Far from the `fash pack' frenzy

Some of the "fash pack" might swear they would die rather than miss London Fashion Week, but most of the women at Tuesday's preview…

Some of the "fash pack" might swear they would die rather than miss London Fashion Week, but most of the women at Tuesday's preview of the spring/summer collections from Diffusion, Jackie Lavin and Khan seemed just as happy to be in Portmarnock, Co Dublin.

Certainly, the civilised gathering sipping champagne from John Rocha flutes at the Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links was miles apart from the frenzied networking fury in W1.

Norma Smurfit came along with Nuala Wall, while Clodagh Kean was in the company of Jenny Hanley of Roscommon. For Kathleen Reynolds and Geraldine Quinn it was the second show of the afternoon - they had just come from the Thomas Wolfangel show. Julie Shovelin of the Morgan Hotel sat with Gina Agar and her sister Lisa - and there was quite a stir when all three won prizes in the raffle. Kieran Loughlin of the Ireland Funds, who was drawing the tickets paused for a minute to assure everyone that he had never met the trio before in his life.

Of the three shop owners, only Jackie Lavin could make the show - both Deryn Mackey of Khan and Kate Gaffney of Diffusion were still over in London. Afterwards everybody moved to the hotel's old bar which was once home to the Jameson family, and organisers Fiona Gillespie and Dolores Delaney could relax, knowing that substantial funds had been raised for the Irish Youth Foundation.