So from that point I asked my friend Grainne, would her son, Ryan like to take the photos of my new Hats.  I knew he’d be up for it, cos the previous weekend we were out and about and I was showing him how to use my old manual camera, and he was zooming and focusing and he kind of instinctively got it!

So the day arrived, the location was decorated by the model Joan LaVelle-Fortune (she’s just launched her Interior Design Company called “Chez LaVelle Design”) and Joan agreed to do the modeling for me.  And Ryan and his Mom arrived, this was more of a challenge than I had imagined, we had to coax him to take the photos and bribe him with Chocolate biscuits, but towards the end of it he was really enthusiastic and we got some good shots.

In case you don’t know much about me:  Here’s a little Biog.

Currently Sarah is part of a County Wicklow Design collective called Absolutely Wicklow, which is now in a retail space at the Bray Design Centre.

“This Summer collection is based on the “Book of Kells” and uses on trend pastel colours.” These are available to rent at €60 with a €60 refundable deposit, or to purchase at approx €250 through Secret Chic.ie

 Sarah continues to promote Irish Fashion through her Twitter Account “Secret_Milliner“.

Sarah has an extensive online presence:

www.SarahMcGahon.com

www.Facebook.com/SarahMcGahonMillinery

https://twitter.com/#!/Secret_Milliner

http://pinterest.com/secretmilliner/

http://sarahmcg.wordpress.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/secret_milliner/

http://www.absolutelywicklow.ie/

So here are the Photos:

I’m very excited, this is a picture of my New Location, I’ve joined a Design Co-Op called www.AbsolutelyWicklow.ie and the lovely people at Bray Town Council felt we needed to go retail, so they lent us their most prestigious building for a year. It was originally a Courthouse, more recently Tourist Office and Heritage Centre. It’s been re-modeled and it looks wonderful. There are sixteen designers ranging from Fashion to Weaving, Wood-work to Metal work.

So come in and say hello, you can’t miss the Building. It’s now called the “Bray Design Centre” and it’s just beside the River in front of the Royal Hotel. Gifts starting from €4 little tinkling things for your tree, to gorgeous mirrors with integrated shelving at €245.

The list of Designer participating in the Design Co-op Absolutely Wicklow are:

Christien Van Bussel: Ceramics and Wood-craft

Frances Brosnan: Ceramics

Mette O’Connor: Amoc Jewlery

Muriel Beckett: Weaver and Textiles

Geoffrey Healy: Ceramics

Jenny Kelly: Ceramics

James Carroll: Stickman Woodcraft

Carol Smith: Milliner

Liam McEvoy: Cabinet-maker, Glendalough Woodcraft

Lucina and Aida Lennon: Galerie Lissette

Lynne Baillie: Astrid Hair Accessories

Chaim and Carol Factor: Hill-picket Studios, Woodcraft

Cillian Johnston: Woodcraft and Furniture

Deborah Von Metzradt: Textiles and Little Scrap

Sarah McGahon: Milliner

Michael Calnan and Gunvor Anhój: Metalwork

See www.AbsolutelyWicklow.ie for more details & http://www.craftinireland.com/events/details/absolutely-wicklow-retail-store/

This was all made possible by the generosity of the current owners Lord and Lady Meath.

Here are some photos of my work, with the kind permission of Ian Lush.

There will be more & I’ll keep you posted. 

The line-up includes: Sewing, felting, Knitting, Kids Craftzone, Knit-a-thon.

Mermaid Arts Centre,

Sarah will be demonstrating how to deconstruct and re-make a gorgeous head-piece.

www.Braysummerfest.ie

http://www.mermaidartscentre.ie/craft%20day%20at%20mermaid%20arts%20centre.htm

For those of you who don’t know I’ve just launched a Bridal-Head-Wear Collection, (pictures below), available exclusively in Dirty Fabulous, Wicklow Street, Dublin 2. You can see it here.

2 bits of amazing news 1) I got my transmission date for my Nationwide programme and the other will be revealed later . . .

