Irish Independent Weekend Magazine Saturday 31st of December 2016

What a fabulous way to start the New Year with an incredible mention in the Irish Independent,  Weekend Magazine courtesy of Bairbre Power! Woohoo and welcome to 2017!!!

Models: (L-R) Joanne Brennan, Miriam Kerley, Ustina Maximova, Laura Hannon, Cait Douglas, Lorraine McLaughlin, Ellen Greenan and Airida Seskauskaite

A dress to say 'yes' to - whether you are a vintage or modern bride

Be it a Christmas engagement or proposal at midnight on New Year's Eve, January traditionally throws up lots of wedding talk. Our fashion editor spoke to a dynamic pair of sisters who want to open up the world of vintage to modern brides

Our shoot is the epitome of romance and shouts Monaghan pride as sisters Caroline Quinn and Kathy Sherry, of Dirty Fabulous fame, showcase their unique collection of bridal gowns.

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Now based in Dublin, the sisters' store on Wicklow Street has been a haven of all things vintage, since they opened eight years ago. That was a brave move, coming as it did as the recession hit, but they stayed true to their dream and traveled the world in their quest to find genuine vintage pieces.

In a new move, they have combined their years of experience in vintage fashion to create a beautiful capsule collection of wedding dresses called Paper Moon Bride. Their latest business development came about by accident after one of their customers bought a blush prom dress and wore it as a wedding gown. The reaction was immediate and the girls found themselves inundated with requests to find other 1940s and 1950s bridal dresses from yesteryear, but assets were scarce. Caroline explains how genuine cream and white dresses from that period tend to be too small across the back for the modern bride because the garments were originally made for teenagers. In the 1950s, brides got married in delicate shades of blue and pink and it was teenage debutantes who wore the pale ivory tones.

"We designed the collection to open up the world of vintage to more customers," says Kathy. "A vintage wedding dress is completely unique, which makes it ultra special for the bride who snaps it up, but we wanted to create dresses for those that had missed out. The most beloved styles of our brides are the tea-length 1950s and 1930s old Hollywood gowns, so we decided to design four short and four full-length dresses. It's still a limited-edition collection because the uniqueness of vintage is our first love and we want to stay as true to this as possible."

The first dress to be designed was Cherry Pie, which was based on the first 1950s blush prom they sold. Taking that concept, they have designed the other seven dresses based on original ones they've bought, and sold, over the years. The dresses were inspired by names the sisters came across when they researched vintage slang and gangster speak. The dresses are available in sizes 8-26 and you can view a behind-the-scenes video of their shoot made by filmmaker Ronan McMeelin on vimeo.com/190539021.

When it comes to saying 'I do', Kathy, who was married before the sisters opened their store, says: "The 1950s prom styles have always been my favourites so I'd have to pick one of the shorter dresses. The Holly Go Lightly has an amazing neckline and fun, full skirt." For her wedding, Caroline wore a 1940s white dress with shoulder pads and a V-neck. Happily married Caroline says: "If I was doing it again, I would definitely wear the Tallulah."

Main photo above: Left to right - 1. The Society Dame, €1,400: Ivory lace wedding gown with long sleeves, detachable tulle train and also available with a removable collar (not shown) 2. The Cherry Pie, €1,150: Blush lace tea-length bridal dress with pleated tulle full skirt worn with Cherry Pie Blush beaded comb, €140, and antique cream lace and tulle veil, €185  3. The Dollface, €850: Ivory lace illusion top tea length wedding dress with Mikado satin skirt and crystal buckle belt, pearl and rhinestone headpiece, €180 4. The Holly Go Lightly, €1,350: Lace and tulle sweetheart tea-length wedding dress with removable tulle shawl and beaded belt crystal chandelier earrings, €95 5. The Tallulah, €1,295: Full-length ivory draped-column gown with slash sleeves ending in deep crystal button cuffs, low V-back with crystal, beaded chain detail and bespoke crystal bridal turban, €240 6. The Sweetie Darling, €1,500: Ivory satin sweetheart gown with train and rose gold beaded collar, bespoke rhinestone comb, €140, 1960s gold and rhinestone drop earrings, €110 7. The Smitten Kitten, €795: Ivory tulle ballet-length bridal dress with shimmering sequinned illusion top, 1950s Aurora Borealis rhinestone earrings, €80 8. Cat's Meow, €1,500: Oyster silk stain full-length gown with draped rhinestone shoulder loops and low back, bespoke crystal swirl headpiece, €180, 1950s silver and rhinestone earrings, €110

