Well, what a weekend it’s been for us! A weekend of excitement, trends, fashion, beauty and so much more. Spanning 3 action-packed days, from Thursday to Saturday, we showcased this seasons’ must-have trends, officially opened our new Beauty Hall, demonstrated, conducted workshops, and got our customers – in-store and online – kitted out for the new season with some great discounts!
Thursday, 22nd February
Kicking off the Spring-Summer Season with a bang – we hosted an in-store Fashion Show, which also streamed Live on our Instagram Story for anyone further afield, which showcased 5 of our biggest trends this season.
We led with the Ice-Cream girl trend, which encompasses all things pretty and pastel! Our second trend was ‘By the Seaside’ which is a wonderful nautical theme and had us craving beach days and sunshine! Up third we showcased a merge of two trends – ‘Asian Fusion’ & ‘Wild Garden’. This trend is all about florals, and the Asian aspect is the feel and look of the materials used in clothing. Coming in fourth, we showed our top picks for ‘Ruffles, Frills & Fringes’ which can we showed in skirts, dresses, sleeves and everything in-between. To close the show, we ended on ‘Colour-Blocking’ which is massive for Spring Summer 2018.
Photo by Matt Briton, Donegal Democrat showcasing our Colour Blocking Finale!
Throughout the show we included looks from our Menswear and Children’s Department also, Men’s clothing dominated in the pastel trend, and Kids showcased some beautiful colour-blocking and seaside looks!
Photo by Matt Briton, Donegal Democrat - Great Looks from Menswear
During the show we also heard from Amanda, our Jewellery & Handbag Buyer, and Iris, our Footwear Buyer, who told us what is big for 2018!
Smaller bags are back, and embellished handbag straps are becoming a new fad! In footwear it’s all about the platform heel, metallic, and pearls are big too – the more going on the better!
Photos by Rachel from Donegal Women - Iris & Amanda speak to Eilish about key trends for Footwear, Bags & Jewellery
The idea behind meeting the buyers was to allow customers to ask any burning questions about fashion or beauty, or to find out what it’s like to be a buyer for a particular department!
Friday 23rd February
Still on a high from the Fashion Show, we launched into Friday with a great line-up of events for the weekend! Coverage from Rachel in Donegal Woman, Gabrielle’s Diary & Matt Briton from the Donegal Democrat peaked the interest of trendy men and women from all over, and the store was buzzing with talk of the looks shown the night before.
At 1pm, we had a fabulous demonstration from COM Nerdette Shannon, representing the Skin Nerd & their amazing Cleanse Off Mitt. The Cleanse Off Mitt is a revolutionary, and incredibly simple product, that removes your makeup perfectly – even waterproof mascara - yet leaves the skins protective layer in-tact. The microfiber cloth is suitable for all skin types and all ages and is reusable for 3 months – and did we mention it’s washing-machine safe, what’s not to love?! So ladies, bin those damaging make-up wipes and revolutionize your skincare routine with a Cleanse Off Mitt – available in-store and online!
COM Nerdette Shannon in-store for her Cleanse Off Mitt Demonstration!
Also, on Friday we had the wonderful Irene from Clarins in, giving one-on-one consultations and expert skin advice. We also showcased our very own Anne Marie Carolan, who is our Beauty Personal Stylist here in store. Anne Marie has worked her entire life in the cosmetics industry and is available for consultations in store to recommend beauty or skincare products based on your own skin type, skin concerns or anything you’d like to discuss. Simply call us on 0749131217 or email personalstyling@mcelhinneys.com to book an appointment with Anne Marie!
Saturday 24th February
The events began early on Saturday morning, with Leona, our Promise Buyer, leading a Wardrobe Workshop to talk about key pieces to have in your Spring Summer Wardrobe, and impart her wisdom on the crowd gathered in the Boutique! More excitement came early in the day when Susan & Damian Jackson, Suzanne’s parents, popped in store to have a look at the beautiful new Beauty Hall refit, and of course to meet all the team in McElhinneys ahead of Suzanne’s Guest Appearance to open our Beauty Hall!
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Susan & Damian Jackson pictured with Sandra Devenney - Photograph by Gabrielle's Diary
At 2pm, crowds gathered, and the excitement reached peak levels as Suzanne Jackson entered McElhinneys to Officially Open our newly refurbished Beauty Hall! After a short intro, not that she needed to introduce herself to the eager crowd, Suzanne chatted about her experience getting her Wedding Dress her in McElhinneys and about her product range, SoSu by Suzanne. She was whisked to the main door of the Beauty Hall to cut the giant red ribbon, posing for photographs alongside Martin McElhinney, Noeleen McGowan & Sandra Devenney. After the ribbon cutting, she came back to the crowds who queued patiently to take photos, snap some selfies and have a chat with Suzanne.
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Cutting the Ribbon! Photograph by Matt Britton
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Suzanne pictured with the Girls from our Beauty Hall, Kate & SarahJane from Styled by Sisters & with her parents Susan & Damian - Photographs by Gabrielle's Diary
The Beauty Hall itself was full of surprises and wonder, with giant balloons filled with feathers, and even more balloons with curled ribbons adorning the ceiling, bringing the room to life! The beauty counters lined the walls, shining and new – most of them the first new fit in Ireland, or even the first outside of Europe! Crowds filtered though all day, availing of the giveaways and spot prizes with winners left, right and centre!
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Some photos of our new Beauty Hall!
Models from our Womenswear Department walked around the store, showcasing all the great trends that we covered in our live Fashion Show on Thursday Night. The models allowed an up-close and personal look at the trends we featured.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who attended any of the events over the course of the New Season Launch Weekend, and thank you all for your continued support both in-store and online!
- Niamh x
