It was Madeleine Albright who said that there is a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other, but she forgot to mention the gigantic reservation in the underworld specially set aside for women who constantly criticise each other. Not a week goes by without a woman in the public eye being pilloried [...]
I wrote this at the end of December for the Herald and it's been just over three weeks... How are we all doing on those resolutions? It’s the time of year when, for most of us, everything is full. Our bellies, our bins, our wardrobes and fridges are all heaving with things we needed, things we wanted, [...]
Yesterday as I was writing about International Women's Day I remembered that I'd interviewed Carmel O'Keeffe of Dress for Success Cork for the Sunday Business Post Magazine's This Life slot a few years ago. Carmel's story is pretty inspiring so I've reproduced it here, for a bit of motivation on IWD2016! Carmel O'Keeffe of Dress [...]
Deirdre O’Shaughnessy has been wondering for a long time just who makes her clothes. She went to Cambodia to find out. As we approached the factory, a steady stream of young women, and some men, flowed out from a side door. Colourfully dressed, a few wearing hijabs, the workers made their way out the front gate, [...]
Only a few things in life are universal. Birth, death, taxes, and clothes. You might not be interested in them; you may not spend much on them; but you wear them. And unless you’re a fashionista, or what might be unkindly termed a hippy, you probably haven’t thought much about where they come from. Whether they’re [...]
Meeting Kim and Carol from Banteay Srey Boutique with supplier Rani, of Jivit Thmey jewellery. Photo: Rory Coomey Our visit to a garment factory on Tuesday was a major contrast to today's interviews, with the founders and suppliers of Banteay Srey Boutique. A small online start-up store offering beautifully made classic garments - the [...]
Inside the Man Ou garment factory. Photo: Rory Coomey. A hectic two days deserves more than a brief blogpost, but time is tight and we have a 5.30am start tomorrow to meet some kids from Anita's Orphanage at their schools. Can't get your kids up for school at 9.30? Try sending them to school [...]
Fiona Kehily-Ives, originally from West Cork is a public relations consultant in London. Q When it comes to buying clothes, what's your top priority? I have a few - the quality of the material is imperative, its origin (I prefer natural fibres produced in sustainable environments or localities in the UK or Ireland), how a piece is put together [...]
Emer O'Mahony is a Director of Lockdown Models and founder of Cork Fashion Week. She blogs at Irish Fashaholic. Q When it comes to buying clothes, what's your top priority? When shopping for clothes my biggest priority is quality. I believe in less is more, in buying less quantity of garments (i.e. a new 'trendy top [...]
How much do we consider the origin of our clothes? I decided to ask some well known Cork women. First up, owner of Verso, Lisa Roberts. Q When it comes to buying clothes, what's your top priority? A When it comes to buying clothes it depends on the reason I am purchasing for. If it is [...]
