Style Notes: Petals and metals shine this party season, Chupi’s new black diamond collection and Electronic Sheep’s Merrion Square pop up this weekend

Sarah Plunkett Chadwick was floating on a cloud when I met the co-founder of the Queens of Archive brand at Arnotts this week.

Sarah started out her career working in visual merchandising in the Henry Street store and the reason she was beaming so widely was that style queen Dame Helen Mirren had chosen to wear their Katherine dress (€390) at a L’Oréal event recently.

Sarah and Nicola Orme started the vintage-inspired Queens of Archive label in 2019 and have dressed lots of stylish women, from Holly Willoughby, Laura Whitmore and Imelda May to Jo Whiley and Amy Huberman.

Sarah says, “Dame Helen Mirren is a complete icon to us. Myself and Nicola saw the photographs and just went ‘oh my God’.”

“When you see a woman like that wearing one of your dresses, it’s a kind of stand-alone moment. It is a career defining moment. It’s the woman that she is. I think she goes across every genre of woman. People respect her and they love her, no matter what age they are,” said Sarah.

The brand now have a defined area on the Arnotts balcony, decorated in black and gold and located close to the shoe department and Zeba hair salon.

The Katherine white-based floral print dress that Helen Mirren wore was designed to be fitted on the bust, waist and hip, so it’s super flattering.

The Phaedra dress has a festive vibe with its red and pink florals. Music heads might recognise the name, taken from the song Some Velvet Morning by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood, the name of their AW23 collection at Arnotts.

They sold out in 20 minutes last year, and now Chupi Sweetman has reintroduced her Black Diamond collection with limited edition One In A Trillion stud earrings (€789), the three stone You, Me & Magic ring (€2,689), the Crown of Sky ring (€989) and the Dreamer of Dreams ring (€889).

Chupi has a new flagship store in the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, and this weekend you will find her in The Apartment at Kildare Village, where you try on and order pieces and book a one-to-one appointment for a bespoke experience with a diamond expert.

The upcoming party season promises to be sensationally glam thanks to all the metallics around.

The Paco Rabanne sequins have thrilled fearless fashionistas, but what of those who might be a little anxious about the high shine values? What is the best way to work them?

Shelly Corkery, Fashion Director at Brown Thomas Arnotts, is respected for her expert eye on all things designer.

She says: “Metallics are undeniably a trend we see this season, from shimmering metallics as seen in Balenciaga and MiuMiu to Prada’s sparkling holiday collection and the Alaïa crystal embellished ballet flats.”

Her advice is to “create a dynamic and sophisticated look by playing with textures and combining metallic pieces with contrasting fabrics like matte silk, cosy knits, or even denim.

“Remember, the key to wearing metallics this festive season is to have fun, be bold, and let your personal style shine. Whether you prefer a subtle shimmer or a bold head-to-toe look, there are endless way to enjoy wearing metallics this season.”

Looking at the designer treatment, she recommends you make the outfits versatile by seamlessly transitioning from day to night and choosing metallic pieces in muted tones for daytime events, such as the Dries Van Noten exquisite golden liquid lamé blazer paired with Alexander McQueen’s tailored trousers.

As the evening unfolds, amp up the glamour with bolder metallic choices, like the sequined dress from Rotate or a statement trouser, and always remember the impact of statement jewellery.

Congratulations to designer Helen Steele, who clinched the coveted Fashion category at the eir VIP Publishing Power of Women Awards last week.

Natalie B Coleman has also been successful in this awards season, and she won the fashion design category in the recent Institute of Designers in Ireland awards.

This weekend Natalie is teaming up with the Electronic Sheep gals, Helen Delany and Brenda Aherne to present what they boast will be the “the pop up of the year”.

The event is going ahead at the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland on Merrion Square. It runs tomorrow from 12 noon until 7pm and from 10am until 4pm on Sunday, but be warned: numbers are limited because it is a listed building, so be sure to RSVP to [email protected].

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