Christy Turlington for YSL

My favourite supermodel (of the original triumvirate of Linda, Christy and Naomi) is fall's YSL face.  Photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin under the direction of Yves Saint Laurent Creative Director Stefano Pilati. She's so pretty.

Forbes 10 Top Male Models

According to Forbes, the ranking is based on the years 2008/ 2009, taking into account covers, spreads, ads, contracts and runway shows. Ranked in order: 

#1 Sean O'Pry

#2 Matt Gordon

#3 David Gandy

#4 Danny Shwartz

#5 Garrett Neff

#6 Ollie Edwards

#7 Tyler Riggs

#8 Jon Kortajarena (Why, oh, why?! How can this be?)

#9 Taylor Fuchs

#10 Cole Mohr

men's Spring 2010: The Rest

Paul Smith

Refreshing, classy and classic. Fantastic, unaffectedly elegant clothes and colours.

Junya Watanabe

Preppy and nice... but is that enough? It's a salaryman's idea of style.

Comme Des Garcons

Love that it's not over-intellectualised. It's cheerful, and likeable and the patchwork jackets are fun. 

Dunhill

Youthful take on classics by Kim Jones. I would wear this totally.

Hugo

Bruno Pieters's best collection yet. A bit pedestrian and bogged down still.

Jean Paul Gaultier

Some of the "futurist" looks were promising, and then quick degeneration into pure '80s drag. Seems to be designed with Madame Kenneth Goh on mood board.

Kris Van Assche

One wants this to work, but it's mired by unnecessary, awkward detailing. It's like Rampage in the '80s. Too fancy by half.

Rick Owens

Interesting, but not unusually so. It's getting to be a bit predictable, so Mr Owens needs to find a new trick.

There, I'm done for this season... phew!

Picture: Garrett Nef, godlike, captured by Jak & Jil, one of my favourite pictures of this American model.

men's Spring 2010: Dior

The thing about Kris Van Assche is that though undoubtedly talented, he has not lived up to his potential - until now. This is a breathtakingly confident collection, effortlessly elegant and perfectly in tune with the times, not only light in touch and fabric, the work feels light psychologically, a tall glass of spring water. This could very well be the collection Stefano Pilati was striving to present at YSL. Question: Why did Van Assche present such a clunky collection in his eponymous line? This work seems light years away, totally different.

men's Spring 2010: Lanvin

Are these the bomb? Briskly elegant, very Parisian, the slim, urbane clothes have the urgency of the word 'essential' written al over them! The colours, fabrics and shapes have an androgynous edge that give a lift to the spirit. Unapologetically borrowed from Lanvin's womens, this is courageously subversive stuff. Love.

Ruben Toledo's Pride

Fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo draws new covers for three titles of Penguin Classics' Deluxe Editions: This is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, for which he imagines Elizabeth Bennet’s rejection of Mr. Darcy; The other two titles are Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter and Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Available August 25.

Men's Spring 2010: Hermes

Véronique Nichanian is Hermes. Have you seen such genteel clothes ever? So unpretentious? Such fabrics? So easy? Such colours? This is like the sorbet course in a heavy gourmet's dream isn't it?

Men's Spring 2010: John Galliano

As usual, an inspired romp in superb styling. I don't miss much of what goes on during the fashion weeks when I was there covering the shows (how long ago that all seems now), but Galliano's Homme always had me hyperventilating - always worth the super long wait. If only his women's could be just as wickedly crazy. This season, beneath the theatrical histrionics, you can see some pretty awesome clothes, including the shiney cropped pants, and those sandals! And don't you love the conceit of shirts used as obi belts? And the Balinese touches...

Men's Spring 2010: Givenchy

Cute, in truth (thankfully) brief, Riccardo Tisci's slim talents have produced at least ONE pair of lust-worthy studded sandals, and these Hip Young Thing togs. I like the medieval hood thing, and the proportions on those shorts things look right.

Men's Spring 2010: Raf Simons

It was pretty laborious clicking through this large collection; Actually there were at least five collections in there. A group of immaculate and sublime classics, flawless and tasteful, pretty perfect. Then a group of menswear elements recombined in fresh ways (I liked this best). A bewildering group of belted coats and jackets (this is not Mr Simons at his best, rather the triumph of a mad stylist). A group of autumnal leathers (I don't get this). Then lastly, a slithery group of 'serpent' motif (young and dangerous) looks. It's a testiment to Mr Simons's talent that it didn't look rojak, his strong vision made the thing cohesive. It's good work, just ponderous, and laboured.

Peek At Chic

Something random: This is one of my fave covers of (the many) Linda by Steven Meisel. Inspired by the Horst photo of Pauline de Rothschild, it's genius, down to the pug that takes the place of the mirror in the original. I must say the Horst picture is super nice with the Balthus colouring, and Madame Rothschild looks positively gothic, so wonderfully wizened, as if she has known all corruptions...

Weekend Reading List

I want to say go out and buy the Tash Aw debut The Harmony Silk Factory; It's a ravishing read and I felt sad when I finished reading it. H1N1 is preventing me from rushing to Kino to buy his second book Map of the Invisible World, so I've plumped up my pillows and settled down with an old Agatha Christie, Murder At The Vicarage. There you go, that's three suggestions. I know this is not new, but don't you love the idea of these blank Penguin covers? The world's most venerated paperback company introduced design-it-yourself book covers. The covers are made of art-quality paper and hold ink, paint, pencil and glue. If you give someone a fave book, you can now add your unique stamp on it by personalising the cover. So nice!

Material Girls One and All

And this is what I think: If even Steven Miesel can't do anything to help you look any better, then just pack up those chicken cutlets and call it a day little old lady! In this iconic photograph of Chanel, heavily 'borrowed' for the LV fall ad, the fashion icon, not a beauty nor young, looked graceful and regal in her own own skin.

10,000

10, 000!

Men's Spring 2010: Yves Saint Laurent

Ash can make anything look good! He's got that Kate thing...It's the neck.

What happened here? Although Stephan Pilati is one of my own pantheon of fashion gods, I must say this collection was hit and miss. Some of it is passably nice, but most of it looked old and off... by a couple of seasons. All those Obiwan Kenobi stuff from Star Wars? Been there, done that (and much better) with Rick Owens, a long, long time ago. The volumes looked like what it is - excess fabric. I've picked the five best looks, the rest are shocking.

Men's Spring 2010: Louis Vuitton

I love Paul Helbers's work. Despite 54 exits, there were only a few that were dull or clunky. The cuts were wickedly sharp (the immaculate fit!), the colours so refined. This is elegant, sexy luxury defined. If only Marc Jacobs was half this good... (or even a 20th).

Men's Spring 2010: Dries Van Noten

Wow! The refined fabrics, the 'exotic' patterns, that special sense of colour... This is a really gorgeous collection, beautiful without being effete, dignified; It's graceful, and masculine without swagger. It reminded me of Jogjarkata, the colour combinations, the fluidity, the volume. I would wear it all!