CLOTHES LINES

Stamp of approval:For those who like to put their own individual stamp on things, Mon Monogram is a new personalised service from Louis Vuitton, the luxury company long experienced in hot-stamping or hand-painting initials on affluent trunks and hard-sided luggage.

The new service applies to the Speedy handbag and the Keepall travel bag, in all sizes, along with the Pegase 55 suitcase in both classic and business versions. A set of two-tone initials of up to three letters can be chosen from a range of 17 different colours, and either vertical or diagonal stripes, and those interested can see exactly how they will look via an in-store computer simulation. The fabrication of the Mon Monogram can take six to eight weeks.

Must read: an insider's fashion blog

Fashion websites can be a mixed bag, but I recently came across a really well-written, bitchy, but informed fashion website, emperorsoldclothes.blogspot.com. Penned by American fashion designer Erik Gaskins – under the pseudonym Fluff Chance – it gives a frank, opinionated, insider view of the business. Recent entries cover the mastery of Lacroix’s final collection, the tokenism of black models, and a rave review of a new book chronicling the finishing touches of Chanel’s summer 1962 collection, in photographs by Douglas Kirkland. He has written a spirited piece on the influence of Michael Jackson on menswear – “sunglasses, novelty gloves, abbreviated socks, black loafers, red leather jackets, scarves veils” – and asserts that the singer “was a standard bearer for all things Swarovski, yet Nadja Swarovski was notably absent from all the proceedings”. Gaskins’s unapologetic take on the glamorous underbelly of fashion is a must-read for anyone interested in the industry.

RDS highlights

One breathtakingly beautiful winning item in this year’s RDS National Craft Competition was Clare O’Keeffe’s fine white shawl (left). Of feathery lightness, it weighs just over 30g and measures 100cm by 100cm. It’s known as a ring shawl, for it passes easily through a wedding ring, and would make a very special christening shawl or bridal veil.

Another particularly striking item, which won first prize for jewellery (alternative materials) and the RDS graduate prize, was Justyna Truchanowska’s exquisitely crafted felted neckpiece with silver details. Inquiries to 085-7441965.

Carats are good for your eyes

When I held a ring with a five-carat, natural yellow oval diamond and a double row of white diamonds and discovered that it was €300,000, I quickly put it back on its velvet cushion. It is one of the most exceptional stones that Boodles has ever seen, and its price is commensurate with its rarity. It’s just one of the extravagant high jewellery designs in their 2009 collection, which contains hand-picked stones found in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Australia, Africa and Brazil. One flawless and fabulous 12.62-carat diamond, for example, was found in South Africa. Some of the most gorgeous pieces are diamond double cuffs inspired by the Belle Époque, with diamonds interwoven with platinum for a lace effect. I didn’t ask the price.