4. ORIBE CANALES (pronounced Or-bay) Cuban, 36. Resume: Charismatic hairstylist who defines cutting-edge looks for supermodels and major runway shows. Created lavish period 'dos for 150 classically garbed mannequins in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's new Costume Institute galleries. Signature Style: Wildly ornate hair confections (sculpted with plenty of maximum-hold hair spray). ''The '90s are all about artifice,'' Oribe insists. The Buzz: ''It's easy to see why women wait more than four months to get their hair cut by him,'' notes Bloomingdale's senior vice president of fashion direction, Kal Ruttenstein. ''He pushes the looks to the extreme.'' But will he last? He's been compared with Vidal Sassoon, implying longevity, but he could have difficulty surviving in less contrived times.
5. JOHN FLUEVOG Canadian, 44. Resume: Shoe designer for his eponymous 23-year-old company. Fluevogs were the footwear of choice at Anna Sui's and Betsey Johnson's '70s- and grunge-inspired spring '93 shows. You can thank him for reviving the platform and the clog. Signature Style: Retro gone wacko. ''I almost dare people to wear my shoes,'' says the designer. He's also fashionably PC, having recently developed the biodegradable Angelic Sole. The Buzz: ''It's his moment,'' says one top fashion editor. ''He's translated shoes from the '70s into a totally modern idiom.'' But will he last? His designs are so right now that they could look dated fast. Then again, two years later they'll be back in fashion.
6. STEVEN MEISEL American, 35. Resume: Fashion's photo guru. Credited with turning close buddies Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, and Naomi Campbell into the '80s' most powerful modeling triumvirate, he's now busy creating their '90s equivalents. Also shot Madonna's Sex. Signature Style: Extreme wit and shocking artifice — his photos can be as provocative as his favorite subject: ''Madonna and I keep up with each other,'' he says. The Buzz: ''Our images of fashion are filtered through Meisel at the moment because he's so much a part of the scene,'' says WWD's McCarthy. But will he last? Once considered too risqué for the mainstream, Meisel could redefine it, via a contract with Vogue and ads for Gap.
7. FRANCOIS NARS French, 33. Resume: One of the makeup artists who initiated this season's softer, waiflike face and shaped eyebrows. Persuaded Janet Jackson to pose sans makeup for her next album. Signature Style: Natural, as opposed to the drag-queeny paint of the last few years. ''The girl has to look beautiful,'' he says. ''I try not to destroy the person I'm making up.'' The Buzz: ''He has great range,'' says a fashion watcher. No matter what look he does, ''it maintains its chic.'' But will he last? Yes. He's not afraid to take chances.
8. ELLEN VON UNWERTH German, 39. Resume: Hot photographer whose Guess? ad campaign recast Claudia Schiffer as a modern-day Brigitte Bardot. Signature Style: Often inspired by narrative themes and old films, her mostly black-and-white spreads have a raw, photojournalistic edge. ''I do love fashion,'' says the former model. ''But I always think of the story more than the clothes.'' The Buzz: ''Ellen and Steven Meisel have both definitely captured a fashion moment,'' says Vogue's Bowles. ''Ellen's photographs are chic paparazzi — they have this energy and exuberance to them.'' But will she last? Not necessarily in fashion. She's the photo star most likely to direct; there's talk of Von Unwerth shooting Madonna's next video.
