Nina Divito

At the opening of 'Best Turned Out' were: 1. Elizabeth Coleman and Aoife Bushell; 2. Nina Divito; 3. Micheal Keane and Brian O'Malley; 4. David Cox and Tamso Doyle; 4. One of Nina's paintings.

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‘Best Turned Out’, an exclusive collection of framed watercolour paintings by Dublin artist Nina Divito opened at Kildare Village outlet shopping on Saturday last. Inspired by sexy women, fabulous fetish footwear and equestrian elegance, the exhibition incorporates the horsey elements of steel shoes, brassbuckles and shiny snaffles with one of a woman’s most desired possessions ... shoes!

Horses are very close to Nina’s heart and she takes endless inspirationfrom the horsey world for her paintings having spent much of her teens show jumping. ‘Best Turned Out’ opens as Kildare Village announce that it will once again be official fashion sponsor at the Irish Derby Festival (27– 29 June 2008) at the Curragh, Co. Kildare.

Nina will feature as one of the celebrity judges alongside RTE’s fashion expert Pamela Flood and RTE’s Baz Ashmawy, from ‘How Low Can You Go’. Nina’s first major exhibition outside Dublin, ‘Hearts & Soles’ was also at Kildare Village. ‘Best Turned Out’ will run until 20th July. Among the guests at the opening was Tamso Doyle, head of PR for HRI (Horse Racing Ireland). Tamso will have a busy weekend ahead with the Derby and won't have much rest thereafter as she is set to wed her fiancé David Cox the following week.

Kildare Village outlet shopping is situated off the M7 at Exit 13 and is open seven days a week and has late night shopping on Thursday until 8pm.There are extended summer hours this July and August opening until 7pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For information check out http://www.kildarevillage.com/ or http://www.ninadivito.com/.

BOD - The Dubliner

At The Dubliner reception in Residence were: 1. The man-of-the-moment Brian O'Driscoll with Tiernan O'Morain; 2. Deirdre and Eimear McGuire; 3. Lisa Woods and Sara Jane English.

BOD - The Dubliner

At Residence for The Dubliner event were: 1. Brian O'Driscoll and Amy Huberman; 2. Mark Ward and Ciara Hamilton; 3. Caoimhe Hannigan and Anto Kelly.

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Last week The Dubliner magazine presented its first ever Dubliner of the Year award to Brian O'Driscoll at an exclusive Grey Goose cocktail reception in Dublin's newest landmark venue, Residence Private Members’ Club. Residence also marked the occasion by awarding O'Driscoll the first honorary life membership to the Club.

The Dubliner chose to recognise O'Driscoll for his contribution to sport in Ireland and for representing Dublin on the world stage. The evening was presented by Newstalk's Eamon Keane with tributes paid by former Ireland Internationals, including IRUPA Chief Executive Niall Woods, alongside best selling author of the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series Paul Howard. Guests including Amy Huberman, Brent Pope, Andrea Roche, Ryle Nugent and Ronan Ryan enjoyed a selection of Grey Goose cocktails.

Brian accepted the award on behalf of his team mates and thanked his family and his girlfriend Amy Huberman. Speaking at the event, he said, "I am delighted to accept this prestigious inaugural award, being a Dubliner means a lot to me."

Baumler

At the Baumler launch party were: 1. Alan Hughes and Karl Broderick; 2. Tess Cunniffe and Sandra Byrne; 3. Louise Kavanagh and Tara Doyle.

Baumler

At the launch of the new Baumler store were: 1. Brian Ormond and Pippa O'Connor; 2. Gillian Griffin and Eithne Wall; 3. Sandra Byrne and Conor Buckley.

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The new Baumler store on Dawson Street opened its doors with a lavish party to mark its arrival on Wednesday evening. When Gerry Magee sold his first suit in Switzers at the age of just 15, it was no coincidence it was a Baumler suit. A brand that is recognised the world over; one in four suits sold is a Baumler. A cut above most of the classic suiting brands on the market, it was no surprise that the shop was filled to capacity, and people had spilled into the Fitzers outdoor terrace.

Gerry has suited and booted some of the most fashionable people in Ireland from business men to sports stars, rock stars to politicians - all of whom came out to support Gerry and his new venture. The new store carries the complete collection including the casual and formal range along with a large selection of shirts and knits. All the design elements are tailored to fit the needs of the modern man and the attention to detail is second to none. For such a trusted and reliable brand the price is very reasonable with suits starting from as little as 350 euro.

Among those in attendance were the rugby boys who have been suited and booted by Gerry and his team - Bernard Jackman, Jamie Heaslip, and Rob Carney all fresh from their trip to New Zealand. Brian Ormond (who wore a Baumler suit to the fashion wedding of the year - Robbie Keane’s nuptials to Claudine Palmer of course) and his girlfriend Pippa O’Connor, Alan Hughes and Karl Broderick, Fair City’s Rachel Kavanagh and model Sara Kavanagh.

RTE’s Laura Woods and her boyfriend Mark Arigho, Isabella Chudzicka fresh from Taste of Dublin, TV chef Andrew Rudd and publican David Chawke. Gareth Gunnigle, who has been comforting good friend Michelle Heaton since her split with husband Andy Scott-Lee, was there too, as were Gavin Kilduff, PJ Gibbons and Richard Kavanagh, Brian O’Malley and Nina Divito, and Paul Cadden of Saba.

Djinn

Also at the launch of Djinn's 100 Cocktail Ring collection were: 1. Simon Phelan & Minister Eamon Ryan; 2. Darren Kennedy & his dog Harry; 3. Lisa Cannon & Rebekah O'Neill; 4. nthony Kelly, Caoimhe Hannigan & Lyndsey O'Neill.

