Health, Beauty and Lifestyle with Denise McNamara

It might have seemed like a rather odd location for a fashion show. Myself and a friend got dropped off at the wrong showroom in the Briarhill Business Park at first – we went for Mercedes rather than Audi.  But once inside Connolly’s Audi Galway, it just worked for the 150 guests who had forked out €30 a ticket in aid of Cancer Care West.

With the gleaming white floors, glass walls and high ceilings, the catwalk was a natural fit as the models – professional and newcomers to the sashaying alike – glided around the €140,000 motors.

It was the first fashion show I’d been to since things went awry for those painful years so maybe that’s why the atmosphere was just so buzzy.

Curated as adeptly as ever by Mandy Maher, there was a great choice of Autumn Winter styles both dressy and casual from seven women’s boutiques and two men’s shops – the Galway ones were Elegance in Athenry, Ivory Lane in Oranmore, Harper on Mainguard Street in town, Fusion Fashion in Moycullen.

Trends which emerged from the night were a prevalence of green, tartan and oversized jackets and coats – just want we want to hear as we slide into these dark night.

It was all hands on deck for staff at Connolly’s serving drinks, cleaning up, greeting guests and selling raffle tickets and divvying out prizes.

It certainly has set a standard for any upcoming fashion show for the future.

How on earth is anyone going to beat those Audi RS5 Sportback beauties as props?

Hats off to all involved for a great cause.

Pictured: Footballer Shane Walsh modelling a €895 suit from Louis Copeland in Galway.