Beauty/Clothes lines

Compiled by PHYL CLARKEand DEIRDRE MCQUILLAN

Rapt by the reptiles

Pugs look as if they turn up their noses at life, and maybe that attitude explains why they are such popular accessories for snooty fashion brands. Dogs have always been popular in fashion spreads, and Louis Vuitton leads the pack in its current winter campaign, flaunting pedigree Cavalier King Charles Spaniels along with its bags. More predatory creatures, such as cheetah cubs, with their little claws on covetable jewels have recently been popular in Cartier imagery. The latest use of reptiles is a bit more unsettling, however. Maria Francesca Pepe, an avant-garde Italian designer based in London who blurs the boundaries between jewellery and clothes, has used a variety of exotic snakes to advertise her latest collection. As they wind around the model’s body, it’s hard not to flinch at their sinewy, stealthy ways rather than notice the glamorous face masks and tribal chest ornaments that define her style. The jewellery (not the snakes) can be found at Asos, Topshop and Urban Outfitters, among others. mfpepe.com

Cycling in style

Congratulations to Georgia in Dublin, the zany Irish cyclewear company that won an international award for design innovation and production quality at the Eurobike show in Germany last month. The award has sparked wider European interest, with distribution now established in Germany and discussions ongoing with Swedish, Canadian and Greek distributors. Georgia in Dublin’s stylish rain-wrap skirts are a particular personal favourite, along with her great leggits (like a modern version of spats) and Mondrian-style high-vis vests. georgiaindublin.com

Deacon shoe

British designer Giles Deacon (ex Ungaro), who has recently added zig-zag graphic tights to his collection for New Look, is collaborating with Nine West as part of Shoelaborations, its new partnership initiative with young designers. This handsome strappy shoe boot, Layla, with a four-inch heel (€225) is part of Deacon’s footwear range for the company (there’s also a peep-toed wedge in black suede for €165), and the handbag tote includes a laptop bag for €190. All are available exclusively at BT2, Grafton Street, Dundrum and Blanchardstown.

The nude show

Not quite ready to delve into the intense colours of this winter’s make-up palettes? It’s a tad early to embrace the peacock blues, purples and greens already gracing cosmetics counters – plenty of time for that deeper-shade spectrum in a month or so. For the perfect seasonal bridge, choose soft nude shades, which are easy to wear and apply. Natural hues featured strongly on this season’s catwalk shows, so you’ll be bang up-to-date as you enhance your best features.

One of the musts for this look is perfectly groomed brows – the only feature on your face that can be transformed without surgery, according to the gospel of Tom Ford. “People don’t realise how important brows are until they are shaped properly,” says brow expert Lorna Cox. “Correctly shaped brows have a lifting effect on the face, as the eye is drawn up to a more defined brow line. If you think your brows are too thin to bother, don’t despair: there are many tricks of the trade which will see you through the growing-out period.”

When it comes to brow grooming it doesn’t pay to chop and change. Find someone you are happy with and stick with them. Lorna Cox is based at Queen, Aungier Street, Dublin, 01-4789633

Gents: get your look fine and dandy

Robert O’Byrne, who is as well known for his diktats on style as for his writings on arts and culture, is well versed in the art of self-presentation. His latest creation is The Perfectly Dressed Gentleman, a practical guide to impeccable modern dressing that is full of sartorial tips and tricks and has quirky drawings by illustrator Lord Dunsby. Like ABC of Men’s Fashion by Hardy Amies, once considered the oracle on menswear, O’Byrne is firm on his pronouncements and has some of Amies’s hauteur, if not experience. The detail – which takes in everything from how to tie a four-in-hand knot to advice on fit, care of garments and grooming – is bound to attract modern wannabe dandies and aspiring Beau Brummells. Cico Books, about €11.99. Rapt by the reptiles