The 48-year-old designer celebrated his birthday by staging a grand theatrical show that included a cast of 10 of his socialite customers, who opened the show dressed in a collection of the designer's black evening gowns. As the first tai-tai emerged, whoops of appreciation and polite applause rang through the audience from the high society set for the bravery of one of its own.

And brave they were. Walking down the runway in front of a 1,400-strong audience at full-house capacity is a nerve-wracking proposition, even if you are a seasoned professional. But these amateurs rose to the occasion despite their inexperience.

Of course there was none of the finesse you would expect of the super-skinny supermodels, and the gait of some of the model-wannabes garnered attention that was none too favourable. But still, even that was hard put to detract from the ultra-luxe gowns that were the highlight of the runway.

Fashion-wise, Francis did not deviate from a winning formula. Shimmering crystals and feathers on silk and satin made for glamourous gowns. The audience did not forget to ooh and aah at each of the gowns that came down the runway.

Eyes were dramatic and bold, hair was teased into impossibly high towers of curl. At some point, you get the idea that the purpose of this segment was to create a personal runway to satisfy the glamour set's inner narcissists.

As the tai-tais reached the end of the 60-foot catwalk and were escorted to their front row seats by an attending male model-escort, the other show began.

Models came out in a plethora of haute couture gowns in every imaginable shade of the colour spectrum. From fire-engine red and electric pink to royal blue and acid green, the designer reminded everyone present again why he is one of the most sought-after couturier in Singapore's high society.

Nothing was too over-the-top for the designer - a short cobalt blue gown with bubble skirt accented with large rosettes, a fuschia dress with a bustier entirely made of feathers, and an oversized bouffant electric pink cape matched with a scarlet crystal-embellished gown were some of the more memorable pieces.

But his piece de resistance was certainly the white wedding gown worn by Sheila Sim. Looking like an angel dressed in a pair of huge angel wings and sporting white feathers as part of her eye make-up, she danced down the catwalk in a luxurious white gown studded with crystals and accompanied by a matching long train, stopping occasionally to arch her arms to re-enact "Swan Lake".

By the time she arrived at the end of the runway, a loud pop brought forth a burst of gold streamers as Sheila's 'wings' were lit by rainbow-coloured fairy lights to mark the highlight of the fashion show.

And as she turned around to make her way back to the front of stage, she showed off the long black satin bow at the back of her dress, set off perfectly with a stream of sparkling crystals that skirted down the side of the bow's single tail.

The evening ended on a high note as Francis came out to greet the audience and was the happy recipient of numerous bouquets as he made his way down the runway. Even millionaire composer Dick Lee was on standby with a bouquet of roses for him.