Meeting the Designers Behind Cult Fashion Brand RIXO London At Brown Thomas

RIXO London is a young brand that has managed to already develop a fevered following and seems to have a knack for quickly capturing new fans with a single garment. So much so, in fact, that when Irish stylist Courtney Smith posted a photograph of herself wearing one of their dresses on Instagram it almost instantaneously sold out.

That was my personal introduction to the brand and I recall thinking that it was a beautiful dress but not something that suited tomboyish types like myself. I thought, "I sometimes wish I was that girl." But it turns out I was wrong. I am that girl, if I want to be, because RIXO have the everywoman in mind. They are all about creating cool, vintage-inspired clothes that flatter and work for all sorts of different women. Garments can be worn different ways and combined with other pieces in your wardrobe to make them very much your own; a wrap dress, for example, can be worn solo with daring slits, or open as a wafting robe, or over jeans for a cool layered look. RIXO's woman is not one single target demographic but, rather, all sorts of gals of different ages, shapes and lifestyles. While you will see the brand touted by the coolest It Girls of Instagram, they, alone, are not the only ones who can enjoy the brand.

RIXO was founded in 2015 by London College of Fashion alumni Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McClosky who, at the time, were buyers for ASOS. The two met while they were in college and quickly bonded over a shared love of vintage clothing. They found themselves spending most weekends together, trawling through vintage sales around the UK and unearthing gems. Others professed a love for their finds and they began reselling clothes online. When they found customers despairing that everything was a once-off and gone when it was gone, they got the idea to start their own vintage-inspired label.

Since its beginnings two years ago, the brand has seen a meteoric rise and is now stocked in Net-a-Porter and many boutiques around the world, including our very own Brown Thomas; which is where I got to see them discuss their label, its origins, rise and motivations, a couple of weeks ago. Irish-born McClosky, in particular, professed to have been touched to see her own clothes stocked in the Irish fashion powerhouse and informed us that they even made a limited print that is only available in BT.

A love of pattern is key to the brand and the two designers often create their own prints, reimagining their popular silhouettes - including the Moss Blouse, Camellia Dress & Orlagh Blouse - season after season by reproducing them in different prints. Another core value that they stressed is the use of high-quality fabrics and the wonderful construction of the clothes. While these are not actually vintage pieces, they are made to ape the quality of old: they are made to last. And though the price point is a good deal higher than your standard high street pieces, it is not unattainable, providing investment pieces that will never truly go out of style. The pair really do consider how women dress and shop and how to make pieces that will be true assets to a wardrobe.

It's hard to balance cool, sexy and timeless in a brand but, somehow, RIXO are doing it and doing it well. I'm pretty excited about their attitudes to design and consumption and the garments themselves and really can't wait to see what they do next. And it really seems that the sky's the limit with further forays into accessories already in the pipeline.

Thanks to Irish Tatler for the wonderful morning of lovely clothes and people x

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Create 2017 At Brown Thomas

Create is an annual showcase of Irish designers and Irish design that takes place in Dublin's leading luxury department store, Brown Thomas. In its seventh year, Create has always presented wonderful designers, both upcoming and established, in a beautiful setting but the display this year is particularly lovely; black and white palm leaf wallpaper, sprawling greenery (how trendy), neon signs (how very trendy) and white looping geometric rails.

Showcasing the work of 22 designers this year across ready-to-wear, accessories, scarves, jewellery, millinery and interiors, the display is curated by Brown Thomas Fashion Director Shelly Corkery and features beloved established Irish designers such as Mariad Whisker, Helen Cody and Úna Burke, as well as newcomers such as the recent NCAD grads Colin Burke and Laoise Carey.

My own personal highlights, however, have to be Domino Whisker's cute and tongue-in-cheek embroidered collars, badges and framed images and the beautifully crisp, modernised tradition of 31 Chapel Lane's linen clothing.

The showcase remains on display on the first floor of the Grafton Street store until the 13th of August 2017 and it is well-worth popping in to check it out.

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Forget Orgasm, This Is The Prettiest Nars Blush

I've always admired Nars from afar but, for whatever reason, have never really gotten in to the brand - in fact, I have a similar relationship with Charlotte Tilbury. I really cannot, for the life of me, pin down why. I guess part of the reason is that I don't buy a lot of makeup anymore. Generally, I have so many press samples to work my way through that I have no space - mental or physical - for anything else.

But, perhaps it is also because, in my mind, the brand is really all about blush and I've never really been a blush kind of girl.

