Fashion Forward: D&G unveils winter collection and chic tweed capes

D&G BLOSSOMS

You too can be a princess, says Dolce & Gabbana, whose winter collection was all about fairytale and fantasy rather than their usual Sicilian references, but just as playful.

There was lots of velvet (the fabric of the season) with cheeky prints of chandeliers, candelabras and little birds, but also some bold oversize tulip and flower dresses and giant herringbone tweed coats embossed with roses.

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Left, New Look backpack for €29.99; Right, Embroidered backpack for €1,750 from Valentino at farfetch.com

This dress with its enormous white flowers is just example and currently in Brown Thomas – yours for €1,350.

CHIC TWEED CAPES

He was born in Botswana, she in Mayobridge, Northern Ireland and the couple, Sara Sands and David Hall – partners in life and business – are the founders of a luxury label specialising in Donegal and Harris tweed capes.

Dividing their time between Javea in the Costa Blanca and Ireland, Sands and Hall initially started designing and producing capes for children launching their label on Facebook, but later expanded to include womenswear due to customer demand from all over the world.

They now sell five different styles of capes for women in Harris tweed with a further six to come, including a menswear item for the first time in Donegal tweed, Harris tweed and cashmere. Fully lined, the capes sell online for €330, children’s capes €149-€179. Visit sandsandhall.com which launches next Thursday, September 1st.

LAURA HICKEY RETURNS

An interesting knitter has resurfaced on the Irish fashion scene. She is NCAD graduate Laura Hickey, who once had a beautiful boutique called Tulle in the George’s Street Arcade that she ran for seven years.

After she closed it to care for her two children, she continued to knit and her fan base has over the years “grown legs”. She has just launched a website, laura-chambers.com, where her new collection inspired by a trip to Amsterdam last year can be found.

Designs include a jade v-back jumper, an oversize scarlet sweater, a boat neck tunic in taupe, cream and grey and a fuschia pink dress with purple trim cuff. Prices start at €95 for a scarf, €245 for a sweater, €275 for a cardigan or large travel wrap.

STYLE SECRET: Rosie O’Reilly, designer, We Are Islanders

“Recently I learned that the punchcard in a Jacquard loom was the inspiration for the first computer. This has huge significance; textiles were the original coded language. Clothing is a language that speaks loudly about the time we are living in.”

STEAL V SPLURGE

Have your own back-to-school moment with this backpack for €29.99 from New Look, or make that moment last forever with this small embroidered backpack for €1,750 from Valentino at farfetch.com