£100,000 dresses that sell on Whatsapp in seconds: behind the scenes at Dolce and Gabbana's spectacular Alta Moda show

There’s a WhatsApp group for Dolce & Gabbana couture clients so that they can take pictures of the outfits they want and beam them to the designers while the show’s still going on. It’s strictly first come, first served, so if you’re a little slow with your trigger finger, you’ll miss your moment. The blonde in head-to-toe sequins seated next to me at Sunday night’s Alta Moda show in New York’s Metropolitan Opera was poised, alert. ‘That’s one everyone’s going to want,’ she muttered grimly as one of the house’s signature corseted black dresses sashayed past, embellished with black-and-gold beading.