FASHION | CANNES DO ATTITUDE

It’s Cannes Film Festival Week and, to celebrate, I’ve taken a step back in time to some of the best dresses from the red carpets of La Croisette and beyond over the years. Do these match with your faves? For the record, I think my all-time favourite is Lupita N’yongo’s green pleated Gucci number from Cannes 2015. Gloriously gorgeous!

Do these match with your faves?

Bridget Bargot - 1953 & 1956

1955 - Iconic Sophia Lauren

Elizabeth Taylor - 1957

Princess Diana - 1987

Kate Moss - 1998

Movie Stars

Models, Musicians & Socialites

SNEAK PEEK: WHY I'M EXCITED FOR THE ULSTER UNIVERSITY GRADUATE FASHION SHOW!

There is nothing I love more than celebrating creative fashion design! For some bloggers their passion is High Street fashion, for others it’s all about designer labels, but my passion lies with the creative process and craftsmanship involved in fashion design. From the initial concept right through to the final product, I have always ardently admired the creative flair, talent and dedication needed to be a successful fashion designer. Here in Northern Ireland we have a such a strong creative heritage and I am always so excited to see what our up and coming design students are producing as part of their final projects.

One of the highlights of my fashion calendar is always the Ulster University Graduate Fashion Show and this year the future faces of fashion design will be descending upon the city’s cathedral for their highly-anticipated annual Graduate Fashion Show!

The event, which will take place at St Anne’s Cathedral on Friday 19 May, will showcase the creative and innovative flair of Ulster University’s fashion and textile design students, giving them an invaluable platform to showcase their collections as they take their first steps towards their fashion careers.

I have had the privilege of attending this show now for many years and I am always blown away by the creative talent of the graduating students, who continue year after year to both amaze and inspire me. I love the funky venues and the atmosphere of the show, which is organized by the students themselves. For anyone who is interested in diverse design it truly is a night to remember!

Every year we are treated to an array of design diversity across a multitude of textile disciplines, and this year I am so happy to share a sneak peek at some of my favourite looks from this year’s show!

Knitwear makes a strong statement this year from sexy see through fine gauge knit dresses to appliqué jumpers and knitted tailoring, there is a welcome mix of textures and colours on display adding interest to modern silhouettes!

Design by Abbie Walsh.

Design by Abbie Walsh.

Design by Emma Benson.

Design by Emma Benson.

Design by Glenda Hawkes.

Design by Glenda Hawkes.

An exploration of texture is always a welcome trend, from faux fur to mesh and sheer paneling, and this year it is popping up in everything from sports luxe to eveningwear! A welcome reinterpretation of styles and shapes, these designs create interest through the interplay of colour, texture and tailoring. I especially loved Anna McNeill’s collection, mixing raw hems with cut outs, mesh detailing and sheer fabrics creating interest through texture.

Design by Anna McNeill.

Design by Anna McNeill.

Design by Ellen Hawthorn.

Design by Ellen Hawthorn.

Design by Annemarie McLoughlin

Design by Annemarie McLoughlin

This Spring/Summer saw an explosion of ruffles hit the catwalk and this too can be said of the graduate collections, with Jamie Kerr’s breathtaking pink ruffle dress! Everything about this design is lush, with some seriously fabulous bodice detailing, it is the stuff that girly fashion dreams are made off!

While Lusia Murray has taken a very different approach to the trend creating an almost Asian inspired take on ruffles, creating a beautiful balance of both volume and clean minimal lines.

Design by Jamie Kerr

Design by Jamie Kerr

Design by Lusia Murray.

Design by Lusia Murray.

Last but by no means least we have Anna Thompson and Rhys Harris, who both have interesting takes on pattern. I love the backless detailing in Anna’s look and I for one cannot wait to discover the mystery behind the QR codes of Rhys Harris’ tunic top!

