Glamorous ladies from all over Newcastle travelled to Franco’s Restaurant on Jesmond’s Brentwood Mews last month for a glitzy charity fashion show, raising money for St Oswald’s Hospice. The pieces from the show were provided by local fashion retailer Designer Desirables.

The event included a Champagne reception and three-course lunch. (Franco sent my friend and me into fits of laughter when he asked if we were modelling in the show – either a very funny guy or someone who should have skipped the fashion show and gone straight to Specsavers).

The first part of the show presented a range of coats, gilets and boots. The second half showcased party frocks. The owner of Designer Desirables is Paula Gibbon, and she is a firm believer in old-school glitz, glamour and all things pretty. “Lots of retailers sell lovely plain dresses, but I like my pieces to have a little something extra, something a bit different…I love sequins and fur and feathers,” she told JesmondLocal.

Gibbon has been working with a number of celebrity stylists recently and says the celebrity she would most like to dress is Cheryl Cole – dressed in clothes from a North East business would be extremely fitting, she reckons.