The world's most in-demand male model

As the world's most in-demand male model, David Gandy is constantly on the move. 

David Gandy: "I used to go economy, which was tough because I'm 6ft 3. But that's my life and it always has been." Photo: Lorenzo Agius

The first thing you notice about David Gandy is that he is startlingly handsome. The second thing is that he's actually quite shy, which is endearing, and not what you'd expect from a man who shot to fame by cavorting around in unfeasibly tiny white trunks in Dolce & Gabbana's now-iconic 2007 Light Blue men's fragrance ad.

Photo: Lorenzo Agius

This 32-year-old from Billericay in Essex is now said to be the world's highest-paid male model, and was the only man in the line-up of British supermodels who strutted their stuff during the closing ceremony of the London Olympics. 'It was lovely to be represented,' he says. 'England isn't the best at everything, but with fashion, we are pretty much up there. We have so many iconic fashion brands, and the girls here from Kate and Naomi to Lily are the top in the world. We should shout about that.'

Gandy was born in Essex, of working-class parents who built up successful businesses, first in freight, then in property. They too are keen travellers, and used holidays as a way of educating David and his sister, Claire, who now lives in Spain. 'We've been on float-planes to see the brown bears in Alaska, we've been to see the Amazon rainforest, to the Galapagos Islands. My dad thinks he's David Attenborough II, really.'

Inside Dolce & Gabbana's Exclusive Couture Club

Dolce & Gabbana's new Alta Moda couture collection is so exclusive only 100 people were invited to the show. Luke Leitch was granted a preview, photographed by Domenico Dolce.

The billionaire's bejewelled wife clinks glasses and pronounces herself bereft. She has just flown in from the Paris haute couture shows where, she confides, there was barely a single £20,000 (and upwards) new-season, handmade dress to get excited about. 'Awful. Awful,' she says, sadly. 'Except for Valentino, all a waste of time. For anorexics or drug addicts!' She sips her prosecco, peers left and right, then palpably brightens.

The marble-floored rooms around us are a seemly jostle of millionairesses, heiresses, princesses and, I suspect, the odd adventuress too. These 100-or-so women - whom we have agreed not to identify - range in age from twentysomething to seventysomething, and include many of the world's most enthusiastic couture customers. Tonight, however, they have been diverted away from couture's usual beaten track to Milan: this gilded salon in specially bought apartments just behind via della Spiga is the home of Dolce & Gabbana's great Alta Moda experiment.

First look: Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda couture spring/summer 2013

The top-heavy presence of innumerable headset-wearing security guards was an unexpected add-on to proceedings at last week's Dolce & Gabbana's "Alta Moda" show in Milan. But the surprise didn't last for long. For the 80-strong audience included Arabian princesses (one in a strikingly short ostrich feather dress), African heiresses, Italian contessas, Russian oligarchs' wives and Chinese millionairesses.

Along with Monica Bellucci and five Vogue editors (including Alexandra Shulman from London and Anna Wintour from New York), they had flown in from the couture shows in Paris - "really not so great, this season", reported one guest, "with the exception of Chanel and Valentino" - to see the Italian designers' second collection of uncompromisingly lavish couture.

This Alta Moda "Milan" collection, sometimes virginal and sometimes vixenish, was much more focused that the extraordinary debut show held in Sicily last summer. And just like that first show, it was far, far more beautiful to watch than the vast majority of fashion collections I have seen.

FG10 best of Golden Globe Awards 2013

Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence and Claire Danes were among the night's big winners at the 2013 Golden Globe Awards, but the evening's big fashion story was a highlight of shades of pink - ranging from vibrant coral to the softest nudes and blush.

Jessica Alba in Oscar de la Renta adopted the colour spectrum's most rosy shade, while Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad, Megan Fox in Dolce & Gabbana and Amy Adams opted for the palest of nude hues.

Hathaway, in Chanel, and her Les Misérables co-star Amanda Seyfried chose white gowns, while there was plenty of classic black - courtesy of Kate Hudson and Nicole Kidman, both in Alexander McQueen, Rachel Weisz in Louis Vuitton and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Saint Laurent.

Here are our favorite picks!

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway wore a Chanel Couture strapless white peplum gown from the spring/summer 2009 collection with Chanel Fine Jewellery. She won the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture award for her role in Les Misérables.

Kate Hudson

Kate Hudson wore her Alexander McQueen black gown with Jennifer Meyer rings and carried a Roger Vivier clutch.

Jennifer Garner

Jennifer Garner in a Vivienne Westwood Couture sequin gown, accessorised with gold jewellery.

Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba wore a $5.8 million Harry Winston necklace with her blush Oscar de la Renta pre-autumn/winter 2013-14 strapless gown and added a feathered Roger Vivier clutch to complete her look.

