Gracias a la vida, the title of a popular Argentinian song meaning "thanks for life", was the theme dreamed up by producer Eddie Shanahan to express the spirit of last night's spring-summer fashion show at Arnotts.
With ruffled skirts, flirty tops, swinging dresses and zany prints, the clothes, drawn from various international brands, had a colourful Latino air and even a Brazilian model from Rio on the catwalk.
The store's customer age profile is equally divided between the 16-25s, 25-45s and 45 plus, so the selection was aimed at the various categories though, according to Mr Shanahan, women of 45 plus are "down ageing", wearing more youthful styles. That might have included the summer tweed jackets in linen and silk worn with slim pants or more rough-edged linen coats over tiered skirts. Urban streetwear included canvas and leather jackets from edgy brands like Diesel and St Martins, with embroidered parkas and combats upgrading familiar utility wear.
As well variations on the current vogue for sheer print tops over skinny jeans, there was a mix of fine knits, printed silk wrapover dresses and embroidered vests. The little white dress, a key theme this summer, made various appearances, the prettiest being one with a full skirt tied with a bow and worn with candy striped canvas stilettos by Irish footwear designer Isobel Sarsfield. Accessories included inexpensive camouflage bags and chunky leather handbags.
