FASHION: By Deirdre McQuillan.
YES, YES New to Rococo this season is the first Noa Noa (pronounced No No) Danish children's wear collection for three to 12 year-olds. It's a mini version of their successful adult range and is likely to give as much pleasure to the big girls who buy it as to the little ones who wear it. The clothes, in mostly natural materials such as silk, velvet, cotton and organza, look pretty and decorative, but are all machine-washable and priced from €5 up to €59. Rococo's owner, Roxanna Allen, is the mother of three young girls herself, and her love of embellishment and embroidery shows in the cute dresses and accessories that characterise her style. "I just fell in love with these clothes," she says. Rococo's three shops are in The Westbury Mall and Glasthule in Dublin and Cross Street in Galway.
JACKET REQUIRED Fashion is certainly having a tweed moment this season, but one of the cutest jackets we've seen so far is this neat silk herringbone number (above) by Grainne Walsh from the Kilkenny Shop. It's €189.95 and is worn here with a mohair "bow" bolero, €89.95 and tailored herringbone trousers, €129.95. though it could look equally good with jeans and a T-shirt. There's a cool red jacket, too, (left) in wool for €199.95, a good winter buy and also great with jeans. Kilkenny do them for €69.95.
WINTER WONDERS There's a lovely old-world feel to Michelle Molloy's winter collection, emphasised by its colours of black, charcoal and coffee and highlighted by touches of silver and copper. Yet it is modern in spirit, and its A-line skirts, neat chiffon draping and familiar stripes of fabric appliqué, are a real continuation and development of previous collections. Working from her home in New Ross, Molloy served her apprenticeship with two very different designers in London, Hussein Chalayan and Jessica Ogden, but is forging her own style now. Her collection can be found in the Design Centre, Dublin, Joe Duggan in Kilkenny, Jolie Boutique in Wexford, The Style Room in Killarney and Anna in Cork.