Make-A-Wish Crystal Ball

Best wishes: 1. Danielle McGill & Grace Cronin; 2. Imelda May & her husband Darrel Higham; 3. Sarah & Mary Clarke; (below) 4. Dublin Rose Niamh Sherlock; 5. Caroline & Padraig Harrington; 6. Judith Giltinane & Natasha Earley. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)

I always thought Imelda May should play the Aviva stadium ... if Michael Bublé can then Imelda may. And she did, last week, at the first charity gala to be held in the new venue. Hosted by the Make-A-Wish foundation, the 2010 Crystal Ball raised much needed funds to grant the wishes of children living with life-threatening medical conditions in Ireland.

Among the glam crowd were Make-A-Wish ambassadors Padraig and Caroline Harrington, Laura Bermingham and the aforementioned rockabilly queen Imelda May who treated everyone to a very special guest performance. Even her father gave a great performance and received a standing ovation for an impromptu serenade to his beautiful wife to whom he is married 60 years.

Guests were treated to a Champagne reception sponsored by Harvey Nichols and one lucky guest won a sparkling diamond ring sponsored by Boodles and the whole evening was kept going by the wonderful Miriam O’Callaghan.

Urband Beauty is 1!

Urban beauities: 1. Romy Carroll & Etain Boyd; 2. Virginia Macari & Maria Fusco; 3. Rebecca de Havilland & Anastasia Campion. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

All roads led to Rathmines recently where Etain Boyd was celebrating the 1st Birthday of her Urban Beauty salon. The place is a hit with society girls and celebs and with treatments like Caviar facials, why wouldn’t it be? Business is booming and it’s great to see the place is now a firm fixture in the lively locale.

Check out http://www.urbanbeauty.ie/ for more details.

Having a Ball

In the Pink: 1. Gillian Quinn & Patricia Roe; 2; Calum Watson & Jayne Redmond; 3. Catriona Hanly and Helen O'Dwyer. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

To Kildare, or K4 as it’s sometimes known, for The Kathleen Flannelly Pink Rose Ball which took place at the Westgrove Hotel in Clane. There was an illustrious guest list including Emmerdale wild child Sophie Powels (Holly Barton) on her first visit to Ireland.

This year marks the 5th Pink Rose Ball which coincides with Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the 14th anniversary of Kathleen Flannelly. To date €115,000 has been raised through this event and donated to The Marie Keating Foundation, St. Brigid’s Hospice and Littleway Cancer Support Centre.

Showing their support on the night alongside Sophie were TV3 Ireland AM’s Sinead Desmond, Gillian Quinn, Valerie Roe and her show jumping partner Dennis Flannelly of Kill International Equestrian Centre (and son of the late Kathleen Flannelly), designer Catriona Hanly (who flew in from Paris where she is now based), sultry songstress Patricia Roe, socialites Katy Gannon, Helen O’Dwyer, Caoilte Christie and Darren Mahon. The party kept going until the wee small hours at Kildare’s top hot spot, Mantra in Maynooth.

Get the bus!

The Oasis / Xpose fashion bus toured Ireland recently and lots of lucky women were given style, hair and make-up advice from a team of professionals including Peter Mark and L’Oreal. At the launch were: 1. David Greene & Iseult Timmons; 2. David Green, Lisa Cannon, Ian Galvin & Michael Doyle; 3. Courtney Smith & Maria Fusco. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

Divine A/W at Carton House

Divine Inspiration: 1. Lorraine Keane & Rachel Armstrong; 2. Gina Browne, Ciara & Sinead Finn; 3. Mary Greene & Margaret Humphries. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

Continuing the A/W presentations that are de rigueur at the moment it was refreshing to venture out of the capital for an evening. Celebrating 5 years since opening the doors of the first Divine store in Maynooth, Mary Greene hosted her Autumn Winter 10 Fashion show last night in the stunning confines of Carton House, Maynooth.

Over 300 guests were treated to a pre-show reception, kindly donated by Avenue, and then a dance performance from Lost Souls Crew choreographed by Aidean Byrne, All Ireland Hip Hop Champion from Raw Edge Crew. Guests then enjoyed the Autumn/Winter fashion catwalk collection presented by Xpose’s Lisa Cannon.

The glamorous guests on the evening included Lorraine Keane (she’ll be popping up on UK morning TV again soon), Deborah Veale, Style Wars winner David Greene, Valerie Roe and her sister Gillian Quinn. The generosity of the guests was phenomenal with the event raising almost €10,000 for resources at Kilcloon National School.

Denim Delight

The Hilfigers: 1. Sarah McGovern & Pippa O Connor; 2. Sean Munsanje & Claire Nolan; 3. Tara Leniston & Angi Roe Destelle. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

Hilfiger Denim launched its Autumn Collection at the store on Trinity Street and showcased the exclusive Keith Haring footwear range for this season. The lucky guests also got a sneak preview of the collection for Spring 2011 (which is rather dapper).

