I Blog Fashion - BREAKING NEWS!!!!

Prepare for some major news folks. I Blog Fashion is STYLING the Joanne Hynes catwalk show at London Fashion Week this season!  The presentation entitled ‘Guerriers’ /‘Warriors’ is inspired by the West of Ireland (Joanne’s home turf), our own warrior queen Grainne Ni Mhuiel and features a unique capsule collaboration with artist Helen Steele.  This cannot-be-missed runway reveal will take place at 11.45am at the Freemason’s Hall, Covent Garden on Sunday, February 22^nd.  Tickets can be requested in Ireland from SRMPR (sonia (at) srmpr (dot) ie) or UK and internationally from SNOW PR (vicki (at) snowpr (dot) com). 

PS: To say I'm excited is an understatement.

www.joannehynes.com
www.helensteele.com
www.iblogfashion.blogspot.com

IMAGE - Ireland's 100 Most Inspiring Women

O.K. Picture this. It's Saturday afternoon. I'm finishing a deadling, drinking coffee and basically chilling in my comfies at my laptop. I realise if I don't head up to the corner shop to get some provisions, I'll feel to lazy to move and just order Chinese. Bundled up, I truck on down to the KCR where I grab some provisions and the February issue of IMAGE magazine. Low and behold, my name appears in a feature entitled: Ireland's 100 Most Inspiring Women. How amazing is that? I love it when you have no idea of something and you see it and think 'Wow!' So, thank you IMAGE and 'Wow!' As an avid reader of your magazine, I'm very pleased indeed. May I also add, I am deleriously exicted about the reference to my frame as 'enviably slim'. Given that I am still nursing the post-Christmas mortification of splitting my leather Joanne Hynes dress (with my arse), this is a MAJOR ego boost. I would marry you all if you'd have me (and said burgeoning bum). Thanks again! xxx

Designer Eilis Boyle's Fashion Flash Mob

10th collection from Eilis Boyle on Vimeo.

~ A few words from designer Eilis Boyle ~

What?
'Earlier this year while chatting with Aisling Farinella I mentioned I had started working on my 10th collection. She said we should do something special and came up with the idea of doing a fashion film.  So she put together a dream team Rich Gilligan, Christine Lucignano, Zara Cox, Caitlyn Leckey and Fergal Brennan. We shot the film in a day.It was an exercise of the creative community coming together to make something different.'

Why?
'We wanted to do something new and video seems to have an important role in the industry at the moment. In a few minutes you can communicate a concept, a mood and it translates really well online.'

Who?
'We decided that we would do a simultaneous online launch, working with a lot of our virtual friends and colleagues. When the idea was proposed on Silent Storyteller people responded immediately and to date there are around 27 blogs from Australia to Canada who are taking part in the simultaneous launch.'

For more details log onto www.silentstoryteller.typepad.com.

Helen Steele

I had the pleasure of working on a recent shoot with artist/stylist/designer Helen Steele who kindly gifted me with this amazing cuff. I first became aquainted with her work at a Harvey Nichols fashion show which she produced based on a six day play of Austrian artist Herman Nitch. The chainsaw-wielding clowns and paint-strewn catwalk had me hooked. If you've got an eye for art, log on to her website for a peek at her Donnie Darko-inspired acrylic on perspex offerings. Accessory hawks be sure to pop in to Harvey Nichols from December 1st where Helen's cuffs will be selling for €150 with all proceeds going to Crumlin Children's Hospital.

The Marylebone Hotel, London

You'd think I'd be done clacking on about London Fashion Week but a special thanks needs to be extended to The Marylebone Hotel. My boutique home away from home made running between shows and filing copy into the wee hours very easy indeed. This could have something (i.e. everything) to do with their stellar hospitality from a bottle of wine and fruit platter on arrival to nightly stealth drops of hot chocolate and shortbread; not to mention the velvet walls, Temple Spa aromatheraphy products, Jo Malone candles and built-in bathroom LCD TVs. Did I mention it's only 2 minutes from Oxford Street...with the feel of a bijou village. Oh, they're Irish too. Are you sold yet? Why not take a look at these pics (my iPhone drops weren't exactly Stephen Meisel quality) or log onto www.doylecollection.com for more deets.

Drawing Room - check out the zebra chairs!!!

Penthouse Suite

Break Out Area

Foyer

Studio Suite

Nice Place to Chill!

