A Mongolian head-dress, a millinery tribute to Galway and a pop star’s bespoke hat saw attention at the RDS shift from horses to haute couture.
About 1,300 thoroughbreds and ponies are competing at the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show, now in its 136th year, but turning heads today were the hundreds of well-turned out contestants battling for best in show.
Queuing up for the hat contest was Sheelagh Holland from Galway city in a vast, pink feathered creation called Galway Weather she brought to Dublin in the boot of her car. Among the other eye-catching hats were art dealer Elisabeth Koppa’s Mongolian ceremonial hat, and Deirdre Casey’s black spiral headpiece.
Ms Casey, from Cabinteely, Co Dublin said her hat had been designed for famous fashion-loving pop star Lady Gaga. “It’s been made by a Dublin milliner, Sarah McGahon, and it has to be sent over to Lady Gaga,” she said. “It’s very exciting. I hope to see it in a newspaper on her after today, and I can go, ‘I wore that’.”
On the judging panel was actress and author Amy Huberman, wearing a Topshop floral dress and canary yellow Reiss shoes. “I think it’s about people being creative and putting stuff together in a different way,” she said. “Today has that kind of old school sophistication about it, and it’s a nice excuse to come out and dress up.”
The Blossom Hill Best Dressed Lady Award went to Emir Irwin O’Shea from Killarney, Co Kerry, who wore a cream oversized hat and linen jump-suit made by her sisters Niamh and Clodagh.
The 33-year-old, whose prize included a trip to South Africa and a shopping weekend in Milan, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled, it’s a brilliant, brilliant prize. “I never once thought I would win," she said. "People have been getting their eyes taken out by my hat all day.”
PA