally!
8) use powder (see: point 7). I was being interviewed by the lovely Huggy Ragnarsson for Fashion Music TV when I had to stop mid-sentence to wipe the burgeoning sweat from my lip. Matte is always better than high shine. This point cannot be overemphasised.
9) get an entourage...or at least a driver. If you want to get from show to show across London without looking like fashion roadkill, (see: points 7 & 8) then invest in help. The Tube is not your friend. Repeat. The Tube is not your friend!
10) come back again next year!

Pic: backstage with Bumble & Bumble at Margaret Howell's show

Front Row @ Emma Bell

Fashion is as fashion does and in the case of Emma Bell, it's a postmodern kitsch fest! My last show at LFW ended with a bang as sirens blared and models pranced in watermelon knit shorts and Commedia dell'Arte painted faces. And the goody bags? We even got our own mini bottles of Lambrini! Who said fashionistas don't have a sense of humour?

Front Row @ Bora Aksu

Four time Topshop New Gen winner Bora Aksu showcased his 'Picnic at the Hanging Rock' collection at LFW to the usual fashion suspects. With it's doll-like simplicity and rigourous craftsmanship, it rates as one of my favourite collections. Pure Turkish delight!

Front Row @ Victim

Vauxhall Fashion Scout deserves a fabulous air kiss for hooking up the fash pack with the hottest shows at London Fashion Week. Check out the VICTIM Fashion Street's 'Time Travel' collection. It's like a bunch of Harajuku girls were teleported into Victorian England. Loving it. And those shoes! Swoontastic! Definitely my highlight of LFW SS/09.

Front Row @ Temperley

What does sitting front row at Temperley get a girl - apart from a birdseye view of Mischa Barton and Nick Rhodes? Why that would be the best view in the house! And a damn fine goody bag I may add. Check out Alice's SS09 Romantic Odyssey collection and swoon!

I Heart London Fashion Week

As Sundays go, today wasn't too shabby. Whereas I'd normally be watching the East Enders omnibus; instead I was front row at Paul Costelloe and second at Caroline Charles and third at Ossie Clark's SS09 catwalk shows. I was literally air kissing distance from Erin O'Connor and was treated to a glass of champers with 'smoked salmon and nibbly bits' (source: Edina Monsoon) in the BFC tent. Got papped too by WGSN, Oyster magazine and a few other shutterbugs. Tomorrow sees a roster of John Rocha, Temperley (thanks to John at Fashion and Music TV!) and Jaeger and a host of groovy little events like Estethica and Topshop New Gen. For a fashion week freshman, this isn't bad going. I would like to say I'm going to fashionably pace myself but I prefer to manage people's expectations. If a body bag is required by week end, it will be SS09 embellished...promise. Love ya! See you next week. x

PS - Be sure to buy the Irish Examiner this week for my daily LFW updates!!

Pic Credit: I Blog's camera phone; Caroline Charles SS09

London Fashion Week

Super news. I'm off to LFW as of tomorrow until Friday the 19th to do some fashion reporting. I may have accreditation, I think I have tickets for the shows and I just managed to get few more dresses to flesh out my week's wardrobe. In fact, I am more than pleased with my lightning shop around Dublin. Here's the inventory:

1) Fab Alexa Chung-esque cream baby doll tunic with Vivienne Westwood-inspired necklace from Jesire.
2) 1960s vintage embellished tunic from Loft Market, Powerscourt Town Centre.
3) Black patent ankle boots and purple patent Victorian shoes from Penneys
4) Coral tights from Urban Outfitters.

Let's face it, I don't want to go too overboard. I am going to London after all. I think I'm better positioned bringing an extra suitcase. Yes. Good shout. ;)

Trinny Hearts My Pear Shape

Having a body precis by Trinny & Susannah is possibly most women's worst nightmare. Sitting front row at Style in the City dressed in my best frock, I deludedly thought the chagrin of Britain's plainspeaking pair would not extend to my natty efforts. Oh how I was wrong. As Susannah scoured the crowds for big-breasted comrades; Trinny decided to do likewise in locating a flat-chested big-arsed ally. "Stand up," she demanded looking down at me in the crowd. "Sweetie," she continued with empathy "you are bigger-bottomed, you just do it really well." And with that I seated my big mortified arse down again wishing I opted for that back row. Cringe!

Ireland Gets H20+....the kind we like though

As if we needed any more water in this puddle we call home, I get an invite to come along to the H20+ launch at Residence. For irony's sake (and a chance to have a goo at some new product), I toddled up with my editor friend Karina after the Louise Kennedy fashion show. On arrival, we were greeted by a Marc Jacobs-clad Cali gal with a pre-Posh/pre-Aggy blonde pixie cut. The uber fierce pixie was Cindy - head honcho of H20+ a global skincare line which harnesses the power of seaderived ingredients. Could be any old skincare line, right? Wrong? Since 1989 the company has made in excess of €100 million in sales, has a hook up with In Style magazine and is a celeb fave on the West Coast. But the biggest sell has to be the woman herself. At 45 years old she looks like a nipper. No botox, no collagen, no nothing. Just a bit of hydrotherapy courtesty of H20+.

Wanna look like Cindy? Head over to Clery's and check out the range for yourself.

