Opera is the most theatrical of arts, so it is no surprise that it has inspired top fashion designers such as Girogio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Zandra Rhodes and Gianni Versace to create fabulous costumes. Helena Matheopoulos, a former fashion editor of Tatler and contributor to The Times, Gramophone and Opera Now, profiles ten leading designers working in opera. As well as those already mentioned, they include Marc Bohan, Christian Lacroix, Ottavio and Rosita Missoni, Miuccia Prada, Emmanuel Ungaro and Viktor & Rolf.

Matheopoulos, author of several books on opera, examines the challenge of designing for the opera and looks at the key differences between designing for the catwalk and for the stage.