Regaling each other with stories and giggling together, the glamorous pair were the centre of attention despite the parade of svelte models sashaying down the runway. Both wore stylish jackets and satin tops, with the veteran actress adding a necklace bearing her and husband Percy Gibson's initials to her outfit.
Dame Shirley's friendship with the former Dynasty star dates back to the Sixties when Joan's father Joe, a showbiz agent, set the singer on the road to international stardom.
The Welsh diva has thrown her weight behind Merthyr Tydfil-born Julien, wearing his creations for her concerts, including her show-stopping turn at this year's Glastonbury, for which she donned one of his electric pink designs. And he repaid the compliment by opening proceedings with the chorus from her hit Diamonds Are Forever.
While the swanky venue reverberated with the sound of the Bond tune, over at Jasper Conran models Erin O'Connor and Lily Cole were taking to the catwalk, draped in muslin and silk, from a bronze, liquid chocolate and caramel palette.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
