Triumph Lingerie Inspiration Awards at Brown Thomas

Hey All,

Charity fashion shows don’t come in this shape and form very often. To celebrate 125 years in the business of keeping certain parts of the female anatomy from heading southwards, Triumph have themed this years’ Inspiration Awards (TIA), ‘125 of Celebrating Women‘.

Design students from around the world were challenged to conceptualize and design a unique lingerie showpiece in that theme. 19 students from Griffith College and Limerick School of Art & Design (LSAD) entered the competition to represent Ireland; the winner will travel to Berlin this July where winning designers from each country will compete in the global finals.

The 19 Irish student designers presented their concept showpieces in a fashion show in Brown Thomas, Dublin on Wednesday evening. It was quite the glitzy event; judges included Brix Smith Start, Brown Thomas Lingerie, Buyer Mary Mullin, Triumph Head of Marketing, Purminder Mondair and Sunday Independent Columnist, Triona McCarthy. The M.C. for the evening was T4‘s three-piece-suit wearing, George Lamb.

The results: Runner Up #1: 3rd place Svitlana Andriyets – ‘Feline Fantasy’

Runner Up #2: 2nd place Stephen Foley – ‘Why Do Dishes When You Can Do Daquari?’

Winner: Sarah Ryan – ‘The Edge Of Euphoria’

Interesting that all three finalists were inspired by the feminine eras of the past – the prim ’50′s and  the bohemian ’70′s. The judges were looking for designs that were both innovative and wearable (the basic necessities of most successful fashion design concepts, no?) and the final three designs offered both. Designs from previous years were translated into high street pieces, and I’d love to see how Sarah Ryan’s winning piece will look.

It’s quite unusual to see a catwalk / fashion show and see a single piece that stands out so markedly from the others. That’s exactly what Sarah Ryan’s concept did; I had visions of an on-stage Stevie Nicks as the intricate leather braiding and chiffon sleeved design went past. It did smack of the laid back femininity of the ’70′s but without looking remotely dated. Congrats Sarah.

Winning Designer Sarah Ryan with her design. If this is the future of underwear, I’m in.

All the designs will be displayed in the lingerie department in Brown Thomas Dublin for the next week.

L-R: Triumph Inspiration Award winners – 2nd place Stephen Foley and his design, 1st place Sarah Ryan and ‘The edge of Euphoria’, 3rd place Svitlana Andriyets and her design.

All monies raised at Wednesday’s event in Brown Thomas will go to The Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

Yours,

Whisty Xx

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