Then I tried Orgasm and I got it. I understood the hype. It quickly became one of my all time favourites. I would reach for it every time I did my makeup. Recently, however, I've come to understand the cult of blush a little better (even if I am, by no means, a fully-fledged member) and began to expand my horizons. First, I wanted to track down the perfect rosy, berry shade and found it in Flormar's Terracotta Blush-On in 45 Touch of Rose. Then I was all about peachy tones.

In the past few weeks, I became obsessed with finding the perfect pale pink that looks like the natural flush that colours the cheeks of children after running about outside on a winter's day, the kind of shade that has been popular across Asia for seasons now. I looked high and low but everything was too bright and obvious. I needed subtlety.

And then, last week, I happened to wander into Brown Thomas on my way home from work one evening and the thought struck me, if I was tracking down a particular shade of blush, where better to check than the Nars counter? Sure enough, looking up at me from the new collection displayed prominently by the cash register, there were three new shades of blush and, among them, the perfect pale pink.

This new shade is exactly what I wanted: matte, natural and incredibly pretty. I looks like the kind of natural blush I wish would spring to my cheeks. Not the bright, burning, splotchy red that I have suffered from since I was a teen and made me look permanently mortified or shy, but the kind of soft and elegant flush of maidens in Rocco paintings and K-drama actresses with perfect porcelain skin.

Orgasm, step aside, there's a new (surely soon-to-be) cult favourite in town and it's called Threesome.

(This product was purchased with my own money and I was not paid to review it. All opinions are my own.)

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Photo Post - July 2016

July was a month of realisations, resolutions and change. I had fun, ate good food and spent quality time with people I love, as per, but I also started implementing healthy alterations to my life that were necessary and a long time coming, if I'm honest.

I began the month on a high, at home in my newly tracked down Vetements, sipping on Champagne, getting a haircut and grabbing brunch with my parents and I spent the first Monday of the month eating dinner out with friends and laughing. That week I planned a family getaway for the following weekend with my parents, checked out the Create 2016 display in Brown Thomas and, on Friday evening, got a deep tissue massage. I felt loose and happy but spent the weekend a little tender. The next morning my brother and I went for brunch and I had one of the most bizarre restaurant experiences of my life.

I suggested a Vietnamese place where the food was really great and we strolled along in the sun and grabbed a table outside. Upon sitting down and ordering, we noticed that a four or five year old boy, clearly the son of the owner, was running around. He was super beautiful and cute and we smiled at his antics. Suddenly, he came up to our table and we said hello and asked what his name was. He didn't reply but sat down next to me and tried on my sunglasses. They looked ridiculously big on him, so we laughed again. By now, he was clearly getting comfortable but he was sweet so we entertained him. He stayed by my side as our drinks arrived and asked for a sip of my brother's Fanta, then rested his head on my arm and looked up at me sweetly. When our starters came out, he asked for a chicken wing and I offered him one. Then he took another off the plate without asking. From here, his behaviour started escalating and his mother noticed and began to give out to him but, as we had laughed and encouraged him, we felt bad and didn't want the kid to get in trouble. The other tables started to murmur and notice and we became increasingly uncomfortable. When my main course arrived, he wanted some of that too, so I gave him a little of the beef. He said it was too hot so I blew on it for him. Then he wanted another piece so I did the same but he decided it was still too hot and spat it out on my plate. At this point, I was utterly baffled but could do little else but laugh. He took another piece of beef off my plate with his bare hands and I ended up having to eat while cradling my food to my chest and away from his reach. My brother and I acted a little cooler and pretended not to notice his trying to get our attention, in order to calm the situation. This resulted in his running around and creating lots of noise and his mother dragging him inside. While the food was as good as I remembered and the kid was sweet (just a little bold and clearly without anyone to play with), I felt terrible for suggesting the place to my brother. I saw the funny side of it all and quite like when things go a little wrong, as it makes a day memorable but I know others don't always feel the same way.

The next day was a lot calmer. I skyped with my best friend living in Hong Kong and then went to play board games at a friend's place. The following week was spent having dinner with a pal who lives in England now, getting tea and talking for hours with my best friend, and planning our trip to Galway. On Saturday, we headed off to the west coast and arrived in Galway in the evening. We got to our apartment in Salthill and then strolled into town and had a drink before our dinner reservation. Upon arriving at the restaurant I discovered Bell X1 and another band had just been in, as they were playing at the International Arts Festival, but, crucially, I also learned that they had eaten the last of the pork belly...having ordered my second pick off the menu, I went to the bathroom, where my second restaurant incident of the month took place.

