The Gloss Magazine September

great aCCessories / let’s Jam: Clodagh mC kenna’s preserves party / autumnal beauty

maGaZinE september 2011 / t4.50

n o w e ve r y

month wit

H THE iris

h

T i m Es

WaLK tHis WaY

AUTUMN’S BOLD CHANGE OF DIRECTION

school run style The Pointless Pressure to Look Pulled Together

making sacrifices to Pay for Clothes

Princess Diaries talking business and motherhood with marie-chantal

fantastic mr ford

Sold exclusively in Louis Vuitton stores.

B r o w n T h o m a s , 8 8 - 9 5 G r a f t o n S t r e e t , D u b l i n 2 . Te l . + 01 6 0 5 6 6 6 6 l o u i s v u i t t o n . c o m

BROWN THOMAS, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN 2

www.chanel.com

DATES

For Your Diary september 2011

* Get my copy of The Gloss with The Irish Tim es Mon

ON THE COVER: Bouclé jacket, LaNViN. Pink blouse, TORy BuRCH. Tweed trousers, MiSSONi. Boots; handbag; both CHRiSTiaN LOuBOuTiN. Belt, GuCCi. THiS paGE: Jacket with fur sleeves, pRiNGLE Of SCOTLaNd. Silk blouse, GuCCi. Red sleeveless sweater, BLaCk fLEECE aT BROOkS BROTHERS. Jacquard trousers, ROCHaS. Shoes, GuCCi. Cobalt tights, fOGaL. Clutch bag, pRada.

Photographed by OLiVia GRaHaM. Styled by LuiS ROdRiGuEz. See page 50 for The New Season.

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observer 6 Gloss-ip private schools and presidents 10 Off The Record a consultation with dr rhona mahony shopping 15 Hunting a man’s world 16 Gathering borrow

September Start turn over a new leaf 20 Saving ... Sort of inventive ways to economise 22 The School Run the early-morning fashion parade features 34 Hoping Against Hope mary heffernan speaks out about batten disease 38 The Longest Day polly devlin remembers september 11 40 Princess Bride regal business with marie-chantal fashion 24 Wardrobe Update louise kennedy, raoul and our new jewellery column 30 September Notebook what’s happening now 32 The Fantastic Mr Ford tom ford’s return to womenswear 42 The New Coat choose wisely 45 The Details an accessories guide 50 The New Season bold looks, interesting prints beauty 61 If You Buy Only One Thing tom ford’s new make-up and skincare 62 Beauty Buffet new arrivals 64 The Autumn Edit how to wear this season’s colours home 66 En Famille a decorator’s home in dublin 68 plus This Glossy Lifestyle interiors news food & wine 70 This Entertaining Life florist paul berry’s birthday tea 71 Food preserving your sanity 72 Restaurant katy mc guinness is in dingle plus Wine supermarket sweep travel 73 Man In A Suitcase tim magee is spellbound in beirut this glossy life 77 Honourable Society clandeboye, an eco-friendly estate 80 A View From The Jeep connie’s plot for mollie She Does, She Doesn’t sinÉad cusack on politics and performing from the boys 18

4 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

jane mc do nne ll E d iTOR

Sarah mc d o nne ll ST y L E E d iTOR

aiSlinn co f f e y f E aTu R E S E d iTOR

ly nn e nriG hT B E auT y E d iTOR

Sarah halliw e ll aR T d iR E C TOR

lau ra me rriGan adV E R Ti S iNG SaL E S d iR E C TOR

Tracy o rmiSTo n CONTR i B uT iNG E d iTOR S

Po lly de v lin, anTo nia harT, caThe rine heane y, kaTy mc Gu inne SS, mary mille r, ao if e o’ b rie n, PeTe r o’ b rie n, Sarah ow e nS, The re Se Qu inn, ro Se mary ro che , lu iS ro driG u e z , naTaSha She rlinG CONTR i B uT iNG pHOTOG R ap HE R S

j uan alGarin, Sio b han by rne , Sarah doy le , ne il Gav in, re naTo Ghiazza, o liv ia G raham, ne il hu rle y, li Sa l o f Tu S, barry mc call, j oanne mu rP hy, liam mu rP hy, ame lia STe in, Su k i STuarT tHe GLOss welcomes letters from readers, emailed to letters@thegloss.ie. tHe GLOss is published by Gloss Publications Ltd, The Courtyard, 40 Main Street, Blackrock, Co Dublin, 01 275 5130. Subscriptions Hotline: 01 275 5130. 12 issues delivered directly to your address: Ireland: t49.50. UK and EU: t80. Rest of world: t115. Printed by Polestar, Chantry, UK. Colour origination by Typeform. Copyright 2011 Gloss Publications Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

This magazine can be recycled either in your Green Bin kerbside collection or at a local recycling point.

~ Gloss ip

r e b m e sept

Private schools get tough on laTe paYerS... presidential raCe faTigue...

Enterprising COllege STudeNTS ... and the viCTim Of aN eggY Crime ...

A

bittersweet blend of relief and

become a prolific late-night tweeter. But he’s staying

end-of-summer

schtum about his new relationship with actress alisOn

melancholia to

dOOdy, who was formerly married to Independent

free

News and Media’s Gavin O’Reilly. We think they make

schools are outperforming their

a handsome couple. Could they be persuaded to throw

fee-paying

their names into the Áras hat? Ireland’s answer to Nicolas

accompanies school.

the

Reports

return that

counterparts

may

and Carla? Now that could be fun. And elegant.

provide some solace (and a face-

saving excuse) to parents finding it difficult to make ends







meet. Those who have suffered the ignominy of car re-

The hottest ticket at the Mountains to the Sea literary

possession as they drop the kids to school (and this is, by

festival in Dun Laoghaire this month is the “Being a

the by, no urban myth) should be warned that the boards

Writer” workshop with London literary agent siMOn

of management of the country’s elite private schools are

tRewin, whose clients include Irish authors JOhn

preparing to get tough on those with a propensity to put

bOyne and claiRe KilROy, and Bloomsbury publisher

pesky school fees on a permanent long finger. Parents

bill swainsOn. The room will be packed with

who have been spotted wining, dining and holidaying

hopefuls on a mission to find out exactly what the market

without an apparent care in the world over the summer,

is looking for these days. Authors to watch out for at the

are in for a shock as the schools prepare pay-up-or-you’re-

festival include MOlly Mc clOsKey, belinda Mc

out ultimatums. Word is that the only way students will

KeOn and sebastian baRRy, whose fingers and toes

will be crossed that On Canaan’s Side will nab him the

avoid being hauled out of class, is by delivering excellent grades. In the era of competitive league tables, no school

take cover: Egg attacks continue

can afford to lose a straight-A student.

elusive Man Booker this year. 





of the Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, recently

In the aftermath of the London riots, the talk of the city

Debs’ season is underway. Although – thankfully – some

got a job flipping burgers at McDonald’s. Really smart

is the feral youth and how they have forgotten that they

tiger excesses have been abandoned (goodbye stretch

students prefer to set up their own businesses rather

have duties as well as rights. Irish commentators clogged

Hummers, hello a lift from the parents), some (fake

than endure time as a wage-slave. A cracked screen on

the airwaves debating whether the same could happen

tans and striped caramel extensions) remain. With a

an iPhone led Glossip to one such enterprising teenager,

here. But it took PeteR ObORne of the Telegraph to point







terrible sameness to the dresses on offer (if we see one

operating from a granny flat on one of the better roads in

out that the feral rich of Chelsea and Kensington have

more floaty frock in cheap chiffon with bejewelled straps,

Foxrock. He relieved us of d50 for less than five minutes

duties too, such as paying their taxes and contributing

we’ll scream), it feels as if the girls are swapping one

work. A couple of weeks later, the Facebook page from

in a meaningful way, both to their own community and

uniform for another. One rental shop has a policy of not

which he controls his empire announced that he was out

to society in general. (waRRen buffett sounded a

hiring out two of the same dress to the same function.

of the country for a month. Presumably at a One&Only

similar note in a New York Times op-ed piece in which

Probing a little further, it turns out that the policy applies

resort ...

he called on the US administration to stop coddling the

only to dresses of the same colour. So expect tears and







recriminations over the coming weeks as five shades of

As we consider the uninspiring array of candidates for the

super-rich.) Oborne recalled attending a dinner party in a large house in west London. As a security guard

the same lace-trimmed, bias-cut frock show up at one

presidential election, we’re still hoping that Irish citizen

prowled the street outside, there was much talk of the

south Dublin school’s big night. Smart girls wanting to

MaRtin sheen might allow his name to be put forward.

“north-south divide”. Oborne took this literally for a while

be sure of avoiding duplication are turning to vintage,

We already know about the skeletons in his closet – son

until he realised that his hosts were referring facetiously

riffling through the racks at Dirty Fabulous, A Store Is

Charlie being the prime example, Gay Mitchell’s

to those who lived north and south of Kensington High

Born and The Goddess Room in Greystones. 





dodgy cousin doesn’t come close – and still we love him.

Street. “Most of the people in this very expensive street,”

After seven seasons of The West Wing, he’s surely more

writes Oborne, “were every bit as deracinated and cut off

During the boom, many college students were absolved

than qualified for the role of a president and anyone

from the rest of Britain as the young, unemployed men

by their parents of the obligation to find a part-time job

who has ever had the good fortune to meet him on one

and women who have caused such terrible damage...”

to subsidise the cost of their education. Not so these

of his regular visits to Ireland, has only positive reports.

The residents of our own leafy suburbs might do well to

days – it’s dog eat dog out there as students scramble for

And while we’re on the subject, can we recommend a

pay heed, before they find themselves in (at the very least)

any vacancies that are advertised. One woman reports

re-watching of the eerily prescient WW in the run up to

the same pickle as the middle-aged pillar of society ahead

that her daughter had to attend three interviews and a

ObaMa’s battle for re-election in 2012?

of Glossip in the queue at the dry-cleaners. Talk about

two-day (unpaid) training course for a position as a shop







embarrassing stains – the chap’s bespoke suit had been

assistant at a Dundrum Town Centre department store.

Consultant oncologist JOhn cROwn is maintaining

egged. Sales of umbrellas have soared, with a secondary

And in Stockholm, Gustaf Reinfeldt, 18-year-old son

a high profile in his first term in the Seanad and has

use being keeping this endless rain at bay. n

6 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

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www.chanel.com

off the record Typically, what do you wear to work?

How would your children describe you?

Well, often it’s scrubs and some spotty clogs I bought

Oh, probably in some immensely unflattering way!

in Bantry on holiday last year. Not suits. Not a white

Hopeless at cooking but quite good fun, maybe? And

coat. Skirts and tops, and at 5’2”, I’m never without

very embarrassing, but that’s just by virtue of my

heels – I’m a fan of wedges because I can run in them.

existence really, nothing personal.

I always seem to be running.

Did you have your own children in Holles Street?"

Do you know what your new office is like?

All four.

It’s been the Master’s office since the hospital was

How do you feel about being called “the Master”?

built. It’s spacious by Holles Street standards, on the

Well, my friends are calling me “Mistress Mahony”,

ground floor; not with any big view, but then work

which sounds a bit Percy French! Master is a very old

doesn’t usually leave me much time for views.

title. We’re keeping it.

What periodicals do you read? read that, and the Green Journal [official publication

You’re planning to get the hospital running in next year’s mini-marathon – do you think you’ll have time to train?

of the American College of Obstetricians and

I usually manage an hour’s run on a Sunday. Next year

Gynecologists], but if I survive Thursday, my busiest

we’ll be looking for women to join our team to raise

day, I pick up Hello! magazine. I love it.

money for the hospital – watch this space!

What have you been meaning to do for ages?

Is there a phrase or expression that sets your teeth on edge?

You mean apart from the Irish Medical Journal! I do

Have my hair cut. Ugh. I can’t bear the hours it takes.

For all my vanity, I’m always unwilling to spend three

“Same difference”. Tautology! Can’t bear it.

Do people collar you at parties to ask medical questions?

Yes! And invariably at weddings I am seated at the “pregnant” table or the “small children” table. You’d be amazed how frequently I’m seated with twoyear-olds, though this may be because of my poor conversational skills!

dr rhona

Mahony

What book are you reading?

The Sea – John Banville. I know, I know, I’m about five years behind.

What was your first medical job?

Interning at St Vincent’s with Professor Muiris FitzGerald in respiratory medicine, dealing with children with cystic fibrosis.

What aperitif sets you up perfectly for dinner?

A glass of champagne ...

What high street clothes shops work for you?

Zara is super; their cut and style suits me. It’s not too expensive, and a lot of fun. I’d often have a really good skirt on and some top I’ve picked up in Dunnes or Penneys. I love clothes.

Does being an obstetrician make pregnancy a cinch?

Well, no, but I loved being pregnant. After the first twelve weeks of violent illness were over, that is.

The consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician Dr rhona Mahony grew up in Raheny and studied medicine at UCD. She’s married to Daragh, and has four children, ranging from 13 to five. In January she’ll become the new Master of the National Maternity Hospital, the first woman to be elected to the job at this or any other maternity hospital in the State.

Do you use Facebook or Twitter, or blog?

No. I’m a great believer in meeting people. Email is useful but it’s often not an appropriate communication; it just lets people tick things off their to-do lists quickly.

Do you like to cook, or be cooked for?

To be cooked for; I’m a terribly impatient cook. I adore my husband’s cooking!

You might have 10,000 babies born next year, and the clinical and administrative buck will stop with you – do you ever think, “Yikes, perhaps I should have been a GP”?

I don’t really look at it in that way. My goal is to facilitate the staff – midwives, pathologists, porters, neonatologists, you name it – to do their work. I’m not scared of responsibility because I believe in them and in what we do.

What’s the most lived-in room in your house?

The kitchen. Everyone congregates there to eat and chat and draw and do their homework.

What perfume do you wear?

Well, I would have said Jo Malone’s Lime, Basil and Mandarin, but I think I’ve gone off it. Now I have her Vanilla and Honey – it’s gorgeous.

ANTONIA HART

Samantha Browne, created for THe GloSS by Annie West

10 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

p h otog ra p h by s i ob h an by rn e

hours sitting there having it done.

hunTing

end s p o tt i n g a t r

Man’s World

Gender bendinG Black-tie dressing: the phrase conjures up stilettos, chiffon and clichés. But as Stella McCartney (pictured) has showcased this autumn, evening attire can be original, as well as having a vava-voom edge. Simply draw inspiration from the men in your life to make your formalwear avant-garde elegant. Think tailoring rather than towering heels, collars in place of cocktail dresses, and strong, lean lines over your standard sundown silhouette. Think Joan Collins, 1980s-style shoulder pads and a dainty clutch bag. Minimal make-up and slicked-back hair, as seen on the Stella runway, keep the look fresh and masculine, but if you don’t fancy total androgyny, work a smoky eye and feminine lip colour. But remember one vital note when attempting this look: keep your colour palette neutral.

Sharp tailoring is for a sophisticated woman, and neutral tones are always the sophisticate’s choice.

Suits you, Madam.

Ph oto g ra P h by jas o n l loy d - e va n s

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | September 2011 | 15

Dior Blue Tie Palette

gAthEriNg

channel the t

re n d

The star product in Dior’s autumn collection, this satisfyingly weighty compact features matte

1

and shimmer shadows in sultry tones

2

of midnight blue (“… the only colour which can ever compete with black,” according to Christian Dior). Love the pink lip gloss hidden behind the little silver door, too. d69.

Ste l l a M c ca rt ney

3

11

4

10

9 5

JAS ON L LOY D- E VAN S

black night Think inky

8

Main picture: An elegant evening bag at Stella McCartney. 1. White tuxedo jacket, d99.95, at Zara. 2. Link necklace, Danielle Stevens d165, at loulerie. 3. Black sleeveless tuxedo jacket, d76, at topShop. 4. Grey pearl hair comb, Chanel, d350, at Brown thoMaS. 5. Black Fortuny floor lamp, The Conran Shop, d3,995, at arnottS. 6. Top Coat Velvet Paint, Chanel, d22 at chanel counterS.

7. Feather earrings, d10, at Dorothy perkinS. 8. Gold clutch, d115, at reiSS. 9. Black Chesterfield leather sofa, The Conran Shop, d6,569, at arnottS. 10. Black ponyskin shoes, Alexander McQueen, d795, at Brown thoMaS. 11. Cabaret earrings with Tahitian pearl, at BooDleS.

7

16 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

For stockists www.thegloss.ie

6

Boodles Wonderland | 71 Grafton Street, Dublin 2 | T: 01 679 0203 | www.boodles.ie

Trend

September offers an opportunity to make over your stationery cupboard, your wardrobe, and even your life, says anna Carey

I

t’s that feeling you get when you first crunch a golden leaf underfoot, when you notice kids heading out to school with their brand new bags and uniforms, when you first feel a real chill in the air, when you get your first leisurely look at the new autumn/winter collections. There’s something about September that makes you feel that maybe a new start, even a new you, is possible. Forget January – for many of us, September feels like the real New Year.

Maybe it’s because for a huge chunk of our lives, autumn was when a new year really began:

a new school year, lovely new stationery, a new uniform, a new start.

September reminds writer and blogger Emma Beddington (www.belgianwaffling.com) of the

possibilities of reinvention. “The back-to-school thing has a lot to do with it,” she says. “Every year, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, I believed I could reinvent myself entirely, just through the medium of stationery and wearing my school tie at a particularly jaunty angle. ‘This year,’ I would say to myself, ‘everyone will see my stylish homework diary bought in a French hypermarket and they will finally realise how cool I am.’”Of course, she adds, it never worked “because I was still the same colossal dork I had been the previous school year”, and by October, disillusionment would have set in. “But September ...

That was the time when anything was still possible, when I believed I could be someone completely new.

I've never lost that feeling.”

It’s an invigorating feeling, one we could all do with embracing. And September makes it easy. There are all the A/W collections, each new trend offering a potential new role. This season, will you be a quirkily elegant 1960s lady, inspired by Bottega Veneta? A louche androgyne in Stella McCartney? A witty Bacallesque 1940s siren in a Miu Miu tea-dress? An icy dominatrix in Louis Vuitton? A chic 1970s intellectual in Marc by Marc Jacobs? You could even go back to the future in a tartan kilt ...

When it comes to fashion, autumn can come as a relief. “Some of us simply aren't made for summer,” says Beddington. “We’re just not very good at it. Our limbs have a mortuary pallor that laughs in the face of fake tan, we come out in a prickly heat rash if the mercury creeps over 20˚C, and we've never seen a floral print we like. In September I can legitimately crack out the black opaques again and stop smelling like a digestive biscuit. I love autumn. I love the clothes, the shiny new shoes, I love autumn weather, the quality of light, the smell in the air as the leaves start to turn.”

And that sense of change can carry from our clothing to our inner selves. When it comes to making resolutions, surely it makes more sense to embark on a life-changing project in the relative calm of September, rather than January, when you’re surrounded by ads, articles and even friends exhorting you to get working on yourself right now. “In the modern world, we’re all so busy that there is a benefit to, once a year, just reviewing things, to stepping back and taking the helicopter view,” says life coach Pat Kennedy. “Whether you should do this in January or not is questionable. Everything is putting pressure on you in January. I believe that everyone has the answer for what’s appropriate for themselves. And there’s a natural break in July and August, so in September you can think about what you really want in life.”

This is something our Francophone neighbours understand. In France and Belgium there exists the concept of la rentrée, the “little new year” that occurs in September. It’s a time for renewal after the summer break, and Emma Beddington, who lives in Belgium, approves. “[There are] TV reports on how heavy schoolbags are, and whole supermarket aisles devoted to squared notebooks. I'm not sure why we don't fetishise it in the same way in English-speaking countries – there are certainly lots of people like me who believe that what is basically a celebration of stationery is a beautiful, joyful thing.”

So this September, recapture that new-school-year feeling. Adopt your new uniform (I’m going for the 1940s tea dress, myself ), put together your reading list (I’m especially excited about Anna Funder’s debut novel, All That I Am), and of course, load up your grown-up schoolbag (Marc by Marc Jacobs, please) with beautiful new notebooks, pencils and pens. Because if you’re going to reinvent yourself, you might want to write all about it. ^

18 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

p hotogra p h by jas on L Loy d-e va n s

September Start

YOUR WORLD, YOUR WARDROBE, JUST WALK IN

VIEW OUR NEW SEASON FASHION & BEAUTY EVENT DIARY AT BROWNTHOMAS.COM

TREND

saving ... sort of ...

Be your own boot camp Ditch your gym membership. It’s autumn; clothes are forgiving, and three months’ membership fees will make a serious dent in the price of Prada’s snakeskin boots, the stars of the A/W catwalk.

snakeskin boots C1250 prada @ www.prada.com

if you want to get your hands on this season’s musthave pieces, you are going to have to make sacrifices.

Eimear Nolan comes up with some inventive ways to free up your cash

DIY Hairdos Cut back on blow-drys. Force yourself to master those easy online hairstyle tutorials, or embrace air drying, Olsen twin-style, and spend the money on a print dress from Etoile Isabel Marant. If you’re really serious about saving, stop washing your hair altogether – we’ve all heard the self-cleaning theories, and if you’d started saving on shampoo just a few short years ago, you could be purchasing Mulberry’s oversize satchel at this stage.

Print Dress C291 by Isabel Marant @ www.matchesfashion.com Oversize Satchel C1140 by mulberry @ brown thomas

Breakdown of Communication

When attending weddings, cut costs by eliminating

collection – they’re pretty enough to wear all day, and lined for comfort. Who knew saving could be

Halve your phone bill and save for Stella

so luxurious?

