Blahnik in London

CLOTHES LINES:Decked out in a black Bottega dress and impossibly high heels, architect Kristina Blahnik, niece of the shoe god, was in Dublin recently with a preview of Manolo's winter collection. It was a visual feast with the usual bravura touches – the Yeti stilettos, the zany graphic cut sandals, the famous Carrie shoes (now in flats), and handsome cavalier buckled boots. On closer inspection, it was the curvature of the heels that impressed, a shape that took long hours to perfect in Italy, she said.

What she was most excited about, however, was her uncle’s forthcoming collaboration with Liberty of London. A long-time fan of Liberty’s historic prints, he will “curate” the shop’s Christmas windows and design various products, from scarves and shawls to prints, hats and even Wellingtons in a pop-up shop called World of Manolo, at the iconic London store for three months. We can’t wait.

SPANISH LESSONS

Ruby Willow is a small boutique in Glasthule, Co Dublin with a dress-focused selection of interesting European labels relatively unknown in Ireland. One particularly cute company is Nice Things, a Barcelona brand with a happy-go-lucky air and even more attractive price tags. Ruby Willow owner Linda Haughney, who worked for 20 years in retail, opened her shop last October offering mid-priced clothing for women of 25 upwards, mixing everyday with evening wear. With shops in Spain, France and Portugal, Nice Things uses real people rather than professional models for its catalogue; the current one features 35 women and children ranging in age from age three to 71. This colourful top is by Swedish label, Valerie, and costs €135. Ruby Willow, 1 Adelaide Road, Glasthule,

Co Dublin, 01-6637292, rubywillow.ie.

HANDMADE ITALIAN SHOES

I found the most beautiful shoes – peep toes and mules – on a website called Les Chaussons de la Belle, a handmade Italian collection inspired by 18th-century libertines. They come in an array of 30 sumptuous fabrics, from cotton jacquards and moirés to silk damasks, candy stripes, polka dots, zebra and jaguar prints.

The founder is Guiliana Venerosi Pesciolini, a doctor of international politics and sociology from an aristocratic Tuscan family and who now lives in Madrid. The daughter of a war pilot and a Venetian mother, her “unrepentant” passion for shoes began at the age of 11, prompted by a pair of red slippers.

The shoes cost €190 for low heel, and €235 for the higher heel with postage extra. Check them out at leschaussonsdelabelle.com.

dmcquillan@irishtimes.com