Tag: irish design

Design a Dress Competition

On 30th January 2022 we put out a call on social media for entries to a brand new competition. We asked our followers to send us an image of a dress that could inspire a brand new design for ilovecarousel.com. The image could have been from a movie, a tv show or something a fashion icon wore. We said we’d pick our favourites and hold a vote for the winner! The most exciting part, we’ll be creating a dress inspired by the winning image.

Thank you so much to everyone who sent in an idea! We received so many fabulous images and we wish we could make every single one of them. After much deliberation, we’ve chosen 5 dresses for the shortlist. Our decision was mainly influenced by the facilities we have available to us and whether or not we could do justice to the inspiration images.

See the five dresses that made the shortlist below:

Option 1 by Deirdre O’Brien – inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s classic style

This 1950s style dress is the first of our shortlist options. Deirdre O’Brien sent us three images that combine to create her dream dress! The bodice of Audrey Hepburn’s classic dress, a full skirt and a bow on the back to finish it off. We did up a sketch of how we envision Deirdre’s dream dress to look.

Option 2 by Sarah Pattison – inspired by Emma Stone’s dress in La La Land

The iconic yellow dress from the film La La Land is the second of our shortlist options. Sent in by Sarah Pattison, we fell in love with this idea immediately! The cut of the dress is so simple and elegant. And of course the colour is just fabulous.

Option 3 by Caiena Techart – inspired by Anya Taylor-Joy’s dress in The Queen’s Gambit

We loved watching The Queen’s Gambit when it first came out! Mainly because of Beth’s outfits. So we were delighted when Caiena Techart emailed us this pinafore as an entry for our competition. A cool and relaxed dress that can be worn with layers or on its own! 

Option 4 by Margaret McNally – inspired by Jackie Kennedy’s impeccable style

Margaret McNally sent us this image of the fabulous Jackie Kennedy. In Margaret’s words, ‘She had impeccable, elegant and timeless fashion sense. This dress has a simple design that has transcended the decades and would fit in beautifully today. A dress design that could carry you from day to night. A style that would compliment in any size.’ We couldn’t agree more and had to include this dress in our shortlist.

Option 5 by Susan Lynott – inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s dress in Funny Face

And last but definitely not least, this iconic dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face was sent in by Susan Lynott. We love its elegant shape but simplified it slightly for a more contemporary feel. The actual dress worn by Hepburn (designed by Givenchy) is on display in the Museum of Style Icons in Newbridge, Co. Kildare.

That’s all 5 dresses on the shortlist. Now it’s time to have your say! Go to our Facebook or Instagram to vote for your favourite dress. Choose carefully as the winning dress will inspire a brand new Carousel creation! Once the votes are in, we’ll get to work finalising the design and getting the dress made in our factory. It’ll then be available to buy at ilovecarousel.com.

Thank you again to everyone who sent in an idea! We received so many wonderful images and we wish we could make every single one of them. Good luck to our 5 finalists! We can’t wait to see which dress comes out on top.

The Circus Brand: An Irish Vintage Clothing Company

We are a small vintage clothing company based in Dublin, Ireland. You may have already read about how our own brand, Circus, was born. So now we would like to tell you a little bit more about our Circus brand values. We take inspiration from vintage fashion to design classic pieces with a modern twist. Find out what’s important to us as a small Irish business and our hopes and dreams for the future.

Circus is designed in our Dublin studio for women who have fun expressing their personal style
Circus is designed in our Dublin studio for women who have fun expressing their personal style

Our Values as a Vintage Clothing Company

First and foremost, we are proud to be a small Irish vintage clothing company. We love celebrating Irish design. And we love being able to say that all our products are designed in Ireland. At Carousel, we support our community by employing people locally. Furthermore, we use local suppliers for our Dublin studio wherever possible. We also love collaborating with creative people in our local area such as models, make up artists and photographers.

As a small business specialising in vintage female clothing, we have the luxury of being able to provide a personal customer experience. Therefore we can respond to your queries quickly. And easily solve any issues you may have. In addition to this, because we are small, we can constantly look at improving how we do things at Carousel with our brand Circus. We can make quick decisions on important topics such as sustainability, inclusivity and accessibility.

