aliquo

The Happy Prince

2011-09-23T15:07:00.060+01:00

I had made these swallow necklaces last summer and a lovely customer called Dúrle asked me if they had been inspired by the Happy Prince short story by Oscar Wilde. As I love Oscar Wilde but had never heard of this story I rushed home at the end of the day to find out more about it. And it was a beautiful story! And very fitting indeed, a swallow flying over the city with precious stones in its beek. Although it is a very sad story too, I must warn you! The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde.

So even though I can't pretend the original necklace was inspired by it, after reading the story I decided to turn it into a full collection with swallow brooches and hairpins and call it The Happy Prince collection. I hope you'll be keeping your little swallow warm...

Autumn/Winter Photoshoot

2011-09-14T11:00:00.004+01:00

I can finally reveal the images from the photoshoot we did in early August for the new collection. I've been very impatient to share them with you but had to keep them secret until the tradeshow... Here's a selection of my favourites! You can see the rest on my facebook page and I'll also be posting about each collection with more images very soon.

Grand Hotel Collection

Shells collection

Beautiful 1920s vintage clutch loaned by Horse and June, thank you!

And that's my great grandmother's hat by the way... I think I'll start wearing it too!

Secret Garden collection

The Happy Prince collection

In the Woods collection

Gloria collection

photography by Yvonne Ryan

hair & make-up by Emma Farrell

Styling by Lisa Lu

Models Laura Hitchings (brunette) and Chloe Keogan (blonde)

Eclat de Mode

2011-09-13T11:29:00.000+01:00

So I was in Paris for the Eclat de Mode tradeshow last week, presenting the autumn/winter collection and spreading the aliquo goodness! This was my fourth time exhibiting there and each time we change the colour scheme of the display to match the colours of the collection. So this time it was khaki. Well 'pois cassé' if you read the label on the pot of paint. It's surprisingly difficult to match paint samples to bead samples!

Les Vacances

2011-08-04T21:08:00.003+01:00

I am taking a little break in the French countryside this week to visit my family. Our house is just outside a town called Pontchateau, not too far from Nantes in Brittany.

It's a lovely way to get a bit of fresh air and reconnect with nature (if you ignore the big road with the loud motorbikes...). Really enjoying the smell of freshly cut grass and flowers in the garden. It's a nice change from the smell of Guinness from our flat in Dublin! (we live right beside the factory)

Behind the scenes

2011-07-31T09:18:00.004+01:00

So we had our photoshoot for the A/W collection last Thursday and it went swimmingly! A great team involved and two gorgeous models (you may recognise Chloe from the Pure Harte shoot last March) made for a fun day and great results. You'll need a little bit more patience to see the final images but in the meantime, here's some behind the scenes pics to whet your appetite!

Gorgeous Laura in her preppy outfit

Photographer Yvonne had to stand up on a footrest to make up for Laura's 5" heels!

Always attentive to detail, Emma touches up Laura's make up

Stylist Lisa adjusting Laura's outfit

Proof that chocolate definitely helps with concentration...

Our little forest-y set-up. You'll understand when you see the final thing!

Sneak peek at autumn/winter colours

2011-07-25T10:48:00.000+01:00

I am very excited about the photoshoot we have planned this week for the new collection! I am hoping to make some little props out of patterned paper so first I had to figure out the right colours that matched the colours in the collection. My screen doesn't exactly match what comes out of the printer (to say the least!) so I had to do a few print tests first. I kinda like the look of the test document! It's just a bunch of colours really but I'm one of these people that could look at Pantone or paint books for hours on end... And I guess it's a sneak peak at what's coming up for Autumn/Winter...!

Mari Mari Styling

2011-07-05T11:37:00.001+01:00

The lovely Mari from Marimari Styling borrowed some aliquo pieces a while back for an outdoor photoshoot. Here are my favourites!

Kohi necklace and bow ring

Photography by Elena Benedettini

Hair & Make-up by Sinead Murphy

A bit of press

2011-06-09T13:03:00.000+01:00

Look what's in the June edition of Social & Personal! (in the top right hand corner...)

Opening of Atelier 27

2011-06-03T16:50:00.002+01:00

I've been very quiet on the blog front lately (sorry...) but I've been keeping busy behind the scenes! I am very proud to announce that aliquo is now available at Atelier 27 in Om Diva on Drury St.

