Olivia Palermo

Iconic: 1. Diane Davison and Eleanor Hennessy; 2. Olivia Palermo; 3. Aoife McNamara and Bairbre Power. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)

Fashion fever hit Kildare Village today as American television star, international fashion icon and model Olivia Palermo, visited the village to shoot for Vanity Fair and shop the designer boutiques.

Olivia is a regular on the front row of international catwalk shows. She is best known for her sense of style and chose her top picks from many of the charming boutiques that line the open air promenade of Kildare Village.

Kildare Village, a favourite among A list stars, is open seven days a week. For details of opening hours and more information visit www.KildareVillage.com.

Get the Luke

Luke-ing good: 1. Stephen Baitson, Ciara Hughes and James McDonald; 2. Elaine Cooper.

(Pix. Kieran Harnett)

At the launch of the Luke Spring Summer 2012 collection there were 160 people in attendance at the menswear department of Arnotts. Guests enjoyed Peroni beer and music by popular band Key West and DJ Gavin Feeney.

The Luke collection is available in the menswear department on the ground floor and is favoured by celebrities such as Rio Ferdinand, Nicky Byrne and Ant and Dec. One lucky customer on the night drove away on a Luke electric scooter!

Vodafone DIT Fashion Show

Fashion Forward: 1. Brendan Courtney; 2. Victoria Kinsella, William Meara and Megan McDermott; 3. Orla Kinsella and Marion Kelliher.

NCAD student Aisling Connell from Knocklyon, Dublin was over the moon when she won the overall Vodafone Student Design Award 2012 at the Vodafone DIT Fashion Show in Vicar Street Dublin on Wednesday night .

Aisling picked up a cash prize of €2,000 for her winning design which was worn by student Niamh Walls. For Aisling, the prize also includes an opportunity to have her designs featured in an upcoming Vodafone campaign. Aisling’s winning design is entitled "Religion and the Apocalypse" and consists of two garments, a large outer cape and a skin-tight body suit.

The theme of this year’s Vodafone DIT Fashion Show, which was attended by a crowd of almost 1,000, was "End of the World – Dawn of a New Era". The judging panel consisted of Ireland's top fashionistas including stylist Maria Fusco, broadcaster Brendan Courtney and stylist and writer Angela Scanlon.

The popular annual show, now in its ninth year, is organised by 70 students from DIT. One of the most rewarding elements for the organisers is the charitable aspect of the show with the beneficiary this year being the Alan Kerins Projects.

Fashion Forward: 1. Brian Conway and Evelyn Mooney; 2. Maria Fusco; 3. Stephen Pierce and Tania Zorilla. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

Amazon in Clane

Glamazons: 1. Bernard Dunne & Katherine Lynch; 2. Sharon O’Leary & Niall Breslin; 3. Grainne Seoige & Keith Duffy. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

Clane in Kildare became a brief mecca for the bright and the beautiful recently as they flocked there for the opening of Amazon Hair and Beauty Clinic, run by Sharon O’Leary.
She was previously a make-up artist at TV3 and the bubbly blonde is clearly still a firm favourite with her celebrity clientele judging by the number in attendance at the event.

Keith Duffy did the honours while other well-known faces included, football hero Paul McGrath, Katherine Lynch, Grainne Seoige, singers Ryan Sheridan and Rebecca Storm and everyone’s favourite, Niall Breslin, aka Bressie.

Amazon has been a big success at Friary Road in Naas Co Kildare and now Sharon is delighted to bring both Hair and Beauty to her newest clinic which is a one stop venue for pure pampering and indulgence for both men and women!

Leinster Ladies

Leinster Ladies: 1. Rebecca Crotty; 2. Dairine Cullen & Cliona Goodwin; 3. Jerri Mahon. (Pix. Stephen McCarthy / Sportsfile)

Leinster treated their female supporters to an extra special match evening recently with the sixth annual Leinster Ladies' Night which raised over €5,000 in aid of Action Breast Cancer.

The Concert Hall at the RDS saw a who’s who of the rugby world drop in to support the initiative including Leinster’s Rob Kearney and Jonathan Sexton and a number of partners including Leo Cullen’s wife Dairine Cullen, Shane Jennings’ fiancée Cliona Godwin and Devin Toner’s girlfriend, Headchef runner-up Mary Scott.