Design by Anna Thompson

Design by Anna Thompson

Design by Rhys Harris

Design by Rhys Harris

It’s been so inspiring to see some of the upcoming collections from this year’s graduates, and I for one cannot wait to see the rest of the student’s collections. The spectacle of seeing their designs in a show setting will make for a wonderful evening and is the accumulation of many months of hard work and dedication on the part of the students.

Hair will be styled by multi-award-winning stylist Andrew Mulvenna Hair while Paddy McGurgan’s Make Up Pro team will create the make-up looks. The addition of Northern Ireland’s leading creatives in these fields as sponsors really adds to the world-class level of show that the students will create!

Tickets are on sale now at just £15 per ticket via: https://getinvited.to/festivalartdes/ulster-university-graduate-fashion-show-2017

The ticket price includes a fab Gin Fusions cocktail along with Skinny Prosecco.

This blog is guest submitted by Louise Vance and first appeared on the Real Elle Woods blog http://the-real-elle-woods.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/catwalk-preview-ulster-university.html

STYLEWATCH | BELFAST FASHIONWEEK

Who better than the director of West Coast Cooler FASHIONWEEK to pick the best dressed audience members at the shows? The Belfast Times team has handed over the fashion reins to #BossLady Cathy Martin to choose the super stylistas at the shows last month in the latest edition of our #STYLEWATCH… Here goes:

It’s not often I get out to the main lobby to speak to and mingle with our audience members before the show. Usually there is something to deal with backstage, be it a diva drama or a wardrobe malfunction - or even a print error (which actually happened this season, regrettably, rendering our Friday night programmes unusable - we’re sorry!), but this season I made some time to mingle with both our corporate guests and the groups of friends, squads of stylistas and couples who meandered into our events in their droves.  

The style on show was totally incredible - we loved the corset belts, the colour popping galore and some really fab florals - in jumpsuits, dresses and blouses, even some floral embroidered jeans. There were loads of stripes, gingham and fashionista fave - black - in spades, of course. These are my favourite looks from across all shows - did you make the cut? Some people made it twice!

I’ll be style watching again for at the University of Ulster Fashion Graduates show on 19 May in St Anne’s Cathedral - so get your glam on if you’re coming along!

See you next time

Cathy x

Joanne Hynes | A Rousseau Rendezvous launches exclusively at Dunnes Stores

Renowned Irish fashion designer Joanne Hynes unveiled her second collection for Irish retailer Dunnes Stores this morning. The highly anticipated collection is limited to just three stores (Stephen’s Green, Grafton Street and Cornelscourt) and online at dunnesstores.com It was a virtuoso kaleidoscope of colour, with bright limes and citrus pops mixed with tropical prints and textured beads and furs. One of my favourite pieces was a reversible pink fur coat with a shearling/suede effect on the reverse side, but I also loved the bell sleeved dresses in bold red and navy stripes.

 To launch the collection, Joanne hosted a breakfast followed by a catwalk presentation in the Stephen’s Green store for press and customers. The event took place within the fresh fruit and veg aisles, which were customised with giant inflatables and flowers to tie in with the jungle theme of the collection. We arrived to the sounds of the jungle and enjoyed a tropical breakfast before the show started.

Joanne commented regarding the collaboration ‘This collection is an homage to the adventures of Henry Rousseau who dreamed of a tropical jungle. I was inspired by journeys that I never had into the world of Rousseau; using fashion as a fantasy.’

Dunnes Stores has become a powerful platform for established and upcoming Irish designers. Joanne is in the company of Paul Costelloe, Carolyn Donnelly, Leigh Tucker, Helen James, Brendan Courtney, Sonya Lennon, Paul Galvin and Francis Brennan - all of whom design exclusive collections for the retailer.

I managed to pick myself up a fab beaded collar at the launch and wore it to host FASHIONWEEK just after.

