This cute, very traditional, little woollen red coat called the Charlotte (€60) is the work of Karen Kirby, founder of children’s collection Kirbee, who believes that there is just a small window of time in which to dress children in “this innocent, childish way”. She founded the Irish brand two years ago after the birth of her first daughter.

Kirby trained at the Grafton Academy and headed the plus-sized label Personal Choice by Michael H for many years. The idea behind her childrenswear brand is to create the sort of clothes designed to last and become heirloom pieces; and so the collection features Peter Pan collars, hand smocking and simple lines “that might have been inspired by old fashioned storybooks”, she says. Find them on kirbee.ie

Designer at War

It is Eric McCarthy’s proud boast that he is a self-taught designer (though he has a business degree) with a passion for quality clothing, operating between his native Dublin and New York. He is the founder of a luxury streetwear brand called Young War; he has not only designed the shapes, selected the high-end materials (fused cottons, wools, long fibre silks etc), tags, buttons, zips and rivets for the collection, but also created the songs and music for the brand’s promotional video and selected the models and location.

Already his collections have attracted fans such as Justin Bieber, Conor McGregor and a host of Premier League footballers, so he is certainly on the right track. Prices, which are quoted in US dollars, start at $35 for a tank top and go up to $720 for a grey wool crossover coat lined with silk and $585 for a stylish, fuss-free bomber jacket that comes in black, olive, silver or gold. Visit youngwarnewyork.com