Willie Anderson, a former Ireland rugby captain with 27 caps, was doing a spot of display work at Brown Thomas on Grafton Street in Dublin on Monday afternoon, in preparation for Tuesday evening’s private launch of BT’s Irish Designers Create 2012.
He helped set up the mannequins for his son’s new clothes collection. JW Anderson (known as Jonathan) travelled from London and was the guest of honour at Tuesday’s party. Willie didn’t make it back from the family home in Co Tyrone, but Jonathan’s sister, Chloe, did. “I dragged her down for the day, but she got her nails done so she didn’t mind,” Jonathan told me. Chloe is studying pharmacy at Queen’s University and works with the Alison Campbell modelling agency.
Dublin Wives star Roz Flanagan made a quip about Dr Danielle Meagher posing for photos and getting her money’s worth at TV3’s autumn schedule launch last week.
The real southside housewives are more sedate. Maureen Kelly, wife of the property developer Paddy Kelly, formerly of Shrewsbury Road, chatted to Anne McGettigan from Ballsbridge, who told me she is now a diamond dealer based in Dublin and Antwerp, having studied gemmology in Florence.
Brown Thomas fashion director Shelly Corkery thanked Eddie Shanahan, the chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers. Two of the designers who progressed from last year’s Create event were Lucy Downes and Heidi Higgins, whose clothes are now stocked by Brown Thomas. Downes is preparing to show her spring 2013 collection in New York and Paris. She intends to head off to Nice for a short holiday before the shows.
Sorcha O’Raghallaigh told me that she used to live on the beautiful Georgian John’s Mall in Birr until her mother sold the house, three years ago, and moved to Rathmines. O’Rallaghaigh designs “on and off for Lady Gaga”. She designed the “headless dress” that the pop star wore on The X Factor. It had a silicone body double inside.
The accessories designer Lorna Burton also took part in the event. She was accompanied by her boyfriend, Keith Kenny, from Greystones, who designs T-shirts. The milliner Mark T Burke had support from his aunt Dorothy Kenny from Navan, and his aunts Helen Burke and Mary Fallon from Loughrea, Co Galway.
Rebecca De Havalland was accompanied by Ciara Kelly from Greystones, who is the current Miss Wicklow.
Who we spottedModels Ricky Thanoon and Samson Ogunshe; Suzie Coen of Image; Cliona Buckley; stylist Maria Fusco
What we drank?Champagne