petit people A new children's wear shop has opened beside Bianconi's restaurant on Merrion Road in Dublin 4, selling top-quality Italian clothes for children up to 12 years.
Petit is the brainchild of Francesca Macari, owner of the restaurant, who had the shop designed by an Italian architect and who shipped all the shop fittings from Italy. The clothes are from Petit of Bari, a well-known Italian upmarket children's wear brand. Italian men take pride in their clothes and their introduction to stylish dressing starts early. A smart little outfit of shirt, jumper and trousers for a little boy of four from Petit comes to €118. For girls from eight upwards, there are cashmere coats in black, cream or pink for €152. Contact Petit at 01-2606601.
va va velvet Ciaran Sweeney's print works at 12 Newmarket Square, Dublin 8 is the last manufacturing outlet in an area once famous for its textiles. Sweeney, who hand-prints and dyes silks and velvets, has been teaching his methods in Moscow on a TV programme called Design Issues, which has 30 million viewers. The theatrical designs of the Russian-born artist and stage designer Erté have inspired Sweeney's latest collection (photographed on left by Tony Higgins), of which this giant cowl in hand-dyed pink silk velvet is typical. Sweeney opens his printing works to graduate student groups to show them how the print process works. "People still think that I just cut the fabric off a roll," he says. His collections are divided between clothes and interiors. His studio is open to the public daily from 10am to 6pm six days a week, and his work can be viewed on www.ciaransweeney.com.
pink presence A Thomas Pink road show, Personally Pink, with a made-to-order tailoring service, is visiting the company's shop on Dawson Street, Dublin 2 on Thursday, November 2nd. Customers who book an appointment with store manager Richard Boyle (01-6703720) will have the opportunity to have a shirt made-to-order (not the same thing as made-to-measure) from a selection of more than 100 fabrics, including many not normally stocked in the shop such as super-fine cottons. At €185, it's not a service that comes cheap, but with a lead time of four to six weeks for delivery, it's strategically timed for Christmas. The service applies only to men's shirts.
charming jewels Enibas in Schull and Kinsale, Co Cork is championing customer participation in its latest jewellery offerings from Germany and the Scandinavian countries. There are rings from Monika Seitter that come in components that you mix and match yourself; the bold neckpieces by B J Org of Norway can be adapted in a number of ways; and perhaps most striking of all, these Trollbeads by Lise Aagaard of Denmark, each of which has a symbolic meaning, can be assembled in whatever way the customer desires. There's a detachable decorative clasp, and the beads come in silver, gold, natural pearls, precious stones and Italian Murano glass, so the construction can be continuously added to, like a charm bracelet. A basic silver bracelet (the chain plus lock and one or two beads, retails at €80-€100. Each silver or glass bead to add to the bracelet costs €19-€33. Enibas Jewellery, Schull and Kinsale, Co Cork. Contact Lydia Little at 028-28868.