Sustainability and responsibility is at our core. From the beginning of Carousel in 2001, we have focused on doing things the right way. We believe in order to deliver exceptional vintage fashion style; we need to design our products alongside our values. Our motivation is to create excellent vintage clothing and accessories. In particular we are passionate that our products have to be manufactured ethically. Our partner factory, Good Earth India, is a spacious, modern factory with comfortable conditions for all its employees. We collaborate closely with the factory and we visit regularly to inspect the standards.

Circus is made ethically and in close collaboration with our partner factory Good Earth India in Delhi, India
Circus is made ethically and in close collaboration with our partner factory Good Earth India in Delhi, India

Our Hopes and Dreams for the Future

Our main aim with each vintage clothing piece is for the wearer to enjoy our designs. In order to achieve this, we look for suggestions and feedback from our customers. We want you to know that our motivation is making sure our customers are happy and that they love our products. We hope in the future to be considered one of the best vintage clothing websites. Especially in terms of customer experience and satisfaction.

Our customers are our inspiration and we design our vintage clothing and accessories around our customers’ values. Circus celebrates femininity and nostalgia with clothing that is suitable for modern living. Our hope is for women all over the world to feel empowered when wearing our creations. We’re passionate about designing for women that firstly, enjoy expressing their personal style and individuality. Secondly, women that want to feel comfortable in what they wear without sacrificing style. Thirdly, women that are conscious about the environment and the impact of their purchases. And finally, women that desire clothing that does not exploit workers and is in line with their social values.

We design the clothes but the women that wear them are what makes Carousel blossom.
We want to lift up all the incredible women that wear our creations

We hope you enjoyed getting to know us a little better. At Carousel, we are proud of our own vintage fashion clothing brand Circus. You can read more about our story here. Keep an eye on our blog to stay up-to-date with the latest Carousel news, products and more!

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to become a part of the Carousel community xoxo

Irish Design for Perfect Paddy’s Day Style

Are you heading to a Paddy’s Day party soon and want to get in the spirit of things? Are you looking for an outfit that is more chic than shamrocks?  We have lots of darling vintage inspired dresses available in shades of green that are just perfect for some alternative Paddy’s Day style. Best of all, they are all Irish designed, here in store by us! So you can show your green colours in an outfit that not only looks great, on any day of the year, but also supports small Irish business. Check out some of our picks for ladies in green below.

Paddy’s Day Style -The Vivien Bicycle Dress

Green Paddy's Day style vintage inspired dressIn a deep mossy green, and covered in a quirky bike print, one of our favorite things about this Vivien dress has to be that 1940’s inspired high waist line and A-line skirt – so flattering! Wear it with some pumps or T-bar style heels to complete the look.

Paddys’ Day Style- The Ingrid Needle and Thread Dress

Paddy's Day Style in chic GreenThis fit and flare shirt dress is just the sweetest! We love the fold over collar and darling lil’ cap sleeves. The Ingrid come with a matching belt you can wear tied to the back or the front, or even add a belt of your own in a contrast colour. This tea dress is perfect for all sorts of soirees as the weather warms up this Spring.

pADDY’S dAY STYLE – The Alma Pin-Dot Dress

Polka dot Vintage Irish Design Paddy's Day styleCovered in a classic micro polka dot pattern, the pretty Alma dress features vintage inspired details like a high, contoured waistline, a flared skirt, gathers on the bodice, and keyhole and necktie at the neckline. We are in love with this romantic and unique dress shape!

pADDY’S dAY STYLE – The Chloe Pin Dot Dress

1960s inspired Paddy's Day Style dress in green by CircusShift forward into Spring with the oh-so-sweet 60’s inspired Chloe shift dress from Circus! This dress is so versatile for so many occasions. It looks just as good with some heels for nights out, as with boots for weekend strolls. You can wear it loose, or belt it at the waist for a different look. Add layers underneath or over, button it all the way or wear it more open – it’s all up to you, and how you express your unique style!

Lots more on ilovecarousel.com!

