MEDITERRANEAN fashion gurus are predicting a Parisian-style metamorphosis for Lewisham as the council's creative revolution starts.

The Italian edition of Vogue was so excited by the authority's plans, outlined in the Creative Lewisham blueprint, it hailed the area as the Montmarte of London in its latest edition.

This trendy district of Paris is a popular cultural quarter with a huge artistic and creative community.

Regeneration expert Charles Landry, who led the cultural explosion in Barcelona, has been hired by the council to make Vogue's prediction a reality

Also a one-time global economist turned magician and youth worker who has changed his name by deed pole to Aladdin, and is now Mayor Ken Livingstone's advisor on culture, media and sport, is embracing Lewisham's plans.

He said: “These are quite remarkable and extraordinary plans from Lewisham Council.

Speaking about the £22m Laban Centre which will train people to use performing art to entertain, he said: “There will be nothing quite like the Laban anywhere else in the world.

A spokesman for the Laban Centre said the widespread support for its work was a boost.

He said: “This is wonderful, we have a lot of students from Italy, and it's great to have the support.

“It's exciting because our students are involved creatively in the community already.

“Now we need to bring the people in and get everybody involved.”

A spokesman for the Horniman Museum, which is undergoing a £13.3m redevelopment, said the museum was delighted to be leading the initial change.

He said: “We think this is a fantastic initiative for the museum and the entire area to be involved.

“There's a great deal of creativity to be tapped in Lewisham, and the Horniman sees itself as an essential part of this regeneration project.”