THE LATE SHOW: In shades of her "The Devil Wears Prada" role as a hapless fashion newbie, actress Anne Hathaway got held up on the red carpet arriving at Giorgio Armani's Privé couture show Wednesday night and only got to her seat around exit number nine. "I was so doing the walk of shame," she recounted later at a dinner Armani hosted at Mori Venice Bar. "That was beyond fashionably late." After three days of museumgoing and sightseeing in Paris, Hathaway is off to Rome for Valentino's couture festivities with a vow: "I plan to arrive on time." Next up for her, workwise, is a juicy role in a Jonathan Demme movie: "I play a recovering drug addict who arrives on the weekend of her sister's wedding," Hathaway said. Cate Blanchett flew in from Sydney to take in the Privé show, and was off to Hawaii to shoot the Indiana Jones movie. Her role? "I'll be shot if I tell you that," she said, flashing a big smile. Meanwhile, Camilla Belle said she was enjoying her jaunt in Paris before matriculating at Columbia University for her first year of study. "I'm so looking forward to having tea at Ladurée," she said, adding she's yet to choose her major. "I'm not there yet," she sighed. Actress Virginie Ledoyen said she was relishing her summer holiday. "I'll be in Corsica a bit," she said.

GRANDE DAMES: France's new first lady, Cécilia Sarkozy, finally made an appearance during couture week, but not at any fashion show. Instead, she attended a preview showing of photography by David Lynch featuring shoes by Christian Louboutin at the Pierre Passebon gallery Wednesday night. "He's a maestro," said Laura Dern, in Paris promoting the release of Lynch's "Inland Empire." The actress is filming two new features, "Year of the Dog" and "Tenderness" with Russell Crowe, both expected to hit theaters this fall. Charlotte Rampling popped by, too, despite her busy filming and theater schedule. "They're all so dark I wouldn't want to ruin the evening," joked Rampling of the film plot lines. She is working on "Purple America," based on the novel by Rick Moody, as well as "The Dances of Death" and "Angel." Rampling said she would also be starring in "Le Bal des Actrices" by budding French actress and director Mylène Jampanoï, a semidocumentary filmed with a handheld camera. "She's incredibly talented," said Rampling of Jampanoï.

LOVED UP: "We may suck, but if we do it's performance art," snarled Courtney Love during a private concert — her first in Europe in seven years — at Givenchy Wednesday night. Emmanuelle Seigner, who's off to New York on Monday to shoot Eagle's spring campaign, watched on with her hubby, Roman Polanski. The director said he's about to start casting for his next film, "Pompeii," which will be shot in Spain. Rock fan Hedi Slimane even slipped backstage to grab a private moment with the singer after the show. She re-emerged, true to form, with lipstick slathered all over her mouth. Earlier, Love said of her new group, "I went to the U.K. and got myself a new band." And while she may be a veteran songstress, the band members range between the ages of 19 and 24 years. "I mention Fleetwood Mac and they never heard of it," she said.

NEWS BLASS: Since Michael Vollbracht hung up his sketchbooks and pins at Bill Blass in May, there's been speculation about who could be the next designer to take a stab at reviving the venerable Seventh Avenue house. Blass executives are said to have looked at a slew of younger talents, including Bryan Bradley, Martin Grant, Phillip Lim, Thakoon Panichgul and Zac Posen, but some believe Peter Som has emerged as the favorite. The deal between the house and the designer is said to be almost finalized, though it could still fall through. Som did not return a phone call seeking comment on Thursday. Vollbracht resigned from the house in late May after four years at the creative helm. Before him, Steven Slowick and Lars Nilsson each had short stints at Blass. The company was sold to NexCen Brands Inc. in December.

OLD IS NEW: Nothing is trash in the world of Martin Margiela. No idea what to do with last Christmas' old tinsel? Well, Margiela has the imagination to turn it into a "fur" coat. Old rings? When attached they make up a dress. And vintage fur can be cut up and incorporated as patchwork in a pullover. Those were among the quirkiest of the six looks the Belgian designer, whose Ahouse is now owned by Diesel's Renzo Rosso, showed in a presentation of his so-called "artisanal" line.

HOUSE WARMING: When Karl Lagerfeld throws a house party, the guest list is as grand as his 18th-century town house and gardens. To fete the launch of Dom Pérignon's Oenothèque and the advertising campaign featuring Claudia Schiffer, lensed by the designer, Lagerfeld welcomed the likes of Jude Law, Paz Vega, Marc Newson, Vanessa Seward, Angela Lindvall, Steve and Christine Schwartzman, Lars Nilsson, Tatiana Santo Domingo, Olivier Theyskens, Pedro Almodóvar, Giambattista Valli and Delphine and Bernard Arnault. "It's like we never stopped working together," said Schiffer of her reunion with Lagerfeld. While the designer and the supermodel, who wore a Dior gown, circled the event, Ralph Fiennes went incognito with Daphne Guinness, and shooed away journalists and photographers. "I'm going back to L.A. to take care of my two-year-old son, Orson," said Vega. Fellow mom-about-town Lindvall, clad in Chanel couture, also said she's heading back to the States to join her two boys. The model-actress is currently working on an angelic part in an upcoming film dubbed "Pearblossom." "I'm a real messenger of God," joked Lindvall, who is also the face of a new Lacoste fragrance. Lou Doillon, who chatted with famed French comedian Michel Blanc, has been taking to the stages of theaters across France and is working on a new movie called "Nina." She is also designing a collection for British denim giant Lee Cooper. "It was great. I really got to participate on the creative process," she said.

TENT-ATION: Days ahead of a shoot planned to run in either Vogue U.S or Vogue Living, Marni creative director Consuelo Castiglioni woke up to a nasty surprise. The hand-woven Berber tent she had bought in Kuwait (it was key to the shoot) was stolen from her property in Formentera, the hip Spanish island. Luckily, though, she managed to round up a replacement tent. A Marni spokeswoman declined to comment.

AMERICAN ROOKIE: TV host Ryan Seacrest was in foreign territory at Elie Saab's couture show Wednesday. Although he has been to Paris several times — this trip was made for a friend's wedding — it was Seacrest's first fashion show. "I'm a fashion show virgin," joked the reality-TV personality. "Now I am seeing firsthand what the celebrities I interview are wearing to the Oscars. So, basically, this is red-carpet research." Seacrest also whispered word of a new project he's working on that will hit TV screens this winter, although he wouldn't say whether or not he'll be its host.

ICE, ICE BABY: Arriving fashionably late to his 20th anniversary bash Tuesday night in Paris, Christian Lacroix cruised through the packed crowd and made a beeline for the bar. Not that he needed a stiff drink. Rather, with the late-day sun pouring through the windows at Georges atop the Pompidou museum, he needed to pose for photos next to a giant ice sculpture proclaiming the birthday of his couture house. "Before it melts!" he said, flashing a big smile and wrapping his arm around his wife, Françoise.

American retail executives showed up in force, along with a smattering of artists and couture-clad socials, including Daphne Guinness.

HEELING POWERS: Charlotte Casiraghi, Tatiana Santo Domingo, Eugenie Niarchos, Diana Widmaier-Picasso and Emma de Caunes were among the well-heeled guests who descended on the Ritz Club in London Tuesday night to fete Giuseppe Zanotti's Avenue Montaigne boutique. De Caunes said she's about to step into the director's chair for her own movie, to be named "Papa Was a Rolling Stone." Zanotti, meanwhile, disclosed ambitions to open a concept store in the Marais, stocking old records, antiques and, of course, his glitzy shoes. "I also have plans to open a hotel in Paris," he said.