Bridal dresses and accessories: Dirty Fabulous, 21 Wicklow Street, Dublin 2.  Telephone (01) 611 1842,  dirtyfabulous.com

Photography: Táine King, tainekingphotography.com

Wardrobe and Styling: Kathy and Caroline of Dirty Fabulous

Make Up: Lynn McNally, facebook.com/idomakeupireland

Hair Styling: Michelle and Sinead of Serenity Hair and Beauty Monaghan, facebook.com/SerenityHairandBeautySalonLtd

Location: Hilton Park, Co Monaghan, hiltonpark.ie

Weekend Magazine, words by Bairbre Power

Irish Independent and Herald Mistletoe Magazine, November 2016

This fabulous Christmas filled supplement included a photoshoot that featured a few sparkling Dirty Fabulous, vintage accessories.

You can watch the behind the scenes video here.

 Star comb and earrings by Dirty Fabulous

1940's rhinestone bird brooch by Dirty Fabulous

Styling by Roxanne Parker

Photography by Daniel Holfeld

All that Jazz! Irish Independent Weekend Magazine Saturday 2nd of April 2016

1930's black sequin crop jacket (part of set)

 Laura: Hat by Dirty Fabulous

Faye: Earrings and Necklace by Dirty Fabulous

 Faye: 1940's Dress, necklace and earrings by Dirty Fabulous

 Earrings by Dirty Fabulous

From the Irish Independent:

This week, our shoot took inspiration from the new Guinness TV advert, Intolerant Champion which was set in 1930s' New York and tells the story of music scout John Hammond who overlooked racial segregation to champion great jazz. The shoot brings to life the vibrancy and energy from the ad, transporting us to a 1930s' club scene.

Stylist Roxanne Parker says: "Miuccia Prada took inspiration from the 1930s for her Autumn/ Winter 2016 show, held in Milan. This is a hot trend that is only going to intensify as the season progresses. For this shoot, we took inspiration from the masculine trend that started to filter into the 1930s with wide-cut trousers and brogue-style shoes offering women the freedom to enjoy the jazz age and move more freely.

"There was also a very feminine trend running through the 1930s, with cut-on-bias dresses, tea dresses and T-bar sandals, which was a nice antidote to the masculine trend.

"The fashion-led man is moving away from the structured hipster look into a relaxed and casual style with Henley tops, authentic Levi jeans and workman's boots," says Roxanne.

Styling & production: Roxanne Parker

Photography: Daniel Holfeld, danielholfeld.com

Hair: Stephen Kelly, Zeba, 60 South William Street

Make-Up: Ken Boylan, kenboylan.com

Models: Faye Dinsmore & Laura O'Shea @ AR Model Management; Carl Shaaban, Morgan The Agency; James McDonald, Lockdown Models, Cork

Double bass player: Cormac O'Brien

Shot on location at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery, St James's Gate, Dublin.

Dirty Fabulous in Irelands Top Bridal Boutiques

We got an amazing mention in www.independent.ie when we were listed in the top 30 bridal boutiques in Ireland.
It's truly marvelous to be mentioned with such a fantastic bunch of beautiful bridal boutiques... cue beaming faces!!!

 Dirty Fabulous

What: Even the name is sassy and Dirty Fabulous does a mean line in sassy frocks. Kathy Sherry and Caroline Quinn stock a huge vintage bridal collection from the 1920s to the 1970s, with 1950s tea-length dresses a speciality. Many are designer or lovingly handmade with superb tailoring, ranging from short and flirty to full-length lace. Most of the ever-changing collection are original vintage, making them completely unique. The dynamic duo is launching their own vintage-inspired dress collection soon and you'll find perfect period pieces to accessorise the look.

Where: 21 Wicklow St, Dublin 2.

See: dirtyfabulous.com; (01) 611 1842.

Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin wearing Dirty Fabulous: Weekend Magazine, Irish Independent

Featured on February 1st 2015

Wearing 1950's water colour floral wiggle dress with sequins and 1950's white patent evening bag.

For the full article read here

Bairbre Power on Closet Maintenance

Image by Emily Quinn

This is a recent feature in the Irish Independent Weekend Magazine on the 25th of January 2015. Written by the wonderful Bairbre Power with some helpful tips from our very own Caroline!

It's true that wire hangers are only for breaking into cars - our clothes deserve more respect. They should be stored on wooden or padded hangers, and trousers and skirts are best suspended from clippy ones....

