Ladders may not be the most fashionable item you could think of, but it's been used as a prop during fashion shoots for years.  Actress Kate Hudson is the latest model to do so, as she shows off a new collection by designer Ann Taylor.  Hudson is climbing a ladder of the type you might find in a library, but she is not following proper ladder safety while doing so! (you should not turn sideways on a ladder, especially whilst holding something in one hand, and not holding the ladder with the other.) Of course, this is a fashion shoot so the normal rules of ladder safety don't really apply, as Hudson isn't actually using the ladder for any task – in this case it is just a prop. New York based fashion photographer Jamie Nelson used a step ladder with a paint shelf in a fashion shoot, having the model climb up the ladder then drape herself over the top handrail, mirroring the shape of the ladder with the shape of her body.  Now, sensible ladder advice tells us that you should never stand on the top handrail of a step-ladder, nor on the paint shelf, so this image defies every sensible ladder use practice.  With that in mind, it is still very striking compositionally. Dutch photographer Ivor Paanakker used a rickety wooden ladder as a prop on a shoot for wedding gowns, as he wanted to play up the contrast between the run down location and the delicate, beautiful gowns. His model is up the ladder, reaching down for something out of frame, the idea being that she is renovating the home before the wedding.  In 2009 Victoria Beckham posed on a ladder (as if she was climbing along the ladder from one platform to another) as part of an underwear shoot for Emporio Armani. The tasteful monochrome image makes you wonder what the angles are, as Beckham's hair has been styled stiffly, perhaps with wire inside, making it hard to tell which way up she is without looking closely. The ladder is obviously a useful fashion tool, as a prop and also for helping get backgrounds and lighting set up during shoots, but it should be used safely and under supervision if it is to be used as a prop. Haute couture dresses are not the best attire for climbing a ladder, there is too much material to get caught on -perhaps this will inspire a range of designer workwear?! On a more serious note if you need any practical ladder help or advice, or are in the market for a new ladder, come and visit the main midland ladders site.