Happy/Scared/Hungry/Delusional? - you decide..

Happy/Scared/Hungry/Delusional? The Blind Tiger Collective has kicked off has kicked off a week long (more than a) Pop Up Shop in Little Green Gallery..I got a chance to stick my head in to drop off our t-shirts the other day and Elena snapped this oh so flattering picture..Happy/Scared/Hungry/Delusional - you decide!! And, once you've decided, make sure you pop into the BTC shop in Little Green, a whole ton of events happening down there..You don't wanna miss it...

Totebags and Notebooks - Gone for Good!

It's been a feckin' age and a half since I've posted a blog post and I will explain the silence at some stage but for now I've just gotta mention that our totebags and notebooks are now sold out.. It's a bittersweet moment - nice that we've sold out of them but then, on the other hand, kinda sad to see them go.. I guess it means we can now come up with more nifty bags and notebooks (we will, we are) but maybe I'm just a sentimental goof who misses these inanimate objects.. Also, giving you fair warning now that a lot of our t-shirts are running low too..We've been nice and busy here thanks to a huge GrabOne sale we did and literally have hundreds of t-shirts to pack and ship in the coming days.. We're ready! Anyway, bye bye totebags and notebooks.. Do you have one of our totebags/notebooks? If so, I sincerely hope that in about 30 years time they are worth a nice chunk of change - how cool would that be?

The Makings of the T-Shirt

The Makings of the T-Shirt
For men and women to power dress these days, they need to ditch their suits and grab a cool, cotton, casual T-shirt. T-shirts are now what padded shoulders and pinstriped suits were in the eighties and nineties- they tell your boss and colleagues ‘you mean business.’ It’s largely thanks to the billionaire co-founder of the social networking site, Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, that the humble T-shirt has come to its present prominence as a garment to wear to work. The man responsible for connecting over 500 million people across the world through social networking is usually seen wearing worn out jeans, T-shirts and a hoodie or fleece. Wearing a casual T-shirt in the 21st century implies you are a potential successful entrepreneur similar perhaps to Zuckerberg in the film Social Networking.

These days the bosses are wearing cool T-shirts and comfortable trainers to work while those still donning a shirt and tie look stodgy. They look like relics in the workplace who need to be replaced with the energetic fresh blood who is inevitably wearing a T-shirt.

It is true the T-shirt has been through many different eras when it varied in popularity, yet it always seemed to play a part but it is the first time it is now being associated with successful business rather ‘young, cheap and cheerful,’ as some might put it.

It was after World War II that it became common to see men wearing T-shirts as veterans wore their uniform trousers with their T-shirts as casual clothing. They became even more popular in the 1950s after Marlon Brando wore one in the film, A Streetcar Named Desire, which is when T-shirts achieved their status as fashionable, tops. In the 1960s T-shirts were a staple fashion item for the youth and rock ‘n’ rollers, in the 1970s they were ensconced in pop culture, and in the mid-1980s the white T-shirt became fashionable after the actor Don Johnson wore it with an Armani suit in Miami Vice.

Some of the most popular symbols marking an event such as a protest or event like a pop concert emerge printed on the cotton T-shirt. Designers are only to away of this as some designer ranges in T-shirts have been sold like hot cakes. With summer just around the corner sales in T-shirts which are ideal summer attire, are expected to rise, as people need not just one or two in their wardrobe but a selection to stay cool and fresh throughout the week. Young designers trying to establish a ‘name’ for themselves are creating new designs on T-shirts which they hope will appeal to a mass audience this summer. The race for the T-shirt design, which could epitomize this summer, is already underway – young designers don’t miss out on the race get your creative juices working.

Many personalized T-shirts advertising businesses or organizations such as leisure centers, physiotherapists and building companies are minimalist, words discretely attached to one side of the T-shirt. While a more recent approach is a company design emblazoned across the entire front. People become human billboards when they set out in a T-shirt with their company slogan all over it.

Even high street shops sell T-shirts with the name of their chain publicized on it for passer-by to see. T-shirts are ideal to send out; because they are light parcel2go.com is cheap.

Charities have found much success in designing T-shirts advertising their cause. Some charities have even sold T-shirts with their name on, in the high street while others leave them for fundraisers to wear during special event such as sponsored runs or walks.

