Here’s a few that I thought were quite interesting:

I have to say Alexa in Marc Jacobs dress and shirt and Tabitha Simmons shoes actually pulls off a very tricky outfit.  On anyone else this would look awful but her hair and face are so lovely that she actually saves it.  I still prefer her tux from last year though.

January Jones in Atelier Versace was possibly one of my favourites.  I absolutely love the colour and structure of the bodice.

I was a little bit unsure about this Prada dress when I first saw it but the more I looked at it the more I actually like it.  It suits Ms. Mulligans quirky style and the sequin detailing is so beautiful when the light hits it, a lovely modern mermaid!!  Love the hair also.

Jourdan Dunn and Cara Delevingne look amazing in Burberry.  I may just have to rip the studded gloves from Caras svelte arms and wear them myself.

It pains me to say this but just because its Beyonce in Givenchy doesn’t make it right.

I love the colour and polka dot pattern on this dress, plus it’s a great mid-length which is very in at the moment and that mid-length sleeve is super flattering for all you ladies with arm issues.

The knot and  gathering at the waist is so flattering and skims all your problem areas. I’m loving the green and peach colour combination.

I love the vibrant green leaf pattern of this Vero Moda dress, it’s a total bargain at twenty five euro!! It’ll look cute with tights and heels for a dinner date or worn with sandals on that sun hol.

Love the cute ruffle sleeve!

I could definitely see K-Middy rocking this interesting take on the classic wrap dress. perfect for all seasons.

That chequerboard pattern is fab and again the gathering at the side is so flattering for all body shapes.

Both these outfits are just gorgeous and bang on trend.  Coloured jeans and peplum dresses are so big right now!!

Myleene is rocking this beautiful stripey dress from Vila available in Carraig Donn stores now!!

I love that  feeling of discovering a new label or a new designer that really excites you visually and makes you want to snap up everything that they’ve created.  Samantha Kennedy Designs is one such designer. I had the pleasure of meeting this Cork based designer last week for a little chat and found that the woman behind this label did not disappoint, as well as having an outstanding creative flair she also turned out to be someone with an admirable work ethic and just an all round lovely person.  

Samantha graduated with a BA Hons Degree in Fashion Design from the West Wales School of the Arts in2010 where she also won student of the year for her collection “Molly Loves Bowie”.  What this small Welsh town may have lacked in wild student nights it was here that Samantha made some of her best friendships and also met her boyfriend.  She also gained invaluable experience styling for magazines such as Blown and London based Caris and for Arc End Clothing Company.  It is from this styling experience that she credits her design process, ” when I start any collection I can see the whole style that will go with it, I did my work experience in college in styling and when I got back here I got more into the making side so now when I design I see the whole finished look”.  Having completed her degree she moved back to Cork to focus on design and showed at the 2011 Cork fashion Week with her collection “Gypsy on Tour” before moving onto accessory design.  Initially this move was a commercial decision but as Samantha explains it was to prove a massively satisfying and successful move, “now that I’m doing accessories I’m glad to be doing them  as they’re so fun to do and also quicker to make which is important at the moment”.

Her bracelets have proved to be very popular with Etsy shoppers and bloggers alike and these beautiful one off pieces take between two and three hours to make. Samantha makes the straps first and like her clothing designs work on the successful principal of a simple silhouette with lavish embellishment.  She also makes belts, headbands and capes and would eventually love to move these headbands in the direction of the bridal market. Its easy to see how any bride would love these bespoke pieces for either herself or her bridesmaids and while she sees her designs as being more popular with fashionable, vintage interested women between 20 and 35 I could easily see her belts looking fab on an older customer adding interesting detail to perhaps a more classic outfit.

