RAGS to riches is an overused clich, but when the subject is Bruce Oldfield no other phrase will do. From learning his craft by making dresses from rags for his sisters' dolls in a two-up two-down house in County Durham, he became the couturier who dressed the royal and the rich.

Almost 25 years since he set up in business and in the year that he turns 50, gowns designed by Bruce Oldfield have been flown into Newcastle from around the world for an exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery.

The dresses have been loaned by some of the world's wealthiest and most glamorous women from their personal wardrobes; Oldfield himself contacted many of them to secure the gowns for the exhibition, which he is expected to visit soon.

The exhibition, which curator Caroline Imlah first thought up six years ago, is staged on a catwalk with the gowns presented on dressmakers' mannequins. They range from the voluptuous and ornate to the simple and understated, demonstrating the breadth of Oldfield's talent.

The Queen of Jordan's wedding dress arrived packed in a suitcase. "None of us could work out how she got it all in," laughs Caroline. The dress itself is slim-fitting and ankle length with a little jacket, but then there is a crinoline overskirt with a train that's heavily embroidered with beads and gold plus an enormous veil and headdress.

In contrast, the gallery has also secured Jemima Khan's wedding dress, suitably restrained for her Muslim marriage to former Pakistan cricket captain, Imran.

"It's interesting to see how Bruce can do both extremes of design, from the ornate and glamorous to the simple and almost plain," observes Caroline.

Another understated design is the most recent creation in the exhibition, a cream wedding dress made from ten panels of fabric with long sleeves, a long train and a lace coat.

Meanwhile, model Lisa Butcher's gown for her marriage to celebrity chef Marco Pierre White has long sleeves but a v-neck that just keeps going, while behind it's backless almost to her bottom. The detail is in the neckline which has a two-inch band of pearls, beads and sequins.

The rest of the exhibition, which totals about 30 designs, traces the development of Oldfield's work, from a piece from his last collection at St Martin's College in London, through the 1970s and 1980s and into the 1990s.

Caroline explains: "They demonstrate the variety of his clothes, from very simple jersey shapes cut on the bias with draping, to the full-blown evening gowns with pleats and amazing collars.

"The exhibition shows how the clothes haven't dated, they are classic shapes and often it's difficult to identify what decade they would be from. Some of the very ornate dresses are obviously 1980s but there are some from that era that would be very hard to date."

One of the more Dallas-style dresses belongs to Charlotte Rampling, with wide shoulders and masses of sequins.

But then there is a plain cut, calf length dress from Marie Helvin which was made in 1988. It's a classic example of Oldfield making sure that his designs enhance the wearer rather than attract attention away from her. He once said: "I don't want someone to walk into a room...and have someone say 'That's a fabulous dress' - I want them to say 'That woman looks fabulous'."

Some of the dresses say more about the women wearing them than the designer.

A dress loaned by Viscountess Astor is a neat little scarlet number with a halter neck and an above-the-knee skirt that would swing out flirtatiously when she walked.

There is also an early piece from Bianca Jagger which she had made in magenta satin, despite the sample from which she chose the design being ice blue. "I think that says something about her personality, that she wanted something much brighter and vibrant," says Caroline.

Part of the exhibition looks at the process of couturier and includes patterns and toiles produced by Oldfield for the event.

"Having done a Biba exhibition that looked at the boutique in the 1960s and 1970s when fashion was fun, I wanted this time to look at dress design from a minimalist perspective, that explains what couture's about, what it takes to make a dress and what goes into the process," explains Caroline.

The exhibition has been produced in partnership with the University of Northumbria and a selection of the best designs by the students is also on display.

The exhibition also looks back over Oldfield's career and his journey from County Durham to his shop in one of the most prestigious streets in Chelsea.

Born poor and illegitimate, his life could not have got off to a worse start. He was abandoned to Barnardo's and was in care until he was about 18 months old when he was fostered by Violet Masters from Hett, near Spennymoor.

Although the single mum didn't have much money, she taught the children she fostered the art of creativity. Caroline explains: "Although Bruce has said they were poor he also says they didn't know they were poor because they were very creative; as children they made whatever they wanted. Violet was a seamstress and every boy she fostered could sew or knit and make models from papier mache. They also learned thrift from her."

However, as he grew older, young Bruce began to get into trouble through shoplifting and was put back into care by Barnardo's in North Yorkshire. "He learned a lot from them, how to work hard, and was helped by them when he decided to go into teacher training. When he decided he wanted to do something more creative they helped him with that too," says Caroline.

She says his story should be inspirational to young people in the region. "He is proof that if you've got talent, guts and determination and if you want to make something of yourself, with hard work you can do it."

In an era when designer clothes are more accessible and ephemeral, Bruce Oldfield is one name that has stood the test of time yet remains aspirational. This, and the loyalty of his famous clients, says a great deal about the man.

Caroline says: "He's a very private man and has a reputation for confidentiality and discretion when it comes to his customers. They trust him and many are friends.

"Everything about him is quite understated and his success is due to hard work and talent. I hope young designers follow his example and, in the future, there will be more famous names from the North-East for us to show at the gallery."

l The Bruce Oldfield exhibition opens at the Laing Art Gallery in New Bridge Street, Newcastle, on Saturday and continues until December 31. Opening times are Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm, and Sunday 2pm-5pm. For more information, tel: 0191-232 7734.