The Merchant Hotel marks its 10^th anniversary in April, with a suite of events and exclusive offers in celebration of ‘A Decade of Decadence.’

As part of the festivities, the hotel will serve up the hottest spring/summer trends this April as The Merchant’s Fabulous Fashion Teas mark their 10^th year on the Northern Ireland fashion calendar.

On Saturday 23^rd and Sunday 24^th April, guests will be treated to two days of sensational style with five Fabulous Fashion Teas presenting the must-have looks from cutting-edge local designers and leading designer boutiques.

Models from The Style Academy will showcase the hottest spring/summer styles from designer shoe and accessories boutique Harper; women’s wear boutique, Walk in Wardrobe in Banbridge; Orchid Lingerie on the Lisburn Road; David Yurman at Lunns the Jewellers; textile designer, Chloe Dougan and up and coming jewellery brand, APD Jewellery, with hair by Andrew Mulvenna and make-up by Lancôme.

During each show, guests will enjoy Veuve Clicquot champagne and mouth-watering patisseries. Afterwards, guests and the public will be able to shop the collections hot off the catwalk, as featured designers and boutiques host bespoke pop-up shops in The Merchant over the weekend.

On Saturday 23^rd April, Harper at The Merchant – home to some of the most sought after designer shoes -will kick off the spring/summer Fashion Teas with a 12noon catwalk show. Exclusive stockists of Christian Louboutin and Miu Miu in Northern Ireland, Harper’s luxurious red soled heels will be the key feature in this opening show, with a mix of classic shapes, colours and fashion forward styles ensuring fashion lovers are well heeled for the season.

Exclusive Banbridge-based ladies wear boutique, The Walk in Wardrobe returns to the catwalk at 2.30pm on Saturday 23^rd April a fashion-forward Fashion Tea packed with stunning occasion wear, hats and accessories sourced from Italy, Spain, Croatia and beyond.  This vibrant collection is perfect for weddings and special events.

For those with their sights on the beach this summer, the Fashion Tea from Orchid Lingerie at 5pm on Saturday 23^rd April is sure to impress. On the catwalk, Orchid Lingerie will showcase the finest swimwear, wraps, beachwear, luxurious loungewear and lingerie. Afterwards, the boutique’s stylists will be on hand throughout the weekend to offer personal advice on the size and shape of lingerie to best suit your shape.

On Sunday 24^th April, the Fashion Teas return with a stunning showcase from David Yurman Jewellery and Lunn’s the Jewellers at 1pm. David Yurman’s master craftspeople use the finest precious metals, rare gemstones and innovative materials to make jewellery of enduring quality and beauty.  The jewellery is exclusively available at its UK and Ireland stockist, Lunn’s the Jewellers in Queen’s Arcade.

Rounding off the Fashion Teas, local designers Chloe Dougan Designs and APD Jewellery will be a formidable duo with a collaborative show at 3.30pm on Sunday 24^th April.
Chloe Dougan will showcase her stunning collection of rose gold suedes, foiled leathers and copper mesh textures. Nudes, pastels and charcoal greys will be prevalent in the collection and will brought to life with exciting flashes of chainmail and body armour, inspired by the costumes of Game of Thrones.

APD Jewellery – the brainchild of The Merchant’s Marketing Director, Petra Wolsey – will join Chloe Dougan in this striking Fashion Tea finale.  Juxtaposing industrial-style materials such as chains and even seatbelt fabric, with semi-precious stones, richly coloured leathers, lace and upcycled vintage jewellery, the APD spring summer collection includes leather cuffs, show-piece necklaces, hair accessories, collars and bracelets. Combining vibrant blues, oranges and pale greys, alongside its signature moody palette of charcoal, black and burgundy, this is the epitome of statement jewellery.

Tickets to the Fashion Shows are on sale now and cost £35 per person, which includes a Fashion Tea of your choice, champagne afternoon tea and a goody bag.  Tickets can be purchased by calling The Merchant Hotel on 028 9026 2717 or by visiting www.themerchanthotel.com

Information on the full suite of events and exclusive Decade of Decadence offers will be released shortly. Stay tuned to www.themerchanthotel.com and follow The Merchant on Facebook and Twitter for further information.