Even though we couldn't make the trip to New York Fashion Week this season, we're staying on top of the shows and trends by scouring Web sites, watching live video feeds and reading countless reviews.

The down economy has had an effect on the fall 2009 collections (which run through Friday), with several big-name designers opting to present their new lines in smaller, more informal settings this go-round. But more than 100 collections are still being shown to the world's fashion press, buyers, stylists and celebrities.

How to sum up the collections? We turned to the popular book series Six-Word Memoirs, where a story must be told using only six words. So, let's kick things off: Colorful, space-age, shoulder pads. Yikes!

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Star spotting: Paris! Jess! Lindsay!

Sure, Fashion Week is supposed to be about the clothes, but who are we kidding? It's also about the celebrities. Despite some pared-down shows, canceled after-parties and McDonald's coffee replacing champagne in the tents where most of the shows are held, the stars are still showing up for their front-row seats. Here's a look at some of the boldface names making the fashion rounds.