“I guess we all want some bling in our lives.”
Colour, print and fabric are the “ingredients” for cooking up a new collection for Fiona Heaney. Fiona founded her fee G label in Dublin in 2003 and her latest collection has just been launched. The AW19 designs mark a move away from the formal, occasionwear synonymous with the brand and towards more relaxed and versatile pieces.
For daytime there are shirtdresses, soft pleated skirts and drawstring waists. And for nighttime there is a riot of sequins with a 1970s’ feel, which Fiona says is not so much a departure for fee G but a return to bolder trends of the past.
“In 2006 and 2007, our collection had lots of colour and off the shoulder shapes and bling. Then, during the recession, people wanted to be a lot more covered up and muted. Now, the appetite for sequins is back, and it’s not just for trims but for full garments.”
August is early for sequins – more usually reserved for the height of Christmas party season – to hit the rails, but Fiona says that they’ve had a great reaction from customers already. “I guess we all want some bling in our lives,” she laughs.
Other returning trends include velvet, which appears in the devoré dress (pictured main) that is a favourite of Fiona’s. And then there’s body-con, in the form of an elegant off the shoulder dress in a houndstooth print. Fiona says that body-con wouldn’t be the kind of shape that she would typically have gone for herself, but that an elastane fabric means that the garment stretches and flatters: “You can grown two sizes and it will still fit!”
Collection standouts include a lightweight silver mesh dress embellished with stars in sequins and embroidery, and an animal print in vibrant pink and red that comes as a dress and separate (blouse pictured below). Look closer, and you’ll see that there’s a floral print mixed through the animal print, both of which were custom designed and blended together for maximum impact by fee G.
Fiona says that she loves working with colour and print.
“I find it really uplifting. This is a happy print – and I’m all about that.”
With many of the dresses costing €200-300 and above, the fee G price point may seem somewhat intimidating to younger customers but, as Fiona explains, these garments are the opposite of fast fashion.
“Fashion is one of the most damaging industries for the environment. The mills that we work with are very environmentally aware. And customers are turning away from polyester in recent seasons – they want cotton and natural blends.
“These pieces are not about just getting one wear out of them. They’re an investment. You’ll be able to take them out of your wardrobe in four or five years time and still love them.”
The fee G AW19 collection encompasses 85 pieces, including tops, skirts and knitwear, as well as the dresses for which the label is known and loved. fee G is stocked at Arnotts, Kilkenny Store and selected boutiques nationwide, visit the website here.