Following her move from George's Street Arcade into Drury St, Om Diva owner Ruth Ni Loinsigh decided to take over the whole building and turn it into a sort of incubation space for young creatives. A bold move but she has been so enthusiastic about the whole project that it could only be successful! So...here's how it works - on the ground floor and basement is the Om Diva shop, with some of Ruth's own designs. On the first floor is Atelier 27, the retail space for young designers and on the upper floors are lots of gorgeous studio spaces. I could easily picture myself in one of those, with a slanted roof and a nice window overlooking Dublin. I'll have to stay working from home for now though, I don't think Kitty would ever forgive me if I left her on her own all day! (Yes, she is the boss, most definitely!)

But this post is supposed to be about last night's launch party...mainly because it was so full with people that I couldn't really get any pictures of the space itself...there were people queuing all the way up the stairs to get into the space! Big kudos to Ruth for organising such a successful event - prosecco cocktails, live music by Gypsy Rebel Rabble and lots and lots of cool fashion on show.

a glimpse of my jewellery

Ruth, the lady of the evening!

Photoshoot with Pure Harte

2011-03-31T14:00:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago, I joined efforts for a photoshoot with Katie from Pure Harte, a handmade label that specialises in very pretty dresses and floaty tops & skirts, all made with organic & fairtrade fabrics. Our two styles fitted perfectly for the shoot! Add to the mix a very talented photographer, three great models and lots of cupcakes and retro props and it was a very enjoyable day. Here's the result!

Photography by Emma Birkett

Make Up by Lou

Modelling by Sarah Kelleher, Chloe Keogan and Hannah O'Hare

And if you're really curious you can see lots more images on Katie's blog here.

Out with the old!

2011-03-30T14:02:00.005+01:00

Yes, my new website is finally ready for you! It turned out to be a lot of work, especially for my boyfriend who is (un)lucky enough to be a web designer.... so a big big thank you to the lovely Declan! I'm very happy with the result. What do you guys think? Ok, so this blog doesn't match the site design yet but we'll get there, I think Declan really deserved a night off!

This is also a great opportunity for me to present the new collection for Spring/Summer 2011!

When photoshoots go wrong...

2011-03-14T18:03:00.000Z

This is what happens when your beautiful assistant keeps getting in the way of a product shoot... It's no wonder it always takes me ages to get images of new collections! I think the lovely Mitsy is about to be re-assigned to the Snoozing By The Fire department! (Wouldn't mind working there myself actually, the last couple of weeks have been pretty hectic!)

Catching up

2011-02-18T14:59:00.000Z

Ok, so I've been bad, very very bad with blogging. And now I've too much news to catch up with! So I've decided to just start with 2011 (happy new year...!).

It started off pretty well with winning a Shériff de Mode award at the Eclat de Mode tradeshow in Paris, woohoo! Each year, Eclat de Mode organises the ‘Fashion Sheriffs’ awards, which go to 14 designers
at the show. Each of the seven jury members selects their two favourite designers based on creativity, workmanship, originality and quality criteria. I was pretty chuffed as you can imagine! And to top it all off, my friend Anka from Fabula also won an award for her beautiful upcycled jewellery. So only two of us from Ireland at the show and both of us won!

Then I was lucky enough to go to New York for a few days. Mainly to visit a tradeshow but also for a bit of inspiration. It's amazing how just looking at people and immersing yourself in the atmosphere of a great city can get your creative juices flowing! It's such a bustling place bursting with energy that I can't help feeling all refreshed and motivated for lots of new projects this year.

I did manage to fit in lots of great food, magazines, bookstores and of course cake. The bluest cake I've ever seen in fact. And here it is.

And some pics of Brooklyn in the snow, to finish off the update! (I'll try and be better this year)

New collection!

2010-09-16T13:05:00.001+01:00

Finally, here's a peek at the new collection! These are my favourite images from the photoshoot we did back in July. The theme for the shoot was icy and dreamlike, and if you look very closely you can even see frost crystals on model Veronika's eye lashes!

Photography: Aura Constantin

Make up: Emma Farrell

Hair styling: Jane Akkerman

Fashion styling: Eimear Farrell

Model: Veronika Rajaste

Eclat de Mode tradeshow

2010-08-25T18:36:00.000+01:00

I will be in Paris next week for the Eclat de Mode tradeshow to present the new collection. It's both scary and exciting, but I am really looking forward to it!

