Month: November 2014

With Winter Weather Comes Great Fashion…

We’re really starting to feel the winter weather this week! Sure, it isn’t exactly fun to be standing at a bus stop shivering but there is one great thing about cold weather…the clothes! Knitted jumpers, creative layering, scarves in gorgeous colours & patterns, hats… we love it. We’ve seen a lot of folks putting ‘over the knee’ socks over tights, and long sleeves under shorter sleeves.

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Aisling modelling our NEW casual collection.

We’re working ‘layers’ in Carousel too. Just this week our Photographer, Lyndsey, did a photoshoot with our resident model, Aisling (above). We have a new range of casuals that were designed to be mix ‘n’ matched with each other. There are dresses, kimono tops, oversized pieces, and a whole host of other elements in the  collection.

We’re working on choosing new fabrics for the Circus Nancy skirt too. We were originally inspired by the sixties for this design. Nancy Sinatra, Daisy flowers and the colours of lomography photography were our main inspirations. As you can see from our collage, below, it’s *very* 1960’s.

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The Circus Nancy Skirt, Inspiration Board

We’ll be back here with more updates on Friday. Until then, wrap up warm!

I <3 Carousel

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Carousel Goes Crazy for Christmas !

Who doesn’t love Audrey Hepburn?

She was intelligent, graceful, charming and the epitome of class. That’s the exact reason we named the Audrey dress after her!

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The Circus Audrey Swing dress, Inspiration Board

As well as a pleated skirt we gave it two very different punchy prints to make this Vintage-inspired beauty a more contemporary look. You can get our Circus Audrey dresses here: http://bit.ly/1t8Xv9P

In other news…Carousel’s gone Christmas Mad!! Ali put our in-store decorations up and we had the fabulous team at ‘Display Is What We do/Decorate 2 Celebrate‘ in to create our AMAZING windows! We’re so chuffed with how they turned out…thanks team!

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Carousel’s Christmas Window Display!

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Carousel’s Christmas Window Display!

We’ll be back here on Monday for more news and Christmas fun…

Until then, love Carousel xoxo

The Circus Vera dress from Carousel, Ideas and Inspiration - vintage - retro - fashion -style

Circus Design & Inspiration Ideas, Vera

Wondering what the inspiration was behind the Circus Vera dress design? Well wonder no more….

Vera Ellen was a dancer starring in the likes of ‘White Christmas’ and ‘On the Town’. She danced with Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly,Danny Kaye and Donald O’Connor amongst others. She was graceful, vivacious and energetic and we think that sums up the Vera dress. Featuring 2 punchy patterns, one a bird design in an autumnal colour scheme and one a more Vintage-inspired navy & brown floaral pattern. The dance influence is in the pleats of the skirt creating a great little kick…very swishable 😉

Here’s the final design & inspiration for the Vera-

The Circus Vera dress from Carousel, Design and Inspiration Ideas- vintage - retro - fashion -style

The Circus Vera dress from Carousel, Design and Inspiration Ideas

In other news our Design team have come back with loads of ideas and different fabric swatches for the next season! You helped to contribute to this process by choosing your favourite fabric patterns and colours via Twitter and Facebook. As you can see from the pictures below there are a lot of really different prints and patterns to choose from so it can be a tough job!  We really can’t wait to show you our ideas for future designs. We know you’re going to love them.

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Our Design Team hard at work Finalising Designs and Fabrics

We will be back here in a few days with more news from Carousel Headquarters. In the meantime have you checked out our videos? We’re having a bit of fun talking about our Circus designs and showing you how to style yourself up! They are a work-in-progress but we’re learning quickly. Rome wasn’t built in a day and all that :D. Check them out here: Carousel on Youtube

Talk soon! Carousel, xoxo

 

‘Circus’ Design & Inspiration Ideas, 6

In the last blog post I mentioned that our design team have headed off on a trip to fetch fabric.
Here’s a behind the scenes look at how they’re getting on…

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Circus Brainstorming and Research

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Circus Patterncutting

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Even more brainstorming and research!

I also spoke about the Circus Peggy skirt in the last post and fabric choices we were looking at for Spring/Summer 2015. We want to let you in on what initially inspired this skirt.

Peggy Lee was our main influence because of her fun nature and the long,pleated skirts she often wore. To add even more femininity we used a bow print on one design and an abstract floral print for the other.

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Circus Inspiration for the Peggy skirt

That’s all for this week. We’ll be back next week with more news.

All the best, Carousel xoxo

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‘Circus’ Design & Inspiration Ideas, 5

Things are really kicking off here at Carousel as our Circus design team have headed to distant shores.  As we speak they are sourcing all of our Spring/Summer 2015 fabrics…some of which you contributed to in your Twitter, Facebook and blog comments!

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New Ideas for the Circus Peggy skirt Spring/Summer 2015

We’re working on the Circus design & inspiration ideas for the Circus Peggy skirt (above). We love this ‘Patriot Blue’ Pantone colour as an alternative to black and the daisy print is just darling.

We’ve got parcels going off all around the world today. Loving that people from Galway to Germany are wearing our designs. ther won’t be any mention of the ‘C’ word just yet but here’s a head’s up to prepare yourself for the seasonal rush. We stock a limited number of sizes and while we do replenish stock it’s safer to get in there while you’re thinking of it.

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Some of the packages ready to go to their new owners!

Lots of new Winter stock has arrived with more due tomorrow. We’re photographing it right now so it should be online by tomorrow.

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Shooting one of our gorgeous fur coats in the studio

We’ll be back here with more updates on Friday!

See you then, Carousel, xoxo

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‘Circus’ Design & Inspiration Ideas, 4

Another week in Carousel and more Circus design & inspiration ideas. We have our sketches, inspired by Vintage fashion, and now we’re choosing fabric for the charming Shirley blouse.

This has a cute Peter Pan collar and a box shape so we’ve taken advantage of that by covering it in a cute print. Here’s what we’re thinking in terms of pattern and colour scheme-

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New Ideas for Shirley Blouse Spring/Summer 2015

Meanwhile we were doing a photoshoot yesterday with Betty. We’re all about brightening up the dull weather with pops of bright colour!

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Brightening up the streets outside the store!

The dress Betty is wearing here is the Circus Keyhole dress (available at http://bit.ly/1tPkXOj ) . We’ve just discovered how well this shade of blue goes with purple!!

And how cute is this bobble hat? <3

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Bobble Head Betty! click on the image for outfit details…

You can get the bobble Hat outfit details here: http://m2.ilovecarousel.com/get-the-look.html .

Enjoy your weekend! Love, Carousel. xoxo

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‘Circus’ Design & Inspiration Ideas, 3

We’ve been working away with new Circus designs & Vintage inspiration ideas. We’re so excited to hear that we have a delivery of new items coming in next week!!

It definitely reflects the direction we’re going in for Autumn/Winter 2014. Slightly darker colours that integrate well with your winter wardrobe but brightened up with cute prints like polka dots and air balloons.

Here’s three of those new dresses-

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New Circus Designs! Dots, Polka Dots, Air Balloon

We’re also choosing fabrics for the Spring/Summer Joan dress. Who doesn’t love florals and tiny polka dots? Kate Middleton certainly is, and if it’s good enough for a Duchess it’s good enough for us!

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Circus Design Inspiration: Fabric options for the Joan dress

Our window displays are becoming a thing of pride recently…Ali in the shop is our Window Display expert and she’s done a fantastic job.

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Ali getting stuck in to our newest Carousel Window Display

We’re busy little bees at Carousel HQ so check back here on Saturday for another update!

Love, Carousel xoxo