Friends first

CLOTHES LINES:Friends Elizabeth Moore and Claire Doyle met when both worked for Louise Kennedy in Merrion Square, where Moore managed the Kennedy flagship for eight years.

Moore trained in Arnotts as a sales buyer and attributes a special insight into cut and fit to working with seamstresses there, while Doyle is a business graduate of several years’ experience. Their new company, Elizabeth and Claire, located in a stylish little boutique in the old Jameson Distillery in Smithfield, opened with a 15-signature-piece fashion collection in two plain colours, black and petrol blue. It is focused, precise and tailored to different body shapes, with two coat and jacket shapes, five different dresses and one style of flat-fronted trousers. Prices start at €195 for a shirt and go up to €525 for a coat. Given their location, they’ve attracted many members of the legal profession, though Rachel Allen was their first customer. “Our aesthetic is strict tailoring with an emphasis on quality of cut and attention to detail,” they say, adding that future plans include selling online. elizabethandclaire.ie

Belle’s birthday

Susan Fox’s loft-style Boutique Belle, in Ashford, Co Wicklow, celebrates its first birthday at the end of this month and is sticking to its policy of keeping its fan base tempted with interesting new labels which are exclusive to the shop. In a strong dress season, two dresses, one by New York-based African-American designer Tracey Reese (a favourite of Michelle Obama), is typical of her bright, colourful patterns; and the other, in plain navy sateen from Lesley Evers (above), is elegant in a pared-back way. Prices for both start at around €220.

Bastyan buzz at BT

There’s quite a buzz about Bastyan, a new label from UK designer Tonia Bastyan, just launched in Ireland by Ian Galvin of Aurora, offering “urbane fashion solutions” for modern women in their 30s. With its muted colour palette and what’s called “trans-seasonal” designs, the pieces that work include well-cut jackets and jeans, stretch two-tone shirts with flattering lines and cashmere knits. Dresses are mostly shapely and black with stretch insets while chiffon or silk tunics can be layered under a jacket. Bastyan is a designer with a long pedigree; like her close mate Karen Millen, she’s from Maidstone, was creative director of Whistles, head designer at Karen Millen and worked for Fenn Wright and Mason and All Saints, so a wealth of experience has gone into this collection. It can be found on level two in Brown Thomas, where affordable prices make it even more attractive.