At last - an excuse to wear this season's favourite colour, white. The opportunity arises next Saturday with a special fund-raising night at Barretstown Castle, Co Kildare. The White Magic party includes a pre-supper champagne reception in the castle's rose garden and dancing indoors later when the air grows too chilly. Decor for the occasion is being supervised by Beyond the Hall Door's Catherine Giovanelli and Roisin Murphy. Dress code for the night is, naturally enough, white, and if you want to be among the snowbright dressers, telephone 016625652.

Barely will you have had time to recover from the White Magic party than it will be necessary to dress in further finery for the Budweiser Irish Derby in the Curragh next Sunday. This year there are two best-dressed competitions: one in the classic vein, the other a Funky Fashion prize. The latter, obviously aimed at younger race-goers, is sponsored by BT2, while the former is being underwritten by Brown Thomas. So if you want to dress up in traditional hat, dress and gloves, or opt for something a touch more outre, either is possible. There is a total prize fund of £3,600 in shopping vouchers, and the judges will be models Amanda and Natasha Byram with Brown Thomas MD Paul Kelly.

More awards were being dished out last Friday night - this time across dinner tables at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham where the Irish Clothing Manufacturers' Federation held its annual gathering. As reported on this page last Monday, NCAD fashion graduate Gareth Moloney received an acknowledgement for his work. The Company of the Year award went to shirt manufacturer Clubman Omega of Buncrana, Co Donegal, which has successfully survived in a highly competitive field, and the Marketing Achievement award was given to women's clothing company, Michael H.