With Paris' collections aflutter with pussy-bow necklines, severe black suits and camel cashmere coats (in the audience and on the catwalks), the launch of a magazine titled 'The Gentlewoman' is well-timed. But, given that the magazine is the sister of Fantastic Man and helmed by our own former Editor in Chief Penny Martin, this magazine isn't bourgeoise by any stretch of the imagination.

In her own words, Martin's magazine is for 'women who are just fantastic' - evidently that goes both for readers, and the women inside. A savvy choice for cover star is fashion's leading influence en ce moment, Phoebe Philo, while packed inside the pages are Julie Verhoeven, Lynn Cox, Jenny Holzer and Louise Gray, to pluck out just a few. Add Jonathan Kaye's ever-inspired styling (cheek the Rochas in 'Power Session', that's all I'm saying) and photographic contributions from David Sims, Alasdair Mclellan and Wolfgang Tillmans, the tome is undoubtedly weighty in influence, but still light enough - at 144 well-chosen pages - to slip inside a Céline handbag.

The magazine launched with a suitably genteel soiree in a Rive Gauche Hôtel Particulier yesterday evening and is released to gentlewomen worldwide on 22 March.