Nationwide Programme: Handbag and Hats about Beverly Bags Handbag Factory in Bray, now and then

In it’s heyday there were 70 people working there. They sold Handbags out of Saks Fifth Ave and Harrods etc. and they made Handbags for people like Maeve Hillary, Jackie O and Grace Kelly. The Transmission date is Wed 26th January at 7pm on RTE1

After the Transmission date it’s available on RTE i Player (worldwide). Tell all your friends! Thanks to everyone & whoever is upstairs looking after me!

Become a Fan at Facebook | Follow me on Twitter

Hoping the weather would hold up for this Ladies Day, is fruitless, as it was a dim and drizzly start to the racing. This meant that the colour was affected by the morning’s rain, so Ladies retreated to the old favourites of Black and White. As usual the style at these events was super.

The first lady to catch my eye was Sabrina and Karl Murray, who explained to me about her outfit. She had seen a dress very like it on Myleen Klass and when she spotted it in Debenhams she knew it would suit her. Fortunately for her, the dress came free with the headpiece! She told me it had taken her since 9am to get ready, the fake tan needing the most time! So the rest of the outfit the Shoes are from Penney’s, the Bag, Julian McDonald and the Jacket was the most expensive at €50. Asked had they any tips for the day, they said “place a few Euro on Rip VanWinkle” (which incidentally went on to win) Karl told me he got the suit in Lewwlyn off Grafton Suit, to go to a friends wedding.

So the next gorgeous girls that I bumped into were my friend’s sister and her friends, Fidelma, Gillian, Shelly and Ciara. Fidelma was celebrating her birthday. Brilliant way to enjoy your day! Shelly was wearing a gold dress from a label called Forever 21, the Jewellery, shoes, boots and bag were from Penney’s, and the headpiece she mad herself. Gillian wearing a dark green dress told me she bought the dress in Coast in Kildare Village, the rose in her hair and the bag were from Penney’s, her shoes from Wallis, and asked what her favourite piece was she pointed to her Opal which she got in Australia. Fidelma was wearing a dress by Karen Millen, Shoes by LK Bennett, and the headpiece was one from Penney’s which her friend Shelly had customised for her. Asked what was her Top Tip for remaining stylish throughout the day, she said long-lasting make-up! Ciara, was wearing a Black & Navy Dress by Diane Von Furestenburg in Brown Thomas, Shoes and Bag by LK Bennett, Shawl she had combed through town looking for and couldn’t find one and finally she found it in Kildare Village. Her favourite part of her outfit is her dress, she loves the colour.

The next group of Ladies were a Hen day out and there were so many, please let me apologise if I get names or details wrong. There was a mix of girls from Ireland, London and Sydney. Lorraine was in a black lace dress, which she got from Karen Millen, the jacket from Miss Selfridge. So Louise (not in picture) was in a black lace dress also from a little boutique in Longford called Ainé’s shoes TK Maxx, Hairpiece she got that morning and the Jewellery and bag borrowed for the day. Next up in Jackie (not in picture) in a purple watercolour pattern dress from Karen Millen, Pashmina & shoes borrowed while the headpiece came from Coast. Dervla O’Reilly was in a Taupe ruffled dress from Warehouse, headpiece from Penney’s, Shoes from McDonaghs a gorgeous small shoe shop in Cavan. Kate, (at middle back, so outfit not shown) from Sydney, now lives in London, her Shoes and Dress from Karen Millen, headpiece from Karen Millen, and her favourite part of her outfit is her headpiece cos she said you don’t normally get to wear them. Up next was Siobhan Barry Centre in the Black & Red Headpiece) wearing a dress that she got 3 years ago from a boutique called Tiger Lily, and the Hat was accessorised especially from Fortuna in Dunshaughlin (with added Ladybirds), the shoes from a boutique on Wicklow Street. Aoife was in a blue pleated dress from Pinko in London, a Spanish Label, shoes from Nine West, Bag Dune, and Shawl from Accessorise and headpiece from John Lewis. Lynn was in a green dress from Whistles, shoes from Buffalo, Pashmina from BT, bag DKNY in Debenhams. So Deirdre was in a dress from the Tiger Lily’s Boutique, the hat and shoes are borrowed for the day, and the bag was from Guess.

