Clotheslines

Take a bow:Fashion designers are fighting back in Ireland, and the new season will see some promising initiatives.

One of these is a shop called Bow, which will be based in the former Eden Park premises on the ground floor of the Powerscourt Centre, Dublin. It’s a collaboration between designers Eilis Boyle, Matt Doody and jeweller Margaret O’Rourke of MoMuse, along with Wendy Crawford, a former NCAD textile graduate and stylist with TopShop. Like the others, Crawford will be selling her own range, but will also be introducing People Tree, the fair-trade company. “We’re combining resources,” says Boyle. “It’s exciting because we are coming from different years in business and we all plan to be in the shop as much as possible to keep in touch with customers.” Bow takes a bow in the middle of August with autumn/winter collections.

Travelling companion

If you’re travelling light this summer, the new footlocker from Jansport offers a carry-on luggage option to fit the overhead compartment. With three grab-handles, front, side and top, and skate wheels for stability, it’s a versatile travelling companion and will appeal to those who could use double-deck storage with mesh insets. It comes in black and chocolate, and also in a bright brown, blue and cream for visibility on the carousel. In Arnotts, Clerys, and Anthony Ryan in Galway, as well as in Dublin and Cork duty frees, and other stockists nationwide for around €120.

Bracelet at Tiffany's

Among the most awesome fire opals, orange and green tourmalines and fashionable opals in Tiffany’s new collection, is an extraordinary gold bracelet designed by architect Frank Gehry, an iconoclast in jewellery design as much as in architecture. In 18ct gold, it is a cuff that looks like crumpled paper with a ring to match, as daring in its own way as the cuffs of Elsa Peretti for Tiffany, strange skeletal charcoal forms made from ruthenium over copper to give a polished black steel look. They provide a contrast to the bravura craftsmanship of bracelets in diamonds and sapphire and chandelier teardrop earrings.

A CORRECTION from last week's issue: Merle O'Grady's jewellery is available in Caru, Drury St (not Kalu, Naas) and online from Brittique.com.