Diarmuid & Grainne

So proud of my first six page editorial shoot which I styled in Kerry based on the Irish legend Diarmuid & Grainne . I was very lucky to have my best friend and designer on board who designed all the outfits. I would also like to say a huge thanks to all involved who without them the shoot would'nt have been possible. So happy with the results, thanks guys!!

 Check out the Corkonian Magazine for the article written on the shoot.

Photgrapher: Miki Barlok, http://www.barlokphoto.com/
Stylist: Kate Slattery
Designer: Grainne O'Connor
Hair Stylist: Ashling O'Sullivan of Velvet Bow
Make-Up Artist: Roisin Hurley, http://www.roisinhurley.com/
Models: Linda O'Sullivan ( http://www.lockdown.ie/) & Martin Brosnan.
Location: Carrig House,Ring of Kerry http://www.carrighouse.com/

A Fearless Female

The Lovers Elope

The Beauty Sleeps

Seduction

Love Conquers All

A Broken Heart

GRACELAND

She has red hair and pale skin just like me, only difference is, she is American Vogue’s creative director of the past 20 years!!!! She creates some of fashions most enduring pictures- fantastical, romantic and softly nostalgic images that transport and inspire the reader, and still make them want to buy the clothes. She once said "I like fairy tales, and I like dreaming. I try to weave the reality into the dream, when readers pick up Vogue, I want them to smile. Everything should be a little tongue in cheek, a little dare-to-go-there." The Lady I am in awe of is the one and only Grace Coddington.

Grace won a Vogue modelling contest at eighteen and headed off to London from her hometown of Anglesey, a remote Welsh island. Abandoning a highly lucrative career as a leading model on the sixties London scene (alongside such swinging contemporaries as Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton), Coddington signed on at British Vogue in 1968 as a junior fashion editor. Within no time she established herself on the other side of the camera, coordinating photoshoots with the likes of Cecil Beaton, Sarah Moon, David Bailey, Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin. Grace continued her panoramic romanticism at British Vogue until 1987, when Calvin Klein hired her to be his design director. She then set sail for American Vogue the following year and became the creative director in 1995, a position she still holds today. Grace became famous over night when RJ Cutler placed Grace at the centre of his documentary in 2009 “The September Issue “ which was based on the making of the Vogue September Issue '07, after which she became a household name.

Grace creates a short story with each shoot, narrative epics that are artistic, enchanting and gloriously detailed. Anne Wintour, the editor-in-chief of American Vogue spoke on Grace’s work “The ways she works is so meticulous, and planned out, it’s not like she turns up on the day of the shoot and just expects the magic to happen. Grace has it all worked out beforehand. She always says it’s all about the casting, but it’s all about everything as Grace is concerned. She doesn’t leave much to chance.”

Examples of her work below... Which more than speak for themselves....

Urban Turban

If you open up any magazine, words such as tribal, ethnic, safari crowd the fashion pages. Fashion went global in Spring/Summer 2009 with Yves Saint Laurent's legendary safari jump suits. Since then we have seen many manifestations of these trends splashed all over the catwalks from tribal prints at Dries Van Noten to Rodartes warrior woman inspired collection for Spring/Summer 2010.


But if you set your minds back to 2007 to Prada’s Spring/Summer collection of colourful turbans, one must question if this was this not the start of the frenzy towards merging different cultures and fashion, the start of the adventurer mood in clothes.

Back in 2007, it seemed like every fashionable head was swathed in one of Prada's hip silk turbans. When Kate Moss was seen sporting a metallic Marc Jacobs dress with a gold turban to the MET 2009 Costume Gala, it was thought a turban wave was going to hit the streets. Many celebrities dared to brave the look, such as Nicole Richie, Ashley Olsen and Kate Bosworth but after the big hype turbans seemed to disappear....

But all of a sudden out of nowhere turbans are back, and are going to be bigger and better than ever. The conservative turban is looking to be the up and coming trend in hair accessories for Summer and Winter 2010. Inspired by the Sex and the City 2 movie, Sarah Jessica Parker pulls of this trend fabulously, pairing a Halston Heritage dress with a multi coloured striped turban designed by David Jon Acosta for Gold Saturn. David has taken this vintage look and made it new again by creating “Turbands” (a combination of “headband” and “turban) - giving the trend another shot.

