The fashion scene in the midlands is hotting up, with the recent opening in Mullingar of a second branch of the south Co Dublin boutique, Khan. Deirdre McQuillanjoins 1,000 others at a fashion show . . .
Mullingar got a taste of international fashion this week when former model Deryn Mackay launched the first of the season's winter shows at the Mullingar Park Hotel for a 1,000-strong audience. The event highlighted the opening of her chic new boutique in the town's Dominic Street, her second retail venture since she opened her shop, Khan, in Blackrock, 13 years ago.
Married to Mark Fagan, a local horse trainer and vet, Mackay now lives in Mullingar, and the new Khan targets an affluent midlands clientele in catchment areas such as Athlone, Tullamore, Longford and beyond. The show, which was one of the biggest fashion shows in recent years, raised more than €45,000 for the Sapling Charity for autistic children, and will help fund a new school due to open next year.
With its glass frontage, sleek walnut flooring and judicious mix of Irish and international labels, Mackay's new shop, designed by Bill Simpson, will showcase two strong anchor brands not found in her Blackrock outlet, Maxmara from Italy and Marithe et François Girbaud from France, the latter known for its polished takes on streetwear trends.
Irish designers stocked include Mackay's sister Rachel Mackay, Roisin Linnane and Lainey Keogh. Keogh's luxuriant, colourful knits and new chunky hoodies set the strong knitwear theme that ran throughout the show.
Knits were tailored, with shawl collars, or fashioned into slim jersey dresses worn with leather belts and riding boots. Black coats with interesting detail and sleek little black dresses recurred throughout, coming from designers such as Betty Jackson, Nicole Farhi and iBlues. There were also many variations on the swing jacket, in black or grey. Flattering tunics with Capri pants were feminine 1950s updates.
These were classy, if expensive, city clothes for day or evening wear, free of non-essential decoration, and very typical of Mackay's style; on the night she wore a cross-buttoned black jacket over a long black skirt by Basque designer Isabel de Pedro.
Formal evening wear was similarly controlled and forceful. There were sexy shapes in midnight or metallic shades; the most glittering a silver sequined sheath.
The choice of models was astute. The line-up didn't just feature the usual size 10s. Bigger, curvier girls on the catwalk were clear signals to the audience that Khan can do it for the stylish and more generously endowed customer, too. "There is certainly an opening here, where there isn't a lot of choice. We definitely feel we can conquer this market," Mackay said. On the basis of the turnout and reaction to the show, such confidence may be well founded.