Sir Paul Smith: fashion designer/antiques collector

Sir Paul has forged a global fashion empire from his exceptional, some might say quirky, eye for detail. His passion for collecting wacky bric-a-brac began as a teenager in his hometown of Nottingham. Here, "You could pick up brilliant art deco belt buckles, art nouveau jewellery and bits of Victoriana for about 50p". Previously bargains spied by the magpie-like designer at various flea markets worldwide would inevitably end up in one of his shops, adding to its signature English eccentric charm. Now his trove has a showcase of its own. Testimony, one might say, to Sir Paul\'s merits as an antiques-spotter.

Paul Smith, 9 Albemarle Street, London W1 (020 7493 4565)

- By Julia Robson 

Sophie Dahl: model/author

Sophie was famously discovered throwing a wobbly on a London street, aged 18, by the now deceased fashion guru, Isabella Blow. The blonde bombshell went on to establish herself as the first supersized supermodel before moving into the family business of writing - and downsizing to a size eight. Sophie\'s grandfather was Roald Dahl, the children\'s author of Norwegian heritage who included Sophie as a character in his book, BFG (Big Friendly Giant), a prophecy perhaps of what would be her most famous fashion ‘moment\', appearing starkers in the Yves Saint Laurent Opium perfume campaign. Sophie has published two books: The Man With The Dancing Eyes, an "adult fairy tale" rumoured to be inspired by ex-lover, wrinkly rocker Mick Jagger, (she now steps out with pintsized jazz groover, Jamie Cullum) and Playing With The Grown-ups. Both earned her rave reviews.

 
Above: Sophie Dahl promoting her book Man With The Dancing Eyes, book cover and the Yves Saint Laurent Opium fragrance advertisement

Karl lagerfeld: designer/photographer

Is there nothing the great pony-tailed, fan-carrying fashion obsessive can\'t do? Not content with rejuvenating the house of Chanel or starving himself into a pair of Hedi Slimane drainpipes, the designer is now taking fabulous snaps for all his campaigns, mostly in his adopted homeland of France, especially Paris. His portfolio reads like a who\'s who of fashion: Daria Werbowy, Irina Lazareanu, Keira Knightley and Lindsay Lohan have all posed for this old pro. Not short of a few weird ideas, recently Kaiser Karl had Claudia Schiffer don a Katie Holmes-style black bobbed wig for a shoot. Of course Claudia said yes because it meant being the first to wear new season Chanel clobber.

Left: Karl Lagerfeld with an example of his work

Giles Deacon: designer/DJ

Yeah, didn\'t you know one of the nicest men in fashion, who grew up sketching otters frolicking in his native Cumbria, is a secret clubber? The former British Designer Of The Year, famous for injecting high octane glamour into British fashion and loving slightly older supermodel totty, gets his rocks off nudging Jerry Bouthier and Mole, off the decks at Boombox or some other crucially funky happening in Hoxton Square. Egged on by artsy best mate, Steve Mackey of Pulp and fashion stylist chum, Katie Grand, Bespectacled Deacon is just as much in demand for music as frocks. He admits to scouring websites like www.bleep.com for the latest in mp3 releases, which are part of his eclectic "clear the dance floor" repartee. Play it again DJ Giles.

Left: Giles Deacon dj-ing and a look from his s/s08 show 

Henry Holland: designer/TV presenter

When you\'ve got the wit, the contacts, the puppy like enthusiasm and the quiff of Mr Holland, the world is seemingly your oyster. Henry\'s cheeky nu-rave slogan t-shirts, like "Do me in the park Marc", referring to Marc Jacobs, "Cause me pain Hedi Slimane", referring to those oh-so tight trousers or "I\'ve got more than a handful for Naomi Campbell " have not only put him on the map but alerted Planet Fashion to address its current sense of humour failure. If ever there was a fash-fabulous candidate for telly presenting, this is the man. Just when we\'ve got so used to seeing him rocking up to parties in matchy matchy outfits with best friend, Aggy Deyn, he\'s gone and snaffled a cooler chick. Rumour has it Alexa Chung and Henry have a T4 fashion TV show in the pipeline...won\'t they make a lovely couple?

