RETAIL:After several months in business, it seems Marion Cuddy's pop-up shop is here to stay, writes
DEIRDRE MCQUILLAN
POP-UP SHOPS come and go but one that didn’t snap shut forever is Marion Cuddy’s on the second floor of Dublin’s Powerscourt Centre. Opened in December, just for the month, it’s still flourishing and it’s not hard to see why. To put it simply, Cuddy knows what sells. Years of experience working in Pia Bang’s fashion shop, then organising discount fashion fairs and sample sales, along with a good eye and a flair for selling, give her the edge. “It’s a woman’s shop, good for impulse buys, but it’s not aimed at those in their 20s,” she says firmly. “It’s the sort of shop in which you can root.”
Knitwear is the shop’s strong point and it’s all Irish. The vibrant colours of Heather Finn’s knits always attract attention and the sweater dresses of Lisa Shawgi, a designer steadily developing a distinctive, individual look, are stylish and classy. Gertrude Sampson’s extraordinary way with wool, a skill that can make a chunky cabled cardigan look like luxurious fur or a fine alpaca coat look like thistledown, demonstrates her idiosyncratic approach. Add to that the more elaborate creations of Caroline Mitchell and newcomer Marion Moore, and Cuddy gets full marks for a good selection.
The day I called, a customer had fallen for one of Shawgi’s wispy oatmeal cashmere wraps to go with her wedding dress. Cuddy was wearing one of them herself, the ultimate in sophisticated comfort that even her daughter had found desirable. “My customers want clothes that don’t date and won’t date them either,” she says. Her experience guides the knitters and it shows, for instance, in the new shapes that Heather Finn is offering and in the more tailored approach of Shawgi.
One of the designers featured is Aine McDonnell. Formerly with Sasha, McDonnell is now using more luxurious fabrics, and will also make to order. Cuddy explains that once a month McDonnell will come in to measure and fit customers. “It’s just another service,” she says. McDonnell’s duster coat in a bold black/navy/white circle print has been a best seller, for instance.
There are quite a few “three-hole dresses” in bigger sizes, including some in a terrific gold-flecked tweed by Kate and Ava and a small, beguiling selection of last-season silk pieces from Helen James, including a sweet 1920s-style tunic dress.
Some goddess dresses in bright colours have a rail of their own and inexpensive jewellery decorates a counter, but Barry Doyle’s more ornate pieces, including a striking 24-carat gold chain painted on silver, have a stand of their own. It’s all part of the Cuddy mix, full of surprises and here to stay. You just have to root, as she says.