STYLEWATCH | MAXMARA

As I mentioned in a previous blog, one of the biggest events on Ireland’s social calendar in the first half of 2017 was an exclusive fashion show by luxury Italian design house Max Mara, as it brought its full Spring/Summer 2017 collection from the catwalks of Milan to Belfast City Hall in support of leading learning disability charity Positive Futures. I was more than delighted to be part of the management team for this event, producing the show alongside the creative director Andreas Stavrou from BaByliss and Nina Walls, owner of the Max Mara store in Belfast, who put on the show.

Here I take a look at who wore what to this event - and there were definitely some super stylish ladies in the audience. And the best dressed wore Max Mara. Of course!

The event was hosted by kind permission of the Right Hon the Lord Mayor Alderman Brian Kingston, who supports Positive Futures and make up for the show was by Charlotte Tilbury with hair by international session stylist Richard Phillipart for BaByliss. 

All photography courtesy of Brendan Gallagher

FROM ITALY TO IRELAND - MAX MARA BRINGS MILAN SHOW TO BELFAST

One of the biggest events on Ireland’s social calendar in the first half of 2017 was an exclusive fashion show by luxury Italian design house Max Mara, as it brought its full Spring/Summer 2017 collection from the catwalks of Milan to Belfast City Hall in support of leading learning disability charity Positive Futures. I was more than delighted to be part of the management team for this event, producing the show alongside the creative director Andreas Stavrou from BaByliss.

The event was hosted by kind permission of the Right Hon the Lord Mayor Alderman Brian Kingston, who supports Positive Futures and make up for the show was by Charlotte Tilbury with hair by international session stylist Richard Phillipart for BaByliss. 

Nina Walls, owner of the Max Mara store in Belfast, commented: “The fashion show was inspired by architect, designer and intellectual Lina Bo Bardi in a fusion of creative, radical passion. Bo Bardi was a woman with a vision years ahead of her time who embodied Latin America’s compelling take on modernism; at once rational and sensual, sleek and luxuriant, athletic and sultry, hi-tech and artisanal. For modern women with big ideas, the Max Mara Spring Summer 2017 collection proposes a new blend of voluptuous modernity: intelligent, audacious, sexy fashion with a lifespan as long as Bo Bardi’s designs.”

The collection oozed international appeal, with tropical prints and hi-tech fabrics alongside wooden clogs and visors.

Bo Bardi was connected to Tropicalia, the avant-garde cultural movement whose touchstone was the ultimate exotic icon, Carmen Miranda. The eponymous 1968 album “Tropicália: ou Panis et Circensis” by a group of artists including Bardi’s friends, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Gal Costa, was a landmark musical manifesto and makes for a soundtrack that swings to Max Mara’s chica boom beat.

Design is often said to be about pulling order out of chaos but Bo Bardi wasn’t all scared of letting chaos in. Her quasi-brutalist concrete and plate glass structures would be incomplete without the rainforest that grows around (and through them). The profuse flora and fauna that she adored inspire lush prints, sliced into patchworks that echo the precise geometry of her architecture. Torn layers of propaganda posters echo the tumult of design, culture and politics into which Bo Bardi threw herself.

Bo Bardi created some mouth-watering design classics. The ‘Bola de Latao’ chairs she installed in her home, ‘Casa de Vidro’, look as good today as they did in 1951, in wellworn tan leather, with restrained saddle stitching - which appears too on luxe suedes, double faces and the new BoBag.

Like Max Mara, Bo Bardi loved those traditional leather crafts, but she embraced new technology too. Max Mara borrows high performance jerseys and nylons from the sports arena for glamorous bodycon dresses, bodies and combinations with heat sealed construction. A structured mesh gives a hi-tech makeover to Max Mara’s own design icon, the 101801. Shiny new Lina sunglasses and Bardi-esque wooden soled techno-clogs completed the look.

All in all one of the best international collection fashion shows I’ve seen in Ireland.

All photographs courtesy of Stephen Potter

FAMILY | LITTLE PEOPLE MAKING BIG FASHION STATEMENTS

This article also featured in NI4Kids Magazine & www.NI4kids.co.uk  

The new season is here, and with it, a spring in its fashionable step.  In this week’s blog I talk prepping your littleuns’ wardrobes for some serious summer fun.

