Style confessions with... Darren Kennedy
Saturday October 31 2009
Q What are the five key items in your wardrobe at the moment?
AI am a trainer junkie, so I always have a pair of Converse to hand or my grey Vespa classics. I love my black blazer with white piping from Topman, and a white Dolce & Gabbana dress shirt that I bought in the sales. My all-time favourite is my brown leather vintage jacket, which I am wearing in this shot. I got it in the Marais district of Paris. When it comes to accessories, I nearly always have a hat and my favourite watch at the moment is my white-faced Swatch.
Q What are you wearing today and how much did it all cost?
AI am wearing a Junk de Luxe yellow-trimmed V-neck sweater from BT2, a coloured shirt from Topshop, a pair of cobalt-blue skinny jeans from Uniqlo NYC, a brown Diesel belt that I got in Arnotts Project and a pair of Energie brown leather shoes with white piping from Genius. The total outfit cost me around €440.
QWhere do you shop: online or on the high street?
AI love the high street. Topshop is great and I really like Indigo & Cloth on South William Street and frequently bring my style clients there. Genius in the Powerscourt Townhouse is great, and for trimmings and little pieces to customise an outfit I go to Rubanesque.
QWhat are your favourite fashion haunts and websites?
AOnline, I love www.style.com. I like to keep abreast of all trends, both men's and women's, and this site has all the shows. I follow it on Twitter, too. I go to the Cow's Lane market and the Dublin Flea Market, which has lots of vintage and is very cheap. It's on the last Sunday of every month.
QA classic black pair of trousers; how do you make them yours?
AI don't wear a lot of black, but in this case I would go for black skinny jeans. Uniqlo and D&G do great ones. I'd wear them with black slouchy boots, a black and white gingham shirt and a waistcoat.
QWho in celebrity culture do you think dresses well and why?
AKanye West mixes it up and looks really different, which is good. Roísín Murphy is eclectic and fabulous. She achieves the near-impossible feat of looking comfortable in outrageous clothes. Tom Ford has a great structured look and a sharp way of dressing. I also love Victoria Beckham and Cheryl Cole, they look immaculate.
Q Do you follow trends, and what have you done to update your look?
AI don't really follow trends. In my work it's important to be aware of them, but I borrow what I like from trends and go with what feels well.
QDo you have any fashion rules or do you follow your own instincts?
AI have no rules. Fashion and dressing are about feeling confident, experimenting and looking well, and everyone is different.
QDo you splurge, scrimp or save up for clothes, and is fashion ever a reward?
AI'm always buying clothes. When I see something I like, I buy it. You should pick up things when you see them and not wait and wait, otherwise they will be gone when you go back.
QWhen do you feel your most attractive?
ATwo or three days after I've had my hair cut and I'm freshly shaved and well dressed. Wearing something new always helps.
QWhat is your SOS style solution when you are feeling frumpy and grumpy?
AI would buy something new; that's an instant pick-me-up. I love having a hot-towel shave. The Grooming Rooms on South William Street does a fabulous job. It's a real treat.
QWhat are your tips and addresses for men's grooming in Dublin?
AL'Oréal's men's range is very effective and well priced. Men should stick to their local barber and try to build up a rapport and relationship with them, so they really know what you want. When I am filming, it's really important to keep my skin looking well, so I go to Nu Essence on South Anne Street for facials. The most recent one I had was in the spa at the Clarion Hotel in Sligo; they use products from iS Clinical, which are just superb.
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See www.helpmystyle.ie
- Holly White
Irish Independent
