This year's fashion graduates of the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) presented their degree collections in Trinity College Dublin's dining hall at the weekend under the benign gaze of venerable alumni such as Henricus Grattan and Adam Loftus, who, to judge by their own fancy attire in these portraits, were no strangers to frills and finery.
The 10 students drew their inspiration from sources as diverse as Buddhist temples and biker culture, though the l8th century prompted an evening wear collection by Louise O'Brien.
Her opulent, swagged and pleated floor-length satin skirts, metallic punched-leather jackets and feathered tops were modern but romantic.
Fine feathers also decorated models' eyelashes, a curious effect heightened by dramatic commedia dell'arte masks in Lisa Shawgi's collection where a grey latex caped-dress worn over spotted-silk skirt and black leggings was an unlikely but attractive combination.
Elsewhere, with a nod to Vivienne Westwood, Melissa Bell mixed oversized crochet and knitted bell-bottoms with bold cherry-print dresses for a carefree rag doll style look.
Sportswear is never far from student focus and Amy Castles' baggy drawstring dresses and moon men jumpsuits attempted a new take on a familiar theme, but low-slung crotches tend to travel no further than the catwalk.
The subject of Amy Hamilton's "Hells' Belles" collection was the biker bride with cutaway leather jackets, Ali Baba trousers, white helmets and a lot of cold flesh in between.
In a homage to another Amy, aviator Amy Johnson, Natalie Conaty harnessed strappy leather shapes and titanium buckles "for the woman with inner strength", while lightweight fabrics such as lace and chiffon were used by both Catherine Lyons and Laurence Huber in conventionally sexy ways.
Oonagh Davidson teamed Gaudi-style prints with puffball skirts, but for sheer fun and frivolity, Paula Marron lived up to the title of her collection called "The Icing on the Cake". Tiny pleated satin skirts, cobwebby lurex knits and cute baby doll tops hardly needed sugar lollies to emphasise her point.
It was cheeky and flirtatious, but it also highlighted the confident mood of the whole show and the freewheeling textural play and manipulation evident throughout.
The event, sponsored by Peter Mark, also involved the third years' mini degree collections and second year knitwear students, a stellar group who are already demonstrating impressive skills and fresh, innovative approaches to a heritage craft under the tutelage of Clare Daly.
