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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The Best Scented Candles In Ireland

Oh, I know. I'm aware. It's all too obvious: I know it is rather basic of me but I do love a good scented candle.

And, Ireland, in particular, happens to produce some really wonderful ones. Here are some of my all-time favourites, all made here on the Emerald Isle, at a couple of different price points.

1. Fig & Vanilla, Paul Costelloe, Dunnes Stores, €12.00.

These candles are a long-time favourite of mine. The packaging is chic and slick and the candle is poured into a very simple glass tumbler that I have since repurposed to house my make-up brushes. Fresh from the box or empty with brushes or pencils inside, they look great on dressing tables and are really rather good value. You get a real luxe feeling at about a third - or less - of the price of a high-end candle of this size. This scent is my favourite - subtle and sweet and not at all over-bearing. I will say that more expensive candles tend to smell more potent without being too strong but Dunnes are one of the best for offering lower prices and non-stinky scents.





2. Spearmint & Sea Salt, Considered by Helen James, Dunnes Stores, €12.00.

A lot of the same boxes can be ticked as above for this offering from another of Dunnes' homeware ranges. I adore anything that claims to smell like the sea and am a big fan of this one. Again, the packaging is chic, the scent subtle and price-point is competitive. The only thing I will say is that it is so subtle, it can fade into the background and become virtually unnoticeable if you're burning it for a long period of time. However, it is still really pleasant and fresh and a little more unisex and less sweet than the Fig & Vanilla.





3. Rose Tea, Cloon Keen Atelier, €40.00.

I got gifted a sample of this last year and I love it. Sadly, this scent is never among those sold in the selection at Brown Thomas in Dublin. I have to wait until I go on a trip to Galway to stock up but it's always worth it! It really does smell like my favourite rose tea - a natural, earthy smell that isn't synthetic or over-powering at all. This is how rose should always smell - sweet but a little more complex and almost musky. There's a step up in price but also in packaging and quality. Again, I've kept the container and used it to house my sketching pencils. The mirrored effect on the outside looks nice now but was particularly attractive when a flame was burning inside and casting light all across my room. But it's not just how it looks, as I said, expensive candles smell different. They don't become background noise. They give off distinct smells that pervade the room once burned. If you like rose smells, this one is a real winner.

Sadly, this scent seems to have been discontinued now but I still highly recommend the brand and their Galway store is a place of great and quiet beauty.





4. Dublin Tea Rose, Oud and Patchouli, Rathbornes, €19.00 (Travel Size).

The lady in Brown Thomas told me that this company is the oldest, continuously running, candle company in the world. Established in 1488, this Dublin-based company is uber-elegant with containers that look like porcelain, a box that looks like something jewellery should come in and gilded lettering on everything. Again, it's a rose tea scent but, again, it is more complex and rich. In fact, I think this may be my favourite candle scent of all time. It's subtly sweet, a little spicy and really permeates through a room. I was also surprised by how long it burns for, definitely longer than was indicated on the box.

Yes, it's a bit of a splurge - the travel size cost more than the Dunnes candles that are around three times the size - but if you're looking for a luxurious Irish candle brand, this is the one!





So, maybe that wasn't quite so basic after all....I mean, I'm no nose and have none of the proper terminology going on but that's a lot of words about candles....

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One Good Tee

I cannot remember the last time that I did an outfit post but I felt really inspired to go back to my blogging roots and pop up some pictures of clothes that I actually wore IRL.

And the main motivating factor was this tee that I got at the Grimes gig in Dublin on Tuesday.

Not only do I love a good band tee and Grimes but I really like that her own artwork is featured on her merch. I made sure to buy it seriously oversized as it is the perfect statement tee that kind of does all the talking in an outfit. Basically, one good tee makes an outfit and allows you to look cool without having to think/try too hard.

Paired with some leather-look leggings, my trusty heeled ankle boots, a vintage black coat on top and a striped turtleneck underneath, there's a good balance of edgy and comfy. The beret softens the look and makes it cuter and more playful while the silver bag breaks up the otherwise entirely monochromatic look.

