The Berkeley Court Hotel in Ballsbridge, Dublin, was awash with fashion with two shows being staged. Thomas Wolfangel packed in the know-a-good-cut brigade in the morning, while Khan got the younger crowd excited by a variety of designer names in the evening.
Wolfangel received rapt attention, with evening clothes getting the most applause, but it was the twinkly sensuous fabrics that delighted: metallics for slim bias-cut dresses with a bare shoulder or a slashed back.
Speckled tweeds, offset with leather or velvet trimmings, were used for perfectly tailored coats. A pure camel-hair coat, worn over a Prince of Wales check trouser suit, showed some things never date.
A neat, speckled blue bias-cut coat was priced at £420. Suits were strong and varied. One, in grey tweed, had a full skirt and short fitted jacket with leather trim, while another was in navy wool, of asymmetric cut and a narrow fit. The most obvious bit of Wolfangel haute couture was in pale grey crepe, the jacket entirely tucked, and teamed with crepe trousers.
In the dressy part of the collection, a black-and-gold brocade jacket was worn with a full, ankle-length black chiffon skirt and lace top. Maybe it's the sea breezes of Dun Laoghaire, where the designer recently moved, that helped produce the sparkling collection. Whatever the reason, he was in fine form.
Then along came Khan's collection of Irish and international designers, which are stocked in the Blackrock shop in Co Dublin. Old favourites like Joseph and Donna Karan feature, and newer names like Stella McCartney bring a fresh perspective.
Orla Kiely stands out with a co-ordinated story in cashmere, silk and leather. She mixes offbeat colours, puts stripes with abstract patterns and makes bags, balaclavas and mittens to match. A silk twinset is £349, a bag £149, while a leather coat, in brown or red, is £995.
For evening glamour, Jenny Packham has gossamer beaded silks that skim the body.
Louise Kennedy and John Rocha are stocked here and Roisin Gartland's soft leathers are also to hand.
These are the clothes on the sharp edge of fashion, for those who are confident enough to try the new and make it work for them. The show suggested there is a little gem waiting for you.