Black Tie of the Darnell Collection

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I held tight to the fact that, in all likelihood, I would be too distracted from looking at the clothes to feel any real pangs of jealousy towards Charlotte Smith.

I was working after all. This was no time to deal with my emotional fashion baggage.

But as the lead model oozed her way down the catwalk in a vintage number straight out of a 1950's Vogue magazine, I knew my issues had come to the table.

Charlotte Smith had my life.

Touched by the wand of the ultimate fairy god mother, the delectable Ms. Smith had been gifted the definitive fashion fantasy- a collection of vintage clothing so extensive that the mere sight of it would be enough to send any vintage couture lover into cardiac arrest.

As my eyes fell on the first gown to grace the runway, I knew I was going to need a strong antacid to quell the burning desire of "must have" that was rising from deep inside of me.

The luscious fabric. The exquisite cut. This was so much more than a dress. This beautiful tailored number commanded attention, demanded adoration and imbued a sense of desire easily confused with that of an illicit affair. I wanted to take her home and call her mine.

And they came again and again.

If you think I was alone in this vintage fashion fetish-ivity, you would be mistaken. As each beautifully heeled pair of pins hit the carpet, a collective "ooooooh" could be heard throughout the room, the shared longings of women starved of their necessary fix of haute couture. For a few brief seconds, we were united, lustful, a shared soul fused by the threads of a beautiful dress.

So whilst Charlotte Smith's stunning collection of frocks may seem just that - a collection if pretty dresses - the reality is not so. Her collection is a history, a lover's date, a picnic with good friends. It is a first meeting, a secret rendezvous, a summer's afternoon. They tell a story. They are a dance.

And for one night last night, I was blessed to dance beside them.

Jane Pike- ODT Fashion-i