Fashion and wine were proffered at the Dunnes Stores show in Dublin Castle yesterday, where the clothes went down very well, as did the wine. While Dunnes' fashions are not usually classified as luxurious, the mood was for a sleek and sophisticated style in black, camel and burgundy. Even the fabrics were copies of those associated with luxury: faux furs, real and fake suedes, and mock leathers for day; sparkle, beading, velvet and satin for evening.
There was definite commitment to a new kind of smartness with undertones of glamour. Understatement is the key to all of this.
Again the long jacket, or frock coat, set the mood, whether worn with boot-leg trousers or short shift dresses: a body-skimming line without any attention to detail. This may sound a bit dull but the effect is terrific. Jackets are around £70, trousers £30.
Soft suedes, where a shirt and safari jacket (£50) are included with the trousers, coats (£140) and skirts suggested glamour in a subtle way.
Leather-look suits and faux fur, however, would fool no one. Clearly a case of copying something better, and not quite succeeding. But then, a fur jacket (£45) in the real thing is inconceivable these days. The shiny "leathers" were greatly helped by being matched with soft velvet shirts (£35), and chenille cardigans edged in feathers.
Evening clothes, when clingy velvet made for sensuous, bodyskimming dresses and trouser suits (dress £40), were very plain. The same goes for the brocades, cut on the frock coat lines of the daywear, black and ivory further adding to the starkness of it all (long jacket £65).
Deliciously feminine satin slip dresses, worn with silver or gold lace cardigans (£18), gave another twist to a collection that has gone the whole way with simplicity.
It's the mood of the times: no artifice anywhere. Despite, or because of that, there is a subtle kind of glamour around. Dunnes interpreted most of it with a lot of flair.