Cork Fashion Trail

Last weekend, I was amongst 20 VIP bloggers invited to the very first Cork Fashion Trail, organised by Marie Barry-Murphy.

We started off with a lovely breakfast in Starbucks on Opera Lane. Whilst there, Julie Evans and Natasha Crowley showcased some of the Spring/Summer trends coming into Opera Lane's high street stores. Expect florals, pinks and stripes! They had some fab displays and gave us great info on how to style certain prints and clothing pieces. Natasha also offers a free two hour personal styling service for both men and women. Natasha has some great knowledge on what clothing items suit certain people and I'd highly recommend making an appointment with her if you're looking for some style advice.

The first stop on the trail was Olori Boutique run by two gorgeous sisters, Sarah Jane and Lisa. They treated us to some gorgeous Bucks Fizz and chocolates and showed us some of their gorgeous pieces. They only stock a few pieces of each item so if you're looking for exclusivity then head straight to this boutique.

The next stop was to Miss Daisy Blue, a vintage shop in the English Market. They had some gorgeous vintage pieces of clothing and their interior decor really shone. How cool is this bicycle?

Saville's Menswear was next on the agenda. We were given a tour of the different suits, jumpers, chinos and shirts they have to offer and were informed of their made to measure service where they fit you for your suit. This sounds like a fab service as you can pick out your own material, colours, linings etc. so it's really personalised. They can also add personalised stitching inside which is fab to mark a special occasion like a wedding. Also, can you get over that these shoes are hand painted??? They are fab!

Next, we visited the Shoe Suite which is a family run business. We were given the most beautiful welcome and the shoes they have to offer are amazing. They have every type of shoe you're looking for and also cater for women's size 9 which isn't available in many shops.

Lunch time came and we were treated to a gorgeous spread in Duke's Cafe. The team in there couldn't have been nicer and the food was simply delicious. We were given our own area upstairs which was great to sit down and have a chat while sampling the gorgeous food they had to offer.

After lunch, we headed to Phoenix V where the girls treated us to some prosecco. The dresses Phoenix V has to offer are just out of this world. So much to choose from with lots of different styles and colours. The interiors stood out for me in this shop; I loved the hanging rails and the gorgeous floral display as you walk in the door.

They say diamonds are a girl's best friend and after visiting Swarovski, I can understand why. They had some gorgeous pieces and they kindly treated us to even more prosecco.

The final stop on the trail was The Athlete's Foot. This is a fab sports shop with a range of runners to die for!!!! All I know is I will definitely be back to buy about five pairs of runners :P

I headed home after this but some of the other bloggers headed to The Clayton for a wrap party where they were treated to some tasty food and cocktails. I love this photo that Eli in Photoland took - really shows what us bloggers are like!

This was a great day out and it was great to catch up with some bloggers I've already met and get to meet new bloggers. Marie did a fantastic job at organising this and I cannot thank her enough for inviting me. We all had a great day; it couldn't have went any better. A huge thank you to all the shops as well; we were treated to fabulous food, drinks, gifts and some very generous discounts. I can't wait till next year!

I also vlogged part of the trail which you can watch here.

Here's the other VIP bloggers - you should definitely check them out!

Marie - The Beaut Mum, Shell - Shell La Belle, Jessica - Jessica Diaries, Caroline - Carolines Days, Sinead - Bon Fashioniste, Meggan - Cardigan Jezebel, Damien - Damien Broderick, Rachel - The Rebel Review, Clodagh - All Things Nice, Flo - One Hour Behind, Ebony - The Little Things Company, Yvonne - Putting It Out There, Shin - Thinking Out Loud, Patricia - My Life The Event, Sarah - Merry Me, Lei - The Style Preacher and photographer Eli in Photoland