McDonald's is providing the "official coffee" of New York Fashion Week in a bid to boost its image among fashionistas. Fat chance. But it will probably do something to Fashion Week's image.

The event has already been diminished by the recession. Betsey Johnson, Carmen Marc Valvo and Vera Wang cut their runway shows for this month's Fashion Week; next year the event moves to smaller, more awkward space at Lincoln Center.

Now the coffee is coming from a mass purveyor of grease and corn syrup, according to Ad Age, with McDonalds offering "McCafe" products, including free espresso and coffee, in the event's main tent. Ad Age:

McDonald's strategy will likely grab the attention of the tabloid-reading young women that follow the tastemakers and celebrities in the front row.

Except how many "tastemakers and celebrities" would be caught dead with a McDonald's cup in their hands? It's just a sign you don't have enough peons at your disposal to have someone fetch you a latte. The minions of Anna Wintour, noted Starbucks fan (see above), will get a healthy workout.