A transport warehouse on Sir John Rogerson's Quay, its interior transformed with black drapes, glitter balls and gilt-edged chairs, was the venue last night for Helen Cody's spectacular couture fashion show for an invited audience of 500 people.
Best known for reworked vintage lace creations, the favourite of many an Irish bride, Cody showed when it comes to manipulating fabric in imaginative, playful ways, she has few equals.
"I love trying different ideas and exploring what can be done with different elements," she said. The fundamentally very feminine show juxtaposed soft and hard fabrics; stiff black grosgrain and delicate organdies; graphic shapes softened with elaborate decoration.
Each dress was a handworked creation of great detail and decor, everything sourced from Paris right down to crystal buttons and bold jewellery by Philippe Ferrandis. Shifts of shining gold lamé, lurex leather and silver brocade followed by long and filmy dresses of laser-cut lace and organdie set the tone of hard-edged glamour offset by dreamy romance that recurred throughout the collection.
Bell-shaped taffeta dresses of papery petals, tangled tulle underskirts and grosgrain appliqué contrasted with structured black ottoman coats of Fifties formality embellished with jet beading.
The collection, which is made to order, goes on sale in l Hibernian Way, Dublin until Saturday.