What McQueen was preparing had a poetic, medieval beauty that dealt with religious iconography while recapturing memories of his own past collections. He had ordered fabric that translated digital photographs of paintings of high-church angels and Bosch demons into hand-loomed jacquards, then taken the materials and cut stately caped gowns and short draped dresses.

The designs were heavily religious, inspired by Byzantine art and masters like Botticelli, Jean Hey and Hieronymus Bosch.

Seven models processed in courtly fashion through a gilded, mirrored, first-floor salon, walking slowly to the same baroque, operatic works the late designer was listening to as he worked on the collection at his studio in London, before his sudden and unexpected death.

The designs were vivid, dramatic and evocative, the underlying religious theme echoed again and again in sumptuous, gold, ecclesiastical embroideries; in silk jacquard woven with patterns of angels and angels’ wings; in the hand-painted gold feathers visible under the draped skirt of a one-shouldered, short gown; and in the stained glass, church- window jewellery which filled the necklines of sharply cut peplum-jackets and dresses, and adorned the wrists.

The sombre music, sung by the German coloratura soprano, Simone Kermes, and including Dido’s Lament from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, intensified the solemnity of the occasion.

The dark, irreverent side of McQueen’s vision and his love of panoply were apparent in a spectral, black, floor-length cloak, encrusted with gilded tigers and heraldic embroidery; and in a long, cardinal-like cape with crimson column dress beneath, bristling with thousands of rustling gold sequins as the model walked across the parquet floor. The models’ heads were wrapped in cloth painted with strokes of grey and gold paint, others with gold or silver feathered mohawks.

It would have been a spectacular catwalk show, in the great tradition of Lee Alexander McQueen.

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Entitled, “And God Created Woman,” after the 1956 film of the same name and backed up by the movie’s sound track, the show opened with a super décolleté black pinstripe skirt and corset.

Louis Vuitton fashion house hired veteran models to grace this show – from Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima of Brazil and French model-turned-actress Laetitia Casta to former Australian supermodel Elle MacPherson of Australia-all women whose physical attributes have acted as a disqualification for fashion show participation for so long.

Remarkable models of the collection were pleated skirts in three different cuts, the largest a dimple A-line, most brilliantly in hard leather. “We wanted from dowdy to sexy in the skirts and we achieved that,” said Louis Vuitton designer Marc Jacobs. And not at last place is the corseted, cantilevered, frill-edged balcony of the models seductively revealing womens’ breasts. The designer also sent out lots of curvy, big-button jackets cut with peplum hems that were the epitome of feminine gentility, wide A-line coats in boucle wool and some very charming printed floral organza dresses. Not that the rehabilitation of the embonpoint was vulgarly done. Marc Jacobs framed it more as a fresh, feminine, ingenue look, with hair scraped back into high, bouncy B.B. ponytails; clean makeup; and square-toed, block-heeled pumps trimmed with flat bows.

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Jake Gyllenhaal plays supportive sibling for his nominated sister Maggie, but his dapper red carpet look — a well-fitting classic Burberry suit — actually outshines her style. We love color on the red carpet, but the fit of her Dries Van Noten gown was all wrong.

Carey Mulligan looked adorable and modern in a beautiful Prada dress with strangely dangling scissors, forks, and spoons and asymmetrical hem.

Maggie Gyllenhaal dressed in a fresh blue print Dries Van Notten column that is not the best red carpet choice to our opinion.

Zoe Saldana made an appearance in a hyacinth-colored dress, simply sparkling at the bodice but ending in abundance of  purple frills.

Charlize Theron wore a Dior light purple gown. The two-toned pink gown included two rosettes directly on her bust. It is definitely a bit more than a good taste could take. Unfortunately it is the only thing that you could really look at, it didn’t matter what the rest of the dress looked like.

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Kristen Stewart was wearing a deep midnight blue strapless gown by Monique Lhuillier. Her hair was in a fashion bun and her look was finished by simple makeup. Kristen Stewart has already made the best dressed Oscars 2010 lists for numerous style critics, perhaps because her usual look is so contrastingly casual.

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Meryl Streep proved again she is a fashion icon dressed in a long-sleeved white gown by Chris March.

Kate Winslet looks amazing in an YSL metallic corset and long skirt.

Sandra Bullock who won the Best Actress Oscar is wearing a champagne Marchesa gown.

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The 36-year-old model ventured out into chilly London in a pair of leather hot pants. She teamed her look with a green military style shirt jacket, knee-high boots and black tights – which would have at least have afforded little warmth.

During the interview, Lady Gaga told Ross: ‘I feel completely detached from the celebrity world. You never see me falling out of nightclubs.’