This is a trade only show so if you are a boutique owner and would like to come and and say hello, I will be at stand no. H73.

LadyUmbrella

2010-08-16T11:16:00.002+01:00

I have some great news for everyone, we've now got a little discount voucher exchange going on with the lovely Rob & Elena at LadyUmbrella! With every order from my little shop you will receive a discount voucher for LadyUmbrella t-shirts and tote bags.

Spanish Illustrator Elena had lived most of her life in Madrid & Barcelona, and when she came to Dublin first all she could see was umbrellas everywhere, hiding people's faces...so she came up with the idea for Lady Umbrella, a lady with an umbrella for a head! Lady Umbrella lives in a surreal world full of clouds and feathered little friends.

This is my favourite of Elena's illustrations at the moment - it's pretty surreal, and of course it's got a teapot, how could I resist!? It doesn't exist as a t-shirt design but Elena & Rob have promised limited edition prints so keep your eyes peeled!

Summer Sale!

2010-08-10T12:36:00.000+01:00

So... I am back from my lovely holidays in Brittany and it's finally time for my summer sale! You can go straight here to see all the items that are reduced. Hope you find something you like!

Speaking of my holiday, I was at the Isle of Groix for a couple of days and spotted a beautiful house, whose colour scheme bore an uncanny resemblance to my Alone in Kyoto collection! And there I was, thinking I was being original... Maybe I should have slipped a business card under their door, hehe!

Behind the scenes...

2010-07-11T13:04:00.001+01:00

So...I've been very busy designing the new collection and I was really looking forward to our photoshoot! I haven't seen the final images yet but here's some 'behind the scenes' pics from Friday's shoot. Can't wait to see the result!

Sweet things from Japan

2010-05-11T14:26:00.007+01:00

Ok, so it's been way too long since I last wrote here... I am just back from Japan where I was looking for beads for the next collection (yes, already!). So here's a few pictures of sweet things I came across...

This one was taken at Lulu café in Koenji, look at the little plush cat holding the bill with its paws!

And I also went to this place in Tokyo where you can pay to hang out with cats for a while! As with everything over there, it's very cute. Although the cats are a bit blasé, they get pet so much! They have lots of toys to play with and lots of beds and trees and even a special cat tv!

Corcra boutique

2010-02-19T19:13:00.005Z

My vintage button rings are now available in the lovely Corcra Boutique in Clonmel, yay!

After the show

2010-02-01T12:30:00.003Z

So that's it, the show is over... It was a great success and I can't wait to do it again! Already thinking about the next collection... But I'd better focus now, I have to turn myself a little jewellery making factory to deliver to all the boutiques asap!

But just before I get back to work, here's a few pics from the show

Eclat de mode - Bijorhca

2010-01-05T20:45:00.006Z

I will be presenting my Spring/Summer 2010 collection at the Bijorhca - Eclat de Mode tradeshow in Paris - Porte de Versailles from Saturday 23rd January to Tuesday 26th January 2010. This is for trade only.

So if you have a boutique and would like to see the new collection, please come and visit me upstairs at stand J53. Hopefully the crazy (but amazingly beautiful!) weather will be going back to normal before that!

Happy Christmas

2009-12-13T21:57:00.004Z

The Big Day is almost upon us and so I would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas! See you all in the new year for the sales and the new collections!!

milk and cookies? I think not...

Back from Paris

2009-12-02T13:14:00.005Z

Hello! I'm back from the Court Circuit show in Paris. I changed the decor completely this time, what do you think? I was sharing the space with So Kim from Saccaso, a Paris-based Korean designer who makes really cool handbags and we got on really well, so I had a great time altogether. We also had lovely neighbours who had lots of good advice and I met lots of friendly new customers, I'll definitely be back!

Here's some pics from our stand...

And here's So's gorgeous bags! If you speak French (or you'd like to learn!) you can follow her blog here.

Salon Court Circuit

2009-11-10T16:18:00.004Z

The autumn has flown by and it's almost time for the Court Circuit show in Paris. It's going to be a busy two weeks, and I hope to make some special edition pieces for the event. Better start making now!

