Beware! Animals are taking over the world of aesthetics. Wherever one turns there’s a creature from the animal kingdom demanding our undivided attention. Giorgio Armani abandoned his rotating clan of fresh-faced supermodels for an alternative kind of beauty in the form of an owl to star in his latest eyewear campaign. Critters of all shapes and sizes may have prevailed in fashion advertising for donkey years but in the past they used to linger obediently in the background like any good-natured accessory. Recall Steven Meisel’s 1995 Versace campaign that featured Madonna looking goddess-like next to a well-bred great dane, Romeo Gigili’s ad where fluffy cats flew like bats over rooftops, and Joop’s ice white stallion carrying a divine Nadja Auermann. The new breed of animals on show, however, won’t settle for anything less than full exposure. And it’s not just fashion that has given in to the charms of wildlife. The field of architecture is smitten, too. Zoomorphic is the title of the Victoria & Albert’s new exhibition. Here, buildings have taken the curious and sometimes uncanny shapes of animals. Rays, armadillos, lizards, birds, starfish, cocoons and butterflies all joined the party and have been immortalized by heavyweight architects such as Renzo Piano and Norman Foster. To get your piece of the fun, steer down to the V&A before the 4th of January. Alternatively, stay on the sofa and simply flick the pages of any fashion glossy; you’ll find there’s a veritable ark of well-dressed animals.

- Emma Holmqvist
Photo: Armani eyewear fall 2003 campaign