Turbans have also featured recently in Vogue, Harpers Bazaar and Marie Claire for Spring/Summer 2010. Erin O’Connor posed for Harper's Bazaar Russia, April edition dressed in an exotic mix, complete with turbans, harem pants and elegant draping. In Marie Claire Italy March edition, entitled "Retro Futurista”, turban meets tribal for Spring /Summer 2010, mixing classic revivals with current trends.

Miss Cork Maedhbh Kelly

Last week was a very exciting week styling the current Miss Cork, Maedhbh Kelly from the Lockdown Agency in Cork
( http://www.lockdown.ie/) for her Portfolio. Maedhbh is taking part in the Miss Universe Ireland competition organised by Andrea Roche, which is being held in Dublin on the 9th of July. 

Best of Luck Maedhbh, we are all routing for you.... 

Stockist- Style for Life, Grafton Mall, Cork City

 

Stockist- Style for Life, Grafton Mall, Cork City

Stockists, Pennys, Patrick Street, Cork City

Stockist- Amity, French Church Street, Cork city

 

Designer- Susie Sweeney ( www.facebook.com/susiesweeney)

Stockist- Style for Life, Grafton Mall, Cork City

 

Photography by Miki Barlok,www.barlokphoto.com

Styled by Kate Slattery

Make-up - Smashbox, Debenhams

Hair- Sobe Brown

Location- Sheraton Fota

Glamour is Sophistication, Paris is its Capital

When I came across Louis Vuitton's collection by Marc Jacobs for Paris Fashion week, I felt a sudden flurry of excitement.

Visions of wide swing skirts, elegant halternecks, accessorised with elbow-length gloves, bow-trimmed shoes, and vintage style handbags, got my toes tingling at the thoughts of getting all "Dressed up". Marc Jacobs said it best himself when he explained that he created this "Collection for Women", those "who love the luxury of what it is to be a woman, enjoy getting dressed and made up and have their bags and their beautiful shoes"

Jacobs updates this fifties look using trends which are current today, keeping the look fresh, matching unusual colour combinations, clashing fabrics such as tweed with velvet, fur-trims on knits, and lace over rose-print.

The show included models of all sizes, ages and ethnic backgrounds. Elle Macpherson, 46 closed the show in an amazing gown and showed them all how it was done, the return of the Supermodel!

The eighties made its come back in the naughties with Balmain's reinvention of the shoulder Pad, can Marc Jacobs do the same for the fifties, I hope so.....

Why not get ahead of the trend, and bounce into summer with a swing skirt in floral, cute blouse and little cardi. If you don’t fancy looking like something that just stepped out of a fifties commercial, vamp up with open toe booties .

Headscarves- How Simple

Say yes to headscarves for Spring/Summer 2010...The plait is the key hair trend for the season ....To change up the look simply intertwine plaits with a bright coloured scarf for a fresh summer look. Safari, Tribal and Florals are all huge trends for spring summer, why not make them your own using headscarves....

TRIBAL

SAFARI

FLORAL

Go all out 40’s wartime

Festival time is approaching and what better way to hide that untamed hair

Or get in the mood and go all out "Rock n Roll"

The headscarf trend is set to continue into Autumn/Winter 2010....But this time, vintage is the name of the game... Wear it Audry Hepburn style to add a bit of tongue and cheek .. Choose headscarves with contrasting patterns and colours to that of your outfit to bring this trend into the Tensies.

Button Up

Ok Ladies.... First you ask “Socks & Sandals" and now we have blouses buttoned up to the chin!

A huge trend for Spring/Summer 2010 with the look hitting the catwalk in Miu Miu's Spring 2010 collection. If you are like me and love this look, good news - as this trend is set to continue into fall 2010 going by Jason Wu's Fall collection

Miu Miu Sping 2010

                                                             

          Jason Wu Fall 2010

I'll definitely be trying out this trend for summer... I like the idea of teaming a flower shirt (buttoned up of course) with a cute pleated skirt or denim short shorts ... Go that extra step to complete the Geek Chic look by wearing a quirky pendant out over the top button...I particularly love the ship pendant by Topshop

                                                    

    Ship Pendant- Topshop