circus circus

Emma-Louise Johnston takes up the challenge of being bridesmaid and gets back into tie-dye.


Oooh I am seriously excited about Cirque du Soleil coming to Belfast this month. Founded in Quebec almost 25 years ago, the Cirque du Soleil, French for the “Circus of the Sun,” is a travelling circus that mixes circus arts, street theatre and features amazing special effects, music and spectacular costumes while incorporating metaphors, social and political themes, acrobatics and aquatic! Phewww-that’s all a mouthful! Whilst I always had this vision of seeing them in the glamorous setting of the Bellagio in Las Vegas, I reckon the Odyssey in Belfast will do rightly.

I spent a really pleasant evening in the new restaurant 27, Talbot Street. Friends recently got engaged, so we took them there for dinner. I’ve even been asked to be bridesmaid and the dresses, much to my delight are gorgeous. How often do you see bridesmaids looking really uncomfortable in some disgusting colour that happens to match the flowers the bride’s mother wanted! I should count myself lucky that my friend’s not asking us to sign a prenup. A recent survey shows that brides-to-be are becoming much more businesslike about picking their wedding day companions-more than one in five women planning their wedding would ask their bridesmaid to sign a written pre-nuptial agreement. Get pregnant, put on weight or even change your hairdo and you could be sacked!

I suppose I’m actually not a bridesmaid. I’m a matron of honour - blurghhh! I always get visions of the big matron from Carry On films when I hear the term ‘Matron of Honour’. Although, my friend Debbie (the bride) says we’re neither bridesmaids nor matrons of honour-we are actually bride-slaves! Long live the ‘Brivas’ (Bride/Divas)!

I read a scathing attack on Botox recently in one of the broadsheets. Describing it as, “the kind of procedure which carries no benefit and would never attract the most rigorous medics.” I beg to differ, in fact the latter, is absolute nonsense. Some of you may know that I had several beauty treatments in the run up to my wedding. Well, is there ever a better time? These included Botox with the brilliant, Ashok Songra at Cosmetech in Holywood. Ashok is one of Northern Ireland’s leading surgeons, specialising in facial aesthetic treatments. He’s also a consultant in head and neck reconstructive surgery and facial plastic surgery at the Regional Plastic and Maxillofacial Unit, Ulster Hospital.
He’s a pioneer in establishing training standards and injection techniques for aesthetic companies and he is ‘calm’ personified and the letters after his name read like the alphabet! It was relatively painless and the result was extremely natural looking and will reduce deep-seated lines from forming. So there!

It’s official - ‘It’ handbags are so out now that only those who feel the real need to try to impress, spend silly money on an ‘It’ bag. Phew! Thank heavens I didn't send away for that must-have £13,000 Burberry number (seriously £13,000 for the Burberry Warrior-made from, wait for it, Alligator skin!) The most I’ve ever spent on a bag is £250! 4 figures is ludicrous and 5 figures - potential owners should be certified!
I first wore Burberry when I was about 4 years old and starting Prep. Probably like many of you, I had a little Burberry coat for school. Well actually mine wasn’t so little-my mum wanted to see if she could get me one to do me until P.4 so mine dragged along in the puddles!

Apparently tie-dye’s back. Not only do I remember spending Saturday afternoons in Fresh Garbage, searching through the rails with painstaking precision for just the right tie-dye hippy top but I also did a tie-dye Batik piece for my GCSE art. Whilst clearing out cupboards last week I just couldn’t bring myself to throw it out. Thank goodness - my ‘work’ could now be worth something….if I can handle lobbing off one of my ears I could strike gold!

Chic boutique, Atelier, hosted its fantastic spring fashion show in Queen’s Arcade – it’s tipped for the top this year by fashion journalists across Ireland. Boasting such labels as the multi award winning, Gorgeous Couture (much coveted by loads of celebrities) there’s also Goldie and Ducie – two designers recently featured in Vogue, and as seen in the new West Coast Cooler Belfast Fashion Week campaign. Also, Millau, Pink Soda Boutique and the ultimate denim brand – Paige Premium Denim. Another exciting exclusive in Atelier is the full spring/summer collection of Minette Shoes.

As a real ‘foody’ I await with anticipation the opening of ‘Made in Belfast’ this month. The brainchild of Emma Bricknell who is an interior designer and her brother, who’s a chef. I hear it’s very SoHo House with a mix of contemporary and classic furniture and a menu which uses the best of local produce including organic vegetables grown within a low carbon mileage from the city.

Lastly, I just want to say Good Luck and Bon Voyage to Debby and Gerry Armstrong who head off to start a new life abroad this month. Their leaving bash is in Bourbon where Linda Coulter will doubtless lay on one fantastic spread.