Looking at Hussein Chalayan's work is a bit like looking at a painting by an old master—you know immediately who painted it, and that it is the work of a great artist. This show, which opened with dresses with voluminous skirts of multiple gores, was the work of a fashion master. Chalayan displayed an incredible body of work tonight, from his perfectly executed, simple white dresses with their geometric ruffles at the armhole, to semi-opaque pink slips with frills that skimmed down the bodice of the dress and disappeared under the skirt only to reappear hanging from beneath it. There were several pieces de resistance—an inflatable orange dress that was pumped up on stage, a baby pink moulded plastic dress that was opened up by a remote control panel held by a young boy to reveal a froth of pink tulle underneath, and the grand finale - five models in deconstructed corsets in acid brights and matching pleated skirts. As they stood motionless on stage, the floor literally opened and the girls were swallowed into the depths of the theatre. A great achievement for such a young man, this is the kind of show that will go down as a unique fashion moment.