I Blog Hits The Afternoon Show

Just when you thought it was safe to watch daytime TV....
That's right, I'll be invading your sitting room at approximately 3pm tomorrow on RTE One's The Afternoon Show. Be sure to tune in for some style counsel with advice on how to wear this season's ubiquitous Folk Boho look. Gucci, Matty W and Mr Cavalli have all been working it on the runway. Now it's your turn to get a piece of the catwalk action with my pick from the highstreet. Don't miss it! Or at least Sky Plus it... xx

London Calling Dublin

London called this weekend and bought my dear friend Lee in tow. We dedicated the weekend to vintage shopping, multiple visits to the Queen of Tarts, a visit to the Dublin Fringe and a lot of gossip. 48 hours in bullets:

1) There is a new phenomenon called 'dysfunctional clothes' which typifies my own wardrobe wobblies. Put me into a mutton sleeve top, peasant dress or kimono tunic and I suddenly morph into my evil twin. Not a good look.
2) Being well-endowed girl, Lee's tip for minimising her prodigious pair is to wear an long necklace between the ladies. Hoodwinks the eyes into checking out your spangly jewellery!
3) Wild Child could possibly be the coolest vintage shop on the planet. Lee's funky dress and belt cost her a mere €40 and oozes street style.
4) Watching the Brazilian dancers at the Dublin Fringe Festival launch party, we flashed each other a knowing eye which said - 'that's why they call it a Brazilian!'
5) Matthew McConagy's twin is a Capoeira dancer and lives in Dublin.
6) Gok is right; the 'now' length is super-short. My purple luxe shift from FC with the exposed zip is perfect with hi-shine lycra tights. Also loving my new 50s tulip shaped dress from Oasis. Very Sophia Loren.

Herve Leger @ New York Fashion Week

Max! Sweetie! What are you playing at? I'm loving your cute Azria bum at the helm of '80s dahling Hervé Léger but seriously what is this? I can see how you'd want to parlay the HL signature bandage look across a collection; but I draw the line at raiding the first aid kit to dress a model. Sure she's got a rockin' bod and yes, your fans like Kate Bosworth and Kiera Knightly may get away with it but what about the rest of your designer devotees? Do you think body con will work on Ms Kardashian? I didn't think so. Now go put some clothes on that girl before she mummifies on the runway!

Photo credit: Diane Bondareff/AP
Herve Leger by Max Azria spring 09 collection
Fashion Week in New York
Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008

Clarins Jazzy Colours

Yesterday evening I braved the inclement weather to get a sneaky peek at Clarins Jazzy Colours AW08 makeup range. I arrived looking like a pile of detritus swept in from Gustav only to find a haven of 1920's glamour tucked away in La Bodega wine bar. Flapper girls, guys playing oboes, rose champers and some Gallic makeup geniuses who soon transformed me into a berry-stainted be-atch! I looked fierce, or 'savage' as my main gay Neil tells me. ('Fierce' it would appear is somewhat last season.) I left with a plus size goody bag and a major smile on my face. Let's break it down:

1) So chic colour quartet - The hue and cry is all about deep purple. Perfect for daytime smoky eyes without looking like you plan on seducing someone in broad daylight.
2) Kohl eyeliner - Can I get a 'halleluia' please? This is the secret weapon that stops your inner eyes looking like an emo kid. Needle-like precision. We likey.
3) Loose powder - A dusting of this spells Hollywood soft focus glow.
4) Vernis Glossy - Less Morticia and more Delicia with this lush berry black nail varnie.
5) Instant Light Complexion Perfector - Monsieur le make-up artist applied this pre-shadow primer my lids and made my tiny peepers pop. Genius!

So good it may even call for some jazz hands...

Grazia Reads I Blog!!

Well knock me down with a Monique Lhullier feather! Grazia reads I Blog Fashion! This is big shiz fan week. First Priestess NYC, then Grazia. What next? Sorry, wait a moment. Anna Wintour's on the line? Gotta go chickadees. She says she'll break her dairy rule if I pop out for a sneaky latte with her. ;)

CLICK HERE for the kudos!

Fashion No Show

Oops...I did it again! Last week I missed two fashion shows due to deadlines and styling duties: the fabulous Tim Ryan and front row at A Wear in Dublin's Mansion House. Determined not to make it a hatrick (excuse the fashion pun), I made sure I arrived promptly at Residence this afternoon for the House of Fraser AW08 collection. Fashion Mean Time however usually translates to 60 minutes late which meant I had to leave before the gig started to make my next meeting. And I was all dressed up too! At least I have a groovy little goody bag to call my own filled with Biotherm yumminess, a free Lancome makeover, some bangles and a Claudia Strater scarf. I think I can live with that....

A Blessing from the Priestess

I got my first piece of fan mail the other day. It wasn't the standard 'like your blog' email - even though they're super swell; but proper uber fanmail from the hippest designer in the West Village. Yep - my first fan is Cody Ross of Priestess NYC - Greenwich's answer to nu-Shoreditch cool. As a fellow New Yorker and avid East London street style fan, I am super honoured and dare I say, still getting over the shock. Have you seen this boy's creds? Nylon, Vogue, Pop, Bust, ID, Harpers Bazaar - the hipness is endless. Don't get me started on the threads; they are the closest answer to laidback chic a girl can get. Be sure to lay your peepers on his silk draping dresses and what about the Mickey Mouse shortsuit? Did he know I was a wanabee-Mouseketeer when I was younger? (Little known factoid: Mickey Mouse was my imaginary friend as a tot!) I could continue with this mutual admiration tip but I'd rather you check out his AW08 collection; it speaks for itself. And if you're lucky enough to be to be hanging NYC stylee, pop over to Priestess HQ and tell him I Blog sent ya! Lovin' your work Cody! xx