No Fear at Boohoo SS14

The incoming spring summer collection from Boohoo.com pushes the fashion boundaries, taking trends directly from the SS14 designer catwalks and mixing standout hero pieces with classic favourites across a palette of pastels, monochrome and summer florals.

Here are my top picks from Boohoo's spring collection...

Luxury Laziness at Tommy Hilfiger

America’s favourite heritage brand Tommy Hilfiger have brought a whole new meaning to cosiness with the release of their limited edition ‘Lazy Sunday’ cashmere collection. The 12 piece luxury collection blends cashmere and Lyocell Seacell; a unique eco-friendly yarn made from nutrient-rich seaweed that revitalizes and protects the skin against free radicals.

Boyfriend Sweater, 219 euro

The collection features wearable separates in classic shapes, from an oversized boyfriend-fit cardigan to slouch pants, perfect for layering up on a cosy autumn walk.

Slouch Pants, 249 euro

I was lucky enough to get my hands on two pieces from the collection- the Lazy Sunday hoodie and shorts and can honestly say my skin has never felt so loved! As a big advocate of the lazy Sunday, this collection will likely be held responsible for the demise of my Sunday social life as the temptation to snuggle up by the fire in my cashmere is all-consuming. If however you wanted to wear the pieces outside, the capsule collection can be easily styled up for outdoor appropriateness. I can’t wait to layer my grey cashmere hoody under a leather jacket for maximum insulation without adding bulk.

Hoodie, 249 euro

Shorts, 179 euro

Layer this oversized cardigan over a crisp white shirt, dark skinnies and brown boots for a preppy look that screams California Cool.

Oversized Cardigan, 249 euro

Tone down a sequin skirt this party season with this classic grey sweater, tights and boots, allowing the skirt to be your statement piece in an overall effortlessly cool look.

Boyfriend Sweater, 219 euro

Get your hands on this limited edition collection at Tommy Hilfiger, Grafton Street or Tommy.com

Fashion Distilled

Tickets are now on sale for ‘Fashion Distilled’, a one-off fashion event taking place next Friday October 18^th at the Dublin Whiskey Company at fashiondistilled.eventbrite.ie.  ‘Fashion Distilled’ sees some of Ireland's top designers come together for a unique event focused on promoting Irish design through a collaborative fashion show and talks from industry professionals, with 100% of ticket and raffle sales going to seven important Irish charities- Irish Autism Action; ISPCC; Global NGO Centres; The CRY Foundation; Irish Wheelchair Association; Sarah Bird Foundation and MS Ireland.

The event will be hosted by Xpose’s Lisa Canon. The designers showcasing their collections on the night are Emma Manley, Heidi Higgins, Natalie B Coleman, Sinead Doyle, Ailis Mara, Andrea Cullen, Ciara Murphy, Colin Horgan and Nor Lisa Fashion.

This glamorous night of fashion is organised by the A&C Foundation and supported by Swapkit and Fashion.ie. As well as being treated to the designers’ collections, guests will enjoy complimentary hair and makeup by Peter Marks Style Club and LA Creative as well as a wine reception and food provided by Dublin’s newest salad company, Staple Foods.

There will also be a raffle on the night featuring pieces donated from many of the designers taking part as well as top names like Philip Treacy, John Rocha and Danielle Romeril.

There are a very limited number of tickets still on sale at fashiondistilled.eventbrite.ie. 100% of the 30 euro ticket price goes to the seven worthy charities and includes the fashion show, industry talks, complimentary wine and catering, a goody bag and entrance to the official after-party at 4 Dame Lane.

Electric Fashnic

Familiar readers of this blog will know my two greatest loves are fashion and music so when the two come together for a three day occasion where one can frolic through enchanted forests, check  out the world's greatest musicians, sample some of the greatest food and drink the country has to offer and all the while get to wear that questionable vintage purchase you wouldn't wear in the 'real world', you can safely say I'm in my element.

Next weekend brings the festival to smash all festivals, Electric Picnic. With Bjork as headliner, the acts alone will provide a fashion parade but if you still need some inspiration in getting your festival looks together, follow my practical festival style guide and take note from these festival fashionistas who've got it right in the past.

Be Brave The great thing about Electric Picnic is that half the attendees wear costumes anyhow so feel free to don that pink fur jacket you've been too scared to wear until now.