The lady up next, her name was Catherine, and she was celebrating, because she was now able to fit into her favourite Coast dress after having twins a year ago. The shrug was from Principles, (a welcome addition to the sudden coldness) the headpiece was from a designer called Aida Silva from a Boutique called Divine, the shoes were a present to herself many years ago bought from BT and by Moschino, and the bag from Principles. She reckons to remain stylish throughout the day is to dress comfortably.

The next group of colourful women were Suzanne Eivers, Niamh and Joan Rothwell. Joan Rothwell, looked stunning (she went on to win the Ladies Day Competition) Her matching coat and dress was a very fine white chiffon ornately embroidered with lilac flowers from Ruby Rouge by a designer called Trelise Cooper. The almost edible shoes came from Vivienne Westwood. (A stiletto heel, in an iridescent creamy colour with tiny shiny cherries on the top) The hat was the most wonderful Philip Treacy which she adorned with her own rose, which she explained to me, the closing at the back of the dress had red petersham ribbon with white buttons, so she felt the hat needed a flash of red like the dress. Simply divine! Niamh Rothwell was wearing a very flattering mustard yellow coat from Almost Famous the dress from Ruby Rouge also by a designer called Kate Burnshaw, the headpiece came from Aristohats in Newbridge and she had the bag for many years. Suzanne works for a boutique called Ruby Rouge in Gorey and explained to me about each outfit. She herself was wearing a dress from Ruby Rouge and the coat from a boutique in Newbridge that she can’t remember the name, her bag and shoes from LK Bennett and she told me that if you dress comfortably and have fun, you’ll last the whole day.

The very traditional ladies in Black and White had a touch of My Fair Lady about them. (Maybe it was the pillbox that did it) We had Eibhilin Mhic Fhearraigh a (in the plain black dress) milliner from Portlaoise wearing her own Jackie O on her head! Her dress came from LK Bennett from several years back, and the part of the outfit she loves the most is her hat, which adds wonderful movie-star elegance to the preceding. Her friend Paula Miller designed her own hat, and Eibhilin then stitched it, the dress from Coast, shoes from Dunnes Stores and her most prize possessions are her black costume jewellery pieces. The one she showed me was from a designer called Gerry Browne, who specialises in black stones. The next picture is of the back of the Pillbox hat *

The next 3 glamorous ladies were June Fitzpatrick in her grey dress from the Autumn collection of Compaigne L Shoes and Bags from Cinders in Wicklow Street, the headpiece is from Costello and Costello in Dundrum Shopping Centre. Collette McCrann, was wearing a taupe dress with matching printed coat, and a burst of purple feathers. Her coat and dress were from a label called Compaigne L from a boutique in Merrion, the Hat and bag are borrowed for the day and the shoes are from Cinders. Deirdre Taylor, she was wearing a Philip Treacy Leopard print sinimay hat, and a white linen coat from LK Bennett the gloves are borrowed, and she told me to make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes for the day

A vision in pink and grey came Margaret Connolly from Mullingar, she bought the hat in Arnotts in a sale and added the flower that came from her cake for her 21st birthday! Her dress cost an astonishing €5 in a sale in a boutique called Minx in Mullingar, the jacket was a quick purchase on her way to Cheltnam and it cost £10, shoes from Penney’s the bag is from River Island and umbrella (an essential given the day) came from Shaws in Mullingar.

The next picture is a group of glamorous on-lookers watching one of the fashion shows that were held at the races

One of the fabulous ladies who I spotted was the very bubbly and colourful Brenda Savage, she was wearing a dress from ASOS, Shoes & Bag from Dorothy Perkins. Her Top Tip for remaining stylish throughout the day is confidence and to have lots of fun!

