FOR PETE'S SAKE: Peter Dundas, the strapping Norwegian designer who exited Emanuel Ungaro in July, has resurfaced in Milan. The designer, who has deep roots in Italy, having worked for three years at Roberto Cavalli, was spotted backstage Monday at the D&G show and is said to be consulting for the Italian design duo. He could not be reached for comment.

EASY DOES IT: Between takes of her latest movie, "The New Clara," being filmed in Paris with director Alan Berliner, actress Cécile Cassel found the time to fly to Milan to attend the D&G show on Monday — her first time in the Italian fashion city. Good thing she snapped out of character. "I'm a real bitch in this movie — which is a mix between 'Bridget Jones' and 'Sex and the City,'" said Cassel, who is the sister of actor Vincent Cassel, and a D&G fan. "They are sexy, rock 'n' roll, young and easy to wear," said the actress, fast becoming a regular in Italy. She was at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month for the premiere of Eric Rohmer's "Les Amours D'Astrée et de Céladon."

SMOKE SIGNALS: Will cigars be handed out at in the VIP section of the Bottega Veneta show today? They just might. New father François-Henri Pinault, whose fiancée, Salma Hayek, gave birth to their daughter Friday, had a change in plans and will attend the Milan shows after all, according to a PPR spokesman.

TEAM EFFORT: Spike Lee, who took in the Giorgio Armani show Monday, is going to be getting his fill of Italy. Next month, Lee starts shooting a movie in Tuscany and Rome. Titled "Miracle at St. Anna," the wartime drama is based on a book by James McBride. "It's based on the Buffalo soldiers — the Negro soldiers — who fought in Tuscany in the Italian campaign against the Nazis and the Facists," said Lee, who shared the paparazzi flash with actor Samuel L. Jackson. Fashion may be a spectator sport, but Lee can't get enough of his favorite hometown teams — the Knicks and the Yankees. "We're going to be number one," he said of his favorite baseball club. But don't make him choose between the sports. "I don't compare them," he said. "They are two different sports and they are my two favorite teams."