Deirdre McQuillan's style file
TIED DOWN JFK jnr had all sorts of Irish ties - in every sense. He was a sharp dresser, and the knitted ties he regularly bought in Peter Elliott's Upper East Side shop in New York were Irish, made by the Inis Meain knitwear company on the Aran Islands. These narrow ties have something of a cult following among artists and designers. "We sell them in Paris and all over Europe, and the Japanese are crazy about them," says Tarlach de Blacam of Inis Meain. Made in moss stitch, bird's eye and diamond patterns, in linen and linen/cotton mixes for summer, and in alpaca and alpaca/linen for winter, the collection also includes ones in striped and felted alpaca. Here in Ireland they can only be bought in the Inis Meain shop on the Aran Islands, and cost from €35-€45. However, a selection of any three is available by mail order from the knitwear company for €120. Call 099-73009 or check out the website at www.inismeain.com.
GOING SWIMMINGLY Belabumbum is the kittenish name of a lingerie and swimwear company "for fun-loving women" founded by two college friends in the US four years ago and now debuting on this side of the Atlantic. Inspired by colourful and sexy Brazilian beachwear, Belabumbum's vibrant prints are breezy, playful and pretty. Fabrics include printed tulle, vintage inspired stretch lace with butterfly motifs, and flirty fuschia chiffons. The Belabumbum range also includes maternity lingerie and swimwear. The sole Irish stockist is Arnotts, Henry Street, Dublin.
THE BLAHNIK WOMAN Manolos, as the whole world now knows, are more than just shoes. They are pedestals for women, playthings, props, witty, beautiful and impossibly glamorous objects that delight the eye even more than they flatter the foot. A new book, Blahnik by Boman, is a stunning collaboration between the legendary shoe designer and Eric Boman, the distinguished Swedish fashion photographer. It is playful and stylish teamwork between two long-standing friends, one from the Mediterranean, the other from the North, and reveals their empathy, collective interests and eclectic tastes.
There are unforgettable images in this selection of more than 165 shoe portraits, and snippets of conversations relating to them are recorded between the two men. A bee on a pink grosgrain mule, a furry slipper caught in a mousetrap, a sequined lace-up nestling a horse mackerel, and a green suede shoe resting on a head of purslane are just a few examples. And there's an Irish touch: a creamy lace peep-toe stiletto atop a slab of Kerrygold and The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook.
The diversity and variety of the shoes is dazzling, from the Japanese clogs made by Blahnik's own hands in iridescent patent leather in 1971, when his career began, to the Louisiana crocodile slippers from his current collection photographed in decomposing leaves and wood. If the way to a woman's heart is through her sole, Blahnik by Boman is sure to captivate and amuse every ardent shoe lover everywhere, even if, like most of us, she's never set foot in a pair of Manolos. Blahnik by Boman: a Photographic Conversation is published by Thames & Hudson (£48 in UK)