The next 2 pictures are the Ladies shortlisted for the Best Dressed up on stage showing off their outfits.

And Finally some words of advice from Andrea Roche, who was judging on the day with the help of the seventh most beautiful woman in the world, the Miss Ireland Universe Rosanna Purcell. (There is a brief picture of her in the background, the picture of the back of the white pillbox *)

So Andrea recommends that in order to be photographed that you need colour and lots of it, the photographers love hats, they make a great pictures also take care with the accessories also.    She explained to me about her outfit, she was going to wear a pink dress, but at the last minute because of the rain changed her mind. So the dress came from Ted Baker, the Jacket Muji and the hat borrowed for the day from Edel Ramberg.

A chat with Andrea was a suitable end to a stylish day, where the favourite horse (Rip Van Winkle) won, and the wonderful Joan Rothwell won Best Dressed Lady!

I felt this needed to be divided into 2 parts because there were so many wonderful women to talk to, and there was just so much information. So the next part:

(A point to note, if the pictures are stretched or skewed there are properly proportioned copies on my Facebook page, Sarah McGahon Millinery, also these are my photos that I took and I have permission from each person to publish them)

So Regina McCarthy, is in a black & white polka dress, she lives in New York, so purchased all her outfit there, she had recently completed a workshop with the wonderful Milliner Lina Stein, and so she had made her own hat, which was a cute stylised ladybird, a beautiful flash of red with an otherwise monochrome outfit. When I spoke to her, she told me her tip for remaining stylish throughout the day was to pace yourself, have a few winners, and have fun! So the extraordinary hat and the lady in the picture is Lina Stein, the Australian Milliner based in Westport, makes the most amazing sculptural pieces. The beret base is made with sequined fabric, the brim is blocked, then the sinimay (the straw) distressed, and then repeat the process a number of times. Her dress is based on Grevelle Deville (I hope that’s right) and was provocative and sexy.

So the splash of silver and white comes from Siobhan Walshe and Priscilla Cronin, Siobhan was wearing a Carol Kinelley hat, her dress is from Glitz and Glamour (she’s the owner of the Boutique, and she said I was to keep an eye out for her on TV’s Ireland am) the designer of the dress is from an Irish Label called Fiji, and she shoes are from Carvella, next to her is Priscilla Cronin, her hat was by Carol Kinelley also, and her shoes from Glitz and Glamour, the dress is from Matilda Cano from a Boutique in Newcastlewest called Kimono, so her jewellery is from River Island and she said that if you have fun during the day, it makes the day even better!.

So this lady was my suggestion for the outfit, most on trend, Niamh Ni Choileain, is wearing a Taupe dress which is got from the Design Centre by a designer called Claire O’Connor, the shoes come from LK Bennett, Gloves are from Jenny Vanders, Bag is Aldo. She had the outfit 2 weeks ago for a wedding and then added the umbrella for the day. The piece de restiance is the hat; the almost luminous colour coral concave disc with an elegant bow is from Philip Treacy.

I audaciously (maybe charmingly) interrupted the Judges of Ladies Day, to see what they were wearing, (I was going to ask them what they were looking for in the Best Dressed Lady, but thought that would be too bold!) So Mandy Maher is the owner of “Catwalk Model Agency” in Galway, her suit was from Olivia Daniels in Athlone, her bag & shoes from Madison in Galway city, and the hat by Susie Mahony. The other gorgeous woman is Patricia McCrossan, who is the editor of Galway Now Magazine , she told me she got the dress from Max Mara in Singapore, shoes in Singapore, and the hat was by Mark Burke.

Next up was the gorgeous Rosanna Davidson, who I waited patiently between lots of people, to talk to her. She was very gracious, so she explained that her headpiece was from a friend of hers called Veronica Ryan, she was going to wear Joanne Hynes, but there was a last minute change of plan, so instead opted for a colourful dress from Chica, boutique. When I asked her how she suggested ladies remained stylish all day, her reply, was to carry yourself confidently and have fun.

