Purple, red and the nudey colours are order of the day – but it all depends on the shade of nude, naturally, writes MIRIAM LORDat the RDS
DON’T KNOW about you, but we were cheered to read that when the Lord Mayor opened the Horse Show the other day, his glittering coach was pulled by four lovely Friesians.
If proof were needed that the RDS intends to resurrect the Spring Show, this was it.
One up for the cows! Sadly, not.
Friesians are horses too.
Thank God for Ladies’ Day.
The great thing about the Dublin Horse Show is that you can have a grand time without having to have anything to do with the horsies.
The Craft Hall is an oasis.
All sorts of stuff can be purchased in the Industries Hall.
You can get your jacket rewaxed and your sofa resprung.
Buy a bottle of champagne and a bag of chips.
Come home with something stupid you’ll never use.
And a nice pair of earrings.
The competition on the horse front is baffling. You can take part in the “Six Bar” followed, presumably, by a “Loose Performance” and leading, inevitably, to the “Lead Rein” whereupon you’ll never be let out again. Until next year.
Ladies’ Day. You can never, er, have too many of them.
We’re just recovered from the Galway Races. A week later, it’s happening again. What’s the difference? Is there one? Yes. Big time. Apologies to Galway, but Ladies’ Day at the Dublin Horse Show wins hands down: more space and opportunity to sit down, less frenetic, more elegant.
But back to the Craft Show – a neglected gem.
While the fashionistas (no, we haven’t a clue, it’s just a phrase) flounced around the RDS showgrounds, the most beautiful fashion was on display inside at the National Craft Exhibition.
For all the style belting around outside, it was hard to resist the shoes designed by Marie Cullen from Cavan, who swept the awards with her stunning stilettos featuring Carrickmacross lace. “Not for Sale” it said beside them.
Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald looked deeply disappointed.
She arrived with fellow Minister Brendan Howlin. They were slightly giddy, because the Dáil is in recess.
Brendan, Minister for Slashing Costs, was most taken with a sculptural jacket by Una Burke. Her “Hunchback Jacket” is informed by her “study into the stigmatization of people with physical deformities”. It’s a stunning work of leather and studding.
“Bondage!” exclaimed Howlin to Frances, who looked a bit taken aback. We entered into the spirit. “You’re the Minister for Bondage, given the cuts you’re going to have to implement,” we say.
“No. It’s not bondage. It’s flagellation,” said Brendan.
We’re looking forward to the budget.
At the back of the Craft Hall is an installation by Emily McFarland called “Untitled Speech”. It features a platform constructed from pallets and a lectern built from reclaimed wood. “For the duration of this exhibition, there will be a live microphone in the space at all times,” it says.
Funnily enough, for all our reputation for talking, people shied away from the microphone.
Message to anyone visiting the RDS today who need to get something off their chest: Go to the craft exhibition – you have a platform and an open mic. And so, to the fashion. For it was Blossom Hill Ladies’ Day and the competition was fierce.
“It’s all purple, red and the nudey colours,” said a young aficionado at the Blossom Hill bar, knocking back her sparkling Zinfandel. “But it depends on the shade of nude.” A lady sashayed by in gold concertina pleats.
“What’s a concertina?” asked our young expert.
“You’d have to be melodeon to understand,” we explained.
Apparently, you “have to be really slim to wear concertina pleats, otherwise you look really hippy”. As at Galway, the false tan fad has faded in Dublin. The Oompa Loompas are in retreat.
Presidential hopeful Mary Davis moved from Ballybrit to the RDS. Last week, her daughter wore a hat with her mother’s name spelled out in pipe-cleaners. Yesterday, Mary’s two sons, Paddy and Johnny, wore ties emblazoned with her name.
Our choice for best-dressed lady went to Alice White (86) from the Belle Villa nursing home off the South Circular Road in Dublin. Eleven of the residents arrived for the show, all done up for Ladies’ Day. The eldest was 101, resplendent in her straw hat.
Alice, who has 17 children, was resplendent in her Marks and Sparks cream hat, green top and white trousers.
“I love the style, I always did,” she told us. Her nails were painted green to co-ordinate with her outfit. “I’m fond of the horses.” And so she is.
Her daughter Sue, who did her manicure, leaned across her ma’s wheelchair to tell us she bets on the horses every day.
Another Galway Races refugee was newsreader Ann Doyle, who was with Brian Beggan, boss of Libra Designs. They were joined by Ulick McEvaddy, stalwart of the RDS and bowler-hat wearer supreme. Ulick revealed he won’t be doing much judging this year.
Two weeks ago, when on holiday with his family in Croatia, he lost his footing while playing with his grandson and fell down the stairs.
“I broke my back and I’m in a brace now,” he told us.
Yvette Byrne from Carlow won the best-dressed lady award, wearing an outfit she designed herself from lace she bought in Paris and curtain material she bought in Hickeys.
A fashion graduate, she’s working as a waitress and hopes to go to New York next year to continue her fashion studies.
Tralee millner Carol Kennelly won the Most Creative Hat prize with her diamante-studded rearing horse creation.
You had to be there.
Singer Sharon Corr, who was one of the judges, said overall winner Yvette’s outfit “was really amazing, very individual and very in keeping with the recession — very inventive, which is in keeping with fashion”.
Speaking of recession, fellow judge Brendan Courtney, who played a blinder as he interviewed 400 contestants, wore no socks with his shoes.
Economist Colm McCarthy looked on. A tax on men’s socks? Now that’s a good money-saving idea.
“No comment,” said our favourite curmudgeon.
But we knew he was thinking about it.