Commemorative T-shirts can be Priceless

You might think T-shirts which advertise you’ve been to a certain place or done a certain event, are a bit naff but they can serve a similar purpose to a photograph. In the future when you come across them folded up neatly in a draw, they can trigger happy memories of the past. They may mark a once in a life time visit to a remote far off place and if they are a celebration of a sporting event, they’re proof as you get older that you were once capable of it - then, they might not have cost a great deal at the time to but they will be priceless to you.

This is a guest post by Imogen Reed from LineGray. If you would like to sponsor a post get in touch..

Bags of the stuff..

We recently held a sale with GrabOne which resulted in an insane amount of orders in a very short period of time.. LUHQ has been transformed into an all singing, all dancing t-shirt packing compound where Elena is the lead folding machine and Rob (me) is the marksman with the pen and address labels and the "spreadsheetUpdaterGuy"..

It's been great having so many orders and sending so many t-shirts out although the post office wasn't best pleased - usually when I arrive to post orders it doesn't take about 15 minutes for them to add stamps to them (stamps which have doubled in price, sigh) but due to the quantity there is quite a bit of work to be done..

The sale has come at a good time for us though.. Things have been a bit, well, challenging and tough here at LUHQ, and this is the shot in the arm that we needed to get reinvigorated and by god I think I am reinvigorated (or maybe it's the coffee coarsing through me).. Elena has been doing stellar work and has created some really great designs for later this year (dresses people, dresses!!!) and she is working on what could possibly be the coolest diary for 2013..

Anyway, I've probably let a cat of a bag that I shouldn't have but such is life..I wanted to ramble slightly and let you, our LadyUmbrella friends and fans, know what's happening in LUHQ.. Why? Cos you're all freakin' great!!!

Now, just a few more orders to get finished so we best crack on..You can of course keep us packing though, you know what to do! Ole...

HUGE GrabOne Sale - 50% OFF!

Hi there, how are you?!! It has been like 4 Ice Ages since the last update but things have been beyond mental in the halls of LUHQ and time/focus is a rare commodity these days.. I'm sure at some stage I'll document the last 6 weeks but not now, not today..Today is all about our HUGE GRABONE SALE!! with 50% off!

We're happy to be able to team up with GrabOne again. There are lots of good people working there behind the scenes and they are a great crew to work and deal with. And, the sure do come up with good deals.. They (and their facebook fans) handcrafted this deal - the top 3 t-shirts chosen by the fans and then 50% off the price - nice! You can avail of the good good now but the deal ends in 11 hours and 24 minutes (at time of writing hehe)..

The t-shirts up for grabs are LadyUmbrella is Friends with Sir David Attenborough, LadyUmbrella and the Wise Owl,
and LadyUmbrella and her Famous Friends - which one do you want?

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Wow, things have been crazy busy here in LUHQ, regular readers would have been able to tell that due to the lack of blog posts - I do apologise.. I'll explain the reasons for being so busy at a later date but suffice to say a certain Blind Tiger is taking a lot of my time...

Anyway, this short blog post is to just wish you all a very happy Valentine's Day - you've all been insanely supportive over the last few years to myself, Elena & LadyUmbrella and we hope you'll continue to be supportive, even to the progeny of LadyU - introducing "Little LadyUmbrella" - let us know what you think of her :)

It Doesn't Look Like Much Now But..

..this will be our shop! Let the kit out begin - ole!

What a crazy few weeks! You might have heard that a few weeks ago we opened up a pop up shop for four days called the Blind Tiger Collective and, well, long story short, it went very well! So well that we are now going to open up a full time shop on South William Street, Dublin..

We are going to launch in early February and really can't wait..The shop is going to stock all of our LadyUmbrella gear as well as a whole ton of other Irish brands..You can find the full list of brands on the Blind Tiger facebook page and you can start to get excited about the launch - we are!

Stay tuned for progress reports on how the kitting out and setting up of the shop goes..And, will you call into us?

P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

Our 2nd Birthday Sale!