I noticed, as I locked the door, that the lock was a bit dodgy but ignored my intuition (why do I always make this mistake?) and closed it fully. When I tried to unlock it, I noticed that the knob was loose and not turning the bar that slid across to open and close the door. I turned it repeatedly and, at the noise, a girl outside asked me if I was okay. I told her what had happened and she went to ask a waitress for help before returning shortly to say that it was, apparently, common and to keep turning. She left before I could say that wiggling it was not going to solve the problem. After another girl came and went without being much help, I began to get panicky and rang my father to tell him what had happened. Then next thing I knew, my father, brother and the owner were all gathered outside the cubicle, passing me knives under the door and giving me advice on how to jimmy the lock into place. I could see, however, that the bar was knocked out of place and removing it was the only thing that would fix it and kept asking for a screwdriver. My pleas were ignored and my dad even attempted to kick the door in before, finally, a screwdriver was passed under the door to me. I removed the lock and escaped, without succumbing to a panic attack, and walked back into the restaurant with all eyes on me. As I moved through the building with burning cheeks and shaky legs, back towards our table, I realised the worst part of the situation: my traitorous family had eaten all the starters without me.

The rest of the trip was less eventful, but in a good way. It mostly involved eating, wandering around, a little shopping, checking out the Hughie O'Donoghue exhibition and going to a market. That evening, my brother and I splashed around in the water while others looked at us like we were lunatics for braving the cold Atlantic sea on an overcast night, before going to an arcade and earning enough tickets to win a ridiculous stuffed flower toy for our mother. Silly as that all sounds, it was incredibly fun and probably the most pure quality time we've had together in a long time. The next day, we awoke to a Galway that was so sunny, it looked like the Mediterranean. Our apartment overlooked the sea and the water was bluer than I've ever seen. Of course, it was the day we were headed home. Obviously. But we made the most of it, ate more good food, splashed around some more, walked along the beach and visited a craft village in Spiddal before Dad drove me all the way back to my apartment in Dublin...I am a little bit spoiled.

By comparison, the following week was relatively quiet, until the weekend, when I had my first proper swim of the summer; tried out a new afternoon tea and fashion tour package in the Fitzwilliam Hotel with my friend Matthew; then spent a solid 12 hours together, hanging out, eating, grabbing a few drinks, listening to our friend, Tom's, music and talking about everything under the sun. Sunday, I grabbed coffee with another pal before going to my best friend's birthday dinner where I was so hangry I spent most of the evening pouting until I was fed and spent that night being thoroughly embarrassed by my behaviour.

In the final week of the month, on the back of travel, getting back into swimming and a burst of motivation in all aspects of my life, I began organising LFW in September in earnest, eating better and deciding to be more active. And I then spent the final weekend of the month getting up earlyish (for me and for the weekend) to go walking all around Blessington Lake with my bestie, playing racquetball with my family, going to see the new Star Trek film with my siblings and cousin, welcoming my little sister back from Thailand, playing with the Thai makeup she bought for me and hanging out and watching terrible television with my parents.

Once again, the month didn't feel eventful to me until I looked back on it. It was only then that I saw how lucky I was to have a life so filled with joy, laughter, good people, wonderful opportunities and great food. My resolution to get in better shape based on that sudden, mysterious burst of motivation halfway through the month is still going strong and will probably shape this month but the biggest takeaway, now that I think about it, is probably the importance of quality time in life. There's simply no substitute in life for a friend spilling their guts to you and you getting suddenly closer; childlike adventures with a younger sibling who is now very much an adult; hilarious mishaps that make the people around you cry with laughter upon recounting them; traveling with loved ones to see a familiar city in a different way; and simply reconnecting with best friends by making time for each other. The best thing in my life is the people and they constantly remind me why that is very much the case.

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Fashion Tourism in Dublin: The Trending Package at the Fitzwilliam Hotel Dublin

Two of my great loves in life are food and fashion and anything that combines the two is usually good by me, so when I was invited to try out the Fitzwilliam Hotel Dublin's new "Trending" package, I was stoked. The package includes a stay in one of the hotel's stunning signature rooms, afternoon tea, a fashion podcast walking tour of Dublin and breakfast on the morning of departure, all for two people, from €299 per night.