The event was well attended with guests including Brian Ormond and Pippa O’Connor (ahead of their trip to New York), model Sarah McGovern, actresses Tara Leniston and Holly White and Sean Munsanje all perusing the new denim library. New Irish band Killer Chloe were there as well as Country Manager for Tommy Hilfiger, Sunil Shah.

The food (from Pichet, yum) was given the Keith Haring touch with fries and chicken strips served in Keith Haring print cones, washed down with chilled bottles of Miller beer (and sparkling water for the abstainers).

Swatch GENT

Swatch it: 1. Sam Stiles & Ty Richardson; 2. Claire Wrafter & Louisa Moran; 3. PJ Gibbons & Richard Kavanagh. (Pix. Richie Stokes)

Swatch launched the new GENT collection this week in its flagship store on Grafton Street, just in time (sorry) for Christmas. Many stylish gents (Derick Carberry, Paul Davey, PJ Gibbons and Richard Kavanagh) and a few elegant ladies (Charlotte Bradshaw, Filippa Thornander) from around town came to check out the 10 watches in the range and were greeted by 10 male models representing each watch.

PHO20GRAPHY

Say Cheese: 1. Victoria Smurfit & Doug Baxter; 2. Claudine Keane; 3. Paul Kelly & Barry McCall. (Pix. Leon Farrell)

Well known snapper Barry McCall has published a stunning coffee table book called PHO20GRAPHY in aid of the ISPCC and the good, the bad and the beautiful came out for the launch at the Luxury Hall of Brown Thomas. Among the guests to toast the book were Amy Huberman, Miriam O’Callaghan, Michael Leong, Lisa Cannon, Victoria Smurfit and her husband Doug Baxter, Maria Fusco and Sonya Lennon.

The stylishly designed book showcases the past twenty years of Barry’s work behind the camera lens and will be sold exclusively in Brown Thomas and BT2 stores. The book retails at €80.00 with every euro from the proceeds being donated to the ISPCC, Ireland’s oldest children’s charity.

“This book is a selection of some of my favourite shots from the past twenty years as a photographer” said Barry “and I am thrilled that the images, which have been such a joy for me to capture, will now also be benefiting such a worthy charity”.

With over 350 pages and 300 images PHO20GRAPHY promises to be a book that people will truly treasure. For the book Barry has shot a large number of celebrity portraits around the world – from Liam Neeson in his family apartment in New York City to Snow Patrol in Red Square, from Colin Farrell on a hotel roof in LA to John Kavanagh on the Abbey theatre stage. In each and every shot he has captured the essence of the subject.

Colin Farrell said “I am honoured that one of my shots has been chosen to be on the cover and as I am an ISPCC ambassador it makes it all the more sweeter!”

Theatre Festival opening night

Patrons of the Arts: 1. Aaron Monaghan & Elliot Harper; 2. Joanne Byrne & Caroline Downey; 3. Kathleen Watkins & Peter Crowley. (Pix. Marc O’Sullivan)

The Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival hosted a benefit night for patrons and festival supporters recently. Guests attended the opening of The Silver Tassie by the Druid Theatre at the Gaiety Theatre followed by dinner in the Westbury Hotel.

Among those present were Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Mary Hanafin T.D., Tony and Aoife Richardson, Gay Byrne and Kathleen Watkins and H.E. Julian King, the British Ambassador.

The famous play follows the lives of two young footballing heroes from the tenements of Dublin through the battlefields of France and their return home. Using all the resources of the theatre including live music and dance, this is an epic staging of one of Seán O’Casey’s great works.

Tony Award-winner Garry Hynes directs a cast of 19 (Druid’s biggest ever company of actors) and welcomes back some Druid favourites including Aaron Monaghan, Eamon Morrissey and Derbhle Crotty. Winner in 2009 of 12 major international theatre awards including Best Production, Outstanding Director and Outstanding Ensemble, Druid is back with a production which may be the star of the entire festival which continues until 17th October.

Brian Bourke celebration

Art lovers: 1. Tiffany Lake & Malachy Bourke; 2. Siofra O'Connor & Mark McDermott; 3. Niamh Clarke & Aideen Bourke. (Pix. Marc O’Sullivan)

Renowned Irish artist Brian Bourke recently celebrated the national launch of a book marking fifty years of his work. ‘brian bourke – five decades 1960s – 2000s’ is a beautifully compiled 320-page large-format book which charts the work of the Connemara-based artist from his early paintings in the 1960s through to the present day.

The launch was celebrated at an event in Dublin’s Taylor Galleries, where new paintings and drawings by Brian Bourke are on view until next Saturday, 16th October as well as a selection of the artist’s work from the five decades.

