Lennon Courtney Christmas Collection

Disgracefully, I'm only posting this now when I went to the show about two weeks ago...I know it's awfully delayed and I could make excuses and say I've been busy (which I have been) but, really, the main reason behind said delay is that I was being lazy. It's that simple really.

Anyhoo...a couple of weeks ago, the bestie and I went to see a presentation of the Lennon Courtney Christmas collection in the incredibly luxe St Stephen's Green Dunnes store. Sonya and Brendan were on hand, as the crowd sipped mulled wine, to talk us through the collection. Like their brand in general, it is made up of classic pieces that are luxurious and desirable but timeless and not overly trendy.

There is a big emphasis on pieces that can be worn in a vast multitude of ways and I really like this kind of thinking. I got to chat to Sonya recently about her thoughts on clothes and consumption and she's all about buying less and wearing it more, investing in the everyday and representing your own style all the time, rather than wasting huge sums on one-off dresses and spending the majority of our lives in work clothes we don't really like.

Tailoring is always key with Lennon Courtney and, as a result, the collection presented chic wide-legged pants, slick slim-fit trousers and a killer jumpsuit. Separates are also important and there were lots of luxe tees and cute tops that could be taken right from work into a night out. Similarly, multi-functionality and wearabilty featured across the collection from the bonded wine-toned ball gown that could have it's straps removed or be layer over tees and turtleneck sweaters to the black top with organza sleeves that could be a chic 3/4 length or rolled up to make puffy statement sleeves.

However, the absolute killer piece in the whole collection, for me, has to be the striped suede orange and blue heeled ankle boots that pay homage to the Ziggy Stardust era of David Bowie. These are truly some of the sexiest boots I've ever seen.

The collection is available online and in selected stores, though it may be sold out in some branches. Dunnes are really helpful when it comes to tracking down pieces, where possible, so, if it isn't in store, be sure to ask!

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Bonus Gift Guide: For those who left it until now...

So, it's the night before Christmas Eve and you've left it until now, haven't you? The terror has taken over and you've no idea what to do. Put down the scratch cards and boxes of chocolates. I repeat - put them down.

Never fear! Colette is here.

I know I proclaimed a recent gift guide the last of the year but this is the emergency guide. Someone, somewhere pressed a panic button and I came running to see what was wrong. Let's look at some scenarios.

SCENARIO: You've bought absolutely nothing.

SOLUTION: Places like Dunnes, TK/TJ Maxx, Lidl, Tesco etc.

Some of these places are better than others but if you haven't bought a thing, a store with multiple departments under one roof is your saving grace. One trip, all of your gifts. These types of stores suit various price points and offer a location to buy gifts suitable for all sorts of people and age groups. Dunnes, for example, has beautiful homewares, clothes, accessories, toys and food.

SCENARIO: You've put it off because you don't have a lot of money and you have no idea what you'll be able to afford.

SOLUTION: Jars.

Jars are your friend. "How so?" you might ask. They offer the opportunity to make several different kind of highly personalised DIY gifts that show how much you know and care about a person - without spending a lot of money. Here are some options:

1. Buy some medium sized jars, some paint, ribbon and tealights. Paint a nice pattern on the outside - snow or stars or something equally festive. Now pop a tealight inside and tie a ribbon around the top. You can also paint a message or the year on the bottom. This would be a nice gift for relatives or friends and shows you put the effort in.

2. Buy a larger jar and fill it with a person's favourite sweets and, again, present with some nice ribbon. Bonus points: try track down sweets they can't get readily or have admitted to loving as kids but not having eaten in years. Showing you listen to someone can be more impressive than the fanciest gift!

3. Buy a medium jar, glitter and laminate a nice photo. Firmly attach the photo to the inside base of the jar upside down, add water leaving a little room at the top, pour in some glitter, tightly close the jar and present with the lid facing downwards. You've now made a personalised snowglobe just for them! Bonus points: pick a really cute photo of you with the person - it's like an even sweeter version of you giving them a framed photo.

4. Buy a large jar and the ingredients to a person's favourite cakes or cookies. Bake the cookies/cakes and place inside the jar, decorating it with some nice ribbon etc.

SCENARIO: You don't know someone very well/they're just difficult to buy for.

SOLUTION: Unless they're someone very close to you (or odd), scented candles may be your solution!

It's always nice to get something luxurious as a gift that you probably wouldn't spend your own money on. It might not have the sentiment of some of the other suggestions in this post but it's a safe bet for many people. I mean, who doesn't like nice smells and pretty candle light?

SCENARIO: You have only practical/boring gifts bought for a parent/close friend/significant other and want to give them something else more heartfelt as well.

SOLUTION: A photo album.

We rarely print our photos anymore and it's always nice to have the physical ones about the house but who has time to get them developed these days? Therefore, not only are you doing something they probably wish they made time for, you also have the opportunity to show someone how much the matter to you and how they have shaped your life. Try to include cinema or travel ticket stubs, short paragraphs or memories and other bits and pieces as well as the photos in order to really tug on their heartstrings.

SCENARIO: You're super-stumped, don't want to face the shops and have no time left to order anything online.

SOLUTION: Get on Ticketmaster or a similar site and check out the gigs, plays, shows etc coming up in the next few months. A band they like is gonna play soon? Buy a ticket online, print it out, pop it in a card and hey presto! You're not only showing knowledge of things they like, you're giving them your time and setting a moment aside just for you guys. Super-sweet.

Hope this helped! Happy Christmas!

Look what we've Dunnes and how far we've come

Dunnes is changing.

It's been a gradual process that's begun to speed up. Introducing designer collaborations over time and lines such as Savida and Gallery updated a value-friendly old stalwart of Irish design and shopping. The grannyish vibe is dying out. And it's being replaced by something still reasonably priced but infinitely more interesting and a hell of a lot cooler.

In fact, it's probably the most effective use of designer collaborations that I've seen. Instead of having a one-off or annual model of inviting new designers to design collections, Dunnes have taken on regular collaborators who design new collections across homeware and clothing (and now food) each season. They've tied well-respected names to their brand and have given them the room and time to cultivate their brand within the brand. The collections only grow and increase in strength, making Dunnes stores almost unrecognisable.

The homeware unit for Dunnes in my local, the Swan Centre in Rathmines, was renovated over the summer and it looks amazing now. (It's kind of dangerous, actually, too much temptation.) I want to shop there. Being inside the store is like being in much higher-end décor and furniture shops, it's all much more considered, thought out. From the layout to the products. And the concept store on George's Street always make Savida and Gallery pieces feel like you're shopping in a boutique.

The whole thing just makes me weirdly...proud? Like, I've always liked the brand and I love to support Irish design and companies. To see the improvements and growth and energy in such an old and established brand is really inspirational.

PSA: This is how you do the designer collab. And do it right.

So, are y'all feeling the new Dunnes as much as me? And for readers not located in Ireland, you've added it to the list of things to do when you visit, right?