From fashion to…phones? Lately it seems that fashion designer-techno collaborations are materialising faster and more furious than Naomi Campbell out of rehab. They have exclusive ring tones, sleek design, and can cost over EU$600 (AUD$950), but designer mobile phones are the only way to dial if you’re flying with the fashion set.

The ‘Prada phone by LG’ www.pradaphonebylg.com was the hottest thing backstage at February’s New York Fashion Week. Pitched as combining Prada’s “attention to detail” with “avant guard design” (surely Vivienne Westwood would have been a better choice?), the mobile is something of an iPod/Blackberry hybrid, with an MP3 player, 2 mega pixel camera and “advanced touch interface” - so there’s no need to break nails pushing buttons.

When Dolce and Gabbana launched their ‘liquid gold RAZR’ handset for Motorola late 2005, the world launched an online bidding war. An exclusive ring tone (Tragic votes 1 for Madonna’s ‘Material Girl’), iTunes compatibility and only 1000 handsets made, means you’ll have to trawl the web if you want to wrap your fashion claws around one of these jewels.

From black and gold to bling, the SO703i Sony Ericsson Beauty Renaissance Collection launched in Tokyo earlier this year. Kicking off the party was a one-off, not-for-sale, diamond, emerald, sapphire and ruby encrusted handset worth 3 million yen (AUD$29,240). Luckily for phone obsessives, Ericsson picked Swarovski over Cartier to create the saleable crystal-studded handsets, which currently sell for around US$110 (AUD$130)

Who would you commission to design your mobile phone? What would it look like? Let Tragic know and you could score some double movie passes.

Image Credits: DGRzar, Image courtesy of Dolce and Gabbana; Prada, Image courtesy of Prada; Sony, Image courtesy of Sony Ericsson