The girls were treated to a drinks reception as well as a beauty pamper zone, live music, a Q&A session with Leinster rugby players Sexton and Kearney as well as the Best Dressed Leinster Lady competition sponsored by Bank of Ireland.

The style competition was won by mother and daughter Liz and Ginine Power from Maynooth, Co. Kildare. Adding to the style around the grounds the Official Leinster Supporters Club were selling bespoke Leinster Ladies T-shirts, all proceeds of which went directly to Action Breast Cancer.

Say Cheese: 1. Alma Solera & Paul Donnelly; 2. Tara Fay; 3. Deirdre Callaghan & John Minihan. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)

Kildare Village, one of the Chic Outlet Shopping villages run by Value Retail, hosted an event to launch an exhibition featuring 27 images by renowned Irish photographer John Minihan. A host of guests were treated to champagne and canapés as they browsed the iconic photographic works from the world of fashion, art and film, from Andy Warhol to Yves Saint Laurent.

This collection of truly iconic photography is the most comprehensive show of John’s work to date. Visitors including Richard Power, Annemarie Boyhan and Deirdre Callaghan were treated to images from the beginning of John’s career back in 1962 to his most recent portrait shot of Shane MacGowan, whom he photographed only last month.

An Cosan

Girl Power: 1. Miriam O'Callaghan and Senator Averil Power ; 2. Portia Fay; 3. Catherine Brennan and Tracy Buckley. (Pix: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland)

An Cosan, the community adult and early childhood education development hosted a fundraising lunch for International Women's Day recently. Founded in 1986, An Cosan is a unique Tallaght based community development that empowers and educates women in order to transform their lives, their families and their community.

Red Bull Academy

Music Wings: 1. Catherine Lowe; 2. Susan McMahon and DJ Dutchi; 3. Aisling Fitzpatrick. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

The Red Bull Music Academy journey started in Dublin where Spencer Dock was packed with local interested producers, musicians, DJs, instrumentalists, and vocalists, at an introductory workshop for this year’s academy, which will be in New York later in the year.

Before potential applicants start to think about heading to the Big Apple however, they were given an insight into what the Academy is all about by innovative musical figures Kerri Chandler and Just Blaze on their own prospective of life in the musical fast lane.

Kerri Chandler is a vortex where tradition and innovation meet. He masters rhythm and space. Joining Kerri was legendary hip hop producer Just Blaze aka Justin Smith from Paterson, NJ. The CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment is best known for producing hits from Jay-Z's Blueprint, Blueprint 2 and The Black Album. He also produced a number of songs on Eminem's most recent album, Recovery.

The Red Bull Music Academy is like being in dance music’s version of The Apprentice – but you can’t get fired. It’s a grueling process to even apply for a place, and of the many thousands who show an interest, only a handful gets picked.

Anyone interested in applying can download an application form from the Academy website www.redbullmusicacademy.com. Just fill it out and send it off with a selection of your tunes by April 2, 2012.

Soul Burgers

Soulmates: 1. Jenny Clinton; 2. Niamh Elliott and Austin Prior; 3. Christina Reihill. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)

‘Soul Burgers’, a breathtaking story of hope told in verse, by poet and journalist Christina Reihill was last night launched at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Described as ‘the Emily Dickinson of Addiction’ by author Marian Keyes; ‘Soul Burgers’ is Christina Reihill’s second edition of poems telling her story of addiction and recovery. The launch was marked with a dramatic Druidic ceremony at IMMA's chapel featuring the celebrated actress Charlotte Bradley and a recital by the poet, Christina Reihill and the piper, Eoin O'Cionnaith.

The ‘Druids’ who wore ethereal, druid inspired cloaks with lace and chiffon by Irish designer Roisin Linnane, styled by Deryn Mackay of Khan Boutique, included the actress Charlotte Bradley, models Sharon Donnelly, Martina Coffey and Irma Kirkickaite.

Madeline Keane, Literary Editor of the Sunday Independent officially launched 'Soul Burgers' and the event was sponsored by The Rutland Centre. Also amongst the guests were artist and sister of Christina, Zita Reihill, who produced the illustrations for 'Soul Burgers', author Niall MacMonagle, Dr. Fiona Weldon of The Rutland Centre, Ian Donnelly, MD of Hickey Fabrics, former judge Philip O'Sullivan and his wife Heidi O'Sullivan, solicitor Anne Stephenson and author and playwright Adrienne Michel-Long.

