Bye Bye Belfast

Hello dear readers! It's been a little while since my last post. A lot has happened in my life in the mean time. After finishing up work in Belfast, my husband and I decided - rather suddenly - to move back to my home country. So now, a month later, we are sort of settled in lovely, chilly and hopefully-soon-snowy Switzerland. I'll be sharing my thoughts on the future of FairEnough soon, but for now, it is time to take stock, look back and say Good-Bye to my dear Belfast.We had a great year in this beautiful city. We met great people and discovered amazing places. As my tribute to Belfast, I thought I would share some of my favourite vintage, second-hand and creative spots with you!

Shops

Rusty Zip

Rusty Zip * 28 Botanic Avenue * Belfast

On the beautiful Botanic Avenue, home to many Queens University students, you'll find Belfast's oldest vintage and second-hand store; Rusty Zip. This gem of a shop has been a huge help to me in my challenge to only wear vintage and second-hand for a year. On its - now much brighter and lighter - shelves and racks you will find an excellent selection of vintage clothes and accessories from a range of decades. The emphasis is on the 60's and 70's, but you may find some 20's and 40's pieces too. Rusty Zip also has a brilliant second-hand selection featuring most high-street brand names, such as Topshop or French Connection. This is a great place to find a real treasure at a bargain price and on Sunday, there's a 10% Discount for students!

Oxfam Botanic

Oxfam Botanic * 88 Botanic Avenue *Belfast

A little up the road you'll find what I think is one of the best Oxfam shops. Those of you who follow my blog will recognize this as the shop I worked in for a day for my Charity Shop post. Oxfam Botanic sells lots of high quality second-hand and great and very cheap vintage clothes. The shop also has a great jewellery selection. The staff in both shops are lovely, friendly and very helpful.

Vintage

Vintage * 78 - 80 Royal Avenue * Belfast

It may not look like much from the outside, but Vintage is a great little charity shop. To be fair, the majority of clothes are second-hand rather than vintage, but I've discovered some real treasures here, including a Vivienne Westwood dress.
Nestled at the top of the Royal Avenue, Vintage is run by the East Belfast Mission. The charity is behind a number of other cool social enterprises, such as Recycle, a bicycle upcycling service.
Out of the three shops, Vintage is by far the cheapest. So why don't you pop down, have a nosy and support the work of this great charity.

Refound

ReFound * 7 Wellington Place * Belfast

I know, I know, I keep going on about this place, but it really was one of my favourites in Belfast, so I just have to mention it again here. ReFound is a great shop based on a brilliant concept. Behind ReFound stands an artist collective that - using their impressive skills - breathes new life into old and unwanted furniture. In ReFound you will find the most unique and most imaginative things to decorate your house with.
All of this is organized by the lovely Jill, who I had the pleasure of working with on different occasions, including the fun 5-9 talks we organized. I will miss this place badly and I wish Jill and her artists all the success in the world. I really hope this place takes off even more than it already has. If you visit Belfast, this is a MUST-SEE!

Markets

I love going to markets and in this respect, Belfast has lots to offer. 

St. George's Market

St. George's Market * 12 - 20 East Bridge Street

Known and loved by all Belfastians, the St. George's market happens every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Friday Variety Market dates back to 1604 (!) and sells a tempting mix of products including local fruit, veg and fish, antiques, books or clothes. The Saturday market focusses on local and continental specialty food and on the Sunday, you will find a mix of both of them, accentuated by a different musical entertainment every week. Lots of local craftspeople and artists sell their goodies at this market. It is a great place to find unique gifts and stuff your tummy with gorgeous food!


Fashion Souk

The Fashion Souk * Spires Mall *Belfast

Wanting to make fashion and shopping greener and more environmentally friendly, founders Aly and Linzi started the Fashion Souk. The bi-monthly market takes place at Spires Mall in the heart of Belfast city centre and offers fashionistas a huge choice of preloved luxury labels, vintage and retro items, as well as locally designed accessories and furnishings. There's always a great atmosphere at the Souk with music and fashion shows making this a truly unique shopping event.
The Souk is now no longer confined to Belfast, but has expanded and is happening all over Northern Ireland. Check out their webiste for locations. The next Belfast market is happening on the 7th of December. Don't miss it!

