Serving up a fashion feast

I was back from holidays last week and right back into a busy weekend of photoshoots and fashion events.

As per usual it’s either a feast or a famine with these things and everything comes all at once but I was very excited to style the fashion show for Opera Lane as part of the Cork on a Fork festival which took place in the Opera House on Saturday afternoon.

We had delicious canapes provided by Perry Street and of course a little refreshment from Kinsale Gin with the fabulous Helen Queally as MC. To start the event, Breeda the Opera Lane personal shopper gave a super insightful talk on how to transition your wardrobe from late summer to early autumn which is something I’m attempting to do in my own wardrobe at the moment.

One of the things she talked about was using colour to transition and I love the idea of pairing light summer blues with a more autumnal shade like burgundy and there was a cropped leather, burgundy jacket from River Island that I am very much considering adding to my wardrobe. You know I love a daytime event, but they are also quite tricky to dress for.

Do I go a bit dressy casual or do I go full on glam? Now of course I’m always going to err on the side of being too dressed up but I think I got the balance right with my outfit from Saturday. I bought this denim co-ord from River Island in March for my birthday and I use any excuse to wear it. It’s denim but as a set almost has a Chanel vibe and there are silver sequins stitched into the denim giving it an almost boucle fabric feel.

I then added my Vivienne Westwood blue heels with metallic ball at the front, a red lip and I was good to go.

The crowd were also very stylish and I was delighted to see my favourite leopard print well represented amongst the ladies of Cork including a fabulous leopard print suit from River Island. When it came to styling the Opera Lane fashion show I really wanted to highlight timeless classics, great dresses and a co-ord or two thrown into the mix.

There’s definitely a very chic Parisien feel out there on the high street and one of my favourite looks was a simple bright red shift dress styled with sunglasses, black bag, gold chain and black court shoes. Very elegant and really makes a style statement.

If you’re looking for a dress then now is the time to get out there and try some on, because there is a huge selection for all occasions out there at the moment that won’t break the bank. If you’ve got an occasion coming up there’s a black, satin slip dress from New Look that looks spendy but is pocket friendly and would look amazing for a wedding or event.

From block colours to fabulous prints, there is something for everyone. Of course we couldn’t forget about menswear and for the season ahead there’s lots of really great tailoring around in autumnal colours. I styled a khaki green suit with a cream shirt and made the whole look a little bit more casual with cream trainers from Skechers which will go with everything and a cream crossbody bag.

It’s all about that high/low mix and with the addition of trainers or some accessory styling it makes the majority of your wardrobe that bit more wearable for every day.