Eilis Boyle...

Integrity, grace and thoughtfulness  - these are qualities that immediately spring to mind when I think about my guest poster today. While I’ve never met designer Eilis Boyle, I feel like I know her through her blog Silent Storyteller. I find what she shares both touching and inspiring, every post is filled with heart and soul. Her perspective and her work are influenced by her unique background - born into an Irish-Spanish family, she spent much of her life travelling the world and being educated in places as diverse as Bolivia and Japan.  She has just completed her 10^th collection which I shared in a recent post.

While her love of fashion and talent in this sphere is obvious, Eilis has often spoken about her incompatibility with the fashion industry, describing it as a love hate relationship. Because of this dynamic, Eilis stands out: she never conforms and designs every piece from the heart and not in accordance with seasonal trends. I’m delighted she’s agreed to share with us from what and where she finds her inspiration.

• Who inspires you: I'm inspired by so many people. Mainly photographers and photography. Lillian Bassman is a huge inspiration and I really like what Nick Knight is doing at Showstudio. I also love his more commercial work
• What inspires you: Working with other creatives. Trying to do new and different projects is always exhilarating. Fabric is also a huge inspiration. I also love my little collection of photography books. They are source of endless inspiration
• When have you felt most inspired: All the time, it comes and goes. But it's like air, you need it and you live for those moments when an idea turns into an obsession
• Where inspires you: Everywhere. But specially when I'm home alone. Spending long hours alone, the mind is let loose
• Listening to: Depends on the mood. I've been listening to a lot of movie scores lately I really like Max Ritcher and I love James Vincent McMorrow
• Watching: I don't watch a lot of TV but when I do I really like something simple and funny. Silly sitcoms/cartoons like Modern Family / Family Guy when I'm really tired and BBC4's documentaries are usually really great if I have any brain cells left in the evening
• Wearing: Camilla Norrback
• Most prized possession: A gift from Peter O'Brien, a book about  Isabel Toledo : Fashion from the Inside Out
• Coffee table book: Lillian Bassman
• What do you collect: Books, antique trimmings and fabrics
• Flower: Ranunculus or peonies
• Tree: Weeping Willow
• Bird: Owl
• Animal: Dog
• Happiest: In Paris, or anywhere in good company

Emma Manley...

It's always exciting when a fresh and innovative designer emerges from the pack, particulary when they're Irish! Label Manley is the latest offering from our fair isles, and Emma Manley is the name of the talented girl behind this new endeavour. Her debut collection mixes luxe fabrics, silk and chiffon with jersey and leather to create a line of contemporary separates that make a very individual statement. Emma's background includes time at cutting edge fashion house VLP in New York, followed by a stint working with the late Alexandar McQueen. I wanted to find out from what and where does Emma find her inspiration and she kindly agreed to share with us just that. You can find yourself some Manley at Bow Boutique in Powerscourt Townhouse or log onto the website emmamanley.com.

• Who inspires you …  My Mum.
• What inspires you … Snippits of this, that and the other.
• When have you felt most inspired … Every night around 11pm when I should be asleep.
• Where inspires you … South of France.
• Listening to … Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack.
• Discovery ... Sewing Machine
• Watching … Mad Men.
• Designer ... Erdem 
• Wearing … Manley!
• Most prized possession … It’s a Secret.
• What do you collect … Vintage Clothes.
• Coffee table book ... Pictures by Tim Walker
• Flower … Birds of Paradise
• Tree … Any with Fruit growing on it.
• Bird … Robin.
• Animal …Unicorn.
• Happiest …With my Niece Emily.

Twin...

The 3rd edition of publication Twin is en-route to my doorstep. I'm really hoping it doesn't get too snow-slowed, cause if the mini preview I've had on Twin blog is anything to go by, I'm in for a serious treat! Chapter 3, stars one of my favourite models, Danish Freya Beha Erichsen. Elegantly strong and marvellously intense she delivers the Stand and Deliver theme with perfect interpretation. Boo George was the creative talent behind the lens for the shoot.

If you're not familiar with Twin, it's a bi-annual, cloth bound art, culture, fashion and feminism book, created by founder of Lulu magazine, Becky Smith. She's brought together a powerhouse team to work with her on Twin, which includes our very own home grown Celestine Cooney, who is on board as Fashion Editor. Photographers involved in past editions have included Ryan McGinley and another of our compatriots, Niall O'Brien., whose fresh and innovative work continues to draw both attention and acclaim.

I love how Twin transforms the idea of a regular fashion magazine into an enduring book. For years I've held onto editions of magazines that I've really liked. I've tried parting with them on a few occasions when moving but can never bring myself to do it. Well when moving in the future, I know I won't have to feel so bad about packing my Twin books "they're books, I'm not throwing them out!"

Credit Images: Twin Factory