Another look from this year's show.

There's serious fashion talent in Mallow!

With all that’s been going on recently - work trips to Dublin, photoshoots and personal shopping - I almost forgot to fill you in on the Mallow College of Design end of year student fashion show that took place in the Silver Springs Hotel recently.

The college was founded in 1988 by Mary Cashman who is still teaching there and is the principal of the college and this was a very special 30th anniversary show.

As always, the show is a spectacular showcase for new and emerging design talent in Cork, but alongside this new work, there was also a fantastic retrospective of various competition outfits from years past.

I really loved the white Japanese style dress coat from one of the award winners, Jill Farnan, as well as a very interesting velvet and organza look from Kay Dykes. Both of these students are first years which is a great indication of the talent they have.

Second years Nuala O’Farrell and Erika Kolonina both scooped prizes for their work and the third year winners were Miriam Prendergast for tailoring and Isabelle O’Neill for innovation.

Student of the Year was won for the second year running by Janina Sakapilvyte. If the standard of design and workmanship is this good now, I can only look forward to seeing what is produced by next year's students.

In other news, as I write this I am about to run out the door to catch a flight. I’m off on a last minute break to the sun and naturally I’ve left everything till the last minute. However, I thought you would be interested to know that I’ve quite simply out done myself on this trip and I’ve packed for a whole week away with only hand luggage. Granted summer dresses don’t take up that much room but still I like to think this is quite an achievement.

I am still debating whether I need to bring another pair of sandals for night time, as I already have a studded nude pair of block heels packed which I’m pretty certain will go with everything but I just feel like I need another pair.

Of course it goes without saying that I’ll wear the same pair of flat sandals for the whole week and the other block heels won’t even make it out of the bag! I’ve also packed one bikini and three swimsuits even though I know realistically I’ll end up only wearing two, as I probably won’t sit by the pool as much as I think I will and instead will end up going off sightseeing.

Realistically the hardest thing about only bringing hand luggage is the toiletries aspect and of course I have a clear plastic bag which is ready to burst and that’s with everything decanted into small reusable bottles.

It’s always a great time for me to head away as the shops are in full sale flow which makes it difficult to pull looks for shoots or to bring clients shopping, so it's ideal to make the most of this downtime and come back rested for the start of July and then the beginning of the autumn style which of course starts ridiculously early in the fashion world.

Anyway if you are heading to the sales, think long and hard about that purchase. Are you really going to wear it, will it fit in with your existing wardrobe and is it something you would buy at full price?

If so, go for it, you’ve gotten yourself a bargain that you’ll wear again and again.

If not, leave it, your bank balance and the planet will thank you for it.