Next up I cheekily interrupted the wonderful Mother and Daughter team, Niamh and Margaret Bohan, Niamh was in a cream dress, with wonderful detailing, she explained to me, her bracelets were from River Island, the amazing shoes were an flamboyant purchase they were from Vivienne Westwood, from her Mellisa Range, the dress from Rubber Ducky range from Ruby Rouge Boutique in Moycullen, the clutch was Monsoon, the Umbrella she had for ages, the hat from Catherine Cooke from a Hat shop in Galway City. Beside her was the lilac Margaret, her hat was from Susie Mahony, dress from First Select, shoes John Lewis, bag Costello & Costello and the shawl she got from the treasure trove that is Portebello Road in London.

The 4 ladies from the next photo were enjoying the day, they explained to me about their outfits. Karen Reedy in the pleated turquoise dress is from Karen Millen, Headpiece from Shaws, Shoes from Shu and the bag borrowed. Next up in the wonderful jacquard woven coat was Debra Gilligan, her coat and pants were from Beautiful Lady in Athenry, and Necklace and Bag from Fields of Athenry. So Elaine Williams her dress is bought yesterday from River Island, where she works, shoes from Shu, the Hat from a boutique called Lime and her Top Tip for the day is to get up early that morning, and do the tan and nails the night before! The lady in the flower dress is Nicola Kilkenny; her dress from Fever which is from a boutique called Imasa in Limerick City, Shoes and Bag, Karen Millen, her Top Tip is to get home early the night before! The women who accidentally got cropped is Helen Kilkenny, her shoes and bags from Bow boutique, the dress from D-Finest in Portumna, and the headpiece she got from the Hat Shop in Eyre Square and it was customised to match her dress.

The next set of photos are from the “Anthony Ryan’s Best Dressed Lady” tent, where I snapped a series of women and don’t have their details. If you’re here and want to be credited, give me a shout. In the tent I interviewed the next 2 ladies, Natalie Mills, in the beige shift dress, her dress was from M&S, Hat from Faith Almond, Shoes Office, Bag Mango and she explained to me she started with the headpiece as her inspiration for her outfit. Deirdre Casey is in a black ruffled dress from Zara in London, Bag Urban Outfitters, Shoes M&S and she suggested saving your feet, you could pack some sparkly flip flops for after you’ve been papped!!

Amongst the next photos are Carol Kineeley (in the purple Ostrich feathers), who was the Milliner of the Best Dressed Lady, Anne-Marie O’Leary. I spoke to her briefly about how Anne-Marie’s outfit came about. Anne-Marie said she wanted it to be inspired by pretty things and she consulted the dress designer Karen Moriarty and Carol at every step. She told them she wanted a 1940’s feel to her outfit, and the hat was a work of art and took about a week to make. The lady in the Black hat with the upturned Brim is Bairbe Power, Fashion Editor of the Irish Independent.

So in the Champagne Tent I came across the wonderful Rebecca Jane Higgins, who explained to me about her wonderful tailored dress. She told me her dress is by a designer called Sean Byrne, who won best designer of the year last year and had just moved to London, (where she also lives) he’s a friend of hers. He made the dress especially for her, (she joked that she was his “muse”) and he now wants to make a range of dresses for women her size. Her tip on looking wonderful for the day is to “have good architecture!”

My final interview of the day was left for the most dapper man I came across in “The G Hotel” that night. The delectable Wayne Cronin who writes for http://socialdublin.blogspot.com/ . He told me it didn’t take him long to get ready, the jacket from a label called Fasçolbe from John Taylor on Baggot Street, a real bargain, the Kerchiffe is by Henri Germain, the tie from Hackett and the Shirt is from M&S, his Top Tip for looking stylish the whole day is to buy a good quality Non-Iron shirt & don’t take your jacket off. He said if you’re comfortable you’ll show off your clothes, not to let the clothes wear you.

