Brunch With Kilkenny And New Irish Design For AW17

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to brunch at Residence with Kilkenny to view their AW17 collections. As I love brunch and have fond childhood memories of Kilkenny, I was pretty excited. When I realised I was sitting with editors from some of my favourite Irish magazines and a blogger I had interacted with before but had never met IRL, I was even more excited. Our table was completed with one of the brand's buyers who explained all about their choices and ideas during the show, which was excellent, giving us a really insight into where Kilkenny is going.

Kilkenny is known for their occasionwear and has been a stalwart provider of outfits for stylish Irish women in a slightly older age bracket. Moving forward, they are aiming to keep these loyal, and discerning, customers happy, while also targeting a younger audience and more day-to-day needs. Two new casual brands Beaumont and 10 Feet (available in Galway and Swords only) have been introduced and while Kilkenny showed picks from Fossil and Guess, they reaffirmed their constant commitment to Irish design with pieces from the likes of Fee G and Caroline Kilkenny.

When it comes to the actual look that Kilkenny are all about this season, there's good news: it;s cute and cosy. Seventies florals and bold colours from hot pink to bottle green to maroon abounded and layering with stylish jackets, casually tossed scarves and light knits was key. For special events, there was a nice sprinkle of some structured, interesting alternatives to the standard dresses that were also shown, such as the maroon belted jumpsuit that everyone was swooning over. With pieces to appeal to all sorts of age groups, styles and lifestyles, there really is something for everyone now. Would I have liked some slightly bolder and more surprising aesthetic choices thrown in there? Sure. But, for now, Kilkenny is striding into the future in a way that I can totally get behind.

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LFW AW17 - Day II

Today, things started early and hurried. I dashed into the Paula Knorr presentation where she was serving up an essay on the creative process and spangled, vibrant garments - not to mention a gig and collab with experimental pop duo MADSIUSOVANDA. Then I scooted right along to CECI where the palette was decidedly more muted; all navy and black billowing satin, restraint, denim, super-wide-legged pants and cropped faux fur. To cap off the morning, I hurried along to Sabinna's ode to first loves. Little bouquets sat on the seats for the first few rows and things like "be mine or go away" were scrawled across garments and under the eyes of the models. And the clothes? Romantic, corseted, hand-crocheted flowers, silk, velvet, dungarees, embroidered coats and pretty dresses. Love's young dream but with a twist, a little cooler and more than just pretty.

Lunch was prolonged and leisurely and spent with my best childhood friend. It took up the next three hours but it felt like only a moment and then I was back in another queue, waiting for another show. Said show was Katie Ann McGuigan, a young Irish designer that sent swaggeringly confident and vibrant technicolour down jackets, leather dresses, oversize knits and sweeping coats (and a cloak). Upon leaving and grabbing a tea, I came to the realisation that my next to shows were too close in time and far apart in distance to make it to both. As my feet ached, I chose the closer of the two. When I met Trinity students and we bonded over my alma mater, in the line for the next show, it made the forty-five minute wait a little easier to bear - though it was hard to ignore the fact that I definitely could have made it to the other show and back given the extra wait. But the wait was very much worth it as Han Wen's collection is my favourite I saw at LFW this season, so far. Edgy, cool, full of leather, flowing bell-bottoms, trailing ribbons, bold colours and on it styling: it's basically as cool as I want to be and look in a collection.

Right, my eyes are almost falling out of my head. Halfway through now....

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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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Heatons AW16

I had kind of wondered what had happened to Heatons. They fell off the press radar for a while there and stopped having shows at the start of the new season for over a year. And then I got an invite to the AW16 showcase from a brand new PR company and with a very different vibe. I guess the company saw the way that Dunnes had rebranded, grown and evolved into something more relevant and on the pulse of things and decided to do the same because everything about the new season is more luxe than ever before.

Heatons have been doing beautiful, affordable homeware for years now and while the clothing collections had cute highlights, the overall vibe was a little dowdy and not so fashion forward. With AW16, they've clearly sought to change that and they've done a damn good job. The overall aesthetic remains a little understated in a way that embraces the older, existing clientele but sprinkles the collection with on-trend statement pieces, pretty party dresses and edgier garments to create something a little more diverse and interesting.

A boho theme runs vaguely throughout much of the collection through pretty details like embroidery, tassels and fringing but the rich palette of burnt oranges, taupes, beiges and browns makes things wearable, Autumn appropriate and a little less costumey than some iterations that we've been seeing on the highstreet. Similarly, 60s tailoring and outerwear and 70s silhouettes and fabric choices are prevalent, as key trends next season, but are adapted in a wearable, non-alienating way that makes the garments easy to integrate into existing wardrobes. Another strand running through the collection is more youthful and streetwear inspired - with pieces like a very solid bomber in two shades and a sporty striped sweaterdress - and, again, while these are very on-trend, they are also perfectly suited to be adopted into the wardrobes of many different individuals.

Heatons have done a really good job with this season in creating something very on the button but also very luxe-feeling and user-friendly that will please new audiences while still embracing loyal customers. It is a savvy, clever, elegant collection and I already have my eye on personal highlights such as the bomber, cape, grey belted coat and the pyjama sets, which are so cute that I would totally adopt them as daytime blouses.

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(Catwalk images by me, campaign images courtesy of Heatons)

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It's that time again...Squee-Fest over JW Anderson SS15

Fashion's a funny one...you are constantly running ahead of yourself. Only a couple weeks ago, I was dying to start wearing knits and begin layering but already I'm thinking of SS. And so it goes.

One of the reasons I'm so excited for SS is JW Anderson's collection, Obviously. 

It's very obviously an Anderson collection without being trite or boring or expected. He's great at maintaining an identity while doing new things. Good at playing the same tunes in different keys. This time, his girl is sexier, slinkier. She looks like a lady, so used to being good, who has had a mad adventure with her garden party hat drooping around her from the frenzy. Her midriff is often almost corseted or belted obi-style. She wears big coats with who-knows-what/maybe nothing underneath. She is unafraid of both leather and dusky, blushy pink, She can rock tailoring just as easily as killer little dresses and co-ords. She looks as industrial as the factories that made her family wealthy, there's a touch of fetish and a wonderful disjointedness that she can pull of, that the man himself described as "suspended architecture" to Vogue.

Obviously Anderson but never obvious sex-appeal, never obvious beauty. Instead, it's something that makes you look longer and closer.

(Images via vogue.co.uk)

Next season, hopefully I'll see the magic in person.