The Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, built in 1774 and turned into a fashionable retail arcade a decade ago has been due a facelift.
Situated just off Grafton Street in Dublin, it has been getting steadily more shabby. Redevelopment is expected to be completed early next year.
The Design Centre, the group name under which about 20 Irish dress designers work, has taken full advantage of the current revamp, and has moved upstairs to the Craft Council's former HQ. The Craft Council has moved to the Design Yard in Temple Bar.
The official opening of the Design Centre's new space took place yesterday.
The move brings immediate relief as the space is greater and the layout very much better for showing off clothes. It has been decorated in a calm, almost Japanese way, in black and cream.
Shelly Corkery, joint owner and managing director of the Design Centre, has also introduced new designers, including some international hot shots such as Commes des Garcons and bags by Gaultier. Accessories are now a major part of the new look, and shoes by Elizabeth Stewart and jewellery by Rose & Crown are expected to be a big draw. Annie Gribbin's skincare, including a new product from Australia called Aesop, is also available. The clothes are dominated by the luxurious and frivolous as we move into the party season. While there is a great choice in black city suits, coats, soft leathers and sheepskins, the real temptation lies in the crushed velvets, the chiffon devores, and the cobwebby knits with marabou feathers.
While mostly in black, there are some wonderful blues, greens and amethysts, and the odd flash of scarlet or ruby red.
The line is very close to the body, long and bias-cut, though evening coats, now quite a strong item, are enveloping and luxurious.
There are outstanding collections by Louise Kennedy with softer tailoring and some great frocks. Lyn-Mar has very glamorous knits, while Miriam Mone has been romanticising Oscar Wilde's smoking jacket. Mariad Whisker, whose four years in Los Angles have had a profound effect, has an exclusive range - gone is any trace of Puritanism as she offers a more sexy style.
The Design Centre offers a private room and professional help, which would be just what is needed by anyone overwhelmed by the tremendous choice here.