This season however, no one did damaged opulence with more acuity than London bad boy Alexander McQueen. He perfectly captured the moment with his landmark collection presented at Christchurch in London and then at Norfolk in New York. Collecting the repertoire of themes he had been constructing for three outstanding seasons,: the impeccably tailored pinched shoulder jacket fucked up by the shredded denim skirt, the photo-print of the forlorn war baby marred by the tiretrack print and that epic shredded lace dress were the definition of eye scalding modernity. Also stunning the punters in New York was Matsuda who constructed a lavish yet sleek post rave opera that utterly deserves to make a museum collection as a definitive 90's moment. Koyabashi brilliantly deduced that "cyber" and "electronic style life" were not just passing fads but the keywords needed to interpret a revolutionary change in urban culture.

Kenneth Richard has leapt this season to join the ranks of the Majors by turning out a technologically deft rock/punk inflected line that discretely tossed fake fur, black gauze and crimon lace together to create a compellingly abrasive yet defiantly luxe brand of drama. His ingenious cabbage rose dress was one of the best pieces available for Fall 96. Trusty comrades in arms Marc Jacobs and Anna Sui are also investing in the joys of richness. There was nothing decayed about Jacob's gold brocade vests or stunning skirts but they certainly reveled in a self indulgent decadence that looked uninhibited and correct for this jagged moment. Anna Sui is equally shameless as she revels in the joys of feather and capes, sweeping coats and cookoo hats. It is a thoroughly English vocabulary that takes a main line of Bloomsbury cut with a little Biba tempered by a slight Vivieene Westwood accent to complete the badinage. True, on the runway they read like costumes but in the calm of her store these pieces are going to beam as being amongst the most seductive offerings for fall.

Unfortunately last Spring's Bad Taste moment of with its shabby sister The Thrift Store look, lingers like body odor on a beautiful woman. When Miuccia Prada executed it was invigoratingly pungent because it was such an insidious lady editor in-joke. Those curtain print ensembles may have looked harsh and tawdry to the eye but on the body they were perfectly cut and sumptuously made thus subverting the idea of luxury . But even Prada for the Miu-Miu fall line wisely moves back to the soft comforts of romance.

What is emerging now in the best clothes is an anxious celebration, a jagged kind of anticipation as the year 2000 looms closer. Its as if those in the know are whispering " Dress up, wear everything you own at once, the millennial style supernova is coming ". It will be welcome.

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