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Style council: Designers in display of fashion initiative

Model Agneta Mukauskaite wears a pink silk and cashmere cardigan with gold crochet cuff over a turquoise cashmere and lambswool dress with a set of matching scarves by designer Heather Finn (left) at the Loft in the Powerscourt Centre, Dublin, at a fashion show that coincided with a briefing by the Council of Irish Fashion Designers yesterday. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien

DEIRDRE McQUILLAN, Fashion Editor

‘SIXTEEN IRISH fashion designers, members of the recently formed Council of Irish Fashion Designers, yesterday unveiled a small preview of their winter collections in the Loft in the Powerscourt Centre, Dublin, along with a number of forthcoming promotional fashion initiatives.

Eddie Shanahan, chairman and co-founder with designer Eilis Boyle, said the council aimed to be an authoritative voice with State agencies, retailers, the media and other industries. “We are offering a forum for people in the business to explore common problems and opportunities,” he said.

Those showing items from their winter collections ranged from knitters Lucy Downes, Heather Finn and Edmund McNulty with diverse and sophisticated approaches to yarn, to couturier Jen Kelly with his elaborate handmade silk and velvet ballgowns, award-winning Delphine Grandjouan’s bijou lace dresses and Richard Lewis’s signature jerseys. Newcomer Sinéad Doyle fused corsetry and tweed while Emma Kate Manley brought a modern urbanity to studded leather and jersey ensembles. Read More…

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Guaranteed Irish: Cream of the Irish fashion crop

By Bairbre Power
Saturday Aug 27 2011

‘I love the way Irish designers fight back. They just get on with it, dealing with tough trading times by encouraging each other’s creativity and sharing wisdom and contacts…

..Case in point is quirky and affordable knitwear designer Heather Finn from Galway. Her new collection is supremely tactile, with fab pieces in 100pc cashmere and silk. Glorious to touch, Heather’s knitwear delivers welcome pops of colour. The pieces layer up brilliantly, including smart styles for the office and casual cores for weekend looks.’ Read more…

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Project 51 opening this Thursday

Join us between 5pm and 8pm this Thursday (11th of August 2011) for a glass of wine and a sneak preview of Project 51.

‘Project 51 is a design collective / luxury boutique at 51 South William street, with High End Irish Fashion, Jewelery, Millinery and Accessories. Featuring capsule collections, international exhibitions as well as creative cross-disciplinary collaborations.

The consumer will be supporting the Irish Fashion Industry by buying directly from the designers, and appointments can be made to meet designers in the commissioning room in the studios above the boutique.’

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Secret Pop Up Shop in Ranelagh Arts Centre

SECRET POP-UP SHOP
@ RANELAGH ARTS CENTRE

Pop by Ranelagh Arts Centre this weekend for an exciting pop-up shop! Come explore fabulous hand-crafted fashion and jewellery in this creative hub.

Designers Heather Finn, Ali Nash and Ruth Griffin will be on hand with their hand-knitted cashmere, precious jewels and vintage treasures.

Mingle with the makers, sip prosecco and find hidden gems this Friday 8th of July from 6-8pm. Or drop by Saturday 9th of July or Sunday 10th of July 10-6pm.

WHO: Designers Heather Finn, Ali Nash & Ruth Griffin
WHAT: Fashion & Jewellery Pop-up
WHERE: Ranelagh Arts Centre, 26 Ranelagh Main Street, Dublin 6
WHEN:For one weekend only 8th-10th July 2011

www.ranelaghartscentre.org

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Designer Dublin Craft Trail – Visit my studio!

I’m taking part in the Designer Dublin Craft Trail. Design studios and craft workshops are opening their doors to the public on Friday, June 10th, as part of an ambitious plan to put the capital’s artisans and designers into the spotlight. View map and brochure here!

The Designer Dublin ‘Craft Studio Trail’ is made up of twenty one studios and workshops, dotted along both sides of the city centre. With sculpture, fashion, jewellery, millinery, accessories and homeware craft studios all taking part, the public are invited to take a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at the designers at work, between 5pm to 8pm on June 10th.

The free event is being organised by the Dublin City Enterprise Board as part of the 2011 Year of Craft celebrations and 10,000 full colour maps of the Craft Studio Trail are now being distributed through city hotels and tourist offices. The trail map is also available to download from the Designer Dublin website at www.designerdublin.ie and organisers are encouraging the public to hop on a Dublin bike, where possible, to go from studio to studio.

“Designer Dublin aims to highlight the work of contemporary artisans in the city, bringing affordable craft and design to the people and visitors of Dublin,” said Eibhlin Curley, Assistant CEO of the Dublin City Enterprise Board and one of the main organisers behind the initiative. She added: “To encourage as many people as possible to visit studios along the trail, the designers are organising a prize draw for customers, with over €1,300 worth of craft and design pieces to be won. Many of the designers and makers are also offering discounts of between 10% to 25% to shoppers that evening, so it’s an ideal time to buy, or to commission, a piece of  Irish craft.”