Frock Around the Clock

Frock Around the Clock Vintage

Featuring up to 50 stalls at any given event, the Frock around the Clock Vintage fairs unite vintage dealers from all over Ireland and the UK. The markets usually take place in gorgeous locations; such as country houses, grand estates and castles. At Frock Around the Clock you'll find high quality vintage and vintage-inspired garments, accessories and home-wares. Prices tend to be a little higher, but you can also catch some real bargains. In conjunction with their vintage markets, they also run the stunning vintage bridal fairs Rock the Frock. If I could get married again, I would definitely go looking for my dress there!

Hangouts

Finally I wanted to share two of my favourite places to hang out and spend time in Belfast.

Black Bear Café

Black Bear Café * 17 Stranmillis Road * Belfast, Pics: Tripadvisor

 Right across from the Ulster Museum is the cozy Black Bear Café in which I spent many hours drinking good coffee and looking though their hipster magazines. Black Bear frequently displays art by local and emerging artists and sells gorgeous organic and vegan food. Their lunches are delicious and they make superb scrambled eggs!

The Black Box

The Black Box * 18 - 22 Hill Street

The Black Box is one of the most versatile venues I've ever come across. The events here cater to even the most obscure and diverse tastes. I visited it for the first time at an upcycling fashion show, which was great fun.
The Black Box gives local artists from every artform a platform to show their work. I love their little café and bar - the Green Room. On the first Thursday of every month, after Late Night Art, one of my favourite events happens here. Real Sketchy invites artists and common folk into the Green room for a sketch fest. You can have a drink, watch people sketch and draw, have a go yourself and buy any sketches you like! Genius!

It seems I could go on about Belfast forever, but now it really is time to say good-bye. Take care, dear Belfast - You will be missed and I promise I'll come back to visit soon!

Arists in Focus: Crafty Stitching

For my second Artists in Focus post I'm excited to introduce you to Nuala Maguire, the crafty face behind Bluebird and one of the artists for ReFound Belfast. Nuala is, among other things, a free-lance textile artist specialising in up-cycling. Years and years ago, she actually started out with a degree in footwear and accessory design, but never took up work in the fashion industry. Instead, she trained as a conservator and worked for the museum and heritage sector, something she still enjoys doing today. 

Crafts was always something she kept up on the side, but when Nuala moved back to Belfast she started to seriously look into it as a business. Setting up her own crafts business was difficult. "Making the things is the easy part", she comments, "it's the 'selling' that requires a different set of skills." The Market Start Up Program run by Belfast City Council was a huge help to her in getting her business on the way. The project, which is free of charge, helps those dedicated to opening their own food or crafts business by teaching them necessary skills, such as marketing and financial planning. The program made her realise how important it is to have a brand identity, a theme. And as part of it, she got to sell her wares at St. George's Market, a beautiful food an crafts market happening every week on Saturday and Sunday in Belfast. 

For Bluebird, she creates beautiful vintagy accessories and jewellery, such as purses, earrings or bangles inspired by the 1940s. Her inspiration for bluebird comes from the Mend and Make Do spirit of the Second World War, where things and materials were re-used and mended. Nuala can literally find a use for everything. Even the tiniest scraps of fabric she works into pretty pins and earrings. A best-seller are the bangles she creates out of old plastic knitting needles by bending them into shape. 

"I look at 'rubbish' as a material. I love finding worth in what people discard and turning it into something useful and beautiful. The down-side is, I can't throw anything out anymore! I literally cannot walk past a skip!"

When one of her friends was about to throw out over a hundred vinyl records, she took them and created brooches and necklaces out of them. The new material was interesting for her to work with. It was a challenge, something different. Word got around quickly, and now people constantly 'gift' her 'left-over materials'.

