IT may have been a little late for Hallowe'en but there was a very stylish bit of dressing up in the Hugh Lane Gallery this week.
Historical lectures can be just that little bit dry but Sinead McCoole, author of the biography, Hazel, Lady Lavery had the inspired idea of spicing up her talk on Lady Lavery as a fashion icon by encouraging the audience to come dressed for the period. (Really there was no getting away from Michael Collins this week).
The author herself wore a simple black suit and sported an orchid - apparently Lady Lavery rarely wore jewellery but often pinned an orchid to her lapel. Monika Murray, a well known fashion icon on the Dublin social scene, came with her husband Cyril Murray and as usual was dressed just right - this time in a 1920s hat and a multi coloured flowing velvet two piece. Others who dressed for the part were Lady Annie Arnott, the gallery's own Christina Kennedy and Collins's grand niece Mary Banotti MEP.
According to Sinead, more than one Irish film production company has been making tentative noises about turning her very accessible book into a film, but the author herself feels that as Lavery's life went through so many distinct stages, a mini series might be a better idea - let's hope Jane Seymour never gets to hear of it.