Dublin Fashion Week opened yesterday in the Fitzwilliam Hotel, the first of a three-day trade event showcasing the spring/summer 2008 collections of 25 designers with a mix of clothing, jewellery and other accessories.
Initiated by former model and events manager, Sonia Reynolds, it is now in its fifth season and Ms Reynolds is hoping to generate sales of €l.7million.
"It is still a platform for Irish designers and we are keeping up the quality and calibre of our participants", she told The Irish Times. "UK labels now want to be included."
Motorola have come on board as sponsors for the second time along with Dublin City Enterprise who are supporting five talks from industry leaders, open to the public.
Last night three participating designers, Eilis Boyle, Helen James and Eileen Shields, held a group fashion show in Fallon & Byrne for an invited audience.
Eilis Boyle has a growing reputation both at home and abroad for her soft dresses and tight kimono knits and her summer collection featured slipover dresses in cream, black or champagne in Indian handwoven silk cotton that made equally beautiful day or evening wear.
Helen James has expanded her repertoire which was mainly silk handpainted wraps and scarves into a collection that includes printed silk dresses, bolero shrugs and leather shoulder bags. Particularly pretty were her new wraps in buttermilk Irish linen trimmed with bobbles and crochet lace.
The most innovative presentation was from Eileen Shields, New York-based Irish shoemaker extraordinaire, who uncovered her delicious footwear collection from dome covered silver platters for gourmets of another kind.
