Look the Business

"It simple, elegant, makes a statement; says to people confident, a risk taker, not afraid to be noticed. Then you hit them with you smarts!" - Tess McGill, Working Girl (1980)

Work wardrobes. Groan. Hardly the easiest territory to navigate. Any business brain worth her capsule closet though understands the importance of looking put - not thrown - together. But where does one start? Overdo it - you're likely to people off; act too nonchalant - you're readily dismissed. Despite our coffers sporting the size zero look, there's ironcially never been a more profitable time to show off your style smarts. Luckily the lovely ladies at The Gloss have put together an event to help inspire business looks that are both fashionable and fiscally prudent. Not bad!

Look the Business, hosted in association with Vodafone, will take place on Wed, April 29th at the Mansion House, Dublin. In addition to catwalk shows highlighting styles from Harvey Nichols, Aideen Bodkin, Helen McAlinden, Seagreen and Diffusion, there will be a fab Moet & Chandon reception, sit down dinner and vino networking. We likey! Deets for the event are below along with some snazzy pics from the April issue of The Gloss.

What: Look the Business in association with Vodafone
Where: The Mansion House, Dublin 2
When: Wednesday, April 29; 6.30-10.30 p.m.
How: Tickets can be booked by contacting The Gloss on 01 2755130 or register@thegloss.ie.

Pic credits: Barry McCall / The Gloss Magazine

The SBP Digs I Blog!

Hurrah! It's official. I Blog has made it to the hallowed pages of The Sunday Business Post! Does it mean I'm swapping this season's jumpsuit for its pin stripe cousin? Perhaps not. But it does mean some serious site kudos; especially when placed side-by-side with the venerable Susie 'Style Bubble' Lau. Mucho thanks to Ruth O'Connor for a swell write-up. I'm all sorts of chuffed and flattered.

I Blog Predicts - Dejan Despotovic

Belgrade may not exactly spring to mind as a fashion hub but this former war-torn capital is beginning to produce some seriously avant-garde talent. Take Dejan Despotovic whose Cimmerian menswear collections have won kudos at both Belgrade and Berlin fashion weeks. At only 22 years old, this no mean feat. As a stylist for the Serbian edition of Elle magazine, I Blog predicts some Dejan Vu in the future. Check out his A/W09 collection below:

Image Credits:
Photographer : Marko Sovilj http://markosovilj.com
Model: Florian Pessenteiner @ Larapixie talent agency
Hair/Make-up: Dragan Vurdelja www.draganvurdelja.com
Clothes: Dejan Despotovic
Styling: Dejan Despotovic @ Larapixie talent agency www.larapixie.com

Fashion Gaydar - C&A

Andy and Neil are back with some email musings on C&A's advertising campaign:

Subject: Is cheap and awful ready for a comeback?

Andy: Found this on a new blog I'm reading called Made in Brazil. May make me venture into C&A if only to look at the posters.

Neil: One hot poster does not a H&M-collaboration-with-Comme-des-Garcon make! C&A are perfectly positioned to be the Primark for 2009 but unfortunately the last time I was in one they still had granny gear and not in a granny chic type of way! Cheap Dutch rubbish.

Gush! Swoon! Blush!

Check out number five! Yay! Very flattered. Very flattered indeed. :)

The 8th Fashion Bloggers' Brunch

There's not a lot that gets me out of bed at 7.30am on a Saturday - unless it involves shopping and brunching. Being the trooper I am, I bucked the weekend trend and hopped a private coach to Kildare Village for the 8th Fashion Blogger's Brunch. Oh how we were pampered! Pink champagne to start, followed by goody bags, gift vouchers and shopping (I'm loving my All Saints scarf - was €92, now €27.60), brunch in Dunne and Crecenzi's and ermm...more shopping. Dublin Streets scored two pairs of trainers and a hoody from Nike for €40 while Male Mode and Fashion Filosofy pulled off some nifty bargains in Reiss. I'll be back again me thinks to check out the Anya Hindmarch swag and pillage All Saints again. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to using my North Face lip balm lanyard skiing this week. Seamless segue, no? That's right kids, I'm off to sample some 5 star chalet action in the Alps. Out with my harem pants and in with some swanky salopettes. Until next week. Woosh! Woosh!

On Yer Bike!

I never thought I'd see the day I'd consider cycling stylish. But let's face it, pissing Irish rain + the worst public transport in Western Europe = a change of heart. Hence, I'm hearting majorly on these new GRAN(NY)TURISMO bikes (€695) from BT2. They're retro enough to appeal to my vintage side with the benefit of anti-rust colours (loving the aquamarine), a fully enclosed chain guard (no greasy ankles there!) and...wait for it...a basket! Agyness Deyn has already been spotted on one around London and its only a matter of time before Alexa Chung matches one to her Marc Jacobs cardi. What's more - the aul 'high nelly' is a bit of an Irish institution. A bit like the travelling equivalent of knitting and drinking tea. We likey!

