Medical doctor turned fashion designer Sheila Considine works and sells from her shop, a former dispensary, in Cabinteely, Dublin. She is known for her fabrics – Liberty prints, stretch denims, cottons and linen – and for easygoing coats in different styles such as this one (pictured above) in boiled wool. It comes in pink, green and soft blue and costs €195.
Her best-selling items are tunic dresses for day or evening wear and every week she makes a new accessory from her stash of beads, wool and fabric. “I call it production development, but my husband calls it a hobby,” she says.
Prices are reasonable – coats from €195-€265, skirts €125-€195, silk dresses €265, stretch denim dresses €225 with jewellery and accessories from €5-€125.
Topshop bride
Next month Topshop will launch a capsule wedding collection of five bride’s dresses and five bridesmaid’s dresses with prices starting from €117 for the bridesmaids and €490 for the bridal dresses. This one (pictured above) in silk satin gives some idea of their style, but despite enquiries there are no further details yet of the collection. Register for more information on topshop.com/topshop-wedding dresses.
Steal vs splurge
Make the boys wink in a Margot crepe dress (€1,295 Roksanda at netaporter.com) or have a little think and wear a dress from M&S (€90)
Natural beauty
“I don’t need to design; nature does it for me,” says Chupi Sweetman, creator of the eponymous jewellery brand with its feathers, twigs and leaves sparkling with gemstones, silver plate and 18ct gold. Her swan-feather ring created from a feather found on the Royal Canal near where she lives is her signature piece, her leaves collection comes in gold, silver and rose gold while the new collection, cast from a seashell, features a tiny freshwater pearl encased in a gold locket (€179). chupi.com
Style secret
“Play it safe with a delicate lace black set or nightie, as most women will always feel good in them. Whilst sexy lingerie is favoured by a lot of women out there, be sure to strike a balance between glamour and comfort, as most women prefer pretty and feminine to overtly sexy. If you want her to wear it more than once, try to think of the comfort as-well,” says Sinead Sanderson, owner of lingerie shops Peaches & Cream.
Wear It
There’s nothing understated about the bit of sparkle that is the Tesserae ring (€45 from stelladot.eu) and that’s why we love it