Linda the Super

In a bid to ease myself into post-holiday work mode, I popped out for a coffee and Vogue break; as one does. Flicking through the July issue I came across 'The History of the Supermodel' - with an icnonic 1991 shoot of Linda Evangelista draped in Dior. I squealed...and may have spilled some coffee. I remember seeing this shot for the first time so many years ago - that red pixie cut, those gold boots, the sculpted bars on the lamé fishtail skirt; and man, can she work a turtleneck! Those elevated poised arms and peek-a-boo eyes said 'you want this' and I did. Ever since, I've used this silhouette as my sartorial archetype. Most recently I found a pair of gold lamé capri pants for €20 in Lucy's Lounge and bought them as an homage. I spied Erin O'Connor at LFW in a similar pair of gold Marc Jacobs boots and coveted them lascivously. Similarly, I found a website that makes fishtail skirts - albeit in black - and declared this to be the AW10/11 sequel to summer's tubular maxi. If one shot could capture the imagination of the public for so long, there's a damn good reason Linda & Co. were dubbed 'super'.

Lady GaGa in Hussein Chalayan

Back off Sheika! The Lady of the Fashion Manor is back rockin' some insane Hussein Chalayan! So it's AW/09 - big deal - the black leather 'Perfecto' jacket in GaGa's 'Alejandro' vid is still sick. Needs nothing but a pair of knickers and some glam rock boots. As you do...

Catherine the Centurian...of Fashion

This Saturday is an important day. My nana - Catherine Coyne - turns 100. This is a woman who knows a thing or three about clothing. She married my grandfather a fisherman and cobbler, taught my mother how to sew, crochet and knit and passed down the appreciation of a finely-tuned garment. This is a woman who once made my siser Aran knit shorts, proving if you have the imagination you can wear whatever you want. This is the woman who predated the fashion critic, insisting that living the simple life didn't mean letting the side down. At 100 years old her skin is still softer than mine, showing that Pond's Cold Cream and fresh air never hurt anyone. This is her wedding picture. She even eloped. What a woman! Happy Birthday Nana. Looking forward to celebrating this weekend! xxx

Kikoh Reiki

I was a bit frazzled after LFW to say the least. Nay, I was even more frazzled before. T'was a befrazzled period. Anyhoo, what kept me going was knowing I'd be 'chillaxin' (©: Mike & Karoona) at Kikoh Reiki shortly afterwards. Kikoh is an oasis of calm for busy urbanites. Based within the Ranelagh farmers' market, Kikoh offers a unique proposition in its binary approach to the Eastern practice. In a nutshell, you've got two sets of hands channeling twice the amount of energy through your tired bod over the course of an hour. They even throw in nifty little touches like spraying you with a pre-session aromatherapy mist and massaging your third eye (a bit like your spiritual g-spot). The result? If you can manage to get your body off the massage table (trust me - this is a feat in itself), you'll feel calmly invigorated, centred and refreshed. For those feeling mentally drained, expect clarity and decisiveness. If nothing else, it's the best legal high you're likely to get. Try it out - your bliss will thank you. Log onto www.kikohreiki.com for details.

Ab Fab @ LFW

Too hysterical not to post. Love Suzy Menkes. Love Patsy. Love Ab Fab. Oh love Kathy Burke too!
Click on 1:27.

Sinead Doyle

It's rare that I get obsessive about clothes. Okay that's a lie. Let me rephrase. It's rare that I obsess ad infinitum about a particular item of clothing. Normally it's a stormy tempestuous lust-fest which fades to a worn fondness with time. Not with this dress. This is THE dress I've not been able to shake since clapping my peepers on it last year. The bias-cut maxi beauty is the creation of Irish designer Sinead Doyle who knows a thing or three about modern tailoring. It's the kind of dress you will forge excuses to wear - 'Of course, I can wear it washing the car; or paragliding.' Luckily I have a fairly legit one in the offing. As one of the judges for the Hennessy Best Dressed Lady competition at Leopardstown this Sunday, I shall be wearing this baby with pride as I scout. Oh, did I mention she fashioned me a wee turban to go with it? Lovin' your work Sinead! xxx

Credits: A/W 2009 Collection, photographed by Trevor Caldwell (www.silvercloudimagery.com), Make-up by Paula McEvoy, Model Rachel Jones

Location: Silver Cloud Imagery Studios Arklow

I ♥ Kelly Cutrone

I absolutely love Kelly Cutrone. Outspoken, ballsy, intelligent, socially aware and totally rad - can't wait to read her new book. Check out this vid shot by A Shaded View on Fashion's Diane Pernet. We always knew who the real star of The Hills and The City was...
P.S. - Listen out for Pernet's gravely voice. What a bitchin' accessory. I wish I had one like that!

