Category: Handbags

Last week I had a chance to attend the River Island High Summer event in the Grafton Street store and I was thrilled to go as River Island is one of my favourite shops.

Not only that, but I might be going on a real holiday this year so I needed some inspiration.

I took along my new (well second-hand) Canon camera for the occasion but my photos actually came out brighter on my phone so I obviously need more practice with my camera shutter!

There were five main ladieswear collections, my favourite rail was full of beautiful embellished pieces, such as a beaded skirt and white jeans with pearls on them. The dominant colours on this rail were cream, white, coral and silver.

Then there was a holiday rail with some bright casual wear, among the pieces which caught my eye were a purple tie-dye jumper and a black mesh skirt with sequin pineapples on it.

There were more holiday pieces mixed in around the room adding to the summery vibe.

Across the room was a rail of gorgeous palm and floral print pieces which I obviously loved.

Remember my last trend post where I said embellished denim jackets were the next big thing?

If you want one that really stands out, then look out for this pale blue denim jacket with pearls and crystals of different sizes and shapes on the back. I am OBSESSED with it.

Beside this were some bright pink shorts, some lilac colours and skirts covered in sequin discs.

There was also a fabulous pink denim jacket and shorts set pinned to the wall.

There were also some nice accessories such as a pink floral suitcase, pink floral backpack and my favourite accessory was a white satchel bag with western style buckles.

The key trends in accessories were pastel colours, fluffy sliders and mules, gingham and floral patterns.

The bikinis on display were pretty cute also.

We were offered a selection of tasty treats including mini brioches and a refreshing pineapple and cucumber juice with an umbrella- totally summery!

There was also a customisation station where you could pick a pair of sandals to decorate with flowers, ribbon, plastic eyes, whatever you fancied!

The fluffy sliders were a big hit with everyone. Although I probably wouldn’t wear them myself, I do think they add a bit of fun to a holiday wardrobe.

It was a lot of fun and the girls customising the shoes were really helpful. There were green ferns draped on the walls and a bright pink flamingo adding a touch of colour.

The mannequins were beautifully dressed and the one to the left of the door really caught my eye.

It was wearing a white lacy bardot top with wide sleeves, charcoal grey loose-fitting shorts and a gingham belt. It was a simple but classy outfit, ideal for holidays or festivals.

Beside this mannequin was a rail with gingham, light wash denims, muted colours, light knitwear and some printed and beaded pieces.

I quite liked this collection also, it had a hippie folk vibe, again great for festivals. Just above this collection were beautiful Gucci-esque embroidered loafers.

The kids’ collection was full of funky sparkly items and sequin disc embellishment.

There was a lot of formal items but my favourite outfit was an adorable girl’s red gingham blouse teamed with black denim shorts on the wall.

The kids’ backpacks and shoes were very cute, I especially liked the white laser-cut boots and bronze rucksack on top of the display.

I only had a quick glance at the menswear as there was just one rail on show.

 The only thing I thought the collection lacked was jewellery, River Island has the cutest inexpensive jewellery and I didn’t see any on display. However there were lots of other summer appropriate accessories, hats, sunglasses, espadrilles etc.

I really enjoyed the event and got lots of inspiration for my holiday wardrobe.

Thanks to the River Island team for such a nice day and being very welcoming.

Hope you all enjoyed this brief post and let me know if you like the collections and I’d love to hear your feedback on the photos.

P.S. thanks for the supportive comments on my last post. I was a bit anxious about putting that much personal information about myself on my blog but I’ve received nothing but kind comments. So thanks again guys, your support means the world to me.

Edel