Have a look at some behind the scenes images from the Autumn/Winter 2010 Elizabeth and Claire shoot. The location was the Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield, just around the corner from our boutique. Sean Breithaupt and Yvette Monahan, our photographers did an amazing job! Check out their website at www.seanandyvette.com The lovely Chloe Arnold was our model with Ivey Sullivan taking care of hair and make up. Keep an eye on our website as the official images are coming soon…

Since the launch of Elizabeth & Claire in late 2009, Elizabeth Moore has been an
integral part of the team at Elizabeth & Claire, as its co-founder. Together,
Elizabeth and Claire designed a very successful Spring and Summer 2010 collection
and gathered a loyal client-base among Irish politicians and other public
personalities.

Sadly, Elizabeth is now leaving the company to pursue other personal interests. The
Elizabeth & Claire team would like to wish her all the best in her future projects.
Claire and her design team are committed to keeping the label true to its original
focus: contemporary designs that combine elegance and simplicity.

The Autumn-Winter 2010-2011 Collection will be unveiled in mid-August

Elizabeth & Claire designs have arrived to the fashion capital of the world, New York. The big apple was the first stop for The Honeymoon Testers, Ultimate Job in Ireland and Probably the World winners Mark and Denise Duffield-Thomas.

The couple, who will be travelling the world for six months checking wedding and honeymoon destinations for Runaway Bride and Groom, is also trying to break a very romantic record: they want to be the ‘most married’ couple in the world and to beat the current record of 83 times they’ll have to renew their wedding vows a few times a week for the duration of the Ultimate Job.

One of their five New York weddings took place in one of New York’s most luxurious suites, at the Waldorf Astoria hotel on Park Avenue. For this very special occasion, Denise opted for one of Elizabeth & Claire’s elegant designs: a Coco Dress in petrol. And she looked as stunning as if it was the first time. Only another 80 weddings to go…

Watch their video here:

Earlier this month she made it to the Top 10 of the world’s sexiest women list published by Maxim magazine and it looks like Dame Helen Mirren, at 64 years of age, has not just the looks but also the style to secure her crown as one of the world’s most attractive and elegant women. She wowed the crowd at the Oscars ceremony in March and the Cannes red carpet also surrendered to the charms of La Mirren.

These are Elizabeth & Claire’s top 5 leading ladies at Cannes Film Festival 2010:

To present the award for the Best Newcomer actor and actress at the 2010 Chopard Trophies at the festival, Helen Mirren chose a grey silk Elie Saab gown with asymmetrical sleeves and embellished belt, accessorized with Chopard jewels.

She also looked stunning at the premiere of Robin Hood, where she wore another Elie Saab quirky design, this time a long black number also with asymmetrical sleeves and a strap.

Helena Mattsson

We also liked another Helen, Swedish beauty Helene Mattsson, who attended the screening of ‘Biutiful’ like a truly Hollywood Golden era star in a dark blue gown.

Camilla Belle

Also in our Top 5 Best Dress is American actress Camilla Belle who opted for blue sequins for the premiere of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and a one-of-a-kind Gucci off-the-shoulder cocktail dress encrusted with Swarovsky stones, beads and sequins for the Gucci Vanity Fair party in the French Riviera.

Carey Mulligan

Young British talent Oscar –winning Carey Mulligan looked fantastic in both red carpet and social and casual occasions. She arrived in Cannes in a 50s style Prada dress and shone at the premiere of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, wearing an Azzaro black and silver gown reminiscent of 1920s chic. Mulligan has been the one to watch in the acting scene for a few months but is now proving the public she has plenty of talent in the style front as well.

Diane Lane with John Broslin

Her co-star Josh Broslin traveled to France with actress wife Diane Lane who looked effortless beautiful by her husband at the premiere of Money Never Sleeps.

Become our fan on Facebook and you could win a voucher worth €100 for Elizabeth & Claire! All fans will be entered automatically in the draw once we reach 1,000 fans.

