IT would be difficult to ignore the fact that a host of the fashion world's top models have chopped off their hair in recent months. In Vogue's August 2013 issue, beauty and health editor Jessica Hogan discusses the new short hairstyles of Jessica Stam, Edie Campbell, Catherine McNeil and Karlie Kloss in her piece Cut Above - examining exactly why now is the time to reach for the scissors.

And they aren't the only ones to have made a statement with bobs, crops and shags. Whether it's Agyness Deyn's shock of peroxide blonde, Saskia de Brauw's now-even-shorter crop or Twiggy's famous Sixties style - models have set trends and even made their names with career-defining cuts.

When she first bounded onto the scene with her peroxide crop, Agyness Deyn set fashion tongues wagging and made herself a catwalk fixture.

About as short as short hair can be, Alek Wek's closely-cropped style made her instantly recognisable when she first hit the catwalk in 1995.

Arizona Muse first chopped her hair short when she was pregnant almost five years ago and, whilst she might be growing it out now, it was a career-defining cut that caused her model status to rocket.

The epitome of boyish chic, Saskia de Brauw has made a name for herself as "the model with the short hair" - and accordingly she's a favourite of Karl Lagerfeld.

It was quite the style transformation when Edie Campbell swapped her long, Sixties hair for a choppy black crop - but weeks later she appeared on more catwalks than ever at the autumn/winter 2013-14 shows.

She's tried crops, bobs and quiffs, but whatever the style, Erin O'Connor has made short hair her trademark.

Having had her hair cut short for an American Vogue shoot, Kloss told us in spring 2013 that she now "loves" the style despite initial misgivings.

Kate Moss had her hair cut into a pixie crop way back in 2001, spawning a host of copycats.

Frequently quoted as saying that cutting her hair short dramatically multiplied her modelling rates, Linda Evangelista has successfully carried off red, brown and platinum blonde crops and bobs throughout her career.

Has Stella Tennant ever had long hair? We certainly can't remember it if she has. The model's hair sums up the insouciant cool she has made her name from.

A vision of Sixties prettiness, Twiggy's short hair - along with her enormous Bambi eyes and slender frame - only added to her girlish charm.