Designer Alex Perry isn't kidding when he describes himself as the king of the grand gesture, unleashing what could be the biggest fashion parade Australia has ever seen.
For one night Fox Studios was transformed into the setting for what designer Perry declares is his fashion blockbuster, an extravaganza that's been years in the making.
"It's taken me 15 years to get to the stage where I can have a blockbuster show and I can fill that room up, and I feel comfortable with it," Perry told AAP.
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"I do visible clothing, and it gets attention in the press on those sorts of girls."
With his spring/summer 2010/11 show built around an Arabian Princess theme and a production budget pushing $250,000, Perry pulled out all the stops.
Among his creative team, makeup mogul Napoleon Perdis flew in from Los Angeles to transform Perry's models into Hollywood-style princesses.
Renya Xydis, the hair stylist notorious for $500 haircuts, and creative director Trevor Stones added to the backstage glamour.
Perdis said Perry's show was the largest he has ever worked on, with a cast of 31 models, 48 outfits, 20 makeup artists and 1000 people invited.
"It's 15 years in the making because he is just at such a sophisticated level, and he's just amazing ... The show is bigger than Ben Hur," Perdis said backstage while applying glittering makeup to a model's face.
Perry's complex corsetry dresses featured, along with translucent layers of delicate tulle and intricate embellishments such as a light spray of platinum and diamonds.
Evening skirts tumbled forth in soft tiers of voluminous sheer ruffles in the sweetest shades of lavender and blush.
Strong front row turn out
Although his shows are never without a front row packed with A-list personalities, models and actresses, the financial reality means sponsors also play a staring role in the pews.
This show's A-listers included Sophie Falkner, Erin McNaught, Charlotte Dawson, Jodhi Meares, Kerri-Ann Kennelly and Erica Heynatz.
For sponsors including ghd, Perdis and Chic Management, the backstage arena is just as hotly contested as the runway due to the intensified media coverage from television stations to YouTube all capturing behind-the-scenes footage of creative teams in the thick of show preparation.
Such is the power now of Perry's backstage scene that television crews fight it out to film the action, with Perdis the ringside attraction.
With backstage becoming just as high profile as the front row, sponsors have poured thousands into Perry's show making it the most expensive on schedule.
Having just put together his most ambitious show, Perry isn't in the mood to suffer critics who raise their eyebrows at his sponsorship deals.
From Emirates, Perdis to Electrolux - which saw him sitting on top of a washing machine for an advertising campaign - Perry has cashed in.
"You know what, if they got paid what I did they would get into the washing machine!" he jokes.
