Fashion: Beautiful people, and the men and women who make them so

Hat designed by Philip Treacy, 1991/92. Photograph by Herbie Knott: 'Philip Treacy is an unassuming and utterly charming young Irish man who, if not the world's number one milliner, is not far off. His hats are complex pieces of architecture with great shapes and silhouettes.'

Jean Muir (opposite), London, September 1990. Photograph by Glynn Griffiths: 'Jean was incredibly nervous. I had to convince her that my composition would work but subsequently received a letter saying that she loved the photograph' Italian designer Gianni Versace (right), Opera House Covent Garden, January 1991. Photograph by Herbie Knott: 'This was taken in an empty rehearsal room. We scoured the building for hoards of dummies. The picture took an hour to set up and 10 minutes to shoot.'

German model Claudia Schiffer (below). Paris, early 1990s. Photograph by Herbie Knott: 'Claudia arrived from an over-night flight looking like a little girl with puffy eyes. One hour later, she looked like a supermodel'

Giorgio Armani (right), Milan 1991. Photograph by Knott: 'Armani is taking a bow at his catwalk show. He always takes a bow, but on that occasion the dark suit, the hands behind the back, the pose, it all came together.'

Kate Moss (below left), Kensington, August 1993. Photograph by Glynn Griffiths: 'I was determined not to photograph her as a model. I wanted to show her as a young woman. Kate was very timid and polite but she relaxed very quickly. My session only lasted 10 minutes but as soon as I took it, I knew that was the picture' Claude Montana's Collection, autumn/winter 1987, Milan (top). Photograph by Suresh Karadia: 'Nobody in the British press ever used to photograph three girls at the same time before The Independent did it. I remember thinking this was a wonderful picture, a feeling which always gets the adrenaline flowing.'

Chanel, Paris fashion shows, autumn/winter 1986 (above). Photograph by Suresh Karadia: 'You have to be a sports photographer to keep up with the runway, and to get a good position among the 200 others at the end of the runway. At The Independent, we were the first to use long lens shots, which started a trend in the glossies. Until that point, photographers had tended to be at the side of the catwalk, getting pictures of nostrils'

Romeo Gigli show, Paris, 1991 (right). Photograph by Herbie Knott: 'Both Gigli's clothing and many of his catwalk presentations have a theatrical quality. This was taken outdoors, at night in a Paris courtyard, lit for a great dramatic video.'