Fame and fashion

NEW YORK --New York's Fashion Week is as much about looking at trendsetting celebrities as it is about looking at trendsetting clothes. And a growing segment of the rich and famous, no longer content with just sitting in the front row, are taking their style to the runway.

Gwen Stefani is slated to close this season's New York fashion shows tonight with a presentation of her L.A.M.B. collection. The platinum-blond No Doubt singer launched the line as an extension of her own quirky but glamorous style.

''I just wanted to make clothes I would really want and things that represent me," Stefani said in a statement from her publicist.

Stefani's finale follows that of another celebrity style maven, Jennifer Lopez, who closed the February shows with a showing of her Sweetface and JLo lines.

Boy George, known for his off-the-wall style as the lead singer of the 1980s band Culture Club, was slated to show the second season of his line B-Rude by Boy George last night. The spring collection features fabrics like muslin and rubber.

While some may question whether musicians and actors can be taken seriously as clothing designers, consider this: Sean ''Diddy" Combs was honored by the Council of Fashion Designers of America as Menswear Designer of the Year in 2004 for his Sean John collection.

Beyonce could've added to the star wattage of this week's shows, but a presentation of her collection the House of Dereon (pronounced de-RON) has been postponed until February, according to a publicist. The company's denim line is still scheduled to hit stores this fall, and a collection of furs and accessories will be available for the holidays.

EMILY SHARTIN