"The first woman to be signed exclusively as a male model, ex-Olympian Casey Legler..."

"Legler is 6ft 2in, 35 years old... muscular and cheery, with the awkward swagger of a rock star."

Her voice is soft and earnest, and when she talks, she holds unblinking eye contact. In front of the camera, edges appear. Spikes. She juts her chin; she becomes a boy....

Emily Novak at Ford Models signed her to the men's board immediately. "She has an incredible presence and personality, and, most importantly, she is confident in who she is," Novak tells me. "Being the first woman on a men's board is the least-surprising bit to me – it's me," Legler laughs. "I walked in. It seems so obvious. I have the vocabulary."...

Geoffrey Finch, the creative director of London fashion label Antipodium, says one of his proudest moments was giving Peji´c his women's catwalk debut, but believes fashion has always celebrated difference. "It's all about playing with the ideal of beauty and normality. Perfectly pretty girls are rather dull, aren't they?" he says. "It's Cara Delevingne's strong brows that make her such a babe, likewise Saskia de Brauw's boyish features and iconic crop. Sartorially, women in slouchy suiting, or men in kilts, catch the eye: the 'off' element is the turn-on."

ADDED: Some pix.