The fashion set were out in force for the Nokia Young Fashion Designer Award 2006, which took place on Tuesday evening in the stunning chq venue at the IFSC. With a catwalk of over 100 feet in length, it was apparently the biggest fashion show since the supermodels Show at the Point 3 years ago.
Deirdre McQuillan, fashion editor of the Irish Times and one of the judges of the contest, jetted in that morning from Sierra Leone to attend the event. The other judges in attendance included fashion designer John Rocha and Brown Thomas buyer Karen Higgins. The show was hosted by vivacious TV star Kathryn Thomas.
All three winners were students from the Limerick School of Art and Design. Rebeca Garcia, originally from northern
Fionnuala Donnelly, from Meath, and Sorcha O’Raghallaigh, from Offaly, were the two runners up. The event showcased two outfits each from the twelve finalists alongside and the Spring/Summer collections from judges, John Rocha and Joanne Hynes, and top fashion store BT2.
Three one-off Nokia L’Amour Collection phone accessories were also unveiled at the fashion show. John Rocha created a black jet beaded pouch for the 7360. Joanne Hynes used one of her signature oversized necklaces, into which she has incorporated a 7380, using crochet and hand-painted wooden beads. John McCormack, last year’s winner of the Nokia Young Fashion Designer of the Year Award, used his signature tailoring to create a taupe sash designed to hold a 7360.
Guests enjoyed Boru L’Amour cocktails, champagne and Evian water at the pre show reception – well, water is de rigor for a models good skin. Mingling in the VIP area were author Marisa Mackle (who was full of news about her adventures on TV show Ni Gaelgoir Me), Fair City stars Orlaith Rafter and Claudia Carrol, Lucia Evans, Mike O’Loughlin and Paul Trainer, Sian Gray of Nokia, Gareth Gleeson and Blaithnaid Ni Cofaigh. Fashionistas in attendance included Cathy O’Connor, an imaginatively dress Graham Cruz, Sonia Mohlich and designer Peter O’Brien.
Apart from being functioning mobile phones, Nokia’s three new contemporary handsets, known as the L’Amour collection: 7360, 7370 and 7380, have become fashion accessories in their own right. The in house design team used materials such as amber, ceramic, turquoise, silk and enamel for inspiration. Craft techniques, such as enamelling and etching, added a creative spark to the graphics, materials, finishes and colours selected for each model in the collection.
Talk is cheap, but you’ll look a million dollars with one of those stuck to your ear.
