September 17 - 23 - The clicking of Manolo Blahnik stilettos was heard all over New York this week as fashion world soldiers battled with celebrities for front row seats at the Spring/Summer 2003 fashion shows. The glamour quotient was high with numerous celeb sightings from movie stars to models to moguls. The President's daughter Barbara Bush and niece Lauren Bush, who models for Tommy Hilfiger, represented the first family.

We were glad to see the return of the insane frenzy surrounding the shows, because last season, post 9/11, stars conspicuously failed to support New York fashion shows with a bit of front page-worthy glitz.

Among the dozens of New York shows, those designers drawing the biggest names were Oscar de la Renta, Luca Luca, Vera Wang, Jill Stuart, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Patricia Field's House of Field. Throngs trying to get into the Baby Phat show, the week's last, practically caused a riot, in the middle of which actors Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders were filming an episode of their over-the-top British TV series Absolutely Fabulous. Marc Jacobs' offsite show was the week's hottest ticket with an Oscar-worthy army of Hollywood stars on hand. Oh, the dresses were nice.