Clothes lines

Compiled by DEIRDRE McQUILLAN

Mum's the word

Stacked birthstone rings would make the perfect gift for any mum this Mother’s Day. Jewellery designer and goldsmith Tuula Harrington of Designworks Studio on Cornmarket Street, Cork, has just launched a line of the rings which can be engraved on-site – her shop is also a working studio. The stones on each ring can represent each child’s birthday. Prices range from €30 to €160 and any piece can be tweaked to a customer’s requirement or have a special message inscribed on it.

See designworksstudio.ieor tel: 021-4279420.

Footsure

At Paris Fashion Week I met Liam Fahy, an award-winning, up-and-coming London-based shoe designer who grew up on a snake farm in Zimbabwe,the son of an Irish father, from Doonane, Co Galway, and an English mother. His collection of elegant shoes has the sort of polish and interesting details – drawstring suede stilettos, white lace wedges, ribboned black satin high heels – that won the approval of Manolo Blahnik, who selected him as the inaugural winner of the Fashion Fringe Accessories award in London a few years ago.

Fahy’s desire to make shoes began when he was 14. He studied at De Montford University in the UK and later trained with designer Rupert Sanderson.

He launched his first collection last year having finally found a shoemaker near Padua in Italy not only capable of making shoes to his exacting standards, but who could engrave his name on the soles for a distinctive trademark.

There’s also an ethical edge to the collection. The dustbags are made by Shingirirai, a Zimbabwe trust dedicated to helping families affected by Aids.

Fahy's handmade shoes start at about €500 and can be bought online at liamfahy.comand from avenue32.com, from the end of this month.

Solid Steele

Artist and designer Helen Steele, who showed in Paris for the second time last week, is gaining widespread popularity in Asian markets such as Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan, with some buyers tripling their orders for her colourful, abstract digital-print leggings and T-shirts. While her canvasses have for some time attracted art collectors in Dubai, now fashionable young Middle Eastern women want her scarves and kaftans, particularly coming up to Ramadan in July. Her latest high-profile fan is English singer/songwriter Jessie Jay, who is often seen in Steele’s zany Rorschach-style prints. Steele has made Jay’s catsuits for a series of shows in Australia.

Steele’s collection can be found at Costume in Castle Market, Dublin 2, at prices starting at €190 for what she calls her “wearable art”.