Clothes Make the Star

You may not look to movie stars for fashion ideas, but somewhere along the line you picked up a style tip or two at the movies. To put it another way, we have the movies to thank for turning haute couture into a spectator sport for the masses. From Audrey Hepburn chic to The Wizard of Oz daffy, from Jane Fonda sexy to Grey Gardens daft, showboating showman Marc Heustis has put together an array of vintage celluloid finery in a series he calls (with uncharacteristic restraint) Fabulous Fashion in Film Festival. The weeklong clothesfest begins tonight with Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell sporting ultraglamorous ´40s outfits by Adrian in The Women. Before the film, Project Runway hotshots Santino Rice and Jeffrey Sebella toss bon mots to the crowd and afterward they judge a parade of movie-inspired creations by local designers. Juanita More! and Arturo Galster (as Tim Gun) also appear. It all promises to be hysterical fun, even if you're not a dedicated follower of fashion.

The Devil Wears Prada, Moulin Rouge, Barbarella, Velvet Goldmine, Sparkle, Paris Is Burning, and many others screen as the festival continues through Aug. 3. Tonight's "Bad Boys of Runway" begins at 7:30.