So that concluded my exhausting day of talking to fabulous people, my overall impression was the style was incredible. If you bear in mind that on Thursday 29th July 2010 at Galway Races for Ladies Day there were 44,500 people there, of them we will assume half of them were women, of them every single woman was dressed up to the nines, regardless of budget, size or age, and all of the women I saw were wearing their best gunas! It was an amazing experience, as one woman commented to me, she’d been to Ascot and the Style wasn’t as good as this! I think Irish women have a lot to be proud of!

My last few photos are some background shots of gorgeous women and my favorite shot is one of Anne-Marie O’Leary winning Best Dressed Lady, if you look carefully in the middle you will see the pure joy in her face!

My next post will be on the RDS Horse Show Ladies Day.

I wanted to write about my experience at Galway Races Ladies Day  because I felt there was a huge gap between the style that happens on the ground and what gets written in the National and Local press. And the style was incredible; the amount of effort put into each outfit was astonishing.  I cannot emphasise it enough, the elegance and thought that went into each outfit was astounding!

I also wanted to acknowledge the fabulous women and men that spent hours, if not days considering, matching, stitching, thinking, wondering, talking and maybe dreaming about their outfits for the Galway Races.

So I started early, I got there around 11am, and interrupted women and asked them to tell me about their outfits, their style, what they love about their outfits and what their top tips for lasting through the day and any general fashion advice.

I’m going to apologise in advance if I made a mistake, I was trying to keep up, and there were so many gorgeous women, that it actually caught my breath, I had to stop gushing about the colour, texture, flounces, frills, bows, sparkley accessories, the list goes on . . .

Here’s what I found out:

The first 2 women I bumped into were, Cora Casserlly, who created a facebook page “Ladies Day Galway” who asked would I become a fan. She was wearing an outfit bought in Anthony Ryans, and a headpiece from their too, she was considering her dress from as far away as six weeks ago. She loves pearls, feels they make an outfit more elegant, and they have lovely warmth against the skin. Her Top Tip for the day is to buy flats shoes that match. The next lady I met was Carmel Dooley, she was wearing a black and white outfit, from Anthony Ryan, that she bought in March, the hat was a last minute purchase on Wednesday, and she was also adorned by pearls and had precious bracelets, which came from Diamonds by Julia.

So the next group of women, wonderfully adorned,   (1st Photo) were Emer, she was in a Peach dress, that she got in Fran and Jane, it had long sleeves, but she had them cut off to give a summer feel, her hat was rented for the day by Aristohats from Newbridge, her shoes were LK Bennet, and she recommends not leaving the house without Vaseline and Blusher. The next girl was Niamh Garry, she was wearing a Rose Pink Chiffon dress that she made herself, and she was amazing because she’s a dress designer and she told me the story of the inspiration for the dress that it was from the Sound of Music and one of the outfits that the Baroness was wearing. The shoes were from Dunnes and the Pulse headpiece she added her own beading. The next wonderful lady was Caroline she wanted a proper full brim and crown hat, one that was big and bright, so she deliberately chose a neutral dress, so that she could go mad with the hat! So her showstopper was rented from a boutique I’d of before called The White Door in Dunleer. Next was Stephanie, she said her dress was from Brown Thomas, her shoes also, her hat from Debenhams, her bag came from the Design Centre in Drogheda and she only took one hour to get ready, she says the best way to last the day is to have painkiller for your feet and some spare safety pins. Next up was Cathy in a Navy Dress, the dress was 5 years old from Miss Selfridge the hat was from a Boutique in Tokyo called Ca4la pronounced “Cashla”, shoes, Gloves and Accessories were from Aldo, and the red lipstick makes her feel like she’s a movie star from the 40’s. So Lauren in the white dress, She took 90 mins to get ready, and reckons that you need to prep everything the night before, tan, nails, pack your clutch, etc, she was wearing a dress from Karen Millen, Shoes Aldo, her Mom made the Hat, the Umbrella was borrowed for the day, bag Ted Baker, and her final tip, she was wearing Lip Liner as a lipstick, cos it lasts longer.

