Four legged fillies get overlooked on Ladies Day at the Dublin Horse Show

With Ladies Day in full swing at the Dublin Horse Show, the four-legged fillies were barely getting a look in.

"I'd like to watch the showjumping but..." shrugged a contestant preoccupied between keeping her large hat balanced and maintaining her place in the queue.

And with acclaimed milliner Philip Treacy on the judging panel, the stakes were higher than ever.


By 3pm, over 600 women - and a semi-respectable scattering of men - had already been up on stage to discuss their outfit, taking in provenance, colour, structure and even, it seemed, philosophy.

Anything goes seemed to be the trend of the day and there were feathers, lace, neon - and all manner of off-the-wall hats and headgear including the famous RDS Puissance red-brick jump artfully depicted in red and white beads worn by Breda Hegarty from Cork.

A 'hobby' milliner in her own right, she designed the hat especially for the occasion.

And with many other milliners also on hand today, all were in a state of sheer excitement in the hope of meeting their leading inspiration Philip Treacy attending - incredibly - his very first ever Dublin Horse Show as a guest of the g Hotel.
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However he admittedly he had been there in spirit on countless other occasions.

Head to toe in striking cobalt blue by Alexander McQueen, Treacy talked about his hat philosophy, revealing how as a student, people had thought he was mad to go into hatting. "I disagreed, thinking "well everybody has a head," he said.

And though he now dresses the heads of royalty, the Prince of hats told how some of his most exciting jobs have entailed making hats for women who have saved up for a Philip Treacy hat to wear to the weddings of their children because it "means more."

"The woman who works in my shop in London says that actually I don't sell hats, I sell dreams," he said.

At the Horse Show with his partner, Stefan Bartlet, Treacy said he was in Ireland for the next week, taking in a visit home to Ahascragh in Co Galway and trip to the g Hotel in Galway City, for which he designed the interior.

And though he had only just arrived and hadn't had time to survey the crowd of the best-dressed ladies, Treacy spoke strongly about the strong sense of Irish style.

"Irish women are supposed to be the most beautiful in the world, aren't they?" he questioned.

"I'd like to watch the showjumping but..." shrugged a contestant preoccupied between keeping her large hat balanced and maintaining her place in the queue.
And with acclaimed milliner Philip Treacy on the judging panel, the stakes were higher than ever.
By 3pm, over 600 women - and a semi-respectable scattering of men - had already been up on stage to discuss their outfit, taking in provenance, colour, structure and even, it seemed, philosophy.
- See more at: http://www.independent.ie/style/fashion/style-talk/four-legged-fillies-get-overlooked-on-ladies-day-at-the-dublin-horse-show-30490900.html#sthash.Y2Aavkjk.dpuf

"I'd like to watch the showjumping but..." shrugged a contestant preoccupied between keeping her large hat balanced and maintaining her place in the queue.
And with acclaimed milliner Philip Treacy on the judging panel, the stakes were higher than ever.
By 3pm, over 600 women - and a semi-respectable scattering of men - had already been up on stage to discuss their outfit, taking in provenance, colour, structure and even, it seemed, philosophy.
- See more at: http://www.independent.ie/style/fashion/style-talk/four-legged-fillies-get-overlooked-on-ladies-day-at-the-dublin-horse-show-30490900.html#sthash.Y2Aavkjk.dpuf

"I'd like to watch the showjumping but..." shrugged a contestant preoccupied between keeping her large hat balanced and maintaining her place in the queue.
And with acclaimed milliner Philip Treacy on the judging panel, the stakes were higher than ever.
By 3pm, over 600 women - and a semi-respectable scattering of men - had already been up on stage to discuss their outfit, taking in provenance, colour, structure and even, it seemed, philosophy.
- See more at: http://www.independent.ie/style/fashion/style-talk/four-legged-fillies-get-overlooked-on-ladies-day-at-the-dublin-horse-show-30490900.html#sthash.Y2Aavkjk.dpuf

"I'd like to watch the showjumping but..." shrugged a contestant preoccupied between keeping her large hat balanced and maintaining her place in the queue.
And with acclaimed milliner Philip Treacy on the judging panel, the stakes were higher than ever.
By 3pm, over 600 women - and a semi-respectable scattering of men - had already been up on stage to discuss their outfit, taking in provenance, colour, structure and even, it seemed, philosophy.
- See more at: http://www.independent.ie/style/fashion/style-talk/four-legged-fillies-get-overlooked-on-ladies-day-at-the-dublin-horse-show-30490900.html#sthash.Y2Aavkjk.dpuf