The Face of the Festival and GALAXY® style ambassador, Darren Kennedy, hosted last Friday night’s Creative Quarter fashion show for Dublin Fashion Festival, in the heart of Dublin 2. As part of the city centre’s fashion filled weekend, the Creative Quarter fashion show was styled by Jules Fallon from 1st Options Models.
The event saw models including Irma Mali and Teo Sutra showcase the diverse and exclusive offerings from top retailers such as Om Diva, The Design Centre and Jennifer Rothwell to name but a few.
The week long citywide festival, celebrated all things fashion and style. The schedule included everything from in-store events, exhibitions, daily on-street catwalk shows, night-time runway spectaculars, glam stations and much, much more.
Darren Kennedy, the face of Dublin's fashion week was recently nominated for an IFTA Rising Star award. So there was no better man to ask our burning style questions!
How did your role as 'the face' of Dublin Fashion Week come about?
It was a question of timing. Interest in Menswear in particular has been growing over the past couple of years so I think it was the perfect time to have a man as the face of the festival for the first time. Galaxy coming on board really allowed the festival to expand in line with the ever growing appeal of style among both men and women.
What were your top three highlights of the week?
Kicking off the week, there was a gorgeous dinner al fresco in the Woollen Mills hosted by Brendan Courtney and Sonya Lennon for the 12 finalists for Young Designer of the Year. It was the perfect get-together to start a busy week.
As for the Young Designer of the Year show itself, it was just spectacular. 12 talented young designers from across the country took part in a stunning show outside the iconic Bank of Ireland building on College Green.
It was a balmy evening so everything just fell into place perfectly. JJ Donnelly from NCAD was named the winner with a beautifully crafted outfit with an exquisite finish.
The Creative Quarter show in Powerscourt Townhouse on Friday evening was super, a great buzz and styles showcasing the designers and smaller retailers that add to the creativity of the area.
You're obviously a very stylish guy, do you have any top tips or style rules for our readers?
1. Progress over perfection: you're not meant to look perfect, it's more important to feel good.
2. Don't over think it.
3. Less is more when it comes to makeup, keep it light and natural and let your natural features do the talking.
4. Fit is everything!
Where are your favourite high street places to shop?
Obviously I love shopping in Dublin City and recent menswear additions like NoWhere Man on Aungier Street is a great spot.
Who are your fashion icons?
Tom Ford. His aesthetic bleeds into everything he does from tailoring to his head office, to even his movies. I've been lucky to meet him on a couple of occasions and he's very charming and funny to boot!
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