Djinn

At Djinn were: 1. Alex Donald & Mo Kelly; 2. Clodagh McKenna; 3. Kate Fine; 4. Clodagh McKenna & Simon Phelan.

This Summer’s ultimate fashion statement is the cocktail ring and last week, Djinn Jewellery launched its stunning collection of 100 cocktail rings. It is the creative genius of Simon Phelan, owner of Djinn (pronounced 'gin') on Dublin’s Wexford Street and the culmination of years of sourcing exquisite stones, mastering silver- and gold-smithing techniques, and producing an outstanding handcrafted selection of rings.

The extensive range comprises unique one-off pieces, some antique, some new and all handmade with ethically sourced stones and gold. The choice is great with a selection of antique (some original 1930s with pink glass), enamel, matt silver with scratch finish, some featuring natural stones in quartz – lemon, citrine, blue topaz – and rare prehnite set in silver with gold.
This invitation-only evening was a celebration of the essential cocktail ring and took place at 15a Wexford Street, Dublin 2, Djinn’s location for the last four years, a place favoured by fashionistas and a loyal following of fans. Among the guests were Bairbre Power, Clodagh McKenna, Darren Kennedy, Lisa Cannon and Minister Eamon Ryan.

As Simon says, “No one piece of jewellery is the same. Each is as unique as the clients who purchase at Djinn. The intimate environment allows everyone to select something from the evolving collections. I take pleasure in spending time with clients in creating something new or customising existing pieces, which could be sourcing the right stone, a string of beads, or deciding on the setting.”

The challenge will be deciding what to buy. Hopefully the divine cocktails being served on the night will make that easier! Prices range from €50 to €2,000 and commissions are also welcome.

Cocktail Culture at The Shelbourne

Among the glam girls at the Shelbourne enjoying the Cocktail Culture were: 1. Rachel Kavanagh; 2. Colette Fitzpatrick and Mary Elisabeth Donnelly; 3. Triona McCarthy and Catriona Hanly; 4. Leigh Arnold.

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The Shelbourne Hotel was packed with the bold and the beautiful (what's new, sez you!) on Wednesday evening as No. 27 Bar & Lounge launched Cocktail Culture in association with IMAGE Magazine and Havana Club. Guests who enjoyed Mojitos on the night included actress Rachel Kavanagh, TV3's Colette Fitzpatrick, Leigh Arnold, models Sarah Kavanagh, Ruth Griffin and Miss Universe Ireland Lynn Kelly, Laura Haughey, Holly White, The Blizzards, Catriona Hanly, Cindy Caffola and Karla Elliott to name but a few.

So what's Cocktail Culture? Using five Custom Cocktail Blocks, all featuring different Cocktail ingredients, guests are invited to create their own signature Cocktail by rolling the blocks. Your designer cocktail will then be created especially for you by No. 27’s expert Mixologists.

There are an amazing 7,776 cocktail possibilities, with the wide variety of ingredients on the Cocktail Blocks the list is endless Your designer cocktail will be created in a matter of minutes (mine's a Whiskey Sour). All you have to do is just roll the Cocktail Blocks and leave the rest to the experts. Cocktail Culture will run all year around, from Sundays to Wednesdays - perfect for a midweek treat (or necessity). Cocktail Culture is also available at the weekends, upon request.

Indeed, The Shelbourne was awarded ‘Best Overall Hotel in Ireland’ and the No. 27 Bar & Lounge won the ‘Best Cocktail Bar in Ireland’ at the industries leading awards ceremony – Hospitality Ireland Awards 2007 - so they really know their stuff.

The Dungeon

Among those at the launch party for The Dungeon were: 1.Eithne Fitzpatrick Scott-Lennon, Paul Harrington and Lisa Fitzpatrick; 2. Paul Ryan and Dave Moore; 3. Jody O'Connor and Jody Wood; 4. Paul, Eithne and Tony Fitzpatrick.

Following a major refurbishment, the award winning Dungeon Bar at Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel in Killiney re-opened its doors last week with a very special invite-only reception. Sounds ominous indeed but it's a most welcoming place I can assure you.

The evening commenced when guests were greeted by Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel’s very own Jester and Dungeon Master. Renowned musician Paul Harrington provided entertainment for the evening, while guests sipped on Champagne and special Dungeon Bar cocktails and dined on a selection of canapés from the new menu.

Those in attendance included a number of high profile guests from the social and hospitality circles, including Eithne Fitzpatrick Scott-Lennon, her sister in-law and top stylist Lisa Fitzpatrick, fashionista Gwen Chappel, model Vicky Fennell and General Manager and Chairman of the board of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Tourism, Nicky Logue.

Newly created zones, with an individual mood and furnishings, make the re-vamped Dungeon Bar the perfect spot for both lively social gatherings and those seeking a little more intimacy. The spectacular granite topped bar, finished with leather, marble and wood panels, helps complete the transformation into an elegant social space ideal for viewing a favourite sporting event, having a quiet drink or dining on some of the freshly prepared culinary delights, specially created by Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel chefs.

Located in the oldest part of Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, the Dungeon Bar mixes the traditional elements of the castle with a sophisticated modern deco feel. Many of the original castle features have been preserved whilst modern warm colours and atmospheric lighting have also been included, to give the area a truly unique and comfortable feel. The Dungeon Bar also features a hearty open fire and large plasma screens throughout.

Speaking of the new Dungeon Bar, Eithne Fitzpatrick Scott-Lennon, owner of Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel said, “We are delighted with the new-look Dungeon Bar. We hope that our regulars along with new customers enjoy the revitalised atmosphere and menus.”