While I wasn't able to stay overnight, I did try out the rest of the package over the past weekend and was given a quick tour of the rooms before I left. First of all, The Fitzwilliam is definitely one of the prettiest and best located hotels in the city. Its interiors were designed by Sir. Terence Conran and are contemporary and cool while remaining plush, warm and welcoming. The hotel is also perfectly situated at the top of Grafton Street, the main shopping street of the city, and across from St Stephen's Green park, offering both the perks of city life, just an easy amble away, and greenery, fresh air and pretty views. For fashion lovers, it is ideally located for shopping as it is around the corner from St Stephen's Green Shopping centre, a beautiful and historic mall that was the first purposefully built space of its kind in the city; Grafton Street; Irish fashion institutions like luxury retailer Brown Thomas and Kilkenny on Nassau Street, one of the largest emporiums for Irish designed apparel and homewares, who are offering a 10% discount and personal shopper experience to all Fitzwilliam customers; the iconic George's Arcade; the stunning Powerscourt Town Centre; countless boutiques; and the burgeoning "fashion quarter" of Dublin.

If you are interested in fashion and are thinking of visiting Dublin or have an interest in Irish design, in particular, this package is the perfect introduction. It is a new fashion tourism option for visitors to Dublin and gives an insight to native fashion and design and helps savvy shoppers discover the unique delights of the city beyond the high street names that can be found everywhere else around the world. If you are looking for something a little more authentic, this is just the thing for you.

The main attraction of this package is the city itself but the afternoon tea comes a close second. I mentioned this on Instagram already, but it was probably the best afternoon tea I've ever had and, due to my mother's passion for the practice, I can say that with some authority and a lot of experience.

The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, well-informed about all aspects of the meal and engaging and pleasant, in general. As they knew I was there as press, I do think I probably got an especially kind welcome but I noticed that other customers were getting similar levels of attention, as well. However, I never felt anyone was hovering or intruding and this is a fine balance that I know, from personal experience, is hard to manage.

Another impressive aspect was the tea we were served. There was a nice little range of options of decent, fragrant loose leaf teas, none of those nonsense "fancy" tea bags that masquerade as real tea.

The food followed not too long after we were served our tea and everything was succinctly explained and pointed out. It was a real step up from the usual fare of sandwiches and lackluster cakes and comprised of items such as miniature smoked salmon crème fraiche caviar blinis; tuna tartar and avocado sesame cones; asparagus and parma ham and egg mousse; mini scones with clotted cream and raspberry jam; a selection of macaroons; choux buns with peanut salted caramel ganache, rhubarb jelly with white chocolate mousse and chocolate and peanut cups, among other delights. This was all then followed with a choice of the Cucumber Cup or the Nutella Martini cocktail. The meal featured a lot of fish dishes and, despite my not being a big seafood lover, I ate and really enjoyed almost all of it, which says a lot about the quality of the food. In fact, it was the first time I've ever had afternoon tea where we've left nothing uneaten.

After a leisurely two hours of eating, we quickly peeped in at the rooms, which are bright and airy but cosy and have great views, before heading off on the tour. The afternoon tea had left us sleepy but once fresh air hit my face, I was full, energised and ready to do the fashion tour. The tour is available as a podcast that anyone can download but the hotel helps guests through the steps and provides them with headphones. While the tour is really interesting and brought me to a couple places I hadn't been before, I'm not really the target audience as a local. I knew a lot about the history of the city, fashion, Irish designers and retailers in Dublin anyway but, for those who have less of an intense interest in the area and preexisting knowledge or who were just getting to know the city, it would be a nice introduction. It throws in a little history, gives some directions and brings you to different spaces, stores and designers, allowing time for pauses to peruse as you go. However, I would warn you to bring a map unless you are familiar with the city, as the directions can be a little confusing at times and I would have been lost were I not so familiar with the city and stores. If you have the time, luxury and desire to get a little lost though, it's a perfect guide to shopping in the city and will introduce you to important names in Irish design, cute boutiques, historic retailers and much more besides.

I'd love to go back some time and do the whole package with my mother, as I can imagine how nice it would be to check in one day, grab afternoon tea, do the tour and shop along the way before heading back to one of those comfy rooms to put our feet up!

If you are a fashion lover and fan of Irish design thinking about visiting Dublin, this really is the ideal package.

(I was invited to try out this package by the Fitzwilliam Hotel. I was not paid to write this post, however, and all opinions are my own.)


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