Elizabeth and Claire attend International final in Kinsale

Ultimate Job Final at Ballinacurra House - Picture by Susan Jefferies Photography

Celebrities and international media gathered at Ballinacurra House, Kinsale, where Mark and Denise Duffield-Thomas from the UK and Australia, were chosen the Top couple for the Ultimate Job in Ireland – and probably the world! After a weekend of challenges and beating stiff competition, Mark and Denise Duffield-Thomas have landed the Ultimate dream job: 6 months of luxury travel around the globe for Irish wedding and honeymoon company Runaway Bride and Groom.com.

The Top 10 candidates came from Australia, US, Canada, South Africa, Brazil, UK, Galway, Wexford, Sligo, Dublin and Cork to enjoy a full Kinsale dining and leisure experience at some of Kinsale’s top class restaurants, clubs and venues, such as Blue Haven, The White Lady Nightclub, Trident Hotel and Carlton Hotel.

“It has been an amazing weekend for all people involved. Kinsale has been the Ultimate host town for the Top 10 couples and the judges,” says Runaway Bride and Groom managing director Rosemarie Meleady, also one of the judges. “The Top 10 have all worked incredibly hard not just to get to the final but also throughout this weekend, with all the tasks we have given them. Given the amount of talent displayed by all the contestants, the decision was a very difficult one but we are happy with the final result. We really hope to keep in touch with all the couples and we wish them the very best.”

Alan Short talks to the winners - Picture by Susan Jefferies Photography

Denise and Mark will immediately start preparing for their first trip after the announcement and will fly out at the end of May to Zanzibar, Mauritius and private escorted safari in Kenya. “We have had the most amazing weekend in Kinsale and we hope to make you all proud as ambassadors for Ireland around the globe in the next six months,” they said.

On the night, Denise received a €1,000 voucher from Elizabeth & Claire for a classy ‘Going Away’ outfit.

Elizabeth & Claire teams up with Ultimate Job in Ireland

Kelly Dress Berry by Elizabeth and Claire

We have teamed up with Runaway Bride and Groom to dress the successful candidate to the Ultimate Job in Ireland before she heads off to test luxury wedding and honeymoon destinations across the globe.

Elizabeth & Claire, the fashion label for professional and business women, will be providing an elegant ‘Going Away’ outfit for the chosen ‘Runaway Bride’. The successful couple will be announced at a Gala Dinner in Ballinacurra House, Kinsale, Co. Cork, on Sunday 9^th May, after a Final weekend of tasks and events that will give couples the chance to show why they are the right ones for the Ultimate Job.

“A ‘going away’ outfit is a must-have for any bride and whoever is chosen our Runaway Bride on 9^th May. Elizabeth & Claire’s Spring Summer 2010 is a gorgeous collection, focusing on classic cuts with a chic twist, which makes them the perfect fit for the Ultimate Job successful candidate,” explains Rosemarie Meleady, managing director of Runaway Bride and Groom.

“We are delighted to be involved with the Ultimate Job in Ireland and its unique candidate selection process,” says Claire Doyle, from Elizabeth & Claire.  The Irish fashion label combines comfort with elegance, making the designs suitable for many occasions, from professional interviews to public appearances. Since it’s creation in late 2009, Elizabeth & Claire, has gained many fans among Irish public figures, including several politicians and celeb chef Rachel Allen.

Since The Ultimate Job in Ireland (And Probably the World) was launched in February, www.runawaybrideandgroom.com has received over 300,000 visitors and over 30,000 people from all over the globe wanted to become Ireland’s Runaway Bride and Groom.

The Top 50 finalists were announced on 10^th April and the shortlist included couples from Canada, US, UK, Philippines, Australia, Brazil, Italy, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Poland, China, Germany, Denmark, South Africa, Romania and Ireland.

The Top 10 candidates to the Ultimate Job were revealed on Thursday 22^nd April. To follow the finalists; or book your dream wedding and honeymoon go to www.runawaybrideandgroom.com

Tips on how to dress for a professional job interview

Elizabeth and Claire - Greta skirt

Giving a good first impression is one of the main elements of a job interview (and life in general!) and your dress style will play an important role in that first impression as a prospective employee – from a junior position to senior roles.