Birthdays are special times of the year - especially when it's our own LadyUmbrella who is celebrating it.. Today, our LadyUmbrella is 2 years old.. My, she is growing up so quickly :)

When we started with LadyUmbrella we never thought we'd make it this far but low and behold, here we are..And, we have to thank you for being able to make it this far..The support and custom we've received from you has really been phenomenal and without it we wouldn't be marking this 2nd birthday..

And, speaking of marking the birthday, we're having a birthday sale! We're happy to give you 30% off everything in our shop this weekend when you enter code birthdaybash30 - you'll also get free shipping..We really hope we'll get to send something to you :) The code will expire on midnight on Monday..

Elena also designed the graphic to your right which features a variety of birds that have featured in previous designs..Can you figure out which birds are from which designs? Have a go! :)

Anyway, back to cake for now - stay happy all :)


P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

And the Facebook Fan of the Month is..

As you might have heard we're running a giveaway each month on facebook where we give our top facebook fan a t-shirt of their choice..To be a top facebook fan you have to like, comment and share our facebook posts and who have has the most points come the 15th of each month will win a t-shirt of their choice...Simples..And, this month, our first ever top facebook fan is........Vera Hayes! Big time congrats to you Vera and please get in touch with us to let us know which t-shirt you'd like!

Stay tuned for another winner, same time next month..it could be you!


P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

2011 - The Year in Review

We're a year older and a year wiser from the time we did the review last year and it's been another eventful year..Now, for posterity, I'll try chronicle the highlights (and lowlights) of 2011, here we go....

January:
- We celebrate our first birthday with TNT fervour..
- We quickly realise that January is a quiet month

February:
- We, not for the first time, make a silly but fun movie, "Lights On, Lights Off"
- Some common ground with John Rocha is found..
- Still can't shake off that love bug as love is in the air when cupid strikes..

March:
- We experience our first trade show, the Futura Fair, and the fallout that it brings.
- We're Irish Blog Award FINALISTS! A nice trip to an award ceremony..
- Rob gets a captive audience and talks twitter..

April:
- It's not easy to impress our post office lady, but we did it..
- We add a new dimension to LadyUmbrella as we unleash our illustrations..

May:
- We take part in the Fashion Stage at Mindfield, fun times and video..
- 40,000 tweets milestone passed, OCD much?
- Birthdays ain't what they used to be..

June:
- We take a Diet Coke Break..
- The Annual WOW Sale recap, a whole lot of wow..
- LadyUmbrella takes a Dip in the Nip

July:
- One of our illustrations wind up being used in an exhibition - nice!
- Some of our video superstars get catalogued...


August:
- We team up with GrabOne for one heck of a mad sale..
- We get a lovely mention in the Dubliner Magazine..
- Our time in the Loft, sadly, comes to an end as we exit stage Loft..

September:
- We take part in a Pop Up Shop in the Grand Social, fun times..
- A bit of Blue September action..
- We did the photoshoot for our 3rd collection of t-shirts, some behind the scenes pictures are always nice..
- A terrible pun but an ok video, our number one fan ;)

October:
- We launch our 3rd collection of t-shirts and the journey begins!
- Nevermind 40,000 tweets, in October I passed the 50,000 tweets milestone - yikes!
- We were finalists in the Dublin Living Awards for Best Fashion Retailer in Dublin which is, really, mental but cool..

November:
- How many t-shirts did you say were hanging on the rail?
- Some of our items got stocked in Kwilla in Kilkenny, nice!
- We secure a place in the Project 51 Pop Up Shop, big time ole..
- A tipple and a tee and another random pop up, good to be busy..

December:
- We get stocked in Babylon in Clare and also deliver to Project 51, quite a day..
- We get our first ever mention on radio on Today FM when Ray D'Arcy opened the phones for Irish online shop suggestions, what a nice surprise..
- The Friday Finger Point is born..
- The Blind Tiger Collective roars onto the scene with a ton of video footage and good stuff..
- To conclude the year we received a Christmas Card that we never thought we'd get..

And so, that was the year that was 2011..All in all, upon reflection, quite an eventful year with lots of interesting things happening..That is one of the things I really love about LadyUmbrella - I have no idea what is going to pop up..Random things like Diet Coke, Dip in the Nip, GrabOne, Twitter Talks etc - all fun things to be involved in and something I never thought I'd do in 2011..So, with that said, I look forward to seeing what interesting things occur in 2012 and hope that come this time next year I'll have another enjoyable review of the year to pen..

