At last: the moment which New York fashionistas have been awaiting! For the woman who currently inspires their wardrobe aspirations and relationship ambitions has finally been spotted at a fashion show. Carrie Bradshaw's pursuit of a cool fashion style and a red-hot sex life has made her alter-ego, Sarah Jessica Parker, an icon for the entire Manhattan fashion community. And speculation that she would attend (or model in) any of this week's 101 different shows had been more rife than the handouts of freebie handbags to front-row guests.

Yet, Sarah Jessica Parker's arrival at the Oscar de la Renta show went largely unnoticed. In a dramatic change of look, SJP had straightened and

ultra-blonded those signature honey corkscrew tresses which normally frame her cathedral apse of a forehead. It's one thing for celebrities to guard their privacy with an ingenious disguise - particularly when they're snaffling a value meal at McDonald's or buying their knickers. But what can be more embarrassing than to make an entrance at any big, glamorous fashion junket - and no-one recognises you? Only when the Sex and the City star tugged her newly straightened barnet clear of that familiar high-rise brain space did fellow show guests twig that the girl in the front row who looked a bit like SJP with a dodgy new hairstyle was, well, SJP with a dodgy new hairstyle.

By contrast, SJP's

small-screen co-star, Kristin Davis (who plays Charlotte in the self-same hit series), has been acting the part of celebrity-at-a-fashion-show frock perfect. That has meant wearing something from Ralph to Ralph Lauren, something from Michael to Michael Kors, something from Richard to Richard Tyler . . . the poor girl must be close to exhaustion with more changes each day than some of the top models. The only difference is that Ms Davis probably gets to keep the clothes.

Even if security guards are still detailed to question any model seen stuffing a runway outfit into her Louis Vuitton monogrammed canvas holdall or Prada bowling bag, today's runway stars enjoy a level of celebrity once reserved for Hollywood majors. Whenever Angela Lindvahl, Carmen Cass, or the top-earning Brazilian uber-babe Gisele Bundchen emerge from their limousines, they are invariably mobbed by fans. So, confronted with what she took to be just yet another persistent autograph hunter backstage at Ralph Lauren's show, poor Gisele reached out and touched what turned out to be a subpoena.

As if she didn't have enough to worry about during New York fashion week - what with the damage that all those different hair products may be inflicting upon her flowing tresses and the rigorous waxing commitments entailed by having to wear the teeniest of bikinis in almost every single show - Gisele now finds herself manoeuvred into star witness position in a $15m lawsuit brought by her former agency against her long-time booker, Anne Nelson. Elite's senior management have clearly taken the defection of this booker and supermodel duo to rival agency IMG rather badly.

But would you be happy if your cash-cow had been lured off to new pastures? One celebrity who might be expected to be cashing in on the emerging eighties fashion revival is Cyndi Lauper. Trashy looks from her Girls just wanna have fun era have been cropping up on countless New York runways. But Ms Lauper will not be dusting off those batwing-sleeved tops and ra-ra skirts which have clearly proved such an inspiration for designers almost too young to have been fans first time around.

''I screwed up fashion for a couple of years,'' she told reporters at Vivienne Tam's show. ''Now, I have no reverence for it.''