Young Hollywood hits Fashion Week amid tough times

By Erin Carlson

NEW YORK – Recession, reschmession: The dire state of the economy will not keep Young Hollywood away from New York Fashion Week.

Kristen Bell, Amanda Bynes, Michelle Trachtenberg and the Hilton sisters were among the celebs sitting front row at the Monday afternoon presentation of Jill Stuart’s flirty fall collection.

“It’s important to keep your head screwed on straight, but I also think it’s important to do what you love – and I don’t want to give up loving fashion just because maybe I can’t buy it right now,” said Bell, looking fresh in a floral dress and pointy heels.

Bell, who starred in the 2008 comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and the cult TV series “Veronica Mars,” said she rarely splurges on pricey items.

“I kind of frequently live like I’m in the recession regardless, but that’s just because my parents raised me to be very frugal,” said Bell, a fan of Jill Stuart’s dresses who also sat with Mischa Barton at Miss Sixty.

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Actresses Jessica Stroup (the CW’s “90210”) and Adrianne Palicki (NBC’s “Friday Night Lights”), sporting floaty gray frocks, said clothing exchanges are a good way to stay stylish on a budget.

But they also have their spending weaknesses: Palicki said she splurges on food, while Stroup has a thing for jackets.

“I have a million jackets, and if I see an amazing jacket, I will spend too much money on it usually,” she said.

Paris Hilton, meanwhile, had no time to answer questions: The socialite, dressed in a fuschia party dress, made a late entrance and talked on her cell phone before the show.