ADELE

Adele collected her Best Original Song Golden Globe for Skyfall in a Burberry black gown with embellished neckline.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift chose an aubergine Donna Karan Atelier full-length gown, worn with Lorraine Schwartz jewellery.

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman chose a black and gold dress from the Alexander McQueen spring/summer 2013 collection, which featured bronze bees at the neckline.

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez wore a Zuhair Murad spring/summer 2013 nude gown with white embroidery and carried a Jimmy Choo clutch to attend the Globes with boyfriend Casper Smart.

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu wore a Carolina Herrera pre-autumn/winter 2013-14 floral ball gown.

Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper became the latest star to join Livia Firth’s Green Carpet Challenge, wearing a bespoke Tom Ford suit made from OEKO-TEX certified, low environmental impact, European spun and woven wool suiting.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in a a Saint Laurent black gown, belt and heels.

Lea Michele

Lea Michele chose an Elie Saab beaded gown with a thigh-high slit and added Lorraine Schwartz jewellery.

Halle Berry

Halle Berry wore an Atelier Versace autumn/winter 2012-13 asymmetric gown with thigh-high slit.

Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek in a Gucci Première gown with bow detailing at the waist.

Naomi Watts

Naomi Watts wore a full-length Zac Posen gown, Lorraine Schwartz jewels and carried a Salvatore Ferragamo clutch.

Megan Fox

Megan Fox arrived in a Dolce & Gabbana lace strapless gown worn with Lorraine Schwartz drop earrings and a Jimmy Choo clutch.

Nicole Richie

Nicole Richie wore an embroidered gown from Naeem Khan's spring/summer 2013 collection with a House of Harlow fringed clutch and jewels by H. Stern.

Eva Longoria

Eva Longoria in a bespoke Emilio Pucci black gown with thigh-high slit and lace bodice.

Heidi Klum

Heidi Klum in an asymmetric white gown with thigh-high slit.

Photo Credit: All photos herein belong to VOGUE UK

Dolce & Gabbana in Trouble

An Italian judge has refused a plea by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana's lawyer to dismiss the €420 million tax evasion case against the designers.

A judge has rejected a plea by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana's lawyer to throw out the tax evasion trial against the designers and several of their business associates. Instead, judge Antonella Brambilla ruled that the trial will go ahead, starting on January 30, with two further hearings scheduled for February, reports WWD .

The Italian design duo are accused of evading €420 million in tax when they sold their two brands, Dolce & Gabbana and D&G, to their own Luxembourg-based company, Gado Srl.

Dolce & Gabbana Autumn/Winter 2012 Collection Revealed!

Lisa Armstrong: 'If you had to re-invent a definition of luxury, one of the most overused sells of modern times, then a double-sided cashmere-tweed with devastating curves over the hips is a good start.'

Photo: Telegraph

After 27 years, Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce have achieved a level of commercial and creative success with their ready-to-wear lines, perfumes, cosmetics, sunglasses, bags and shoes that means they can do what they want. And having been everywhere, seen it all and bought the yachts, what they want now is their own couture line, Alta Moda.

Not the modern version of a couture line, which is essentially another branding tool in which far more couture-show pictures are beamed around the world than outfits are actually ordered. This was not about following fashion's 21st-century business procedure - this was about the clients and the clothes (and maybe creating an old-fashioned mystique: the blogosphere had been a-throb with speculation about this show ever since news of it first emerged).

Photo: Telegraph

One by one, the duo's favourite tropes emerged: the idealised Sicilian black-widow silhouette, the embellished silk and velvet kitten heels, the voluptuous floral prints and appliquéd roses, the romantic full skirts and the slinky lace ones.

But the point, as Stefano Gabbana said, "was not to do new, new, new. It was to craft something beautiful, special and unique." What would happen if more than one client fell in love with the same pink lace dress? "First come, first served," he replied firmly.

Photo: Telegraph

Guaranteed exclusivity, a degree of secrecy and the time (and zen-like patience) to wait for these beautiful pieces to be made, are three further definitions of luxury. The irony is that in a saturated-celebrity-and-fast-fashion culture, Dolce & Gabbana's bid for slow-fashion, for artistry and for not having to think too hard about bottom lines or the endless churn of ready-to-wear shows, can only benefit their brand.

Style Tips from the week's Best Dressed

FG10 gazes through the week's Best Dressed selections to give you the juice of some fresh styling tips!!

Channel your boyish side

Clemence Poesy ticks the box between androgynous dressing and unflattering boyish attire just perfectly. Trench coat, bowler and brogues in tow, bring your locks over your shoulders to accentuate the feminine side of your look.

Get sporty

When Diane Kruger visited the French Open Tennis Tournament at Roland Garros, she took the opportunity to embrace the athletic spirit set to rampage the high street with the coming of the Olympics. Look out for luxe sportswear with feminine lines and add converse for an old-school, classic touch.