The result? Something I think looked quite cool, took two seconds to put together and felt like I was wearing pajamas.

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Paul Galvin for Dunnes Stores

Normally I hear a lot of hype before a collab collection drops but the Paul Galvin for Dunnes Stores collection managed to sneak up on me somehow. Which is funny because I've been saying for a while that such a collection was exactly what Dunnes needed. With so many amazing designer collaborations in-house for homeware, kids and women, there was a space that was crying out for some seriously contemporary, cool menswear.

And now it has been filled. While the collection is distinctly a fashion forward departure for the brand when it comes to menswear and the pieces have urban, contemporary elements, it also presents solid, clean separates that are good quality and would fit into many a wardrobe. You don't have to be quite the urban warrior that Galvin has put forward in order to find something for you.

But if you want to be that warrior, go ahead!

See, the thing is, there's actually plenty of exciting stuff going on for menswear in Ireland but it often requires having access to a lot of capital - something which is especially daunting if you might be worried a snide remark or comment might prevent you from ever wearing something a little more daring again. This collection is a high street collaboration, admittedly on an upper scale of the high street, but is accessible for many nonetheless. And, while it's pushing in a different direction with the styling of the lookbook, some of the decorative accents and trims, silhouettes and pieces such as the cape-parka hybrid, it's not too far from the accepted to give your average Joe trying something new too difficult of a time.

Galvin himself states that he aimed to create something which is "not so much a clothing collection as a clothing movement" and which "represents new thoughts, new language, and hopefully a new direction for menswear in Ireland." Some might roll their eyes at such an ambitious claim but I'm very much on the same page. Let's level the playing field when it comes to clothing - if nothing else, it'll make commutes and walking down the street more interesting.

The "Vanguard", (which was chosen to capture the "spirit of the vanguard warriors, the risk takers, who led military movements from the front") title of the collection seems interesting as well, given the timing. 1916 commemorations are looming and are very much present in the popular mindset at the moment, giving many of us pause to consider our rather recent past and the struggle for independence as led by some of our greatest thinkers, warriors and heroes as well as a lot about the vast changes which have overcome our little island in the past century. While it's dangerous to think more adventurous menswear is anything close to synonymous with a bridging of the gap of inequality between men, women and everything between, it's still progress when freedoms of expression become more normalised. 

Outside my tangents into the symbolic and sociological elements of the collection, it's just damn wearable and cool and I'm even coveting some of the pieces for myself. The collection comprises of 21 styles and key pieces including an overcoat, bomber jacket, shirts, sweatshirts, tees, sweatpants, sweaters and footwear with prices from €25. It is available in selected Dunnes Stores and online and went on sale on Saturday the 17th of October (sorry about my delay in posting on it!).

Will any of you guys be picking any of the pieces up? What do you make of the collection?

(All images are courtesy, and property of, Dunnes Stores)

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Carolyn Donnelly's The Edit SS15 Holiday Collection

When I first saw images of the SS15 Holiday Collection from Carolyn Donnelly's The Edit, on Dunnes site, I was immediately thirsty for more than the little preview it displayed. Luckily, Valerie from Textiles sent the full lookbook on to me. And, boy, did it not disappoint!

Shot on location in Morocco by Daniel Holfeld and styled by Roxanne Parker, with hair and make-up by Ellen Van Exeter and modelled by the stunning Mia Stass, it's making me crave a holiday direly. The images are stunning and the clothes are so, so wantable. All in neutral tones and breezy fabrics, there's a serious sense of ease. Nothing clings but drapes and falls elegantly. Cuts make more casual, humble fabrics seem put together and effortlessly chic. I'm particularly feeling the linen coats, all the footwear and the striped jumper below - you can never have too many of those, amirite?

Sigh. So dreamy, ne?

