Page 32
Irish Daily Mail, Monday, March 17, 2008
FLIPPERS NO, not anything to do with aquatics, ‘flipper’ is a clever amalgamation of slipper and flip-flop — a ‘slip-slop’ if you prefer. Whatever you call it, glamour puss Eva Longoria was slouching around in the Ugg version the other day, so expect sales to rocket.
WINGING IT AVIAN print attire is, it appears, all the rage. Just this week we’ve spotted pretty birdprint dresses in Topshop and New Look. Perfectly in tune with the spring vibe, flit in and take a look before they all fly off the rails — they’re going cheep.
SPARKLING VODKA FORGET your Cristal, the latest musthave tipple among the drinking cognoscenti is sparkling vodka. Vodka O2 was the first one on the scene, but now hip-hop king Dr Dre is teaming up with a U.S. drinks company to make his own version. Could the champagne bubble be about to pop?
BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS SUDDENLY Britney, Christina and J-Lo have all started to seem very early noughties as a new breed of female star who’s younger, less imageobsessed and more intelligent emerges. The combined forces of Duffy, Amy Macdonald, Kate Nash (right) and Adele give us hope for the future of music.
AGEING ACTION HEROES SYLVESTER STALLONE (left) back as Rambo, Harrison Ford reprising Indiana Jones — come in, guys, your time is up. Our action heroes just aren’t meant to be withered by age.
BLOOMERS WHEN it comes to taking inspiration from Victoriana, fashion has not been shy. But corsets are one thing; billowing bloomers are quite another. Spotted on the Miu Miu catwalk, they’re being touted as the key to keeping your modesty with spring/summer’s supershort dresses. Hmm, we’re not so sure — the ultimate pants that make our bums look big.
A NEW CONCE
Forget sprawling department stores packed with endless brands,concept stores — ruthlessly focused on one key style —are what’s hot,says JO BLYTHE POTRERO HILL DUBLIN got its own concept boutique in September, in the form of Potrero Hill, just off shopping hub Grafton Street. The store was founded by Canadian architect Robynn Clarke. ‘We tried to create a welcoming, edgy space that aspires to a creative, but sophisticated look, as though you got to shop in a very cool girl’s apartment,’ says Clarke. ‘It’s not only great products, but the ideology: we naturally gravitate to things we are inspired by, or enjoy. It’s about the experience of shopping.’ THE VIBE: Girly, but with cutting-edge cool. THE PRODUCTS: International stationary, clothing, furniture and accessories brands. ‘We source design-inspired items from Sweden, Italy, Japan, France, New York, Brussels and Sydney,’ says Clarke. ‘Beautiful, modern, classic items that you can have in your closet or on your shelf for ever.’
HOT ITEM: ‘We just started selling Danish carpets from a company called hay. They are the most amazing colours and textures — heavenly.’
MUST BUYS: Les Prairies de Paris, Travota, Ba&sh, Alexander Wang, American Vintage.
■ POTRERO HILL, Royal Hibernian Way, Dawson Street, Dublin 2, www.potrerohill-shop.com
SEAGREEN IMAGINE your perfect store — the quirkiest threads, the best accessories, the coolest café with the kind of eats that won’t leave you feeling guilty. Then take a trip to Sarah Gill’s Seagreen in Monkstown and see if they match. Bet they do. This wonderful store takes up two floors on picturesque Monkstown Crescent. Based in a former coachhouse still bearing the original stonework, the entire store has a gallery feel. Downstairs houses the café, clothing store, accessories, cosmetics and gifts. Upstairs is now given over entirely to interiors, which is kitted out in style. The store was launched by one-time communications executive Sarah, who hails from Ennis, Co. Clare, in November 2006. Although Monkstown
may not seem like the first choice for such a store, Sarah says it was intentional. ‘For me, Monkstown was ideal because
MINOR FASHION WEEKS BELFAST Fashion Week? Liverpool Fashion Week? Los Angeles Fashion Week? With the likes of Nicky Hilton and Laguna Beach star Lauren Conrad showcasing lines, it looks like an ego trip to us. Undoubtedly, there are great designers out there, but if it ain’t Paris, Milan or New York, does anyone really care?
MULTIPURPOSE BRAS WHEN we saw a bra that doubled as a hip flask, we thought we’d seen it all. Now the Japanese have come up with a bra that contains extra padding which can be converted into a shopping bag. We’re all for banning the plastic bag, but this is ridiculous.
