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Source: © Pic courtesy of Stephen Potter
We're saying hello to #yellow this season……………
On a rather chilly January morning it was especially pleasing to be heading to the SS15 launch of the NI West Coast Cooler FASHIONWEEK. Showcased at the wonderfully quirky BFW HQ in Bruce Street, on arrival we were directed through to a warehouse area that had been transformed into a sort of vintage coffee dock space. Mismatched tables and brightly coloured seats; wonky ladders, upturned chairs and trees were festooned with pretty twinkle lights creating a magical summer evening feeling (nice start to the afternoon).
The room soon filled with a bevy of bloggers, photographers, stylist and artists, all chatting excitedly and tapping away on their handhelds, creating a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The gorgeous and petite TV presenter Katie Larmour looked pretty in pink.
Flashbulbs soon were popping as the models arrived in an explosion of zesty lemons and luscious greens, sending the bloggers into frenzy.
We were then ushered through to the main hall, where the welcoming barman from Drinksology was happily preparing refreshing lemon sorbet West Coast Cooler cocktails - delicious.
FASHIONWEEK Director Cathy Martin looked stunning in her sunshine yellow trouser suit from Next (does she ever have a bad day?), as she took to the stage alongside radio presenter and stylist Rebecca McKinney, to introduce the SS15 Collection.
Down the catwalk and onto the podiums strutted the models, sporting zesty lemons and luscious limes for the daring and vibrant customer; with soft nudes, greys and whites for the fashion minimalist’s amongst us.
And courtesy of Stephen Potter........
The colour is exciting; with poster paint shades of red, yellow, blue and green, this is a definite trend for Spring Summer 2015 and I love it. Nowhere was this trend more prevalent than the vibrant makeup from Paddy McGurgan and his team, inspired by the summer - peachy lips and aquatic ombré eyes created using oceanic blues and greens. I love the combination of the orange eye shadow and pink lipstick, the clashing shades works so well.
But a special mention has to go to Illustrator-turned-designer Sara O’Neil.
Stylist and Illustrator Sara O’Neill has combined her two passions- fashion and art- to create a range of luxury printed textiles. ‘Éadach’ is influenced by Ireland’s cultural heritage and blends Sara’s signature pencil drawings with abstract imagery to create richly coloured contemporary patterns. Sara draws inspiration from all over the island, especially her native north coast, an area of spectacular beauty filled with myth and legend. This is her first season showcasing her exquisite collection - here beautifully captured on model Aimee Boyle at CMPR Agency by photographer Stephen Potter.
So, the show drew to a close and we all headed back to write, blog, and tweet about the day (and contemplate restocking our wardrobes). Is it any wonder it takes so long to write an article when there’s so much talent in NI. It took me less than an hour to write the 600 words in this blog (simple), but it takes endless hours to salivate over the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts of the wonderfully talented and beautiful Sara O’Neil, photographer Stephen Potter (thanks for being generous with your pics) and makeup guru Paddy McGurgan.
Not a bad wee bunch this creative lot, thanks for a wonderful launch Cathy Martin – Can’t wait for Belfast FASHIONWEEK in March.
The full show schedule is available online at http://www.belfastfashionweek.com along with details of this season’s trends plus links to all participant retailers and sponsors. Catwalk tickets, which cost £20 (or £25 for a limited number of exclusive front row seats), are available from the Belfast Welcome Centre on 028 9024 6609 or via the website. Ticket price includes a fabulous goodie bag and a refreshing West Coast Cooler.
Enjoy your weekend x