McCartney’s dotty dress. You can still Facebook stalk to your heart’s content, as that's free.

dress C1350 by stella mc cartney @ Brown Thomas

When entertaining, don’t bother with

backed jumpsuit instead.

jumpsuit C349 by tucker @ www.net-a-porter.com

fur-lined ballet shoes C220 by French Sole @ www.frenchsole.com

do Away with dry cleaning The phrase “Dry clean only” is like “Don’t operate heavy machinery” or “Get a patch test first” – largely cautionary, although obviously crucial on the occasions when it’s not. If you’re confident you can spot the difference, a few

Hilfiger’s leather midi skirt. Team

months of hand-washing

with an elegant pair of gloves

and laying flat could translate

by luxury glove designer Paula

20 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

Reduce your designer footprint

mystery, as well as swelling the piggy bank.

dinner. Substantial, nutritious, and

leather midi skirt C350 by Tommy Hilfiger @ tommy hilfiger store, grafton street Black devil shoes C250 by Kurt geiger @ www.kurtgeiger.com Leather Gloves FRom C35 by Paula Rowan @ www.glovesbypaularowan.ie

Baroque sunglasses C350 by prada @ Brown thomas

of fur-lined ballet shoes from French Sole’s Harriet

feast their eyes on you in Tucker’s scoop-

1940s glamour.

enthusiasm when you have partied too hard.

bare minimum will cultivate an air of

the punch packed by porridge as a

heels, for a modern take on this season’s demure

pair from Prada. Adopt this strategy with added

changing to flats later, splash out just once on a pair

tea cakes on a cake stand, and let guests

Rowan and Kurt Geiger’s "black devil"

Olsen’s current favourite, the "minimal baroque"

Whittling your phone usage down to the

wined and dined, don’t underestimate

he’d understand if he saw Tommy

office. Stop buying concealer, and invest in Ashley

the shoe double-up. Instead of wearing heels and

dessert. Throw some Marks & Spencer

turn up his nose, but we think

circles by wearing sunglasses all day, even in the

to be an enigma in an age of oversharing.

On nights when you’re not being

seriously economical, Heston might

It is widely known that the truly chic hide dark

Cut back on communication. It's glamorous

no pudding please Breakfast for dinner

Minimal make-up

thank you for not smoking Stop smoking. Aside from the health benefits, you will save on cigarettes, chewing gum and teeth whitening.

How rewarding to convert the savings

into Maje’s latest leather jacket – a hardworking item if ever we saw one.

leather jacket C1180 by maje @ bt2

into an Equipment shirt, as essential this autumn as last.

shirt C280 By equipment @ Seagreen

thank you for shopping receipt required for cash refund

calvinklein.com

watches

Available @ ck Concession Arnotts Dept. Store PH: 01 - 878 3881

swiss made

social life

THE SCHOOL RUN Every September, a fresh wave of new school mums brace themselves for the tyranny of the daily school run. AOifE O'BRiEN negotiates the terrain

F

or those with school-going children, September comes with the inevitable tedium of trips to the book/uniform/sports shop with ridiculously long lists from which one must not deviate one iota for fear of the child being expelled. (“Mum, it has to be the Silas Marner with the red picture on the front, not this green one.”) Then, even after we have furnished our fledgling academics with everything they could possibly need, we continue to martyr ourselves by running the fragile little scholars to and from school. So we say goodbye to the fabulous looseness of summer timetables and submit ourselves to a good eight months of school-run bondage, when every day is bookended by the school bell.

Every year, pyjamas tucked into boots and anorak, and armed with a plastic mug of tea, I face rush-hour traffic jams, kids screaming, “Mum, we’re going to be late!” … and that’s the easy bit. How am I going to drop them without being seen by that most critical of audiences: the school-run mums? What ungodly time do they get up at in the morning to be able to look like that? I’m not talking about the frazzled ones with whom I identify most; I’m talking about the ones whose children never have Marmite-smeared mouths, who always find a parking space, are never late, and, most annoyingly, look as though they’ve done an hour's yoga, blow dried their hair and read the papers before setting off.

I am a veteran of 15 years of school runs with another four to go. But time has taught me little. “Mum, why can’t you wear earrings and skirts?” asked my five-year-old son many years ago as I drove him to school. “Why can’t you look like the other mums?”

Taken aback that he should be so conscious of how I looked at such an early age, I scrutinised my outfit of early-morning comfort clogs and socks with hidden pyjamas, and I had to agree that my school run look was lacking. While I love him dearly, however, I'm just not sure I'm prepared to up my game that early in the morning. But it got me thinking about how mothers used to show their true colours, just wearing whatever they felt like or could put their hand on in the morning. That was in era where your clothes took over and did the talking for you and the school run became a fashion parade. If how you present yourself on the school run has become an important social platform, it is

one upon which I fail miserably year after year.

Ask anyone about their best and worst memories of school and you’ll find that many of the worst (and most hilarious) moments can firmly be attributed to an embarrassing parent showing up at school looking odd or inappropriate. Modern psychology seems to suggest: get it right and your children will turn into balanced shame-free confident adults; get it wrong and they’ll blame you for life for traumatising them in front of their peers.

A straw poll of friends reveals few are unaffected by early memories of the school run. One friend who went to national school in the west of Ireland preferred to take the bus home, despite a long detour, just to avoid the embarrassment of his farmer father showing up to collect him, shirt stained with cow dribble and stinking of manure. My own mother took to driving a Volkswagen Dormobile (that’s a camper van to those unfamiliar with late 1960s culture) and the mortification that resulted from her dropping me to school in it is still with me. I have a vivid memory of the green-and-white thing parked on Wellington Road, in conservative early-1970s Cork; Mum jumping out of it and waving at me, in leopard-print capri pants and Dr Scholl’s … all I wanted was to take the bus home to a mother in an apron with a tray of biscuits. Worse still, the side doors didn’t work so I had to climb in through the back. One of my best friends would be dropped off by a shy, quiet mother in the morning, only to die of embarrassment later when her mother returned to pick her up, three sheets to the wind, with mascara halfway down her face, singing Joe Dolan. But that’s another story …

The appearance of other school parents is a fantastic indicator of our changing times.

The late 1990s saw the besuited career parent making sure they were seen to be dropping off their own kids, despite world financial markets depending on their arrival at the office.

Mid-noughties school drops coincided with the Ugg/Juicy moment when it was difficult to tell one mum from another as they all wore the uniform popularised by WAGs and the LA set (the kids were particularly happy with this one as Mum fitted in). Now I love looking at the parents of the new termers and guessing at their lives. Rock-chick mothers, biker fathers, mums wearing Swarovski-encrusted Current Elliotts with a fur coat (“Crisis – what crisis?”). Having always diligently avoided befriending women simply on the basis of having children the same age, maybe finally it’s time for a change. ^

tHe scHool run A ROUGH GUIDE avoca MuM

edgy MuM

aMbitious MuM

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She works in fashion

pretty, she cycles her

PR and wears Maje.

brood to school rain or shine, the smallest two perched in one

sporty MuM

lefty MuM

yoga MuM

Hot single MuM

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“Please join my

Takes her lead from

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in chats lest you

fittest and ten-year-old

parents’ group and

celeb-dropping-kids-

from Elizabeth Hurley

Fails to hide her

should discover that

Pauline is in training

help in the fight to give

at-school pap shots.

in white jeans. Slim.

patronising glances

her child got lower

for the Olympics

free schooling to the

“I’m earthy but these

Dangerous.

behind her Tom Fords.

marks than yours,

2016 synchronised

children of Bolivian

cashmere yoga pants

of those delivery boy

despite the fact she

swimming team.”

lesbians.” Wears

don’t come cheap and

boxes. Breastfed all her

force feeds them all the

Wears Prada sport

anything as long as it’s

I take my children

kids till they were six

Omega brain foods on

and FitFlops. She

woven from something

to Kathmandu, not

years old and knows

the market. Serious.

attracts plenty of

sustainable ...

Disney World.” Large

a banana bread recipe

Wears Jaeger.

admiring glances from

sunglasses and Dr

interested dads.

Hauschka-perfect

off by heart.

skin.

22 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

... mothers used to show their true colours, just wearing whatever they felt like or could put their hands on in the morning. That was before the era where your clothes took over and did the talking for you and the school run became a fashion parade. refreshingly normal: sarah Jessica Parker walks her son to school in new york.

e.

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | September 2011 | 23

fashion wardrobe by aislinn coFFey

Fashion chlo É

DIlemma

hakaan

c Él i ne

paul s mi th

c hlo É

This season, the polo-neck sweater is set to be the hardest working item of knitwear in every woman’s wardrobe. Until recently, the notorious fashion outcast was banished from all good closets, but it crept back, under the radar, into designer collections last spring. Who can forget Derek lam’s navy number, which he teamed with double denim (trust lam to make it look good), Rodarte’s colourful short-sleeve knits and Michael Kors’ super-fine white version? The gradual return to minimalism over the past few seasons has made the polo neck seem appropriate again. At the A/W11 shows there were fine-knit, 1960s-style sweaters at Jil Sander, and at Céline a gossamer-fine, slim-fit white polo was worn under absolutely everything. Meanwhile, there were chunky, Winter olympics-worthy knits in neutral colours – camel, black, navy and grey – at Paul smith and Turkish label hakaan. classIc polo shapes in fine cashmere were abundant at Hermès, Mulberry, Jaeger and Issa, but don’t forget to look to Zadig & Voltaire, Vince and n Peal (at Kildare Village) too.

Try Marks & spencer and even Penneys for inexpensive, high quality cashmere polos, and remember that it is always worth checking the menswear section. Partner yours with a pencil skirt or trousers in a similar hue, throw one on under a silk shirt dress or simply sling on under a tailored wool coat with a pair of classic jeans, patent leather brogues and voilà – you’re sorted. if in doubt, channel audrey hepburn’s gamine look in Funny Face, and pair your polo with loafers and slim pants.

P

roject 51, a new design collective, has swung open its doors on south William street in dublin 2. branded a luxury soho-style boutique stocking the best of irish fashion, jewellery, millinery and accessories, designers include sinéad doyle, Jennifer rothwell, eoin mcdonnell and heather finn among others. appointments can also be made to visit the designers in their design studios above the boutique. 51 South William Street, Dublin 2. DF

BrIng some sparkle anD glItter to your casual wear wIth these BejewelleD traIners from mIu mIu. from ¤285, at Brown thomas.

Q&a

Knitwear Designer angela CassiDy

What kind of Woman do you design for? “someone looking for timeless

wardrobe classics, who sees my knitwear as luxury basics, or someone who looks that bit further than the high street for a piece of luxury worth investing in. my design aesthetic is threefold: keep it clean, simple and balanced. i admire designers like Phoebe Philo at Céline and stella mcCartney who make clothes that women actually want to wear.” your Personal style? “i don’t conform to trends but am inevitably influenced by what’s available. over the past few years i’ve been buying a lot less, trying to make each purchase an important one, not just a one-off or impulse buy that i won’t wear again. my golden rule is to not go by the size on a label, only look at the fit; i have sizes eight up to 14 in my wardrobe.” What insPired your a/W11 ColleCtion? “i was inspired by the cold winters – contoured landscapes and stormy skies – and i created textured and chunky knits using colours [suggested by] oats, snow, earth and midnight.” What is your Current style obsession? “trousers!” Angela Cassidy is at Browns, 27 South Molton Street, London W1, 0044 20 7514 0039; www.brownsfashion.com

24 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

Its a boy gIrL thIng

I

nspired by a 1970s rock-star girlfriend, Tommy Hilfiger’s A/ W11 collection, on which fellow American heavyweight designer Peter Som consulted, is a definitive lesson in how to borrow from the boys.

Pairing silk pyjamas with mannish city coats and structured wool jackets with flowing midi-length skirts, Hilfiger showed you can indulge your masculine side without looking like a man. Contrast is key: wear a tailored suit with an ultrasheer blouse, leather cigarette pants become feminine when paired with high-heeled preppy loafers and doublebreasted, oversize coats are sexy when worn with skirts and bare legs. The little details: floppy felts hats, coloured skinny leather belts and printed silk pocket squares are important too.

Luxurious tailoring bestows confidence, and underneath your felt hat, you will be brimming with it.

Tommy Hilfiger, 13-14 Grafton Street, Dublin 2, 01 633 7600, and branches.

rberg LILI Fo

I’m tired of cardigans. Is there an alternative?

life skills of Prince Albert of Monaco. The course costs between d2,500 and d3,000 euro a month

English. After twelve years as the Daily Telegraph dance critic, I decided I must learn Russian

depending on the time of year you choose. Quite a few of the élèves have been sponsored

in order to do research for my own book. I needed to be able to read official documents

by international companies like the major banks to buff up their language skills. And there

and old Russian handwriting, and I had to be able to conduct research interviews. In other

is a diplomat working on her negotiating tactics in French whose guilty pleasure is the

words, my need was a thorough and rapid progress to written and spoken fluency. But how?

board game Diplomacy which I find touching but not exactly up to Wikileaks speed. The

Evening college sessions would be too slow. Individual tutoring I couldn’t afford.

retirees among the students often have a romantic notion about Learning French sur la

Language labs were in London, and I didn’t live in London. I was 50 and I felt I could get

Côte d’Azur after many years hard slog running companies or being BSDs (Big Swinging

on faster by myself, somehow – obviously a computer course. But part of my calculation

Dicks) in a corporate clime and some of them are not having an easy time.

had to be the time/money one. For the price of ten or 20 hours’ personal tutoring I could

For adults, often more used to bossing than being bossed, the classroom experience of learning to Toddle Talk in a foreign language can be very frustrating. Especially when

buy a complete course of CDs with listen-and-speak facilities, working at my own speed potentially to advanced level. But which one?

they lack the benefit of an articulate riposte. They say that’s it’s hardest for people who

The Rosetta Stone system immediately attracted me: it was apparently used for speed-

work with words or literature to learn a new language after a certain age because they have

teaching diplomats (ie spies), NASA astronauts, oil business execs. Good – this would

higher personal academic expectations. The 20-year-olds with the quick-fire attention

not be tourist Russian. But I could also see that its methods, despite aiming at advanced

span of the Facebook Generation are more relaxed about grammar and spelling and cruise

knowledge, were far from the drills and rotes that I’d had at school for Latin. Russian is a

through on sharper aural skills and better cognitive brain power. The study concentration

complicated language, with its alien-looking script, but also with loads of case endings, verb

is intense and the hours are nine to five with homework every evening. The only language

and gender differences and apparently endless adjectival variants. Get those wrong and you

permitted is French, even during breaks and lunchtime. There is a jokey euro fine if anyone

won’t be understood. So ... an intuitive method based on pictures and word associations,

is overheard speaking English/Japanese/German etc.

I end up in Intermediate 3 which is a stretch for me for whom the Subjunctive is a foreign country next to Slovenia but with nine other victims in the class there is somewhere to hide and frantically compose an answer to a roving question. But I love my teacher and marvel that she can repeat the same simple structure over and

I end up in Intermediate 3 which is a stretch for me for whom the Subjunctive is a foreign country next to Slovenia ...

over again until it sinks in to our confused and resisting

with grammar unexplained, a method directed at absorbing language’s textures rather than learning its rules – would this just be horribly frustrating? I reflected that I speak and read reasonable French without ever having properly studied it, and that my school classical studies should give me a handle on Russian’s structural formalities.

I took the plunge, bought the Rosetta spiel, and

brains. I only saw one instance of exasperation from a teacher who told an American pupil

plugged in the earphones. I was immediately hooked. Each slightly Lewis Carrollian chapter

that her pronounciation of French hurt his ears. He was reprimanded for the remark.

dragged me on to the next. It was moreish. I did three or four hours a day, trying out every

Accents don’t seem to matter as long as you are understood. It seems the French like the

variant of every chapter. The Rosetta Stone is a universal method marketed for a huge array

Irish/English way of speaking French. They love Jane Birkin and Kirsten Scott Thomas

of languages, western and eastern, predicated on the idea that when you see something

speaking French with English lilts. I try to channel these two when I’m faced with the

you want to know what it is – and that the ways in which your questions are answered can

torment of the laboratoire or the abattoir as it is nicknamed. I start practising French at

subliminally deliver you a whole bunch of linguistic rules. You look at flash cards of, say, an

every opportunity, watching French TV, reading Le Figaro because although I would prefer

elephant or a dog, with its Russian word, and the voice speaks the word. You say the word,

to read Le Monde, it’s beyond me. What depresses me is being in a shop or restaurant

read it, type it, write it, and you test yourself constantly while your eye, ear, hand and brain

and ordering in what I think is French to be answered in English. How do they know?

build up an association between picture, word and sound. As more pictures come by, the

How do they not know! The teacher, a true diplomat, suggests it’s because they want to

descriptions lengthen by a few words – through a juxtaposition of photos of a child in a

practise English on me. At the end of every day I am exhausted and just want to eat and

playground, you deduce when she’s about to jump and when she HAS jumped, and – worse

sleep – after having done my homework, of course. I have a breakthrough in the third week

– fallen over. You start to see how the family photo (“parents with their children”) softens

and actually have a dream in French. In between, the grammar lessons are daily bouts of

you up for the romantic anything-goes of the instrumental case.

what they call Science Pratique. These are sessions in how to handle everyday situations

There’s an addictive option if you have a mic on your computer or headset: a gizmo rates

in France. How to answer the phone; buy something in a shop; behave in a restaurant;

your pronunciation red, yellow or green. Sceptically, I tested this feature on male and female

pay a visit to a French person’s home for dinner; use a bus or Metro etc. These I find very

friends to check its response to different voices – it passed.

useful and am able to tell someone who calls me on the landline that they have the wrong number. Stupid but I felt really brilliant afterwards.

This isn’t about adult logic, or about learning conversational gambits. You don’t start with “Where’s the bus station?” or “Can I have caviar with that?” This is about opening up

It’s the end of the month and we have another exam, which turns out to be exactly the

intuitive pathways for grammar rules to lodge in your brain and therefore give you the ease

same exam we sat on Day 1. The genius of this is that they and we can measure just how

to generate all sorts of conversations, from ordering lunch to musing about ‘Swan Lake’

much progress there has been in comprehension and oral ability. They especially look for

or football over a vodka. The latter wins you a ton of friends in Russia, and besides, you

connectors, the phrases that lead to joined-up talking and real sentences instead of simple

oughtn’t to ask the way to the bus station if you don’t know about left, right, straight on,

‘la plume de ma tante’ statements. On Day 1 my oral ability was pathetic but four weeks on

corners and so on.

I can simulate a conversation of sorts. The wise old owl who runs the school tells me that

I can’t tell whether Rosetta Stone intend the surreal visual comedy in some of the pictures,

what happens after the month is that usually for two weeks each pupil has a commitment

but it sure helps. One of my favourites is the Russian road sign: “Beware kangaroo!” As you

to practice and read. Then normal life intervenes and the study falls off. He gently insists

scoff, you’ve unwittingly absorbed the important word “Beware/watch out”.

it needs constant attention. To that end I am having weekly conversation through the Alliance Française.

On y va!

Any good language course whets your desire to learn more. To please my logical mind, I was grateful to find in a charity shop an old Soviet grammar, groaning with declensions, conjugations and vocab about worker factories which solidified the rules for me. After finishing Rosetta I sped through Ruslan Ltd’s superb advanced conversation CDs, which

Ismene BROWn learns the russian of spies

I

t’s a short leap from being steeped in

proved that the Rosetta Stone’s associative method had given me a much more ingrained listening familiarity with Russian than I could have gained from conversation classes with other British learners.

I went from zero to advanced Russian in two years – job done.

classical music and ballet to becoming

The Rosetta Stone Russian course, levels 1-3, currently costs £289 together, or £179 per level;

curious about Russia, a nation that

www.rosettastone.co.uk/learn-russian. Ruslan Ltd’s Russian books and courses;

pours out books that never make it into

www.ruslan.co.uk

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | July 2011 | 25

fashion wardrobe

THE dEsignEr interVieW Louise Kennedy, almost 30 years in business, has remained passionate about her business and her clients. This season’s collection has her origins firmly stamped on it – carefully tailored pieces for day and understated luxury for night. she has two boutiques, one at 56 Merrion square in dublin, the other at 9 West Halkin street in Belgravia in London …

Describe the autumn/winter collection?

tailoring has again become central to our last three collections, in line with the Dna of the brand, and because it’s one of my first loves. tailoring is the current buzzword in fashion, and anyway women in business, important clients for us, always have tailored pieces in their wardrobe. this season’s collection, inspired by the lifestyle of painter tamara de lempicka, is all about the three ts: tailoring, texture and tone. coats are a big statement too, blue-black cashmere with pearl or jet-trimmed sleeves; double-face cashmere duster coats in purple and teal, jackets snugly fitted and tailored to the waist, worn with tapered pencil skirts. i’ve used stretch crepe and lurex tweeds, all lined in pure silk. Dresses are still key, in silk, jersey and lace.

Black Clara leather and tweed jacket,

d1,195.

Black Jolie velvet

jacket, d795; black

Marni beaded palazzo trousers, d2,995; emerald Capri silk blouse, d595

You are also known for verY special pieces?

.

in ireland, the party circuit has disappeared but women still need to dress beautifully for certain occasions, and they come to us for those. but our core business is driven by professional women – this client is smart and discerning, and understands the importance of a good wardrobe for business. people expect serious business people to dress with care, and to dress appropriately. fashion for this woman is not frivolous. anyway, investment dressing transcends seasons and years. with my own wardrobe i’m comfortable reaching for classic pieces that go back ten years or more ... but i have one rule – never scrimp on shoes. how Does the lonDon client compare?

Blue-black london is home to so many wealthy international clients who are either living or working Holly tweed close to my boutique, there has been no drop-off in the appetite for luxury goods – jacket, d895. our bespoke business has doubled since we started. it’s a huge plus to have our store positioned alongside some of the biggest fashion houses in the world. in london, our clients are often younger than our irish clients, and can be one of any number of nationalities, as you would expect in a city of eight million. we have the advantage of being less than a five-minute walk from half a dozen luxury hotels: among my clients are middle eastern guests, who love luxurious clothes. a typical london customer may not even know i am an irish designer: their interest in the label is based on the design and quality, and the service my store provides.