MICROZINE MICROZINE started life five years ago as the brainchild of founder Chris Lee. The former creative director at Reebok wanted to create a store which had everything from the best designer chair to the hottest limited edition trainers, denim and even toys. ‘I loved lads’ magazines in the 1990s. They introduced men to the hottest products, from fashion to gadgets and music. I wanted to create a store which did the same thing,’ says Lee. Two years later, he moved to Liverpool and created Microzine, an 8,000 sq ft store
in a stunning Art Deco building. In April it gained a London sister store off Carnaby Street. VIBE: Streetwise cool with a great cafe. THE CLOTHES: Hard-to-find streetwear, limited edition sportswear. WHAT’S HOT: Stella McCartney for Adidas, Hudson Jeans. MUST BUYS: Canada Goose parkas. ■ MICROZINE, 65-67 Bold St, Liverpool, 0044 151 709 7282; 2 Kingly Court, Carnaby St, London W1, www.microzine.co.uk
it was that bit out of town. It was by the sea and people could get parking — it’s not about a fast purchase.’ VIBE: Edgy urbanite with a smart fashion sense. THE CLOTHES: The clothing includes accessible pieces by Paul & Joe and J Brand jeans, with key directional items by Anna Sui, Yeo Jin Bae and accessories by Pauric Sweeney and Lara Bohinc. WHAT’S HOT: The café menu — worth the trip in itself. MUST BUYS: Catherine Malandrino’s collection or any of the unique pieces by Yeo Jin Bae. ■ SEAGREEN, 11a-12a The Crescent, Monkstown, Co. Dublin, 01 202 0130, www.seagreen.ie
Daily Mail, Monday, March 17, 2008
Page 53
LIFE style
EPT IN SHOPPING PETIT AIMÉ TEN years ago, sisters Val and Vanda Heng-Vong (half-French, halfCambodian) found themselves in London with none of their favourite French labels available. Their solution? Cult Notting Hill concept store Aimé, a Parisian-style West London destination boutique packed with hard-to-find French labels, furniture and homewares. A decade later the store is still going strong, but the sisters — now parents — found it difficult to track down the children’s wear they liked. Step forward Petit Aimé, which launched last week. The boutique is set over two floors selling children’s toys, furnishings, fashion and accessories. It caters to children up to ten years old and is drawing a huge fan base, including Notting Hill local Claudia Schiffer.
Luco, Isabel Marant and Noro among many others. The store also stocks a complete lifestyle range from toys to furniture. WHAT’S HOT: Accessories and dolls by artist Apolline.
VIBE: Parisian chic, in an easy-going hip way. ‘It’s smart, but relaxed. We wanted to create somewhere children felt comfortable,’ says Val Heng-Vong of the store which has grey wood floors and vintage furniture.
MUST BUYS: Left-bank inspired hippy chic from French label Luco, and exclusive pieces by Isabel Marant. ■ PETIT Aimé, 34 Ledbury Road, London W11, 020 7221 7070.
THE CLOTHES: Bon-Ton, Oona l’Ourse,
DOVER STREET THE Dover Street Market in London was launched in 2004 by Rei Kawakubo (of Japanese fashion label Comme des Garcons) and her husband Adrian Joffe. The market, a five-storey centre for art, jewellery, fashion and design, has become a destination for hip fashion lovers, and is a rugged loft-style fixture amid Mayfair’s fusty galleries. ‘I wanted to come up with a kind of market where creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos,’ says Kawakubo, who is also creative director. VIBE: Car park chic, literally. Unfinished sparse concrete interiors, blinding industrial lighting, angular chipboard benches and stainless steel lifts.
THE CLOTHES: Pared down, quirky. Independent designers, mixed with major labels. WHAT’S HOT: Comme des Garcons along with exclusive pieces by Raf Simons, Jan de Cock, Judy Blame, Hiroshi Fujiwara and Undercover. The store is home to LA vintage concession Decades, selling key
archive pieces by Herve Leger, Chanel and Ossie Clark. (Renee Zellweger is a fan of Decades’ LA flagship.) MUST BUYS: Jewellery by Judy Blame. ■ DOVER Street Market, 17-18
Dover Street, London W1, www.doverstreetmarket.com.
AUGUSTINA
Picture: SCOPE FEATURES
CANADIAN-BORN Cristina Burgess has an international vision for her cult concept boutique Augustina. London’s Knightsbridge store opened a year ago, as the sister to the Augustina flagship in Toronto. It houses up-and-coming designers, hip accessories brands, small-run perfumes and jewellery boxes, with an emphasis on U.S.-based labels not available in Britain. Augustina Toronto was launched in 2002, and today the store counts Kate Hudson, the Olsen twins and Liv Tyler among its fans. ‘It’s for women who know their own style, have a knowledge of trends and luxury, but don’t need to have a well-known label. The design and quality speaks for itself,’ says Burgess, who ensures Augustina is an It-bag-free zone. THE VIBE: Polished A-list style from up-and-coming labels. THE CLOTHES: Accessories by Gryson (former Marc Jacobs accessories designer Joy Gryson), B. Romanek (Demi Moore and
Courteney Cox are fans) and hotly tipped Devi Kroell. Jewellery ranges include Me&Ro and Becky Kelso. Burgess has also created a line of jewellery boxes, scents and candles. ‘It’s much more fun to shop in concept stores,’ she says. ‘You have a certain freedom buying for a concept store, too. I found these awesome over-sized
towels which I bought because they totally spoke to our consumer.’ WHAT’S HOT: Soon-to-land Devi Kroell python bags. MUST BUYS: Augustina is expanding its fragrance range to body oil, shower gel and perfume oil rollers. ■ AUGUSTINA, 11 West Halkin Street, London SW1, www.augustinaboutiques.com.