This week, I'm proselytising like a born-again closet convert after in-depth research with specialists about how we should store and maintain our clothes to get maximum, contented use. Did you know that dry cleaners caution against storing your clothes inside their plastic because it can lead to condensation and damage?

When was the last time you polished your shoes properly and fed the leather? I remember lovingly applying saddle soap to my favourite cowboy boots as a student but with work and motherhood, diligent wardrobe maintenance went out the window.

That's all changed now with my New Year's resolution for closet love. I've de-cluttered, hoovered it out, and bought lots of acid-free tissue paper for wrapping around my clothes - crucial when packing if you want to arrive wrinkle-free. I've invested in cedar blocks to hang with my clothes in the fight against moths. My garments can now breathe as they are spaced out so that I can actually see them, and I've pledged to dry-clean my coats before putting them away until next autumn.

Remember how your granny always kept a clothes brush near the front door for last-minute grooming? I've now assembled a nice family of brushes including a horse hair one, two shoes brushes, a suede brush (my favourite), an old toothbrush for delicate stains and a paint brush for dusting beaded clutches. I've a lint roller and a battery-operated pilling machine for knitwear that balls up, but I prefer to use the pumice stone that a friend gave me - there will be no more using disposable razors to shave my cashmere cardis.

I'm thrilled at the imminent arrival of a new steamer and, if I have to use an iron, I'll do it on the inside, to prevent marks, especially on lapels and shoulders. I've become best pals with the cobbler in Tara Leathers on Talbot Street and Tara Street. I now box my shoes; no more piles at the bottom of the wardrobe. I won't wear the same shoes on every consecutive day (experts recommend you don't wear them more than twice a week) and new shoes will get protective soles before I take a single step. I'm finding it very therapeutic applying shoe polish like my dad, Billie, did (army training, I suspect) moving it around in tiny circles like a French polisher before swooping with a polishing cloth. I never knew there was a special 'Parade Gloss' prestige polish by Kiwi for super-shiny boots. Can't wait to use that!

I knew that trick about washing jeans inside out to maintain their colour and I've resolved that there will be no drying items on the radiator. I've pledged to go back to drying wet jumpers by rolling them up in a towel, and I've bought Woolite for hand-washing. I want to get my pearls re-knotted and I've bought a €5 packet of earring backs so I don't lose any more earrings. Now if only I can stop losing left hand gloves - which is all the more weird because I'm right handed!

Favourite finds

The €2 packet of pre-threaded needles from Tiger Stores, like the ones you get in 5-star hotels. Perfect if you have an unexpected hem collapse/loose button.

Marks & Spencer sell stain wipes, €1.20, in the supermarket that I've found really effective. They also sell silk stain wipes in their menswear department for €7.

Practical Princess Perfect Wardrobe by Elika Gibbs, published by Ryland Peters & Small at €15.99, is handy book with lots of wise advice on everything from the de-clutter edit to putting clothes in storage. Clever lady, I highly recommend it!

Shiny happy people

Caroline Quinn MacCann from the splendid specialist vintage store Dirty Fabulous, on Dublin's Wicklow Street, regularly spends Sunday afternoon polishing her collection of patent shoes and bags using a soft cloth. She also uses a little Vaseline to keep patent leather supple.

If make-up lands on vintage clothes, Caroline spot cleans them but if it is a persperation stain, "you absolutely must get it dry-cleaned because it is biological stains that will damage a dress long term," she warns.

If you are putting something away for a long time that is heavily beaded, store it flat. If it is a heavily-beaded dress and you are only going to wear once or twice a year, store it flat in acid-free tissue paper. That will keep the dress in better condition because there is no extra weight hanging off the fabric.

Caroline stores her handbags in a drawer in dust bags, while I store mine flat. If you don't have that space, store them in dust bags or pillow cases. Stuff soft bags with tissue or scarves and socks - things that you don't need regularly - just to keep the shape. Don't store heavy things on top of each other, it will dent the leather - especially patent leather which can get dented very easily. Store these bags upright stuffed so the shape is correct, and in dust bags.

If the interiors of bags get stained, you can get them dry-cleaned. "If it is make-up, I would try a babywipe first or you can get a dry-cleaning fluid for silk ties and just rub it on with a cotton bud," says Caroline. 

For paste jewellery, Caroline warns to be careful. "I wouldn't overrub them. Use a soft, dry cloth. Some people clean with vinegar, Coca Cola and even WD-40 for verdigris," she says.