PHotog raPHS By Barry MC Call. Styled By CatH erine Cond ell.

but it’s still harD to make beautiful things in a global recession?

all things considered, i am comfortable with where the business is right now but, like everyone else, i am keeping my eye on our cost base. a recession is a good time to renegotiate with suppliers but, while we looked at cost savings within the business, we remained loyal to the mills and manufacturers we partner with in italy and portugal, who deliver what i need in terms of quality. ... anD alwaYs Difficult for an irish fashion Designer to succeeD?

ireland is a very small market for any designer to drive a sustainable fashion business. irish fashion designers need an international platform and with such a small industry, it’s difficult to compete with international fashion cities. talent alone won’t introduce irish designers to international buyers, promotion and marketing are vital, and both are expensive. i try to encourage emerging talent: have a coffee with a designer or view a portfolio. i do identify with that young person trying to get a start.

Black Petrina tweed jacket,

Sapphire and ivory Petra silk print dress, price on

application.

anD 30 Years on …

i can honestly say i’m as passionate as i was when i first started and have the same energy and commitment for designing collections and running the business. i have a dynamic and loyal team who bring equal passion to the company. but most of all it’s thanks to my loyal customer base who return each season. it never fails to surprise me when a customer reminds me just how many seasons she has been shopping with me, and how important it is to her that i am an irish designer based in Dublin. that they trust and appreciate the quality makes me feel proud.

Louise Kennedy, 56 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, 01 662 0056; 9 West Halkin Street, London SW1, 0044 207 235 0911. Louise Kennedy is also stocked at Brown Thomas Dublin, with occasional pop-ups in Brown Thomas Cork, Galway and Limerick.

26 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

d895; black Sophie tweed skirt; d395.

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fashion wardrobe Too Cool for SChool

JEWELLERY BOX edit

School-gate fashion is a challenge. For most of us, pulling off that everyday-chic look on the school run is more difficult than it might first appear. You want to be comfortable while looking smart(-ish), but you certainly don’t want to be one of those try-hard types we talk about in the School run, on page 22. Aware of all these pitfalls, mother-of-three Claudia Schiffer has unveiled her first knitwear collection: a luxurious array of grey, black, navy and oat-coloured cable-knit cardigans, boyfriend-style sweaters and striped cashmere dresses. “It was important for me to create a collection of chic but effortless pieces that you can just throw on in the morning for the school run, then head off to work for meetings and feel great in what you are wearing,” says supermodel Schiffer. “In general, the collection is very much my own style, very much true to who I am.” Claudia Schiffer’s knitwear collection is now at brown thomas, dublin, 01 605 6666.

In a new series, Contributing Jewellery Editor, NataSha SherliNg, suggests edits and additions to your jewellery box the loNg aNd Short of it ... Did you know?

The term “choker” refers to a strand about 16 inches in length, rather than a “collar”, which actually hugs the throat. So while the latter (frequently mistaken in name for the former) made quite a splash at the A/W shows, those of us with not-quite-swan-like necks should be thrilled to note that chokers, with their slightly longer length, were also paraded in many guises down the runway. While Miu Miu, Marni and Giambattista Valli all did oversize, kooky, colourful versions, it was the extra large, glittering chains at YSL, Bottega Veneta’s sparkling gems and Donna Karan’s mocha pearls that grabbed attention for their understated elegance and ease of wear for everyday. Practical and ladylike, this length stays out of the way, making it perfect with both a T-shirt and cocktail dress – hurrah for those who truly embrace the concept of one investment piece per season. iN the ShopS: There is a plethora of choice – and price ranges – in store, from the chunky metal links by CK jewellery, d130 at Arnotts, to the more refined glass pearl strand by Thomas Sabo, d239 at House of Fraser.

Annoushka’s reversible rough-cut lavender amethyst and quartz necklace, set in yellow gold is d2,805 at Brown Thomas. iN Your JewellerY box: Tired pearls and beads can easily be restrung by your local jeweller, at minimal cost – why not revamp your set to this season’s new length?

Designer Focus: rAoul

H

ip husband and wife Douglas and Odile Benjamin are the design duo behind raoul, a singapore label that’s been spotted on Blake Lively and elle Macpherson.

We catch up with them as they launch their internationally acclaimed – and surprisingly affordable – clothing line in ireland.

This season, we returned to the basics of tailoring, adding surprising elements with details, colours and textures.

We were attracted to the confident looks of the Pan Am and Braniff flight attendants of the 1960s, as both the graphic simplicity of their suits and the impeccably chic precision in their tailoring seemed timeless and classic. We have retained our appreciation for the highwaisted, wide-legged trouser from the 1970s, as well as the slightly A-line skirt in mini, midi, and maxi lengths.

To these we have added another classic: the tuxedo trouser and jacket. All will work perfectly with the graphic shirts and tie blouses that initially defined our brand. what do you consider sexy? The balance between the masculine and the feminine. should a woman take her age into account when she is dressing? What is age appropriate has become far more flexible and subjective. A woman with great legs should feel comfortable showing them at any age, as should a woman with great arms. revealing too much of both leaves little mystery though. what is your top style tip? simplify. And then simplify some more. At Brown Thomas and BT2 now.

rao ul a/ w 11

what was the inspiration for your a/w collection?

Long-sleeve leather top, d355; navy and cream dress, d275.

And FinAlly … Animals on the catwalk. For his first season as Hermès creative director, designer Christophe lemaire sent model daiane Conterato down the runway with a HAwk perched on a black leather falconry (handmade by Hermès we hope) glove. But we think “Best in Show” were MiniAture SCHnAuzer Pippa at Mulberry sporting a black quilted mac, and pretty pooch Anouska at emporio Armani who wore a formal tuxedo complete with wing collar and cuffs. it’s a dog’s life … 

28 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

m ulb er ry

herm È s

em por i o arm ani

iF you SPlASHed out on a camel coat last year, fear not: the style remains a classic. Give yours a CASuAl twiSt by pairing it with a rock’n’roll t-shirt and turninG uP tHe CollAr, à la international supermodel Gisele in the new esprit campaign. esprit, dundrum town Centre, 01 296 3260.

Wrap Dress €35

Lace Dress €40

Available 10th September

exclusively at Beaded Dress €45

trendS

Sea ShantieS

B

e sure to visit the Salty Dog stage if you’re at Electric Picnic this weekend.

Horse Outside funnymen The Rubberbandits and a host of other Irish acts will be taking to the stage, which is set aboard an abandoned boat.

Organiser Hugo Jellett even promises that “Jerry Fish will put on the frilly shirt for a bit of seedy cabaret” so expect lots of raucous fun with a shiver-me-timbers theme. www.electricpicnic.ie ThE GLOSS columnist Clodagh McKenna is bringing her homemade by

This old thing ...

Family-run jewellers Grays is a hidden gem in the heart of Dublin 2. Stocking a vast array of modern and traditional jewellery, their vintage designer pieces are a particular must-see. We spotted a fabulously OTT pair of Givenchy earrings. Grays, 12 Johnson’s Court, Grafton Street, Dublin 2,

The Gloss

September

Clodagh ethos to Arnotts. By the end of September she will have taken over both the department store’s restaurants – the cafe on the top floor will become a chic eatery with a French flavour while the existing restaurant will have a cool, canteen feel. There will also be a gorgeous food market where you can pick up the ingredients to make your own homemade treats or cheat by buying Clodagh’s.

Arnotts, henry Street, Dublin 1, 01 805 0400.

PETER O’BRIEN returns to Arnotts with his SECOND CAPSuLE COLLECTION for the store at the end of the month. “We developed on last year’s collection by incorporating LuxuRIOuS FABRICS, such as satins and laces,” he told us. “We also added KNITWEAR and some ELEGANT EVENINGWEAR pieces.” Arnotts, Henry Street, Dublin 1, 01 805 0400.

French Dressing BOW BOuTIquE

T

he whimsical wonderland that is Bow is the brainchild of Irish designers Margaret O’Rourke, Wendy Crawford and Eilis Boyle. The boutique stocks fairtrade label People Tree alongside vintage pieces and designer brands such as Tim Ryan and Camilla Norrback, as well as selling the trio’s own labels: MoMuse Jewellery, Wendy’s Wardrobe and Eilis Boyle.

Bow has just turned two years old and will be celebrating throughout the month of September.

Bow, Powerscourt Centre, 59 South William Street, Dublin 2, 01 707 176

30 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

The Kooples, fashion insiders’ favourite label, has finally hit Irish shores. With its chic Parisian silhouette combined with a sprinkling of British dandy, this French fashion brand ticks all the right fashion boxes – including the price one. Working closely with London’s prestigious Savile Row tailors Norton & Sons, the label is defined by slim-fitting staples that have a unisex feel. At Brown Thomas, Dublin, Cork and BT2 Dundrum; www.brownthomas.ie

Strap

A

ward-winning boutique Elaine Curtis is celebrating its tenth anniversary this month with a fashion show in Dinn Rí hotel in Carlow. Fans of the store will be familiar with the highly anticipated shows Curtis puts on each season, but this year is set to be bigger and better than ever with Sonya Lennon, presenter of ThE GLOSS’ Look The Business event, as MC. Curtis is also launching a new online store later this month.

Elaine Curtis, 122 Tullow Street, Carlow, 059 914 1790; www.elainecurtis.ie

Boot camp OLENA POLYAKOVA’s renowned PILATES CLASSES in Booterstown are just one

facet of her results-orientated approach to fitness and wellbeing; she also has private and corporate clients who swear by her “KGB style” (her words). “I am still losing weight, I can control what I eat, I’m healthier and toned – she even tackled my posture,” one devotee told us recently. The Ukraniantrained sports instructor also runs a programme at the Connolly Counselling Centre to encourage people to change their lifestyle, improve their confidence and handle stress. Call 087 990 5849 for a consultation.

BRIGhT FuTuRE You’ll have a chance to check out some of the best new art in Ireland from September 7 at Futures 11 at the Royal hibernian Academy. The exhibition is the third in the Gallery’s Futures series, a programme highlighting the work of artists who are attracting increasing interest from critics and curators. The five artists featured are Alan Butler, Barbara Knezevic, Vera Klute, Sheila Rennick (pictured) and James Merrigan. until October 23. www.royalhibernianacademy.ie

| ShuTTERBuG | Shutterbug is a studio space in a converted Kilkenny bank owned by brother-and-sister team Eoin and Blanaid Hennessy. Photographer Eoin uses it for shoots, while interiors writer Blanaid ran a pop-up vintage store there last winter.

Blanaid (pictured) lists Erin Wasson among her style icons and regularly travels to LA to source unusual pieces. She was the first Irish person to have a store on Asos Marketplace (an online selling space that’s like a cooler eBay) and she also sells her vintage finds through the Shutterbug Facebook page. The studio itself can be rented for exhibitions or photoshoots.

Shutterbug, Provincial House, 27 Patrick Street, Kilkenny, 056 770 3312; www.shutterbug.ie

Notebook

JAzz DomIno HoLLy brought her cool credentials (her late dad was Joe Strummer of The Clash) to craft when she founded the Shoreditch Sisters, an east London-based Women’s Institute group. now we can all make like a hipster by following the instructions in her first book, Queen of Crafts, which is packed full of jam recipes and pincushion patterns.

Happening this month ...

BEST FOOT FORWARD The Italian Heel Bar on Anne’s Lane is a long-standing, familyrun business, but it is not just your run-of-the-mill cobblers. As well as looking after all your general shoe repairs, they carefully resole Christian Louboutins, lower killer heels and add rubber soles to new leather sole shoes – perfect for wet Irish summers. They also stock beautiful Italian leather satchels, weekend bags, wallets and iPad cases from Florence. The Italian heel Bar, 27 Anne’s Lane, South Anne Street, Dublin 2, 01 677 3894.

| Village life | Heads up foodies: another Avoca restaurant opens this month and this one is open late on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. All of SoCoDu and their kids will be flocking to the salt at avoca, which will be housed in what was the old seagreen building in Monkstown. Stocking great local and artisan produce, they will also have a cheese and charcuterie room and a butcher’s counter. Meanwhile, Seagreen has reopened its fashionable doors just a stone’s throw from its former building. For A/W, they are introducing Vanessa Bruno Athé and IRO, alongside staples like Paul & Joe and Sonia by Sonia Rykiel. We’ll be stocking up on winter cashmere from Vince, 360 Cashmere and Irish designer Sian Jacobs. Seagreen, 6a Monkstown Crescent, Monkstown, Co Dublin; www.seagreen.ie and Salt, 11a-12a Monkstown Crescent, Monkstown, Co Dublin; www.avoca.ie

Feeling Crafty?

THe ABSoLuT FrInge FeSTIVAL kicks off in venues around Dublin on September 10. We’re particularly excited about THe LoST FASHIon HISTory oF SouTH WILLIAm STreeT, a day-long event that delves into the sartorial past of Dublin’s most happening thoroughfare. Watch out, too, for the “SHoW In A BAg” series, an initiative that pairs actors with established playwright gavin Kostick to create original pieces of theatre. FIgHT nIgHT, a show-in-the-bag production from 2010, is this year popping up in the Fringe’s big brother, the ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival. After the more serious theatre fare, head to the Absolut Fringe Club to catch London duo FrISKy AnD mAnnISH “reinterpreting” your favourite pop songs with hilarious consequences. www.fringefest.com

I

f you fancy designing your own A/W handbag or a great leather skirt, then make your way to Róisín Gartland’s Dublin studio, where the experienced leather designer is running workshops this autumn. Students will be taught how to use the tools and equipment, and will go home with a leather product they’ve designed and made at the end of the classes. Those signing up to make their own lederhosen should have some sewing experience. Classes start at ¤350. Róisín Gartland, The Design Tower, Trinity Technology and Enterprise Campus, Pearse Street, Dublin 2, 01 671 002; www.roisingartland.com

Compiled by: danielle Fitzgerald and lili Forberg

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | September 2011 | 31

fashion

E

ven if you don’t think that you know

right hand in my personal life and Domenico de Sole,

anything about Tom Ford, chances are

whom I have worked with for 20 years, is my right

you do. Remember that YSL Opium

hand in business. I also have wonderful teams that

campaign featuring a voluptuous

work with me in every department. Someone once

nude Sophie Dahl? That was Ford’s

told me to only hire people that you would like to

handiwork. Remember that fashion designer at Gucci

have dinner with. I have stuck to this over the years

who shaved his model’s pubic hair into the symbol of

and have been lucky to acquire a team of wonderful

the Gucci brand? Tom Ford. Finally, have you ever seen

people.

A Single Man, the film that earned British actor Colin

Your muses tend to be sophisticated rather than girlish – is

Firth a thoroughly deserved Oscar nomination last year?

that the type of woman you’re designing for?

Yep, you guessed it. That was Ford too. The man has

I am designing for every fashionable woman aged 25

become something of a powerhouse in recent decades –

to 75 who has a strong sense of style. That is why I put

a byword almost – for polished artistic success.

many of my own muses in the New York presentation

Where are you talking to us from?

last September: Rachel Feinstein, Beyoncé, and

I'm at my design studio in London working on my

Daphne Guinness...

S/S12 womenswear collection.

Who or what do you find sexy?

Where do you call home? Where is your office?

Confidence. A woman or man who is self-assured. I

I have houses in Los Angeles, Santa Fe and London

also think that intelligence and a sense of humour are

and feel very much “at home” in all of these locations.

very attractive qualities.

My film office is in Los Angeles, my design studio is

Exclusive

in London, and Tom Ford financial headquarters are these locations.

How do you start your day?

With a glass of iced coffee and half an hour on the treadmill, followed by stretching and a few crunches and push-ups. Then a hot bath and another iced coffee. I often lie in the bath for a half an hour in the my thoughts.

Your inspiration for your A/W11 collection?

Real clothes; real women. I do not think fashion has to change every five minutes. I would like these to be clothes you can wear for a long time – ten, 20 years; pass them onto your daughter.

You are a fashion icon yourself – where do the brand and the person diverge?

I am an extremely private person. I have a public persona which I understood long ago is an important tool in helping to sell a product, but behind the public persona I am very private, even quite shy.

Do you consider yourself both creative and commercial?

Fashion for me is a creative endeavour, but it is really about selling something; something that enhances people's lives and that you love, but it is still ultimately a commercial endeavour.

Do you have a right-hand man or woman?

Richard Buckley, my life partner of 24 years, is my

1985 He interns in the press office at Chloé

Charming, devilishly handsome and fiendishly talented are just a few of the superlatives ascribed to Mr tom Ford. as a Fashion designer (gucci, Yves saint laurent and most recently his eponymous brand tom Ford), creative director, businessman and film director (a single Man), everything he has turned his hand to has added another string to his already illustrious bow. he is described as a perFeCtionist who hovers dangerously close to control freakery, and a man whose personal image has become the mainstay of his international global brand.

But for someone who is known in the fashion industry as the high priest of the aesthetiC, is there more to his personality than a perfectly groomed, perfectly shaped public persona? in an exClusive interview, we caught up with the icon, seeking to delve a little into the cult of Mr Ford …

1988 Ford moves into fashion design at Perry Ellis

1990 Hired as chief women’s ready-to-wear designer at Gucci

2005 Collaborates with Estée Lauder and releases beauty line

2006 Launches luxury men’s ready-to-wear and made-to-measure clothing, footwear and accessories

32 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

principally Irish, although I had a German greatgrandmother who suddenly decided that she was actually English during the war. My father’s side is Scottish and English.

What do you associate with Ireland?

Luck!

Your favourite building?

Oh, I have so many favourites: architecture is one of my biggest loves next to fashion. I love Mies van der Rohe's work. I think that Tadao Ando (who built my ranch house in Santa Fe) is extremely talented. I also own a Richard Neutra house in LA and he is one of my favourite architects.

The person who really makes you laugh?

Richard, my partner of 24 years, still makes me laugh all the time.

A book that changed you?

The Tao Te Ching. It is about being present and it is my absolute Bible.

The last album you bought?

I love Adele’s new album and can’t stop listening to it.

Her voice is so beautiful – it almost sounds haunted.

Will Tom Ford be an empire?

I have never understood the point of doing things in a small way.

Describe your life in six words ...

Busy, exciting, lucky, happy, hectic and satisfying.

1999 Becomes creative director at YSL

1994 As Gucci creative director he creates bold advertising campaigns

1983 Ford studies interior architecture at the Parsons School of Design

2004 Leaves Gucci and YSL to found his own fashion house, Tom Ford

On my mother’s side. My mother’s family is

FantastiC Mr Ford

in New York so I am constantly moving between

morning just thinking about my day and organising

Is it true that your mother has Irish connections?

The Gloss

2000 YSL’s controversial Opium fragrance advert is banned

2000 Named Best International Designer at the VH1/Vogue Awards in NYC

2011 Womenswear collection is now at Brown Thomas, Dublin 2007 Tom Ford men’s store opens on Madison Avenue, New York

2010 Iconic women, including Lauren Hutton, model Ford’s debut womenswear collection

W A T C H E S

WWW.THOMASSABO.COM

CONTACT: +44 (0) 20 77 20 97 25 | UK@THOMASSABO.COM

first person

Hoping Against Hope Mary Heffernan remembers her daughter Saoirse, who she lost to a rare genetic disease. Her son has the same disease

I

t’s the first question any woman asks

was to cuddle her mummy, and as the weeks passed

when her baby is born: “Is he or she all

her confidence drained away. She had what were

right?” Nothing else matters. Although

called “absence seizures”, minutes where she just

there was no reason to think that

stared into space and nothing would register, and

Saoirse hadn’t every chance of being a

while she was now on anti-epileptic drugs, the

healthy little girl – there was no history

violent seizures continued. Young as she was – she

of any problems in either of our families

was then three and a half – she knew herself that

– I can still remember the overwhelming relief when

something was wrong. “Will me get better?” she’d

the midwife said, “Sure, Mary, she’s perfect.”

ask. From everything we were told the answer was

Saoirse was the eldest of three cousins born

“yes”. It was just a question of finding the right

within a few months of each other and, without

medication.

my nieces to compare her with, it might have taken

In May 2009, we were referred to a consultant

longer to sense that something was wrong. But

neurologist in Temple Street, Dublin, who agreed

a new mother is sensitive to the tiniest doubt and

with Dr Leahy’s diagnosis. Saoirse had a severe form

once Saoirse passed her first birthday, instinct told

of epilepsy. Of course you wish somebody could

me that her speech wasn’t progressing as it should.

come along and wave a magic wand and fix it, but

Her baby babbling wasn’t turning into proper words

at least we now had a firm diagnosis. However, in

as her cousins’ was. None of the medical people

spite of different drugs, changing by the week, the

involved was the least concerned. She’d passed all

seizures got more and more frequent until she was

her developmental milestones: she could walk, she

having hundreds a day. Dr Leahy said she needed

was eating perfectly, and she could communicate.

an MRI scan, to really see what was happening, but

“Go home and enjoy her,” my GP said. “The speech

Temple Street wasn’t that keen. As far as they were

will come. She’s a very clever little girl.” But there

concerned, she had epilepsy. But Dr Leahy was

were times, especially at children’s parties, when I’d

insistent, and eventually, in August 2009, shortly

see the other little people chattering away to each

after her fourth birthday, they agreed.

other …

We’d been told that if anything untoward showed

Finally it was agreed that perhaps a course of

up, they’d tell us there and then, so when we were

speech therapy would help, and it did. Soon she

told we could go home we thought, “thanks be to

was managing little sentences – three or four words

God”, because Tony had spent a lot of time trawling

– though there were some things she couldn’t

the internet, looking for alternative diagnoses, but

pronounce properly, like “Liam”. Her baby brother

each disease he came up with was worse than the

had just arrived and to Saoirse he would always be

last and I’d asked him to stop. “Let the doctors be the

Then, in January 2009, I was at home alone as my husband Tony was away in Norway where his work was based, when Saoirse came down with an ear infection.

Our GP prescribed an antibiotic. When I gave her the first dose she vomited, and within a minute she had fallen

“Will me get better?” she’d ask. It was a question of finding the right medication.

doctors,” I said. “I just don’t want to hear this.”

