Fashion Forward: Stella Jean at Benetton and golden runners for a steal

Benetton unites with Stella Jean

Benetton may have fallen out of favour in the last few years but this collection may change some minds. The fashion chain has collaborated with Stella Jean, an Italian-Haitian designer supported by international Vogue online editor Suzy Menkes, and widely considered to be Giorgio Armani's protégé . The resulting colourful knitwear merges Italian style with Jean's global signature aesthetic. The capsule collection will be on sale from the beginning of December in the Stephen's Green store and online at benetton.com. DMcM

Legendary scarves

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Scarf by Sara O’Neill, modelled by cello player with Hozier Alana Henderson, and tweed cape by Bernie Murphy

Sara O’Neill is a talented graphic designer and stylist who uses her illustrations for a series of silk scarves called Eadach that combine her love of fashion and art. Widely influenced by the sea, as she lives in Portrush with her fiancé the big wave surfer Alastair Mennie, her drawings are composed of images from Irish mythology and the stories she heard from her Wicklow grandmother as a child.

The scarves have titles like Banshee, Queen Medb and Children of Lir and are digitally printed in China in limited editions. This skinny scarf made for The Marvel Room in Brown Thomas (€100) this Christmas is called Morrigan and draws on the stories of the Celtic Goddess of War, Fate and Death representing female power and energy and modelled here by singer songwriter musician Alana Henderson, cellist with Hozier. It is double sided and reversible with a different print on each side. Visit eadachbysaraoneill.com DMcQ

Wear it

Introducing The Kennedy 26 bag (€1,395) in jet black with Pom Pom Fur accessories in Fuschia and Red (€195). If you are looking for a special present for the fashionable woman in your life, look no further. DMcM

Sculptural tweed

This tweed cape with an unusual detachable ruched collar is part of a small fashion collection in McNutts tweed by the Donegal textile artist Bernie Murphy. A Fine and Applied Art graduate of the University of Ulster, Murphy was a garment technologist in the manufacturing industry before she retrained as an artist and now brings new approaches to conventional materials. The collection which went on display at the recent Design Showcase in Derry includes coats, skirts and jackets in which her sculptural approach to tweed showed in wearable, interesting pieces that complement her other textile exhibition work. Her website is under construction, but she can be contacted for commissions at 086 3750889. DMcQ

Style secret

"Create yourself a uniform. 1. It's much easier to get dressed in the mornings, and, 2, you will stop yourself from impulse buying (or at least it will help you be more considered with purchases). For that reason, I only keep six colours in my wardrobe: blue, black, white, grey, khaki, and camel." Elinor Block, assistant editor, whowhatwear.co.uk

Steal vs splurge

These Reebok Women's Classic Leather in gold for €78 from Life Style Sports are perfect for the run-up to Christmas or run rings around everyone in these metallic textured leather sneaker for €395 from Prada. DMcM