Mayhem was in the air this weekend as social types and ladies who lunch duked it out at Bryant Park to get a seat for Michael Kors following the Peter Som show.

''Beautiful people turned ugly, yelling, swelling and pushing in a high-heeled frenzy,'' the New York Post's Marianne Garvey reports. Lucky for Jessica Simpson and Bette Midler, ''order was restored'' by the time the celebs were escorted to their front-row seats.

Further downtown, Yohji Yamamoto (and several irritated police officers) shut down 22nd St. between 10th and 11th avenues at 2pm for the Y-3 rehearsal show. Located in an empty parking garage beneath the Chelsea Highline, scores of onlookers watched in awe as rain, pumped through hoses from a giant truck, drenched the street. The rainstorm was completed with sporadic bursts of faux-thunder and rain.

''What the hell is going on?'' asked one disgruntled neighbor as he tried to make his way through the crowd. In addition to the frenzy surrounding the weather, dozens of male and female models, half-dressed with unfinished hair and make-up, scampered back and forth between the garages as a booming voice commanded orders over a loudspeaker.

It may be too soon to tell if Yamamoto's elaborate setup will elicited the reaction he was hoping for, but this morning Fashion Wire Daily noted Samuel L. Jackson, LL Cool J, actress Mena Suvari and Leigh Lezark (of the Misshapes) braved ''the storm'' that evening to see the show.

Back at Bryant Park Derek Lam's show provided skin-moisture for parched fashionistas. The designer's freebie gift bags were jam packed with Kiehl's products, hailed by Women's Wear Daily as the ''It'' item of the day.

Post-runway, Graydon Carter's Waverly Inn looked remarkably like a Michael's power lunch with editors, designers, models and celebrities spilling out the door onto Bank St. ''Everyone and their mother was there,'' reports one fashion insider. ''You couldn't even see the bar.''

On Sunday, fresh, flirty energy brewed at Pamella Roland. The designer evoked Old-World glamour with a line of bright, feminine tunics, elegant evening wear and an eye-popping white crystal bikini. Fresh-faced models with all-American glowing tans and long hair paraded down the runway in chiffon dresses and floral halter gowns.

Moments after the mother of three took a bow with her children, hordes of women leapt from their seats to get pictures with America's Next Top Model judge Nigel Barker. The sexy, reality star lapped up the female adoration with little hesitation.

''The ladies were drooling and Nigel was loving it,'' Daily News fashion reporter Jo Piazaza declared. ''He put his arms around anyone who asked for a photo and signed dozens of autographs.''

Stephanie Burton

(image via clipart)