All You Need To Know About THE GLOSS GALA 2023

Read all about the biggest, buzziest, most glamorous business event in Ireland …

THE GLOSS Magazine’s Gloss Gala 2023, held in association with Goodbody, was attended by 1,600 women from finance, banking, media, law, marketing, government, recruitment and tech. The Main Hall at the RDS was completely transformed by THE GLOSS team in elegant shades of cream, with jewel-toned flowers on the tables and huge sparkling chandeliers over the 30m-long catwalk.

After a buzzy champagne and Tanqueray Gin & Tonic cocktail reception, MC for the evening, Zara King, wearing a bespoke AndTate dress, welcomed guests on behalf of Jane McDonnell, Publisher and Sarah McDonnell, Editor of THE GLOSS.

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Zara King.

The theme of the event, In Women We Trust, derived from the runaway success of THE GLOSS x Goodbody Investment Club, a female-focused community created during the pandemic to promote financial feminism and the power of connection. The message of connecting and building trust was reiterated by publisher Jane McDonnell: “With trust – in politics, even media – at an all-time low – women can collaborate to foster trust. We can all recommend each other for a job, or a place on a board, choose a female adviser when buying services. We can support as a customer, a mentor, or an investor.”

Kirsty Wark.

That trust is a feminist issue was reinforced by speaker Bafta-winning broadcast journalist Kirsty Wark, who presented a powerful case for women to see each other as allies not rivals. “That’s where the magic happens,” she said. Speaking through the prism of her own personal experience, she gave a compelling account of the many fascinating women – from Margaret Thatcher to Madonna – encountered during her long career at the helm of BBC’s Newsnight. “I learned something from every woman I’ve interviewed,” she said.

Guests were treated to an amazing Look the Business fashion show with 30 models on the 30-metre catwalk under the direction of choreographer and stylist Catherine Condell, with hair and make-up by Brown Sugar. The line-up of THE GLOSS’s favourite designers, labels and retailers included Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Marks & Spencer, Avoca, AndTate, Magee 1866 and Dundrum Town Centre.

The legendary Designer Handbag Draw showered close to 500 gifts on the audience, including a Grand Prize of a champagne appointment at Boodles with a voucher worth €5,000 to spend on jewellery. There were beauty, skincare and fragrance gifts from Seabody, Ground Wellbeing, L’Occitane, Jimmy Choo, Charlotte Tilbury, Storyderm, Neutrogena, Boots No 7 and more, luxury stays galore including at Ballyfin, Dromoland Castle, Ashford Castle, Galgorm, The Westbury and The Shelbourne (with a special evening at The Circle Club), The Intercontinental, Marlfield House, Carton House and vouchers from Magee 1866 and Ireland’s Blue Book, earrings from Momuse and Melissa Curry, sleep sets from Jane Darcy, candles from Rathbornes and from Avoca, as well as designer luggage from Antler, a Nespresso coffee machine, table settings from The Designed Table, a handbag from Landa and a cooking experience for ten guests at Airfield, courtesy of Neff.

No guest left empty handed; at each place setting was a special THE GLOSS X Goodbody note caddy and a fabulous pouch with beauty gifts from Clarins in addition to a Gloss goodie bag filled with great gifts and of course a copy of The Gloss Interiors.

For every gorgeous detail of The Gloss Gala 2023, see the gallery below of all the guests who attended the biggest and best GLOSS event yet and continue to check in for more pictures and reports from the event throughout the day on thegloss.ie.

Click into the gallery to see the guests who attended.