I’m sure, like me, many of you are in Whatsapp or Facebook Messenger chats with other parents who share stories as well as parenting tips and life hacks. Mine are quite often hilarious, but also offer some serious tit-bits of info and advice that I have found to be invaluable at certain times.

One thing we’re all talking about at the minute is summer schemes, Easter activities and February half term to-dos. And as it’s my first year of Valentina having a school uniform, I have all of a sudden found that her wardrobe is full of clothes which don’t get worn so much anymore and are getting a wee bit small, so I am longing for occasions to actually wear all her pretty clothes before they just don’t fit anymore. Or just sell those ones on eBay and buy more - which is my usual strategy.

So while I sat last weekend with a whole myriad of leaflets, flyers - and even spreadsheets - planning, let’s face it, a better social life for my daughter than my own, I digressed to a few online shops and created a bit of a best-buy list for SS17 for this blog.  Be it a lunch date with Nana or a week long summer camp full of activities, these top picks should help you cover all bases.

For me, there’s one children’s brand out there that nails all things fashion for kids, and that’s Boden. Season after season they score all the goals with the perfect mix of practical and pretty; and I for one have dressed Valentina in their clothes almost exclusively since she was a tot. 

I’m a big lover of colour for kids, so I’m always delighted to flick through the Boden catalogue and see vibrant colour blocking and bright prints abound alongside frills and florals for little princesses - with rockets, stars and animal appliques that are sure to make the little men in our lives stand out in the crowd too. 

Already in my online basket is the cutest Blue and Yellow Heart Pocket Jersey Dress, £20, with spots, stripes and little contrasting heart pockets, perfect for stashing treats, it’s bang-on-trend and, when paired with the yellow and white Spot Fun Leggings, (£14), it makes for an adorable ensemble.  I also couldn’t go past these canvas high-tops, £35, exactly what I was looking for for Valentina’s boyfriend’s birthday present - yes, she has a boyfriend. At age 5.  In bright white these shoes will go with every outfit in any mini man’s wardrobe and the contrast pop art hues give them a super cool edge. With run-faster stripes and shouty slogans, the kids will love them too.

Canvas High Tops £35 at Boden

Canvas High Tops £35 at Boden

Swimming lessons and beach days are sure to be in the mix come summertime, and I’ve completely fallen in love with the Rainbow Frill Swimsuit from Marks & Spencer, an absolute bargain at £10 and available for ages 0-5, perfect for my little mermaid.  And even though I’ve no boys, I am sure any boy will feel every bit the superhero with this Spiderman Sunsafe suit, £14, a purchase that’s both super cool and super practical, ideal for summer sunshine holidays.

Rainbow Frill Swimsuit £10 at M&S

Rainbow Frill Swimsuit £10 at M&S

Something a little sweeter for a day of picnics and tea parties with the grandparents is this pretty and pink disco sparkle swan dress, £36.  Crafted with a jersey bodice and a twinkly tulle skirt - so it’s not only bang-on-trend, but the embellished neckline and sparkly waistband gives her the gift of girly glitter.  All that’s missing is a tiny tiara! 

Disco Sparkle Swan Dress £36 at Monsoon

Disco Sparkle Swan Dress £36 at Monsoon

If your little dude is too cool for school, let him rock it out in this cute denim shirt from Zara, a bargain at only £12 and easily dressed up or down.  Button it up with a pair of chinos on bottom and some cool booties to boot, or style it out with shorts, open shirt, white tee and Converse; taking him from day to disco. 

Denim Shirt, £13 at Zara

Denim Shirt, £13 at Zara

Discos aren’t the only partying that tiny tots seem to have lined up these days; let’s not forget the utopian idea of a pyjama party - as long as it’s at someone else’s house, thanks to that mummy in your friends’ group who swoops in with the suggestion of an overnight stay.  At last, a BREAK!

