Cristina Sabaiduc at Fashion Week

There comes a point when clothes become art. It could be the way they’re worn, the materials used to make them, or the reason they came to be. But at some stage, the lines between practicality, style and artistic expression become blurred. Some of the best fashion designers are more like conceptual artists, and work in a brave, unconventional way that gives thought provoking results.

Cristina Sabaiduc is one of these practitioners. Walking into her SS12 debut London show felt more like entering an art gallery. The catwalk was square and spectators stood in the middle of the room. On the other side of the catwalk, garments were mounted on pristine white walls. The guests milled about in the centre, checking out the soft and lightweight fabrics hanging elegantly on the far side.

There was much anticipation, but when the first model emerged in simple separates and chunky heels with socks, it seemed a little lacklustre. Little did we know, there was more to come.

Once each model made her way around, she stopped on one side of the room and stared out into the crowd. A hundred flashbulbs went off as the audience was treated to the perfect shot. Lips were painted in a smudgy, undefined orange that complimented porcelin skin and natural eyes.

As they stood there, two ‘dressers’ began to assemble new outfits for them using the pieces on the wall. The exercise was intimate and gentle – no pins or clasps in sight. Each look involved careful folding and intricate fastening, but the finished result was as effortless and flowing as the original display.

Layer upon layer was draped over each girl, who stood patiently as new combinations were created. Sabaiduc is big on customisation, and today her audience was treated to a master class in the art of individuality.