The third and last of the Duty Free fortune Miller heiresses, Alexandra, marries this month. Expect to see plenty of Galliano's gowns snapped at the rounds of hen parties, on the day itself and at the pre- and post-nuptial balls. There are now loyal customers for Galliano's glamour from Los Angeles to Hong Kong. Designers explain it by citing what they call "the luxury gap", a reference both to the international trend to dress down, Gap and now "Post Gap" style, and to their increasing need to offer luxury in order to persuade women to buy designer clothes at all. John Galliano has emerged as the luxury gap's surest practitioner.Who is going to buy his antique-looking, Victorian-style fitted jackets, his slender damask trouser suits, his bias-cut, satin-backed crepe gowns? Browns, South Molton Street, is, reportedly, not short of willing customers Neither is Liberty, Regent Street. Designers seem to be putting a disproportionate amount of effort into "occasion dressing" considering how rarely most of us have occasions. So far (and we still have Gaultier, Chanel, Valentino and Saint Laurent to see), wearable daywear has been something of a rarity.It seems that daywear might become an endangered species.

But the ready-to-wear shows (which we are watching in Paris until the end of this week) used to be about clothes which those of us who were neither celebrities nor superwealthy might choose for our everyday lives. We have long since got used to the fact that Haute Couture (shown in Paris in July) has almost nothing to do with clothes and everything to do with causing a sensation in order to promote brand names. Those in the ringside seats have found themselves acting more as theatre critics than fashion reporters. For what fashion is appears to have changed It is now as much about theatre as it is about clothes. John Galliano is a great dramatist who happens to create particularly delicious slinky gowns and jackets that appear to belong to a past era. These can live up to the overblown theatrical settings he creates for them. He is not alone in his stagings of "fashion happenings", however This week, "happenings" have been going on all over Paris. The instructions as to time and place were typed on a musical score Outside, before the show, it was a mob scene.

Afterwards, everyone was talking about the set, the music, the drama Yet here we all were in Paris to report on clothes. The invitation to John Galliano's show came wrapped around a flute and dusted with rosin, the chalk ballerinas use to add grip to point shoes. It's junk."Marie Sampson, 60, former addict: "It was part of the wartime diet It was quite delicious and moist. I was actually called Spam-face because I would eat three or four slices walking from one shop to the next It was such a treat.

I must admit I don't buy it today."Rob Lucas, marketing manager, Newforge Foods: "It is about time we killed the Spam joke We often have Spam at monthly management meetings. We have it on pizzas, in sandwiches or on cocktail sticks with onion and pineapple It always goes down very well In a way you could say it is a delicacy.". Aah! Spam fritters and chips! If someone gave me one now I'd be delighted. Nothing made me happier when I was a child."Peter Jameson, 42, turncoat: "At school we had Spam served up as cold meat made hot The next day it was hot meat made cold I wouldn't eat it now I'd prefer corned beef Spam is such an industrial product. As for the meat, I really don't know what it is, except that it is really nasty. I think it is pork with lots of salty water and slimy sluice."Dell Gibbons, dietician, Slimming magazine: "In moderation, it won't do any harm Canned ham is not particularly high in calories.

Eaten in a sandwich with low-fat spread and lots of salad, it could be part of a healthy, calorie-controlled diet."Esme Johnson, 24, fan: "There are few things nicer than a Spam fritter, though I wouldn't go out of my way for cold Spam. My Spam days are over."Emily Green, food critic: "Spam is a food icon. It is one of those wonderful words that has less to do with the processed meat itself and has acquired a cultural meaning of its own. I have fond memories of it being deep fried in batter."Matthew Harris, chef, Bibendum: "I only remember eating it at school, sitting on a plate with a puddle of grease around it with tinned tomatoes. I can't think that it would add much to a dish, though I really used to like it as a child.