If French women are chic, Italian women sexy, then Irish women are individual. The women whose style I most admire have curated a beautifully distinct aesthetic for themselves that rings absolutely true because they play to their personalities rather than to any ‘fashion rules’.
One of these women is Nikki Creedon, owner of Havana boutique in Donnybrook, one of the most exciting destination boutiques in Dublin, and a stockist of CASTANEA. To me, she’s the ultimate fashion muse.
Nikki masters an eclecticism that’s always elegant, and she achieves a sophistication that is never stuffy. Instead her outfits are consistently fresh and provocative. She’s the personification of ageless style too, something I think we all aspire to. Nikki can deftly take an avant garde label like Ann Demeulemeester or the urban aesthetic of Rick Owens and translate it into an effortless-looking ensemble that could never be imitated, only admired. For me, she’s an endless source of style inspiration, and one of the nicest women I’m fortunate to know.
Marianne Smyth has a beautifully pared back aesthetic, which while restrained, is never dull or bland. Boyish separates – denim jeans, shirts, baggy trousers – are the anchor of her wardrobe, but she wears them with an attitude that elevates each item beyond ordinary.
She also showcases a wonderful attention to detail, through occasional and exquisite pieces of jewellery, as well as unique styling ideas. She understands how to balance a silhouette beautifully, and I admire how she takes classic items, such as a trench coat, striped sweater or button-front shirt, and gives them a modern sensuality that counteracts their traditionally utilitarian image. All of this is documented beautifully on her Instagram feed, where the quality of photography and choice of backdrops reveal an overall taste level that is wonderfully aspirational.
If you enjoy a riot of pattern, texture and colour, then Susie Lynch Barret’s modern bohemianism will appeal to you as much as it does to me. I love to discover women whose style is entirely different to my own, but which excites and intrigues me all the same.
Susie is a jewellery designer, and the best advertisement for her brand Tired Always, and she’s also a terrific supporter of premium Irish labels such as Simone Rocha, Aisling Kavanagh and The Landskein, which she peppers through her Instagram feed alongside giants like Prada and Cecilie Bahnsen & lesser known labels such as Borgo de Nor.
Her outfits are almost like artworks, with really well considered shapes and tones, yet she never looks as if she spent the morning slavishly styling them. There’s an ease about every look she pulls together that injects her style with a youthfulness and a playfulness that feels totally fresh. She’s another wonderful proponent of ageless style.
If you’re not familiar with these women, check out their Instagram feeds. Maybe they’ll inspire you as much as they do me.
I’d love to know who your style icons are too? The more fabulous women we can each bring into our lives, the better!
Love Paula x