Stripe sweater, €59; polka dot bikini bottoms, €25, Carolyn Donnelly, The Edit

Panama hat €8, Dunnes Stores

White linen trousers, €69, Carolyn Donnelly, The Edit

White cotton cardigan, €59; khaki linen shorts €49; leather sandals, €99, 

Carolyn Donnelly, The Edit

Blue print bikini top, €35; white linen shorts, €49; silver leather shoes, €79, 

Carolyn Donnelly, The Edit

Suede waterfall jacket, €189; black bikini top, €35; print trouser, €79, 

Carolyn Donnelly, The Edit

Burgundy print bikini top, €35; khaki linen shirt dress, €69, 

Carolyn Donnelly, The Edit

Blue print kaftan, €69; silver leather tote bag, €89, Carolyn Donnelly, The Edit

Print dress, €89, Carolyn Donnelly, The Edit

Panama hat, €8, Dunnes Stores

Khaki bikini top, €35; burgundy print bikini bottoms, €25; blue print sarong, €19, 
Carolyn Donnelly, The Edit

Khaki swimsuit, €49; khaki print sarong, €19, Carolyn Donnelly, The Edit

 White linen coat, €129; polka dot bikini top, €35; polka dot bikini bottoms, €25, 

Carolyn Donnelly, The Edit

Chunky catseye black sunglasses, €3, Dunnes Stores  

Gold linen coat, €159; white linen singlet, €39; white linen drawstring pants, €59;

leather leopard tote, €119; leather sandals, €99, Carolyn Donnelly, The Edit

Silk gold print dress, €99, Carolyn Donnelly, The Edit

Bird embroidery t-shirt, €49; white linen drawstring pants, €59; 

leather wedge shoes, €79, 

Carolyn Donnelly, The Edit

(Images via Dunnes Stores)

(Thanks!)

All pieces are currently available in stores now.

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Boy

Perhaps I'm odd but I often wonder what my life would be like if were a boy. Don't get me wrong, I'm very much glad that I'm female but being so aware of, and passionate about, gender issues, I can't help but wonder at how different things might be? How different I might be? Or not? How I might look? How I might dress?

Yes, dress is one of the main differences I consider as it is so important to me as a woman and I'm so conscious of the difference in expectations of men and women. Of the different limitations. Of the difference in access.

I think in most ways, I'd be very much the same person that I am now. I think this would be true, too, of how I dress. I mean, I don't wear dresses or skirts that often as it is. The colour palette I gravitate towards isn't particularly representative of traditional colours associated with any gender. I'm really all about comfort, ease, clean lines, pleasing textures and good fit.

So, I decided to put together outfits that I would rock if I were a boy...and realised they're basically what I wear now. I still love a lot of black and navy. There's a preference for solid colours over patterns, a love of knitwear and a good leather jacket. Pants like jammies are good as are brands like Cos, Saint Laurent, Acne, Zara. I'm still craving New Balances and the perfect weekend bag. Still the same Colette - although, according to my Mam, I would have been called Jamie.

This is how Jamie would have dressed.

Also, no way could I afford to dress the way I'd like to as a dude. Those clothes be expensive!

What do you reckon? Would I have been a chic-ass man?

Considered by Helen James

After writing about the revitalisation of Dunnes Stores in recent years, I got asked to come in and meet one of their designers, Helen James...which I promptly (and over-enthusiastically) said yes to. Luckily for me, this coordinated with the recent opening (just last Friday) of the new café attached to, and showcasing, her collection of homeware and food and we sat down with some great tea for a chat in the wonderful space on Drury Street.

Upon entry, I squeed in delight for a while as I took in the décor which echoes the core values of the collection as Helen describes it, "traditional but really modern - clean lines, simplicity" imbued with "the idea of nostalgia but seen through a modern lens". It's wonderfully cosy and masterfully combines a workable café space with room for the artful arrangement of the products that started the whole venture in October. The walls are stripped back of their plaster, revealing the red brick underneath and the fireplace they discovered while renovating. The tables are made of heavy solid woods and the colour scheme is beautifully calming and harmonious. Scented candles burn on the display tables next to fresh fruit scones. Copper pans glint on the shelf and mugs with cheeky messages sit next to them. It's a wonderful celebration of traditional Irish design in homes without being twee, while remaining cool and contemporary. "I lived in New York for twelve years and there's nothing like being away from home to make you look at things differently and appreciate things. I always think that's why John Rocha was such an interesting Irish designer because he came here from Hong Kong and he could really see Irish craft and appreciate it in a way that maybe someone closer to it couldn't."

