What could be posher than champagne and cocktails served in Waterford Crystal glasses? A select group gathered at a reception in the RDS to view the latest designs from the world-famous glass-makers. Martin McGuire, marketing manager of Waterford Crystal, said about 400 key customers had already passed through the specially constructed suite of rooms, which were built as part of Showcase 2002 to show new and old crystal designs in their best setting.
John Rocha came along to talk about his beautiful new creations, including six new pieces in different colours, of which there is a limited edition available - just 10 of each one. "The simplicity is in tune with contemporary design," he says. "It's nice to create something really, really special, but why create it and not use it?" he asks.
Creating bouquets in front of our eyes for some of the glass vases, Lamber de Bie, a Dutch man who has been living in Ireland for the past nine years, says "the tall stem vase is one of my personal favourites". Putting some orange bird-of- paradise flowers into the vase, he says "it couldn't be any simpler". And he did make it look easy.
Also attending, spotted among the glass and flowers, was Portadown woman Una Brankin, who was beaming because she'd just been offered a three-book deal with Simon & Schuster/Town House. The working title for her first novel - already with her editors - is Half Moon Lake. It's a romance set in the early 1970s, she said. And it's only weeks before the writer heads off in February to Montego Bay in Jamaica to marry Declan Murphy, of the Four of Us.
Elayne Brennan, the Donnybrook-based creative designer whose suites were being admired, said yes, the bridal suite was inspired by Madonna's bedroom in Los Angeles. There was interest all around in the bed with a white muslin canopy. As to the brides, Dungarvan woman Phil Donnelly, the brand manager at Waterford Crystal, said the long-standing Lismore range of crystal, which was displayed all around, is still the number one choice for brides around the world.
"It's an heirloom factor," she said, referring to the 250,000 brides, who registered with the company last year.