Her work for ReFound follows similar principles. As one of the Refound artists, she up-cycles and re-styles old furniture which is then sold at the beautiful ReFound boutique at the heart of Belfast's city centre. Although working on furniture, Nuala always manages to incorporate her textile skills. She hand-embroiders old lampshades with delicate little birds while also re-designing big chunky armchairs (complete with hand-knitted cover of course!). 

Nuala tells me that for her final project in her undergraduate, she actually re-cycled old tea towels to create Victorian boots. It didn't take off back then though, the up-cycled art. It didn't stick. "Maybe it was just too early", she muses. Thankfully it seems to be working now!

Nuala has been selling her products at a number of markets and festivals around Belfast. For the Maritime festival for instance, she created the cute nautically-themed buttons below. She's currently selling at the Black Box Bazaar. "I love selling at Markets. It's always a great buzz. They are a lot of time and effort though," she concedes. She couldn't manage one a week, she thinks. Also this would mean she would have to buy all the fabric and materials, which would kind of defeat the purpose of her re-cycled art. 

Working free-lance is not always easy. With the freedom of it also comes a great deal of insecurity. It's very organic, Nuala explains. There are bursts when she is drowning in work and then nothing happens for a few weeks. How does she deal with it? She laughs: "By being very good at time management and at 'not freaking-out'. I have a great support network. A lot of my friends are also free-lancers and that really helps." Networks are important not just for an occasional moral boost, but for artistic inspiration and learning. 

"I have learnt and benefited from other people so much. Fellow artisans and craftspeople have been a huge inspiration to me."

Nuala is part of Belfast Stich and Bitch, a local knitting circle (in case you're interested: they meet every Wednesday in the Starbucks behind Victoria Sq from 4.30ish!). She is also one of the volunteers helping with the Imagined Through Textiles Project. A partnership between ArtsEkta and Arts for All, this community textile project will create a number of tapestries based on the history of the ports and docks of Belfast, which will then be displayed in venues throughout the city. I can't wait to see the results!

When I ask Nuala why she is putting up with all the hassle and all the frustration of being a free-lance artist, she smiles and says:

"I'm a creator. I've always made things - it's who I am. If I no longer used my hands to make something, I would be miserable."

I guess craft just stole her heart...

Nuala Maguire also sells her creations online on her facebook page and - you'd be glad to know - she does bespoke orders too! So head on over and give her a big like!

Artists in Focus: Meet the Dollybirds

Welcome to the first post of Artists in Focus, my brand new blog series. Artists in Focus introduces local artists and designers who work sustainability into their art and showcases their environmentally-friendly creations. Creating sustainable work often involves a great deal of creativity and you may be surprised by how much of it happens right outside your doorstep!

For my first post I had the pleasure of talking to Eimear Maguire, the artist behind the Dollybirds. I met Eimear for a coffee in the bustling Avoca in Belfast's city centre, where a selection of her work is available for sale. When we finally manage to get our cappuccinos and grab a seat, Eimear plunges straight into telling me about the Dollybirds and her inspiration for her work. There is no question as to how much she loves and enjoys her work. It also shows in her creations; Eimear's delicate portraits of native birds perching on branches in front of pastel backgrounds are beautiful to behold.

Having grown-up in a family of artists, drawing, sketching and painting has been part of her life for as long as Eimear can remember. Together with her father and sister, she used to own a gallery space in North Belfast. The inspiration for her work Eimear finds right in her back garden and on her long walks up Cavehill with her dog. "We don't appreciate the wealth of the nature right around us," she says, shaking her head.


So what's sustainable about the Dollybirds? There are a few things actually...

All about the Frames

Rather than framing her originals and prints in new frames, Eimear recycles old, discarded and vintage ones. She sources them from anywhere she can think of; salvage yards, second-hand shops, flea markets, friends and acquaintances. She fixes them up and works on them until they match her Dollybirds. To paint them she uses toxic-free, eco-friendly chalk paint from Annie-Sloan. Having worked with modern frames at the beginning, Eimear finds that she prefers the old frames. "They give character to the birds. They tell a story."