Left: Henry Holland and Alexa Chung 

Hedi Slimane: designer/artist/ writer/photographer

"What next" has been the question on everyone\'s lips ever since the androgynous Tunisian/French menswear designer responsible for the skinniest ever trousers quit the house of Dior in 2007 - amid much gnashing of teeth by LVMH bosses. Let\'s just say the former creative director for Christian Dior menswear/fragrances (and before that YSL\'s menswear) has been busy, busy, busy. Hedi has undertaken several ‘artistic projects\' resulting in solo and group shows in New York, Paris, Tokyo and Berlin. He\'s also been contributing articles to magazines including Vanity Fair, dreaming up album covers and photographing emerging indie rock bands, and discovering a few new names in the process we\'d wager. So come on what next? A womenswear line? Here\'s hoping.

Hedi Slimane photography blog diary, www.hedislimane.com/diary/

Above: An example of his work and Hedi Slimane

Amber Valletta model/actress

She\'s a model and she\'s looking good... for her age. After 15 years at the top of her chosen profession the former face of Prada, Louis Vuitton and Versace is in no hurry to hang up her stilettos, or stop being a clothes horse. Which is great because the fashion world don\'t want her to retire yet either. Valletta first established herself as an actress in the 2005 comedy, Hitch. The emerald-eyed blonde from Oklahoma went on to star in The Family Man, Perfume, Dead Silence, Premonition and perhaps most famously (and rather unglamorously), as the decomposing ghoulish mistress of Harrison Ford in What Lies Beneath. The 34-year-old mother of one continues to be constantly in demand for fashion shoots and designer campaigns. Let\'s hope age shall not wither her.

Left: Modelling in Vogue magazine and in the film Hitch 

Vivienne Westwood designer/rug designer

Seen the show, bought the dress, got the t-shirt and squirted the perfume. Now get ready for the rug. Vivienne Westwood the grandmother of punk and possibly still the most formidable living female in fashion recently came up with a set of carpet designs for The Rug Company. When you scrutinise most trends from fat platforms to corsets to grunge to leggings, this lady did it first. Home furnishings are the latest to get the Westwood manifesto (long overdue I hear you say). If you are currently looking for a design statement chez-nous, Westwood\'s tattered punky Union Jack might tickle your fancy. She\'s even done matching cushions. The outspoken designer, now in her sixties, joins an illustrious line-up of designers and fashion editors including Matthew Williamson and Diane von Furstenberg and Vogue\'s Lucinda Chambers who have collaborated with the British carpet company.

Above: Vivienne Westwood and an example of her work

Viktor & Rolf: designer/artists

Is it art or is it fashion? Both, if it\'s got anything to do with Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, clothing designers who have always kept a firm footing in both artistic spheres. Their latest work, a retrospective featuring all their collections since 1999, has taken a year and a half to come to fruition and has been personally overseen by the Dutch design duo. The Barbican exhibition features handcrafted eerily lifelike figures created by a Belgian doll-maker with real human hair wearing tiny but exact replicas of haute couture clothes featured on the Viktor & Rolf catwalk. As they point out scaled-down clothes and accessories are far harder to make than even a fashionable size ‘0\'. The dolls are housed in a giant doll\'s house with each ‘room\' depicting the theme or story behind each collection. I\'d say it\'s art. Go see for yourself and make up your own mind.

The House of Viktor & Rolf runs until 21 September at the Barbican Art Gallery, www.barbican.org.uk/art gallery

Above: A model from their s/s08 show and the duo at their Barbican exhibition

Eley Kishimoto: designers/architects

"Hairywood\' is the first leap into architectural art by Mark Eley and Wakako Kishimoto, the husband and wife duo behind Brit fash label, Eley Kishimoto. Fittingly, for a pair renowned for bright Crayola brush strokes and pretty, little girly silhouettes, their installation mirrors their obsession with youthful beauty. Inspired by the fairytale Rapunzel and her long, blonde tresses, Hairywood is a six-meter tower you can climb to escape from the hubbub of central London. Located in Covent Garden\'s Piazza, it is in fact part of the Skin+Bones exhibition at Somerset House, which sets out to explore the relationship between fashion and architecture. As talented textile and clothing designers whose work plays with space and wobbly lines, Eley Kishimoto prove there is indeed a link. Hairywood in Covent Garden Piazza, until 20 July.

Hairywood installation is in Covent Garden London

Until 20 July Hairywood is part of the Skin+Bones: Parallel Practices In Fashion and Architecture see www.somersethouse.org.uk

Above: The designers, a model from their s/s08 show and the Hairywood installation