It’s clear to see that this is a label with major vintage influences and I was interested to hear that the 30′s & 40′s are Samantha’s favourite periods in time favouring their  pencil skirts and daydresses  but she also cites the silhoutte and music of the 1960′s as another influence as well as the 1980′s which she says was “such a costume party decade”.  The beading and found objects in her bracelets also hints at a love of fairytales and childhood fantasy.  With all this vintage influence it’s easy to imagine her muse and queen of the vintage dress Zooey Deschanel wearing one of her pieces.  Her own favourite piece is a vintage ankle length turquoise  dress with gold beading on the top from the fabulous online vintage boutique Elsa & Gogo, if you haven’t done so already I would highly recommend checking out this site by Olivia Murphy who has a marvellous eye for sourcing vintage gems.  While Samantha isn’t a major follower of catwalk trends she does like the current S/S pretty princess look seen at Louis Vuitton which sees oversized bows and collars in beautiful patel shades.  She counts Vivienne Westwood, Haider Ackermann, Anna Sui, Waterford based Bonzie and Ellis Boyle as inspiring modern designers whose work she greatly admires.

Another factor in her move to accessories was her online Etsy shop, like a lot of designers Samantha found it difficult to sell clothing online when trying to become an established designer and she hopes through her accessory line that she will gain all of this. With talks of a pop up shop in the future her main goal is ” a little shop in Cork city with my own designs, that’s the dream” and while she works in a pub part time at the moment she hopes that by the end of the year all going well she will be able to design full time. Samantha also keeps involved in the fashion scene in Cork and has taken part in numerous shows and vintage fashion fairs since her involvement in CFW 2011.  While she may have been nervous for that first show post graduation she’s a seasoned pro at this stage and will be taking part in a Brown Thomas Charity event in the Cork store on Saturday May 5th between 1 and 5pm where she and a handful of other designers will be showing costumes made out of surgical gear such as surgical tape, gowns and masks.  Her piece remains true to her aesthetics and were it not for the unusual material she assures me it could fit easily into her other collections.

Samantha was not always set for a life in the fashion industry and it wasn’t creativity alone that brought her to this stage in her career. She initially studied dance in college and it is here that she says she learnt about  discipline and her hard work ethic which is so admirable.  For any one considering a creative career she has this advice, ” it can be very disheartening at first, you’ve got to not only expect the hard work but put the hard work in.  Keep at it, for a while I wasn’t getting any feedback but find that one thing that will get peoples attention and it’ll start happening” .  Expect to hear a lot more from this designer in the near future folks!!

For more information on Samantha Kennedy Designs and to purchase her pieces please visit her Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/#!/samanthakennedydesigns.

via YouTube by YeahYeahYeahsVEVO

 My style crush for Karen O was re-awakend this weekend when I happened across this song of hers that I used to listen to all the time.  There is just so much immense style going on in this video, the red lip, blunt fringe, peek-a-boo pvc and studded leather jacket. Amazing!!

Coachella of course has the cream of Hollywood starlets in attendance and in keeping with the west coast look its all about fringing, florals and denim hotpants.  having attended my fair share of festivals I know how hard it is to marry style with practicality when you’re A.not in the sunny climes of California and B.not in a VIP enclosure but stuck out in a muddy field with overflowing portaloos and discarded mexican food conspiring to thwart you’re fab outfit. 

Here’s my pick of the bunch and essentially my fantasy festival wardrobe!

Diane Kruger so rarely puts a foot wrong, this outfit looks comfortable, stylish and practical.  I love the Isabel Marant style ankle boots and that cardie looks super snug, perfect for the chilly nights.

Kate Bosworth is without doubt the queen of Coachella, her festival wardrobe every year is totally lust worthy.  I love the boots, the little blousey jacket, the jewellery….essentially everything.  A stylish beau on the arm completes the look.

Vanessa Hudgens is a total boho chick at the best of times but she really comes into her own at festival time.  The shorts and little crop top are a super cute combo and she layers those necklaces like a pro.

