Richard Lewis broke away from his traditional dark hues last night with a small autumn/winter collection of uncharacteristic bold and bright colours that signalled a note of optimism from this Dublin designer.
It is his second show since the sudden death of his partner and business manager, Jim Grealy, last December and he kept it concise and focused.
"It's all about colour and texture," he said.
Held in the RHA gallery, the show featured a mere 16 outfits, opening with three day wear ensembles in royal purple. His familiar fluid jersey trousers were teamed with loosely fitted jackets of ribbed grosgrain or mohair, an easy mix of slinky and chunky textures.
Signature details for which Lewis is well-known, such as rosettes, ribbon trims and cummerbunds in shot silk, were restrained and deftly positioned.
The mohairs, which he is using for the first time, provided tea-cosy warmth for backless evening dresses in colours such as tangerine, yellow, magenta and royal blue. For evening, a simple spangled sheath - the only black item - set off a bright banana-yellow theatre coat with marabou trim.
Perhaps best of all was a high-waisted magenta dress with discreet front pleats closed with a neat bolero jacket that was simple, safe and unaffected. These joined the line-up of flamboyant fruity shades that closed the show.