Fashion week favourite: Yasmin Velloza, who showed a well tailored and sexy collection using unusual and luxurious fabrics made from bamboo and even banana leaf, along with cashmere, silk and organic cottons, was an exciting newcomer at the recent Dublin Fashion Week.
Velloza was born in New York, raised in Florida, London and Dublin, and is an award winning fashion graduate of the National College of Art and Design. She worked in Milan after completing her degree in 2003, then took a job with Michael Mortell, helping to revamp his rainwear. At the age of 22, she was headhunted by Eve New York as design director, based in Shanghai, where she was involved in creating 120 styles a season. Last year she set up on her own, and her first collection will make its debut next spring in shops including Diffusion in Clontarf, Dublin 3; Elaine Curtis in Carlow; Tipi Canoe in Limerick; Ottiva in Enniscorthy; and Olivia Danielle in Athlone.
Penney's prints: Animal prints are still prowling around the place for winter, but a leopardskin coat from Penneys is a steal at a mere €23 and you could spend the money you've saved on buying a killer bag to sport with it. The coat goes well with a shadow-striped blouse, €13 (due in shops mid-October) and gold belt, flat-pocket jeans, €19. The mini fabric bag is €3. Penneys also has a green, boiled-wool jacket for €45, due in shops at the beginning of December. Boiled-wool jackets have been mail order company Lands End's best-sellers for a number of seasons and are a supple alternative to a more structured jacket. These come in classic blazer styles for around €120, while Penneys' version, with its wide Peter Pan collar and big buttons, is a funkier and less expensive alternative.
Scarves by Sweeney: Ciaran Sweeney will be giving a masterclass in textile design in Moscow this weekend, in the historic surroundings of Hermitage Park. Having held a show in Moscow's State Museum of Architecture last April, he has been invited back to the Russian capital by the lifestyle magazine Seasons. Sweeney has the biggest printing table in Dublin, and is known for his luxurious silk-screen scarves and furnishings. His designs are available in Brown Thomas; Harrods and Liberty of London.
