A PIECE OF THE FROCK.

Los Angeles Fashion Week is starting to feel very New York. Now organized by the same folks who do the New York shows, 7th on Sixth, all the top designers showed up last week at the hip Standard Hotel downtown.

The shows drew international fashion press and buyers to the formerly haphazard L.A. style scene. But L.A. always beats the Big Apple with its local star power.

David Cardona, arguably the most talented L.A. designer, opened his Tuesday night show with a stunningly sexy collection of ``ambitious, aggressive'' leathers - miniskirts, evening dresses and open-back trench coats with lingerie details (straps and corsets). The long suede coats, bronze uneven-hem cocktail dresses and cheeky black leather hot pants shocked and awed Janet Jackson, a longtime Cardona client, who watched from the front row. And soap star Lisa Rinna, wearing a plunging gold Cardona top, put her name down for his yummy soft suede cargo pants.

It's been rumored Cardona is being courted to inject adrenalin into the staid house of Cerruti, which is opening a boutique in Beverly Hills. ``It's still unofficial, still just a rumor,'' said Cardona backstage, getting hugs from friends, fans and family, including his three leather-clad cutie-pie kids. ``But don't worry, I will let you know very, very soon.''

- Elizabeth Snead

In the designer pool

Over at the Avalon hotel, Imitation of Christ designer Tara Subkoff showed a too-cool-for-the-pool collection of gray fleece ballerina dresses, cocktail gowns, garden party pantsuits and bikinis. Itty-bitty ``American Beauty'' Mena Suvari, in a cargo skirt, carrying the collectable Louis Vuitton Japanese colored purse, shook hands with equally mini Reese Witherspoon, in a white gauze skirt and jeans jacket.

Sheryl Crow, in a black polo shirt-dress, looked like she'd been soaking up the sun. ``The Royal Tenenbaums'' director Wes Anderson brought three actors who've been in his movies: Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and Anjelica Huston. Wilson and Anderson literally stood at attention to watch the amazing synchronized swimming segment (to the tune of ``Summer Wind'') featuring L.A. Synchro, six preteen girls wearing Christ swimsuits and MAC bright blue eye shadow and orange lipstick.

But not a drop of mascara melted. ``This is pro MAC,'' said MAC's Gregory Arlt. ``It's waterproof. It ain't coming off until we take it off.''

- Elizabeth Snead

Model behavior

Pop princess Britney Spears took a back seat (three rows, to be precise) to Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne at the Joey and T fashion show Wednesday morning at the Standard Hotel. The Osbournes came to watch daughter Aimee model midriff-baring tank tops and skirts of patchwork denim, leather, chiffon and oriental silk.

- Elizabeth Snead

Whole Lotta shawls

It was a mob scene of fashionistas Wednesday night at the Standard Hotel, where guests were happy to secure standing-room-only admission for the fall collection of Lotta.

It was billed as a tribute to New York, with urban elegance and ethnic diversity, but was heavy on the boot-leg-cut pants and handwoven shawls and ponchos that were unexpectedly figure-friendly. Asian-inspired kimonos were there, too, but the look was often given a hip-hop twist of gold chains and leather leggings.

Celebs enjoying the show included actress Aisha Tyler; stylist-to-the- stars Phillip Bloch, who has traded his signature beret for a knit cap pulled down over the ears; and actress Maria Conchita Alonso, who attended in a black Lotta fringed shawl top and floral skirt.

- Barbara De Witt

Menagerie a trois

Also Wednesday night was the Heatherette show with the debut of Hello Kitty Couture by design duo Richie Rich and Traver Rains. It was a circus atmosphere, complete with a big-top tent (set up next to the Standard Hotel), and there were all kinds of clowns - from drag queens in evening gowns to men in plume-accented hats, buff male models in ``Spartacus''-inspired bathing trunks, the Little Twin Stars wearing boxer shorts and metallic gold stars pasted on their chests, followed by Hello Kitty herself as the ``bride.''

The ringmaster was Jack Osbourne of MTV's ``The Osbournes,'' wearing a suit that looked like it had shrunk in the dryer, and the star was party girl Paris Hilton, who modeled a pink frou-frou frock with a Hello Kitty rhinestone tiara and blew kisses to the audience while her tiny Chihuahua trotted behind her. She must have loved her ensemble, because she drove home in it, tiara still in place.

Her sister, Nicky Hilton, and model Kylie Bax strutted the catwalk with clothes that were pure camp - little schoolgirl dresses paired with lacy anklet socks and bright turquoise pumps, a pink tutu with a snappy garter belt, minidresses so short that cheeks peeked out from behind, and a few '60s-flavored shifts and capri pants that were actually wearable.

Spotted among the 522 guests for the Youth AIDS benefit show were actress Jamie Lee Curtis in a Hello Kitty T-shirt with her daughter, Annie Guest, in a black Heatherette silk dress, and Hello Kitty ``Pink Head'' designer Tarina Tarantino, who had her hair dyed pink.

- Barbara De Witt

She's in the pink

Jeremy Scott's show Thursday night at the ultra-seedy Hollywood Palace was a step backward in L.A. fashion history. The only thing that saved the evening was the chance to see pop star Christina Aguilera in a Pepto-Bismol pink gown that Scott described as being inspired by ``Gillette's new Passion Venus razor.'' Better-looking ensembles were worn by Paris Hilton and a stunning 15-year-old Santa Clarita model named Cheryl Stevens who wore a simple tank-style gown covered with the word ``Bombshell.'' Meanwhile, the real style statement was made at the Standard Hotel at the Ghost show. Numerous celebs, including Mena Suvari, Shiva Rose, Kelly Lynch, Shalom Harlow and Patricia Arquette applauded fresh silhouettes in the designer's signature fabrics.

- B.D.

CAPTION(S):

7 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) David Cardona's black leather buckle-back top with black wool crepe cutout-back skirt - what else can we say?

(3 -- color) no caption (Model in handwoven shawl)

(4 -- color) no caption (Paris Hilton)

(5 -- color) no caption (Model in ``Spartacus''-inspired bathing trunks)

Arun Nevader/WireImage.com

(6 -- color) no caption (Aimee Osbourne)

Jeff Vespa/WireImage.com

(7 -- color) no caption (Christina Aguilera)

Steve Granitz/WireImage.com