by Isaac Likes

After the untimely death of French model Tom Nicon yesterday , one might have expected a sombre mood among the attendees at Milan Fashion Week today. As it turned out, almost everybody seemed blissfully unaware of the tragedy that had taken place less than 24 hours before – almost everybody. Backstage, many male models were visibly shaken, with murmurs of "But I was just with him two days ago," intermingling with the inevitable, "I'll tell you what I heard..." As far as I know there was no mention of him by any of the designers today, but that could be due to the lack of any formal confirmation of his passing. (Nicon's Milan based agency d'Management has since posted a tribute to him on their website.) , (a musical juxtaposition in itself), the show began with a series of quaint suits, schoolboy shorts, shirts and trenches, all in a golden beige linen. The show notes were quick to point out that there was more to this collection than meets the eye....

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by Isaac Likes

"You won't remember any of these," DD Smash guitarist-cum-gallerist Gary Langsford told me, standing next to a 1979 photograph of The Talking Heads. "I've seen David Byrne twice, and he's even better now than he was back then." "Are there any of you?" I asked. "Unfortunately not," he replied, "But there's one of Hello Sailor over there looking very pretty." One wall devoted to frontmen mid-chorus was attracting plenty of attention, where a particularly tight-trousered Mick Jagger was flanked by two Bob Marleys, dreadlocks in flight. Another side of the room held photos of a historic - or curious - nature. Neil Young on a windsurf in the Auckland harbour, Eric Clapton (bearing a striking resemblance to Lawrence Arabia) on stage, Joe Cocker on heroin (or so one would assume from the dazed look on his face). I caught Bruce Jarvis in between conversations with friends. Does he have a favourite? "Maybe the one of Robert Plant, I have it hanging in my office. But they're all my favourites." Did...

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