Gingham is one of my favourite trends this season, it’s practical and easy to wear for all, so when I spotted these pink gingham pyjamas in Next, £13, 100% cotton and with a cute collar in tow, it was straight into the shopping basket.  A similar offering for the boys comes from Marks & Spencer this season, in a traditional grey and white print, keeping him on trend from only £14.

And on the subject of pyjamas, I think it’s time for bed for me. Goodnight!

FASHION | BODY SHAPE FEATURE

Apple, Pear, Pencil? Which body shape are you? We all come in different shapes and sizes: And, according to stylist and Belfast FASHIONWEEK director Cathy Martin, knowing your shape is the first step in finding out how to make the most of your body. Once you know how what to highlight and what to hide, you can hit the shops with confidence. And best of all, with the right clothing know-how, you’ll even be able to turn an apple into an hour glass or a petite princess into a leggy lovely.

Cathy’s first piece of advice - self love. “Take a long, hard and very honest look at yourself in the mirror. Naked if possible. These days we all have way too much self-loathing for my liking, and we will likely be drawn to things we don’t like first, but as you look over the bits you dislike - be they a wobbly tummy or a big behind - try to focus also on bits that you do like - including facial attributes like eyes and smile. And then remember that fashion can be a tool - a weapon even - in your armoury of the day to give you confidence, add height, strike off inches and much more. It takes practice to know what works for you. For me, I avoid busy prints and stick to solid colours in hues that suit my skin tone. I streamline my (apple) silhouette & add height and length where I can. I hope my tips can help others.” Read on to find out more.

 

YOU’RE A PENCIL BODY SHAPE IF:

•You have similar measurements for your boobs, waste & hips.

•Your legs are longer than your torso.

•Your legs and arms tend to be slender.

AT-A-GLANCE CLOTHING GUIDE

•Bright shift dresses highlight your slender frame. Try necklines that widen your upper half, as this will shrink your hips and bottom.

•Belts transform your pencil into an hour glass.

•Dresses that cling to every curve give great shape. A little cardigan or jacket adds oomph up top.

•Structured jackets, shirts and coats that nip in at the waste are great for you.

•Brightly coloured tops with slim black trousers give you endless legs and a curvy top half.

YOU’RE A PETITE BODY SHAPE IF:

•You’re 5ft 3in or under.

•You have short legs.

•You have a short torso.

•You have a slim waist.

•You have narrow hips

AT-A-GLANCE CLOTHING GUIDE – PETITE

•Dresses in simple shapes and bold colours make you appear taller. Pile your hair up high and get into hats.

•High-waisted flares give you the illusion of longer legs. With denim, go for a snug fit as baggy jeans can drown you.

•Heels are a must. Shoes the same colour as your legs or tights give the illusion of longer legs. Platforms when you’re in trousers or jeans are perfect.

•For a really luxurious look go for a satin blouse and pencil skirt, some heels and fishnets!

YOU’RE AN HOUR GLASS BODY SHAPE IF:

•Your boobs are the same measurement as your hips.

•Your waist is much smaller than your hips.

•You have shapely, broad shoulders.

•You have shapely legs that end with neat little ankles.

AT-A-GLANCE CLOTHING GUIDE – HOURGLASS

•Dark denim will slim your hips and bum. The darker your jeans or trousers the smaller you’ll seem. Big back pockets will make your bum look even smaller.

•A V-neck will elongate your neck, perk up your boobs and show off your cleavage.

•Fitted waistcoats or other waist-cinched tops will emphasise your waist.

•Height will always flatter your figure so heels are great for you.

•Pull your hair into a ponytail and accessorise with big dangly earrings to highlight your shoulders & draw attention upwards

•Belts with every outfit will highlight your tiny waist.

YOU’RE A TALL AND LONG BODY SHAPE IF:

•You’re more than 5ft 8in.

•You have long slender legs and a long upper body.

•Your arms are long and slim.

•Your shoulders are narrow.

