Fashion Duncedom

14. PAUL CAVACO American, 41. Resume: Harper's Bazaar's new fashion director. As a partner at the PR firm Keeble Cavaco & Duka in the '80s, he styled the first of the suggestively decadent Obsession perfume ads. More recently he picked out Madonna's whips and bunny tails as the stylist for Sex. Signature Style: Unfailing elegance, dead-on instinct for fresh talent (he helped discover and champion Meisel and designers Stephen Sprouse, Gordon Henderson, and Sui), and an unerring sixth sense for style makes him the most exciting American fashion editor since Diana Vreeland. The Buzz: ''He's brilliant,'' says Bergdorf Goodman's Ellin Saltzman. ''He has literally invented people and created stars.'' But will he last? As long as he remains open to the shock of the new.

15. 555 SOUL American, 3. Resume: Merchandising line designed by Camella Ehlke. 555 Soul has expanded over the past year in terms of sales as well as visibility (thanks in large part to hip-hop artists like De La Soul wearing Ehlke's stuff in music videos). Label regularly turns up in fashion mags and on catwalks worldwide. Signature Style: Industrial hip-hop, as in oversize hooded shirts, stocking caps, mismatched stripes, and shirts with huge pockets. The Buzz: ''They definitely have a real down-home, funky vibe that hasn't been diluted,'' says Tommy Boy Music's Lynch. ''They still have close connections to the street.'' But will he last? Probably longer than bigger hip-hop lines. 555 Soul's refusal to mass-market has preserved its hard-core cachet.

16. THE STREET Urban kids, 12 to 19. Resume: The unsung source of many of this year's hottest looks (biker freak, skateboard homeboy, grunge slacker, gangsta rapper). Signature Style: Mix-and-match, low-budget ensembles thrown together at thrift shops, skateboard emporiums, sporting-goods stores, and Army-Navy outlets. The Buzz: ''If you want to spot trends, you go to the streets of L.A. right now,'' says WWD's McCarthy. ''All the strongest influences in youth fashion are there.'' But will he last? Nobody changes faster than this generation, and what's fashion all about, anyway?