Among those at the Bombay Sapphire Designer Glass party were: 1. Darren Kennedy and Jedda Downey; 2. Derbhla and Declan Leavy; 3. Marisa Mackle and Ben Bringer.
The elite of Ireland’s socialites and celebrities turned out in all their glam to toast to the success of emerging Irish designers at stylish event held in The Morgan Hotel, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 for the final of 2008 Bombay Sapphire Designer Glass Competition, in association with Waterford Crystal. The tasty event saw Bombay Sapphire martini cocktails served to perfection, canapés especially created to compliment the Bombay Sapphire Botanicals and the music came courtesy of master mixer at The Morgan Hotel.
This year’s celebrity judge Ciaran Sweeney jetted into Dublin from the States in time to judge the popular competition and to present the awards. Fellow judge Alexander Fitzgerald had also just returned from Marbella and sporting a fantastic tan. The judging is just a pit-stop for Fitzgerald who is heading to the New York next week for a friend’s wedding. Enjoying the Bombay Sapphire cocktail celebration were Jedda Downey, Darren Kennedy, Irish Chanteuse Camille O’Sullivan, socialites Romy Carroll, Norman Pratt, Ben Bringer and Eoin Kavanagh and chick-lit author Marissa Mackle.
Also spotted were former Miss World Rosanna Davidson and her charming boyfriend Wesley Quirke, stylist Graham Cruz, City Channel's Izabela Chudzicka, Nadine Wai O’Flynn, Neil Doherty, RTE’s Sandra Byrne, jazz artist Maria Tecce and Diane Henderson. TV3’s Colette Fitzpatrick and Audrey McGrath looked stunning as ever while Ozzy Osbourne's Irish based son Louis and his wife Louise Osbourne enjoyed a quick cocktail before having to leave to look after their daughter Mia, who has just celebrated her first birthday.
Commenting on the designer glass competition Ciaran Sweeney said: “I think the competition is an amazing opportunity for emerging Irish designers – to actually see their designs come to life and be produced is fantastic and to have such great opportunities lie ahead of them thanks to this one event. The entries exceeded our expectations, the technical detailing and design concepts are first class – it really was a hard decision and after much deliberation we agreed on the winner”.
After much deliberation by the judging panel Claire McAlister from Glenavy, Co. Antrim and a student at the National College of Art and Design was announced as one the winner. The complex infusion of the ingredients in the Bombay Sapphire blend provided Claire with her initial inspiration, for her winning creation, entitled ‘In Suspense’ imagining the ingredients as tiny particles held in suspension within the walls of the bottle. She thought of a tornado, and how it picks-up anything in its path, hurling them into a state of suspension within its powerful form.
Claire experimented with smashing and shattering a Bombay Sapphire bottle, stripping it of its manufactured structure and separating it into delicate particles. The effect created was inspiring and beautiful, with the complex patterning and sheer glistening of the glass fragments created a stunning visual impact. Claire received a Waterford Crystal trophy and a prize fund of €1,000.
Claire will represent Ireland at the global final being held during April at Milan Design Week, the world’s biggest contemporary design fair. The talented young Irish designer will be competing on the global stage against 26 other countries in front of an audience of some of the international design community’s most influential figures, and will be hoping to win the $15,000 prize.