AT-A-GLANCE CLOTHING GUIDE – TALL AND LONG

•A maxi dress is the ultimate style for the tall and long girl. Wear a bright colour and flaunt your sexy shoulders.

•A belted funnel-neck coat with a waist cinching belt gives gorgeous curves. A frill-edge coat adds femininity.

•Knee-length boots give shape to the calves.

YOU’RE A PEAR BODY SHAPE IF:

•You have small, pert breasts.

•You have a long waist.

•You have a flattish tummy.

•Your shoulders are narrower than your hips.

•You’re a size larger on the bottom than you are on top.

•You have largish thighs and shortish legs.

AT-A-GLANCE CLOTHING GUIDE – PEAR

•Bootcut jeans and trousers will balance out your hips and thighs.

•Straight leg, high-waisted trousers elongate your bottom half. Look for lengths that hit the floor and team with heels for a sexy, powerful shape.

•Dresses with a belt accentuate your waist. Structured shift dresses highlight your waist whilst gently skimming your hips and bum.

•Hats take attention away from your hips. A beret adds a shot of Parisian chic, whereas a funky trilby is a cheeky ‘look-at-me’ accessory.

YOU’RE AN APPLE BODY SHAPE IF:

•Your hips and bum are slightly smaller in width than your chest and tummy.

•You have a rounded tummy.

•Your arms are slim and long.

•You have well-shaped, slender legs.

•You have large boobs.

AT-A-GLANCE CLOTHING GUIDE – APPLE.

•Leggings and skinny jeans streamline your legs and, teamed with a loose fitting A-line or trapeze dress, trick the eye into thinking your entire body is long and thin.

•High-waisted pencil skirts with big wide belts hold you in and give you an hourglass waist.

•Short loose dresses or tunics show off your legs and arms while concealing your stomach.

•A-line or swing coats are a great way to look shapely and stylish in cold weather.

•Strappy high heels make your lovely legs look even leggier.

This article first appeared in the @BelTel newspaper in February 2017

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KEY TRENDS AT SS17 FASHIONWEEK

This week I am taking a quick peek at the hottest trends due to hit Ireland’s busiest catwalk this March.  

Back for its twenty-third season, my super stylish event Belfast FASHIONWEEK, kicks off from 23-26 March with a busy four day schedule, including nightly catwalk shows, the return of popular fashion & food fusion events like Sushi Saturday and Style Sunday, as well as the welcome addition of the Lavazza Style Saturday brunch.

As always, the full FASHIONWEEK schedule is available online at www.belfastfashionweek.com. Tickets for the main shows and the Lavazza brunch are priced at £20 (FROW is now SOLD-OUT) while Sushi Saturday (£35) and Style Sunday(£45) bookings – which include 3 courses of delicious food as well as fashion - are all available by calling 028 9042 1509.

Sassy in Stripes

Whether beetle-juice or bumble-bee, stripes are one of the hottest trends for the season.  Rock them super-sized or super-skinny; they’ll be sure to keep your look sassy this season.

Splash of Colour

Bold and bright colours are a staple for any fashionista out there this season.  Stun in full colour-drenching (head to toe in one colour - including tights and shoes!), or use contrasting fabrics to stand out amongst the fash-pack.

Summer Accessories

If you don’t want to block it; POP it!  (Colour, that is, of course). And what better way to add colour to your wardrobe, than with the ultimate SS17 accessory.

FASHION | 24 HOURS IN MAXMARA

As Ireland’s Ambassador for the UN-supported Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, I had a busy schedule on November 18th - which is the annual date for International Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. To kick start proceedings, I was hosting a breakfast in Dublin supported by Ulster Bank’s #BusinessWomenCan initiative, which saw speakers including TD Kate O’Connell and mentors like Fiona Gratzer from Unislim as well as super lawyer Majella Creenan take to the stage to share stories and insights into the world of business, politics and academia.