What can you remember about LadyUmbrella from 2011 or what was most memorable for you?


P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

Will You Win Our Facebook Top Fan Monthly Giveaway?

There are less than two weeks to go before we announce our inaugral top fan on facebook! Each month we're going to give a prize to our facebook fan that likes, comments, posts, shares and interacts with us the most by giving them a t-shirt of their choice...

You can see who is top of the charts right now and find out where you are in our top fan ranking leaderboard (it's tight at the top) and as you comment/like/share our facebook posts you'll move up the leaderboard..

We're going to give the first prize on the 15th of January and will give a prize out each month on the 15th, like clockwork :) For a chance to win you just have to be our top fan so get commenting, sharing and liking what you like on our facebook page...Do you think it'll be you? Ole!


P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

Rigu - Friday Finger Point

So, it's week 2 of the Friday Finger Point and I think I've got something that a lot of you might like..You know the way most things you can get for your camera are kind of dull and black/grey? Well, get ready for all of that to change thanks to the colourful camera accessories from Rigu..

This new company is based in Northern England in the Lake District, which, I'm reliably informed, is one of the most photographed places in England and hence it's possible for Andy, the company owner, to know when his mission has been accomplished..
"When most of the tourists and hikers are walking around with colourful camera straps I'll know that we've achieved our mission." I like the mission..and the products...

One product that really caught my attention was the iPhone4/4s tripod stand..Now, I don't have an iPhone but I know if there were a stand for my Samsung Galaxy S2 I'd be all over it in a heartbeat..Here's why..These smart phones have pretty decent cameras on them and most can now shoot in HD and the likes..The one failing though is that if the phone is being held any slight movement of the hand could result in a big movement in shot so a tripod would sort this problem out in jig time..Really, as far as cool/useful products go this one is well up there with the best I've seen lately (wow, how easily pleased am I?)..

Another item from the Rigu range that made be go "oooh, look at that, that's a bit nifty" are these camera bags..How can one get excited about camera bags you say? Well, because, they can be used for more than just cameras and they've got a nice wedge of padding for protection..With all the digital gadgets we have in our pockets these days giving them some protection is never a bad idea..Perhaps I'm showing my age here and starting to get cautious...At this rate if I'm not careful I'll be wearing knee pads when roller blading next ;)

So, a snapshot of some of the products there but the underlying ethos of this new company was summed up best by the owner Andy,
"Rigu was born from the idea that camera accessories don't need to be boring and black. Sometimes black is cool, but it feels as if in the camera world almost everything is black, people need more colourful options and that is what Rigu is here to do for you."
Given that what we do with LadyUmbrella is all about colour who knows, there may be a potential for a collab at with Rigu at some point in time in the future - for now we can dream..

Anyway, let me know what you think about Rigu..Am I right in thinking that the iPhone tripod stand is possibly one of the best things since sliced bread or perhaps some Hello Kitty Camera Straps tickle your fancy? And, what colourful Rigu products caught your eye?

Rigu - You've been Friday Finger Pointed!

The Friday Finger Point is a weekly post where I point the finger (in a nice way) at an online brand owner, designer or creative type..LadyUmbrella has been lucky to get lots of blog posts about us so it's our turn to give something back..Check out the brands and people pointed out each week, spread them on and let me know which ones you like!

Never Thought We'd Get A Christmas Card Like This..

When this LadyUmbrella venture started a few years ago I never for one second imagined that we'd receive Christmas cards from model agents, let alone Christmas cards from model agents featuring a model wearing one of our t-shirts but that is what transpired..

A few weeks ago Irish stylist Lisa Byrne got in touch and asked us if she could use our black LadyUmbrella Meets Peter Pan top for an Irish themed photoshoot she was doing.. Now, regular readers of this blog will know I'm not prone to saying no so without hesitation I said yes..

And, then, a few weeks later, we get a Christmas card from Absolute the Agency with our t-shirt being showcased amongst a whole ton of other Irish designers..Really, was, well, kinda cool you know? I didn't expect to get a Christmas card and I certainly didn't expect that our top would be selected for the shoot...Perhaps it's time to raise expectations? In any event, it was a nice little surprise just before Christmas, one I shall remember for a while...Ole..