So the next group of Ladies I accosted were from Kilkenny (I think), so I’ll try to get this left to right from the picture. Mary McGuire, she was wearing a lace dress with brown stole, So the dress she bought in a boutique, and she got in on sale, she said it was a short cocktail dress, she actually bought 2 of them and added extra onto the shirt to make it longer, the stole her mom made, it came from a very long dress skirt, which was cut lengthwise to make the scarf. Heels Kurt Geiger, Bag Borrowed, and the amazing hat, which if you looked closely had a horse and the word “Galway” in it, was made by Mathew Power from Callan in Kilkenny. Lorna Bagget, was wearing a long Turquoise Maxi dress, from a Boutique in Ennis, she said she started with the dress and worked around the colours, the headpiece, her Mom made it and they colour matched the flower also, she was wearing a plain black bolero jacket and her Top Tip is to pack the gel party feet cushion things! In the centre of the photo is Theresa Maher, she was wearing a long purple dress with black spots. So her dress came from My Dress in Carrick-on-Shannon, the hat from Aristohats and it was a Philip Treacy hat, her bag and shoes were a treat to herself, the bag, Lulu Guinness and the shoes Rupert Sanderson. So Jenny Cunningham of the black circles dress, she had started off about a month ago with a completely different outfit, she commissioned the hat from Mathew Power, then once the hat was finished, and the dress tried on, she wasn’t 100% so on a recent trip to Dublin, she spotted this dress, in a boutique called Kelli in Ranelagh and she fell in love and she just had to buy it! Shoes LK Bennett, Wrap she made herself, her Top Tip is not to drink too much and if you wear something you love, it will always make you look fabulous! Next up is clever Maria Raggett, she was wearing a Pennys purple jacket, which she changed the buttons, and match the buttons from the jacket to her dress also. White dress from Warehouse, the brolly from Butterslip in Kilkenny, shoes shoerack and on her wrists she had some pleated crin, with purple ribbon, that looked like a cross between a lace glove and a long linen cuff! Fabulous!

So the next women to catch my eye for the colour and glamour were (all from Galway, I think) Fiona Caulfield, she was wearing a pleated white dress from Kilkenny Design in Galway, Shoes from Frego, Bag from Chloe, the Hat Suzie Mahony, her pearls she loves and they came from a jeweller in Loughrea, and her Top Tip is to bring Flip Flops. In the navy prom dress we have Katie Warren, who it was her first time to Galway Races! Her hat from Gladys in Clarinbridge, dress Retro in Dublin, shoes Fitzpatricks, Gloves, Socks and Bags on e-bay and Bag Louis Vuitton. For Aoife Kileen, she took only 30 mins to get ready, but she had made her own hat, so that would have taken countless hours beforehand! She was in a purple dress, from Dunnes Stores, her shoes are old and she can’t remember where they came from, Bag Pennys, and she cleverly accessorised the dress with a wide red satin ribbon. The lady on the right is Elisa Molloy, her outfit started from the dress, which came from Treasure Chest in Galway City, Shoes Les Juemele, Bag Debenhams, her hat from Treasure Chest also and she added the rose herself, her Top Tip is Lip Gloss and Dermot Weld!

The following 2 Ladies I took because their colour was striking! Natasha Murphy is in a Peach and Black Lace dress from a shop in Castlebar called Sara, (hope I got that right) Bag Dunnes, Shoes Pennys and the Black Straw hat came from Dunnes Stores, she cut the crown out, then re-twisted the brim back onto itself and added a Peach silk rose and net. Wow! She says to last the day you need the gel feet cushions and then a travel size deodorant or a baby wipe in a tiny zip lock bag. Then we have Breda Lavelle, the dress also from the boutique in Castlebar called Sara, shoes & bag Pennys, Umbrella customised herself with ribbons, and the hat her Mum and herself made it. God Bless ingenious Moms!!!