Fashion Festivities

Fashion forward: 1. Angie Grant & Norman Pratt; 2. Emily O'Donnell, Avila Lipsett & Suzie Houlihan; 3. Celina Murphy and Aideen Finnegan. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

Well-known faces from the Irish fashion scene were among the many lucky guests who were treated to an extravagant party for the inaugural Dublin Festival of Fashion kicked off. With celebrations centred around fashion and style, where better to launch the weekend than the beautiful surroundings of the Powerscourt Centre – the ultimate in destination shopping in Dublin.

Hosted by Dublin City BID (Business Improvement District) , the three-day festival took over the city’s leading shopping districts, with a series of fashion and beauty master classes, styling workshops, fashion shows and other quirky fashion-related events, running throughout the weekend and catering to absolutely everyone.

uCCa A/W

uCCa Looka: 1. Rebecca & Emma Davis; 2. Roisin Finnegan & Eimear Walsh; 3. Ciara Campbell & Eoin O’Brien. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

To uCCa Boutique in the Westbury Mall for a sneak preview of its Autumn/Winter 2010 collection this week. Stocking great labels like American Vintage, Superfine, Rutzou, Hunkydory and many more the clothes are stylish, comfortable and easily become the ‘must-have’ items for any wardrobe.

Catherine Crowley who owns and runs the boutique invited a host of socialites, close friends and family and fashion press to share the special evening with her. Guests, who were treated to tasty cupcakes and champagne, included Emily O’Donnell, Toni Wall, Rebecca and Emma Davis, Suzanne O’Brien and fashion guru Alannah Gallagher.

M&S A/W

Grey Day: 1. Chara Nagle; 2. Sandra Byrne; 3. Liz Greehy. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)

On your Marks: 1. Sonya Lennon; 2. Elaine Butler Doolin and Leslie Doolin; 3. Emer O’Reilly Hyland. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)


Over 200 of Dublin’s fashion elite turned up to see Marks & Spencer unveil its autumn winter collection at the new Aviva Stadium - the first fashion show to ever take place in the stunning new venue.

Top models Ruth Griffin, Sarah McGovern, Nikki Bonass and Yomiko Chen took to the runway to showcase major trends for this season. Top Irish stylist Catherine Condell, produced the show focusing on “Minimal” and “College Gleek” and “Desk to Dinner”.

Guests included Sinead Desmond and Sybil Mulcahy of TV3, designer Peter O’Brien, Off the Rails presenter Sonya Lennon, Emer O’Reilly Hyland and artist Chara Nagle.

Marks & Spencer’s Irish Autograph designer Marc O’Neill, who flew in from London especially for the event was present to give his inspiring tips for the Autograph collection this season.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

At the movies: (Above)1. Tody Evans and Becky Gray; 2. Daniela Sabatini and Audrey Brennan; (Below) 3. Joanne and Susan Cahill; 4. Caroline Mahon, Helen Miajlovic, Vivianne Mahon and Joan Geoghegan. (Pix. Elevate)

Specially invited guests gathered at The Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield for an exclusive screening of the digitally re-mastered ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ hosted by THE GLOSS and Moët & Chandon Cinema Club. The screening marked the continuing success of cinema events which have been running throughout the year to mark the glamorous role the Champagne brand has played in the history of film, both on and off screen.

In ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe stars alongside smouldering brunette, Jane Russell, as two friends and showgirls from Arkansas, Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw. Oozing all of the glamour and glitz of the 1940s, along with Monroe’s iconic performance of ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’, this digitally re-mastered movie transports viewers to another time and place.

The next screening hosted by THE GLOSS and Moët & Chandon Cinema Club will be the iconic Christmas classic ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. Details of how to be in with the chance to attend this event will be in the November issue of THE GLOSS, distributed with the Irish Times on Thursday, 4th November.

IFTA toast

Honouring: 1. Paul and Elma Cusack; 2. Grainne Barron and Cathal O'Shannon; 3. John McColgan. (Pix. Mark Stedman)

The Irish Film and Television Academy honoured Cathal O'Shannon with “A Life in Television” tribute event at the Conrad Hotel in Dublin recently. O'Shannon is a veteran of Irish television and is regarded as one of the most important Irish broadcast journalists of our time.

Buzz Magazine

Buzzing: 1. SJ Wai & Nadine O’Flynn; 2. Shane Lennon, Ruth Melody & Kamal Ibrahim; 3. Roz Flanagan & Jedward. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

The Sun was shining on No. 10 Ormond Quay recently for the launch of the all new Buzz entertainment magazine. Free every Saturday with The Sun newspaper (see what I did back there?) the mag was the toast of the evening at a lavish party in the luxury surrounds of the Georgian townhouse.

The wine flowed and the food was plenty and on the guest list were Aisling O’Loughlin and Karen Koster, actors Dave Duffy and Asaf Golfrid, Virginia Macari, Mikey Graham, Maria Fusco and Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden of MGMT.

Entertainment from the legends that are Jedward and The Camembert Quartet rounded off what was (seriously) one of the best events of the year ... there was even an ice sculpture! Now when was the last time you saw one of those at a party?