Dublin Fashion Week:Two successful independent Irish designers, Aideen Bodkin and Deborah Veale, last night staged a joint fashion show at Fallon & Byrne for the second day of Dublin Fashion Week.
The pair, who secured orders of more than half a million euros and some 50 new UK accounts at a recent trade event in London, showed a selection from their current collections alongside those for spring/summer 08.
"There is a strong market for occasion wear in this country and it is moving in the same direction in the UK," said Ms Veale.
"The amount of colour we had in our collection drew buyers to our stand and we had the best season ever. But it takes a long time to become an overnight success."
The collections, feminine and ladylike in spirit, underlined the rebirth of the cocktail dress. Weddings and summer balls came to mind watching flirty little printed silk and chiffon numbers, lavishly embroidered coats or jackets with a modern metallic shine.
Deborah Veale's ash grey chiffons and Grecian style goddess gowns typified the mood.
The trend for maxi summer lengths, hotly tipped for summer 2008, prevailed in Bodkin's collection with its bold sunflower printed dresses in silk satin embellished with jewelled straps. She played to her strengths with coats of lavish gold embroidery worn over crushed silk shifts.
"No other business puts new product out on the market twice a year with such a short shelf life," said Ms Bodkin. "Creating something new every season means we never rest on our laurels."