Fruit... and nuts

Dresses made from old tights, glow-in-the-dark corsets, skirts like umbrellas, entire outfits crafted out of wallpaper and headdresses in the shape of giant prawns - last night's Central St Martins BA (Honours) fashion show had all that and so much more.

Held in a run-down boxing hall in the heart of the East End, the fashion college that counts many of our big name designers as ex-students - like John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Matthew Williamson - opened as a warm-up act for the official Graduate Fashion Week which kicks off next Monday at a specially-constructed venue in Battersea Park.

Famous for its particularly outré approach to fashion design, St Martins still manages to attract a healthy mix of larger-than-life characters, overseas talents and the odd celebrity sibling.

This year was Savannah Miller's turn to steal a little of the limelight.

Her younger sister Sienna, 22, and her boyfriend Jude Law had avoided the crush by sensibly coming to the dress rehearsal earlier in the day to cheer on the 25-year-old's 30-piece collection.

Savannah's accomplished range of raw-edged dresses, racer-back vests and artfully-draped leggings in neutral shades of blush pink mixed with neon brights will no doubt have proved a hit with her bohemian sister.

With 36 graduates vying for attention - and only a few minutes on the catwalk to prove themselves - it is not surprising that those students lacking famous family connections had to resort to pretty outrageous tactics simply to be noticed.

Natalie Walsh took her inspiration from the Orient; crafting chopsticks into the pleats of gravity-defying skirts and running up kitsch florals into cute, knicker-baring plastic macs.

Amber Martin looped what looked like heavily-embossed wallpaper into amazing works of wearable art - even crafting her own shoes out of paper cut-outs - and Corrie Nielson accessorised her intricately-draped and seamed jersey dresses with - what else - a "necklace" of men's brown leather brogues.

The award for the most over-the-top collection has to be shared among Manuel Vadillo-Benitez, who topped off his frilled and frothed creations with Carmen Miranda-style turbans; John

Galliano fan Jasper Garvida, whose headgear of choice was anything from bunny ears to sequined fish heads; and finale student Yum-Su Kim for her ruffled panniers and matching dress and bag covered in a multitude of fake fur tails.