A House for every Bird
To give her birds a home, Eimear has also started to create beautiful bird-houses. She fashions them from reclaimed wood and old floorboards and using the same chalk paint employs a sanding technique to achieve a vintage look. With the native bird population in decline, bird-houses are actually a way to contribute to our birds' survival by providing them with a safe place to nest.
Working with organisations such as Headway and Engage with Age, Eimear also uses the bird-houses in community art workshops she runs with senior citizens and people who have suffered head injuries.

Left and Top: the beautiful Dollybirds display at Avoca, Belfast. 

When I ask what Eimear finds most challenging about her work, she sighs and exclaims: "Time!" Eimear, who trained as a secondary school art teacher, still teaches one day a week. With two young children to look after and the community projects her schedule is full to the brim. She paints when her children are at school and often late into the night. Trying to build a business is not easy even if you have all the time in the world, so Eimear had to be realistic in what she could achieve. "I had to do something that's accessible, something I could do from home."

Despite all the challenges, the Dollybirds have been a huge success. Having only started painting them last year, Dollybird prints and bird-houses are already available in Avoca, as well as in the lovely interior design shop Dandelion Lane in Portadown, the cute Olivia Boutique in Donegal and in My Shop Granny Likes It in Galway. A show of Eimear's work at the John Hewitt has recently finished and when talking to me, Eimear had just sent 17 original Dollybirds to an exhibition in Oxford. But the artist's head is still bursting with ideas and she's currently thinking about branching out  and collaborating with her sister to make aprons and other vintagy household goods. 'Hats off' to Eimear and her Dollybirds is all I can say and I can't wait to see whatever else she creates.

I hope you enjoyed the first Artists in Focus. You can ogle more cute birds on Eimear's website and stay up to date by following her on twitter.

If you're a local artist that creates sustainable work and would like to be featured in Artists in Focus, get in touch here.

Something Old, Something New...

Image from the vintage  singer

It's officially wedding season! the first flowers are blooming and so are the wedding fairs. They're popping up everywhere, trying to lure brides-to-be in and sell them lots of "essential" products for their weddings. But why always buy everything new when it has been done so many times before and with so much style?! Why not try a Vintage wedding? It's beautiful, it's in and it's much more sustainable.
Last week, I went along to the Frock Around the Clock  Bridal Vintage Fair in the beautiful surroundings of Malone House to give you a taste of some of the gorgeous vintage and local design products out there. Believe me, I wanted to get married all over again!

Decadence Vintage  make sure their Frock Around the Clock Vintage Fairs are a real experience. Usually set in gorgeous venues, they not only showcase vintage but recycled and local design wares as well, while retro entertainment and music create a glamorous shopping atmosphere.

"Exhibitors at Decadence events are either vintage dealers who source unique items from across the globe, or local creative designers who produce beautiful handcrafted fashion and jewellery pieces from recycled textiles. Therefore buyers can be confident that they are supporting eco-friendly and local small businesses..."
Becky from Decadence Vintage

Let's start out with the best bit, shall we? Dresses!

1930's silk wedding dress from Archive 12 

Archive 12 sells the most stunning original vintage dresses. Hand-picked by fashion stylist Claire Leese, the dresses span decades from the 1920's to the 1970's. Each dress is restored by Claire herself and brought to a bespoke finish. I fell in love with this cute 1960's dress, what a stylish bride this must have been!

1960's cream lace button front dress by Archive 12

Now that we have the vintage dress of our dreams, we can think about Accessories. One thing I love about attending weddings in Ireland is the hair accessories. Be it a veil for the bride, a hat for the mother-in-law, a fascinator for the bridesmaid or a simple hairband for the girlfriend: everyone gets to wear something in their hair. And hair pieces at Irish weddings come in all the colours of the rainbow with sparkles, feathers and lots of glitter!

If you're looking for a real eye-catcher, a true one-off design, have a look at the beautiful creations of Irish milliner Marie Claire Ferguson.