21 Wicklow Street, Dublin 2, (01) 611 1842, dirtyfabulous.com

Watch and learn

For more clothing care and maintenance tips, be sure to watch Bairbre's advice slot with Anna Daly on TV3's Ireland Am next Monday at 8.45am

Twitter: @bairbrepower

Irish Independent

By The Evening Light

Dirty Fabulous vintage jewels, hats and coats featured in The Irish Independents Weekend magazine.

1960's Baroque pearl and gilt statement earrings €120

Dirty Fabulous Elite rhinestone earrings €75

1960's rhinestone and pearl cocktail ring €110 

1960's red velvet hat €60

1960's black velvet coat with rhinestone buttons €640

Art Deco style golden cuff €55

Vintage 1950s hat €120

1960's gold link necklace €130

1960's Baroque pearl and gilt statement earrings €120

1950's Boucher rhinestone necklace and matching earrings €210

Cocktail ring as before

Credits:

Photographer: Antonina Zharko

Stylist: Eva Borland

Make-up and Hair: Mary Ellen Darby

Model: Marina at Andrea Roche Models

Locations: Belvedere House and Gardens

Irish Independent, Mistletoe Magazine 23rd November 2011

We were chuffed when we picked up a copy of the Irish Independent and supplement,Mistletoe Magazine. Not just because it's packed with festive cheer, which we love, but it also featured one of our latest finds from New York. This fabulous red suede 'Michael Hoban' wiggle dress is perfect for the party season!

A very big festive thank you to Courtney Smith who 

styled the shoot.

'Michael Hoban' red suede vintage wiggle with boat neck, modeled by the Fabulous Faye Dinsmore!

Breffni

A peak inside Carolines Apartment Courtesy of the Irish Independent

Carolines' eclectic apartment was featured in The Irish Independent, Weekend Magazine on Saturday 26th of February. Here's the article:

Interiors: Art Attack

By Blanaid Hennessy

Saturday February 26 2011

Caroline Quinn's home in Dublin sits in a street lined with period houses, and her one-bed apartment is part of a house built in 1851 by a gentleman called Sir Francis Drake -- though not the explorer! It has a delightfully scattered layout, running from the front door to the second floor to keep as much as possible of the original design.

The living room boasts two large sash windows which look out over the park and, more importantly, the skyline. Drake built four houses in a row here, and this is the one he lived in. It retains all of the original coving, sash windows, floorboards and even the bell pulls by the marble fireplace to call the servants.

When Caroline, proprietor of vintage store Dirty Fabulous, decided to move from her previous address, she thought it highly unlikely that she would ever be able to buy a large period house, so instead took advantage of what Georgian Dublin had to offer in terms of rental.

Caroline came to view this flat and found it in need of some affection. Luckily, the landlord was willing to allow her to do whatever she liked with the place, so she set about repainting, reflooring, furnishing and adding fixtures to her new home.

She and her partner Peter McCann have created a small dining space and art installation in a nook between the kitchen and the living room. There is lots of wall space, which they filled with paintings.

"I have quite an extensive art collection, so I needed lots of space and a very neutral backdrop," says Caroline. "I like my surroundings to be unique and personal. Most of the art work I have collected has been purchased at exhibitions directly from the artist and I buy only things I absolutely love.

"My favourite style of art is pop surrealism. I'm a big fan of Tara McPherson and Ray Caesar, both US artists.

"I am also an avid collector of paintings by my brother (www.barryquinn.ie), and I have a number of works by Alan Clarke and Dave Comiskey, both Dublin-based artists," she explains.

"My best bargain is a painting of an odd-looking gentleman in a suit standing in a garden. It's dated 1962, and I waited on a very cold day at the Herman Wilkinson auction in Rathmines for six hours, but I got it for €6. It's not for everyone, but it's one of my favourites."

The furniture is equally eclectic: a retro sofa sits alongside an antiquated Chesterfield wingback armchair, and a contemporary bench designed by Peter makes a third seating space. Much of his work is seen throughout the home.

"My absolute favourite item in my house is a beautiful light fitting made with white feathered birds that Peter made for my birthday. I love his work; I bought a couple of products that he had designed without realising they were by him [www.nofixedabode.ie], until he pointed it out!"

So how does Caroline describe her interiors style? "I treat my home like I treat my vintage dresses: I don't think you should keep things hidden away for special occasions. What's the point in having beautiful pieces if you can't use them?"

- Blanaid Hennessy

Caroline really enjoyed being involved and inviting readers into her home so a big thank you to Blanaid Hennessy and photographer Ronan!