Two weeks later, we had a phone call from Temple Street. Something had come up in the MRI scan, and they wanted to do a whole battery of tests the following Monday. By this time, I understood that the news wasn’t good; that she was going to have something majorly

asleep. On the basis that sleep is the best medicine, I let

The following morning, she was walking and talking as

wrong with her. But I stayed positive, thinking to myself,

her rest. When she woke up looking pale, I tried it again.

usual. The duty doctor said she’d had a febrile seizure

“Jeepers, it’s 2009, it’s amazing what they can do in this

Again she vomited. Quickly I called the surgery before it

and that “these things happen”. To me this was far too

day and age.” She had a lumber puncture, more biopsies

closed. In fact my GP had already left, but they put me

vague and – even though we’d been told we could go

and more MRI scans and samples of her blood were

through to his mobile, and I was just explaining how I

home – I asked to see the consultant, Dr Fergus Leahy.

taken every two hours. It was terrible to see her being put

thought she must be allergic when I began to scream …

Her symptoms pointed to a possible tumour on her

through the mill like this, but she was as good as gold.

on the floor in front of me Saoirse was convulsing, her

brain, he said. Frightening though it was, it seemed an

The following Thursday there was another phone call

whole body shaking violently with blood coming out of

explanation. Within two hours she had a CAT scan, but

from Temple Street. They wanted us back immediately.

her mouth. On the way to the hospital I cradled her in

nothing showed up, so in the absence of any evidence to

There was a conference of neurologists at Beaumont

my arms, but she didn’t know me, screaming and kicking,

the contrary, Dr Leahy diagnosed epilepsy.

Hospital the next day; they hoped to present Saoirse as a

Before that first seizure Saoirse was action, action, a

case, to see if anyone there could come up with something.

little girl who never stood still, but now all she wanted

From what we understood, they still hadn’t a clue what was

and obviously terrified, as of course was I. The blood, it turned out, was from biting her tongue.

34 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

ph otograph by domnick walsh

“Miam”.

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first person wrong, so we were delighted. What an opportunity!

months off after Saoirse had been diagnosed, but

Experts from all around the world. This is great!

life must go on and bills must be paid. The call came

We were taken to a lecture hall where Tony and I

when I was in the car. He had some bad news, he

and Saoirse went up on the stage, where they asked us

said, but he’d tell me when I got home. I imagined it

questions and got Saoirse to do different things, like

was something to do with his work. I never thought it

walking in a straight line, and giving her a pencil to draw

could be Liam. Liam was grand. Every morning he’d

with, while they observed. We were back in Temple

go to the creche so my mum and I could concentrate

Street by midday. We had been put in a three-bed ward

on Saoirse.

and 45 minutes after we returned, the consultant and

“Liam has Batten’s,” he said. “The blood test was

his team turned up and drew the curtains round.

positive.” With Saoirse, I felt had reached the darkest

Saoirse herself was engrossed, watching a DVD. The

place I thought was possible, I thought life could never

consultant took the only available chair, his students –

get so bad again. Now here I was, looking at a photo

which is what I supposed they were – standing around;

on the kitchen wall of my two children, who were both

I perched on Saoirse’s bed while Tony was leaning

dying. Hours passed. It was like time stopped. People

against the window. And then the consultant started

came; my father, neighbours. I remember nothing

talking – long-winded medical terminology, none

until Tony arrived back from Korea.

of which I understood. Eventually he wound up by

In October 2010 we took Saoirse to New York for

saying that the general consensus was that Saoirse had

stem-cell treatment. But she wasn’t strong enough

Batten disease. The word meant nothing to me, but

for the procedure. Once back in Ireland she went

it did to Tony, and the moment he heard it, he began

downhill fast. She couldn’t move her hands, she

to wail. Rarely in my life had I seen him cry, let alone

couldn’t see, she couldn’t even cuddle against me,

distraught like this, never this utter despair. He knew

but I would lie with her, sometimes all day, and we’d

what it meant to have Batten’s. After that, so did I.

listen to Riverdance and she’d smile. That was all she

“Is it fatal?” I asked, turning back to the doctor.

could do. That’s when I started to think, “God have

“Yes, I’m afraid it is.”

mercy and take her.”

The roaring sound in my ears cut out everything

That Christmas we forced ourselves to have a

from then on, but I remember throwing myself on the

fabulous time, because we knew it was precious.

bed, stretching out my arms to my precious little girl,

She could still have reactions and smile at that stage.

and weeping and wailing as if my heart would break.

Liam had stem-cell treatment in New York. He is thriving and loving life but you dare not hope too much.

Only then did Saoirse take notice, and looking up from her DVD, began rubbing my back. “It’s OK, Mummy. Me will get better.”

We had been given nothing but the name. No prognosis, nothing in the way of information, beyond that it was genetic. The consultant would see us on Monday, the nursing staff said, in his private rooms. What was the use of that? Privacy and information was what we needed now.

Instead we were left alone the whole of Saturday and the

But then once the New Year came, even her smile was gone, and her teeth were falling out. Her whole body was shutting down, they said. There was just nothing left. The palliative care nurses took over, and I have to say that they were wonderful. Her usual medication were stopped and replaced by drugs that ensured she would feel no anxiety. She was given water but no food.

On January 18, two years after her first seizure, she slipped away to heaven. For her sake I have to be glad. But I wish she was still here, so I could get my fix of her, and smell her

whole of Sunday, with only the internet for information,

longer walk, she rushed over and said, “Don’t worry about

which is the worst thing in the world you could do.

your legs, sure I can be your legs today.”

beautiful hair and look into her big blue eyes.

Liam had stem-cell therapy last May. Six holes were

I do not know how we survived the weekend. We were

It was hard for me to see my nieces growing up normally.

drilled in his skull: twelve injections at different depths,

in no man’s land, having to tell friends and family that all

But she loved their company so much it would have been

the hope being that the affected cells will be regenerated.

we knew for sure was that it was Batten disease and that it

too selfish to ask them to stay away. I just programmed

We don’t know if it will work, because it’s all so new. Before

would kill her. As for how long she would live, on Monday,

myself not to show what I was feeling. I told everyone who

he left for New York, Liam had lost his ability to swallow

the doctor told us: “She could have a year, she could have

came to the house the same thing: “No crying in front of

food. He was on a completely liquid diet and we were told

two years. Or it could be ten years or tens of years.”

the kids. It’s going to be a happy house. I’m not having the

by doctors, both here and in the States, that it is the one

kids asking me, ‘Why is everyone crying all the time?’”

thing that will never come back. Three months later, Liam

So we took her home. Dr Leahy was there for us morning, noon and night, and with a click of her fingers my mother

If I found myself in a situation where I was going to

is eating potatoes and even the crusts of bread. And he’s

gave up her own life and moved in. She has been amazing.

break, I’d get myself up to my bedroom and bawl my eyes

currently completely medication free. He’s thriving and

We were determined to make things as happy as possible

out there, where no one could see or hear. I drilled it into

loving life and a little devil. And he keeps us going. But you

for the time Saoirse had left. She loved anything to do with

myself, to take myself away. Liam was still too small to

dare not hope too much.

horses, so she’d sit up on a horse or feed them carrots, or

really notice, but it would affect Saoirse badly. She felt that

we’d take her swimming. She loved movement and action,

it was her fault, something that she had done.

When Saoirse was diagnosed, Tony and I set up a charity in her name, so other Irish families stricken with

on the quad bike with her dad, or on his lap mowing the

It might seem obvious with a genetic disease to test a

the disease will at least have some support. People who

lawn. While she still could, she’d help me baking. I can

sibling. But Liam had shown no symptoms and it was

recognise me in the street sometimes come up say, “Well,

see her now, laughing away, covered with flour with her

unlikely, we were told, that he would have it too. More

at least you’ve got Liam.” They mean well, but while I

little chef ’s hat perched on her head. And we made that

importantly, perhaps, the blood test is very expensive,

love Liam with all my heart, I equally love Saoirse with all

Christmas as happy as we knew how.

costing upwards of d10,000. But I was desperate for some

my heart, and nothing can or should compensate for her

Given her situation, she continued to have a good quality

peace of mind and Great Ormond Street, the children’s

death. Her absence still tears me apart. n

of life and had the capacity to make the best of everything.

hospital in London, who must have heard about us

As told to Penelope Dening. Visit The Saoirse Foundation at

Her cousins and other friends continued to come and play.

somehow, said they would do it for free. It was March 2010,

www.beeforbattens.org for more information or to make a

The first time my niece Eva saw that Saoirse could no

and Tony was then working in Korea. He’d taken three

donation.

36 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

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Polly Devlin

The LoNgeST DaY Polly Devlin remembers a terrifying September day ten years ago, when birds careered in the Kerry sky as planes crashed through skyscrapers in New York

O

nce upon a time in September,

There was one magical day when I managed to get

history, its hidden places, its legends – except, of course,

I experienced one of the most

myself to the opening of the Joyce Museum in the

the essence of the city itself. I never got to know that, but,

memorable days of my life, a day

Martello Tower at Sandycove and sat beside Micheál

having cracked the sights and sites of Dublin, I thought to

full of full of darkness and light,

Mac Liammóir, but I was too shy and too stupid to speak

do a guidebook to Ireland. Fâcheuse illusion. The biggest

grief and incredulity, hopeless

to him. He was the first openly gay person I’d ever met

subject in the world, my War and Peace; I started in 1996

terror and overwhelming relief.

and was wearing make-up; I was beside myself with

and I’m still at it.

I was then living part of the

judgmental provincial amazement and disbelief.

Anyway, this one particular quest began with a drive

time on Waterloo Road in a beautiful Georgian house I

Years went by and for some reason the theoretical

from Dublin to the lovely village of Portmagee in Kerry. I

had bought for £142,000 in 1991. At the time I was pointed

enchantment of Dublin held me in thrall so I bought the

was with my old friend, the journalist and writer Maureen

at as a mad and obviously insanely rich person, because

house and by the end of the guide book, a year later in

Cairnduff, who at that time was on the board of Bord

such a high price had never been heard of on that road.

1993, there was nothing I didn’t know about Dublin – its

Fáilte, and knew all there was to know about travel and

Then I began to write a guidebook to Dublin because

places in Ireland. I’ve always been a birdwatcher – not

I discovered that really I knew nothing about the city.

a twitcher: I don’t care a toss how many birds I see, I

Brought up in the glum North, it had always been

just love looking at them going about their beguiling

like Marseilles to me, the exotic southern city, a place

business – and she’d heard me moaning on about not

of decadence and delight, maybe even a bit like Paris

ever having visited the Skelligs: those almost mythical,

in the 1950s. Years before, when I was a student, I

perpendicular and spectacular islands, Gormenghasts

hitchhiked from the Lisburn Road down that endless

of the ocean, which look as though they are still

gyrating Dundalk/Drogheda/Balbriggan single-lane

rearing out of the sea, shaking water off their flanks

blacktop with its Long John Silver-type blackspot

as they blast off nine miles out in the Atlantic. Besides

posted at the corner where there had been once been a

being one of the great sights of the world, never mind

fatal accident, and when I finally reached the glamorous

Ireland (the Skelligs are a UNESCO World Heritage

centre – Nelson’s Pillar – I got, as they say in the North,

site), they are inhabited by huge colonies of seabirds

a quare gunk. The B&B cost £1 a night and came from

and peregrine falcons and choughs. Little Skellig is

the school of decorating which holds that kitchens is

home to 27,000 pairs of gannets, the second largest

brown and landings is buff. Where had I got this idea

colony in the world. Bring it on.

of glamour? Certainly not from the books I’d read –

Getting to the Skelligs is always a bit problematical,

Joyce and Anthony Cronin and Behan weren’t a laugh

as the journey depends on the weather and the boats

a minute – and Dublin seemed as repressive a place in

can’t go out if it is stormy or threatening, which it

those days as Belfast on a Presbyterian Sunday.

is a great deal of the time. There is hardly a way of

38 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

Polly Devlin describing such a place as the Skelligs. Over 1,200 years

were on the top of a skyscraper, with the seabirds strafing

massive and terrible was happening and I said to Maureen,

ago, monks lived in beehive huts on the summit of Great

the walls below, dive bombing with such velocity that I

“It’s Osama bin Laden.” The reason I was so prescient was

Skellig Michael and the huts still survive though God knows

thought they must surely dash themselves, kamikaze-style,

that not long before I had read an article in the New Yorker

how the monks ever did on this wind-lashed pinnacle of

against the cliff and die, but always at the last moment they

predicting an attack on the American mainland by al-

rock. They are touching monuments braced with history

did a pyrotechnic turn and darted off again. As happens

Qaeda. Then to my horror I realised the targets were the

and you can’t help but wonder how the monks endured to

after a dramatic incident in one’s own life – and I had felt

Twin Towers and they were using planes flying into New

live there on such paltry fare as they could come by all the

very close to death up there on the ridge – one reviews

York as weapons. No one knew how many planes. The two

year round, while the freezing Atlantic winds tore at their

precious life. I thought about my children. My youngest

young German men whooped and clapped with pleasure.

Spartan perch.

daughter, Bay, who was living downtown in New York, had

I hope never again to have a journey like that. The little

just sent me a photograph of her standing at the top of the

boat ploughed on slowly through the choppy waves. The

When we got to Portmagee, it was early morning, the sun was shining and we set off in the doughty Casey boat for the 45-minute journey. Seeing the twin peaks with their flocks of birds and hearing the extraordinary clamour as they wheeled around was heart stopping, but, in the event, I never did see the monastic settlement because

ocean became the Styx. Maureen held my

The more we listened, the more it became apparent that something massive anD terrible was happening.

when I started to climb up the steep ridge with

hand as I rehearsed over and over again how close Bay lived to the World Trade Centre, how often she went up there for breakfast, how Daisy was on a plane that even now was heading for doom. When we got to Portmagee, we watched the images that are burned forever

the rocks falling to each side, I was overcome with such

World Trade Centre, which had made me shudder with

into our all minds, and watched too as those living near

vertigo that I could go neither up nor down. If you haven’t

vertigo. My second daughter, Daisy, was flying into New

the Centre ran up the whitened streets pursued by a living,

had vertigo, you cannot imagine the terror and nausea, the

York from Los Angeles today. I knew she’d ring soon after

choking cloud of debris like a monstrous succubus. I

knees go to water, the stomach is gripped by fear and in my

she landed, to quell an anxious mum’s fears. I’m inclined to

was in shock, gibbering. There was no way of getting in

panic I knew the only way down was to throw myself into

neurotic agitation when it comes to my children.

touch with anyone. All over the world people were trying

the sea far, far below. Maureen saw what was happening

We set off again in the chugging little boat in the early

to find out what I was trying to find out, but all phones

and scrambled back, eased me round, sat me down so that

afternoon. The sea had risen a bit and the skipper had his

were down. We started the drive back to Dublin and then,

eyes closed, white-faced, holding her hand, I could inch

radio on in the cabin; there were two other people in the

miraculously, a friend got through to me from New York –

down on my arse.

boat, young German men, and I kept hearing windblown

how did she do that? – to say that Bay (one of those people

I crept round to the back of the island, where a small,

staccato snatches of panicked news from the radio, so

running away from that sinister cloud) was safely with her

blessedly level area of grass bounded by a low wall overlooks

I went in and he said, “There’s something bad going on

uptown, and Daisy’s plane had been diverted to Kansas.

the deep chasm where the land ricochets back into the dark

in New York. A big bombing or something.” The more

Ten years ago this month. But that day lasted longer than

sea. It falls steep for about 200 feet, so it was as though I

we listened, the more it became apparent that something

any decade. ^

Join The Gloss for an extra-special evening hosted by a Jo Malone fragrance expert at Brown Thomas Dublin to discover

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Indulge in a Hand & Arm Massage to experience the unique philosophy of Fragrance Combining™ whilst enjoying delicious cocktails* and canapés inspired by Wild Bluebell herself.

Wednesday 5th October 2011 7.30pm – 9.00pm The Luxury Hall Brown Thomas Dublin 88 Grafton Street Dublin 2 €50 booking fee**. Limited spaces.

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*Customers must be 18 or over. **Booking fee fully redeemable against purchases on the night.

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Exclusive The Gloss

Princess Bride

Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece married into royalty, but that hasn’t stopped her running her own successful business, she tells Antonia Hart 40 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

Princess Marie-Chantal with her husband and their five children.

A

style nother September, and royalty

are getting a little bit older it’s getting easier to travel in

faces into blazers, trouser

more adventurous ways, so last year we did a road trip

lengths and book lists just

across America – yes, in a Winnebago! – and this year we

as commoners do, though

did a safari in South Africa. It’s about capturing as many

royal name tapes stitched into

Kodak moments as we can, making memories.”

new jumpers must be longer

She doesn’t spend much time dwelling on her royalty,

than most, and the jumpers

which is more fascinating to the eager outsider, and she

themselves less scratchy. Crown Princess Marie-Chantal

briskly, but cheerfully, bats away questions about what

of Greece has five children: Maria-Olympia, Constantine-

being a princess is like.

Alexios,

Achileas-Andreas,

Odysseas-Kimon

and

“Look, reality is pretty normal for me. Obviously my

Aristidis-Stavros, aged from 15 down to three. It’s an

husband’s father was the king, but my life is mainly

unusually large family by European standards, and so

about bringing my kids to school, doing the supermarket

I imagine la rentrée to be particularly challenging, but a

shop, going to work and walking down the King’s Road.

few minutes into our conversation, I realise the Princess’s

There was a time when a lot of my husband’s cousins

organisation and attention to detail make her a stranger

were getting married, and weddings can definitely be

to chaos. She manages family life as smoothly as she does

reminders of who his family are and who my husband is,

her business, the design and retail of children’s clothes.

but most of the time we are just getting on with our lives,

As a working mother, she’s determined that no matter

our work and raising our family.”

how much her business demands of her, it won’t pull her

This year has been one where the transition from

out of her children’s lives.

commoner to royalty has been breathlessly scrutinised,

“I grew up with my father there at breakfast, and

and I wonder whether becoming a princess brings any

coming home to lunch every day; I knew he was a busy businessman, but he wanted to be with us, too.”

A father who came home to lunch every day is not, perhaps, the story you would expect from the daughter of

sudden self-consciousness of behaviour.

Princess Marie-Chantal with her husband at a dinner before the wedding of Prince WIlliam and Catherine Middleton.

“No, I don’t think about behaving in a certain way, but I think I have a good sense about myself – I naturally behave well and set a good example. And of course I

a self-made billionaire running a luxury retail empire, but

acknowledge that I have married into a family with a

this is what Robert Miller did and for Marie-Chantal it

great history and traditions and I do have enormous

was crucial: “My parents gave me lots of time, and a very solid base, and that’s what I want to give my children in turn. I want to be very present in their lives.”

That solid base at the moment is in London, where the family lives and the children attend day schools. As a child, their mother went to a posh Swiss boarding school for girls. Although she had been keen to go, the nine-yearold Marie-Chantal Miller discovered that Switzerland was unbearably far from Hong Kong, which was home at the time, and she says she hated it. Did she adjust, in the end? “No. My homesickness was overpowering. I never

“My husband's father was the king, but my life is about bringing my kids to school, doing the supermarket shop and going to work.”

got over it and, in fact, I ran away twice. Eventually my

respect for that.”

She is a beautiful woman who is used to being photographed. Her manner has that particular mix of calmness and courtesy that makes conversation easy, and she is habitually perfectly coiffed and clothed, whether it’s in practical jeans and wellies on a family holiday, or haute couture at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. She says a consciousness of grooming and style is very South American: “My mother was always immaculate, and my father’s business was luxury products, so that was our milieu. I absorbed it at home, and from the different cultures we were in, and I have a

family moved to Paris, and luckily for me I was able to

finds London an easy one to inhabit. “It’s an unusual mix

attend a day school there.”

of international and cosy,” she explains. “It’s intriguing – in

These are no doubt all useful attributes for a princess,

I wonder whether this experience means she would

many ways just like a small village, yet a great European

but there is more going on here than glossy outfits and

rule out her own children boarding, but she says not:

capital. It’s perfect from our point of view because my

graceful civility. For a modern princess, the story doesn’t

“I think if they did go it would be different, because any

husband and I are both very family focused. London

end when you marry your prince. While she was pregnant

boarding school would be very close to us. I want to leave

makes it easy to raise children, there’s never any problem

with her third child, Marie-Chantal applied the work ethic

them the choice – my son’s going to be 13 next year and

with taking them to restaurants or out and about. Some

she learned at her father’s knee and the sense of style she

he’s interested in the idea, but on the other hand my

cities are not easy to navigate with children but we don’t

learned at her mother’s to establishing her own business.

daughter, at 15, loves being at home. So it’s up to them.”

find it like that here.”

This year marks the tenth birthday of the Marie-Chantal

natural love of colour and texture.”

It was a European education for their children that,

To reinforce their international heritage, her children

children’s clothing brand (think bon chic, bon genre clothes

eight years ago, drew Marie-Chantal and her husband,

take Greek lessons, and visit Greece every year. Their

for boys and girls). Her choice of business has allowed

Crown Prince Pavlos, to London from New York, where

grandfather was deposed in 1973, and the likelihood of

her not only to combine her creative and commercial

they had met and married. London was already home

the Greek royal family being restored seems slim, but

talents, but also to provide a model for her children of the

to Marie-Chantal’s in-laws, King Constantine and

if it were to happen, Crown Prince Pavlos would be

work ethic she values so highly. “I do want to pass it on,”

Queen Anne-Marie, and her own sister; it is also where

the heir to throne. In the meantime, his wife is styled

she says, “and it’s great that my daughter, particularly, is

Marie-Chantal was born, to an American father and an

Crown Princess Pavlos of Greece, Princess of Denmark,

interested in the business, because I ask her opinion a lot,

Ecuadorian mother. The mix of cultures in her blood and

or Princess Marie-Chantal for everyday. The family’s

and like to get her involved.”

environment has, of necessity, shaped her: “Obama has

summer trip to Greece each year facilitates the children’s

There are three boutiques in London, as well as a

spoken about being a third-culture child, that it makes

understanding of their lineage, but there are two sides to

concession in Harrods, and you can buy Marie-Chantal

you adaptable, socially and intellectually. I like that idea,

every family, and so they also have an annual trip to Hong

in New York, Sydney, Copenhagen and Monaco. As

I can identify with it, and I do think I’ve adapted well

Kong. There are family adventures, too.

of this month, the girls’ range is at Brown Thomas in

wherever I’ve been.”

