Saturday, 10 September 2022 | 8.8°C Dublin
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O ur fashion editor rounds up the latest style news and fashion trends
Urban Aran cardigan in pure fine merino, €325. Picture: Andres Poveda
Urban Aran cable-knit vest in chocolate. Picture: Andres Poveda
Orange overcoat and plaid scarf from the Brasserie Hennes collection
Naomi Campbell wearing an orange shirt from the Brasserie Hennes collection
(centre ) Orange dress, €19.99 and shopper bag (€34.99)
Tank top with open, plait front, €24.99, Brasserie Hennes collection.
Faux pearl and crystal earrings from the Brasserie Hennes collection
Designer Vonnie Reynolds. Picture: George Egleston
Model Mary Quigley wearing a Vonnie Reynolds gown.
Urban Aran hooded long cardigan in moss, fuchsia and ecru pure fine merino, €385.
Urban Aran AW22. Dusky pink and Cinnamon pullover in pure fine merino, €275. Picture Andres Poveda
Urban Aran: the clues are in the brand name. Christine Murphy, founder of the independent, Irish knitwear brand, is influenced by urban street art in all its forms and loves nothing more than deconstructing an Aran style and translating it into natural fibres.
T he Waterford woman is typical of a new generation of designers who have had multiple careers getting to where they are today, retraining and loving their work in fashion. In a previous lifetime, Murphy was general manager of Mount Juliet Hotel in Co Kilkenny.
After going back to study at Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD), she took the leap and launched her own brand, and is now stocked in Muse in Waterford, close to the street art that inspires her.
Urban Aran cable-knit vest in chocolate. Picture: Andres Poveda
She starts a new chapter next week with her AW22 launch collection, which has jacquard knit pieces in pure fine merino, including a chocolate, cinnamon and dusky pink cardigan. Her colour blends are a curious mix, both soothing and striking at the same time. A dusky pink and cinnamon pullover (€275) has that casual-chic vibe, working well over sequinned or tulle skirts.
There’s comfort and a practical nature to the hooded, long cardigan in a mix of moss, fuchsia and ecru (€385). Murphy has also introduced a cable-knit vest in chocolate (€95), and this allowed her to indulge her love of Aran.
“When I went to LSAD, I studied how to deconstruct Aran knitwear, so it was taking Aran stitches and doing different things with them, seeing what else you can do with the fisherman’s rib and the honeycomb,” says Murphy.
“I introduced the jacquard to my collection because the graffiti walls that I was taking photographs of were stencil drawings and I was like, ‘How do I do that with knitwear?’ People always ask me, ‘Are you printing on your knitwear?’ But I’m not. I’m integrating it into the stitchwork through jacquard.”
At first, she had her pieces made in Kildare on a 3D knitting machine and now she is using a knit lab outside Amsterdam, where they use Stoll machines.
“Of course, you would love to have them made in Ireland, but it’s just not possible today. I am training one day a week on a Stoll machine with McKernan Woollen Mills in Clare, and I would like to have something like their business model in the future.” urbanaran.com
The Brasserie Hennes collection launches in H&M stores and online on September 22, and it is worth keeping an eye out for. The Parisian-inspired range includes handy staples for this time of year, from big overcoats to quirky knits and appealing, affordable accessories.
Orange overcoat and plaid scarf from the Brasserie Hennes collection
The orange overcoat (€59.99) and plaid scarf (€14.99) are typical of the uplifting autumnal colour palette which hums through this collection. There are reds, burgundy, tans and plenty of options for a vitamin C game plan, from plaited, open-front tank tops (€24.99) to a mini dress with a fold-down neckline (€19.99).
The chunky platform, ankle-strap shoe is back with a vengeance, and there’s a cute orange option (€39.99), while a long, button-through shirt worn by Naomi Campbell costs €19.99.
Naomi Campbell wearing an orange shirt from the Brasserie Hennes collection
The cowboy ‘boots-du-jour’ come in white, with a nice long leg length (€69.99), and there’s an ankle style in black (€119.99). They both go well with the mini-skirt story, which is comprehensive and covers checks, plain, curved-end, and a polished leather look. If dressing for the commute, check out a plaid shacket coat (€64.99), shopper bags (€14.99-€34.99), and don’t miss the uber-cute faux pearl earrings at €4.99. hm.com.
Faux pearl and crystal earrings from the Brasserie Hennes collection
Next month marks the 10th anniversary of the death of Vonnie Reynolds, the Limerick-based designer who dressed members of the Irish and American high societies in the 1970s and 1980s before a tragic accident changed her life completely and forced her into early retirement in the 1990s.
Designer Vonnie Reynolds. Picture: George Egleston
A new documentary allows us to step inside the world of this Irish designer who was compared to Valentino by Martha Phillips, a fashion legend in New York’s luxury fashion trade. Vonnie — Ireland’s Forgotten Fashion Icon is an 18-minute-long documentary which premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh, won Special Jury Mention at Docs Ireland in Belfast, and on September 24, it will have its Dublin premiere at the IFI Documentary Festival.
Reynolds is remembered for reinventing the basic tweed suit and succeeding in reviving the famous Limerick lace. Known for her one-of-a-kind ball gowns — two of which were worn at former US president Ronald Reagan’s inaugural ball — her list of clients included singer Diana Ross, actress Vanessa Redgrave, and members of the Getty and Guinness families.
Model Mary Quigley wearing a Vonnie Reynolds gown.
The female-led documentary was directed by Renata Lim and produced by Melissa Collins. ifi.ie/docfest/
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