Celebrities — presumably unaffected by the tanking economy — were plentiful at the haute couture shows in Paris this week. Kanye West, fashion’s new prodigal son, sat front row at Christian Dior and Elie Saab. Kylie Minogue popped up at Jean Paul Gaultier, and Karl Lagerfeld had a packed house at Chanel, as per usual.

Donna Karan welcomed guests including Francisco Costa, Julianna Margulies, and Bernadette Peters to the Urban Zen Center at the Stephan Weiss Studio this week for a dinner party in honor of ACRIA (AIDS Community Research Initiative of America). The artist space, named after her late husband, was filled with pieces to bid on, but Karan didn’t have to raise a paddle — she was presented with a print by Donald Baechler, the evening’s honoree.