With a sly sideways glance, Madame Y "accidentally" drops a pair of sterling silver Gucci handcuffs from her Prada purse. With a flourish, Madame X takes out her Smythson baby-pink glove-leather notebook. My favourite shoes are JP Tods, in fact I am going there now to buy some beige suede driving shoes. I often shop at Harvey Nichols, and I buy Italian labels like MaxMara and Byblos partly because I'm Italian, but also because their clothes are good quality, comfortable and stylish.". If none are shown reconsider signing up.l Are there working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in rooms and staircases? If the landlord will not provide them - get your own and take them away when you leave.l Try and talk over the accommodation with the previous tenants.l A group-assured short-hold tenancy is a joint tenancy, in other words with joint and several responsibility, thus all members of the group will be responsible for payment of the whole rent and other costs of the property and, you will be held responsible for non-payment of rent and other charges by co-sharers.l Note on the schedule the general cleanliness and condition; marks on walls, carpets, mattresses and knife cuts on kitchen work tops.Multiple Choice1. Have you ever seen two fashion editors play product poker on the front row at the catwalk shows? It is a no-cards-necessary duel.

In general I stick to buying quality clothes that last, but I do splash out for special occasions."Karin Jamotte 47, jewellery entrepreneur, wears sunglasses by Polaroid, vintage Fifties blouse by M&S, trousers from Paris, amber necklace from South Africa."I like Christian Dior circa 1950, but that's as far as me and fashion go My mission in life is to be happily dressed on a budget. I prefer Joseph or Italian labels when I'm in casual mode, although for evening and luncheons I wear Valentino, Chanel and a designer called Vicky Tiel who does these fab evening dresses which are fitted to you They are so chic I shop in Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Joseph. In fact, I couldn't do without them." Victoria Vanderbilt 40-something, wears sunglasses by Gucci, dress by Diana von Furstenberg, handbag by Mulberry."Shopping here is too expensive, I do it in LA where I spend most of the year But I do take my tips from Britain. You know, I'm not really from Knightsbridge, and I'm certainly not a lady, but I'm being a lady-who-lunches for the day. I tend to go for conservative Italian designers like Armani and Valentino for formal events.

I read an article in Vogue about Diana von Furstenberg being back in business, so I went to a store and bought three of her dresses in a sale - they are extremely comfortable, and remind me of my youth. Mary Quinn 53, interior designer, wears top by Oasis, trousers by Sportmax, handbag by Dior, sunglasses (in hand) by Gucci "I keep fit so that I can dress in any way I choose. My favourite look is elegantly casual, and because I travel a lot with my husband, I tend to dress that way often. But the price you pay for experimental fashion is always high. Five years on, Junya Watanabe's latest collection is a musing on a length of wire. He threaded lengths of fabric on to spirals of coathanger wire and produced a whole new silhouette.

Pretentious codswallop, you might say, but this sort of thing has a habit of catching on several seasons down the line. His organic shapes and forms are strangely beautiful and - a rare thing in the fashion business - original, too. Here, his clothes work in gentle harmony with those of his backer and mentor, Rei Kawakubo People laughed at her designs once, too. Tamsin BlanchardThis page Khaki ruffle collar, pounds 1,250, khaki wool skirt, pounds 220, black lace-up shoes, pounds 280, all by Junya Watanabe, from Comme des Garcons, 59 Brook Street, London W1, enquiries 0171-493 1258; and Liberty, Regent Street, London W1, enquiries 0171-734 1234.Opposite page Khaki wool cape dress, pounds 650, by Junya Watanabe, as beforeThis page khaki and beige wool/cotton mix coat, pounds 985, blue polyvinyl chloride shoes, pounds 130, both Comme des Garcons, as before, also available from Pollyanna, 16 Market Hill, Barnsley, enquiries 01226 291 665.Opposite page khaki wool sweater, pounds 440, khaki wool pleated skirt, pounds 480, black lace-up shoes, pounds 280, all Junya Watanabe, as before, grey wool/nylon socks, pounds 18, Comme des Garcons, as before.Stylist Georgina CortinaMake-up Ashley Ward for Trish McCoyHair Marcelino for the John Frieda SalonModel Hanli at Women. When Rei Kawakubo of the influential Japanese label Comme des Garcons launched her ex-design assistant Junya Watanabe on an unsuspecting fashion world in 1993, people didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "The lunatics are taking over the asylum," screamed the soundtrack at his first show in Paris; and the clothes were a mix of ballgowns made out of old sweatshirts sewn together and football strips and shirt dresses that looked like they were being worn back-to- front or upside-down.