P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

The Blind Tiger Collective Pop Up Shop and Us!

By now I hope you've heard some of the mutterings from the grapevine about the Blind Tiger Collective - a pop up shop with 11 independent Irish designers - which is launching on Tuesday 20th December in The Little Green Gallery..The pop up shop will be open until the 24th - you're invited! This project has been brewing for a while now so, beloved readers, get comfy, read, watch and enjoy..Here's the downlow...

In mid November Dualta from Project A Apparel got in touch with me via the tweet machine and asked if we'd like our ladies clothes to be part of a pop up shop, The Blind Tiger Collective..Me, not being one to say no, quickly said yes and then we started to hatch plans.. Over coffees we schemed and tried to hammer out the details..Dualta had done a ton of work and had sourced all the brands for the pop up and got some great names like Turtlehead, S & D, Outcry Apparel and Dog Eat Dog Clothing..With the line up nailed down we moved on to "Phase 2 - Getting the Damn Word Out" (we didn't have a name for it, but, if we did...).


This is where the Bulgarian brilliance of Mr. Double A, Andrey Andonov, and his camera skills came into play. The first target to Blind Tiger-ised and caught on film was the Grand Social pub in Dublin.. We had grand plans of a grand Ali to be wheat pasted onto the side wall of the Grand Social (shown in picture) alas the roof was deemed, um, structural unsound, and the plans had to be put on the back burner..We did get to do some nifty wheat pasting inside though and Andrey was able to mix up this 20 second teaser clip for Blind Tiger, full of "what the deuce is that?!"..



The next step in the marketing efforts took us to Abbey Street where we we finally unleashed our Blind Tiger-ised Ali.. It took a couple of hours to get the installation up and whilst Dualta wheat pasted manfully I "worked the crowd" and gave out flyers and info to interested and curious passers by..The reaction we got was pretty cool and all we spoke to were supportive of the efforts and endeavor..And, there was the usual banter, some old guy asking if we were doing it for the Late Late Show before dancing in front of the camera, another asked if we'd put up an Ali like it on his house and another questioned "where are you going to put up Tyson?" Of course, it was all recorded by Andrey and the Naturehood Media Crew - here is the time lapse trailer..



We all know trailers are just preludes, teasers, to the full theatrical piece and so here it is..After Ali was put up we retreated to the nearest pub to record some interviews for Andrey to edit into the footage..Anyway, enough jibba jabba, enjoy...



As if all that wasn't enough to get some buzz going we had a photoshoot a cold Sunday a week ago and got a whole ton of quality pictures..You can check out the full lookbook on facebook.. We also got this nifty footage from Conor Coughlan - oh so many videos...This one was shot on a GoPro Hero2 camera and really looks sweet..



And, that is pretty much the story of the Blind Tiger Collective..It's all kicking off tomorrow and hectic last minute preparations are being put in place for the launch night..We've got DJs, free drinks and clothes - what more could you want on a Tuesday night..Here is your invitation and if you're in Dublin do try call in between now and the 24th - ideal chance for you to get your last minute Christmas shopping done..Hope to see you in there..

If you've read this far, fair play ;) Stay tuned for the post event update..

OMUNKY - The Friday Finger Point

So, with bounding enthusiasm I write the first, of hopefully many, Friday Finger Points and I'm delighted to have OMUNKY as the first brand I get to feature..OMUNKY is a t-shirt brand with an eco twist, all t-shirts are eco friendly and 5% of all sales are donated to WildAid - a company that practices what they preach, nice to see..

Rick, the owner and designer behind OMUNKY, started OMUNKY in July 2009 with the goal of bringing humor to the eco-friendly/animal activist clothing market.
"I didn't want to sell shirts that just said things like "save the whales" or "plant a tree"."
he said and after scouring his nicely laid out shop I can confirm that there are no such cliches..Instead this eco brand has a fine array of quirky, colourful and charming characters ranging from giraffes to gorillas and moose to monkeys (there had to be some monkeys didn't there?).. The stand out design for me is this purple OMUNKY logo t-shirt, I really dig the colour and fun simplicity of the design..Which one floats your boat?

