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Formula One racing on the catwalk in Hockenheim

The guests got earplugs - a rather unusual gift for a fashion show - but what is usual when Hugo Boss celebrates the 25th anniversary of its involvement with the McLaren team? Rather than New York, Paris or Milan, the fashion house selected the Hockenheimring as the venue for a first glimpse of their new 2007 spring/summer collection with a special party on Thursday evening.

For one night only, the Mercedes grandstand became a centre of international fashion, with a setting that could draw the envy of even New York fashion week’s aficionados. The glass catwalk was seemingly endless, ice sculptures decorated with flowers cooled the high temperatures and the happy few with invitations waited for the show to begin - enjoying the laidback atmosphere and sipping champagne.

When a mysterious voice asked the audience to make use of their earplugs, the reason became immediately clear. A McLaren Formula One car started its engine, a door opened, and the car roared down the narrow catwalk. Seeming louder than the whole grid on race day, the spectacle was enthusiastically welcomed by the audience.

After the smoke had settled, world class models stalked the catwalk wearing Hugo Boss’s new collection. The show was divided into two sections - first the black ‘sophisticated’ look and then the orange ‘grunde’ line made its way down the catwalk. During the interval British band Skunk Anansie performed, bringing the atmosphere close to boiling point.

And the after show party? The most exquisite dishes welcomed the exhausted guests, champagne continued to flow like water and funky music made pulses quicken and the guests’ faces glow. And what a crowd it was - Joseph Fiennes, the star of Hollywood blockbuster ‘Shakespeare in Love’, who is shooting a feature film about Germany’s World War One flying legend the Red Baron, mingled with Diane Krueger, Germany’s most successful Hollywood actress since Marlene Dietrich, top model Julia Stegner and Uwe Ochsenknecht, one of Germany’s television icons.

Paddock regulars were also in attendance with Ron Dennis, Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard just some of the top names. And a very impressed Bernie Ecclestone congratulated Boss CEO Dr Bruno Saelzer on this amazing event. “They have done a wonderful job, but we didn’t expect anything less from them," he said. "And honestly, this show was better than most shows I have seen in the traditional fashion strongholds. It was a great evening and it was a good sign for Formula One.”