VW up!

Going up: 1. Kathryn Thomas; 2. Bressie. (Pix. Conor Healy)

Volkswagen Ireland launched its brand new city car, the Volkswagen up! And as part of the launch, Volkswagen up! will now sponsor RTÉ’s show ‘The Voice of Ireland’. Stars of the show Bressie, Brian Kennedy, Kian Egan and Sharon Corr took a break from their busy coaching schedules celebrate the launch and check out the new set of wheels.

The new Volkswagen up! has been shortlisted for European Car of the Year and has already stormed to the top of sales charts in its native Germany and now Irish buyers will get the chance to buy this deceptively spacious car over here.

The up! is a completely new design, offering maximum space on a minimal footprint, making it ideal for city driving. But just because it is small, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have VW famed solidity. The new up! is as beautifully engineered as the rest of the range.

Commenting on the launch, John Donegan, Sales and Marketing Director of Volkswagen Passenger cars said: “The Volkswagen up! is a perfect car for city living, and we’re delighted to partner with RTÉ’s ‘The Voice of Ireland’. It’s a great showcase for authentic Irish talent and, like many of the contestants on the show, the Volkswagen up! is set to be a rising star. We look forward to the live shows.”

UNICEF lunch

Mamma Mia: 1. Susie Burke and Astrid Brennan; 2. Marty Whelan and Mia Farrow; 3. Una Molony and Liam Cunningham. (Pix. Cian O’Sullivan / Photocall Ireland)

Actress, humanitarian and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow was in Dublin for the UNICEF Mother’s Day fundraiser lunch at the Four Season’s Hotel in Ballsbridge. The aim of the event was to highlight the life-threatening nutrition crisis in Africa's Sahel belt where over 10 million people are at risk of severe food shortages, with one million of those being young children at risk of dying of hunger. If you’d like to make a donation please visit www.unicef.ie.

Lowe and behold

Crème de la crème: 1. Nadine King and SJ Wai; 2. Lisa Brady and Louise Spotten; 3. Brendan O’Connor and Sarah Caden. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

Friends of Kiehl’s and Temple Street University Children’s Hospital came together for a special evening hosted by Kiehl’s as they officially unveiled the Pearl and Daisy Lowe limited designed label for cult classic Crème de Corps, with a portion from each sale being donated to Temple Street University Children’s Hospital.

Almost 100 guests mingled at a champagne reception held at the Wicklow Street Kiehl’s Boutique. Maintaining its long-standing tradition of supporting children’s charities, Kiehl’s, the venerable New York-based purveyor of fine quality skin and hair care, is delighted with the partnership with Pearl & Daisy Lowe and has agreed to donate €2.50 (plus VAT) of the retail price of each 250ml (RRP €31) and 500ml (RRP €52) Crème de Corps.

Among the guests were Marietta Doran, Triona McCarthy, JJ Gibbons and Delan Leavy of The Daily Update. Irish soap star Aoibhinn Garrihy was joined by her on screen Dillon sister Aoibheann McCaul, RTE’s Brendan O’Connor was joined by his lovely wife Sarah Caden whilst Casey Bulmer of Quintessentially chatted to make-up artist SJ Wai, who was with her stunning sister Nadine King.

Available from 13 March 2012 at the Kiehl’s Boutique, 35 Wicklow Street, Dublin 2 and Dundrum Town Centre.

Fashion followers

1. Ricardo Machado & Stacey O Donnell; 2. Sarah Brown pictured at Brown Thomas to celebrate the arrival of the hottest new contemporary labels with a fantastic fashion show in the store’s Designer Rooms. Fashionistas, bloggers and style makers and shakers were there to see the latest looks from celebrity favourites including Marc by Marc Jacobs, Helmut Lang, The Kooples, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Carven, Sandro and Isabel Marant.

(Pix: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland)

Wine & Dine

Be merry: 1. Ryan Lyndsay and Victoria Murphy; 2. Laura Williams and Michelle Lloyd; 3. Cathal Kielty and Mairead Gilboy. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

A lucky group of food and wine enthusiasts joined pioneering New Zealand wine brand, Brancott Estate at the Sugar Club for a night of intrigue and sensory indulgence as they took part in ‘A Curious Feast for the Senses’.

The event was hosted by food duo Cully & Sully who guided guests on the culinary adventure as top Irish restaurants Pichet, Campagne, Tankardstown House and Locks Brasserie created a range of gastronomic delights that tickled the palate and delighted the senses in front of a live audience.

