Sugary shades the new flavour at a/wear

A black stretch midi-length tube dress overprinted with ornate white religious crosses has become the a/wear chain's surprise best seller in Dublin.

"It sold out as soon as it came in," in-house designer Kelly Gernon, from Coventry, said, explaining that the overall look and spirit of the spring and summer collections shown in Dublin yesterday was "feminine and girly" with many variations on 50s-style fit and flare dresses.

Now owned by Montreal-based Jesta Group, which acquired the struggling business last February after its UK stores were closed down, the chain will resurface in House of Fraser oLondon's Oxford Street next month with further concessions rolling out in 10 other of its UK stores.

Sugary shades

Of the four key trends shown yesterday, two stood out for commercial and popular appeal - one monochrome, the other in sugary shades and prints.

In the first, striped black-and-white blazers, zany striped or drop-waisted dresses and block-layered skirts were easy and affordable updates for an all- black wardrobe, while ladylike summer tweed jackets, some flecked with lurex or neon, brightened up digital-print patchwork dresses or tops decorated with sequinned ice-cream-cone motifs.

Elsewhere, street staples such as bomber, biker jackets and parkas got a fresh look in studded or zipped summer tweeds while long-line cabled sweaters were dipdyed and worn with acid-washed denims in skinny, fit 'n' flare and bootcut shapes.