She’s a woman who knows her world capitals, and she

“I like to travel with my brood, so we’re planning to do a fun family trip every summer,” she says. “Now that they

Dublin, so we can introduce our own little republicans to a royal touch. ^

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | September 2011 | 41

fashion

Winter Coats

Wrapped Up

r o dart e

a good coat will take you to job interviews and business meetings; to parties, the park, and on weekends away. the coat will accompany you all winter, and will be seen far more than the outfits beneath, so choose wisely

Fur is an eternal winter-coat trend, but this season designers have found ways to make it seem new, by using fur – both fake and real – alongside other fabrics, such as wool, leather and snakeskin (another big A/W11 trend).

Coloured fur lapels added glamour at Prada and Gucci, while fur detailing at Dries Van Noten and Vanessa Bruno pepped up patterned wool coats. Meanwhile, the fur/leather combination is crying out for a slick of red lipstick and a smack of attitude. For an affordable option, see Topshop.

The midi-length skirt is set to be one of the biggest trends of A/W11 and the hemlines on coats are dropping accordingly. Céline’s Phoebe Philo is famed for her ability to create pieces that real women want to wear, and her sleek and slim mid-calf-length coat is one of the most practical, and covetable, coats of the season. On the runway, it was paired with a simple trousers-and-polo-neck combination, but it would work equally well if worn in a less structured way, like at Rodarte, where the Mulleavy sisters went for all-out romanticism and layered maxi-length coats over long flowing dresses. At Vanessa Bruno, a midi-length coat with boho-style wool detailing was used to relax a pair of smart wide-leg trousers and a white blouse. See Autograph at Belted maxi coat, d270, at marks & spencer.

Marks & Spencer.

Leather and fake fur coat, d300, at topshop.

p rada

Shearling gilet, d229; leather coat, ¤267; both at topshop.

cÉ line

the new lonG lenGth

g ucci

the Glamorous touch

the cocoon

1960s-style coat, d150, at cos.

a lt u za r r a

the parka

the mannish shape d o lce & g a bba n a

For those who like to keep it laidback yet luxe in their outerwear, there is an alternative to the directional coats on sale this autumn, and it comes in the form of the parka.

Versatile and chic, the parka is subversively glamorous when worn with eveningwear, à la Mulberry, and nonchalant when thrown over your day clothes, as seen at Altuzarra. A parka at Alexander Wang was brought up to date with a dropped hemline and at Jean Paul Gaultier parkas were quilted. The parka has been a wardrobe staple since the mid1990s when Kate Moss wore her khaki one over pretty dresses, so if you don’t already have one, now is the time to invest. For an alternative option, see Toast, online.

bu r be r ry

The 1960s are a huge influence this season, and the roundedshoulder, knee-length silhouette – as seen at Burberry, Lanvin and Stella McCartney to name but a few – is a nod to the early years of that decade. The minimalist shape sits perfectly over dresses, as well as complementing slim-fitting trousers or skinny jeans. These cocoon-like coats are chic and elegant in neutral tones and when brightly coloured or patterned, they become more comforting, like a blanket you can wrap yourself up in against the cold. For simple shapes, see Cos.

Green parka, £155stg, at www.toast.co.uk.

42 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

Masculine tailoring and proper Blues Brothersstyle overcoats have always been classic choices in outerwear, but sharp lines and beautifully fitting blazers have truly come into the fashion foreground this A/W. Stella McCartney’s androgynous aesthetic led the way, with mannish silk blazers being paired with romantic eveningwear and loose-fitting jackets sashaying down the runway over tailored trousers. Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel had a slightly different take on the mannish trend, as his mansize coats were distressed and worn with boyish details – biker boots, denim leggings, and flannel or tweed.

Other examples of the mannish trend were shown by Band of Outsiders, Acne and Dolce & Gabbana, whose masculine tailoring appeared in the girliest of colours – baby pink. On the high street, see Whistles.

Navy coat with leather trim, d440, at whistles.

reader exclusive

exclusive

topshop shopping offer

for readers of The gloss mAgAzine Topshop personAl shopping has arrived in Dublin and to celebrate the launch of this complimentary service they are offering readers of The gloss an exClusive ChAmpAgne AppoinTmenT at the st stephen’s green store in Dublin, with a 15% discount* Topshop’s team of personal shoppers can solve all your wardrobe dilemmas and now is the perfect time to visit them to choose your key AW/11 pieces.

Choose from a tailored appointment menu: let them fix your holiday packing nightmares with Bags of appeal, dress you for a big night out with Big WoW or give you a complete style overhaul in the hottest new trends with Miracle Worker. We’re booking now!

how to book To book your appointment, please call 1800 535570 or email bookings@topshop.com.

Please quote The Gloss when booking in order to qualify for this offer.

This offer closes september 30. All appointments must be booked by this date, but appointments may be held up until october 31.

For more information on PersonAl shoPPinG, to meet the PersonAl shoPPinG team or view the full appointment menu, please visit Topshop.com/personalshopping.

Topshop, 6-7 st stephen’s Green, Dublin 2. *excluding concessions and gift vouchers.

irish businesswomen

Working Life

Look the

Business

RoWena Quinn of space, a newly established property agency, has tailored her business for the times Describe your role? We set up Space property consultants in early 2010 just after the property crash, so my first challenge was to get the message out there that there actually was a “market” and to establish a business that would inspire confidence in purchasers. I run the residential side of our business – we educate, guide and advise both vendors and purchasers, private individuals or corporates to sell their properties, fairly priced and ideally within a four-week time frame. So, out of adversity an opportunity? Yes, we learned a lot from the blame our sector attracted: we know we must substantiate valuations and guide vendors with facts – not deliver on expectations which may not have solid foundations. What about the risk? My instincts were that without the baggage of a big inventory that had to be serviced, and with a small, motivated team we could make a serious impression. I did quake briefly when I had to inform my business partner I was pregnant the week before we started the business: he was unfazed and with not a single sick day prior to the birth, and back after five weeks, the whole experience was satisfying and exciting rather than nerve-wracking. Career Path? An arts degree in NUIG, then an interior design course at the Grafton Academy before stints in our family business and in the US. I then worked with Daphne Kaye where I got an excellent grounding in business. I moved to Savills, a larger corporate style estate agency, before launching Space in February 2010. What drives you?

Closing a sale, handing over the keys to a very excited purchaser.

Receiving a referral of future business from the vendor is the ultimate satisfaction – then you know you’ve done a really good job.

Typical Day? I give 10-month-old son Harry his breakfast and get ready. I check in with our team on the way to work in the car and plan the day. We have a daily meeting, then all disperse to viewings and appointments. We facilitate viewers after they finish work, so it can be 7.30pm or so when I get home. Then, playtime with Harry, dinner with my husband and a few minutes to check emails and make my list for the next day. Like most mums, it’s only after 9pm that I get to relax with a cup of tea. Working ways? I swear by lists. I like order and structure and I have a wonderful team around me, many with whom I have worked for years: they know what makes me tick! Downtime? A trip to Avoca, Powerscourt for a walk and cup of tea, stocking up on homemade goodies; making brown bread. Extended breakfasts around the table at home with my parents; time to catch up at the weekend. I enjoy a good power walk and I love reading. Going racing, or to a match in the Aviva or Croke Park is favourite day out. People in business you admire? J P McManus for his drive, determination, discretion and his generosity to the community.

“My first challenge was to get the word out there that there actually was a ‘market’.”

fiLe aWay ...

WHAT’S oN YoUR DESK?

Computer, Rich Tea (!), a water glass, a picture of my husband and son and lots of lists!

White shirt, MSGM, d120 at BT2. Plum Davina crepe dress, d285; Selina leather shoes, d245; both at LK Bennett. Black leather bag, d40, at Marks & Spencer. Apple iPad 2, Vodafone.

Look the Business Competition Vodafone is home of the smartphone and has added the new Nokia E6 to its range. The Nokia E6 is exclusive to Vodafone and packed with the latest technology! This ultra compact smartphone runs on the Symbian platform and has a 2.4” screen, 8GB memory and 8 megapixel camera. The device is feature-rich, having an MP3 player, FM radio, video calling, email and web browsing. You can even edit your pictures on the handset as it comes with onboard video and photo-editing software! Vodafone is offering one lucky winner a chance to win a new Nokia E6.

Email vodafonecomp@thegloss.ie. Include your full name, role, company and contact telephone number and the answer to the following question: Q: When is The Gloss Magazine's Look the

Look the Business, the event for working women, held in association with Vodafone, will take place on wednesday october 19 2011. Only a limited number of tickets left. See page 75 for more details.

44 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

Business event in association with Vodafone?

For terms and conditions, see www.thegloss.ie.

Congratulations to Irene O’Gorman, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Deloitte, winner of the August competition.

FAvoURITE GADGET? My iPhone and car kit so I can make those work calls and catch up with family and friends on route to appointments.

I just got an iPad so I can check what’s new to the market and, when on the sofa in the evening, it’s great for catching up on a little gossip.

WoRKING WARDRobE?

I like discreet pieces with a good cut – I spend a lot of time meeting clients and banks and we present ourselves very much as the legal profession would. I love dresses as you don’t have to think about what matches what. I buy comfortable but stylish court shoes that allow me to run from the office, to the car, to meetings. A good winter coat is essential.

WARDRobE MoTTo?

First impressions last and discreet dress will not cause distraction from your delivery. If you look neat, organised and understated, your client will assume you will look after their business in the same manner.

LAbELS YoU LIKE?

LK bennett, Massimo Dutti, Heidi Higgins, Louise Kennedy. brown Thomas is great for really good buys.

ACCESSoRIES?

Pearls, good jewellery, gloves, hats and scarves. A great big handbag and a leather folder for notes. I like Wolford and Marks & Spencer tights. Hunter wellies come in handy for site inspections.

acceSSorieS Strap

coach stops here From the 70th Anniversary Collection: the Madison quilted chevron Lindsey bag, d395, coach.

s l i a t e The D Autumn’s Accessories

From bags and belts to hairbands and hats, accessories are to the fore this season. You don’t need a whole new wardrobe – one special extra is all it takes to update your look and take it from good to great. On the following pages, see our guide to autumn’s accessories ...

EdiTEd bY aislinn coffey WORdS bY lynn enright

In store soon ...

T

he biggest accessory story of the season must be New York brand Coach arriving at Arnotts on Henry Street on September 15. The label, founded in a Manhattan loft in 1941, has become, 70 years on, the biggest-selling American handbag line in the US. Expect a gorgeous 2,000 square-foot space on the ground floor, with additional space for men’s accessories. This season’s collection has many of the hallmarks of the brand: some utilitarian shapes with pocket flaps, reminiscent of 1970s classics, great weekend bags, perfect totes in every colour, elegant evening bags – the influence of current head designer, Reed Krakoff, whose own label is popular with American first lady Michelle Obama, is clear. All the pieces – even the dainty evening bags – boast impressive hardware, a Coach design signature for decades. There will be a lovely monogrmming service and if you buy a handbag as a gift, it will be packaged in a smart white box, trimmed with gold ribbon, New York style. Join the stampede ...

Bleeker Legacy courier bags, d395 each, coach.

CATWAlK pHOTOgRApHY bY jason lloyd-evans

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | September 2011 | 45

Hold Tight mA Ry kAt RA n tzO u

dIOR

mI u mI u

lAnvI n

There have been rumblings for years now that the era of the “It bag” is over but, while overstuffed, carpal tunnel syndrome-inducing bags of the early noughties might be passé, a beautiful leather bag on your arm will never fail to impress. At Miu Miu and Céline, bags were simple and understated; there were no tassels or chains, just classic gold zips and buckles that complemented the deep brown leather. This year bags aren’t thrown across the body nonchalantly, but are held in the crook of your arm instead. If bags do have straps, as seen at Marc by Marc Jacobs, they tend to be shorter than in previous seasons.

m A RC jACO b S

m A RC by m A RC jACO b S

CÉl I n E

m I u m Iu

ACCESSORIES

Chelsea Dowel flap, d845, at CoaCh.

Burgundy leather bag, d119.95, at zara.

Re-boot

Black leather boots with tweed cuff, Chanel, d890, at Brown Thomas.

mA RnI

lA nv I n

h ERm ÈS

C hAnEl

The ankle boot – flat or high-heeled – is an A/W staple, and there is plenty to choose from.

Christian Louboutin designed the shoes for Mary Katrantzou’s collection and the collaboration yielded brightly patterned (as you would expect from Greek-born Katrantzou), beautifully crafted boots that are among the most covetable styles of the season. Similar styles in more muted colours were seen at Lanvin and Dior, while at Chanel, this season’s mannish trend was obvious in the practical, hardwearing footwear.

Up to my Elbows The glove for A/W11 doesn’t stop at the wrist, but rather reaches elegantly for the elbow. At Chanel, there were practical fingerless styles in grey wool. To take your gloves into evening, wear a ring over them, as at Hermès, or add a glittering, corsage-style embellishment, as seen at Lanvin.

There are a host of hair accessories to choose from this A/W11, whether you like elaborate embellishments or prefer more simple styles. Fabric flowers in the hair, as seen at Lanvin, are a chic alternative to the fussy fascinator. Meanwhile, at Jonathan Saunders, simple hairbands were worn over slicked-back ponytails. Chanel showed dainty hair accessories, while the humble kirby grip was spotted at Sonia Rykiel.

46 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

lAnvI n

SO nI A Ry kI E l

Dressing Hair

Taupe leather gloves, d139, at paula rowan.

j O nAt hAn SAund ER S

Oxblood woven leather boots, d229, at topshop.

Knees Up

dior

A jumper worn over a skirt or dress looks set to be one of the most wearable trends of the season and by introducing a belt, you can make sure the silhouette is ladylike rather than slouchy. At Paul & Joe, skinny belts picked up the colour of the skirt, while at Marc by Marc Jacobs, coloured belts brought an entirely new, unexpected detail. A simple brown belt looks great against a busy pattern, as seen at Jonathan Saunders.

Red Paolo leather skinny belt, d65, at reiss.

paul & jo e

marc by m ar c jaco b S

Moss Posh suede shoes, d44; www.myamity.ie.

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | September 2009 2011 || 47 15

m ar c by m arc jaco b S

j o nat han Saund erS

There was something of the schoolmistress in Céline’s take on the court shoe this season, a strictness in the stern pointy toe and the shiny leather that covered the foot. At Chloé, a floppy bow softened the look, creating an ideal shoe for evening.

Meanwhile, straps at Marc Jacobs and Elie Saab hinted at bondage – one of the major A/W11 trends. High-heeled loafers were reminiscent of school uniforms, especially when worn with ankle socks, as they were at Marc by Marc Jacobs.

paul & j oe

The High Court

gucci

c Él i ne

Tan Wigan leather boots, Carvela, d280, at house of fraser.

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Belting It

Black Carter leather boots, d780; www.mulberry.Com.

Knee-high boots look great on model-length legs, but flatter shorter pins as well; they complement casual ensembles like jeans and a sweater, and look equally good with daytime dresses. In short, everyone benefits from a pair, and there are lots of styles to choose from this autumn. Play it safe in classic styles from Lanvin and Hermès, or opt for a fun, tasselled pair from Isabel Marant (on the catwalk, these were worn pushed down to mid-calf or pulled up over the knee, and were worn with jeans and mini-dresses alike).

Christian Dior’s over-the-knee boots with laces, buckles, zips and snakeskin detailing had built-in platforms – so chic and comfortable.

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acceSSorieS Strap

Creating a clutch While this season’s casual, daytime bags are carried close to the body, the more ladylike styles – sometimes even those that have straps – are worn as a clutch. There is a tendency towards boxy shapes, but distinctive detailing (see, in particular, the audience-dividing snake head clasp at Chloé) keeps things new and fresh. If your bag does have long strap – a chain or leather – shorten it by gathering it in your hand, as seen as Lanvin.

Two-tone leather clutch bag, d99.95, at zara.

· J BRAND · PAUL & JOE · BY MALENE BIRGER · ALICE BY ALICE TEMPERLEY · VANESSA BRUNO ATHÉ · IRO · EQUIPMENT · TUCKER · VINCE · VELVET ·

Seagreen proudly announces the opening of our beautiful new store.

Only steps away from our old address, we have opened a stunning new store housing our fabulous Autumn Winter collection of must-have, wearable pieces.

We’ve introduced some fantastic new labels like Vanessa Bruno Athé and IRO to complement our existing range of brands. Complete the look at our gorgeous new Nail Bar and be totally new-season ready.

Seagreen... your ultimate style destination in beautiful new surroundings.

6 THE CRESCENT, MONKSTOWN VILLAGE, CO. DUBLIN OPEN 7 DAYS | +353 1 202 0130 | WWW.SEAGREEN.IE

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c hane l m ar c jacobS

m ar c by m ar c jacobS

Hats Off

l anvin

The 1970s had a massive influence on A/W11 catwalks and a floppy, wide-brimmed hat is a shortcut to channelling the look. At Dior and Gucci, 1970s-style hats – worn with sunglasses, painted lips and fur collars – were glamorous and extravagant. At Marc by Marc Jacobs, a floppy, brown number was paired with a casual woollen knit, creating a preppy look that recalls Faye Dunaway or Ali McGraw. For those unwilling to revisit that particular decade, there was a smart take on the Burgundy felt hat, d9, at penneys. cap at Miu Miu, and 1960s-style pillbox styles at Marc Jacobs.

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new season all change here for autumn in bold colour

&

interesting prints Photographed by oliVia graham Styled by luis rodrigueZ

navy wool coat with turquoise check print and white trim, prada. red silk blouse, maxmara.

Violet wool trousers, Ysl. mustard suede gloves, prada. black and white ponyskin wedges, giuseppe Zanotti.

For stockists, www.thegloss.ie

Red two-tone wool cardigan with fur sleeves, Sonia Rykiel.

Blue silk jersey blouse with neck tie, MaxMaRa. orange pleated wool skirt, Sonia Rykiel. leopard-print ponyskin handbag, GiuSeppe Zanotti. pink houndstooth print tights, FoGal. Bauble necklace, alexiS BittaR. Metallic suede and python-skin boots, pRada. arrow brooch, stylist’s own.

Black and tweed jacket, Chanel.

Black and white check cotton shirt, BlaCk FleeCe at BRookS BRotheRS. Black and white alpaca wool sleeveless sweater, pRinGle oF SCotland.

Grey Prince of Wales check wool jacket; grey wool cardigan; grey check cotton shirt with button-down collar; grey stripe silk tie; all Black Fleece at Brooks Brothers.

14 | September 2009 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

Strap She wears: Black silk embroidered kimono dress, Paul smith.

Grey Prince of Wales check wool trousers, PrinGle oF scotland. red satin and leather boots, GiusePPe Zanotti. Bangles, stylist’s own. Black leather gloves, BotteGa Veneta. Fur collar, maxmara.

He wears: navy argyle wool sweater; navy and purple bomber jacket; grape wool trousers; oxblood lace-up leather shoes; all Prada.

Fashion note:

Pick a stackable bunch of bangles and pair with a smart jacket to add personality.

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | September 2009 | 15

Silk charmeuse jacket, Gucci.

Wine silk crepe dress with sequined shoe print, LouiS Vuitton.

White cotton shirt, Zara.

Gold miniature hoop earrings, H SamueL.

She wears: red wool tartan jacket (waistcoat attached), m cQ by aLexander mc Queen. blue cotton shirt (grey wool sweater attached), PauL SmitH. taupe cotton-mix cropped trousers, 3.1 PHiLLiP Lim. burgundy silk bow tie, LanVin (menswear). Leopard-print slingback shoes with bow detail, manoLo bLaHnik. yellow Lockit patent leather bag, LouiS Vuitton.

He wears: olive and teal wool sweater; grey wool blazer; grey wool trousers; black leather shoes; all Z ZeGna. faSHion note:

the a/W11 catwalks were awash with androgynous models who were suited, booted and even wearing ties. crisp white shirts look great with hand-tied, colourful, silk bow ties; team them with a great pair of ankle-grazing trousers or skinny jeans and pretty shoes to inject femininity.

Olive and teal wool sweater; grey wool blazer; both Z Zegna.

Photographed by Olivia graham Styled by luiS rOdrigueZ hair by albertO guZman for Oribe hair Care make-up by brian duPrey for Duprey Cosmetics

Camouflage jacquard hooded coat, anna Sui. Praline silk top, 3.1 PhilliP lim.

Red wool tartan cropped trousers, ÉtOile iSabel marant.

Two-tone fur collar, maxmara. beauty nOte:

For a polished autumn look, paint your nails with two coats of Rimmel I Love Lasting Finish in Deliciously Dark.

Defy Aging Da New Precious

In the heart of the Corsican maquis grows immorte proven anti-aging properties. Ten years after maki developed a 4th patent for skin that is 89 % smoo The effectiveness is enhanced by new extracts draw deep wrinkle correction and improve skin firmness and turn back time. L’OCCITANE, a true story.

Beauty Autumn’s Fresh New Looks

If you buy only one thing ...

ay and Night. s Immortelle.

So here it is: the biggest beauty launch of the year. Since his first tantalising foray into make-up, with the 12 Private Blend Lip Colors launched last spring, we’ve been waiting for Tom Ford to deliver his full take on make-up and skincare. And now, timed to complement his womenswear collection (see page 32), it’s here. The Tom Ford Beauty Color Collection will be stocked in just seven stores worldwide from September 3 – and Brown Thomas is one of them. Ford has conquered the worlds of fashion and film … so can his cosmetics live up to the hype?

