Kim Kardashian may still be receieving the cold shoulder from hard core fashion folk but that that hasn't stopped her mission to penetrate (no inuendo intended) the fashion scene. Earlier on this month New York magazine revealed their fall fashion issue fronted by the reality star and she also bagged that big L'Uomo Vogue cover too and now the first image of that Nick Knight shoot for V has been released.

Knight took to Twitter to reveal the preview image from the shoot saying: 'The very lovely Kim Kardashian. Preview from the series of pictures I shot of Kim for SHOWstudio and V magazine.' Kim quickly resonded by retweeting the post with exclamation points. So, what with Kanye West restyling her, I sadly suspect that there's a lot more where that comes from. US Vogue still seems like a definite no but with West by her side, I'm sure fashion doors will begin to open for her and very quickly.

What do you think of the image?

Franca Sozzani has always been one of my favourite editors. Like Anna Wintour, her work goes beyond what she does for the magazine. Over the past year, for example, she's addressed the body image issue at a talk at Harvard University and most notably, she's brought the fashion industry in Africa into the public consciousness.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the Vogue Italia editor has been asked to become the first Goodwill Ambassador of 'Fashion 4 Development', a new United Nations initiative that aims to encourage fashion leaders to work on sustainable development initiatives.

According to WWD, the role is part of a two-year platform that aims to help the United Nations meet their Millennium Development Goals. On Thursday Sozzani - who dedicated the June issue of L'Uomo Vogue to the topic of 'Rebranding Africa' - attended a meeting at the UN's Manhattan headquarters to discuss how designers and retailers can get on board to support the cause.

Over the last few months the fashion industry have been looking at Africa. Far from it being all about charity, the current interest in the continent has been a good one at Vogue Italia editor Franca Sozzani is largely to thank. Last month she confirmed that the magazine would sponsor Ghanian fashion week and anyone that has followed her blog will know that she's spent a lot of time in West Africa recently.

Many criticised her 'All Black Issue' back in 2008 for being a gimmick but Sozzani has committed to her aim of promoting diversity and supporting black creativity and the latest issue of L'Uomo Vogue is a case in point. The magazine's May issue stars unlikely cover star 67 year-old Ban Ki-Moon the Secretary General of the UN as a part of Sozzani's efforts to help in the 'rebranding of Africa.' According to the press release the aim of the issue is to 'present a new portrait of an Africa that is positive, creative and confidence of its own strengths.'

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Riccardo Tisci isn't afraid to do something different when it comes to his ad campaigns at Givenchy. Last season his campaign for the house hit the headline when he cast his former assistant, tansgender model, Lea T to feature in the campaign. This season Tisci made another statement booking albino model, Stephen Thompson, to appear in this black and white campaign shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot.

The model features alongside the usual faces - Iris Stubegger, Daphne Groeneveld and Mariacarla Boscono all make appearaces. According to WWD the spring/summer campaign will have its debut in the January issue of L'Uomo Vogue and French Vogue.

Image courtesy of Givenchy/WWD

We're almost getting used to the use of curvier or plus size models by fashion houses trying to embrace the 'real' look, however Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci has taken the politically correct stance one step further - by casting a transgender model for the fall campaign. Lea T. (previously known as Leo) is interestingly a former fit model of Tisci's own line, and the designer's longtime personal assistant.

"She's always been very feminine: superfragile, very aristocratic," Tisci explained to WWD. "She's part of the family" he added, whilst explaining that the decision to cast Lea was in fact because it "exemplifies the masculine-feminine dichotomy that has become one of his design signatures and follows coed casting for his Paris runway last March. Lea will feature amongst nine other models in the campaign shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, which is set to launch in the July issue of L'Uomo Vogue.

Naomi Campbell and Vladislav Dornin; Carine Roitfeld

On Friday night, L'Uomo Vogue hosted 'Mapping the Studio' to celebrate the opening of their Art Issue in Venice.

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