Wearing a one-shouldered full-length white crystal gown, Rosamund Pike looked the ultimate sexy and stylish Bond girl.

But within a few seconds the dress was on the floor as the secret agent got to work in Die Another Day.

“It was so funny because we’d done this dress and obviously we were all so excited about it,” says internationally-renowned fashion designer Jenny Packham, who grew up in Southampton.

“Rosamund was in the ice palace wearing this beautiful one-shouldered dress.

“And you think ‘Here’s the dress!’ and within two seconds it was on the floor as she jumps into bed.”

Luckily for Jenny, her next Bond dress, in Casino Royale, stayed on for much longer, which she jokingly suggests may have something to do with the intricate ties at the back – proving even too much for Bond to unravel.

The striking red tangerine-coloured silk and satin bias dress worn by Caterina Murino led to more than 200 extra orders for the £1,800 gowns.

“All these men who had seen the film were asking for them for their wives!” recalls Jenny.

Her glamorous designs have appeared in other acclaimed films too, including Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada.

They are also red carpet favourites among singers and filmstars such as Mary J Blige, Alicia Keys, Keira Knightley, Nelly Furtado, Eva Longoria, Sarah Jessica Parker and Beyonce.

She has designed wedding gowns for singer Anastacia, Elizabeth Hurley and a dress for the wedding rehearsal dinner for performer Pink. Today Jenny, 43, is one of the country’s top designers with a London bridal boutique, ready-to-wear store, and bridalwear and eveningwear collections sold worldwide.

Her catwalk shows continue to wow audiences, with fashion bible Vogue saying “nobody makes dresses like Jenny Packham”.

Today’s Hollywood glamour, fashion shows and multi-million-pound turnover is far removed from the moment Jenny first set her heart on becoming a fashion designer aged 11.

“In those days I was surrounded by a lot of people who did sewing, and both my grandmothers were great needlewomen.

“I don’t know why but I felt there was a certain pressure at 11 to come up with a career choice, which seems really rather impatient now.

“I came across a career book and was flicking through it one night when I saw ‘fashion designer’ and I thought yes, that would bring everything I like doing into place.”

Jenny grew up in Bitterne Park, attending Bitterne Park junior, middle and senior schools before completing a two-year Daetec course in fashion textiles at Southampton Art College (now part of Southampton Solent University).

She then went on to the prestigious St Martin’s College of Art where she achieved a first-class honours degree.

“It was a wonderful course in Southampton and very practical, teaching me how to draw and sew. It really set me up for my degree at St Martin’s.”

Jenny, who has two young daughters, has fond memories of growing up despite not always enjoying the same things as her brother Chris, the wildlife expert and television presenter.

“We used to often head out of Southampton, towards Winchester, and walk along the towpaths and look for birds and things, which obviously bored me to death!

“In those days I never found things to do in Southampton difficult – we would go swimming, bowling and skating.

“It’s different now, the city has grown and sometimes I find it hard to find my way around.

“I think it’s a great place because you have so much countryside around it and then you have the sea and you’ve got a really quite sophisticated shopping centre,” said Jenny, who comes back regularly to visit her parents. She recently returned to the city to receive an honorary doctorate of arts at Southampton Solent University in recognition of her support of current fashion students.

She said: “It was such a thrill to receive it and to feel that I can give something back.

I work with St Martin’s and I have been to lectures at Southampton Solent.”

In recent years Jenny, whose partner Matthew Anderson is the managing director of the Jenny Packham fashion label, has picked up many industry awards, including Best British Bridal Designer 2008 and Hollywood Style Designer of the Year 2006.

Jenny says she never knows where her inspiration for her next collection will come from.

“One season it might be colours that you have seen on a painting or something you’ve picked up at an antique market.

“Last season we picked up a trapeze dress from a Paris market and we all sort of looked at it and thought ‘Yep, we could do a whole collection like that’.”

And for those of us who need a bit of instant fashion help during the credit crunch Jenny has one word – sequins.

“In tough times people party more, so more sequins!”

Sounds like good advice for any Bond girl, Hollywood star and the rest of us.