Roy Orbison isn't the only one championing pretty women, Helen McAlinden is also having a celeb-inspired moment as she unveils her spring line.
Fans of the much-loved Julia Roberts film might already guess where this is going. The polo match scene when the actress is seen sporting that brown polka dot dress is style magic and Helen agrees.
On a buying tip to Milan, she stumbled across a brown, black and white spot fabric and chuckles to EVOKE: 'I think when I saw that fabric it reminded me of her and that movie.
'So that was a bit of inspiration for the whole thing [the first drop in her collection]. Her take on Julia's look is the Avril dress, a sleeveless design which she feels 'really looks like the dress she wore' but the designer's stamp is all over it from the wide almost obi-style waist to the wide pleats to the skirt. It also comes in a midi dress (Beverly), as well as a shirt (Ella) and trousers (Imogen).
The fabric also taps into our current grá for all things brown which is a major departure from the usual pastels and florals we see starting to drop at this time of year.
Brown is a big colour for the season in all shades, but she isn't exactly sure why we're all suddenly gravitating towards it.
Partly she muses it could be that Mocha Mousse is Pantone's Colour of the Year for 2025. She also agrees that brown is made a softer neutral to black to pair with colour.
'We have a more toffee colour that we have shown and mixed with pink... it's more sophisticated, it kind of de-sweetens the pink, the softness of the brown, it makes the pink look less baby girl looking, it makes it more sophisticated.
'I would wear pink with that toffee colour, whereas I wouldn't ever wear pink all by itself; ' she explains. A great choice is the toffee-hued trench.
The brown Cassie linen jacket will take you into the summer months as will the Vanessa trousers
Carrying on the Nineties influence is the white Frankie jumpsuit as well as the equally on-trend for spring sheer look.
Her take on that is a gorgeous semi-sheer blouse that comes in ivory and cream.
Other styles that tap into the big trends of the season include the Aurora puff sleeve dress that plays up to the voluminous look we're seeing everywhere and comes in a bright pink. She is also celebrating the barrel jeans this time around.
Greens and blues reminiscent of the sea also feature heavily in this more colourful end of Helen's new collection.
There is also a smattering of the almost obligatory stripes and a strong focus on tailoring from the Bouclé jacket to her cotton shirt which she is launching under a new brand name All In The Shirt.
Helen has also expanded out the muddier brown palette to include a fresh olive hue and it's here that you'll find her personal pick of the collection.
'I think olive is a very sophisticated colour we have a very nice bias cut dress, it would be my favourite if I was going to a wedding or the races I would wear that dress.
The Dylan Dress is sleek, sleeveless and with a ruffled asymmetric hem that makes it the epitome of the quiet luxury look.
'I really like the jumpsuit, I really like the barrel jeans, I really like the olive green, bias cut dress, those are my three favourite pieces,' she reveals and it's telling that her picks are among the most versatile in her collection.
They could go either way either be [dressed] up or down.' She points to the Dylan dress that can be worn to a wedding or during the day with trainers.
It's this focus on elevating the everyday that is a recurring theme across all of her collections.
'Sometimes I get annoyed because every time you people come in to buy clothes you know they're buying [something] because they're going somewhere and I think what do they wear every day?'
'The shirt it's really good quality cotton, nice pearl buttons and it's on the market for €85... this easy tailoring, and the jumpsuit and the barrel jeans, it's not tracksuits but it is just clothing that elevates the everyday.
'I think these are clothes that you can build your wardrobe around.' See more pieces from the collection below and show the collection at helenmcalinden.com
