At the NYFDA: 1. Niamh Heaney, Elaine Sheridan & Aoife Byrne; 2. Laura Whiston & Ryan Greenwood; 3. Emmy Slattery (winner) and Averil Blakely. (Pix. Robbie Reynolds)
The country’s hottest trend setters and fashion followers gathered this week for the finale of the Nokia Young Fashion Designer Award 2010. The event took place in the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre where guests enjoyed a Rosemount Wine reception in the Pygmalion Café before heading up to the first floor exhibition to check out the 20 finalist’s designs.
Emmy Slattery from NCAD was thrilled to be announced as the overall winner of the 2010 Nokia Young Fashion Designer Award and the two runners up, Niamh Rafferty from the Grafton Academy and Matthew Karp from Limerick Senior College, were equally thrilled.
NYFDA judge Yvan Rodic, from influential fashion blog Facehunter, was seen snapping pictures of the most stylish people in attendance. Other guests in attendance included the judging panel, which consisted of leading figures in Irish and international fashion - Marc O’Neill, designer of the Autograph collection at M&S, senior designer at ASOS Debbie Walker, Amanda Pratt of Avoca and award winning Irish designer Aideen Bodkin.
This year’s student mentor, Joanne Hynes was also there, along with Sonia Reynolds and Irish designer Peter O’Brien. Previous NYFDA runner-up Simone Rocha was keen to see the creations on exhibit, as was stylist Aisling Farinella and last year’s NYFDA judge and designer Eilis Boyle. DJ and actress Hilary Rose provided funky house tunes and kept the party (and celebrations) going.
