Saturday 30 March 2013

Alternative Bunnies!


Chen Hongzhu

Mark Ryden

Nicoletta Ceccoli

Nicoletta Ceccoli

Nicoletta Ceccoli
Tara McPherson

Ray Caesar


http://pinterest.com/monambourg/easter/


http://pinterest.com/kristihastings3/easter/

Candice Bergen at Truman Capote's Black and White Ball

http://pinterest.com/MarisaGiustino/follow-the-white-rabbit/

So I thought I'd add up something different for our Easter blog...Instead of the usual Easter bonnets and frocks I thought I'd share some alternative Easter bunnies!!!
Pop surrealism, vintage and fashion sources show that not only can bunnies bring choccy goodness but they can also be twisted and kooky. Isn't it nice to know that the Easter bunny has inner depth and personality!!!
Happy Easter Everyone
x






Monday 25 March 2013

The Spectacular Vintage Wedding Fair

I attended the above named fair on Sunday in the Davenport Hotel in Dublin, to say hi to all my industry colleagues and show my support for an awesome event. Dirty Fabulous was hoping to show at the fair but due to our recent loss we had to decline this time.
We will however be delighted to be part of the next Dublin showing which will hopefully happen in September.
The event was hosted by the lovely Kate from Bella Bleu, a Cork based store. She was compering the fashion show so I couldn't get a photo of her for you all but she was a cacophony of vintage ivory lace and pearls. 
Next I bumped into the ever fabulous Rebekah Patterson, a millinery favourite of Dirty Fabulous.
Rebekah participated in our Jolly Hatted race party last year, you can check it out here if you missed it!


I did indeed purchase another of her wonderful creations to add to my collection!

Our Mum also wore one of her creations to my own wedding last year ( I made the piece I am wearing ).

Further down the vintage wedding trail I was delighted to find side by side Buds and Berries and The Cake Cuppery, both of whom Dirty Fabulous has collaborated with before on super photo shoots!
You can refresh your vintage taste buds here & here for Buds and Berries and here for The Cake Cuppery!

 Excuse the bad photo but it was a little busy and I didn't want to get in the way of serious bridal planning!
I loved the use of succulent plants in this bouquet and it was lovely to see Felicity again.

Buds & Berries

The Cake Cuppery



In the same area was Caroline Atelier, looking gorgeous!

It was like a really lovely vintage party with all of my favourite independant retailers showing the big guys how its done!

In the adjoining section leading in was Rosa Ospina doing fabulous vintage hair and make up.
Rosa was also part of our Jolly Hatted night. 
I loved her table full of vintage hair and makeup paraphanelia! 

There were quite a number of stands in this section, including the following lovely vintage ladies, Lilac Rose who is due to open in Limerick in about 2 weeks (best of luck!!), Miss Daisy Blue, based in Cork and a gorgeous display from florist, Wild.

I focused in on the steampunk themed corner of their display as I was so thrilled to see it! So I'm afraid you will have to head to their own website to see what they have to offer in terms of their fabulous floristry!


I saved the best for last, the one, the only, One Fab Day! It is such a pleasure to see Naoise and Susan go from strength to strength with their business. ( I also caught Naoise on TV3's This Morning chatting to Sybil and Martin about women in business! No day off for this girl!)

This is by no means the full list of suppliers at the show but I spent so much time talking to everyone about our love for all things vintage and also the highs and lows of being part of this gang that I didn't take photo's of everything! We are pretty much exclusively female, self employed, independent business owners with a passion for what we do and it's events like these which are obviously for you potential brides see what we do but it's also a fantastic way to meet our contemporaries and feel part of something bigger, a little bit different, and a lot more fun!
 Bring on the September show! Dirty Fabulous will be there for sure!

Tuesday 19 March 2013

1930's Hollywood Decadence!





2013 Oscar Fashion harking back to Old Hollywood


Mae West



Mae West



Joan Crawford

They really knew how to dress for an occasion in the 1930's!
The furs, satins, silks, feathers and embellishments just scream "Glamour!!!"
You could easily envision any of the above beauties sashaying down today's red carpets.
Emphasis moved away from the shorter, looser fitting 'flapper dresses' of the 1920's to figure hugging, bias cut, full length gowns. 
Designers like Adrian and Elsa Schiaparelli focused accentuating the waists and shoulders.
Fashion became inseparable from Hollywood movies. Dresses worn by Lana Turner, Joan Crawford and Greta Garbo at the time were copied in their millions and sold at every price point. 
Some of these original 1930's gowns do exist but they are rare and are priced to reflect this.
Dirty Fabulous always carries a select range of stunning 1930's dresses as pictured below.
(Prices begin at €350)
I'd also recommend drooling over the dresses from TheFrock.com, they have my dream wardrobe and when I win the lotto I'm going to buy buy buy!!!  

1930s chartreuse velvet evening gown with rhinestone trim 
image by Lisa O'Dwyer 

1930s Candlelight Satin Wedding Dress


Heavily beaded taupe one shoulder velvet applique gown with cream fur cape

1930's baby pink silk bias-cut gown with pink feather headpiece and biscuit fur cape

Tuesday 12 March 2013

Little Black Dresses!


1920s black beaded flapper dress

1930s Actress Tala Birell wearing a black satin evening gown

1950s black beaded cocktail dress

Breakfast at Tiffany's : The Little Black Dress Icon

Suzy Perette 1950s Black Taffeta Prom Dress from Dirty Fabulous
(styled by Carmel Daly)

I'll be a monkeys uncle if I ever come across a wardrobe which doesn't have a little black dress in it!
Even though I myself am mostly a colour fiend I can still manage to have numerous said articles in my wardrobe at any given time.
They are an essential go to fashion item which can transcend from work to party with a few key accessories.
Pretty much every accessory you own could be worn with a black dress. This is why it's so important to update your own little numbers. If you have worn that black dress to death then "yes" maybe it is time to move on and replace it!
Dirty Fabulous always stocks a divine range of black party and evening dresses from the chic to the extravagant...
Make your appointment now for your vintage 'little black dress'
Decades of fashion can't be wrong!!! 
01 6111842 
info@dirtyfabulous.com







Thursday 7 March 2013

Headpieces, hats, and everything in between!






 It was de rigueur in by-gone days to complete your look with a marvelous headpiece. It's one of the things that I love most about vintage fashion; the meticulous thought that went into each outfit.
Depending on the occasion headpieces and hats could be elaborate creations or subtle works of art. Nowadays many brides are choosing fabulous headgear to compliment their wedding dresses and you simply cannot go to the races without an awesome hat. But headpieces should not be limited to just these occasions, they can be for the everyday and the special events.
Try adding a vintage floral band, jeweled clip or elegant hat to an outfit to reach it's full potential...go on... you know you want to!
Below are just a small sample of our Dirty Fabulous bespoke and vintage headpieces.
Prices range from €60 to €180













Some of our own headpiece excursions!