• Most intriguing costume: a wolf!

As I crept backstage I was hit by a whirlwind of creativity. As glamorous floor length gowns floated past me I watched on to see everything from towering heels and fountains of feathers to foundation being meticulously applied to bruised knees. The chaos of last minute touch ups didn’t seem to the models as they danced to the warm up soundtrack eager to hit the runway. Suddenly through the fumes of hairspray my attention was immediately drawn to a wolf. He looked as if he had just walked out of one of Brother Grimm’s fairytale books. This puzzling sight backstage at an ultra glamorous show only made me so intrigued about how this was going to work in a show filled with cutting edge designs that I took my seat immediately. I didn’t see this wolf again until the closing of the show. He was part of a wonderful performed piece showcasing Sarina Poppy’s collection titled ‘The Enchanted Forest.’ She stunningly redesigned a captivating take on Little Red Riding Hood’s costume using a lace veil-like hood and polka dots.

• Most controversial: Botox lip mouth piece

studio_805 put together a fun collection playing with the ideas of colour and shape taking inspiration from circus-like fantasy. A sensual soundtrack played on the entrance of two men and a transvestite wearing enormous red plastic mouth pieces shaped like lips. This played with the idea of stiff over-botoxed lips held open in a crude blow up doll-esque manner. The models sauntered down the runway with fierce looks of seduction, just brilliant!

• Most innovative design: ‘Latex Couture’

For me the highlight of the show was an incredible collection made entirely from latex. Joy Williams had cut and manipulated latex to create the impression of billowing ruffles, lace and embroidery. This surprising femininity was very successful and it was interesting to see the bounce and movement that could be achieved from latex. It was a varied collection which explored everyway the latex could be used, taking traditional military influence with a kinky twist. It featured body con and high necked pieces which seemed to carry reference to bondage juxtaposed with feminine details such as oversized bows. This was a very strong collection which made a huge impact on the runway however I do not envy the models that had to peel them off in the sticky heat of the changing room!

• Most versatile collection: ‘Mannequin Parade’

Flik Hall limited the palette of her collection to dusty pink and black with insertions of hessian and fur. The collection featured delicate prints onto the leather and paid particular attention to the variation of shape. Hall showed her ability in sharp tailoring but also created volume in the leather in a micro mini swing dress and a bubble skirt. Each piece explored a new idea, closing with a heavily structured jumpsuit with accentuated pointed hips. She plays around with geometric shape to alter the impression of the female body.

• Most striking piece: Feathered jumpsuit

Meganne Murrin put together a futuristic edgy collection titled ‘Alien Armour: a Secound Skin.’ She plays around with the dimensions of the body using a selection lycra, leather and feathers. She uses sharp defined lines to create her vision. In my opinion the most powerful piece was a jumpsuit in which feathers had been sown to create effectively an outline hour glass figure. This used highly skilled construction but had an overall simplicity which had the ability to dominate the stage.

Louisa Plumstead