Strictly 2018 launches

Strictly Come Dancing shimmied its way back into our living rooms on Saturday and the team behind the costumes could breathe a big sigh of relief!

Costume designer Vicky Gill said: “A fantastic effort is going into this series. Making it to the launch show was a mammoth effort from all concerned so big thanks to everyone for their skill and commitment.

“We clocked up more than 600 man hours to get us to the launch encompassing, design, manufacturing, styling, embellishment, dressing and studio time.

“As you can see we pretty much covered all colours of the DSI London spectrum with over 70 garments being worn.”

From the slinky corsetry-inspired pro girl outfits on the red carpet to the celebrities each in different vibrant colours, from costume changes galore to a sultry Cuban routine introducing the newbies in white, it was a feast for the eyes.

All the celebrities looked wonderful, but Faye Tozer’s sunshine-hued dress and Vick Hope’s sparkling silver two-piece were picked out for particular praise on Twitter. Plus, Danny John-Jules’s hat, which we embellished specially for the occasion, was a huge hit!

Of course, Strictly wouldn’t be Strictly without the sparkle. “My favourite stone colour at this stage in the series is Sunrise,” confides Vicky. “We used this alongside Ruby, Hematite and Labrador which you will have seen on our very glamorous pro girls.

“Working with a fantastic celebrity line-up has been such fun. It was a fantastic start to a fantastic series!”

We can’t wait to see more! And, as always, we want to hear what YOU thought of the costumes! Which were your favourites? Let us know on social media.