The first fashion show I went to was a couple of weeks ago at the Arklow Bay Hotel in Arklow. It was a charity event for a high-school. (secondary school? I'm not sure what they call it here to be honest but it's not 'high school') It cost 10 euro for a ticket and we each got a free raffle ticket for the chance to win a variety of gifts ranging from candles to gym memberships. I didn't win anything, but I don't really need candles and a gym membership in Ireland wouldn't do me much good...
As we walked in we were given a free glass of wine and some cheese. The room was packed! There were a lot of families and kids from the school. The show started with a brief introduction from school members and the mayor of the town - then of course, fashion!
The show was really long. It was almost 3 hours long - but I had a really good time. The models were all local people - including a lot of kids from the high school. There were clothes from shops in town to try and promote shopping local. They had also handed out the shop local voucher books that we designed. It was really cool to see so many people looking through a book with my illustration on the cover of it.
I took a lot of photos from that night - most of which didn't turn out because the models were bookin' it down the runway and didn't stop long enough at the end to get a clear picture. I think they were all just nervous, which is understandable. But I did manage to get a few less-blurry pictures. I know I could've just used the flash but I hate the way that looks - at least from my camera. There were a lot of male models - mostly high school boys, but they were impossible to photograph without the flash. They didn't bother to stop at the end of the runway they just turned around and quickly walked back off stage.. haha.
Anway - here are some photos. There are from Dunnes Stores (equivalent to Target) Oxygen & McMullans (both local boutiques,) Warehouse and a Bridal collection. I can't remember now every store they had represented there that night, but I'll point out the outfits I do remember.
This first set is from Dunnes.
Oxygen
McMullans
Warehouse
Bridal
The rest I can't remember exactly where each dress is from - but aren't they so cute? The overall theme for the night really was "Christmas Parties" so that's why it's mostly party dresses.
Last night my co-worker and I went to Gorey, which is about a 15 min drive from Arklow, to attend a small fashion show at a boutique called Contra The store is the perfect size, I think. Not too big, not too small. It was all decorated for christmas and for the show. The clothes were really nice and I saw plenty of things I really wanted, but it's a little bit more on the spendy side (especially for someone who is about to be unemployed as of 5pm today...)
When we walked inside we were greeted by a nice saleswoman handing out free glasses of champaign. We wandered around the store looking at everything while we waited for the show to begin. I was hoping I could find some christmas gifts for my sisters - a nice shirt or some accessories, but like I said, it was a bit spendy and I didn't see any purses or necklaces that I could see them actually wearing.
After about a 1/2 an hour, the show started. It was another long show - probably 2 hours, but it was really fun. And after 3 glasses of champaign I got really camera happy and nearly filled up my memory card with photos. I won't share them all because that would be ridiculous - but I do have a fair few.
These are all of my favorites outfits from the evening:
After the show there was a frenzie of woman trying on clothes - including my co-worker, who walked away with 3 new adorable dresses (at a 10% discount) They also had the make-up artists who did the models' makeup in the back of the store so you could get your eyes and lips done for free! I didn't part-take but I thought that was a really cool idea.. Buy a new dress - get made over - and have a night on the town! Fun fun fun!
Our evening ended at a pub down the street (of course...)
It was a great night. I've decided I much prefer watching fashion shows than being in them.. even though you sometimes do get perks like getting into the venue for free or discounts on clothes..
Cheers!
Karen
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