Whilst there are no rules to an OMUNKY t-shirt, there is a method to the OMUNKY design madness as Rick explains,
"There is really no rules when I design a shirt, I just prefer not to use humans or domestic animals. The current season also plays a factor in my releases. I try and stick the animal I design in what I feel is their appropriate month (Polar Bear = December, Giraffes = June, you get the idea)."
Indeed we do :)

Like lots of online brands the OMUNKY empire expands beyond just the website and onto facebook and twitter.. Rick, like myself, is
"a huge fan of Facebook and Twitter, and how they allow me to interact with my customers. I think OMUNKY would have been a very different brand if it did not utilize the power of social networking."
I can only concur with Rick on this point so follow OMUNKY on Twitter and like on facebook and let him know who pointed you in his direction ;)

The picture above also shows that OMUNKY is an online brand that isn't afraid to go offline and take his wares to his customers..This is an important part for growing a brand I think and something we've also tried to do (I wrote about this recently for HYA) and one that I hope has been beneficial for OMUNKY..

With us swimming in similiar shirty circles I've been familiar with OMUNKY for a while now and am happy to be able to showcase the brand as our first Friday Finger Point.. I can say with certainty that selling t-shirts online is not the easiest thing to do but I've been able to see OMUNKY grow over the last few years and genuinely wish Rick all the best for the future..Who knows, maybe an OMUNKY meets LadyUmbrella collab may happen sometime in the future..

OMUNKY, you've been Friday Finger Pointed!


The Friday Finger Point is a weekly post where I point the finger (in a nice way) at an online brand owner, designer or creative type..LadyUmbrella has been lucky to get lots of blog posts about us so it's our turn to give something back..Check out the brands and people pointed out each week, spread them on and let me know which ones you like!

Christmas 3 for 2 Special Offer!

Now, there are only 10 days left until Christmas and if you're still trying to get some presents for someone perhaps we could be of some use?

We've got a special offer going for all of our t-shirts, a 3 for 2 deal..What this means is that you can get 3 t-shirts for as little as 40 euro and shipping is still free worldwide - that's just 13.33 euro (£11.20/$17.37) a t-shirt (crazy I know, but it's Christmas)..

If you order now we're pretty sure your t-shirts will arrive before Christmas but the cut off point for orders to outside of Europe is quickly approaching, ideally ordering today or tomorrow will ensure it gets to you on time..

So, why not give some LadyUmbrella this Christmas? Your support has been great throughout the year and we'd love if Christmas was no different... Stay happy all...


P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

Are YOU an Online Brand Owner, a Designer, a Pretty Fashion Maker?

Are you a brand owner? A funky designer of anything odd, quirky or awesome? Perhaps you're a pretty dress maker? Dare I say it, a t-shirt company? Whatever you do and whoever you are I'd like to hear from you now...Here's why..

Each week I want to have a weekly blog post about some other brand that is doing something cool in design, fashion, jewellery or whatever and give them whatever attention I can give them..The reason for this is because we've been fortunate enough to receive lots of lovely blog posts about us I think it's time to give something back, karma and all that.. That's where YOU come in!

If you'd like to be mentioned in our weekly feature please leave a comment below or e-mail me at ladyumbrellaltd[A.T]gmail(~dot~)com (good luck spam bots ;)) with a link to your brand/items you'd like me to mention and a bit of info on what you do.. Then, I'll don my journalist cap and get to work on writing the posts..All posts will be shared on our facebook page and will be tweeted about.. It's Wednesday now so I think I'll aim to have the first one on Friday and perhaps call it the Friday Finger Point..um, ye, that could work..

So, you know what to do, get in touch asap and this ball will get rolling...Ole!


P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway with The Tee Gazette

It's that time of year again and to get you into the Christmas spirit The Tee Gazette have put together an incredible giveaway...Today there are 4 t-shirts to be won, one of which is one of our own ladies tops of the winners choosing.. You can enter the competition here and then it's time for you to cross your fingers :) Also, as part of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway I was interviewed and you can check that out right here..Let me know what you think and good luck!

Project 51 Pictures & Update!