Babette Epaulette

I'm obsessing majorly of late about concept accessories. Knuckle dusters, head dresses and bitchin' neck pieces (see: Mono Clothing) have been filling my reverie to the point of absolute distraction. To add Bathsheba to bijou, my resolve has been further challenged by the prurient Babette Epaulette. Worn on the rise of the shoulder and harnessed around the upper torso in fringe, feather, leather, chain and spikes, these babies are going to be my undoing. Wear 'em over bare skin , a tank, jacket or cardigan and - KERPOW! - insta street cred! What's more, designer, Seville Michelle Anastos is from Queens. Big love to my fellow New Yorkers. You rule!

Mono Clothing

I'm having a love affair with Canadian designers at the moment. Last month was Complex Geometries; this month - Mono. Mono is a succession of capsule series and projects which attempt to explore the spaces between art, craft, design and fashion while challenging the complacency within the fashion ideal. Much like Complex Geometries, each piece is like origami art, allowing the wearer manifold fashion possibilities. Clean and structured tailoring (very Comme des Garcons) married with modern architecture = Style² .
It's love folks....

P.S. Mono winter sale is now on. Warning - if you nab that leather collar before me, we won't be on speaking terms. Seriously.

Click here to see life in Mono.

Richard Nicoll - My Mr. Motivator

I'm very much looking forward to Monday morning. While you may consider me odd with it being the first post-holiday work day but I've got quite the motivator. My Richard Nicoll shirt dress is due to arrive in the morning post - a little something I got for next to nothing in the January sales. Mine is in winter white - super cute with grey or black opaques and shoe boots; not to mention the perfect segue garment for SS10. I'm loving the strong tailoring and sharp shirting - hallmaks of this Brit's burgeoning design talent. Snow, icy roads, 10,000 emails? Bring it on...

Created Equal

Seeing how we're all snowed in going nowhere, there's never been a better excuse to curl up with a good book. Digital culture spies - Flavorpill.com - have certainly done their homework in recommending Mark Laita's photo compendium 'Created Equal'. In photographing archetypes across forty-eight states over eight years, Laita has created an amusing series of juxtapositions whilst challenging the American melting pot. Catholic nuns and prostitutes, Amish and punk teens, pimps and polygamists, chain gangs and cheerleading squads - it's all there and worth a peek.

Photo credit : Mark Laita, Beauty Salon Customer / Man with Curlers, 2005 / 2004, Courtesy Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles

Created Equal @ Amazon.com

Veda - Stars Edge

The Irish music scene is starting to excite me again. Not only do we have the electro-poptastic Bitches With Wolves; but drag legend Veda Beaux Reves has just released her eargasmic album - Stars Edge! The tracklist will make you want to girate around your handbag in a pair of Pigalle stilettos while knocking back shots of Patron with nothing but a hot man holding your wrists. No mean feat; neither is this record. Buy it or be left sitting at home watching I'm a Celebrity...

P.S. - my bet is on 'Miss You Much (Just a Tad)' hitting the airwaves first.

Gonna Need a Bigger Boat

It's been a bad news week folks. Apart entirely from strikes, budget cuts and football fouls, the recent horrific flood damage warrants a serious pick-me-up; or maybe just an Ark°. Ark° is a new ethical Irish clothing brand pioneering positive social action through fashion. Standing for Acts of Random Kindness, the idea is that you perform one ARK every time you wear the clothing. Not only is Ark° the first clothing range in the world to allow people to look good while doing good, it also has a purpose other than profit. Instead of profits going toward personal gain, they are reinvestment back into projects organised in Zambia, Nepal, the Phillipines, Melbourne, and even Connemara. If you're stuck for a Crimbo gift, why not give an Ark°. Heck, go the whole Noah and hug it out with Thierry Henry! Get yours @ ArkHQ.com.

Happy Birthday Anna!

It's official. Vogue's Anna Wintour is 60 years young today. One might even say she's vintage. And like a good classic, she's incredibly well preserved with little evidence of time's wayward brushstrokes. Not that the hands of time would have the balls to muss up that forehead. Fair play to Anna - she's seen off that bad boy with a good fringe. Clever lady.

Joan Collins Does Glamour

When I was 8 years old, I wrote an 'About Me' essay. I lived in Blue Point, New York. I wanted to be a ballerina and my hero was Joan Collins. Even then I couldn't resist the outre glamour. Sequins before 10am was my kind of style protocol. Even still, I'm a firm adherent of the Collins 'you can never have too much fashion' theory. Hence the reason I'm waiting patiently for the mother of all makeover shows - Joan Collins Does Glamour - 9pm tonight on ITV1!