Each week we shine a spotlight on some of our favourite brands and businesses. Choosing a brand from each of our three categories, we’ll give you the inside track on the people and the products you need to know for 2023. 

FASHION

Banana Berry Design
 

Banana Berry Design is an independent Irish fashion label which is designed with comfort and fun in mind. Founder Sarah Lynskey is an Irish designer from Dublin who launched Banana Berry Design in 2021 having worked as a childrenswear designer for over 10 years.

Lynskey’s new ‘Hands off’ collection is inspired by “the everyday carry-on of her three small kids and the daily struggles of trying to keep things to yourself - whether it's sweets, chocolate, markers or toys”. 

Styles include a cool mix of sweaters, zip tops and some matching adult sizes for the ultimate in mini-me dressing (or should that be big-me?).  Our favourites? The colourful ‘Squiggle’ and ‘Berry' sweatshirts which come in both adults and kids sizes.

While Banana Berry’s ethos is all about having fun and being playful, they do however, take their ethics seriously. All of their products are made with GOTS-certified organic cotton and ethically sourced. 

As a relatively new brand, 2023 will be the first time Banana Berry Design has exhibited at Showcase. Buyers can expect to see the brand’s original ‘Creep’ collection along with the ‘Hands off’ collection at the show.

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JEWELLERY

Vivien Walsh 

Far from being a newcomer on the scene, designer Vivien Walsh’s career in jewellery started by accident in the mid 1980s. Captivated by the small bead shops in London where she was living at the time, she began to experiment in making her own designs - a move that was to determine her full-time career. 

On her return to Ireland, she launched her first jewellery collection - opening her first retail store shortly afterwards in Dublin city centre. The designer has since gone on to work with many of Ireland’s most prominent retailers as well as with stockists overseas. 

Walsh’s jewellery is light and easy to wear with a subtle modernity and sophistication. Her jewellery is designed to complement and enhance the wearer and to allow them to be themselves.

Vivien Walsh jewellery can be found in a number of esteemed retailers across Ireland including Avoca, Ardmore Pottery, The Coach House Dingle, My Shop Granny Likes it, MacBees, The Snug Room and many more. Walsh also has her own jewellery studio and shop in Killiney - an affluent seaside village in south Dublin which is home to many of Ireland’s rich and famous.

The designer releases two new collections each year and her work is characterised by the inclusion of freshwater pearls, glass and crystal stones and other elements in precious metal. 

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HOME & GIFT

Hawthorn Handmade Skincare 
 

Hawthorn Handmade Skincare products are made with love on the family farm in Co. Mayo in the West of Ireland. Brand founder and maker, Elaine Kennedy, is passionate about creating 100% natural products that nourish both the skin and senses.  

Inspired by the rich natural heritage around the family home, and working alongside her mother, Kennedy handcrafts each and every Hawthorn Handmade Skincare product using high quality botanical ingredients.

The Hawthorn range currently focuses on five themes: Nourish, Calm, Balance, Rejuvenate and Menopause. The two newest (and very on-trend) ranges are Calm and Menopause. Using specially selected ingredients, the new ranges help alleviate some of the skincare issues encountered as a result of peri-menopause and menopause - such as dryness and inflammation. 

In keeping with the brand's commitment to creating skin nourishing products using 100% natural ingredients, Hawthorn’s product containers are also made from easily recycled glass or aluminium, while the paper outer cartons are all FSC certified. 

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