Left: Marie's stall at the fair. Right: Some of the beautiful headpieces from: Marie Claire Ferguson

Delicate, airy and gravity-defying, Marie hand-makes each of her pieces and tailors it completely to your wishes. Working with her and benefiting from her expert advice, you will end up with a stunning, bespoke design that matches your outfit perfectly.

As a bride you may want to go a bit more traditional with a beautiful vintage-style veil or beaded headband. My friend, the lovely Niamh, and I fell in love with this intricately hand-beaded headband by English designer Donna Crain. Niamh, who is getting married in October, was kind enough to model the piece for the blog. I think it looks amazing on her dark hair.

Left: Niamh wearing headband by Donna Crain, Right: Vintage Veils by Visionary veils

Donna Crain's pieces are hand-beaded so you have to allow up to four weeks for delivery... I think we can understand why! In Ireland her pieces are sold by Visionary Veils. Rebekah McCann-Williams, owner and designer of Visionary Veils, has created a special range of simple veils that go with the Donna Crain hairbands. Visionary Veil is the only bespoke wedding veil designer in Ireland. Rebekah hand-makes all of the veils in her collection. Her vintage range is inspired by iconic shapes and styles of the past. Have a closer look at her gorgeous designs here.

Apart from what you could put in your hair, let's have a look at what you could hold in your hands. A flower bouquet is usually the way to go... but they are not the most durable (Mine fell apart while walking out of the church!). So if you're looking for something a bit more sturdy and quirky, but still delicate and girly, these brooch bouquets by Innocent Chaos might be the thing for you.

Brooch bouquets by Innocent Chaos

Hand-crafted from various trinkets and ornaments, such as vintage and modern brooches, pins, buttons, and earrings, each bouquet has a story to tell. I love that they look as if taken straight out of a fairy-tale  Textile artist Sharon Hay, the face behind Innocent Chaos, will also create bespoke pieces according to your wishes.

Last but not least: Rings. Due to their value, vintage wedding rings are probably the most common vintage "wedding item". I don't need to convince you of their beauty. I thought I'd just show you one of my favourites. This is my friend Emma's sparkler. It's almost a hundred years old, dating from around 1915. Emma is getting married this summer... sure with a ring like that, how could you have said no?

Did you wear anything vintage or second-hand at your wedding? 
Do you know of any great vintage wedding places? 

Old Made New at ReFound Belfast

This week we step inside the curious universe of ReFound Belfast, a world filled with the long-forgotten remnants of lives past. Here the worn-out, the replaced, the once much loved but now neglected pieces of our lives find a new home and gain new life. At ReFound the discarded is precious and the out-dated holds potential. Daily, ugly furniture ducklings are turned into beautiful swans of interior design. And this is what it looks like, tadaaah:

#187 by artist Christine Trueman

It all started when Jill O'Neill, founder and driving force behind ReFound, returned to Belfast in 2007. Having lived and worked in places as diverse and exciting as Glasgow, New York and San Francisco, O'Neill had become fascinated by the "art of living" that she experienced abroad, the scavenging for unique pieces, the designing of your home to create something unique. Returned to Northern Ireland, O'Neill wanted to employ the same ethos of moving in and starting afresh to her new home here, but was at a loss as to where to look for the pieces. And so the idea of ReFound slowly took shape. 

Attracted by the journey of ordinary objects, I was inspired to create a space where these objects gained new life as part of the next stage of their journey. 

Jill O'Neill 

Left: Dresser by Lulabelle's House. Right: Table & Stool by Anushiya Sunda

ReFound works with local artists and designers recycling used furniture to create chic, one-of-a-kind pieces pieces which are then sold on the ReFound website, as well as in the ReFound House, their permanent retail venue in Belfast. With considerable experience in publishing and marketing, O'Neill takes care of the business side of things, while the artists are free to create - it's win-win. Although, O'Neill confesses that it can be hard to get the business-art balance right. There's always the question: how commercial should you be? "But then again" she muses, "it's about providing alternative avenues for the artists to make money." Something that is crucial in the current economic climate, when not many people are investing in art.

