Hollywood's got nothing on this

It was dubbed 'The Turlington Tangle', as supermodel Christy Turlington, usually the quiet type, stole attention at the New York shows. First came the rumour about her romantic involvement with the True Romance Hollywood star Christian Slater. 'Is she, isn't she?' dating him, everyone wanted to know. She chose the smartest party of the week - the store Henri Bendell's party for the flavour-of-the-month hairdresser, Garren - at which to go public: the couple made a hand-in-hand entrance, pursued by the camera crew that is making a programme about Christy for American television.

But the very next day another 'is she or isn't she?' rumour started, when Christy turned up to another party in gay-girl gear - vest, blue jeans and Timberlands - and schmoozed with the up-front lesbian kd lang, once again in full view of the camera team.

Then it was 'did they or didn't they?', referring to Christy and Naomi's joint belly-button piercing session, alleged to have taken place at a London hotel. Isaac Mizrahi's show provided the answer, when the belly rings of Christy and Naomi appeared together in full view of - you've guessed it - the Turlington camera crew, and press photographers.

Next it was 'I saw it, she did it', referring to Christy's double slap round the face to the photographer Steve Wood, of the Daily Express, who had snapped Turlington topless backstage in Paris. He claims it was in the best possible taste. The other catwalk photographers, veritable knights dedicated to the protection of the models' decency, had sent Christy a letter saying how appalled they were that the catwalk code of honour (that is, no cheesy backstage snaps) had been broken. One of them helpfully identified Steve Wood to Christy who chose the Ghost post-show party to wallop him - on camera, of course.

Was the sweetest little Valley Girl in fashion playing up to her camera team? Probably. Certainly the new supermodel trinity of Christy, Naomi and Kate Moss were working up their supermodel images.

Perhaps this was in light of the threats from designers that they would no longer pay supermodel super fees. Donna Karan, whose company is about to go public, commented that the soaraway earnings were immoral. They voted with their feet. Neither Christy nor Naomi nor Kate (who is contracted to Calvin Klein) did Karan's show.

Linda Evangelista, however, did. A consummate performer, she managed to steal some of Christy's thunder. At the Garren party - the first sighting of Linda, who mysteriously didn't show in Paris, London or Milan - she and her actor-boyfriend, Kyle MacLachlan, were surrounded by cameras. She wore a silver leather micro miniskirt, which seemed to scotch the persistent rumour that she is pregnant.

However, there is an old Spanish proverb that says there is no one thinner than a woman who is three months pregnant. Spotting a rogue sound boom hovering over a private conversation, Linda pulled it down, said 'I'm due in May', then pushed it out of sight.

No wonder people say these girls are the Hollywood stars of today. Certainly, the movie clips of their lives might be a lot more glamorous than what we will see in Pret-a-Porter, Robert Altman's in-the-works movie about the fashion business. The latest on that: the veteran catwalk illustrator Gladys Perint Palmer will draw sketches to be used for the closing credits.

(Photograph omitted)