Time for trousers

Forget the image of trouser suits as a cover-up manoeuvre for office ladies not so fond of their legs. Designers have been pursuing somewhat of a love affair with the masculine tailoring option and fashionistas, like Hanneli Mustaparta , are (pardon the pun) following suit. The neon pink colouring, statement lapels and side panels on the ensemble are merely plus points.

Convert eveningwear to daywear

Looking sartorially insouciant, Kate Bosworth proves that dapper dresses don't have to be banished to nighttime soirées. Team your frock with ankle boots, shades and an apathetic attitude, for ultimate style points.

Go heavy on the footwear

High-top wedge trainers and flatform boots are akin to catnip among the fashion pack this season. Forget dainty summer sandals, the British downpour requires a sturdy lace - or Velcro - up. Karolina Kurkova looks smug in the sunshine in her black booties, proving that the season can have a dark side too.

Bare some skin

Crop tops are no longer exclusive to cheer leaders, belly dancers or teens sporting newly pierced midriffs. Seen on the likes of models at the Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Pucci and Preen spring/summer shows, models oozed class while flaunting a little extra torso. Team with a high-waist, A-line skirt, like Karen Elson, for true elegant exposure.

Learn to travel lightly

The burden of the bulky 'It' bag is temporarily over, with the arrival of a new, compact carry case on the block. Essentially a wallet-sized holdall on a strap, the mini bag is set to take the shoulders of the fashion pack by storm. Solange Knowles leads the way with her monochrome cutie.

Embrace festival chic

The boho look has a lot of potential for fashion faux pas. Even Sienna Miller may have worn one gladiator belt too many. Done well though bohemian chic can look whimsical and fashion-forward at the same time. Try a flowing skirt, pumps and a smattering of gold jewellery, like style maven Olivia Palermo , for the upcoming festival season.

Reveal your crowning glory

Floral crowns and headbands have been having a bit of a moment, ever since Bora Asku and Dolce & Gabbana decked out their spring/summer catwalk models with headwear of the finest flora and fauna. Look to Poppy Delevingne for natural, leafy inspiration in the garland department.

Perfect pleats

Sarah Jessica Parker spruces up a khaki tank top with some dark, sharp knife pleats. Sashay along in a skirt that has a bit more sway than its pencil and mini companions. And add a pop of colour, like SJP, for good measure.

Jean Paul Gaultier designs new cone bra corset for Madonna

Among the numerous costumes that Madonna will be wearing throughout her MDNA World Tour is a masculine-inspired look by Jean Paul Gaultier featuring a corset-style top.

For the pop star's ninth world tour, the French designer drew upon a now-iconic costume he'd designed for her in the past.

"We played with the ideas of a suit and a corset. But the corset is now like a cage," Jean Paul Gaultier outlined. "What I have done this time is a nod to the conical bra corset of the Blond Ambition tour but reinterpreted in 3D, in patent leather on the outside with metallic leather on the inside. It's all about masculine and feminine, Madonna and Jean Paul Gaultier classics reinterpreted for 2012.

Madonna will also be wearing costumes by Dolce & Gabbana, Jeremy Scott and Alexander Wang.

So You Think Tour Job is Tough? Try Working for Naomi Campbell

What's the most dangerous job in the world? Bull fighter? Firefighter? Lion tamer? Bomb-disposal engineer?

Surely a contender must be the role of personal assistant to Naomi Campbell and yesterday there was speculation that the British beauty might be hiring after it was reported that a Hollywood recruiting website was looking for "a full-time personal assistant with very thick skin" for a New York-based supermodel.

Campbell has been accused of violence against employees 10 times between 1998 and 2008, pleading guilty to assaulting PA Georgina Galanis with a mobile phone in 2000 and assaulting her former housekeeper Ana Scolavino in 2007 for which she was forced to attend anger management classes and do community service in New York (which she completed wearing a Dolce & Gabbana silver sequinned gown).

Other notorious incidents include spitting on police at Heathrow in a row over lost luggage. A spokesperson for Campbell later denied that it was her client who had placed the ad, leaving jobseekers relieved. - The Independent

Now, FG10 leaves you with this tiny little question: Would you work for Naomi Campbell? Let us hear you!

D&G S/S 2012 Ad Campaign

The 15 Harper's Bazaar Russia Anniversary Covers

15 World class designers created front covers for Russia's Harper's Bazaar to celebrate the magazines 15th Anniversary. Each designer custom made their own cover which included collages and articles. With all these gorgeous covers which designer was your favourite?

I'm torn between Antonio Marras and Peter Dundas for Pucci, in love with both!

Jean Paul Gaultier

Viktor & Rolf

Versace

Sonia Rykiel

Ralph Lauren

Peter Dundas for Pucci

Moschino

Missioni

Michael Kors

Diane von Furstenberg

Dolce & Gabbana

Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel

Roberto Cavalli

Giorgio Armani

Antonio Marras

images sourced from frontrowview