Be Original The denim shorts/wellies/patterned raincoat/headband festival uniform is long gone so be original in what you wear. Try a cute summer dress juxtaposed against heavy boots and an oversized parka for an on-trend look ala Kate Bosworth.

Plan Ahead I've already looked up the weather for you and can confirm it's going to be a typical Irish weather weekend- cloudy, 19 degrees with 50% precipitation chance. As is typical with Irish weather this means it will be totally unpredicatable so bring your wooly hat and parka as well as your shorts and sunglasses.

Be Practical My best advice for festival dressing is to wear your favourite outfit down on Friday. When the exhaustion/ hangover of Sunday kicks in, you'll regret only having your frilly summer dress to wear and will favour a comfier look.

Hats Are Your Friends Hats can hide a multitude of bad hairday sins so make sure you have one that complements your festival look and keeps your hair rainfree. However, Electric Picnic has the amazing 'Pamper Palace' that allows girls to use GHDs, get their makeup done and even have their hairwashed and blowdryed.

Layer Up No matter how sunny the daytime, sleeping in a tent in Ireland is always freezing so bring multiple layers to prevent hypothermia

Have Fun! I can safely say Electric Picnic is the best of all the music festivals I frequent each year and it also marks the end of festival season so be sure to make your weekend one to remember! Watch out for me and my trusty purple camera where I'll be snapping your style all over the weekend for Fashion.ie!

I Adora Manish Arora

Considering I stalk Style.com the way a teeneage girl stalks her crush's Facebook profile there's rarely a designer I let slip through the net so it came as a great surprise today when looking for a specific 'Mannish' coat (of the AW13 'Mannish' trend) that Indian designer -and appointed Creative Director of Paco Rabanne- Manish Arora came to my attention.

Three years after setting up his own label in New Delhi in 1997, Arora took part in the first ever Indian Fashion Week. In 2001, he launched a sportswear label, Fishfry, in association with Reebok. He has since gone on to show his collections at Fashion Weeks in Hong Kong, Miami, London and most recently, Paris.

Using bold colours across a primary and pastel palette, Arora retains accents of ethnic embellishments in his designs, from a tribal print to a traditional Indian headress. His wearable pieces combine the graphic prints of Mary Katranzou with the luxe leather and gold finishes of Balmain. His maximalist approach to design is refreshingly bold and I can already tell this is one creative crush I won't be getting over anytime soon.

Nobody Likes a Copycat

Fashion designers set the trends for the incoming season that fill up the fashion pages of our favourite magazines, adorn the bodies of our favourite celebrities and represent an glamorous ideal of parties, yachts and sunshine that we endlessly aspire to one day afford. I'm all for high street labels taking inspiration from these designers, bringing the seasonal trends into a more affordable price bracket but there is a big difference between inspiration and downright copying.

Primark AW13

Saint Laurent, AW13

I love Penneys as much as the next girl but this exact copy of Saint Laurent's AW13 dress has gone a step too far. Designing a similar piece but changing the embellishment/collar detail/silhouette of the dress would keep everyone happy and still nail the Rebel look- a major trend statement on the AW13 catwalks. The high street need to stick to what they do best- adapting high fashion trends into more wearable commercial pieces for the everywoman. The major fashion houses are already struggling financially- I would hate to see their demise thanks to unfair imitation by retailers. What ever happened to creativity in fashion?!

Think Pink

Pink is THE colour for autumn/winter 2013- from deep shades of magenta to pale blush, the ultra feminine colour has been applied to everything from accessories to outerwear.

Simone Rocha, AW13

A colour usually associated with spring/summer, the playful hue exudes femininity and the great news is that regardless of your colouring- there's a shade of pink to suit everyone. If you have a warmer complexion, opt for pinks with a yellow base- corals and poppy shades work well. If you have a cooler complexion, opt for pinks with an underlying blue tone, shades of pink that verge on purple will suit you best.

Topshop Unique, AW13

To keep your feminine style whilst embracing next season's other major trend- the Mannish trend- opt for a masculine cut silhouette in your perfect shade of pink.

Zara, 199 euro

Zara, 99.95

For an office-appropriate look that similarly nails the pink and mannish trend, team a pair of pale pink trousers with an oversized shirt. The key to avoiding unnecessary bulk is to keep a defined waist, adding a thick belt if the trousers are not high-waisted.

Simone Rocha, AW13