From the dressing of the room, to the food on the plate to the matching visual and aural effects, the entire evening challenged guests’ perceptions of food. Each night they enjoyed a three course sampling menu prepared by one of the above restaurants that explored food combinations that shouldn’t have worked together but did. Guests also tried a selection of wines from the premium Brancott Estate range which were carefully chosen to match the food.

CRY Pure Style lunch

Spring Style: 1. Pamela Flood with Deirdre Devaney; 2. Blondie Horan; 3. Cathy O’Connor and Darren Kennedy. (Pix. Arnotts)

Arnotts hosted its season fashion launch at the annual CRY Pure Style charity fashion lunch which took place in the Great Room of the Shelbourne Hotel with over 250 guests in attendance.

The afternoon began with a champagne reception, followed by a fashion show exclusively unveiling the Arnotts new Spring/Summer 2012 collections. Brands showcased included Badgley Mischka, Boutique by Jaeger, All Saints, Hudson, Paige, Tara Jarmon and Trina Turk.
Guests at the event included Pamela Flood who acted as MC for the afternoon, Arnotts Chairman Mark Schwartz, VIP editor Elaine Prendeville, TV presenter Darren Kennedy, Penny Dix from the ISPCC, Daisy Regan of Quintessentially Ireland and Rhona Teehan from Trocadero.

All proceeds will go directly to CRY, an Irish charity set up in 2002 to prevent Cardiac Risk in the Young. CRY aims to raise awareness of sudden cardiac death, provide counselling and support to families affected and to fundraise to give ongoing support to the CRYP Centre in Tallaght Hospital which offers cardiac screening and evaluation for families who have lost a young person or for a young person who may be experiencing symptoms.

Diary Date

Join the UCD School of Architecture’s Centenary Celebrations this spring with a special evening of music and song in the unique setting of the Memorial Hall, UCD Richview Campus, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14 on Thursday, 22nd March at 7pm.

Sit back and relax while Desmond Earley performs two French harpsichord works. The UCD Choral Scholars will then entertain you with a selection of vocal works, a treat not to be missed. The evening will conclude with a delightful performance by Eoin Dillon, Graham Watson, Steve Larkin and Daire Bracken with a selection of modern and 18th century Irish traditional tunes.

Wine and canapé reception at the interval. Tickets are €35 and proceeds go to the UCD Architecture Centenary Fund. Tickets (prebooking essential) are available from http://www.ucd.ie/alumni/events/ or from 086 2746153.

Club Italiano

Ciao: 1. Rita Macari and Jane Baker; 2. Alessia Macari; 3. Italian Ambassador H.E. Maurizio Zanini and his wife Patricia. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

Club Italiano hosted its annual Irish Italian Gala Ball at the Mansion House recently, where they raised funds for the St Vincent’s charity. Guests on the night included Club Italiano president Cav. Teresa Di Nardi , the Italian Ambassador to Ireland H.E. Maurizio Zanini, Maria Fusco, Dave Morrissey of Lillies Bordello and Jane Baker.

Giacomo D' Agostino Italian 15 times World Champion Motor Grand Prix racing legend kindly donated an autographed Helmet to the prize draw and attracted much excitement. Live entertainment on the night was by Intermezzo String Trio, Patricia Higgins and boyband On The Edge as well as Connor Mc Keon and The Legends of Swing.

Save the AMAZON

Sky is the Limit: 1. Conor Horgan and Aoife McLysaght; 2. Vavara Shavrova and Trish Lambe; 3. Shirley Clerkin and Fiach Mac Conghail. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)

Sky, WWF, and the Gallery of Photography today officially launched ‘AMAZON’, an exhibition in aid of Sky Rainforest Rescue, featuring the work of two award-winning photographers - Sebastião Salgado and Per-Anders Pettersson.

The exhibition opens to the public from today (1st March 2012) and highlights the plight of the Amazon rainforest and the people living within it. Sky Rainforest Rescue is a partnership between Sky and WWF that aims to help save one billion trees in the state of Acre, North-West Brazil.

The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of educational and family friendly activities. An exciting ‘Amazon Jungle Photo Studio’ workshop for families takes place on Sunday March 25th. Participation is free, and advance booking is essential. See www.galleryofphotography.ie for further information and updates.