Givenchy has become the Paris show to watch when it comes to eclectic casting. With its mix of re-discovered  favorites, fresh faces and house staples there was truly something for everyone. Whether you’re a 90s model fan enjoying the welcome shock of seeing both Michele Hicks and Kirsty Hume on the runway again or new faces watcher charting the course of fast rising star Antonella Graef there was excitement to be found. Riccardo Tisci’s graphic black and white collection shone on each and every model selected but there were a few girls in particular that grabbed our attention.

Antonella opens Givenchy

While Antonella Graef  (Top S/S 10 Newcomer) snagged the bulk of our attention with her second time opening Givenchy (she opened couture too) there were almost too many cool girls to count. Mirte Maas, Alla Kostromichova and Jacquelyn Jablonski continue to book only the best shows and top 10 newcomer Frida Gustavsson’s winning streak extended into Paris. Exclusives like the Elena Ivanova (WM Paris) and Nastya Karzan provided welcome surprises and Tisci favorites like Lily Donaldson, Iselin Steiro, Lakshmi Menon and Meghan Collison all made appearances - important to note given just how many established girls spent their S/S seasons away from the catwalk.

Gwen Loos (Marilyn). Emily DiDonato. Jacquelyn Jablonski.

One of the most continuously interesting things about Givenchy’s casting is that each season it manages to change our view of certain girls. Take Maybelline face Emily DiDonato for example. Pre-Givenchy and she’s the the definition of wholesome, All-American sexiness (witness OTM’s video interview with her)-  a little eyebrow bleach and matte lipstick later and she’s one of Tisci androgynously beautiful heroines. Same goes for Italian bombshell Bianca Balti and the sultry Elena Melnick. The way every girl transforms once they enter into Tisci’s world is really what makes this show as powerful as it is season after season.

Maryna Linchuk surrounded by the boys, RJ Rogenski, Ben Hill, Vladimir Ivanov. Pic JD Ferguson for V Magazine.
The V Magazine/Marc Jacobs after party celebrating Lady Gaga and V’s new issue was THE place to be last night. Everyone from models Lily Donaldson, Dree Hemingway, Liya Kebede, Karmen Pedaru,  Julien d’Ys, Pat McGrath, DSquared2’s Dan & Dean, to Janet Jackson joined Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone and V/Visionaire co-founders Cecilia Dean and Stephen Gan celebrate Lady Gaga, V Magazine and the MJ SS10 collection. To see which music stars/art stars and of course a gaggle of supermodels showed, go to V Magazine to check out JD Ferguson’s exclusive pics.

Every season The Last Magazine packs something special into it’s incredible extra-large format that makes it a must read. With Maciek Kobielski shooting the always impressive Lily Donaldson for the cover of the Fall/Winter edition we are certain that this issue will be nothing short of amazing.

Modelizers, brace yourselves, i-D is hitting newsstands with not one, not two but 12 incredible covers dedicated to the best British models. By now we all know that Brit girls are among the coolest in the industry and each cover taps into the dynamic personality of its star. Legends like Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Twiggy,  Stella Tennant, Susie Bick and Yasmin LeBon share space with au courant faves like Lily Donaldson, Agyness Deyn and Jourdan Dunn. The London It-girls are in full effect too with Alice Dellal, Daisy Lowe and newcomer Eliza Cummins (fresh from her turn in Dazed & Confused) all snagging covers. Long live the queens!

Fashion followers surely recall the epic Showstudio live stream Let There Be Light, a rare real time chance to watch two of fashion’s top talents hard at work. In demand British beauty Lily Donaldson and visionary lensman Nick Knight gave viewers a bird’s eye view of the creative process and at long last the results are set to hit newsstands with the latest edition of V.  With its unique mixed media feel and Lily’s graceful posing, the story is sure to capture imagination.

Lily Donaldson by Nick Knight for V

More S/S 09 ads than you can shake a stick at! This season the vibe is elegant, eclectic and as always, fashionable. Natasha Poly, Lily Donaldson and Abbey Lee Kershaw reprise their roles as Gucci girls in a colorful tropic setting joined by former MOTW Jonatan Frenk. The Inez and Vinoodh helmed ads are a breath of fresh air. Meanwhile, Karl Lagerfeld does double duty as designer and photographer for Chanel and Fendi - capturing Toni Garrn and Heidi Mount looking lovely.

You would never know Old Man Winter is about to descend on the Northern Hemisphere with the appearance of the Burberry Spring Summer 09 ads breaking in WWD. The models? Lily Donaldson, rising star Eden Clark (fresh off of her British Vogue cover), new faces Alexina Graham and Richard Wyndham. The young and beautiful Brits lounge for Christopher Bailey and Mario Testino in a famous nursery that showcases the wearable luxury of the timeless brand.

See more pics here on WWD.

Eden and Lily.

Alexina, unknown, Eden and Lily

Eden,unknown, Lily. Ph: Mario Testino for Burberry S/S 09. Images from WWD and Ford Models (for Alexina)

Jourdan Dunn’s Model of the Year accolades at the British Fashion Awards is a fantastic coup for the London beauty and her mother agency Storm Model Management. Ms Dunn beat out top English stars Agyness Deyn and Lily Donaldson but what made the victory even more stunning? Her top modeling accomplishments happened within the space of 4 months. Starting with the star making Meisel lensed July Vogue Italia cover followed in quick succession by 4 other covers, appearances in Gap/Benetton/Topshop campaigns and countless editorials, Jourdan’s moment has clearly arrived.

All images courtesy of Storm.