Style notes: Make a resolution to invest in forever buys in 2024, like Irish labels Colin Burke and The Landskein

I was doing the sums on my favourite 2023 purchases recently and, on a cost-per-wear basis, it’s the most expensive pieces — like the formal black top and skirt — that are yielding most joy and are on target for multiple wears into 2024.

The “buying less, but buying better” approach leans into investment pieces, but that might be a sensitive subject when the next payday is weeks away. However, over a weekend with so much talk about New Year’s resolutions, what about composing your own “fashion bucket list” to inspire sustainable goals and more thoughtful consumption, driven by a real desire to own something you’ll want to wear all the time?

I’ve had my eye on the ridiculously talented Colin Burke since meeting him at his NCAD graduate show. The Galway man has a truly unique approach to making Aran modern, and there are at least 12 different Aran stitches in his luxe, handknit sweaters.

His camel-hued knit sweater with crocheted sleeves and cuffs is made with wool from Donegal Yarns in Kilcar. Colin’s range features a cardigan and poloneck as well as short and long coats. They are available in six colours — black, navy, cream, grey, sand and forest green — with prices for the labour-intensive pieces starting at €1,375.

Colin can do special orders in other colours, and the good news for people with wool sensitivities is that he is also working with luxe Italian cotton yarn.

Dublin-born actress Niamh McCormack — who is best known for her role in the Netflix series Everything Now — was recently photographed wearing Colin’s swoon-worthy sweater in a shoot in her native city. It was styled “hard vs soft” with a voluminous tulle skirt by designer Lia Cowan, who styled the photoshoot with Adam Walsh, her buddy on their podcast, Cramp Your Style.

Niamh lost no time getting into the Dublin fashion vibe, wearing pieces from Havana and Costume. Her mum is makeup artist Annie Gribbin, who painted so many of our faces with Face 2 and Make Up For Ever cosmetics at her store on Clarendon Street. See colinburke.ie

Terrific tweed

I’ll admit to loving my parkas and puffas, but after four solid years of wearing them pretty much non-stop, I was more than happy to step out again in a great wool coat — and I don’t think I’m alone in that sentiment.

With an eye on investing wisely, I thought I’d put the spotlight this week on Anna Guerin, creative director of The Landskein. She has succeeded in creating an exceptional collection of “forever” tweed coats. These are investment pieces, but don’t let the word “tweed” put you off because they are super-light and have been crafted using 100pc lambswool.

The luxury quality is reflected in the price and the ‘Solace’ coat in jet-black herringbone tweed costs €889.

I first met Anna, a Limerick School of Art and Design graduate, at Showcase in the RDS in January 2020, where we discussed quiet luxury. It was a year before I saw her again and she has since created a stunning range of her double-breasted and belted-style coats.

Her tweeds are woven exclusively for her by Sean and Kieran Molloy in Donegal. The palette is tempting, with ink, olive, cocoa and mulberry in a mix of oversized herringbones, checks, twills and houndstooth weave.

The collection also includes blazers such as the ‘Diem’ (€690). Made in a grey herringbone tweed, it’s a relaxed shape and looks terrific with a matching cocoon scarf (€150). For a list of Anna’s stockists and details of her own showroom, go to thelandskein.com

New Year’s solutions

The extended Christmas holidays can often throw up unexpected, last-minute New Year’s invitations, so word to the wise: Happy Days, the rental store on Leopardstown Road, Co Dublin, is open today, tomorrow and New Year’s Eve if you want to check out some NYE ideas.

Rachel Hennessy recently celebrated her two-year anniversary of opening the store, which has more than 400 dress styles available to rent (plus jumpsuits, coats and accessories) and is open seven days a week (but closed on January 1).

This venture has become a popular destination to try on multiple pieces, earmark them for different occasions and book them in advance. Three-day rentals start from €70 and the price includes cleaning.

Check out the super-glam sequinned Nadine Merabi ‘Jessie Gold Co-Ord’, which costs €90 to rent for three days.

The Celia B ‘Popa’ dress (€80) is available in sizes 6-14, while the Kika Vargas x Target puff-sleeved, scalloped-back gold midi dress, available in size 24, can be rented for €90.

Next year, Rachel intends to bring Happy Days to customers in Cork, Galway and other cities around Ireland.

And in a new development, she is renting out high-end pieces on behalf of the charity Vision Ireland, which gets a percentage of the rental fee. For more, see happy-days.ie