Dublin Fashion Week:Dublin Fashion Week ended on a high note yesterday with two public catwalk shows at the Mansion House, one by Irish designer Joanne Hynes at lunchtime and the other by internationally known British designer Matthew Williamson, in Ireland for the first time, showing his spring collection at a gala event last night.
Modelling at his show was 16-year-old Laragh McCann from Killiney, already making a name for herself on the catwalks of New York and Paris.
Followers of Williamson and his vibrant beaded and patterned silks were out in force last night for a rare opportunity to see the designer's full collection on the catwalk.
The show, with its sassy silk shorts, lotus print dresses, beaded tunics and sequin studded T-shirts had the carefree sexy air that make his clothes such favourites of the celebrity and party set.
Earlier yesterday Galway-born Joanne Hynes, who now divides her time between Ireland and India, showed the influences of both backgrounds in a chic collection that mixed chunky abstracted Aran knits and severe black tailoring with colour-blocked georgette and chiffon dresses.
Typical of her approach were delicate beaded dresses worn with black fake fur hoods and bold, colourful jewellery. The designer is to open a jewellery shop in Galway next month.
According to Sonia Reynolds, founder of Dublin Fashion Week, there will be more public catwalk shows and more buyers next season as the event grows in importance.
An estimated €1.7 million worth of orders was placed by more than 250 buyers from Ireland, the UK, US and Holland who attended the three-day event in the Fitzwilliam Hotel, she said. Established Irish designers like Deborah Veale believe Dublin Fashion Week "is a good spin-off for newer labels".
"This is a business, it is about writing orders and meeting targets and it's good for new labels to see this reality. The biggest thing about this event is the interaction, energy and focus surrounding it," she said.