For this event, and indeed for the six events I had to attend throughout the whole day, I partnered with MaxMara, who agreed to dress me for the occasion. Or rather, occasions! This blog and vlog tell my Max Mara story.

To breakfast, I wore a beautiful Italian woven wool jumpsuit in grey with a black fleck embroidery and paired it with a thin black poloneck underneath. Polonecks are huge this season and adding one under this jumpsuit gave winter warmth as well as adding a dimension of demure and discretion - keeping my speech and the work done by women in Ireland to the fore. The fit was perfect, with a nipped in waist and a panel across the front which could be worn open or closed - I chose half open to take emphasis away from my bust and draw the eyeline down towards the waist line. The leg was wide, and super chic, allowing me to wear flats underneath for the dawn walk from my hotel, but equally complementing my Louboutins which were slipped on as I entered the building.

After breakfast, I drove to Belfast where I attended the Prince’s Trust ‘Lunch With an Old Bag’ charity luncheon event at the Harbour Master’s Office (a beautiful historic building in the heart of the city’s docklands). This charity, which is the foundation of HRH Prince Charles, does wonderful things for less privileged kids to get them integrated into society and the world of work. The lunch was fun and, with author, comedienne and sometime activist Helen Lederer (Absolutely Fabulous) speaking after lunch, it was a really inspiring couple of hours. The look I wore for this event was my favourite of the day, another jumpsuit, but this one was light pink brushed wool on the (flared) leg with a green sequin top and monochrome stripe pockets - not a look for a shrinking violet! It drew much admiration and, I think, a few buyers from the store, although it was very much limited edition.

Mid afternoon, I moved on to the Northern Irish Women’s Entrepreneurship Day event, where I spoke about the uncertainty of a new Trump Presidency in the US, and the effects of Brexit on north-south business relationships. Here I wore a coffee caramel coloured dress with leather and tweed panels as well as some more monochrome inserts. Again, a dream to wear with the shape and fabric totally flattering on my non-model-like figure. (For the record I am a UK 10 and 5’5” tall).  I had topped this off with a truly beautiful and iconic MaxMara coat for bracing the November weather outside. If you’ve never tried a Max Mara coat, please make it your mission to visit a store and put one on - for the experience if nothing else. It is the dreamiest of mantels - with wool so soft you could sink into a slumber, should you decide to rest your head on it. It’s no surprise that iconic women the world over choose Max Mara when they are looking for a stylish staple to last season after season - and in some cases, generation after generation!

Just after this, I hosted a fashion show wearing what I would call the party version of the previous dress. The staples were the same - more of that beautiful coffee caramel coloured wool, but with monochrome patchwork pockets, similar to the pockets on my lunchtime jumpsuit, and, like the lunchtime jumpsuit, the top half of the dress was sequin, a coppery gold coloured sequin, which was perfect for the time of year and the pre-Christmas-season that was the occasion.

I also popped in quickly to a press briefing on SS17 wearing the most beautiful silk blouse and cream silk pants - I was so very lucky to have pre-season access, and I am glad I did because the ‘all white everything’ look really stood out inthe wintery crowd.

Lastly, I attended some industry cocktails wearing a casual but VERY cool striped sequin jumper with black silk pants. The jumper screamed cool in the most unassuming way possible - and after wearing it to this, the last of so many events that day followed by a late supper in the former butchery which is the much-accoladed Bull & Ram restaurant in Ballynahinch, the final stripes had me hooked, I purchased the top the very next day.

In short, I had the most wonderful day playing my own kind of grown-up dress-up, wearing clothes made from the finest of fabrics and fibres. The staff at the Belfast Lisburn Road store couldn’t have been more helpful and accommodating, especially with sizes as they listened to my personal whims and woes about shape (or misshape!) from outside the changing room curtains.

I always say it is better to save for investment pieces rather than fast fashion which isn’t always about quality nor about attention to detail in the design. With the house of Max Mara you can feel the craftmanship ooze out of each piece of Max Mara clothing like design is in the very vein of the garment. Que bello!