D-listers are warming the front-row seats where A-listers used to preen, McDonald’s swill has replaced Starbucks, and goody bags are filled with K-Y Jelly instead of NARS cosmetics.
It’s Fashion Week – the recession version.
“New York Fashion Week isn’t what it used to be,” one industry insider moaned.
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Where superstars Renée Zellweger and Jennifer Lopez once parked, now plop former hooker to the elite Ashley Dupre, sex-tape celeb Kim Kardashian, and “90210” graduate Tori Spelling.
They come cheap.
“In the past, people were paid thousands and thousands of dollars per show,” one celebrity wrangler said.
But this year’s pretty young things attend for a few thousand bucks’ worth of free clothes, grab gift bags missing high-end goodies and settle for McDonald’s instead of Starbucks or champagne.
Paris Hilton – ubiquitous this week with sister Nicky and Kardashian in tow – used to charge $50,000 to appear at just one show, another veteran celebrity wrangler said.
Now she is showing up at shows this year for free airfare, hotel accommodations and $5,000 in free clothes per designer, sources said.