18 October 2022
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
East Cork Business
Where: L’Atelier Stylist & Boutique, Unit 1, Coach House Lane, The Square, Midleton, Co. Cork, P25 VW77
Website: https://latelierboutique.ie/
L’Atelier Stylist & Boutique is based off Coach Horse Lane in The Square, Midleton where owner, Ann O’ Driscoll and her friend and colleague, Roz Spencer, have created a “beautiful and welcoming retail experience”.
All the clothing is sourced in Europe by the pair and every piece is hand-picked to suit all shapes and sizes, including a range for the fuller figure.
“As an experienced stylist, I completely understand about body shapes, sizing, styling clothes and assembling outfits”, said Ann. “ I understand what women want from their wardrobes. I was getting frustrated trying to find the right types of clothes for myself, and for my friends and felt that retailers were not considering women like us. It was becoming increasingly difficult to find what I wanted, and I knew my friends and colleagues were feeling the same. I had to do something, and so, L’Atelier Stylist & Boutique was born.”
Ann purchased the retail unit just before the Covid global pandemic but due to lockdown, couldn’t open her doors until this year.
“Midleton is a wonderful market town with a cluster of lovely boutiques and independently owned shops, so I was thrilled to be able to source an appropriate property in The Square – a beautiful little square in the heart of the town. The planning began early in 2020 and then Covid hit us. Lockdowns provided me with unexpected time to enjoy exploring, researching and preparing the premises. I had already developed a vision of how the store might look, taking inspiration from spaces I had seen on previous trips to London and the USA.
“ ‘L’Atelier’ is the French word for an artist’s or designer’s studio or workroom so I wanted to create an authentic space using stone, wood and plants together with some accent lighting. We tore down the ceiling tiles to reveal the utility aspect of the ceiling and used steel piping to make scaffold -like shelving and railings to achieve the look that I was after. We up-cycled light shades that were retrieved from a skip and converted a pallet into shelving which is now home to our fabulous range of greeting cards.”
With Roz, a visual merchandiser, at her side, Ann’s vision has resulted in a creative and contemporary retail space that oozes character and charm. A vintage leather Chesterfield sofa offers comfort and rest for weary shoppers while an old bookcase has been reimagined into a display for La Bougie products.
As for the clothing ranges, everything in the boutique has been hand-picked by Ann and Roz for quality, comfort, fit, style and price, with brands including InWear, Lounge Nine and Mironce, as well as accessories such as jewellery, belts and scarves.
“Our collections are perfect for women juggling busy lives around family, work and social commitments. No-one knows our collections better than us,” said Ann. “As an experienced personal stylist, I have worked with hundreds of women over many years, including personal shopping trips, wardrobe edits, colour analysis and make up application so I offer a complimentary 15-minute style consultation (with no obligations) to our customers.
“Women today lead very busy lives and it’s often hard to keep on top of things, but I think when a woman looks good and feels good, her confidence is high, and she is better equipped to take on any challenge. Women are strong, powerful and emotional; we are multitaskers and at times we need to be reminded that we are wonderful. We all need a confidence boost from time to time and I believe that fashion and style are such a big influence in how we feel in our lives.
“At L’Atelier, Roz and I aim to support and assist our customers in every way to ensure a memorable and enjoyable shopping experience.”
Cork photographer Darragh Kane visited their premises this week.
Ann O’ Driscoll, owner of the recently opened L’Atelier Stylist & Boutique in The Square, Midleton, who with her friend and colleague, Roz Spencer, together have created a beautiful and welcoming retail experience offering stylish, seasonal collections of smart and casual women’s clothing and accessories, all hand-sourced in Europe.
Photo Darragh Kane
Ann O’ Driscoll, owner of the recently opened L’Atelier Stylist & Boutique in The Square, Midleton, is seen here with her friend and colleague, Roz Spencer.
Photo Darragh Kane
Ann O’ Driscoll, owner of the recently opened L’Atelier Stylist & Boutique in The Square, Midleton.
Photo Darragh Kane
Ann O’Driscoll, owner of the recently opened L’Atelier Stylist & Boutique in The Square, Midleton, is seen here with her friend and colleague, Roz Spencer.
Photo Darragh Kane
Interior of shop
Photo Darragh Kane
Ann O’Driscoll, owner of the recently opened L’Atelier Stylist & Boutique in The Square, Midleton.
Photo Darragh Kane