For Ford, it’s all about creating the most luxurious, glamorous essentials. “Make-up can be transformational,” he says. “It can bring out a woman’s best features and her individuality, whether glamorous, elegant, sexy … ”. The collection covers every base, from mascara to make-up remover, with more than 130 products. “And this is just the start,” promises Caroline Geerlings, President of Tom Ford Beauty at Estée Lauder, super-chic in a Tom Ford tuxedo.

Look out for new colours each season, plus a range of 16 nail lacquers arriving in December. Two new Private Blend fragrances also launch this month: Santal Blush and sultry, exotic Jasmin Rouge (50ml, d150; 250ml, d350).

A self-confessed “product junkie”, Ford himself uses the Traceless Foundation SPF15 in stick format (d70) – a creamy, hydrating formula in ten shades – which, it has to be said, he looks pretty good on him. The key, he says, is to boost and perfect skin rather than cover it up, “to help women amplify their own original beauty”. Colour-wise, the ten Eye Quads (d75) are a luxe addition to any makeup bag (Silvered Topaz contains the subtle silver shimmer sported by the press team). There are six new Lip Colors (d45), plus a clear Lip Lacquer (d30, containing pulverised platinum, no less) for the glossiest of glosses. From the weighty, mahogany-coloured packaging to the twelve luxe brushes (from d42), every detail smacks of Ford’s perfectionism.

“Sensuous is one of the most important words to describe this collection,” sums up Ford. And expensive is another.

We’re talking top-end aspirational here, rather than highstreet staple. So, if you were to invest in just one thing? The biggest buzz at the press preview was for the Illuminating Protective Primer SPF12 (d60), in a neat twist-up format.

The trend right now is for make-up/skincare hybrids, and this multitasker fits the bill: it makes skin look more luminous, but also uses an antioxidant-rich complex to revitalise the skin and protect it against free radicals. Just watch that waiting list grow ... The Tom Ford Beauty Color Collection is exclusively at Brown Thomas from September 3.

elle, a flower that never fades, with scientifically ing these initial discoveries, L’OCCITANE has other, 81 % firmer and 73 % younger-looking*. wn from the heart of immortelle cells, that activate s**. Discover Precious Night and Day skincare

Spanish Pink Lipstick tom ford.

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | September 2011 | 61

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Palettes get prettier and more sophisticated every season. Clarins Colour Definition 3D raDianCe faCe PowDer features pixellated silky powder in peachy tones with hints of rose and lilac for illuminating skin. Limited edition, d37.

y t u bea

t e F F bu eLL

Here’s one reason to look forward to September – Chanel rouge allure velvet. Chanel makeup’s at the top of its game right now, under Peter Philips’ inspired direction, and these eight shades, from coral pink to darkened red, are superbly matte yet not remotely drying. The dramatic colours are redolent of Hollywood screen beauties – think of a smouldering Lauren Bacall or Veronica Lake. La Fascinante is pure Coco, but we’re also smitten by berry La Sensuelle (right).

You can buy a few cheap lippies for d30, it’s true – but they won’t turn heads like these do. From September 30.

Beauty halls are stepping up to the new season with some dynamic new arrivals. As well as Mr

P hoToGr AP hs By j oANNE murP hy

include the only eyelash curlers worth using (d24), and the legendary Cleansing Oil (from d34), now in six varieties. New for autumn are the neat mix-and-match palettes, ideal for on-the-go (though we’d like an integrated brush); just click in your choice of eyeshadows and/or blushers. We’re looking forward to the lip version ... If you haven’t discovered their superlight UV Under Base Mousse, or entirely mad false lashes, you’ve a treat in store. Arnotts has two brilliant beauty exclusives in store from this week: first, facialist emma harDie’s Amazing Face range, feauring Moringa Cleansing Balm (d39.99), the only cleanser that’s as good as Eve Lom. Some skincare products have

Make-up that’s good for your skin: that’s the premise of B.B. (“blemish balm”) creams. Developed in the 1970s to cover redness after facial peels and treatments, these skincare/make-up hybrids are huge in Asia and set to take off here too.

garnier miraCle skin PerfeCtor Daily all-inone b.b. Cream shows why.

Use as a primer, or on its own as a tinted moisturiser – it’s rich in mineral pigments to even skin tone. Light, moisturising and with SPF15 protection, this is one impressive multi-tasker for d14.99. We’d love more than two shades, though ...

instantly visible results, and this is one of them. Secondly, hair range ojon: star product is new Instant Restorative Hair Serum (d26.50), a cult rescue oil for damaged hair. And we’re delighted to see that with all three newcomers, prices are on parity with the UK.

Ready-to-Wear FABuLous NEw FLorALs From FAshIoN’s ToP NAmEs.

1. Haute couture armani Privé La Femme bLeue As the price indicates, this Armani fragrance isn’t your regular eau de toilette. There are only 1,000 numbered bottles of this complex iris-based scent in the world: and twelve of them arrive at Brown Thomas this month. 100ml, d400.

2. Reinvented classic Dior J’aDore eau De toiLette The new eau de toilette version of Dior’s classic floral is lighter and more elegant than ever, with a citrus top note and a pretty bouquet of rose, jasmine and orange blossom. Christian Dior originally chose this curvy, amphora-shaped bottle to reflect the “figure of eight” of his New Look.

Timeless. 50ml, d63.

3. Cutting edge

This monTh we're wearing...

YsL's LimiTed-ediTion La Laque in BLack Bronze (d20), The besT of This season's moodY meTaLLics. There's LoTs of high-gLamour red around Too, buT for someThing more edgY TrY rimmeL i Love LasTing finish in ceLeBrity Bash (d4.55), a dark bLood-red, or meTaLLic-edged PauL & Joe Big appLe (d12.50, from asos.com), which creaTes a dramaTic ToP coaT.

HOW TO dO ... neat hair

F

rom sExy chignons at Donna Karan to sleek, tight

ponytails at marc jacobs and stella mcCartney, hair is looking highly groomed this season. which means we’re stockpiling smoothing and damage-repair products.

Try backstage favourite wELLA ProFEssIoNALs VELVET AmPLIFIEr (d10.25) before drying, or rEVLoN ProFEssIoNAL FANATICurLs, great for taming curly hair (d13.50). our tester loved Vo5 NourIsh mE TruLy hoT oIL TrEATmENT (d2.76 at Boots), a rescue for dry and coloured hair. At jonathan saunders, stylists used FEKKAI sILKy sTrAIGhT IroNLEss sTrAIGhTENING BALm (d24) to make ponytails sleek. For speedy straightening or curling, remington’s new muLTI sTyLE (d69.99) is versatile and easy to use (stockists 01 429 5140). Finally, if you’re going for big hair, as seen at Louis Vuitton, you’ll need some hold: we recommend AVEDA CoNTroL ForCE hAIr sPrAy (d27),

eLie Saab Le ParFum The red carpet king’s

GArNIEr FruCTIs sTyLE CrysTAL rEsIsT

first eau de parfum, created by Francis Kurkdjian

hAIrsPrAy, a bargain volume-booster

(the perfumer behind everything from Elizabeth Arden Green Tea to Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile), is a sexy, feminine floral, with orange blossom and jasmine warmed by patchouli and cedar wood.

30ml, d50.

62 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

at d3.97, or good old ELNETT (d7.36).

St e LL a m c cartne y

their many cult classics, now at Brown Thomas,

Dish of the Day

r aL P h Lau r e n

about shu uemura returning to Ireland:

ey

Ford’s grand offerings, we’re particularly excited

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HaLLiW

bluebell Cologne, arrives in store this month, bringing a little spring freshness into the damp days of autumn. There’s a body cream, handwash and scented candle too. 30ml, d42.

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BY Sara

Jo Malone’s latest, wilD

Beauty

“ This Month I’ll Use ...”

Sally Storey , General Manager,

GlaxoSmithKline Ireland, talks beauty ...

“Currently, I’m obSeSSed wIth Liz Earle’s Cleanse & Polish, which I discovered in Wilde & Green in Milltown [Dublin 6]: I love it, and I’m trying out other things in the range.

I’m not loyal to any moisturiser, but I’m currently using No 7 Protect & Perfect.

The one thing I always go back to is Dermalogica tinted moisturiser SPF15, as it’s very light, and I really rate Clarins Autobronzant for its soft texture and gentle colour. I use Aveda Smooth Infusion hair products, sometimes with a little TIGI Session Series Gel. Make-up wise, I use Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner and Blondie Pink lipstick (I panic when I run out of it!), together with NARS Multiple in Portofino. I’m also trying Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill; I like the simplicity of applying it with my finger. My daytime staples are just a bit of blush, lipstick and a little dark brown eyeshadow for my brows. I always carry Chanel Mademoiselle lipstick in my bag, plus a mini bottle of Agent Provocateur scent; Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is essential, too. I always use Jo Malone bath oil, and the cologne; and I like Clarins Smoothing Body Scrub. I’ve tried various mascaras, but I’m currently using the new BareMinerals Flawless Definition. sally’s Beauty

Bill

Polish t15 Liz Earle Cleanse & Self Tan Mousse t34 ble ecta Del ins Clar Body Scrub t35.50 Clarins Smoothing t25 tick lips Bobbi Brown to Kill Intense t26 s Eye ani Arm Giorgio .95 Moisture SPF15 t26 Dermalogica Sheer t Look Gel t17.50 We ies Ser sion Catwalk by Tigi Ses cara t19 less Definition Mas BareMinerals Flaw h Oil t50 Bat in dar il & Man Jo Malone Lime, Bas .50 t20 oo mp Sha sion Aveda Smooth Infu ner t20 ditio Con sion Infu Aveda Smooth t Hour Cream t21 Elizabeth Arden Eigh

I recently had a Nails Inc. three-week manicure – it looks great. Exercise is important to me: I do personal training with Angie Jenkins (www.Fit4Life.ie), and

Perfect SkIn

The key look for the new season is glowing, gorgeous skin – so most of us need a little help from our (cosmetic) friends. The latest innovations in skincare target every concern. Here’s our pick of the key autumn arrivals:

I run three to four times a week. I enjoyed running the Flora Women’s Mini Marathon in July to raise money for Barretstown (www.

Barretstown.org).”

From left: Clarins body scrub, TiGi wet look gel, Liz Earle Cleanser, Aveda shampoo.

RegeneRating: arManI rEGEnESSEncE Test results are impressive for this

TOTAL: t289.45

tried & teSted TRIED: The Pevonia Botanica Lumafirm facial (one hour, D130) at Monart Destination Spa, The Still, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, 053 9238999. ThE claIms? Christened the "Cinderella Effect", it claims to lift the contours of the face, reduce dark circles around the eyes and illuminate the skin. ThE REcIpE: Kombucha, to increase elasticity and firmness; diacetyl boldine, extracted from the bark of the Chilean boldo tree, to brighten; and sorghum, an extract from a cereal plant, which improves skin texture.

ThE lInE: In

just a few spas in Ireland, the American Pevonia Botanica line is paraben-, alcohol-, lanolin- and sodium lauryl sulfate-free and has 150 in-spa treatments to treat skincare issues in women, men, teens and even pre-teens. Ingredients are organic and the range feels very luxurious. ThE

ExpERIEncE: A

thorough cleanse (plus steaming and vigorous facial massage) readies the skin for the application of three layers of active ingredients. My skin felt very warm, the result of those active ingredients at work. ThE

REsulTs: My

fresh, clean skin looked brighter and smoother than before, therefore younger.

Jawline contours seemed firmer. TaKE

lifting: EStéE LaudEr rESILIEncE LIft The new improved Resilience Lift creams may look traditional, with a comforting pink colour, but they pack in the very latest technology, with ingredients that reflect light and help promote natural production of collagen. Ideal for mid-life skin, and suitable for all skin types. The day and night creams are d72, while the star product, Instant Action Lift Treatment (d55), is an emergency “two-minute lift” you can use over make-up. also try: Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Gold Ultra Restorative Capsules, 28ml, d80.

hOmE: A Lumafirm Freeze-Dried

At-Home Intensifier (d25.50), designed to be used the day or two following the treatment, to prolong the effects, and Lumafirm Repair Cream – Lift & Glow (d97.50), a super-rich moisturiser, containing the same ingredients as those used in the facial. It brightens and evens out skin tone, smooths the skin and, with continued use, claims to tighten and firm. SMcD

luxe new regime from Armani: with Youth Regenerator Serum (d95), 71 per cent of testers saw “instantly reduced wrinkles” in six days. Though claims that “in one month you gain up to six years of youth” seem a little dramatic. Multi-Corrective Rejuvenating Cream (d85) is the result of years of research, and has twelve patents. Exclusively at Brown Thomas. also try: Vichy Normaderm Anti-Age, d17.50. collagen-Boosting: nEoStrata SKIn actIvE Exfoliating Wash

(d27) and Intensive Eye Therapy (d55) have been the bestsellers since the range launched earlier this year. Our tester rates the products – and her skin is glowing – particularly Cellular Restoration (d58), with AHA glycolic acid and fruit stem cell extract. For stockists, see www.neostrata.ie. also try: Olay AntiWrinkle 2in1 Firm & Lift Day Cream + Serum, d12.99.

Revitalising: KIEhL’S roSa arctIca youth rEGEnEratInG

crEaM The latest from Kiehl’s is rich in vitamin E, essential fatty acids and hydrating glycerin, along with a key natural active ingredient that can help increase cell vitality. It smells a little strange at first, but the skinplumping and protective results make up for this. 50ml, d52. also try: Uriage Aqua Prècis range for dry skin, from d19.90. cutting-edge: LancôME vISIonnaIrE (Lr2412) advancEd

SKIn corrEctor Lancôme's new blockbuster has undergone extensive independent testing by the University of Manchester. Results are mighty impressive: 50 per cent of those who’d been planning surgical procedures such as Botox put it off by six months or more. Tested against retinol, it proved as effective, yet safe for all skin types, with no irritation. The key active molecule LR2412 penetrates through the skin’s layers to act on pigmentation, sunspots and wrinkles. Use at night for best results. 30ml, d70. also try: Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Correcting Serum, d41.70.

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | September 2011 | 63

jIL san der

raL Ph Lau ren

raL Ph Lau ren

Scarlet lips stole the show on catwalks at Diane von Furstenberg, Giles, Ralph Lauren and Jil Sander. “It’s the season of the lip,” says James Kaliardos, who chose MAC’s punchy Runaway Red (d17.50) for the Oliver Theyskens Theory show. It’s all about matte, velvety reds this season – full-on rich scarlets for a dash of screen-siren glamour, rather than tentative sheers or shimmers. Our pick: Lancôme French Touch Absolu Rouge Saint Honoré (left) (d30), and MAC Media (above right), a darkly romantic ‘blackened’ red, d17.50.

“Autumn/winter is all about red for the lips in varying shades and tones. Glossy or matte. Red is bold, confident and suits all skin tones …”

Aaron de Mey, Lancôme

There was a strong 1960s vibe at many of the shows, with nude lips and graphic eyes, “like a pared-down Bardot,” says Terry Barber. At Stella McCartney, Armani and Céline, nude and polished skin and lips were set off by peachy eyes and strong brows. For a nude lip, try Rouge Dior 314 (d30), MAC Lipglass in Illicit (d17), or Laura Mercier’s new nude Lip Glacé (left) in six peach and blush tints, d27.

“Beige is still huge in beauty – the idea of a hyper-perfect beauty which is colourless.”

Terry Barber, MAC

The Autumn Edit

THE FACE One of the key looks for this season is nude, clean skin, as seen at Balenciaga to Givenchy.

The newest high-tech skin finishes, from primers to illuminators, make it easier to achieve this flawlessly polished look. The best new make-up offers skincare benefits as well as great coverage ...

• MAC Matchmaster SPF15 Foundation was a key item backstage at Fashion Week; it perfects skin but still allows it to catch shine. In 14 shades, d36.

• Laura Mercier Moisture Suprême Foundation has a luxe new formula that includes moisturising argan oil and soothing, protective ingredients. In twelve shades, d45.

• Teint Miracle Compact Foundation, Lancôme’s first compact powder foundation, can be used dry or wet for different finishes. d39.50.

dIO r

The bold, bright colour of spring/summer gives way to a darker, sexier mood for autumn/winter. “We’re going back to the classics – the black and reds. There’s a groWn-up but highly charged sensualiTy,” says mac’s Terry Barber. “There are TWo disTincT sides to beauty at the moment: very ultra-painted versus the non-make-up, bare look.”

“This season there’s a big return to the lash, with a heavy lash line and really ‘done’ lower lashes.” Charlotte Tilbury for Chloé

THE EyE Textured, feathery eyelashes, graphic eyeliner and strongly defined brows are the strong looks for eyes this season, as seen at shows from Gucci to Jonathan Saunders. It’s a modern take on a 1960s vibe. best tOP FIVe The s ra ca as new m d: ie tr we’ve 1 MaC Opulash k, Optimum Blac t Fi ne Be 2 d16.50; al re ’re they 0; (right), d24.5 t an st In s 3 Clarin ra, ca as M n definitio or ct Fa ax d25; 4 M ct fe ef sh False La 9; Fusion, d15.9 ye ife ls Fa 17 5 Boots ct fe ef sh False La . (far left), d8.99

EyELInER is also key. “Eyeliner is your one musthave make-up product for the season,” says Sharon Dowsett, UK Make-Up Director for Maybelline; try Maybelline Linermatic (d6.99). ySL False Lash Effect Shocking Felt-tip Eyeliner (d31) is foolproof.

64 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

BERRy BEAUTy Catwalks at Missoni and Holly Fulton were ripe with rich berry colours this season, most boldly at Gucci, where lips were drenched in glossy wines. Try Bobbi Brown’s luscious Lip Colour in Blackberry (d25). For a pretty, romantic touch on eyes, as seen at Marni, go for Max Factor Liquid Effect Pencil in Violet Voltage (d8.99), or ySL Cream Eyeliner in Cherry Black (d28).

Laura Mercier’s Caviar Stick (d30) in Plum makes it easy to create an instant smoky eye with a modern nip of colour – use on the lash line, or all over the lid. Or just keep to a touch of nail colour, such as Maybelline Pro Forever Strong in Extreme Blackcurrant (d5.99).

THE SMOKy EyE – The 3 Best Balance smoky eyes with a sheer lipstick and a light foundation, advises Sharon Dowsett – “and modernise the look with a sheer application or by adding colour.”

1 Dior Ready to Wear Smoky Eyes Palette, d41.50 2 Lancôme Ombre Absolue Palette Intemporel Smoky, d45.

3 Estée Lauder Pure Color Five Color EyeShadow Palette in Film noir, d46.

g uCC I

THE LIP

B aL Ma In

ste L L a MC Ca rtn e y

Beauty trends

home

En Famille

A different take on a 1970s mews house was all in a day’s work for interior designer Cormac Rowell, who channelled Paris when creating his own home. Eoin Lyons visits him

PHoTogRAPHS By luke white

M

eeting interior designer Cormac Rowell one cannot presume how he makes his living. A rugby-playing stockbroker maybe, or personable investment banker perhaps, seems much more plausible. But defying the cliché turns out to be Rowell’s trump card. His own interior design style, even his own house, has the ability to surprise. Hidden behind smart high gates on one of Dublin’s leafier roads is a perfect miniature villa, as if transplanted from Provence or perhaps the sixth arrondissement. This pretty reincarnation is quite unique amongst the many mews offerings in the city. Its secure and quiet courtyard to the front and the exterior of the uninspiring 1970s mews house are utterly transformed with gravel, pale plaster and double doors. The interior is spacious: there is a French influence but it’s more luxe than country and, to the rear, the drawing room and dining room overlook a green and private garden. For Rowell, it was the perfect find: a large house, centrally located for both his work and his wife’s and plenty of potential to transform the space to accommodate three small children.

Describing his approach to interior decoration, Rowell is succinct.“I shoot from the hip and don’t do flowery language,” he says, much like we’d hope real bankers might talk. It’s an approach that works well with clients who favour straight talking and a beautiful job delivered on time and to budget over endless reiterations of mood boards, hitches with plans that don’t quite work and frustrating delays. “I find the decisions about designs are always the easiest when the client can relax, knowing the job is under control and they are being listened to.”

Rowell’s career in interior design began with his mother’s business, Harriet’s House, over 15 years ago. While the store is best known for retailing furniture, lighting and accessories, the majority of Rowell’s business now is the decoration of private homes. “We do as much or as little as clients like – it could be curtains or an entire house from scratch.”

Rowell’s work typically features fine joinery, marble and stonework, custom-made

66 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

home furniture and unusual fabrics. He’s a past master at mixing looks and eras to great effect and his designs for panelling and architraves and distinctive window treatments combine to provide elegant and comfortable spaces.

Rowell always invests time in the groundwork, meticulously attending to layout and space planning.

Lacking any of the better design aspects of the decade in which it was built, his own house needed a radical new layout and a new look, so when the couple began to renovate it six years ago, they looked to France as one source of inspiration.

With double doors designed to create a smart and welcoming entrance and French doors added to the chic kitchen to the front of the house, the whole house opens up easily for parties in summer. Inside, typically French wall panelling was added, along with more practical considerations such as the total reinvention of the layout and the updating of bathrooms and kitchen. Some 1970s features remain, however, like the sunken area in the living room which, with its super-comfortable sofas and velvet carpet, looks incredibly inviting.

The house typifies many aspects of the HH look, which mixes different styles and very rich materials. “We are about liveable luxe. It’s quality that’s not going to break the bank. What’s stylish now is to have things at a very affordable prices sitting next to very special things. We have Art Deco dining chairs around a simple table covered in antique fabric – it’s more about the overall affect rather than having everything expensive.” He also sources antiques for clients to take the edge of an all-new interior and believes this is essential to create a refined look.

Rowell clearly has a lot of fun with his work. He’s proud of the clever floor-to-ceiling wardrobes he created to divide his master bedroom from the en suite; he talks passionately about the creative use of mirrors and how textured wall coverings have a transforming affect; he knows great tradespeople and is very generous with information. When we next speak, like a true Francophile, he is going en famille to Ile de Ré on holiday. Coming home must be less of a wrench. n www.hhdesign.ie

Opposite: The chic kitchen with linen upholstered dining chairs and Rowell’s take on a traditional dresser is practical and decorative; skill at blending styles in the dining area – a Porto Romana mirror hangs over a Regency chiffonier and chairs. A Thai silk shade with piping is the ideal match for the Art Deco chairs found at Mitofsky’s.

