THE baying crowd comprising most of the cast of Strictly Come Dancing – past and present – waiting outside The Royal Opera House this lunchtime was testament not only to the figure Julien Macdonald cuts on the dance floor, but also the style of clothes he cuts for the catwalk.

His signature high-wattage glamour and glitz commenced today with skin-tight, floral-appliquéd pencil dresses slashed to the navel with transparent tulle inserts and cobweb-knit panels that were as sexy as could be, before printed skater silhouettes, ruffled swimsuits, baby-doll shifts and the most decadent of veiled bridal gowns played out.

Mirror mosaics, feathers and thousands of tiny crystals featured heavily – sometimes all in one look- showing that Macdonald has no intention of abandoning his more-is-more mantra any time soon. But then why would he? It’s what we, and all his professional red-carpet friends, queued to see.