September 23 - Reese Witherspoon and husband Ryan Phillipe headed up north to New York for the world premiere of her film Sweet Home Alabama. Fellow cast members Candice Bergen, Mary Kay Place, Nathan Lee Graham, Melanie Lynskey and Patrick Dempsey were joined by hot singer Natalie Maines, Felicity's Keri Russell and Hairspray's Marissa Jaret Winokur for the screening. The group SHeDAISY performed at the after party. Sweet Home Alabama's handsome leading man Josh Lucas brought his mother to the premiere, and frankly he has us worried. If he can't get a date, the rest of us are in trouble.

September 30 - Anthony Hopkins, Ralph Fiennes, Edward Norton, Harvey Keitel, Philip Seymour Hoffman and half of Hollywood came to the world premiere of Red Dragon, the latest installment of those adorable, family-oriented "Hannibal the Cannibal" thrillers. Novelist Thomas Harris, on whose book the movie is based, producer Dino De Laurentis and director Brett Ratner were on hand. Val Kilmer, Salma Hayek, rap moguls P. Diddy and Russell Simmons, singer Kelis, supermodel Heidi Klum, Cheslea Clinton and tycoon Barry Diller all were among the first to sink their teeth into the new flick. If anyone still had an appetite after the screening, there was finger food at the party at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Station.

September 29 - 30 - Mick Jagger, currently on tour with the Rolling Stones, stars in just-released movie The Man from Elysian Fields. Jagger and costar Julianna Margulies appeared at the film's low-key premiere. No-show cast members Andy Garcia and Anjelica Huston must have been washing their collective hair that night.

Liza Minnelli held a bash to celebrate the release of her CD, Liza's Back, a live recording of her recent triumphal concert tour. Her husband and producer David Gest and industry legend Clive Davis joined Liza, resplendent in fur although the weather was mild. One male guest remarked that there were lots of "friendly" men at the party. Welcome to Liza's world, soon to be a reality TV show.

September 27 - It was like Cannes sans palm trees and yachts when the 40th New York Film Festival opened with a star-studded premiere of About Schmidt, a drama starring Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, June Squibb, Len Cariou and Howard Hessman. An unexpected slew of stars showed up, including Hollywoodites Salma Hayek, Julianne Moore with director Bart Fruendlich, Peter Sarsgaard, Maggie Gyllenhaal (the last two could sell a vowel, right?), Parker Posey, Keanu Reeves and Kitty Carlisle Hart. Non-screen names adding to the glitter were author Kurt Vonnegut and handbag designer Monica Lewinsky. A splashy party at Tavern on the Green capped the evening.

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.

September 20 - Cries of "Stella!" rang out on a steamy night near the waterfront. It was the opening soiree for fashion designer Stella McCartney's boutique in Manhattan's chic Meatpacking District. Sweaty longshoremen were nowhere to be seen in the A-list crowd that included Gwyneth Paltrow, R & B heartthrob Usher, indie film star Liv Tyler with rocker boyfriend Royston Langdon, Alicia Silverstone, Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, Marianne Faithful, Chili from TLC, designer Tommy Hilfiger and other notables. Limo gridlock, street musicians entertaining gawking passersby and a group of cow-suited demonstrators protesting sweatshop conditions at an LVMH-owned factory where McCartney and Gucci garments are produced added excitement to the highly anticipated event.

September 7-8 - We're not sure how celebrities and tennis are related, but something seems to have clicked at the finals of the US Open. Among the big names at the pre-match "Buzz" Parties were Hollywood types Hilary Swank and husband Chad Lowe, Faye Dunaway, Liev Schreiber, John Leguizamo and Friends star Matthew Perry. Supermodel Heidi Klum shone, even dressed down - it's all in the genes, even in jeans. College students Chelsea Clinton and her boyfriend Ian Klaus made a rare U.S. appearance before heading back to merry old Oxford for cricket, foxhunts and footie.

September 4 - Stars got down at the premiere of the United Artists film Igby Goes Down. The coming of age story's ensemble cast includes Kieran Culkin, Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum, Amanda Peet, Bill Pullman and Susan Sarandon. Ryan Phillippe, who we hoped would bring his fabulous wife Reese Witherspoon, didn't show. Rory Culkin, another sibling of the child-star clan (how many are there?), joined big brother Kieran. Model Elizabeth Jagger (Mick's daughter), Sarandon's consort Tim Robbins, comic Caroline Rhea, fashion wunderkind Zac Posen, writer Art Buchwald and Nick Valensi of red-hot rockers The Strokes all came down for Igby.