Heatons SS15

After the most horrendous bus journey of my life (i.e. traffic was so bad that a four minute walk took twenty minutes on the bus, before I abandoned ship and had to run into town, in shoes I'd yet to break in), I finally arrived at Fallon & Byrne for the Heatons SS15 press event this morning. Immediately I was welcomed with smiles, a goody bag and SO MUCH COLOUR.

Seriously though. I'm dying for a sunny holiday now.

If you're feeling the tropical vibes this summer, Heatons has got you covered.

The main trends that I could see were nautical, tropical and boho. There were floral swimsuits that were so Dolce, mesh lime coverups, cute little crochet waistcoats, uber-cool block colour sandals. Little straw hats for everyone - polka-dotted, floppy and massive or boyish. Cross-bodies and wellies to prepare you for festival season. Basically, everything and anything that you might need for this next season and all the events that come with it.

For the mens, a little less options but strong pieces. We're talking a splash of colour without being overly challenging - peachy tones, blue, navy, neutrals. The nautical theme was more predominant here with crisp striped shirts and cosy jumpers for cooling summer evenings.

And the kids' clothes! If there weren't clips being recorded for television I would have been squeeing all over the gaff! So, so cute. Pretty frills and pastel tones. Lime greens, azures and sweet little shirts.

As for the homewares, Heatons has kind of been developing a rather strong design aesthetic here recently. I had noticed it before. It's all a little rustic, retro and cute with just enough luxe elements to dress it up. Colour is, again, very much present with just the right amount of kitsch in bunting, imperfect finishes and playful patterns.

Cheered me right up, the whole thing did.

Menswear shades.

Wooing me with food.

Overall, I was majorly impressed. Thanks so much to Heatons for having me and everyone there who made it so wonderful. 

Special mention and thanks to Francesca from Tropical Popical - always love to see you guys at things! Plus, my nails are on point once more.

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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?