Gareth Pugh A/W 2007

The surprise: That so much of this collection was actually wearable. Pugh might be famous for his avant-garde, outrageous creations, but take away the unusual styling and bizarre make-up, and his autumn/winter line was full of envy-inducing items that will look just as good strutting down Bond Street as it did on the catwalk.

The explanation: 'People come to my shows expecting alien freak people, [but] that's more the association I have with the costume design,' said Pugh. 'I want people to see that it's really about ideas - about making something beautiful. I wanted to make something that people could access.'

Report by Carla Bevan. Photographs by Mitchell Sams