This might be the first interesting thing we’ve read about the recession since it started to take over the country’s news flow:

Some design companies, like Lutz & Patmos, have started hiring factors - people who assess boutiques’ credit worthiness so that designers can decide whether they’re willing to accept an order from a particular vendor in order to avoid last-minute order cancellations, a rising problem in the current economic state. These factors will also act as sort of collections agencies, to make sure that retail buyers pay their bills to designers on time.

So, good news: Higher job demand for people who want to be factors, and better order security for designers.

Bad news: It sounds like it’s going to be tough to get cool, smaller designers into your boutique - especially if you’re a cool, small boutique.

Anyone watching Model.Live knows that in the fashion industry, “you have to spend money to make money.”

But spend too much and you end up stuck in the recession glut - a prospect making some agencies cut back.

A model at Elite told us that her prestigious bookers just slashed 60 girls, the ones it didn’t think could recoup on their plane tickets / apartment fees / etc.

Still on their roster, of course, is Coco Rocha, along with Australian up-and-comers like Alice Burdeau, Emma Beam, and Stephanie Carta, and socialite It Girls such as Harley Viera Newton and Victoria Traina. Damaris Lewis, left, is also still on their boards.

But what about all the newly signed Top Model rejects like Anya and Katarjyna? They’re currently listed as “out of town.” If they’ll ever come back, guess we’ll see…