An entire wall of cantilevered glass doors opens from the dining area to the garden. Above: The living space with deluxe-feel fabrics and lamps – a signature Harriet’s House look. Clockwise from below left: The cloakroom is papered in faux-livre paper; the spacious guest suite on the top floor doubles as a study; chenilles and velvets in the master bedroom and a two-tone damask wallpaper has a contemporary finish; the pretty girls’ bedroom with antique pelmet.

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | September 2011 | 67

InterIors news Dubliner FrieDa Gormley and partner Javvy m

royle are House of Hackney, the new print-heavy luxury wallpaper, bed linen and home furnishings brand whose reworking of traditional homeware rings a death knell for minimalism.

She renovated her first house, in blackpitts in Dublin 8 in lots of rich liberty prints before selling it when she left a job in Dublin as an assistant buyer at Dunnes Stores to pursue a buying career with Topshop. Fashion may have been her first love but her interior nous was also evident at that early age.

Her first london home on the Columbia road paid homage to art deco and Danish design, two big trends from the last decade. She furnished the house with buys from Kempton market, a twice-monthly antiques market that takes place on a racecourse in Surrey. but with Gormley there is always an edge. She recalls its “tribute” kitchen to ska band The Specials: “it had a black-and-white chequerboard tiled floor and glossy parka-green cabinets.” “my friends and i were at an age where we were graduating from fashion to interiors,” she says. “There was ikea and laura ashley at the low end and at the high end brands like ralph lauren, who were just too grown up for our generation. We felt there was a gap in the wallpaper and bed linen market.”

She met royle as she was signing the contract on her next project, a three-storey Victorian house in Dalston. a fashion and graphic designer, he was feeling the interiors sea change too. Together, they gutted the place and created House of Hackney’s much-talked-about showrooms, originally a pop-up shop, where their print collections adorn every surface from walls to ceilings to curtains and lampshades.

Her five years at Topshop instilled in her a confidence to intuit trends before they happen. “after 10 years of minimalism and white walls we were really feeling prints,” explains Gormley. “What we do is maximalism art for your walls and right now it feels so modern to have a fully wallpapered room. People are braver now with interiors.” and london has embraced their over-the-top style with gusto. already Pearl lowe and Kate moss have expressed interest, as has uS actress Chloë Sevigny. reaction to their sumptuous pop-up style has been phenomenal. The design

duo has created a gin den at pioneering east london eatery bistrotheque. The walls are clad in their signature Hackney empire print in pink, the curtains have swagging and tails and there are over-the-top baroque chandeliers; table lamps were made using sponsor bombay Sapphire’s bottles as bases. The couple has also designed the interiors and lighting for the bistrotheque offshoot, eighty-eight, which is a pop-up “historical restoration restaurant” celebrating all things 1988 set in a disused building at Canary Wharf.

They’ve just finished a window installation for Donnybrook-based Kevin Kelly interiors so Dubliners can get their first up-closeand-personal look at the designs. and hot uS label opening Ceremony has invited them to create a dress collection to go with their homewares, which will be available online from mid-october. in london people have a nice impression of the irish, according to Gormley, who hangs out with fashion photographer niall o’brien, Twin magazine fashion editor Celestine Cooney and best friend, designer Simone rocha, at The Shacklewell arms in Dalston. “We’re considered creative but down to earth.

So much so, that an irish girlfriend is east london’s latest must-have accessory.”

The HoH bed linen is made by the manufacturer who makes missoni Home and ralph lauren. a pair of pillow cases costs d90 and eiderdowns are d600 upwards.

Cushions start from d78, wallpaper from d90 per roll, and

Top left: the couple in their Dalston show house. This picture: gormley says their wallpaper is “maximalism art”.

hip us store opening ceremony has asked the pair to design a range of dresses.

fabrics from d69 per metre. n ALANNA GALLAGHER The Gloss readers will receive an exclusive 20 per cent discount off all House of Hackney purchases at Kevin Kelly Interiors, 105 Morehampton Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4, 01 668 8533; www.kevinkellyinteriors.ie

lifestyle

This Glossy

their Dalston rose print subverts the traditional english rose look.

If you are not brave enough for the wallpaper, opt for a chair or a teacup instead.

This month’s hot list

Having built an exemplary reputation for producing highend, well-designed contemporary furniture that lasts a lifetime, the people at roche bobois have finally introduced their best-selling les Provinciales range, pictured, to their Dublin store. inspired by traditional French furniture, it is worlds apart from the brand’s sleek les Contemporains range, which we still love 30 years after its launch. Pieces like the mah Jong modular sofa (our favourite is the John Paul Gaultier model) still feel entirely relevant today.

The Les Provinciales collection is available from this week at Roche Bobois, The Courtyard, Beacon South Quarter, Sandyford, Dublin 18, 01 653 1650.

14 || September 68 September 2009 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

FurnIture company DesIgn classIcs has teameD up wIth lIghtIng retaIler lIghtIng & lIvIng to open a new showroom In DublIn 8. reproDuctIons oF classIc 20thcentury FurnIture sIt alongsIDe quIrky accessorIes lIke these maple scrabble tIles by young IrIsh DesIgner Des warD. Design Classics and Lighting & Living, Mill Street, Dublin 8, 1890 252 104.

beautifully patterned, featherfilled cushions start at ¤78.

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entertaining

entertaining, I’ll have flowers in the hall and the bathrooms

doors to the courtyard garden – a stylish

and on the dining table with a few little pieces on the coffee

blend of formality and wilderness – of

tables. I like simple arrangements, maybe calla lilies and

Paul Berry and Gerry Rodgers’ city centre

vanda orchids or tiny red kalanchoe plants – always an

home are open. Thirty-five guests drink

odd number – along the centre of the table. On the table,

Pimm’s (given a uniquely Irish twist with red lemonade) and enjoy a surprise birthday tea for one of the couple’s great friends.

flowers have to be way above eye level or below it.”

The birthday tea is a visual extravaganza, with five sweet and five savoury choices. Devilled quails’ eggs

“Ever since I lived in Australia, I’ve aspired to an easy

topped with caviar are divine, as are salmon, dill and

relationship between inside and out,” says Paul. “We

caper sandwiches and beef and horseradish blinis. The

designed the house with architect Jonathan Wormald with

macaroons, handmade by a friend, look pretty as a picture

that seamless flow in mind.”

and the fruit tartlets are scrumptious. Chocolate biscuit and

Having spent years planning the interior and

lemon drizzle cakes add a retro touch, while the birthday

accumulating art (pride of place goes to Patrick Hall’s

cake – a mound of spherical coconut buns from Tesco

Skulls, which is sometimes on loan to IMMA), Paul and

topped with silver and gold birthday candles – proves, says

Gerry entertain a lot. Lunches and dinners tend to the

Paul, that he’s “not a snob”. A lot of work has gone into all

formal rather than casual, with precision planning of the

this, but Paul’s years at catering college at Cathal Brugha

food, wines and – of course – flowers. Paul is the man

Street (“in a former life”) ensure that he is stress-free. “It’s

behind Adonis Flowers and his clients include Louise

all in the planning,” he says. KATY MC GUINNESS

Kennedy, antiques dealer Chantal O’Sullivan and antique

Adonis Flowers, 59 – 60 Patrick Street, Christchurch, Dublin

jewellery consultant John Farrington.

8, 01 454 5973; www.adonisflowerdesigners.ie. Jonathan

“I don’t go over the top with the flowers, but if we’re

Wormald Associates, 0044 113 239 4575; www.jwa.uk.com

ph oto g r ap h s by lu i s av i le s o rt iz

O

n a sunny Indian summer afternoon, the

food

Jam Session Love the results but less enamoured with the tedium of the process? Clodagh McKenna calls in her friends and turns a jam-making session into an early autumn party

L Lemon Curd

2. add the jam sugar and

makes 1 x 250mL jar

keep stirring until it dissolves

ingRedientS:

completely.

5 eggs

3. add the lemon zest. turn up

160g white sugar

the heat and bring to the boil.

100ml lemon juice

Leave to boil until the jam begins

60g butter, cut into small pieces

to set.

1tbsp grated lemon zest

4. to test if it is set, place a teaspoon of jam on a cold

method:

saucer and leave it to cool. if it

1. Suspend a glass bowl over a

wrinkles and feels firm, the jam is

pan of simmering water. crack

adequately set.

in the eggs and add the sugar

5. pour the hot jam into sterilised

and lemon juice. Whisk together

jars and leave to cool.

until blended. 2. Stir constantly

6. cover each jar with a disc of

for about 10 minutes so that the

greaseproof paper and a lid. curd doesn’t scramble. making ChutneyStore for up to 3 months.

3. Remove from the heat and push the curd into a bowl

appLe Chutney

ast winter I opened a jar of preserved lemons to add to a chicken tagine. While fat snowflakes Shopping list rd lemOn cu fell outside the window, I cut into the fruit apple 5 eggs and the aroma transported me straight back to chutney Butter the marketplace in Italy where I’d bought the Butter White sugar lemons the summer before. When you squirrel icing 2 Onions lemon (for ju apples away the season’s surplus fruit and vegetables in a glass jar, you 1kg cooking ) and zest often preserve a memory or two as well. uit Brown sugar Summer Fr This year, I decided to start a tradition of having a preserving cloves Jam r party with some of my best friends. The idea came to me one chilli powde raspberries Ginger evening over a glass of wine with one of my girlfriends. When Strawberries negar vi er id s c the topic of preserving came up, she complained that it was more loganberrie lt sa a Se r of a chore than anything else, so we decided that having a party Jam suga st) Black pepper with friends would be the answer. I would provide the kitchen lemon (for ze der tumeric pow and the fruit and my three friends would bring their own jars and labels. I confess I didn’t have time to pick my own fruit this year so I ordered in from a good fruit supplier: next autumn, we might make a day of it. Halfway through our preserving, as well as being warm from all the stirring, we started to get hungry. In these situations I would often deploy my Baked Spinach Ricotta paSta, which is quick and delicious. I cook 400g of penne, drain it when al dente, then tip a chopped onion and two cloves of garlic into a saucepan with a tablespoon of olive oil. After two minutes, I add a tin of chopped organic tomatoes, a teaspoon of dried oregano, a sprinkle of sea salt and some black pepper, and let it cook for ten minutes. While the tomato sauce is cooking, I put a frying pan on the hob and cook 500g baby spinach with a teaspoon of ground nutmeg and 50g butter. Once the spinach is cooked, I transfer it to a bowl, add the tomato sauce and pasta and stir in 150g ricotta cheese and 50g Parmesan. All this I transfer into a roasting dish and pop into the pre-heated oven at 180ºC for Preserving just 15 minutes.

Tips While we waited, we spooned our preserves into Want to reduce the amount of waiting jars and left them to cool and cleaned my very sugar you use when making jam?

Substitute half of the quantity with sticky kitchen. I opened a bottle of wine, tossed a salad honey • For non-liquid foods, it’s important of green leaves and we continued our chat (very little to remove any trapped air bubbles from of it related to jam-making). I’ve never had so much the top of the preserve. Skim the top fun preserving. Not only did we make fabulous jars of the preserve with a knife • Wash of jam and chutney, but we also started an annual preserving jars well and sterilise ritual that we’ll carry on for years, possibly them by placing in a hot oven including daughters or nieces when they’re for about an hour old enough.

through a fine sieve to remove

ingredients (makes 12 jars)

any lumps.

large knob of butter

4. Whisk the butter into the

2 onions, chopped

mixture until it has melted and

1kg cooking apples, peeled

the mixture is smooth.

and cored

5. add the lemon zest and leave

500g brown sugar

to cool. the lemon curd will

10 whole cloves

thicken as it cools.

1tsp chilli powder

6. once the curd has cooled,

2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled

transfer to jar, cover immediately

and grated

and refrigerate for up to a week.

400ml cider vinegar

the saucepan and leave to simmer

1tsp sea salt

over a medium heat for 20 minutes.

1tsp freshly ground black pepper

3. Remove the lid, turn down the

1tsp turmeric powder

heat to low and leave to cook for

summer Fruit jam makes 6 x 250mL jars

ingRedientS:

a further 30 minutes or until the

1kg raspberries, strawberries (cut

method:

apple has broken down and the

into quarters) and loganberries

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-

chutney has turned a rich golden

1kg jam sugar

bottomed saucepan and add the

brown colour.

grated zest of 1 lemon

onions and apples. Stir well, cover,

4. Remove from the heat and leave

method:

and allow to cook for 5 minutes.

to cool before putting in sterilised

1. put the berries in a heavy-

2. Stir in the sugar, cloves, chili

jars.

bottomed saucepan over a low

powder, fresh ginger, cider

5. cover each jar with a disc of

heat and leave to simmer for

vinegar, salt and pepper, and

greaseproof paper and a lid.

about 15 minutes.

turmeric powder. Mix well. cover

Store for up to 3 months.

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | September 2011 | 71

wine

supermarket

Sweep

LOOk CaReFuLLy aT The LabeLS ON SuPeRMaRkeT bOTTLeS, SayS MaRy dowey, aND yOu wiLL FiND high-eND wiNeS aT PuRSe-FRieNDLy PRiCeS

M

aybe we’re over the worst of it? The walls of cheap, and often exceptionally nasty, plonk that shored up supermarket wine departments in the first year or two of economic blight seem to have shrunk somewhat. Beyond them, more swish wines than we’ve seen in ages are liberally dotted across the main

shelves, guaranteeing even the pickiest wine buff genuine excitement.

Swish needn’t necessarily mean expensive (although the number of pricey

a Prize catch

Katy Mc GuinneSS samples the seafood in Dingle, a town that Tourism Ireland has chosen as an official Irish gourmet destination

T

here’s something disingenuous about Out of the Blue, one of the best restaurants in Dingle. It occupies an unprepossessing shack on the Waterside strip that runs from the amusements to the aquarium (two places that will be very familiar to anybody who has ever taken a family holiday in Dingle: annual rainfall 112 centimetres). The menu is chalked on a board and the shtick – “always fresh,

bottles has increased). Usually it’s a matter of pedigree. These days, some of the

nothing frozen”, “no chips”, “fish landed locally”, “if the boats don’t go out, we don’t open”, etc,

best wine estates in the world are selling a significant proportion of their output

etc – is uncompromising. Out of the Blue would put you in mind of the no-frills fish restaurants

to supermarkets. The trouble is, because they are often rebranded, wines from

that proliferate along the coast of just about every country in the world that has one. Places that

top producers are not always easy to spot. You may need to crack the secret code,

serve up whatever local fish and seafood are most plentiful. I’m thinking of the clam shacks of

peering at the (very) small print at the bottom of labels to see whether the winery

Cape Cod and New England, the oyster huts of the Ile de Ré, and the beach bars of Spain and

name rings a reassuring bell.

Portugal (ah, prawns pil-pil, a feature of many happy Irish holiday memories).

I’ve been keeping an eye on three key multiples – Tesco, Dunnes Stores and

And then you look at the prices and take a deep breath, because – perhaps as a consequence

Marks & Spencer. M&S has the snazziest line-up, encompassing items like a

of Dingle being a town that is popular with barristers and other deep-pocketed folk – they are

Condrieu from clever Vins de Vienne (d58) and a Ribera del Duero from star

pretty steep, certainly higher than what punters have become accustomed to in Dublin over the

Spanish winemaker Telmo Rodriguez (d34). You will, however, spot other bottles

past few years. That’s not to say that Out of the Blue is any more expensive than the other good

from impressive producers at less bruising prices. The names to hunt out are:

restaurants in town, it is just that it doesn’t look like a restaurant where you’d expect to pay d13

Brocard (Chablis), Perrin (Gigondas, Rasteau, Côtes du Rhône), Leitz (Germany),

for a starter portion of moules marinières.

Torbreck and Tamar Ridge (Australia), Craggy Range (New Zealand, see below) and Charles Back (South Africa).

Tesco had just begun to expand its fine wine offering before the recession

It’s a topic that is discussed a lot around Dingle. In Jerry Kennedy’s butchers’ shop – official source of the best lamb in Ireland for the last two years in a row – on Saturday afternoon, customers and staff agree that restaurant prices in town are high, “but the restaurants are full, so

forced a rethink. Even so, its major outlets can still be a good place to pick

they must be doing something right”. And, of course, there’s a valid argument that holiday towns

up stylish bargains at unbeatable prices: top champagnes like Bollinger and

have but a short season in which to make their money.

Taittinger, New World frontrunners like the flagship wines of Penfolds plus some

Gripes about pricing aside, the Out of the Blue experience is fabulous. We started with the

high-end Bordeaux and Burgundy. Most outlets stock worthwhile wines from

aforementioned steamed mussels marinières – delicious plump molluscs in a gutsy broth of wine

reliable Burgundian house Louis Jadot, as well as Tim Adams and McWilliams

and butter flavoured with garlic, thyme and rosemary – and cold cooked prawns with cocktail

Mount Pleasant from Australia and Ken Forrester from the Cape.

sauce (d10), which were actually small langoustines, sweet and über-fresh.

Judging by a recent tasting, there is a new energy at Dunnes Stores, the group

For mains, whole brill with capers and toasted almond sauce (d32), a medium-sized fish

whose dynamic approach to wine buying set a cracking pace a decade or so ago.

served on the bone, was simple perfection, while whole grilled langoustines with garlic and

Super Italian reds under the Burchino and Campomaggio labels disprove the rule

cherry tomato confit (d26.50 for a massive, generous portion) were messy, juicy and utterly

that tasty Tuscans cost the earth. Meanwhile, long-term stalwarts like Laurent-

divine. Both mains came with an array of good and interesting vegetable accompaniments.

Miquel in the Languedoc, Otto Bestué in northern Spain and Clos Malverne in

The only disappointment was a tarte tatin (d6.50), made on a spongy base that was all

South Africa (see below) offer enduring appeal – often at special offer prices that

wrong – it should be buttery puff pastry – and without anything like a satisfactory amount of

will make you blink in disbelief.

almost-burnt caramelisation in terms of the apples.

With a bottle of Grüner Veltliner and two glasses of something sweet and unidentified to go

Very Special OfferS

with the pud, our bill for two came to d129 before service. The French maître d’ is un-snooty,

Lone Range HeRetaunga CHaRdonnay, Hawkes Bay 2009.

From high-flying NZ winery Craggy Range, this is a terrific white for autumn with body, depth and smoky allure. Try it with fish pie or roast chicken or pork. From Marks & Spencer, d11.79.

other great restaurant in Dingle, with many of the ingredients coming from their own biodynamic

CLos MaLveRne Pinotage ReseRve, steLLenBosCH 2008.

Only the deft few can transform the awkward Pinotage grape into stylish wine. This rich, coffee-edged beauty suggests Clos Malverne has the secret. From Dunnes Stores, usually d13.33 but on special offer until September 18 at d9.99.

CHateau CazaL-vieL Cuvée des Fées saint-CHinian 2008. Perfect for modest midweek drinking, this smooth, gently spicy Languedoc red comes from the same family estate as the Laurent-Miquel wines which are such a hit at Dunnes Stores.

From Tesco, usually d12.99.

terrific on wine and altogether very good news; the rest of the staff are smiley and efficient.

Across town the previous evening, Martin Bealin and Nuala Cassidy’s Global Village – the garden – was packing them in. The signature starter of medallions of Ventry Bay lobster on a potato cake with a soft poached free-range egg and hollandaise is such stuff as dreams are made of. Global Village isn’t cheap either, but it is excellent and the ambience is more formal than at Out of the Blue.

Visitors to Dingle on a budget would do well to check out the offering at Reel Dingle Fish – surely a candidate for the best chipper in the country. They don’t do frozen either, the chips are hand cut each day and the artisan sausages and meat for the burgers come from Jerry Kennedy. A portion of monkfish and chips will set you back around d11 – it’s where every chef in town goes between shifts, and for good reason. n Out of the Blue, Waterside, Dingle, 066 915 0811; www. outoftheblue.ie. Global Village, Main Street, Dingle, 066 915 2325; www.globalvillagedingle.com.

Reel Dingle Fish, Holyground, Dingle, 066 915 1713. Katy McGuinness stayed at Blasket View Villa. www.southboundproperties.com

72 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

TrAvel

MAN in A SUITCASe With nightlife to rival Miami and food that surpasses Paris, not to mention culture and character, Tim magee is under Beirut’s spell

T

here’s a lighthouse in the middle of

A demolished building has Tiffany as its next-door

Beirut. Minutes from the American

neighbour. You can get your sewing machine mended

University, perched over the Corniche,

next door to Bulgari. There’s no “good” area, which

Beirut’s famous promenade. There’s

means it’s all good; an easy treasure hunt where every

another

street might throw up something special. It all adds to

nearby,

the

Manara,

but

that one is working its cogs off. This lost lighthouse is

the beguiling be-wilderness that is Beirut.

landlocked. Striped proudly in freshly painted black and

Add some serious nightlife, skiing and beach clubs

white, it’s nestled between the apartments and shops

and the most authentic artisan shopping in the Med –

that cascade down to the squinting people parading on

they actually still make things in Beirut – and you still

the Corniche. A downtown lighthouse. I couldn’t get it

haven’t discovered this country’s main attraction: the

out of my head. And couldn’t ask anyone about it. That

food. The Lebanon and its food. Only Vietnam is better.

would have spoiled the mystery and comedy. Could it be

My first breakfast: freshly pressed coffee and juices;

a decoy? Was it commuting to work? A zebra crossing for

oven-warm thyme bread; a basket of proper patisserie;

free runners maybe? A last chance for the world’s worst sailor? More likely it had asked a local for directions.

