Designer Lewis to be honored with lifetime achievement award

18 Jul '08

2 min read

The newly introduced fashion awards for Motorola Dublin Fashion Week will include bestowing lifetime achievement award to designer Richard Lewis.

The fashion week will run from August 25 to 27 and will honor the designer who began his career as early as 1965, earning a reputation for his signature use of fluid matt jersey and wool crepe. Richard Lewis has very often been dubbed as the 'King of cling' and has also been compared to Jean Muir.

Lewis had initially wanted to be an artist, but eventually got trained in fashion design. His first collection, from being just a window display at Switzer department store in Grafton Street, actually attracted buyers and got sold out.

While still in his twenties, Lewis opened his first boutique in 1969 and rapidly gained popularity and reputation for his finesse. Ever since 1977, his twice yearly collections are produced and displayed in the South Frederick Street based salon in Dublin.

At the award ceremony, a special fashion show dedicated to Lewis will exhibit retrospective pieces from his collections lent by long-standing private clients such as former model Sharon Bacon, Monica Murray, Mary Finan and Tona O'Brien.

Besides, it will also feature the very first dress he made in white silk crepe at fashion institute, Grafton Academy.

Nominees for the other six categories were also announced on July 16 which includes John Rocha, Elis Boyle and Helen Cody for designer of the year, Sharon Wauchob, Pauric Sweeney and John Rocha again for international achievement award and Edmund Chesneau, Helen James and Orla Kiely as accessories designer of the year.

The award presentation will take place in the Serpentine Hall, RDS, Ballsbridge, in Dublin on August 27th followed by a designer collective show, which will be open to the public.

More Fashion News - Ireland...