While Irish fashion currently enjoys an exceptionally high international profile, the opportunities for designers to capitalise on this success remain few. Which is why a showcase being offered next weekend in London ought to be welcomed. Predicted to be the largest display of Irish goods and services yet organised anywhere, Expo Ireland in the Olympia exhibition halls covers everything from sports and travel to food and business, as well as including a series of fashion shows featuring many of this country's leading design talents. These events, underwritten by Enterprise Ireland and Smurfit Media, are intended to demonstrate the full range of fashion now being produced here.

For many of the designers and companies included, the shows will provide wider public exposure than has been available to them before now. No fee is being charged for participation, and presentation standards for the shows will be high. Styling is the direction of Irish-born but London-based Sally O'Sullivan. Some 20,000 visitors are anticipated at each day of Expo, and they will be offered a show in the morning and afternoon. These are part of a larger entertainment programme which includes concerts by Van Morrison, Brian Kennedy, B*Witched and The Saw Doctors.

Naturally, some of the design names will already be familiar to English audiences and are regular participants in London Fashion Week, which happens later this month. The Expo shows open with three of the most successful designers in Ireland at the moment: John Rocha, Lainey Keogh and Louise Kennedy. There will then be a film section of Philip Treacy's hats and a display of Slim Barrett's jewellery - including, it is hoped, the tiara he made for Victoria Adams's wedding at Luttrellstown Castle this summer. Coincidentally, both Treacy and Barrett are from Co Galway.

The rest of the show will be made up of groups of clothing divided according to colour or function and featuring major players of the industry here such as Michel Ambers, Regine, Quin & Donnelly, Ramsay, Yellowhammer and Watercolours. Then there are other important Irish fashion labels including Marc O'Neill, Lyn Mar, Mary Gregory and Ciaran Sweeney. Some of these - Sweeney and Gregory among them - have also taken retail space at the event.

All the clothes are to be from the respective designers' autumn/winter collections, and the entire focus of the weekend is on the consumer and not trade buyers. The late 1990s has been a buoyant period for Irish fashion, with exports of clothing reaching close to £350 million last year. Our nearest neighbour continues to be our largest overseas market, and events such as Expo Ireland should help to keep that business growing.

EXPO Ireland takes place at Olympia in London next Saturday and Sunday. Admission is £10 sterling. Fashion show times are 12.15 p.m. and 4.15 p.m. on Saturday, and noon and 5 p.m. on Sun- day. For tickets or further information, telephone 0044-181- 7410649