Belfast Fashion Week

Lights, Camera, Catwalk!

FASHIONWEEK Welcomes a New Season With a New Shade… of Pink!

Belfast’s multi award-winning fashion event, West Coast Cooler FASHIONWEEK, is back with a show stopping schedule of runway shows and style events which will kick off on 09 March 2010 in the heart of the city at the old Northern Bank building in Waring Street.

Keeping in tune with the new pastel colour trends for the season, FASHIONWEEK is going pink. Audience members can expect fabulous pink runways, funky décor and of course the refreshing West Coast Cooler Rosé, which will add extra sparkle to the ever so stylish nightly catwalk shows and non stop cutting edge fashion, both on and off the catwalk.

This season’s retailer line up includes one of Northern Ireland’s largest independent multiples, Tempest/Menary’s, who will open the week, showcasing brands such as A Wear, Quiz, Oasis and Warehouse, with other high street leaders including Lipsy, French Connection, Benetton, Argento jewellery and Marks & Spencer setting the style stakes on the high street evening. Debenhams, Miss Selfridge and Vero Moda will be among those showcasing at the CastleCourt event, while local designers such as Una Rodden, Grainne Maher and Lizzie Agnew will show both static exhibitions and runway collections. Designer boutiques Cruise, Jourdan, Blush, Harrison and Candy Plum from Hillsborough will also have collections on the catwalk. Newry-based hot-young-thing Katie McGuigan, whose CCKT label is making waves with fashion industry big wigs in New York and London, will also showcase as will young Coleraine designer Bridgene Graham. Belfast Met students’ work will also shine in what is predicted to be a complete sell-out show. And sticking with the tradition of guest designers from abroad, BFW will this season offer a place to German-based designer Petra Tobias.

And as well as guest designers, the event also welcomes a guest model this season, in the form of Ireland’s only ever supermodel Kiera Gormley, who took part in the campaign photoshoot last week in between her busy schedule which often includes shoots with top photographer Mario Testino for UK & Italian Vogue. Her career CV also includes campaigns for Burberry, Agent Provocateur and MAC Cosmetics as well as catwalk shows for Vivienne Westwood and couture shows for Jean Paul Gaultier and Armani Prive to name a few.

The hair partner for this season’s event is Michael Quinn, while make up artist to the stars Paddy McGurgan has partnered with GOSH! Cosmetics to create the fab make up looks for the shows and shoots.

Organiser Cathy Martin said: “We are so excited about this season as we move to the edgy location of the old bank and usher in the season’s hottest colour, pink. We’re also welcoming back some retailers who have been with us season after season, as well as bringing on board some new collections and designers. And there will be other news closer to our show dates on master classes and style events with the industry’s top experts – both from here and abroad, so watch this space!”

Show tickets, which cost £10, are available from the Belfast Welcome Centre Box Office on 028 9024 6609 or online at www.gotobelfast.com . For further information on show schedules, tickets, links to participant retailers and designers as well as the season’s hottest trends, log on to www.belfastfashionweek.com.

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For further information, stock pictures or interviews with retailers or designers, please contact Cathy Martin or Danielle Hibbert at CMPR on:

Cathy 02890324438 or 07823882095 cathy@cathymartinpr.com

Dani 02890324437 or 07719100158 danielle@cathymartinpr.com