Mar 18, 20163 min read

Irish Fashion Innovation Awards 2016

Last week I was one of 15 very lucky bloggers invited to the Irish Fashion Innovation Awards in Galway. It was my first year attending this prestigious show & award ceremony. I was beyond thrilled to be invited as a VIP blogger with the ITWBN (Into The West Blogger Network).

The Innovation Awards showcases cutting edge designers & students. The annual catwalk show & awards ceremony is run by Golden Egg Productions. This year’s show was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa Galway.

My day started with a lovely mother-daughter morning. My 3-year-old daughter & I had our hair & nails done together for the first time. My good friend Tom (my former intern) came to the awards with me! Our first stop in Galway was Sheridan’s Cheesemongers for a glass of bubbly & a plate of gorgeous cheeses. From there we had an early dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in Galway – Brasserie on the Corner.

The food & drinks were gorgeous & the perfect way to kick off our fashionable day. When we arrived at the Radisson Blu, the hotel was stunning! Everyone was dressed to impress. There were so many people there. The hotel had waiters with trays of wine walking around. It was elegant & so fun to be there among so many fashionable people.

I wore skinny jeans, a black flowy top & a black jacket with some blingy jewellery & my favorite black & silver heels. I picked up the fur scarf on sale in Willow between eating & arriving at the Radisson Blu. Tom & I met up with my blogging buddies & we had such a great time chatting & looking at the fashion all around us.

Top Left, clockwise: Saibh Egan & Sinead Carroll (ITWBN founders), with Saibn, Tom & Ruth Kemple, With Sinead. Sinead had the wonderful idea to take a photo of our shoes so here we all are – in our fashion show shoes!

After a chat & some wine it was time to go into the ballroom for the show! Each chair had a goodie bag on it. The lights, music & announcer all did a wonderful job. The show was beautifully run. There was a tall stage down the middle of the room & the models did an amazing job showcasing each designer’s collection. It was challenging to get good photos with the lights but here are a few to give you a sense of the amazing design that was showcased.

After the fashion show was over, it was time to announce the winning designers. There were winners crowned in six categories. The competition was really tough, I don’t know how the judges made their decision. The talent on show was really impressive – innovative, creative & beautiful. Here are the winning designers with their trophies.

From left to right: Student Designer of the Year, Colin Burke. Accessory Designer of the Year, Dee Mangan. Millinery Designer of the Year, Elaine Keogh. Jewellery Designer of the Year, Emily Bourke. Fashion Designer of the Year, Mona Swims. Innovative Designer (overall) went to Mona Swims.

When the show was over, the Amazing Apples played at the after-party & there were bubbles for everyone. This is the group of ITWBN bloggers who attended the Irish Innovation Awards.