Partners in finery
The name of the game these days in fashion is collaboration, the latest Irish one being between Katie O’Riordan, founder of Theo + George, and Silvana Landa, founder of Landa bags. The two discovered that not only did they share a love of fashion, coffee and affordable luxury, but that the inspiration behind both of their companies was their grandfathers.
Landa’s grandad Miguel, an Italian cobbler, emigrated to Argentina after the second World War. O’Riordan named Theo + George after her grandfathers, Curtis Theodore and George. Theo launched his construction business at the end of the second World War and George set up his business shortly after arriving in the United States with nothing but the shirt on his back.
The two businesswomen came together for their autumn/winter collections 21/22 with cashmere pieces styled with handbags in universal shades of tan, burgundy and nude – their common link being their emphasis on heritage, quality and craftsmanship. Visit their sites landabags.com and theoandgeorge.com.
The ‘I do’ suit
A new, unconventional Irish bridal brand called Not Another White Dress launched by designer Carolyn O’Sullivan aims to do exactly what it says on the tin – specialise in alternative bridal wear made with the same precision and attention to detail as a conventional white gown. For instance, the “I Do” tailored trouser suit is made in a luxury silk brocade, a fabric traditionally used in white bridal dresses.
O’Sullivan, a graduate of Limerick School of Art and Design spent 11 years in Melbourne, Australia, perfecting her skills which she now brings to her new brand. “People need to visualise alternatives to white,” she says, adding that she has always loved colour. She says some of the dresses she has designed involve as much workmanship in their underpinnings as a conventional hand-made white dress would do. And, of course, they can be worn again and again.
O'Sullivan is particularly interested in personalising design for brides-to-be – customising fabrics and colours as well as making to order from her existing looks. Visit her website notanotherwhitedress.ie .
Sockscapes
Unusual socks attract attention and get you noticed. The latest jaunty numbers from Anna Guerin’s Sock Co-Op will certainly draw comments given that one of the 11 new designs features images of the Poolbeg towers and lighthouse in Dublin.
Others include Sligo (Yeats and Ben Bulben), Belfast (Titanic H&W cranes), Donegal (Fanad Lighthouse), Ancient East (Newgrange, Salmon of Knowledge), Limerick (King John's Castle, Sarsfield Bridge), Wexford (Hook Lighthouse, Tacumshane Windmill), Waterford (Reginald's Tower), Mayo (Croagh Patrick), Tipperary (Rock of Cashel) and the Giant's Causeway. They're €9.95 a pair. What's not to love? Visit sockcoop.com
Scarf aesthetics
London-based Irish designer Rory Hutton has turned his attention this season to William Morris and Oscar Wilde with a collection of silk scarves aimed at interior design aficionados.
The 90x90cm scarves reference the famous quote of Morris frequently cited by Wilde in his lectures on taste and decoration: “Have nothing in your house which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” Alongside the quote is the classic Sussex chair based on the vernacular furniture designed by Philip Webb.
Hutton is well known for lending classic themes a contemporary edge and is currently working with the Noël Coward archive to create a range of commemorative pieces to celebrate the playwright's achievement as 2022 marks the centenary of his West End debut. The scarves are €105 and can be found on roryhutton.co.uk
Stone hunting
“The most beautiful treasures rarely come knocking at your door,” claim the merchants at Boodles whose latest brochure catalogues the extraordinary 16-day round-the-world journey of Anthony Wainright, father of the current chairman, Nicholas, in search of remarkable stones in 1962 – “and by Jove he did it in style”.
This globe-trotting escapade was a serious business, however, planned with military precision taking him to 10 points around the world in the search for the finest diamonds, pearls and precious gems. The brochure not only showcases the company’s stunning new collection of rings, including the exceptionally complex Havana ring, but also tells the story of how each ring reflects places of global significance 60 years later
The Patagonia's icy white hardness "like a shard from the ice fields", for instance, was made with a central white diamond, a dazzling square-cut 10 carat stone with six trilliant (triangular-type) cut diamonds at its shoulders. Dream on. Visit boodles.com
Upriver knits
Conceived during lockdown, Lucy Downes’s latest Sphere One collection allowed for increased experimentation with new concepts, design detailing, fabrics and finishes. The result is a beautiful and serene group of knits that reflect the natural landscape of the River Liffey in the Wicklow mountains with tones called gorse, bracken, linden and wet road.
Ruffled silk chiffon shoulder details feature in Capillary; silk grosgrain sash and ribbon embellish Honor; while the sleeveless Robin vest in purl stitch is a tribute to the style of a family friend, architect Robin Walker. The new collection is made in the finest-quality Scottish and Italian cashmere, recycled Italian eco cashmere and baby alpaca.
A friend recently showed me a white Sphere One sweater which looks as new today as it did 20 years ago – the quality is second to none, so it comes as no surprise that the brand is stocked in boutiques all over the world. Find Sphere One in Havana, Juju and Emporium Kalu as well as online at sphereone.ie with free worldwide shipping on all orders. The Upriver Collection for AW21 is now on sale.