There’s always one that doesn’t quite succeed in their festival look and I’m afraid Katy Perry that certain person is you.  The boots are way to heavy for the flimsy chiffon dress.  The dress itself looks ill-fitting and too short.  Epic fail!!

The first is Bill Cunningham New York which is based on the man who literally invented street style photography.  This will be of great interest to all you street style bloggers but also to anyone who loves a good story about a remarkable man. 

The outfits in here are absolutely amazing and features the likes of Anna Piaggi and Iris Apfel amongst others, it really shows New York street style at it’s absolute best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYqiLJBXbss

The second is Hearts & Crafts- The people that make Hermes.  Which is a wonderful look at craftsmanship at the legendary luxury leather goods company Hermes.  This had a very limited release so may be a tough one to find but well worth a look.

So pretty…not sure what kind of flowers these are, they look like large coloured daisies.

They came courtesy of

http://www.sakuraflowerscork.ie/ which has just moved into my neighbourhood, they’re right next to Cupcake Cottage near St. Johns College.  Both shops are a feast for the eyes, nose and tastebuds.

Loving the colour combos!!

I’ve also been loving my two new purchases….

I bought these rings in Topshop today, love the rings although upsettingly my fingers look like chipolatas.

Most of all I am seriously delighted with my new crafty purchase.  My dear friend Molly Ellis has set up her own company making needle felt and batique pieces.  You can peruse her work on

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Needle-Felting-Art/162767940498507

I was very excited to put this bad boy on my wall, it’s a pin board but I think it’s too pretty to stick things in.

This is shown as part of the Cork Lifelong Learning Festival and also as a preview to the ucoming exhibition The Sacred Modernist: Josef Albers as a Catholic Artist (4April- 8 July). 

This documentary features interviews with their personal friends and is the first and only time their work has been viewed in tandem.

See you there!

Nothing gets you in a spring mood like brightly coloured flowers.  Hayfever, smayfever, it’s worth the constant sneezing to have a gander in here.  I’ve got my Kleenex Balsam in my bag, ready to go!!

Candelabras and bunting, it really can’t get much better.

This is such a cute and simple idea for easter and very easy to recreate.  I’ll definitely be making one of these, perhaps with chocolate eggs!

The Flower Studio also hosts the Design Studio which features such gems as these fab brightly coloured hens and patterned tea pots.  You can find the Flower studio on Douglas street and I would definitely recommend popping in here for the best chai latte in town.

Michelle Williams has been my number one all awards season.  This Louis Vuitton gown is so striking, Michelle looks like a beautiful coral mille feuille and pulls off the ever tricky peplum.  Every dress she has worn has been so unique and really shows she’s an actress that knows her own style.

Gwyneth Paltrow looks sleek and sexy in Tom Ford.  Not many women could pull off a cape on the red carpet but Ms. Paltrow is so statuesque she really nails it and has accessorised it perfectly.

This is a lesson in how to perfectly dress great curves, pay special attention to the waist detailing.  Octavia Spencer’s Tadashi Shoji gown really highlights her hourglass figure and the white looks amazing on her.  She’s worn Tadashi Shoji all awards season and it’s a look that really suits her.

Now I’m really between two minds on good old J-Lo.  You can’t say she looks bad but I personally think this look is a bit tacky.  Slashed to the torso bling and a scraped back top knot seem to be the singer/actresses default look.  I also believe Jennifer suffered a wardrobe malfunction when her nip popped out on the red carpet.  J-Lo was also presenting an award so let’s just be thankful she didn’t pull a Judy Finnigan and pop out on stage. 

Oh Sandra, it seems you may have left it too late to have your final fitting.  This Marchesa gown looks totally ill fitting and the waist detailing is too low to be flattering….dislike.

I don’t know what it is but I just really don’t like this Versace gown on Angelina Jolie.  She’s so slim that the heavy fabric and structure seems to swamp her and those limbs are scary scrawny.  However Angelina your hair and make-up is beautiful.