It's Fashion Week

It's hard to forget it's Fashion Week when your office is steps from Bryant Park, models infiltrate Sixth Avenue, and you see the pristine, gleaming white tents take over a little stretch of 42nd Street. Last night was the annual Fashion Rocks show at Radio City Music Hall. You can watch the special on CBS tonight at 9.

The roster included:

Aerosmith

Fergie

Jennifer Hudson

Alicia Keys

Avril Lavigne (shudder)

J-Lo

Ludacris

Maroon 5 (another shudder)

Martina McBride

Santana

Carrie Underwood

Usher


According to Newsday:

The connection between fashion and rock is a mercurial one, no matter how hard Mischa Barton and Tommy Hilfiger try to explain its obviousness. The reality is sometimes it's there and sometimes it isn't. So it's no wonder that the "Fashion Rocks" benefit at Radio City Music Hall Thursday night was pretty hit-and-miss with its unexpected artist pairings or cover version choices.

Mary J. Blige and Usher teamed up for a playful version of Stevie Wonder's "Do I Do" to close out an old-school soul medley where Blige tackled "Respect" and Usher paid tribute to James Brown with "It's a Man's World" and some impressive splits.

Jennifer Hudson showed that her "Dreamgirls" performance was no fluke, serving up a powerhouse version of The Beatles' "Come Together" with Aerosmith's Joe Perry on guitar that sizzled with style and sass. And Carrie Underwood rocked through "Go Your Own Way" with Lindsey Buckingham, even pretending to duel with him on guitar.

Aerosmith's pairing with Fergie on "Walk This Way," while fashionable, didn't quite rock, as Fergie's shouty vocals unfortunately overpowered Steven Tyler. And Carlos Santana's duet with Nickelback's Chad Kroeger on "Into the Night" seemed as stilted as the awkward presenter banter between Teri Hatcher and 50 Cent.

Santana's duet with Alicia Keys on "Black Magic Woman," however, was a sultry thrill.

Keys was even better on her own, showcasing her new single "No One," which transformed from a gorgeous piano ballad to a massive, stadium-worthy anthem and back again.

In the end, many stars did much better on their own, doing their own material. Jennifer Lopez was stunning with a high-concept performance of her new single "Do It Well," which played out like a Broadway musical number complete with fake paparazzi and a troupe of dancers. Then, after a bit of a struggle removing her first outfit, she delivered a remixed version of "Waiting for Tonight" that seemed built for the runway with all the wind machines and strutting models.

Martina McBride was also strong with her hits "This One's for the Girls" and a stirring version of "Where Would You Be" that showed off her powerful voice. And Avril Lavigne pepped things up with her punk-cheerleader anthem "Girlfriend," though that was one song that would've benefited from a special guest, perhaps Brooklyn rapper Lil' Mama, who spices up the song's remix.