Models of the Moment

British models are quickly becoming some of the best and most talented in the world, and it makes me so proud to see them waltzing down the catwalk for the biggest fashion weeks and being the new faces for the hottest ad campaigns.

For those of you who aren't too familiar, let me introduce you to some of Britain's finest...

Lily Donaldson
Picture: MaxMara FW0708 campaign
Lily has been my fave model for a long time, and is my muse for the blog's title. She has an amazing look and can be incredibly versatile in her campaigns. Lily was born in 1987 and is the daughter of photographer Matthew Donaldson. She was scouted by Select model agency in 2003, and has lead campaigns for some of the biggest fashion houses. She was pipped to the post for Best Model at the British Fashion Awards 2005 by Karen Elson, but is destined for even greater success in the future. In April 07 Lily fronted the campaign for Dior's Miss Cherie perfume, my favourite campaign.
Fashion houses connected to Lily: Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, MaxMara, Chloe, Ralph Lauren, Mulberry, Donna Karan, Christian Dior
Agencies: IMG New York, IMG Milan, IMG Paris, Select London


Agyness Deyn
Picture: Giorgio Armani FW0708 (Mert & Marcus)
Born in Manchester in 1983 (or 1986 as she claims), Laura Hollins worked in a chip shop from the age of 14, before being spotted by one of her customers, Henry Holland, the creator of slogan t-short company House of Holland. She changed her name to Agyness Deyn, has been on the cover of prestigious Vogue Italia twice (Nov 06 & Sept 07), and is now the face of Holland's company. She is being described as "the new Kate Moss" and has inspired a flurry of new hair-cuts with her sharp peroxide bob. She is the face of both Burberry and Giorgio Armani's FW0708 campaigns, and even though the new controversy with her age makes her a "model oldie", her cool and edgy look means that she's one of the most wanted models in the business.
Fashion houses connected to Agyness: Burberry, Chanel, Dior, Lanvin, Miss Sixty, Versace, Moschino, Hermes, DKNY
Agencies: Models 1 London, DNA New York, Why Not Milan, Viva Paris


Lily Cole
Picture: Harpers Bazaar Korea Jan 2006 (Louise Park)
One of the most familiar faces of 2003, she leapt onto the modelling scene with her doll-like features, porcelein skin and fiery red hair. She won the Model of the Year award at the British Fashionn Awards 2004. Born in Torquay and raised in London, her modelling career started when she was approached in town by Benjamin Hart at the age of 14. She was soon signed by Storm Models, who also managed Kate Moss and Cindy Crawford. She was the face of Accessorize for SS07, and is the new face of the Ghost fragrance Anticipation. Not just a pretty face, Lily achieved straight A's in her A-Levels and is about to start studying at Cambridge University. She supports the charities Global Angels, Western Shoshone, Comic Relief and WaterAid, and is also about to star in a Marilyn Manson movie plus the new St. Trinians, out later this year.
Fashion houses connected to Lily: Chanel, Topshop, Anna Sui, Louis Vuitton, DKNY, Hermes, Longchamp, AlexanderMcQueen, Jean Paul Gautier
Agencies: Storm London, IMG New York, d-management Milan, Marilyn Paris


Kate Moss
Picture: Versace FW0708 (Mario Testino)
Not forgetting one of the best British supermodels of all time, Kate Moss is on the up after her career took a dip in 2005. Kate was born in Croydon in 1974 and was discovered at the age of 14 by the founder of Storm Model Management, Sarah Doukes, at JFK Airport in NYC after a holiday in the Bahamas. She fronted a massive Calvin Klein campaign in 1993, throwing her waiflike figure into the spotlight and raising her profile as the anti-supermodel of the 1990s, in contrast to the curvaceous and tall supermodels of that time such as Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell. [Kate is unusually short for a runway model, at 5ft6] Kate has appeared on the cover of 300 magazines, and earlier this year launched a major fashion collection for high street store Topshop, reportedly worth £3m. The collection was launched in 225 stores and was a massive success.
Fashion houses connected to Kate: Rimmel, Agent Provocateur, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Roberto Cavalli, Longchamp, Virgin Mobile, Chanel, Versace, Calvin Clein, Burberry
Agencies: Storm London, IMG New York, d-management Milan, Marilyn Paris


Karen Elson
Picture: Anna Molinari Catalog 2004 (Craig McDean)
Karen Elson was born in Manchester in 1979 and stormed her way into the fashion industry with her trademark red locks and her eyebrows, which fashion photographer Steven Meisel once persuaded her to shave off. She caught the eye of a modelling scout in London but after not being able to find much word she moved to Paris and then Tokyo before a chance encounter with photographer Steven Meisel led to her launch into the supermodel world with a cover shoot for Italian Vogue. She walked the runway wearing Marc Jacobs whilst pregnant, and beat Danny Beauchamp and Lily Donaldson to the Best Model award at the British Fashion Awards 2005. She is also known as a singer and performer, and married The White Stripes singer Jack White in the same year and gave birth to their second child in August 2007.
Fashion houses connection to Karen: Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Christian Dior, Robert Cavalli
Agencies: DNA New York, Beatrice Milan, Viva Paris, Models 1 London