Hats off to ladies’ day

WITH Ladies’ Day at the Galway Races Summer Festival just a week away, it is time to put the final touches to the all-important outfit.
While many will have everything at the ready, others may still be seeking the perfect partner for their favourite dress.
As well as plenty of opportunities to rent or borrow hats, there are also a number of accomplished designers relatively close to Clare offering an extensive choice of ready-to-wear headpieces at competitive prices. As well as getting the ideal accessory, shopping local means supporting Irish crafts people and Irish jobs.
Ennis woman Fiona Mangan is based in Athenry and makes bespoke hats and headpieces for all occasions. Bold fluid lines have been particularly noticeable in her recent collections, as well as vibrant colours and varied fabrics. Her works show strength of form and structure with a distinctly vintage nod.
Another architect, Aisling Maher’s latest collection features pastels and vivid reds, greens and black in an array of rich fabrics, including satins, laces and velvet. The Castleconnell woman’s pieces are inspired by the natural landscape and many have a distinct architectural feel.
Regular readers of The Clare Champion fashion page will be familiar with the works of Loughrea-based Suzie Mahoney. As well as offering a range of hats and headpieces, the accomplished milliner dedicates part of her collection to the braver wearer, with wide variety of pieces specifically for race meetings.
Also in Loughrea is Mark T Burke, who this year produced his first full ready-to-wear collection. The collection is full of birght pinks, greens, purples and also includes very elegant pieces in black. His focus, he says, is on timelessness, clean lines and strong shapes and his spring/summer collection is a reflection of this.