Glittering in the sunshine

That much-employed phrase from Hamlet about the glass of fashion took on a literal meaning this week when designer Paul Costelloe showed off the collection of tableware he has created for Cavan Crystal. The setting for this occasion was Carton in Co Kildare, former home of the Dukes of Leinster. Both the house and its wonderful, 18th-century parkland looked especially ravishing in Tuesday's sunshine, which also gave an extra sparkle to the pieces of crystal dotted around the main rooms. A string quartet quietly played in the 1739 saloon, across the ceiling of which, as though exhausted by the soporific heat, sprawl the plaster gods of the Francini brothers.

Tempting though it might have been to follow this example, guests politely remained standing on the floor below, where they were offered sustenance by Cavan Crystal's Neil McKay and Norville Connolly. The latter's two sisters, Gerardine and Jackie, arrived to offer family support, accompanied by Barbara Dawson of the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery. While she wore a flame-red shift by Issey Miyake (something of a signature designer for her), the Connolly siblings both went for cool blue. This trio's smart appearance was matched by many other women who turned up for the day: Social And Personal's Nell Stewart-Liberty looked crisp in a navy short-sleeved summer dress and bow-fronted shoes; Dymphna McKenna chose to wear perenially-cool cream; while Una Brankin was dressed in a smart midnight-blue lightweight wool trouser suit from Paul Costelloe's collection for next autumn/ winter.

Trouser suits are, indeed, the coming season's biggest fashion story and already smart dressers are revamping their wardrobes accordingly. Strolling around the parterre on Carton's terrace were plenty of examples of the new suit, with sharp shoulders and nipped-in waist. The alternative was a skirt-and-jacket suit such as the black pin-stripe example worn by Claire Lenihan or Rose Kelly's silk check-print olive green two-piece from Italy.

Men have always known the merit of a good suit and the majority at Carton was dressed in a variety of single-breasted styles. Naturally, Paul Costelloe, the mould(er) of form himself, wore one of his own designs in charcoal wool.

From clothing to glass is quite a leap but as the cluster of admirers around him made plain, Mr Costelloe's success with this latest venture is crystal clear.