Follow the drill:The best espadrilles, with the most comfortable wedge heels, are made by Castañer, a Spanish company whose shop in Paris is always a must on this writer's itinerary.
So it's great to see that Shoebaloo not only stocks Castañer espadrilles at its shop on Quay Street in Waterford but also sells them from its new online store, www.shoebaloo.net.
Proprietor Jennifer McNally has assembled a stellar line-up of brands, including Eileen Shields, Pura Lopez, Camper, Pedro García and Pretty Ballerinas. She is also the sole Irish stockist of Raouda Assaf, a new Lebanese-Brazilian designer who used to design for Kurt Geiger and LK Bennett and has just launched her own collection.
Accessories include bags by Ollie & Nic and jewellery from Irish design duo Juvi Designs. Shoebaloo also caters for children.
High flyers
The Swiss watch company Longines has reissued the hour-angle watch designed by Charles Lindbergh following his epic transatlantic solo flight from New York to Paris in 1927.
The watch was reproduced last year in its original size but with a state-of-the-art self-winding movement.
This limited edition of 80 pieces, in 18-carat gold, commemorates the 80th anniversary of his celebrated journey. It remains a navigational as well as an horological instrument.
It costs about €9,000 from Longines stockists, including Paul Sheeran and Weir & Sons in Dublin.
Designs on Morocco
The couturier Jen Kelly is the latest name to join the throng of Irish fashion designers, including John Rocha, Louise Kennedy and Paul Costelloe, who are making their mark on interiors.
Kelly is a long-standing fan of Morocco, and he and his partner have bought a tract of land near Tiznit, on the coast, where they plan a development of 400 houses. The project will take four years to complete.
A self-confessed architect manqué, Kelly says he never feels alive unless he is building or constructing something. The couple already has a house in the area, which Kelly has renovated and decorated.
Having restored their historic house on South Great George's Street in Dublin 2, they should find the Moroccan development a relatively straightforward task. It was not surprising therefore that caftans featured in his recent couture show.