Irish Fashion and Lifestyle Updates: From Inclusive Design to Innovative Dining

Ireland’s design and hospitality scenes are experiencing a wave of innovation, from fashion brands embracing inclusivity to unique dining experiences and the rise of craft beverages. This article explores recent developments across these sectors, highlighting a commitment to community, sustainability, and quality.

Inclusive Fashion: Caroline Duffy Designs Champions Real Women

Dundalk-based designer Caroline Duffy recently hosted a studio event featuring “real women” modeling her latest collection. The initiative aimed to demonstrate the versatility and flattering fit of her designs on diverse body types. Duffy received over 400 responses to an Instagram call for volunteers, ultimately selecting Pat Kane, Vivian Wong, Johanna Costigan, Louise Ryan, and Rosalyn Cleere to represent “resilience, softness, creativity, and spirit.” Source

Duffy’s spring/summer collection, characterized by floral motifs, is available in select boutiques in Ireland and Spain, as well as online at carolineduffydesigns.com. Her work is rooted in supporting women’s mental health, with each garment beginning as an original artwork painted in her studio, designed to evoke positivity and calm through expressive color and nature-inspired designs. Source

Tech and Fitness: WHOOP Collaborates with SR_A

Fitness wearable brand WHOOP has partnered with British designer Samuel Ross of SR_A to launch its first line of ‘technical outerwear.’ The collaboration, known as Project Terrain, features designs that integrate the WHOOP device seamlessly into athletic wear. The Solare Technical Running Jacket, for example, includes a wrist window to maintain device visibility during runs. Source

Sweet Treats and Beverages

Baileys Chocolate has launched a Caramelised Popcorn Egg, a milk chocolate shell infused with Baileys Original Irish Cream and filled with caramelised popcorn. The salted caramel version is similarly returning for a second year. These eggs are available in stores including Tesco, SuperValu, Dunnes Stores, and others. Source

The Irish craft beer scene continues to thrive, with Brickyard, located near Dundrum Town Centre, showcasing a wide selection of Irish and international brews. In partnership with 57 The Headline, Brickyard operates Two Sides Brewing, producing beers like Brickline Pilsner and Two Yards hazy pale ale. Source

Innovative Dining: Allta na Farraige and Ninja Prestige DualBrew System

Dublin’s culinary landscape welcomes Allta na Farraige Seafood & Cocktail bar, an extension of Niall Davidson’s Allta restaurant. The new 14-seat counter offers a unique dining experience featuring dishes cooked over a yakitori grill, paired with cocktails crafted using exclusively Irish spirits, including Micíl Poitín and Killowen Whiskey. Source

For coffee enthusiasts, Ninja has released the Ninja Prestige DualBrew System, a versatile machine capable of brewing both automatic filter coffee and espresso capsules, including Nespresso Original capsules. It also features a built-in milk frother. Source

Beauty Essentials: Chanel’s Les Pinceaux Brush Set

Chanel has introduced Les Pinceaux, a new make-up brush set from the Rouge Noir collection. The set includes a touch up face brush, eye contouring brush, and rounded eye shadow brush, presented in a velvet wrap. Source