As seen on Strictly: Week 1

At last, the months of waiting came to an end. Strictly Come Dancing officially returned in a storm of glitter for the first live show and we could finally see what the celebrities and their professional partners had been preparing for us in the rehearsal rooms.

It was a glorious first episode – who could forget Debbie McGee’s stunning paso doble, Alexandra Burke’s gorgeous waltz, Aston Merrygold’s accomplished foxtrot and an unforgettable debut from the Rev Richard Coles?

But, just as important, what were they wearing?! As always, costume designer Vicky Gill had a trick or two up her sleeve as viewers will have noticed in the opening number when the pros’ dresses magically transformed from hot pink to stunning white. How did it happen? Well, we can’t reveal trade secrets like that, but let’s say a touch of magic glitterdust helped...

As for the celebrities’ costumes, they were a dazzling array of colours and fabrics, with plenty of this year’s must-have fringe and sequins galore, of course. It’s a tough job to narrow it down to a few of our favourites, but this week we’ve picked the dresses worn by Gemma Atkinson for her cha cha cha, Amy Dowden for the tango and Alexandra Burke for her dreamy waltz.

Gemma's Orange Latin dress danced in the Cha Cha Cha

Bravely opening the first live show, Gemma dazzled in a bold tangerine halterneck dress with a crepe skirt and wide satin waistband. The slashes in her skirt gave it a gorgeous sense of movement for the cha cha’s hip action revealing the rose pink mesh lining of the underskirt. But, as always, the devil’s in the detail: the body of the dress featured our limited-edition lace with exquisite stoning in floral patterns. Up-close you can see the work that has gone into creating that all-important Strictly sparkle.

Amy's Flamenco Ballroom dress danced in the Tango

Vicky made a classic choice for Amy's dramatic tango, putting her in flamenco red. With a tan Lycra body at the heart of the dress, the stunning gown was created with our flamenco mesh with a black satin binding on the hem. The flamenco georgette godets added a dramatic sense of movement to the tango's sharp legwork, while large Light Siam rhinestones accentuated the dress’s exquisite neckline and peephole. Plus, as with all the most interesting dresses, you really had to see it from the back to appreciate its full beauty with its plunging backline, detailed stoning around the hips and double mesh detail.

Alexandra's Peppermint-cream Ballroom dress danced in the Waltz

Alexandra's peppermint-cream double-mesh gown was a swoonsome creation indeed. Those gorgeous godets were created from one of our stunning shaded georgettes melting from peridot (olive-green) to melon to stunning effect. The pièce de résistance, though, was that exquisite stoning on the body of the dress in Light Topaz, Citrine, Jonquil, Peridot and Peridot AB rhinestones, creating a stunning rainbow of rhinestones just right for catching the light.

What were your favourite dresses from Week 1? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and join us again next week for more insider secrets and a closer look at our favourite dresses…