Helen also notes how important it was to make the range very Irish and to work towards our strengths "There are a lot of Irish elements in the range. Like, all of the food was made in Ireland. And we're working with amazing producers. I mean, the food scene here is so good, it's just insane." We agreed, in fact, that Dublin and Ireland, in general seem entirely revitalised with exciting food and design scenes emerging. But the consumer has been made wary by the tougher times of the past few years and expects more for their money. "Independents are moving in and bringing a different perspective. And I think retailers have to work harder for your dollar now and it's made things much more interesting." In the case of Dunnes "it's like, how do they move forward? How do they stay relevant in a swamped market?" Their take on designer collaborations seems very much the answer. Especially as "all of the brands fit together but they're all very different, they have different personalities."

Value was just as important to Helen as good design and quality "for me, working with Dunnes meant creating something of really good quality but offered at a price point that was really accessible. That was really important to me, I'm very much of the Eames' philosophy of design for the masses...I love the idea that even producing something in a large retailer, you can do something really interesting. Y'know, this range was a new concept, it was the first time that Dunnes brought food and textiles together...Which was really exciting."

The full realisation of bringing food and design together can be seen in the café and Helen's hand is in everything, down to the design of the display shelves and the menu. The attention to detail, the care, is apparent. With Gruel alum in the kitchen and wonderfully friendly (at the exact right level - not too much or too little) staff front of house as well as Helen's continued presence, it gives a boutique touch to something mass-produced. Though, the food in the Drury Street location is anything but mass-produced. Cookies had just come out of the oven as I walked through the door and coffees are served with truly artful designs on top via their talented barista. And, actually only 15 out of 150 stores nationwide will carry the range for now so as to "keep it in stores where people are going to get it for now" and to protect the brand.

Perhaps what most endears both the range and cafe to any and all who see them is the sense of sincerity. It seems very natural and beautifully put together but homely. Helen was given the freedom to do as she wished with the brand and, as a result, it truly represents her as a designer. In fact, "when [she] showed pictures of this place to [her] kids, two of them said 'Oh, it looks just like our house!'" And Helen laughs, "when I brought samples home for a photoshoot with Image Interiors, everything just fit perfectly into my house and I was like, 'Oh, I jut want to keep all of them, I love them so much. I just want them to be here all the time.' So, yeah, it is very much my aesthetic. That was the thing, too I was given complete creative freedom to do what I wanted."

Helen remains excited by the unlimited potential of this new venture of Dunnes' as it gives her the space to try things she never could before. "I had my own label here for eight years and it was so difficult to be competitive because costs are so high. And that's why it's nice to have an economy of scale behind me where I could do something and I knew it was immediately going to go into fifteen stores...that was really exciting for me as a designer because it opened up a whole set of other possibilities."

As to what next? The brand will continue to try new things and move forward; "it won't be a wiping of the slate, it'll evolve. So, it won't be 'this season it's blue chintz', it'll be much more organic than that. For example, in Spring, we have a whole range of tableware that's going to be the same as the ceramic storage jars we have now...more shapes, a few more colours...We're doing some gardening stuff. We're bringing in more textiles, a little bit more pattern - not a huge amount." In addition, they'll have a range of teas, apple juices and lemonades, herb rubs and new flavours in the existing range of chutneys, sweets and preserves.

So, drop into Drury Street for an absolute treat if you get a chance and keep an eye online and in stores for the future (surely) successful expansion and progress of the brand. Oh, and I highly recommend the apple and mint tea...it's amazing.