Above: table by Anastasija Andrejeva. Below: Telephone Table by Katie Brown Textiles

The permanent home of ReFound, the ReFound House, however, is much more than just a shop. It's a hub for 'sustainable creativity' and doubles as a studio, exhibition space and venue. Apart from furniture you'll also get beautiful home accessories at ReFound, such as these crafty birds by Hey! Homewrecker... 

Or this cute plate-art by refound designer Rachel Dickson.

For 2013 ReFound has many exciting plans, such a working to achieve a more cohesive look via a smaller artist collective and increasing the access to their space by hosting a number of creative events and collaborations. So lots of exciting stuff to look out for! ReFound also want to move further into the territory of online sales, which is great news for everyone living abroad! Lastly, ReFound will focus on the 'Repurposing' of objects as well as simply restyling them. This means that at ReFound you will soon be able to buy shelves made out of chairs, tables made out of wardrobes and benches made out of toilet seats (okay, maybe not that one).

Top Left: Tabletop animals by DavidCreative, bottom left: variety of cushionss by Larissa Watson, Goddess & Swift, Cassie Blinkey Olive Art & TeddyBaby. On the right: the Refound Suitcase shelf

The ReFound building is open every Thursday to Saturday from 10.30am to 5.30pm, but you can go look at their gorgeous furniture online on their website 24/7.

Alright, shall we look at another Before-After? Okay? Okay!

#197 by Mandie Lowry

The Loft Market, Dublin

This week I visited the bright and beautiful Loft Market at Powerscourt shopping centre in the heart of Dublin city. The Loft Market is an Irish design and fashion collective providing a space for up-coming Irish designers to show-case their work. The collective was set up in 2006 by the fashion editor of THREAD magazine, Aisling Faranella, and is currently under the creative direction of Kate Nolan. Having faced many ups and downs in its almost 7 years, the Loft market is still going strong and has firmly established itself as the place to find new and exciting Irish fashion design.

I met with Kate on Sunday and over a cup of coffee we had a good long chat about the Loft, its impact, legacy and future.

Kate Nolan, creative director of the Loft Market

As Kate explains, the vision of the Loft had always been to provide an affordable retail space for young, inexperienced Irish designers where they could get their work out into the world, make some of their first steps, gain experience and learn without having to make a huge investment. As Kate recalls:

"Back then, there was no space for ethical fashion and small Irish Design. It was all too expensive. The Loft is a starting point for designers who want to set up their own label."

The Loft supports Irish design and ethically made fashion and would prioritize items "made in Ireland". Kate is adamant that they would not allow any mass-produced garments to be sold there. It's about the one-off piece, the statement design.
The Loft Market was established in conjunction with Powerscourt Towncentre. With its focus on high quality Irish design, it fitted in with the vision of the shopping centre and so Powerscourt allowed for it to be established as a collective. The designers share the rent for the space and are obligated to staff the boutique for one day per week. Occurring no staffing cost and the low rent makes it possible for the designers to make a profit from selling their work at the Loft. Being a collective also means that most decisions are taken collectively. Kate admits that this can be difficult sometimes, as with 20 different designers involved, there are many voices to be heard. However, Kate sees it as the right way to run the Loft, as it is as much the designers' space as it is hers.

When I ask her, whether the designers can make a living and be successful out of selling their creations at the Loft, Kate replies: "Make a living? Absolutely. Success, that depends on how you define it." The Loft designers can support themselves and produce their work without being dependent on the state or other sources of funding. "Having been around for a while, we know what we can offer designers. We can give them a space, a certain amount of kudos maybe, a community and a knowledge base, but we can't guarantee success in the sense of living a champagne-and-caviar-lifestyle." Although Kate has seen designers move from the Loft straight into places such as Brown Thomas.

The Loft Market recently - and quite unexpectedly - moved into a new venue within the Powerscourt centre. Whereas the old space was bigger and had more of a real atmosphere, the new venue has more of a boutique feel about it. While Kate admits that they are still "trying to find their feet" with the new location, she sees it as progress and an interesting development for the Loft.

