On the Town: The winning red dress at the NiQuitinCQ NCAD Fashion Exhibition 2005 was inspired by the art of poi. "I'm into fire-twirling," explained its designer, Gillian Hollingsworth.
"It's the art of poi, where the shape of the flame is completely smooth on the front and trails behind. This is brought through in my dress."
Third-year fashion students at the National College of Art and Design were invited to take part in the exhibition, and 14 dresses exploring NiQuitinCQ's "thin and flexible" brief (highlighting the style of the company's nicotine-replacement patches) were modelled as part of the fashion show, s held in the Pod on Harcourt Street.
The short "blood-red" dress was made of crêpe-de-chine and jersey, said Hollingsworth, who won €1,500 while a further €1,500 was presented to the NCAD.
Susan Butler's dress was inspired by the Russian painter, Wassily Kandinsky. Modelled by Joyce Matemba, Butler used concertina squares made of white felt to create "asymmetrical angles that fall and protrude from the body".
Maureen Laverty, from Toomebridge, Co Antrim, came to the show to see the creation designed by her daughter, also Maureen Laverty. Anita Johnson came from Belfast to share the night with her daughter, student Chrissie Johnson.
One of the judges, Sarah McDonnell, of Image magazine, said: "We looked for something imaginative but that still worked as a garment." The winning dress by Hollingsworth was "an incredible and very sophisticated garment". Overall, she said, "the standard was excellent".
Another undergraduate designer, James Ward, from Moate, Co Westmeath was at the show with his sister, Una Ward. His creation, influenced by Japanese culture, was inspired by the need for clothes to be multi-functional.
The third-year class, which had just returned from Florence, where it visited the international yarn fare, Pitti Filitti, had worked hard preparing for the show, said Linda Byrne, NCAD fashion lecturer.