Aoife Smyth from The Harlequin talks fashion
Written by Aoife Smyth from The Harlequin talks fashion
The Harlequin has been in this location since 1995. We used to have a store in Georges Street Arcade, and in the arcade up at Stephen’s Green and Blackrock Markets before that. So the business itself has been going since the 80’s. The owner Susan has sort of always been selling clothes. We buy most of our stock in wholesale from a few different places around Europe, and also handpick certain items from markets and the like. Certain modern items such as hats we bring in wholesale from the UK.
Outside of Harlequin, I like to shop in charity shops mostly, there’s some good ones along Georges Street and down along Camden Street but it’s really just potluck. Apart from that perhaps somewhere like Om Diva, they sell some great vintage stuff as well.
As for trends, I guess those really 90s Levi jeans have come full circle again, which is quite weird because about a year ago you wouldn’t find anyone wanting to wear them. Now we get girls from the north side of Dublin coming in to get them here, which has been an unexpected revival. The thing about all of the clothes in here is that they don’t really go out of fashion. When you buy something vintage it is timeless in a way, as everything in fashion is cyclical. 60’s gear is looking at coming back in again this autumn and winter, and once it gets cold Gothic fashion will probably come back as well.
Aoife Smyth,
The Harlequin, Castle Market.
Photographer: Mark Verling