The next girls I was delighted I bumped into, because their design story in amazing! The main idea came from Anna Corbett and she thought that it would be great to use Sex and the City as inspiration. The 3 girl’s hats in the photo their hats were made by Catriona King from Tuam. Anna (who didn’t want to be in the photo) was wearing a black and white outfit. The dress from Demore in Galway, and she was delighted because she got great bargains, Shoes & Bags Cobblers in Loughrea and they have a new shop in Oranmore. Her main tip for lasting the day is Insoles, and then fake tan or bronzer under the tights. So for the 3 girls, we will start with Laura, in the black and white dress, her character reference was Charlotte, (she confessed, all of them wanted to be Carrie!!) so in a very elegant and Charlotte way we have a very considered outfit, where everything matches beautifully. If you look carefully, the trim on the shoes tie in with the border on the top of the dress. Dress from Lisa’s in Cork, Shoes & Bag from Glitz and Bitz, Umbrella borrowed from a cousin. So the lady in the long pink dress in Catherine and she is the doppelganger of Samantha, and so Catherine wears her debs dress, which she cleverly customised by ruching up the front, her handbag from Debehanams and shoes from Shu. The pink Tutu dress belongs to Anne-Marie Corbett who won the position to be Carrie. Dress from Lisa’s in Cork, Shoes from Shaws in Fermoy, and she was delighted to tell me her cousin did their tans. Her ring is from Pennys and her treasured possession is her bracelet which was a present for her 21st birthday.

I was drawn to the next group of people because the Man of the Group looked extraordinary, I couldn’t decide if the outfit was camp or gorgeous, but either way I had to talk to him! So from the photo, the man in the grey suit didn’t want to tell me about his outfit, even though he was in a gorgeous suit. The lady in purple was called Emma Johnson, her dress came from Helen McIlinden from House of Fraser, the bag Barrets, Shoes dyed specially, and the headpiece made by Keith (of the Peach Silk Suit). So Keith Kane (of the Peach Silk Suit) a hairdresser from Belfast told me that this suit was from Amsterdam, the Shirt and Shoes hand-painted in Italy the stick came from Edinburgh, and it was all a last minute decision. He dyed the hat to warm up the colour so as to blend in. The lady in Coral was called Amelia Fowles, her suit came from Armani which she had bought for a family wedding, and the hat was made by Keith specially to match the suit. Gloves e-bay, Shoes Dune. Her Top Tip for the day was to get a guy with a good eye to once over your outfit and then spare stocking in your bag, just in case.

I’ll have a lot more in part 2 including a brief interview with Rosanna Davidson, amongst others, and pictures of the Best Dressed Lady! I’ll keep you posted!! A Brief version of this is on my professional facebook page “Sarah McGahon Millinery”

Part 2 to follow shortly:  The next few photos you will see, are wonderful stylish women who caught my attention:

I love this picture because of it captures the anticipation of the Best Dressed Lady Competition

Ulster Bank – Aoife Fitzgerald (beside Spar)
First Active – Darren Nesbitt (Opp Bannon Jewelers)
Chinese Masseuse – Roisin Verdon (Opp old Central Garage/Garden Shp)
Carpet Shop – Eithne Griffin (Opp Smiths Toy Store)
Pazzarro – Fiona O’Farrell (Opp Royal Hotel)
Elverys – Sarah McGahon (Opp Winstons)

The Official Opening is in Pazarro, at 6pm with a FREE wine reception open to the Public, so bring all your friends. There is a little walkabout to all the other locations. There will be a map as to where each of the other shop fronts are.

This a free Art Exhibition, as part of Bray Summer Fest, please tell everyone you know!

For more information, I’ll be updating my twitter page regularly, so to follow me on Twitter it’s Secret_Milliner!

Hope to see you there, Sarah. www.BraySummerFest.com for more details.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=168661&id=13386852019