I was so honored that Carol Kennelly Millinery was named Irish Accessory Designer of the Year, at the Kerry Fashion Weekend Awards at the Brehon Hotel in Killarney on Sunday. The day started with Champagne reception followed by a Fashion Show featuring the 10 Finalists and MacBees Killarney, Jasmine Tralee, Mon Ami Killarney,  Carraig Donn Tralee, Hannons of Castleisland.

I’d like to say a big thank you to the judges with, Melanie Morris, Image Magazine Ireland, Designer, Peter O'Brien, Baibre Power Fashion Editor Irish Independent and Designer Eilis Boyle.

I wanted pearls to play a large part in my collection. I enjoy working with pearls, as firstly I find sewing them therapeutic, but secondly they remind me of champagne bubbles! 

I decided on the colour palate because I find these colours optimistic and very flattering to the pearls. 

The shapes for my pieces are drawn from architecture that I find inspiring - buildings like the Sydney Opera House, the Guggenheim in New York and Bilbao. and the Gold Dome in Oklahoma City. 

The materials I have used are pearls, siminay, metal wiring, oasis balls, feathers, silks, vintage lace, netting, stretch polyester, artificial flowers and diamante jewels. 

All the pieces I have made over the last ten months draw on inspiration from the past, but with a modern twist. My aim was to do the same with this capsule collection. 

I entered a collection of eight pieces in all, click on the thumbnails to see detail pics and a full description of each piece

The other winners were...

The Kerry Fashion Designer of the Kerry, Karyn Moriarty

KFW One to Watch, womenwear designer, Sinead Doyle

KFW Merit Award 2011, fashion designer Matt Doody.

Michael Leong was named Irish Fashion Designer of the year.