So, you might have heard (or, at least I hope you have) that Project 51, the shop on South William Street, have accepted our ladies t-shirts for their month long pop up shop..We dropped the stock into them on Tuesday and popped in on Friday to see how things were going...To the right we have an amateur picture taken by yours truly of our designer, Elena Montes Casado, outside Project 51 with their rather large and festive Christmas tree in the window in the background (you know it's a bad picture when it has to be described, never fear, good pictures to follow)...

The area that is set up for the 15 designers in the Project 51 pop up shop is really something else, a visual feast of colours, shapes, materials and design talent..The scent of fine leather fills the room and the carpet underfoot is plush and creates a soothing sense of calm..An ideal environment to investigate the intricacies of the fine crafts(wo)manship on display before deciding which item to make your own..A trip Dublin to visit to this pop up shop is highly recommended and when you get there you'll know why..

And, in one corner of the Project 51 pop up shop our t-shirts, La Tercera Coleccion, some with their effervescent salmon-esque hue, beam out - buy me (or so we hope :)). The (expertly taken) picture shows them just hanging out beside the fine leather of Garvan de Bruir..And, that's where a story comes in if you'd be so kind as to indulge me..

Garvan and I both happen to be from Kildare Town and both happened to go to the same secondary school - heck, we even got the same bus to school.. Granted, he was a few years ahead of me so it might just seem like a little coincidence but, try this on for size...Last year we were part of another pop up shop called Rough Diamond (option C) which had a few Irish brands for sale..Yep, you've guessed it, out if the numerous Irish brands and designers ourselves and Garvan were both selected for that pop up...And, then, there is the fact that a few years back, whilst in my IT mode (I studied IT in college), Garvan asked me if I could build a site for him - unfortunately I wasn't able to but I was asked which is another interesting overlap..And, if we really go down the rabbit hole, Garvans folks and my folks are good friends - lets hope they visit the pop up shop together hehe :)Anyway, that's the end of story, thanks for listening and now onto the update...

There is an important date coming up in Project 51 - on the 8th of December they are going to have 20% OFF everything in the entire shop so if you're looking for an iDEAL day to go then that might be it... Also, if you'd like to meet Elena, the creative Spaniard behind the whole LadyUmbrella brand, she will be in Project 51 on the 7th of December as part of the "Meet the Designer" aspect of the pop up..Ask her for her autograph or something and see her get redder than red with embarrassment in nano seconds ;)

So far our t-shirts have been on sale in the pop up for 4 days and we've received really great reports and sales updates back from our friend, and designer extraordinaire, Sinead Doyle who works there...We were very apprehensive that our humble t-shirts might not have worked in the pop up, given that they are surrounded by so many great designs and items, but it seems like our fears have been unfounded as they are selling really well in there - we're close to having to go and restock some sizes already which is insanely great and long may it continue!

If you're in Dublin why not pop in to the pop up and make a restock a necessity for us? And, if you've been into Project 51 what are your thoughts on it? Ole :)


P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!

Ray D'Arcy on Today FM!! - Our First Radio Mention!

If you heard LadyUmbrella being mentioned on Today FM by Ray D'Arcy then this is old news to you..If you haven't heard though then now you have ;)

I was one of those who didn't actually hear the LadyUmbrella shout out last Monday on Today FM live but was informed via the tweet machine and the tasty people at Burritos and Blues that we had got a mention on Today FM..

The reason I'm writing this blog post now about our Today FM shout out is because since Burritos & Blues mentioned it a few of my friends have also said that they had also heard it..And, that is where the plot thickens..

The reason we were mentioned on Today FM was because they were discussing Irish websites online and places to shop in the run up to Christmas..The researcher had a few websites that he recommended and then they opened the phones to listeners..And that is how we got a shout out - someone out there, called Sheila, sent in a text recommending our ladies t-shirts for Christmas..So, thank you Sheila :)

The mention in full goes as follow - "LadyUmbrella is another Irish site with a Spanish girl and an Irish guy" - sure it ain't a huge shoutout but it's our first radio mention so happy days - bring on the next one :) Ole..


P.S. Sharing is caring! Our IT boffins have have got a new Facebook "like" button and Twitter ReTweet button on the top of all our blog posts..Give them a click and make us smile!