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from:http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/licking-your-lips-at-the-best-from-nicks-1254838.html
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The latest show from Harvey Nicols has it all --
including a diverting male model, says Andrea Byrne
By Andrea Byrne
Sunday December 30 2007
Both are pur-veyors of stunning, stylish and high-priced luxury goods,
so it seemed only right that BMW and Harvey Nichols should join forces.
The Great Room in The Shelbourne Hotel was the location and the Irish Heart Foundation
was the recipient in an event that attracted some of Ireland's most beautiful and wealthy.
Everyone's favourite green-fingered gardener, Diarmuid Gavin, dressed in
Dries Van Noten, was MC for the evening. If I had my way, every man in Ireland
would be wearing Dries.
Other attendees of note among the 300 guests included Gordon Darcy,
Ronan Keating, Sharon Smurfit and the ever-stylish Marian Cunningham.
Following a sumptuous feast, guests were treated to a viewing of Harvey Nichols' Autumn/Winter collection, which was met with a room full of approving faces. Then again, when you've got creations from the likes of Matthew Williamson, Elie Tahari, Donna Karen and Vera Wang sashaying down the catwalk, you can almost guarantee people will leave happy. I know I did.
In fact, when a stunning silk cream Galliano dress emerged, I found myself conjuring up a plan as to how I was going to somehow make it mine. At one point, I had resigned myself to a year eating beans and that alone. With the sale now on, I may only have to eat beans for a month.
The audience's appreciation of the show increased one hundredfold (as did the noise level) when the most beautifully built and chiselled male model walked out wearing a pair of tight black trousers. Women young and old, married and single, who would normally be quite restrained and ladylike in their demeanour turned into a pack of howling hyenas, heckling and whistling at this Adonis-like creature.
I digress. Back to the actual reason why I was at the show -- the fashion. It was pure romanticism in a very ethereal way, something that was heightened by the presence of two of Ireland's most talented opera singers, Mari Moriya and Stefania Spaggiari, who serenaded guests throughout.
Despite the season that was being showcased, black was the most prevailing aesthetic. However, there were some strong flashes of colour. Other key trends evident included embellished dresses, high-waisted skirts, tulip shapes, military coats, wide-legged trousers, sequinned partywear and pussy-bow blouses. One lady sitting near me kept a pen very close to the show's running order, marking everything she wanted without a second's consideration for the price. For me, the lady in question is indicative of Harvey Nichols' typical customer, and by that I mean someone who thinks nothing of splashing out