While you don’t want your clothes to overshadow you, they should definitely say something good about you – but just enough, sending the right message.

You don’t want your prospective employer to remember you for what you wore to the interview – it’s never a good sign. However, dressing professionally doesn’t have to be boring though. Common sense will be your best ally but here are some tips we thing might help you on a professional interview:

-Get a feel of the workplace:

If possible, get a feel of the workplace and the type of clothes employees wear: an insurance company could be a very different environment to a recruitment company or a charity. Find out if it’s an informal office or a must-wear suit environment. Sometimes, the location of the office, could give you a good indication.

-Suits:

A two-piece suit is a classic job interview combination and for good reasons.

Elizabeth and Claire - Zita trousers

Trousers: they have the advantage of being comfortable for any seating and transport situation – choose them tailored but not too tight. Elizabeth and Claire’s Zita trousers from this year’s Spring Summer Collection would be perfectly suited for a professional interview.

Skirts: go for knee-lengths. Shorter might be too short, while longer might restrict your movement. Our Isadora and Greta skirts have been designed with femininity and functionality in mind.

Elizabeth and Claire - Isadora skirt

-Colours:

Dark colours have been traditionally considered the best ones for job interviewed, however it doesn’t have to be all navy blue and brown. A combination of colour and black can also work nicely. Our collection includes some berry pink and petrol blue tones that would be perfect for any professional interview.

-Shirts and knitwear:

Depending on the season and temperature, you could either wear a tailored shirt or knitwear under your suit jacket. Low cleavage is rarely acceptable.

-Accessories and make up:

Keep it simple, in general. This applies to both accessories, perfume, hair, make up and jewelry – but a few colourful and stylish touches shouldn’t do any harm; obviously taking into account the type of job you are applying for. As far as shoes go, high or flat, just make sure you are comfortable and you can walk on them!

The main factor to keep in mind is that, adapting to the environment, you get the right balance between looking professional but relaxed and fashionable at the same time, without looking too formal or coming across as ‘too serious’.

Best of luck!

     Earlier this week designer Michael Kors, Vogue’s Anna Wintour and supermodel Natalia Vodianova came together at Harvard University to publicly tackle one of the fashion industry’s most controversial issues: weight.

     We have to applaud Wintour’s comments at the event. According to US media, Wintour told the audience: ‘Each and every one of us needs to realize we are all responsible for models’ health,’ and called on designers to reverse the ‘tyranny of clothes that just barely fit a 13-year-old on the edge of puberty.’

     She also pointed out that Vogue’s editors have ‘made a commitment to feature a wider variety of body types,’ which, in our humble opinion, will benefit both the fashion industry, from designers to models, and society in general (if this example is followed by other fashion media and outlets across the world). Wintour also revealed her magazine doesn’t Photoshop models to make them look thinner – just to edit out small imperfections.

     Designer Kors claimed he would only book models that are at least 16 years old and stated that ‘the fashion industry is starting to address real women again’, while model Vodianova explained how she developed a post-natal anorexia due to the pressure of going back to modeling after giving birth.

     The forum echoed a debate that has now been going on for years and not everybody involved in the fashion industry seems to agree on.

     Last month, Germany’s best-selling magazine, Brigitte made headlines across the globe after publishing its first issue without using any ‘traditional’ models, after its editor claimed the fashion industry was ‘anorexic’.

     Other countries also seem to be following the trend of promoting the use of ‘healthier’ models; like in Spain where models doing the catwalk for Madrid Fashion Week need to have a minimum Body Mass Index. However, this attitude can’t be found across the board, sadly: a judge of Australia’s Next Top Model recently said there is ‘no market for plus-size models’ Down Under.

     As designers, we don’t believe you have to be a size 0 to be beautiful. There is an obvious gap between those modeling clothes and those actually buying them – and that will need to be narrowed if as fashion professionals, we want to reach our audience and make them feel identified with our designs.