Sheila, Sylvia and gals in return to catwalk
‘ Ilike my money right where I can see it: hanging in my closet.” That was Carrie Bradshaw’s mantra. The beautifully turned-out ladies at the annual ISPCC Brown Thomas fashion show at the Intercontinental Hotel last Friday have a different mantra. They like to put their money towards a great cause: hanging in the bank account of the ISPCC. Ali Hewson, Alison Doody, Yvonne Connolly, Sharon Smurfit and Caroline Harrington all pitched up in their Brown Thomasfriendly designer finery to support the charity event. To say nothing of nearly 400 of Ireland’s most stylish women out in full force. Someone stop me before I put on one of the dresses myself!
The BT ISPCC fashion show has raised almost €1m to date. ISPCC Ambassador Louis Walsh also landed in among all the girls in D4 before jetting to London for his X Factor work.
The event, with Amanda Byram as MC, kicked off pleasantly enough with a Veuve Clicquot Champagne reception and was soon fizzing with surprises . . .
Ireland’s original catwalk queens — Marie Staunton, Sheila Eustace, Vivienne Connolly, Sylvia Myers, Lisa Cummins and Olivia Tracey — returned in great splendour to the Intercontinental Hotel run-walk wearing the latest collection from Dolce & Gabbana. Sheila flew in especially from Marbella; Olivia, even further, from LA. It was a great afternoon for Mna na hEireann.
“Women celebrating women was the main theme of our fashion show, which made a strong and empowering statement for autumn/ winter,” Shelly Corkery, fashion director, Brown Thomas, told me. “It was extraordinary to have Ireland’s original supermodels back together on the catwalk, with Sheila and Olivia having flown in especially. There was a very special atmosphere in the room, with 370 guests, mostly women, who have all achieved so much in their lives and together have helped Brown Thomas and ISPCC raise almost €1m for such an important cause over 16 years of hosting this event.”
See you next year.