We have lots more styles in green available on our website, as well as separates, which are the perfect way to add just a little touch of green to your outfit anytime.

To continue supporting Irish design and Irish design, you can shop all of our Circus range here now.

 

Carousel Summer: Patterns, Press and Puppies

Carousel Summer: Patterns, Press and Puppies

Welcome back to the blog! We’re here to keep you updated on everything Carousel – from design news to event information and everything in between. Happy Carousel summer shopping!

Hot off the press

It’s been an exciting summer so far here at Carousel. While the bees are busy with the blooming flowers , the papers have been abuzz about our own brightly coloured creations.  On the 28th of June, we were delighted to be featured in the New York Times as one of the Five Places to Shop in Dublin! In a piece written by Elaine Glusac, we were mentioned alongside some of our favourite boutiques and restaurants in the city centre. The article touts our brand Circus and our beloved A-line skirts and unique vintage-inspired dresses and blouses. You can read the piece here!

Carousel summer 5 places to shop in Dublin New york Times article

If that wasn’t enough press coverage for one summer, on July 17 we were featured in the Irish Times Magazine. Irish Times fashion editor Deirdre McQuillan interviewed Carousel creator Tom Walsh about the story of Carousel and how Circus came to be. In the piece, Tom speaks about Carousel’s modern vintage style and the importance of Irish design. We’d like to thank Deirdre for her article and for continually promoting Irish design and small Irish companies.

Irish Times in interview with Circus creator Tom Walsh

canines at carousel

We held our first pup-friendly event  in our Exchequer Street shop on July 19. We opened our doors to our furry friends to raise money for Dogs in Distress. This brilliant charity works to find foster homes and forever homes for their rescue dogs. Between the hours of five and seven, we allowed our canine companions into the store and took donations for the charity in exchange for a personalised portrait of our customers’ pups. We offered a 15% discount on our Circus range on the night and 10% of all proceeds went to Dogs in Distress. Keep up to date with our Facebook page for information on more of our events!

dog photography and shopping night at Carousel summer Dublin

 

The Circus summer collection is here!

The Circus summer collection has arrived! We couldn’t wait to try the new pieces on and take to the streets and parks of Dublin to see how they look. Summertime means sunshine, warmth, fun and colour, so of course this collection is infused with bright colours, fun patterns, comfortable breathable  fabrics, all combined with gorgeous vintage inspired shapes.  As Circus is designed and made by the team here at Carousel, we are always very excited when we get our hands on the finished product. Then we can get to the best part – wearing the clothes! Take a look at some of the new arrivals below, with plenty more available online here.Circus Vivien vintage style dress

Add some bright blooms to your wardrobe with our collection of floral patterns from Circus – flowers are always a summer staple. This Vivien dress is a showstopper, with a gorgeous combination of rich purple and reds.

Circus Lana tropical print sun dress

This new Lana dress has us feeling totally tropical! We love the adjustable straps – they ensure a perfect fit that’s just right for you! We’ll be wearing this beauty on all our sunny holiday adventures this year.

Circus Claudette sun dress

In a light denim like material and covered in a sprinkling of daisies, this Claudette is great for keeping things cool and casual on warm summer days in the city.

Circus Vivien 1940s inspired dress

This bright and pretty tulip pattern Vivien dress will ensure you stand out this summer! We love the warm deep orange colour and unique 1940’s inspired tea dress shape.

Circus summer collection new Nina dress

So fresh! The blue and white stripes on this new Nina dress reminds us of the seaside and ice cream – which is exactly what we plan on eating all summer, so we are so glad for those flattering vertical stripes! This versatile dress shape can be easily dressed up or down, and we can see ourselves wearing it to all kinds of summer occasions.

Circus summer collection seperates polka dot Anita skirtDon’t forget your separates! Mixing and matching from our range of blouses and skirts means you will have endless outfit options this summer. This Anna blouse and cute Anita skirt are a match made in heaven.

Circus summer range designed in Ireland by Carousel

Take a look at our lil’ video below to see these looks in action. All of these pieces, and more, are available in our new arrivals section here now. Keep your eyes peeled for more new pieces being added to the Circus summer collection very soon!