Irish tweeds and separates you’ll find in Bloomingdale’s (and closer to home)

Yes, it’s summer, but one designer celebrating winter now is Connemara-born fashion designer Alison Conneely, one of the stars of the recent #wearingirish event in New York founded by Margaret Molloy and supported by Bank of Ireland. Her collection of tweeds and elegant, sharply cut separates for A/W 2018 won the heart of Bloomingdales’ buyer and the designer is now in talks with them about her winter collection.

“I am over the moon,” says Conneely who will feature in the store’s new luxury hall to be launched in November. The Irish designer’s contemporary take on Irish tweed uses fabric from Molloys in Ardara, Donegal, as in this coat which will also go on sale in Irish stores in August – Havana, Donnybrook; Kalu, Naas; and Granny’s Bottom Drawer, Kinsale. Price €1,295.

Silver Fingers

Fancy learning a new skill this summer? The Collective jewellery design store on Dublin’s Drury Street founded by owner Madeleine Blaine is hosting evening workshops where participants can be taught how to make a sterling silver hammered ring from scratch.

Individual bookings can be made through the website thecollectivedublin.ie or for groups of eight people maximum, special bookings can be organised directly via the store. Blaine has marked her first anniversary of trading with specially created birthday pendants and in keeping with the nature-inspired themes of her jewellery label Gallardo & Blaine, the latest are of the fox and the swallow.

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They join other jewellery collections in the shop from both emerging and established Irish designers and European designers.