KEY POINTS:
For the denizens of New York City the biggest events of Fashion Week there, which finishes today, included the grand 40th birthday show for Ralph Lauren, chic events like the Prada party, a charity catwalk show that involved a designer tribute to the Peanuts cartoons, and the annual, star-studded Fashion Rocks event.
As one front rower in New York said, you know it's Fashion Week when you start running into celebrities everywhere.
Yes, Hollywood had sent some of it's biggest names to watch the fashion shows - and while Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher fondled each other in the front row, other celebs designed clothes.
Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B show was eagerly awaited by her fans - and her rock star husband and baby in the front row - but it didn't get the best reception from everyone, with influential New York Times critic Cathy Horyn calling the skate-punk-Stefani-lookalike outfits "straight out of a mall in Ditzville".
Happily the small Australasian contingent now showing in New York were doing much better. Expat Wellingtonian, Rebecca Taylor, was praised for her use of colour and her pretty, wearable looks.
Aucklander Karen Walker showed her collection last Thursday and once again, the American audience enjoyed what they call her eccentric, nerdy, quirky looks.
The retro-inspired dresses Walker does well were there, but some of the most interesting clothes she's done in a couple of seasons came with her trip to the races, all stripy satins and cute jockey's-silks-inspired prints - Walker says she was watching the Marx brothers movie, A Day At The Races.
Also doing exceedingly well, but sadly not noticed as much as Walker, was Australian Josh Goot, who was showing there for the second time and who pushed his signature jersey dresses in a rather fabulous, futuristic new direction.
