There were many beautiful women at the Point Theatre in Dublin last night for the Brown Thomas International Fashion Show, but surely one of the most radiant was principal organiser, Remarkably composed and focussed before the extravaganza began, she stood in the wings, stunned after a day of scarifying organisation, keen to get her message across.
"It's going to be a great show - great fashion, great entertainment . . . and of course if everyone puts their hands into their pockets, we'll be achieving a great deal."
Over 6,000 people filled the Point, raising £300,000 in ticket sales alone for the ISPCC, the Chernobyl Children's Project and the Marie Keating Cancer Awareness Fund. They hoped to top that sum through the phone appeal. "It's a chance for everyone to use their talents generously," she said.
The atmosphere in the Point was buzzing, filled as it was with an extraordinary number of celebrities, not to mention legions of well dressed mothers, daughters, grannies.
A procession of the great and good took their seats near the runway to camera flashes and cheers: Bono and the boys, Mick Jagger, Simon Le Bon, the Corrs, Mick Hucknall, Dolores Riordan, Natalie Umbroglia, Anna Friel, Jonathan Rhys Myers, Liam Cunningham, Jason Priestly, Patrick Bergin, Eddie Jordan . . . the list is long.
No one quite anticipated that the first woman on the catwalk would be one Mrs Doyle, aka a fearless Pauline McGlynn. Down went the lights and the Wonder Women emerged from the shadows one by one in those fantasical Philip Treacy hats: Naomi Campbell prancing the catwalk for what she says is the last time; Jerry Hall sassing the photographers and winning the crowd instantly, everyone speculating like mad about Mick's supportive stance in the front row.
Jaws dropped even lower as Christy Turlington and Yasmin Le Bon steered their way down the ramp with vast orchids and lillies on their heads. There were at least 30 more models strutting their stuff. Tenor Anthony Kearns sang She Moved Through The Fair. Chris Evans, Chris Eubank and Steve Collins - unlikely models - brought the house down.
Catherine Condell and John Redmond produced the show. All contributions to Fashion Charity, c/o the ISPCC, 20 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2.