Last season we had Charlize. Jack Nicholson. Lara Flynn Boyle. Courtney Love. Tommy Lee. Gina Gershon. Anthony Keidis. Mena Suvari. Mike Tyson. Er...Sporty Spice. And of course there was Paris. Aahhh, we'll always have Paris...or so LA Fashion Week thought. But so far this season, and with only 1.5 days left to go, A and even B-Listers seem to be staying away from the shows in their droves.

We did see former Guns and Roses drummer Steve Adler at Frankie B, and I'm assuming Gilby Clark was there too - but then he had to be, his wife is the designer. Diana Ross was spotted on Sunday. Harold and Maude star Bud Court and Rebecca de Mornay, who we love, were at Jennifer Nicholson (no sign of her father Jack). Bobby Trendy was at KushCush, looking silly. So You Think You Can Dance presenter Cat Deeley was at Shay Todd. Jillian Barberie was around. Then throw in some reality stars. But where's the glitter? The razzle dazzle? These guys can't be expected to carry Fashion Week on their celebrity shoulders alone.

We're not sure why Hollywood seems to be snubbing the Smashbox shows this season. We wish they wouldn't, because when it comes to L.A. Fashion Week, still very much in its nascency, celebrity-spotting is (sadly) often a bigger draw than the clothes. That's not to say there aren't any good designers showing at L.A. Fashion Week - there are - but as the event continues to forge its identity and works to be taken seriously, it could really use the support of the A-List. Without celebs on the front row, all eyes must turn to what's actually on the catwalk - and sometimes that's a dangerous thing. Not always - Louis Verdad's exquisite tailoring, Sue Wong's delicate embroidery and Shay Todd's uber-sophisticated swimwear this season would have been eye-catching with or without the stars clapping on the sidelines.

But some shows could have seriously used some front row eye-candy - the most obvious example being Wal Mart's 'Metro 7' collection. Morgan Fairchild and a former Miss Universe were in the front row, doing their best to up the fabulousness. But it would have taken an appearance by Madonna or the Queen of England herself to detract from the ill-fitting anti-fabulousness being paraded in front of us. As Linda commented in her post, for what it was (ie: daywear you buy along with your tampons and flip-flops) Metro 7 was not half bad. Very OK, in fact. But L.A. Fashion Week deserves so much better - especially if its going to tempt back the A-List anytime soon.

Come back Sporty Spice, we miss you!

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