Style Secret - Swiss Guipure

I don't get slackjaw too often; unless you vintage ER reruns with Dr Ross or rare Tyson Beckford sightings (LFW: Central Saint Martins - swoooooon!) Suffice to say, Co. Tyrone's own Sharon Wauchob left me fairly speechless with her edgy PFW presentation at the Garage Turenne. As I wrote my notes, I couldn't quite put my finger on the luminous fluid fishnet used in her avant-garde dresses. Backstage, she let me in on the secret - Swiss guipure. Soft and pliable, the clever fabric helped anchor the edgy collection with a softness. Draped over architectural edges, Wachoub was able to create a killer visual impact that ranks her with Haider Ackermann and Bruno Pieters in my fashion week favourites.

Image: Siammuse.com

Haider Ackermann - the One to Watch

Apologies for the size zero posting but I've barely recovered from PFW. Regardless, I had to share the news of my latest style crush - Haider Ackermann. The Columbian-born designer and former Galliano intern turned out a most immaculate collections at Les Beaux Arts de Paris. The balance of hardware-embellished feature pieces and fluid separates made me gush. Exquisitely draped gowns played peek-a-boo with thigh-high slits, an exposed arm or a flash of back; while jackets and tops bedded with floral metal rivets made 'rock chic' effortlessly elegant. What's more, the dude plays to my favourite trend - masculine/feminine. Hard military shoulders flirted with languid draped tops, zippered gilets butched up floor-length skirts all to the strains of Leonard Cohen. I think it might be love. Just maybe...

Image: Style.com

Dior at Paris Fashion Week

Tunes from Fashion Week

Ever wonder what makes Giselle stomp, Jourdan glide and Naomi wind them hips? Tunes of course! Check out what got the runways running this season at both London and Paris.

1. Anne Valerie Hash - 'Shake that Dog', Anthony and the Johnsons
2. Christian Dior - 'You Don't Know My Name', Alicia Keys
3. Haider Ackermann - 'I'm Your Man', Leonard Cohen
4. Paul Costelloe - 'All the Single Ladies', Beyonce
5. Estehetica - 'Creep', Radiohead
6. John Rocha - 'Walk On', U2
7. Basso & Brooke - 'She Sells Sanctuary', The Cult; 'Toxic', Britney Spears
8. Mary Katarantzou - 'Year 2000', Pulp
9. Avsh Alom Gur - 'Let's Make Lots of Money', The Pet Shop Boys; 'Money Makes the World Go Round', Liza Minnelli (Cabaret)
   
10. Bora Aksu - 'Tainted Love', Marilyn Manson

Surprised? What would you have chosen?

Paris Fashion Week - Le Fin

Excusez-moi for the hiatus. It's been a major fashion blur here in Paris what with my packed schedule, remedial French, piss poor sense of direction and oh wait...food poisoning. Yes indeed. Thankfully before the curious incident of the cheese sandwich I had already: bagged two front row seats (a much more difficult task than London), chatted with Beth Ditto, got Rachel Zoe's crew backstage at Valli, had Ms. Zoe call me a 'sweetie', got my own personalised chair at Dior, lusted at Bruno Pieters and Sharon Wauchob, chatted about music with V Westwood, dodged the anti-fur protestors (my vintage pelt - that's another story), dodged Pamela Anderson backstage at Dior with my pelt and bumped into Mickey from Eastenders (qu'est que c'est?), got invited to a charity dinner at the Intercontintental, sat next to Vogue's Harriet Quick at Wunderkind and got myself one more backstage blagging at Roland Mouret for tomorrow before I fly back home. Not bad considering I've spent the past three days since le fromage going to shows in converse and jeans, filing copy and going to bed at 7pm. Efficient. Moi? Mai oui! x

PFW - the Prequel

Bon Jour Paris! I've just landed, unpacked my bags and taken a quick tour of the 1er arrondissement. The good news is I am spitting distance from everything including the Louboutin press office which I somehow managed to find within two minutes of being here. The bad news is that the Leaving Cert French ain't what it used to be. If the look from the lady in the boulangerie is anything to go by, I need to brush up toute de suite. My many years of Italian keep seenping into my translation resulting in some very brusque requests. Repeat to self: Italian imperatives do not a good translation make. See: 'Give me the little pizza' or 'Tell me where the metro is' for courtesy cues. Good to know.

Anyhoo, Day One of Paris Fashion Week beckons as does some backstage access with Bumble and Bumble at Anne Valerie Hash and runway rubbernecking at Peachoo Krejberg, Estrella Archis and Fatima Lopes. À bientôt!

LFW Debrief / PFW Pre-brief

It's been a fierce few weeks. London Fashion Week was its usual fabulous frenzy with Paris only a stiletto-breadth away. In keeping with the frenetic pace, here are a few soundbytes from the tents:

Paul Costelloe was a charmer, John Rocha a genius fabric manipulator, Vivienne Westwood a comeback queen, Meadham Kirchoff pure rock gods, Osman Yousefzada definitely 'the one to watch', Nicola Roberts surprisingly soft-spoken, Kanye West virtually untouchable, David Walliams a terrible snub, Erin O'Connor a winsome beauty, Daisy Lowe more editorial than runway, Peaches Geldof a ubiquity, Jourdan Dunn divine, London traffic a headache, high heels a curse, Footlogics a lifesaver, my hotel a broadband black hole, Vauxhall Fashion Scout a safe haven with cookies and coffee, my suitcase overweight, the events schedule treble-booked, the bouncers at Topshop Unique and Marios Schwab major Nazis, my Blackberry Storm a piece of evil shiz and singer V V Brown an amazing discovery.

Loved every minute of it.