My lockets are back!

2009-10-29T22:49:00.005Z

Yay!! Got my lockets in the post this week! So i was able to make a few more of my all time favourite: the long locket necklace.

I'll have some in the Loft Market this weekend and there are also a few available online from tonight.

grey, grey, grey

2009-10-14T14:25:00.004+01:00

It's grey, grey, grey outside today... so I'm staying in with a nice warm cup of delicious tea in my favourite Bridgewater mug! I got it in Edinburgh years ago in their summer sale, with a gorgeous matching plate. I only wish I could have afforded the whole set, they are so lovely!

Fruity shoot

2009-10-05T11:48:00.007+01:00

I've been working away at next summer's collections (yes, already!), it's all very exciting! One of the collections is going to be very bright, fun and zingy, and so we did a photo shoot last month involving...fruits! Food stylist extraordinaire Sharon Hearne-Smith brought in loads of cool fruits, half of which I'd never even heard of before! Dragon fruits, Sharon fruits, Tamarillos etc... So many I was eating fruit for a week afterwards! Did my health the world of good :o)

Stylist Jemma Connolly picked some lovely colourful dresses that fit in the spirit of the shoot perfectly, as well as some cool props including a gorgeous floral umbrella everyone would have liked to keep! Make up artist Rachel Matthews had the perfect palette of zingy colours, and wait till you see that hot pink nail varnish!

Photographer Cliona O'Flaherty captured the fun and zesty essence of the collection with her usual flair. Add to that Caoimhe's lovely smile and you've got the perfect photo shoot!

It was a very fun day and I still can't believe all these great people agreed to work on this shoot.
I have to keep the collection secret until January but...here's some behind the scenes pics to keep you going in the meantime...

Stand decor at Tmode

2009-09-27T10:00:00.002+01:00

As promised, here's a few pictures from my stand at the Tmode show in Paris

Before

And After

Tmode designer fair

2009-09-18T22:02:00.007+01:00

Been very very busy preparing for the Tmode show in Paris this weekend... here's the flyer! I'll post some pics of the stand very soon! Now I just need some sleep ;o)

New collection!

2009-09-03T12:30:00.002+01:00

The new collection is available from this weekend in the Loft Market! Pretty, delicate pieces with an antique charm, here's some great pics of the collection, by Lucia de Nile

Ultimate Girls Day Out

2009-08-27T20:21:00.008+01:00

Spent the whole day setting up our stand with Bea and Heather at the Ultimate Girls Day Out event... Bea went to Ikea and bought some light wood shelves, a couple of wooden stools and some simple frames in different sizes. We picked some nice pastel paints to cover them, and some nice low-key wallpaper to keep the colour theme running throughout the stand...it took us the whole day but it was worth it!

Helping out at Fashion Breakthrough

2009-08-18T18:13:00.002+01:00

Got a call this morning from Lisa to help out at the Fashion Breakthrough fashion shows. Fashion Breakthrough is a twice-yearly event that showcases some of the most talented up-and-coming Irish designers... Many of these being my friends from the Loft I was delighted to help! Heidi Higgins, Sinead Doyle, Karolina Schlagner, Deirdre Harte & Beibhinn Flood all had beautiful pieces in the catwalk shows, not to mention Lisa Shawgi who not only designs the most amazing hand-knitted dresses but also organises the whole event! I was backstage, working as dresser, usually a pretty stressful job but everything was so well organised it went very very smoothly.

Here's a few pics I took behind the scenes in between the catwalk runs in the afternoon...

Beibhinn Flood and her model

Zoe Boomer, Sinead Doyle and Beibhinn Flood

Touching up the make-up before the photo call

Mad Hatter's Tea Party

2009-06-22T23:10:00.001+01:00

We organised a Mad Hatter's Tea Party at the Loft Market (where I have my jewellery stall) at the weekend, as part of the Powerscourt Centre's family weekend event. The space looked great! I really enjoyed decorating the place with the girls but not quite as much as eating those delicious cupcakes...

it's a start

2009-05-15T19:18:00.001+01:00

Hello! I'm Alice. I like tea, I like cakes, and I make jewellery.

This blog will be mainly to keep everyone up to date with what's going on with aliquo... events, new pieces, promotions etc... and maybe some unrelated musings along the way. We'll see where that takes us.