The full lebanese: A sumptuous breakfast at the Albergo Hotel.

two freshly laid crispy eggs with velvet hearts in a stone mortar; a silver bowl of lovely labneh (the yogurt cheese

Looking for directions in Beirut is even more

the rank where he worked. Districts mean little here,

salve that makes most things taste better); some sultry

bemusing than a downtown lighthouse. I asked a

street names less. Beirut’s particular history has resulted

sumac, rose water and lemon scented crudités; and

septuagenarian taxi driver to take me to a meeting; he

in local knowledge being too local. Apparently, I should

Technicolor fruits that look like they’ve just fallen from

could have done with the fare but hadn’t a baldy notion

have asked to be taken to the green hotel across from the

the elderly little trees that are shading me from the Middle

of where the city’s main hotel was. Another stranger in

pharmacy behind the bus station.

Eastern morning sun as my “full Lebanese” is presented

his own town didn’t know how to find the street behind

Location, location, location. It means little in Beirut.

to me by the rooftop pool of the Albergo Hotel.

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | September 2011 | 73

Travel Breakfast at the Albergo is when you want it.

Not when you want it between 7 and 10am. But anytime. “You paid for it, so can you eat it when you like,” said the hotel’s mistress and commander, Jihane. Jihane Khairallah is the Albergo. Quietly confident and sophisticated with great taste and, I suspect, a small weakness for quality labels with one revelatory red sole in her birth city of Beirut and one in the sixth arrondissement. The Beaux Arts Albergo’s last incarnation was as apartments.

Now it’s the perfect hotel. Nothing modular. No two rooms alike. Asking for directions there is actually a treat, with Albergo’s gracious staff all double jobbing as my personal butlers.

the perfect hotel: Spend an afternoon relaxing on the terrace.

Mention Beirut to someone and you evoke a wide range of responses. From surprise and concern to absolute envy and, occasionally, “Ah, the Paris of the Middle East”. Beirut isn’t the Paris of anywhere. That city reigns supreme in my starry eyes but Beirut does many things better. The food is better. Despite the odd flash Japanese restaurant or Francophile brasserie, the only culinary competition is from the Armenian restaurants: roasted songbirds, mind-blowing lamb and cherries, and baked vegetables that would complement any three-star dessert trolley are typical. Beirut parties harder; at night, the valet car parks all look like they’re hosting Beyoncé’s birthday. It’s Paris without the prices, Barcelona without the pounce and purse-snatching; it’s a miniature Miami.

At first glance, the city looks like a large Jenga set. Then you look closer. Between the overhanging snow-tipped parental mountains and the wall of blue-on-green-on-diamanté sea lies an addictive city that’s falling down with the elements of community, culture and micro-commerce that we covet for our own towns. Don’t pity this city. It has a randomness that kept a jaded traveller like me not just engaged, but childlike. Most of the world’s great destinations can make you feel like a visitor, even voyeuristic. Beirut doesn’t do that. It somehow seems inclusive; you don’t feel like you’re visiting, you feel like you’re living there.

Albeit far too briefly.

You can get to Beirut with BMI via London, but Turkish Airlines will bring you there and home via the capital of that part of the world, Istanbul. The evening return flight works nicely

a suite at the albergo hotel: No two rooms are the same.

for a super-stopover. More culture. More lighthouses. n

VieW from a table: tawlet

The hip interior at Beirut eatery Tawlet.

Within minutes, I was resenting Tawlet. It isn’t fair to treat your customers like this. Management should at least insist that you fast for a month or two before setting foot in Beirut’s best restaurant. Besides teasing you by reminding you of how far your national food credentials still have to go, there are simply too many incredible tastes. For a few hours a day this institution – which looks like a cross between a recording studio and a bakery in Brooklyn, or Moby’s kitchen perhaps – transforms into a culinary Aladdin’s cave. Tawlet is more a venue than a restaurant, with one brilliant headline act after another. Every day, different cooks from regions throughout the Lebanon showcase the talents and traditions of one of the world’s great cuisines in a room and atmosphere that I’d happily spend the rest of my days in. At the weekends, Tawlet has a buffet brunch – a pathetically inadequate term. I was sure the owners were hiding Claudia Roden and Nigel Slater in the kitchen. Tasting menus in most of the mincing Michelin restaurants I’ve eaten in never managed to communicate the flavour and love that went into the dozen or so dishes I had in sweet Tawlet for 20 quid. Tawlet, Sector 79, 12 Naher Street, Beirut, 00961 144 8129; www.tawlet.com

80 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

Bar EssenƟals

Surprisingly tasty Nature Valley and associated words and designs are trademarks of General Mills © 2011.

THE GLOSS MAGAZINE in association with Vodafone presents

Look the Business An evening of fashion and inspiration for working women Now in its eighth season, THE GLOSS MAGAZINE’s Look the Business is the go-to fashion event for working women. Business as usual means always knowing what to wear, looking smart and sending out the right message. This event has been designed with you in mind, a brilliant way to entertain clients and colleagues, to table-hop and network or invest some well-earned time focusing on how you look and feel at work. Autumn and winter trends will be translated for the office, with effortlessly elegant looks from Brown Thomas, brilliant business classics from Arnotts, great tailoring solutions from Karen Millen, special occasion and eveningwear from Coast, easy looks for the office from L.K. Bennett, stylish separates from Diffusion and smart dresses from Costume. Build a no-brainer capsule wardrobe (and essential underpinnings) with Marks & Spencer. Update your look with new-season shoes, bags and accessories and learn the steps to a polished, professional make-up. No-one leaves empty-handed: there’s a chance to win incredible prizes and there’s a genuinely gorgeous goodie bag for every guest.

OCTOBER 19 Wednesday, 6.30 – 10.30pm Mansion House, Dublin 2. Tickets t150; all inclusive (champagne, supper, wines, show). Tables of ten t1,500. For queries or bookings, call 01 275 5130 or email lookthebusiness@thegloss.ie

Be Advised ... Sonya Lennon conducts a STRESS-FREE PERSONAL SHOPPING EXPERIENCE from Brown Thomas plus one lucky guest will win a personal shopping spree ... Be Surprised ... The DESIGNER HANDBAG DRAW from

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cosmetics, treatments, weekends away, a Celebration Ring from Tiffany & Co, and many more ... Be Amused ... YOUR LIFE IN LINGERIE: Your route to business success revealed in a most amusing way!

ENTERTAINING

WEDDING SHOWCASE SUNDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER 2011

Latin American Extravaganza

2pm - 5pm

Book now for our next wine dinner on Wednesday September 28

SIX-COURSE DINNER ACCOMPANIED

BY SIX WINES

WINES PRESENTED

BY THE GLOSS WINE EDITOR MARY DOWEY

A WONDERFUL EVENING OUT FOR YOU AND YOUR GUESTS

AN INSPIRED GIFT OR A SMART WAY TO ENTERTAIN BUSINESS ASSOCIATES

We know from the past four lipsmacking years of THE GLOSS & THE MERRION WINE SOCIETY that by late September, readers and their friends feel ready for a treat. Why not beat that dreary back-to-work, back-to-school, winter-round-the-corner feeling with a glamorous gourmet evening showcasing the BOLD FLAVOURS OF SOUTH AMERICA? All lovers of fine wine and fantastic food are welcome to attend.

Our next wine dinner, a LATIN AMERICAN EXTRAVAGANZA, takes place in the Cellar Restaurant of Dublin’s Merrion Hotel on Wednesday September 28th.

MARY DOWEY, wine editor of THE GLOSS, will present a line-up of super wines to show just how exciting countries like Argentina and Chile have recently become for serious wine enthusiasts. These will be matched with vivid dishes created by The Merrion’s executive chef Ed Cooney and his team to capture the colour and drama of Latin America in imaginative, contemporary cooking.

INSPIRING IDEAS. CREATING DREAMS. Come and join us at Carton House for our exclusive Wedding Showcase.

The day will feature a host of wedding suppliers, on hand to showcase their bespoke products and services. Consult with leading experts on everything from picture-perfect beauty tips to luxurious honeymoon destinations. Attend our sensational fashion show which will unveil stunning bridal wear from both Irish and International designers.

For d90, guests will enjoy a superb six-course dinner accompanied by six different wines, each chosen and introduced by MARY DOWEY. As usual, we expect tickets to sell out quickly. The evening begins at 7.30pm. Come and enjoy an exotic excursion half way across the world. ● ● ● ● ●

Admission is free with champagne and canapes on arrival. And if you want to experience a taste of true Carton House hospitality, we’ve got preferred overnight rates for you and a guest.

34 | August 2011 | UTSHE ,EM G AG CARTO N HO A YL NO O OSTSH ,M CO KIA L DZA IRN E , EI R E L A N D T: +3 5 3 (0 )1 5 0 5 2 0 0 0 E: weddi ngs@c ar tonhouse.com www.c ar tonhous e.com

six-course dinner accompanied by six wines wines presented by THE GLOSS Wine Editor Mary Dowey wines can be ordered by the case at very attractive prices gift vouchers available – the perfect present for any wine lover call 01 275 5130 for queries and booking

TICKETS AT t90 INCLUDE A SIX-COURSE DINNER AND SIX WINES. FOR ENQUIRIES AND TICKETS, CALL THE WINE SOCIETY HOTLINE ON 01 275 5130

thiS gloSSy life Strap

This Glossy Life The Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava resides in a mansion stuffed full of antiques, but, as Celia Lyttelton discovers, she is determined to lead her sprawling estate towards a new eco-friendly era photographs by luke white

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | September 2009 2011 || 77 15

this glossy life

L

indy, the Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, far from being preserved in aspic amongst the vice-regal splendours of her Co Down mansion, Clandeboye, is intent on steering its 2,000-acre estate into the 21st century. “I am not remotely interested in being posh or chic,” she pronounces. With entrepreneurial zeal, she

channels her energies into managing the estate that has the largest broadleaved woodland area in Northern Ireland, as well as romantic landscaped parkland, woodland projects, prize-winning dairy herds churning out delicious yoghurt, walled gardens, an art gallery and an arboretum.

When a teenage Lindy Dufferin, then Lindy Guinness, won the Oskar Kokoschka watercolour scholarship two years in a row, she was photographed for the newspapers. Sheridan Dufferin – who was the fifth Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, and a Guinness himself – kept the newspaper cutting on his shaving mirror and thought to himself, “One day I am going to marry that girl”. In 1964, they married at Westminster Abbey before nearly 2,000 invitees, and Lindy became the Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava. When she first came to Clandeboye as a 19-year-old fledgling artist under the tutelage of Duncan Grant, she was undaunted as – being the granddaughter of the Duke of Rutland – she was used to the grandeur of Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire.

“I am not remotely interested in being posh or chic.”

Clandeboye is a late Georgian mansion built on an informal plan by the architect Robert Woodgate, who was an apprentice of Sir John Soane. It is full of character, housing an extraordinary melange of artefacts, relics of the British Empire, antiquities, artefacts and antiques, Old Masters, ancestral portraits and modern art.

The feeling of history is palpable as one steps over the threshold into the great hall, where there is a model of Mandalay and a Burmese bell (the first Marquess of Dufferin annexed Burma when he was the viceroy). Hanging on the walls is a collection of cutlasses, pistols and fly whisks that were used by acolytes to dust the altars in St Peter’s in Rome.

The first floor is flooded in light as the first Marquess had a passion for occulae or great skylights. The bedrooms provide a virtual and rarefied tour round the world from Burma to Ottawa, as each one is themed and named after one of the Marquess’ diplomatic posts. “Rome”, for example, is a bedroom of reliquaries from his days as Imperial Paladin.

Clandeboye, however, is not a museum, but a much-loved house with a constant stream of friends and family coming to stay in great comfort. It is centrally heated with gallons of hot water; the late novelist Lady Caroline Blackwood, who was Lindy’s sister-in-law, recalled that when she was a child, there was only “a little trickle of brown peat for a bath”.

Maureen Guinness (one of the “golden” Guinness girls) was Lindy’s mother-in-law and kept Clandeboye going after WWII. She was a legendary hostess who loved practical jokes

The Rev Ian Paisley, who has posed for Lindy Dufferin, visits her gallery.

and would often arrive at parties wearing a false penis on her nose and a hidden fart machine between her legs. Her son, the late Sheridan Dufferin, had a passion for collecting, like his grandfather, the first Marquess. He championed 1960s art, including a young David Hockney, and was a partner in the influential Knoedler Gallery in New York. Sadly he died 20 years ago, aged only 49.

Lindy continues to be a committed artist in the figurative tradition (though sometimes verging on the abstract), spending much of her time sequestered away in her studio, which was the old drawing room, and she has just had a sell-out show in Paris where Nat Rothschild and Sir David Davis were among her buyers. She is mercurial and gamine and her piercing, sapphire-blue eyes seem to dive straight into you. Dressed in tweed knickerbockers, Lindy receives Tesco buyers to talk yoghurt in the green music room. Her own painterly oil sketches of her cows grace the lids of the yoghurts. As the cake is cut, she suggests that there could be cow hoof prints on the supermarket

78 | September 2011 | T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e

Clandeboye yogurt is made using milk from the estate’s prize-winning cows.

this glossy life floors leading to her products (to which no cream or artificial ingredients are added), to give them more “shelf presence”. Until recently, Lindy seldom set foot in a supermarket but now she says: “It is my dream to have Clandeboye yoghurt in my local London Waitrose.” Her wish may come true as dessert guru James Averdieck, who has just sold his Gü brand for £35 million, has been to stay at Clandeboye for yoghurt tastings and has expressed enthusiasm for the delicious Greek strained yoghurt.

“Come and see my gels,” Lindy says, referring to her cows of whom she is justly proud, especially a fecund Holstein called Willow, who was the bovine Miss Universe in 2007 and 2008 and whose fan mail includes eulogies from Dr Kissinger and the Prince of Wales. We head out to the meadows to admire her Friesians, Jerseys and rare breeds of “Moilies”, an ancient lineage of Ulster cattle, and to meet their herdsman, Mark Logan.

The following morning, the Rev Ian Paisley makes a flying visit to see Lindy’s art at the Ava Gallery, which is under the directorship of Adams auctioneers, and situated in the courtyard. Lindy and the Reverend hug each other hello and they pose for a photocall, standing beside Lindy’s striking portrait that has just been bought for the Ulster Museum.

Clandeboye, however, is not a museum, but a much-loved house with a constant stream of friends and family coming to stay in great comfort.

From art to agriculture via the chapel, Lindy makes appreciative noises about the flower arrangements for a forthcoming wedding and then strides over to the extensive walled gardens, planted with thousands of sapling trees that are tended to by hundreds of local and foreign volunteers. All the trees – including ash, sycamore and elms – grown at Clandeboye are economically viable. Once grown to an adequate height, they return to their indigenous The house, which was built in the early 19th century, sits in an estate of 2,000 acres.

places; the bird cherry saplings are bound for the glens of Antrim while other trees are transplanted to places that need them, like the council estates just outside the estate walls. Local lads work on the woodland project, planting trees in their own areas, and it has proven to be a great vandalism

The drawing room acts as light-filled studio.

deterrent. Lindy is public-spirited and she hopes that people’s lives, “especially those dreamers who want to be part of the environment”, can be vastly improved by working in wood conservation. From the great walled garden at Clandeboye, 30,000 trees go back out into the environment, making it a truly visionary eco project. Mixed species of hedges have been re-established all over Co Down by Belfast’s boys. For serious tree lovers, there is an arboretum and pinetum, dedicated (for Lindy is a keen and knowledgeable botanist) to 1,500 different species of rare tree, ranging from magnolias to oaks.

Queen’s University, Belfast recently conferred an honorary doctorate on Lindy for her services to the community and environment.

Contractors working on Blackwood golf course, which is located on the estate, were given a brief not to cut down a single tree, and the non-elitist golf course (anyone can join) has a clubhouse, spa and restaurant made of red cedar timber. When the golf course was being marked out, Lindy arrived on site and when she saw that an ancient beech tree was about to be chopped down, she protested vehemently. The golf course manager, Richard Gibson, who founded the Irish linen shirt brand Smyth and Gibson, calculated that the decision to save the beech costs £40,000 annually.

The legacy of the estate is not decided, but Lindy wants to be sure that Clandeboye can run itself when she eventually dies. “Everything on the estate is interlocking. Above all I don’t want to create envy. I want to inspire people and help them realise their dreams, like the herdsman Mark Logan, who is justly proud of prize-winning Willow.” n www.clandeboye.co.uk

T h e G l o s s M A G A Z I N e | September 2011 | 79

over and out

S

eptember at last! Connie’s favourite month of

fashion who she will actively allow become friends with her

the year; she always regards it as her New Year,

precious Mollie.

all the promises of fresh and intriguing starts

She is initially alarmed to see that several are better

and all the fabulous opportunities to compare,

looking than Mollie, but it’s nothing that additional

compete and dazzle! She is in a paroxysm of

grooming, intense simper training and excellent clothes will

excitement now that her darling Mollie has started in senior

not see off. It’s far easier to dismiss who is clearly not going to

school. She is so looking forward to all the new networking

make the inner circle: the grungy ones, the swotty ones, and

opportunities and, indeed, to using her well-honed social

the oh-so-earnest ones. Connie has to choose very carefully

climbing skills to assist Mollie’s entrée into society. She is

amongst the others to get the perfect complimentary mix for

already shrewdly plotting a triumphant first-year “Wezz”

Mollie.

debut and this will, in a tiny way, compensate for the fact

She will be magnanimous and include the very good-

that extravagant and excessive parties have become passé on

looking ones, even if they do represent competition, because

the SoCoDu reservation.

they will always be popular, will attract boys to the group, and it’s no harm to keep Mollie on her toes. It will be useful

A VIEW FROM THE JEEP

she reads Mollie’s first senior school party invitation to an upcoming “Sweet 13” party. Have the poor, only-tobe-pitied parents not heard about the recession and the accompanying on-trend discretion? It strikes Connie that

to include the very flash and vulgar ones because their parents might invite Mollie to exotic holiday destinations and heaven knows the social opportunities therein! She will wisely and graciously embrace a couple of mousy ones so

After a summer of enterprise and innovation, Honora Quinn shifts her attention to Mollie starting senior school and the opportunities to come ...

these are the type of people who still think it’s acceptable to put up a hand at an open outcry charity auction. It’s just fabulous to observe them falling into all the traps, which, not so long ago, Connie aspired to.

The deeply unfashionable, gilt-edged and engraved stiffie is seriously uncool for any teen and then, ye gads, the

that Mollie will shine in their company.

She can see Amanda fairly falling down and worshipping the hockey gals, her misplaced belief that her daughter Amerika’s future popularity is inextricably linked with success on the hockey pitch. Connie has Mollie down for beach volleyball: far less competition, far hipper, far easier

event itself: a private preview of the latest teen chick flick at

misguided grotesqueness that is playing out in Dundrum, a

to become a national champion and a lot more support on

Dundrum cinema, preceded by mocktails in Harvey Nichols

part of Dublin that Connie is convinced is NoCanDo or DNS.

the sidelines – particularly from the boys!

and a limo collect-and-drop service! Connie smirks with

In true Machiavellian Connie fashion she pretends to be

Connie clocks Amanda’s frenetic, misplaced eagerness

delight when she contrasts this flash, and therefore trash,

new best friend to the deluded mother in question, Amanda

and slyly plots the next event she will arrange for Molly and

event with the surfing lesson and one-night camping trip

(a frazzled and pitiable property scavenger who recently

the handpicked few. Perhaps putting a short movie together

she arranged for six of the more promising girls to celebrate

bought into Connie’s Gold Coast at a 70 per cent discount).

to protest against whale hunting, and back to the house

Mollie’s recent teendom. Now that will definitely get mother

Connie exploits Amanda’s naiveté so she can get to stay at

to make pizzas from scratch. Who said this competitive

and daughter ahead in the popularity stakes. Unlike this

the party, suss out all the new girls and assess in a clinical

parenting was easy?

I l lust r atIo n by natal Ie CassI dy

All of which is why she is hugging herself with glee as

Sinéad Cusack comes from an acting dynasty. Her parents were celebrated actors Cyril and Maureen Cusack, and her sisters Sorcha and Niamh and half-sister Catherine are all successful actors too. This month she returns to the Abbey Theatre for the first time since 1966 to star in Sean O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock

She Does

She Doesn’t

See acting as “the shy person’s revenge on the world”l

Believe there is such thing as a “happy” marriage: “There are

admit that it has been a struggle to reinvent herself as a

always moments of happiness, boredom and misery” l read

screen actress. When she was younger she says that she

reviews of her own work while she is performing l have

was too preoccupied with being a classical actress l have

a musical ear, which she says was a great disappointment

three sons: 32-year-old photographer Sam and 25-year-

for her mother l let the press upset her. While she

old actor Max with her husband Jeremy Irons, and

candidly admits to liking attention, she deems the

43-year-old TD Richard Boyd Barrett, with whom she

tabloids and “their antics” extremely distasteful l look

was reunited in 2007 after giving him up for adoption

forward to the prospect of ageing and worries that her

in 1968 l spend a lot of time in the Liberties in inner-

“busy” Irish face will “line significantly over the years”

city Dublin. She bought a cottage there in 2008 so that

l have

she could be close to Boyd Barrett l suffer from intense

She describes herself as a “bold girl”, while he is a “shy

stage fright, but maintains that nothing compares to

time. Gardening and yoga are the activities that she says

through learning a new discipline. Pilates and ballet are recent

keep her grounded l always follow through on her ambitions.

examples l have a party trick. When she has “had one too

When she was a teenager she wanted to be a saint: “A saint –

many” she treats dinner-party guests to a song as Gaeilge political causes. She is a patron of the Burma Campaign UK

and she has offered support to several pro-Palestine charities

80 | September 2011 | T h e G L o S S M A G A Z I N e

not just a good woman or a nun. [It] started at about the age of This month: SinÉad CuSaCk

eleven and lasted till about the age of 14. I did a lot of praying during that time, a lot of retreats ... ”

p h oto g r a ph by w I re I m ag e

boy” l believe that she inhabits the real world a lot of the

being up on the stage l find her way into certain characters

l have

many similarities to her husband, Jeremy Irons.

landrover.com/