What I love about the Loft is how versatile it is. From cutting-edge and rather experimental design to more affordable, conventional pieces, there is literally something here for everyone (or every girl, maybe).

Designer Jane Hayden for instance hand-makes these beautiful and unique silk tops, some of which feature large digital prints.

I also adore the cute and feminine designs by independent fashion label tokiki. From her Dublin studio, tokiki designer Carolyn Moore creates comfortable and flattering dresses, often mixing jersey fabric with prints and lace trims. Tokiki's limited edition garments have even been featured in Topshop.

Set up in 2007, label Aliquo makes fashionable and affordable jewellery pieces. Their designs are very accessible and have a whimsical and girly flair. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I know many a girl who would love to wear one of these delicate pieces.

"The Aliquo jewellery collection is all about vintage charm combined with clean, contemporary lines." 

 -Aliquo website

However, if you are not looking for delicate, but for something that shouts a little louder, then maybe these statement necklaces by artist Ina Suliak are the thing for you. Ina's bespoke collections are created by hand in a highly laborious and skillful process that combines bead embroidery with semi-precious stones. Ina's pieces are reminiscent of her background in art and sculpture. 

I hope I have given you a taste for all the lovely things available at the Loft Market Dublin. Make sure to visit it on your next trip. The Loft is open seven days a week! You can find out more on their website or by following them on twitter and facebook.

Have you visited the Loft before or do you know any other great spots for Irish design & ethical fashion? What was your experience? Feel free to share...

Shopping Experience at the Fashion Souk

On Sunday I visited the fabulous Belfast Fashion Souk - a vintage and second-hand market with a twist.

Hosted in the luxurious RBG Bar and Grill, entering the Fashion Souk felt like walking into a treasure trove. Stalls packed with gorgeous jewellery and extravagant dresses were tucked away between eating booths, where tired shoppers could enjoy sumptuous food or a cold drink. Models, fully styled and dressed in vintage finery were mingling with visitors, occasionally posing for spontaneous live photo shoots. 

As Alyson, one of the organisers, explains to me, the Fashion Souk is more than just a vintage market: 

"The aim of the Fashion Souk is to destigmatize second hand shopping by creating a stylish shopping experience. A lot of women don't like shopping in charity shops and not everyone can pull off wearing only vintage."

 At the fashion souk you find so-called "catwalk cast-offs", high fashion pieces for reasonable prices, mixed with creations by local designers, quality second-hand clothes and beautiful vintage pieces. The idea behind this is that introducing shoppers to quality clothes at affordable prices, will eventually reduce what Alyson calls "throw away shopping". Once women experience how great they can feel in a well tailored dress, they may think twice about buying cheap off-the-rail garments from the likes of Primark or New Look.
The Fashion Souk promotes a holistic approach to shopping, making it a more sustainable and guilt-free activity. And one that makes women feel good about themselves! This is why at the Fashion Souk they are careful to use "real" women models ranging in size from a 6 to a 16.

"At the Fashion Souk we want to promote an image of women that is natural. Women come in all different shapes and sizes and they are all beautiful."                                                                                            Alyson 

So let's have a closer look at some of the treasures to be found at the Souk. I particularly liked these fabulous beaded vintage pieces available from Vintage Gladrags:

I'm not even quite sure what you would call them, is it a collar? a vest? a shawl? All I know is they're dead handy if you want to spice up that old black top or need to turn a beach dress into a cocktail frock. I just had to snap one up myself!

I also fell in love with some of the jewellery made by local designers.

Elephant Juice designer Lizzie Rooney is based in Belfast and creates beautiful jewellery out of 1850's to 1940's silver cutlery. If you ask her nicely, she will also create a bespoke piece just for you! You can find out more about that here.

 RuaRose is another great local designer based in Newry. She creates whimsical, vintage-inspired pendants and other jewellery using collected keepsakes. Apart from being beautiful, her pieces are also very affordable and would make an ideal Christmas gift.

The Fashion Souk takes place every second month and the next one is happening on February 23rd. To make sure you don't miss it, like Fashion Souk on Facebook or follow them on Twitter @FashionSouk.