Tonight:
9°c
An awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurance
Latest: Policeman pleads guilty to murdering his police constable fiancée hours before they were due to fly out to their wedding in St Lucia
More...
Cilla shakes a lorra, lorra leg
By Robert Mendick Last updated at 12:25pm on 19.09.08Veteran singer and TV star Cilla Black showed off a magnificent pair of legs as she flounced down the catwalk, to the strains of her hit song Anyone Who Had a Heart.
Wearing a white shirt, Yves Saint Laurent jacket, black tights and little else, 65-year-old Cilla managed to upstage her younger rivals at the charity catwalk show that brought London Fashion Week to a close last night.
Cilla, queen of the catwalk: the singer leads the way at the Fashion For Relief show at the Natural History Museum. On the right, Cheryl Cole impresses in Gaultier
The crowd - including Princess Eugenie, Jerry Hall and the Prime Minister's wife Sarah Brown - burst into applause at the sight of the Liverpudlian whose career began in the Sixties with The Beatles in The Cavern Club.
The only person older than her to dare to bound down the catwalk was Dame Vivienne Westwood, the 67-yearold fashion designer. She, however, kept her legs under wraps.
Almost five decades younger, Olympic star Rebecca Adlington, 19, proved she can sashay almost as well as she can swim. Adlington, her two gold medals displayed around her neck, took to the catwalk alongside her fellow double gold medallist Sarah Ayton, better known as one of the three blondes in a boat who triumphed in Athens in 2004 and in Beijing last month.
Prime position: Sarah Brown and British Fashion Council chairman Harold Tillman in the front row; on the right Naomi Campbell
The Fashion for Relief event, organised by Streatham's most famous supermodel, Naomi Campbell, is becoming a regular fixture as the closing show at Fashion Week.
Proceeds from this year's event at the Natural History Museum will go towards the White Ribbon Alliance, a charity supported by Mrs Brown, which campaigns for better care for women in childbirth in the developing world.
Vivienne Westwood and Princess Eugenie; Nicky Clarke styles Kelly Hoppen's hair
"Every minute around the world a woman dies in pregnancy, this hasn't changed in 20 years," said Mrs Brown. She added: "The world is coming together to put an end to the shameful and needless deaths. This event will have a major impact on the lives of many women around the world."
Among the other famous faces who took to the runway were singer Cheryl Cole, model Erin O'Connor, a reluctant Tracey Emin, rock daughters Kimberly Stewart and Lizzie Jagger, singer Jamelia and her daughters all in tartan, and girl group the Sugababes.
Ms Cole ,wearing a red sequin dress by Jean-Paul Gaultier, was cheered on by her husband, Chelsea footballer Ashley Cole, and bandmate Sarah Harding. Jo Wood, the 53-year-old wife of Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, who is still said to be in rehab, also put in an appearance on the catwalk in a gold vintage Mairead gown.
Related articles
- London should wear its fashion flair with pride
- Blow for London in fashion war with New York's power stylists
- 20 years on and the world's greatest supermodels are back - without a wrinkle between them
- The Eighties supermodels who are back in Vogue
- 12m tune in to see X Factor but miss the real drama between 'jealous' Dannii and tearful Cheryl behind the scenes
Reader views (2)
As a 65 year old with a 55 year old (second) wife I find ageism particularly unhelpful. When I first met my wife she preferred to hide her figure and attractive legs beneath very unflattering clothes. It took ages to convince her there was no sin in showing off her assets. Today she has a totally new wardrobe comprising skirts of all lengths instead of trousers, business suits for work that emphasise her figure and legs, high heels, and wears without a second thought fishnet tights and stockings. Needless to say her transformation has not gone un-noticed at work and she has recently received some long-sought promotion.
- Mike Abbott, London, UK
Robert, don't give up your day job mate, but soemone should of told you
Ashley plays for Chelsea and not Arsenal!
- Adrian, London
