Right on the money

CORK’S worst-kept secret is out.

Swedish fashion label COS has arrived at Brown Thomas and if rumours are to believed, it won’t be there for long. Since launching on April 14, the stock has literally been walking out the door as savvy Irish shoppers programme their fashion GPS for Patrick Street. So just what is all the fuss about?

With our collective belts showing no immediate signs of loosening, the demand for fast fads has been replaced by investment dressing. Yet the cash commitment required to pay more and buy less, often leaves shoppers stranded between the high street and high-end. That’s where COS comes in.

Short for Collection of Style, the three-letter acronym has become a byword for timeless yet affordable design since its 2007 market debut and a favourite with magazine editors, stylists and celebrities like Victoria Beckham.

Now available in seven countries worldwide, its positioning in Ireland at BT2 Grafton Street, Dundrum Town Centre and now Brown Thomas, Cork is a coup for Irish style seekers. Caroline Counihan, general manager of Brown Thomas, Cork explains the appeal.

“It’s the working woman’s wardrobe. You can buy into a piece and it will always work for you. What’s more, it is price-point driven and just doesn’t date which is why it’s so hot at the moment.”

With business casual becoming an increasingly prevalent dress code in the workplace, the onus is on looking smart without a suit. But, a bit like the ‘no make-up’ look, this feat is seemingly effortless but very difficult to pull off.

With a mix of fashion essentials, reinvented classics and a soupcon of trends, the COS fashion stance is to give convention a spin, not contort it out of recognition. Its S/S 11 line keeps true to this ethos with boned cotton, waxed linen and coated denim offering a modernist twist on everyday fabrics. Think pristine shirt dresses and structured A-line blazers, oversized trousers and expansive maxi dresses. Modern architecture also gets a look in with sporty neoprene shifts and LBDs sporting cowbell-shaped skirts, while its clean palette and versatility increase the all-important cost-per-wear ratio.

It’s this combination of calibre and credibility that’s making it the go-to label for style mavens on a financial diet. “In terms of what’s available on the market here it’s pretty exceptional,” says Irish Tatler editor Jessie Collins. “The fabric quality is good so you are not buying something disposable, yet it’s still high street and the turnover of pieces is relatively quick too so you don’t run the same risk of running into duplicates all over the city. It’s mature, flattering and versatile and I feel confident recommending it.”

It’s this word of mouth that has contributed to the international success of this under-the-radar label. With little discernible advertising and much in the way of editorial endorsement from style bibles and style-philes alike, COS is testament to the juiciness of those proverbial grapes on the vine.

“When the staff got their first pay cheque last Friday, I couldn’t get over the sales and the label had only hit the floor. They had already known about it, the hype was just amazing.” So strong was the brand’s impact, stocks had to be replenished after the first weekend trading with a particular stripe dress sold out within one day.

As an avid fan of the brand, I have been surreptitiously stocking up on key pieces, thrilled that I no longer have to wait for London-based work excursions to get my fashion fix.

Personal favourites include tapered chinos (€59), a Hepburn-inspired cotton canvas shirt dress (€125), linen oversized cardigan (€69), a convertible leather tote-clutch (€150) and the luxury scuba asymmetric drape LBD (€99); not to mention a selection of chic neutral tees for €25 and long-sleeve tops (€29) bearing quirky thumb holes.

As for A/W 11, minimalist fans can look forward to architectural wool coats, A-line dresses and other structured separates in shades of cranberry and grey priced from €49. For capsule wardrobe adherents, this trans-seasonal appeal really ties together a wardrobe, proving that looking expensive needn’t be a costly affair. Just because we can’t shop hard, doesn’t mean we can’t shop smart. Just be clever and get there soon before everyone finds out.

* COS is available at Brown Thomas, Cork, 021 4805555; BT2, Grafton Street, 01 6056747 and BT2, Dundrum Town Centre, 01 2968400