Way Out West

Every season, it seems like there is a celebrity or two that becomes ubiquitous at Fashion Week, sitting in so many front rows that you're surprised to see them in attendance. This season, that dubious distinction goes to Kanye West, who has been turning up since the week began. Yesterday, his presence at two shows — or, more accurately, his presence nearly a half hour after each show's scheduled start time — might have been stylish but was definitely way too tardy to be stylishly late.

One of those shows, the fall/winter collection from Phillip Lim, featured cool separates that seemed like modernized takes on the hipster pieces Marianne Faithfull and Patti Boyd wore in the late '60s. (The show's soundtrack, a live performance by Lissie Trullie, underlined its rocker vibe.) Another, from the typically theatrical Alexandre Herchovitch, interpreted the bright leggings many designers are showing for fall in colorful stripes of sequins.

Star power is great ... but please, show up on time! Ask Marc Jacobs, who, after many seasons of starting his show late and cramming his front row with celebrities, attended the 1909 Victorinox show yesterday and took his seat for the 2 p.m. show at precisely 2 p.m.