Tomboy supermodels: Jeny Howorth, Alice Temple and Ines de la Fressange





A lot is being made of the supermodels revival and I for one am a fan. But I’m also a fan of a number of lesser known 80s/90s models. Think Agyness Deyn is a one-off original? Hmm, I feel I’ve seen her type before. Namely in one Jeny Howorth, she of the cropped boyish hair and gangly limbs. (But could I find a picture? I could not. But my search doth continue.)

Alice Temple is another short-haired tomboy from the 80s. An ex champion BMX-er no less she was an i-D covergirl and postergirl of the Paninaro scene (think Chipie jeans, Chevignon puffa jackets and Naf Naf hoodies). Then there was Ines de la Fressange, Karl Lagerfeld’s muse and one of the most famous models of the eighties. Gamine dark cropped hair and red lips were her trademark until she had a spectacular falling out with Karl, gave up modelling and set up her own fashion and ‘lifestyle’ label.

Where are they now? Jeny Howorth set up a childrenswear company and occasional models for her old agency Select, Alice Temple has lots of tattoos and makes music, while Ines de la Fressange hooked up with Bruno Frissoni and now runs the revived Roger Vivier shoe label.

Pics: Top: Alice Temple
Bottom: Ines De La Fressange
Essential reading: Arthur Elgort’s Models Manual



Brit wits





Although I’m too over the quirky-Britness of his collections to ever buy anything, I can still appreciate the wit of Paul Smith’s aesthetic. I have been an admirer of this higgledy-piggledy picture-frame ensemble in his Selfridges womenswear department for years but never have I had the guts to photograph it – until now. Another of my favourite Brit-wits is photographer Martin Parr. The twosome have just teamed up to produce a set of pictures of Paul Smith’s new collection, photographed on the glamorous people of… Ilford. Check the pics out at www.wallpaper.com.



Mad about Max




MaxMara is one of those labels that ducks and dives below and above the radar. Its profile is lowish at the moment but you’d be a fool to ignore it. This season’s MaxMara magazine is a treat to behold. Witness Lily Donaldson resplendent in a classic camel coat, a Westwood-esque khaki outsize knit and the perfect grey slouchy trousers.



French revolution




There was a time when French fashion was all about traditional elegance – YSL, Chanel, Hermes – and was strictly for the women not the girls. How things have changed! The hottest French labels have a much more youthful aesthetic and are more appealing for it. Charles Anastase has been something of an insiders’ secret for a while but is set to go mainstream now he’s showing at London Fashion Week. Vanessa Bruno’s easy everyday basics are a favourite with the cooler LA juniors like Kirsten Dunst, while APC continues to produce its feminine take on utilitarian-slash-collegiate dressing season after season (the autumn-winter collection has just landed at www.apc.fr). My current favourite is Heimstone, a label I discovered on www.kingdomofstyle.typepad.co.uk. This label has perfected the art of girl-woman dresses – every one’s a winner (and the jackets aren’t half bad either).

Pic: Charles Anastase at www.brownsfashion.com