Fashion's Message on the Economy

Hemlines may be the layman's fashion guide to the state of the economy, but those in the business know there is a far more telling indicator: the celebrity front row. It's an obvious equation: the more famous faces, the happier the world must be - or at least the fashion world.

But this year celebrities have only been attending the big guns at New York fashion week such as Marc Jacobs and Diane von Furstenberg and, judging by the Marchesa show on Wednesday night, America is facing a cold and terrifyingly celebrity-free winter.

Launched in 2004, the label came to prominence when actresses suddenly began to wear its often enormous ball gowns to film premieres. It might be worth adding that one of Marchesa's two designers, Georgina Chapman, happens to be married to the movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Thus its shows have traditionally been a reliable provider of a front row that looks less like a fashion show audience and more like an interactive OK! Magazine. But this season, the label decided to have a presentation instead of a show, meaning that audiences milled around and looked at the dresses on immobile models, instead of the traditional runway style.

Even more prosaically, no celebrities turned up, despite many promising otherwise. If even Harvey can't bring in the A-list, what hope for the world?

As for the clothes, Marchesa is wisely moving away from the over-the-top styles it has long relied on. The shorter dresses with capped sleeves suit Marchesa's girly style far more.