Alila Boutique

Firstly, a shameful confession, I really like all this fancy fashion stuff and if I was loaded I’d shop at Saville Row. Phew! That was weighing heavy on me there for a while.
This glamourous boutique stocks some thrilling duds for ladies with a fancy party to attend. The proprietor, her name slips my mind, travels to all the big fashion auction-​type-​things in London and Paris, collecting interesting unique pieces for the good, if not, loud taste débutante. Some of the more ostentatious and colourful pieces arrive in from South Korea and Japan.
The down side is these gals dress many of Dublin’s elite social scene like those people from Exposé, some of those models who date rugby players and, um, maybe Ray Sha?
If you’re looking for a really super-​hip debs ensemble, or if your a Z-​list local celebrity, or if Sex and the City has reduced you to a credit card wielding, gibbering, sartorial maniac then Alila’s for you.
Four stars, I think the stuff is rocking.

Alila would be the kind of shop in which you could have a lot of fun with your girlfriends. Full of sparkle, glitz and glamour, Alila is probably one of the best places in Dublin to find eveningwear that is both full of pizzazz and not cheesy or trashy. Ok, some of it is a bit cheesy, we’re talking full body hot pink covered in crystals, but that’s all part of the fun! I picture a group of gals coming in and having a fashion show in the dressing areas, while the shop assistants run around all dressing the prostitute in «Pretty Woman» style. In actuality, that would probably be frowned upon, especially if you didn’t buy anything but whatevs.
The store is stocked full of the most fun and flirty party dresses and formal wear, bold jewelry and incredible heels. We’re not talking «after work cocktail party,» no sirree! We’re talking «dance party on a private yacht» or maybe «beauty pageant.» They carry a lot of expensive labels you’ve never heard of and some you have, like Betsey Johnson. A really fun place to check out!

Alila is a really cute boutique tucked away on Drury St. It’s girly heaven — sparkly, pink and lots and lots of pretty things!
A word of warning though — it’s pricey. A little overpriced, if you ask me, but the stuff is really beautiful and definitely ‘making a statement’ kind of clothes. This is not for the shy or retiring, the clothes on offer here are for people who want to get noticed.
They stock quite a few exclusive brands, a lot of stuff that is only available in über-​cool places like St Tropez, Paris and Greece, so it’s quite cool that we can avail of designers like these over here.
My favourite part of the shop is the giant high heel seat they have in the middle of the room — very SATC!