5 JANUARY 2004
Since Tom Ford announced he was quitting as creative director of Gucci, fashionistas the world over have had their eyes on the hottest race in the world of style. And now, a new name is being bandied about for the high-profile job – British designer Stella McCartney.

Rumours that Sir Paul McCartney's 32-year-old daughter will be taking over are gathering momentum in fashion circles. The designer, whose eponymous label reportedly lost £7.2 million in the last two years, is said to be among the front-runners for the position.

Though Gucci has remained silent about who'll be hired as the new boss – Narciso Rodriguez, Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs are all said to be possible candidates – at least one insider says the former Chloe designer is a sure-fire bet for the post. "The position will not become free until April," a source told the Daily Mail, "but it has been decided that Stella is going to take over."