Its foldable ‘Pliage’ totes have long been famed for being as useful as they are stylish, but Kate Moss gave Longchamp a new lease of life when she began starring in their advertising campaigns in 2006.

Now, like Tracey Emin before her, the supermodel-turned-fashion designer has taken her partnership with the label one step further by designing a capsule collection of handbags.

The 36-year-old worked closely with Longchamp’s artistic director Sophie Delafontaine on the collection, and leaned on her personal experience to influence the designs.

Classic designs: The Gloucester tote appeared to be the supermodel's answer to the Hermes Birkin or Mulberry Bayswater.

Rock chic: The Glastonbury takes its name from Moss's favourite festival.

Sarah Harding has carved a niche as the edgiest of the Girls Aloud pack.

Her bold haircuts, daring dresses and bright red lipstick get her noticed wherever she goes.

Never afraid to pioneer up-and-coming designers, Sarah was spotted out partying last year in this silver La Petite (formerly known as La Petite Salope, which loosely translates from french as ‘the little strumpet’), who are renowned for their dresses with in-built corsetry.

This silver, one-shoulder belted duchesse satin cocktail dress isn’t an easy look to pull off, so could an ordinary woman still manage to look good in one?

The answer was a resounding ‘yes’ – in a Mad Men-esque way.

The hidden corsetry does wonders for our size 14 model’s curves, accentuating her hourglass figure, while the black belt higlights her slim waist.

In fact, she wears the dress better than lean Sarah Harding.

But if you’re looking for a more affordable version, try this silver number by Trinny and Sussanah for Littlewoods – a snip at just £55.

The avant-garde couturier Josephus Thimister has returned to the Paris haute couture scene, for the first time in more than a decade, with a dramatic “anti-war” collection.

Thimister’s stark, bleak and disturbing collection, entitled “Bloodshed and Opulence”, opens the French couture season for spring/summer 2010, and it takes no prisoners.

Thimister, 47, who is of Russian-Dutch extraction, said: “I’m not a political person, but fashion has a voice and it is time to express my views. We are still feeling the aftershock of the Bolshevik Revolution and the rise of Communism, when Europe fell apart. We have never recovered. We have lost our soul and our spirit.”

Pamela Ptak is still glowing from the praise of fashion guru Tim Gunn.

Gunn, during a casting session for the Lifetime TV show ‘ ’Project Runway,” called her clothing ”among the most beautifully constructed clothes I’ve ever seen.”

”It was amazing,” said the fashion teacher at Allentown’s Baum School of Art. ”My skill was at the level he was describing. But I thought, ‘Oh my God, you said it on the record.”’

Ptak, who lives outside Riegelsville in Durham Township, was chosen for the popular reality show and tonight begins her quest to win $100,000 and a spread in a fashion magazine. She will compete against 15 other designers on the show. The seventh season starts at 10 p.m.

Ptak tried unsuccessfully two previous years to get on ”Project Runway.” She was picked from thousands of designers for this year’s show, hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum and featuring fashion consultant Gunn.

Gunn, whose ”Make it work!” has become a catchphrase for the show, was just as nice as he seems on the show, Ptak said.

”Tim’s like the special uncle who’s nice to everyone, but even more so,” she said. ”He really is that intellectual and charming. He’s a pretty darn cool guy.”

At 47, Ptak is this season’s oldest contestant. Half of this season’s 16 contestants are in their 20s.

It is the second time a designer from the Lehigh Valley has been featured on the show. Bethlehem designer Marla Duran was a contestant in the second season in 2006 and was the sixth to be eliminated. Ptak and Duran have become friends, and will watch tonight’s episode together.

Born in Pittsfield, Mass., Ptak studied at Pratt Institute in New York and worked as an art director for advertising agencies before returning to fashion. She started her own line of clothing in 2001.

Ptak, whose name is pronounced using all the letters, designs women’s separates and dresses for her ready-to-wear line ”Pamela Ptak,” and custom couture dresses and gowns under the label ”Ptak Couture.”

She teaches fashion design courses at Drexel University in Philadelphia and has been teaching at Baum for five years.

Ptak promises the audiences will hear her trademark exclamation phrase ”Holy Moley,” which she picked up from watching ‘ ‘Batman” as a child and hanging around with her husband, Scott Hanna, a comic book artist.

Hanna is thrilled that his wife has found her calling.

”I’m so excited and proud of her,” he said. ”I’ve seen her transform over the years and her quality keeps getting better. It’s so cool that everything’s coming together and this will show off to the world the talent I’ve always known she has.”

Ptak describes her fashions as clothes that make a woman comfortable as well as beautiful. Her designs are architectural with clean lines and geometric shapes. She thinks of clothing as wearable sculpture.

”My designs are intellectual,” she said. ”They are a little surprising, showcasing parts of the anatomy with cutouts and the suggestion of movement.”

Rose Ackerman, Baum School director of development, owns clothes made by Ptak.

”They are sewn beautifully inside and outside,” Ackerman said. ”She certainly has a passion for fashion. I think her designs are good enough to win — but you never know what the judges are looking for.”

Ptak auditioned for the show’s fifth season at the urging of her fashion students and interns.