So it's the beginning of a New Year, and with that comes the start of many new fashion adventures! For me every day is a catwalk moment, how I dress has very little to do with the current hot trend, or what celebrities are currently wearing. Instead I care about wearing clothes that make ME happy, yes that’s right ME! It’s not about how many instagram likes I can get from wearing a trending look, or if I’ve scored that sell out bag or jacket you're sick of seeing on everyone, it’s about wearing things that make me feel good, that put a spring in my step and a smile on my face!

Trends can be great for inspiration but personal style is something different, it’s about understanding the language of clothes, knowing how they make you feel, what best suits you (body shape AND personality wise) and most importantly wearing looks that YOU love!

For me it’s not about chasing after the latest Instagram trend, it’s about expressing my personality and love of craftsmanship and quality pieces when it comes to my fashion tastes. I might choose to wear head to toe designer, or pull out a vintage item from my wardrobe that I’ve had for twenty years, or even rock a pair of designer shoes with a Primark dress! I love the fact that my clothes reflect where I am in my life, they are an extension of how I'm feeling and what makes me happy. My style has reached a point where I know what works for me and I know how to dress in a way that will best showcase my physical assets as well as my personality! No longer do I feel the pressure of having to fit in, changing up my look every five minutes to stay “fashionable”, instead I choose to be stylish, and wear looks that work best for me. If I feel inspired to push my fashion boundaries, I opt for a new take on my core fashion DNA rather than jumping on a fashion trend bandwagon that may be massively popular but just doesn't work for me!

With all this in mind I thought I would look back over the past twelve months and share with you my Top 5 favourite looks from 2017! Looking back over my photos it was certainly the year of the dress for me, with so many of my looks revolving round a show stopping dress and a pair of killer heels! (What can I say, I'm a sucker for a cute dress!) So here they are, in no particular order, my Top 5 favourite looks from 2017!!

Love thy Self (Portrait)!

2017 was the year of Self Portrait for me! A brand I had loved for what seemed like forever, I finally took the plunge and bought my first Self Portrait piece, this AMAZING Butterfly guipure lace mini dress! The quality of it is seriously next level, it's lace detailing is beautifully finished and the dress itself weighs a ton! Such a classically chic style it’s given a fashion edge with it’s cuff detailing that even has concealed wire in the ‘wing cuffs’ to help them stay in shape! Worth every penny (and the certainly not the only Self Portrait that ended up in my wardrobe in 2017!) I wore this dress styled with chic green accessories to the opening night of SS17 West Coast Cooler Belfast FASHIONWEEK!

Bandage Style!

Urban Jungle!

Love Lace!

Faith in Fashion!

Last but by no means least is probably my favourite of all my looks from throughout the year, as this was a true dream dress! Not only was it channelling my love for Self Portrait, but the fit was sheer perfection! The second I tried it on it felt like it had been made for me, showing off my tiny waist and petite frame to perfection, while the lace and mesh detailing gave it both a chic and sexy edge! I loved wearing it to the opening night of AW17 West Coast Cooler Belfast FASHIONWEEK in the majestic surroundings of Belfast Cathedral. I was in my fashion element in this dress, and I loved it so much that it was also my choice of attire for Christmas Day too!!

 So there you have it, just a few of my favourite looks from 2017! The past twelve months have flown by and I for one cannot wait to embrace all that 2018 has to offer! Let me know which look was your favourite and here's to a fun filled, fashionable 2018!!

All photography by Adrian Quinn photography.

Twice a year I have the pleasure of attending West Coast Cooler Belfast FASHIONWEEK and it is always a highlight of my fashion calendar. Not only do I love checking out all the must have trends of the season on the catwalk but I always look forward to seeing what everyone is wearing to the shows too!

Street Style is now such an important aspect of Fashion Week's around the world, and I have always enjoyed stepping up to the challenge of coming up with statement looks for my FASHIONWEEK OOTD's. My aim is always to push fashion boundaries with each of my looks whilst staying true to my own intrinsic personal style. After all FASHIONWEEK is THE perfect time to experiment and have fun, and it’s definitely not the time to be a fashion wall flower!

For me personal style isn’t about being a slave to the trends, but rather adopting a look which works for you, and in my case, that has always been my attention to detail! I find one piece I love, (in this case it's this stunning green lace dress from designer label Self-Portrait) then I build the rest of the outfit around that item, carefully curating the look until it seamlessly comes together!

Firstly let’s begin by talking about this amazing Self-Portrait dress! A label which is synonymous with bloggers and celebrities alike, it is often copied on the high street but nothing beats the original! The quality of this dress is amazing, from the hidden corsetry within the top half to the lace detailing and even the wire in the striking arm cuffs maintaining their unique shape, I can totally understand why the label has become so popular amongst the fashion cognoscenti and I can confirm it is definitely worth every penny!

The Self-Portrait dress is such a vibrant shade of green I opted not to contrast the colour but rather match it to the green accessories I already had in my wardrobe to create a seamless top to toe monotone look!

Accessories wise I wanted to continue a feel of luxury by styling the dress with some exotics like snakeskin and croc. My clutch is one of my wardrobe staples, a snake print envelope clutch from Karen Millen, which is surprisingly roomy, with a fabulous art deco style clasp. My sandals were a gorgeous metallic green snakeskin from Dune with serious skyscraper heels that are surprisingly easy to walk in! Of course even my pedicure was in keeping with the green theme with a mixture of Nails Inc. green nail polish and a fabulous green glitter top coat from Ingot.

Green was equally as prominent in my jewellery, with my prized Hermès croc Collier de Chien cuff in stunning emerald taking centre stage! Hermès is one of my favourite designer brands, and their CDC cuffs have always been a particular favourite of mine as they give any ensemble an edgy and luxurious feel! I’m lucky enough to have a couple of them in my collection and every time I wear one I feel they elevate my outfit to a whole new level!

I then paired my cuff with another favourite of mine, my Tacori rings! This Californian based jewellery design house produces THE most amazing rings you have ever seen! The intricate engraving on their ring bands and elaborate settings are works of art in their own right and I felt my emerald cut, east west set ring and matching half eternity band would be the perfect finishing touch to my ensemble! Last but by no means least I kept it simple with a delicate necklace in the form of my white gold, diamond and Tahitian pearl pendant! Tahitian pearls have such a unique look to their colour and lustre, with this particular pearl reflecting both green and silver hues that perfectly complimented my dress!

Self-Portrait Butterfly guipure lace mini dress, Dune “Gable D” snakeskin platform sandals, Karen Millen snakeprint envelope clutch (GM208), Hermès croc Collier de Chien cuff in palladium hardware, Tacori emerald cut east west ring, Tacori half eternity ring, white gold diamond & Tahitian pearl necklace.

Photograph by Brendan Gallagher.

As always I had such a fun evening catching up with all of my fashion friends on the FROW at West Coast Cooler Belfast FASHIONWEEK, and I hope you have enjoyed checking out my OOTD from Day 1 of the shows! A massive thank you to Cathy, Freddie, Ryan and the rest of the team for making me feel so welcome, and congratulations to them all for a fantastic first night!

All photography taken by Adrian Quinn Photography unless otherwise stated.