There was a time when underwear was exclusively a thing of function, designed to keep your unmentionables in place, and lay a discreet foundation for the dress, skirt or petticoat that was to go on top. But ever since Jean Paul Gaultier started playing around with the idea of underwear as outerwear (most notably with the the infamous cone bra he created for Madonna's 1990 Blonde Ambition tour), everyone from Rihanna to Lily Allen has been itching to expose their undergarments to the world. This month, Brown Thomas Dublin hosted the Irish final of the Triumph Inspiration Awards, a competition celebrating women's fascination with all things small and lacy. Leading lingerie brand Triumph asked students from Dublin's Griffith College and The Limerick School Of Art And Design to create a unique lingerie showpiece. Here's what they came up with...