Women on style lessons they learned from each other. Fashionable friends Sonia and Francie, co-founders of Stable of Ireland, on their shared aesthetic …
Sonia wears red wool kaftan dress from Ecru Studios. Francie wears navy wide-leg linen trousers and a sky blue waistcoat; both at Stable of Ireland, Westbury Mall, Dublin 2; www.stableofireland.com. Shot on location at La Gordita, the newest sister restaurant of the popular Las Tapas De Lola. 6 Montague Street, Dublin 2; www.lagordita.ie.
“Sonia and I have have known each other for over 30 years. We first met as models at a shoot with photographer Mike Bunn. As redheads with a strong Irish look we were often paired together!” says Francie Duff of her Stable of Ireland co-founder Sonia Reynolds. Thus began their decades-long fun-filled and fruitful friendship based on shared interests and values – even a shared aesthetic.
“My style is quite conservative: I like natural fabrics, classic pieces and simple shapes. Navy is my favourite colour. Sonia is all personality – she has definitely influenced me to wear brighter colours and accessorise more. A pair of big earrings, a fun bag, a bright lipstick. Neither of us are big shoppers but she knows what suits me and is a great believer in the ‘just try it’ approach, like mixing leather with linen. She is always ahead of the trends – and what’s best about her style is her confidence.”
“Francie is an elegant beauty and I feel lucky to be a part of her life and share the same passions – among them sustainability and shopping locally,” says Sonia. “We keep each other in mind when we go shopping – Irish online store Ecru and Costume in Castle Market are favourites – and will often point out something that we think will suit the other. There’s nothing worse than mutton dressed as lamb: we are more aware of that as we get older. Both of us dress for ourselves, wearing whatever makes us feel good.”
Find a new Peter O’Brien collection at Stable of Ireland this autumn, as well as a new tapestry based on the Rosc Tile by artist Patrick Scott; www.stableofireland.com.