"OF course, you have events like this all the time in Dublin," said a fellow guest at the Guinness 1996 Fashion Awards in Belfast. Of course, we don't - at least not any more - which made the newly instituted celebration of fashion in Northern Ireland at the weekend all the more worthy of notice.
Six students and 14 designers competed for awards in their respective categories during the course of Friday evening, which opened with a reception in Queen's University. Here, the North's Minister for the Economy, Baroness Denton, commented how pleasant it was to be discussing fashion "instead of dealing in widgets and piping and things one possibly doesn't find it so easy to enjoy".
A previous engagement meant her enjoyment had to be curtailed, but before her early departure she was presented with a wrap by textile designer, Tim Roberts.
Host for the night was the managing director of Guinness Northern Ireland, Mr Brian Duffy. After his recent and much publicised mishap with a helicopter, Mr Duffy must have been relieved that it was a mere short walk from the reception to the Whitla Hall, where the award show was staged.
Caryn Franklin from BBC television's the Clothes Show and GMTV's Eamonn Holmes jointly introduced the different collections, which were assessed by a panel of judges including English designer Amanda Wakeley and UTV's Jacqui Berkeley.
Among the diverse collections of clothing on show, the most notable ranges came from well established names, such as Michelle O'Doherty, who showed navy bias cut dresses with plum hued trouser suits with fine chiffon shirts, and wedding dress specialists Kathryn Morrison and Alison Jayne Matthews.
Equally eye catching were the brilliantly coloured linen shirts of Smyth & Gibson (one of the North's most successful new fashion businesses this decade), Winnie Magee's waterproof linen raincoats - two examples of which are in the wardrobe of the President, Mrs Robinson - and Ann Lawrence's head turning and vaguely medieval hats in velvet and brocade.
The student contributions in most cases rather predictably demonstrated the triumph of imagination over pragmatism with first place being awarded to Declan Kearney, now in his final year at the University of Ulster.
His handsome (and wearable) pieces included a high collared leather jerkin and elaborately tailored frockcoat with narrow legged pants. The night's main award went to Geraldine Connon from Larne, Co Antrim, who showed long taupe coloured coats fastening on the shoulder and dramatic silver stretch lurex sleeveless poloneck dresses and tie fastening trousers.
Although she has been the recipient of similar prizes in the past, Ms Connon seemed quite stunned at her good fortune. Asked for a comment afterwards, she only managed to murmur: "I can't speak." Perhaps she felt that her clothes had already been sufficiently eloquent.