The Royal Hospital in Kilmainham was the venue last night for a major autumn/winter fashion show from Marks & Spencer

with a line-up of more than 80 outfits.

It was attended by Belinda Earl on her first visit to Ireland as the company's style director.

Since her appointment in 2012, Ms Earl, once dubbed the Queen of Retail, has overseen a rise in sales of M&S clothing for the first time in four years, a remarkable achievement given the mother of two works part-time for the firm.

"In today's world we are able to work in a flexible way with 100 per cent commitment – it is about being organised," she told The Irish Times.

Black silk shirt

Dressed in a low-key but stylish way in a sleek mink leather jacket from Autograph, black silk shirt and silk wool trousers from the current collections, Ms Earl is known for her efforts to interpret current fashion trends in ways that fit and flatter the customer and for her passion for fabric.

“Our leather is phenomenal in terms of value and so is our tailoring, our trouser offer and our cashmere. The feel and touch of fabric is really important and it has to feel as good as it looks,” she said.

The show was strong on trends like the relentless 70s revival with its flares and fedoras, modern bohemian Bloomsbury-style prints with pussy- bow midi-dresses and shaggy jackets along with limited edition Best of British items.