When you're called "cute as a button," as Rufus Wainwright no doubt is, sooner or later the fashion world is bound to take notice. The second-generation minstrel wowed fans during last week's Fashion Week in New York, when he sauntered down the runway in a big, brown-fringed poncho as a model for Perry Ellis. Two days later, Wainwright was back again, walking a little wilder at the Anna Sui show, sharing the spotlight with Smashing Pumpkins' James Iha, Naomi Campbell and Shalom Harlow. The New York designer has abandoned her trashy rock & roll muse, opting instead for a folkloric peasant look, sticking Wainwright in a Sonny Bono vest and oversized sheepskin coat. Iha donned a Greek Fisherman's cap, and affected a rather beatnik demeanor, according to witnesses. And just in case fashion types didn't recognize these expatriates from rock, Sui had them both tote guitar cases on their backs . . .

Sly Stone, one of San Francisco's more outrageous local heroes, is getting the tribute treatment. ATR Entertainment group has rounded up Stone's former producer and erstwhile tour manager and sent out invitations to some of the Family Stone's more famous fans, including Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Puff Daddy, D'Angelo, and Alanis Morissette. George Clinton has already accepted and flown in to record the vocals to "Remember Who You Are," one of Stone's lesser-known hits from 1979's Back on the Track Album. An ATR spokesman says that they may even coax Stone himself out of retirement and into the studio -- although insiders say that's unlikely since the reclusive musician is holed up in an apartment in West Hollywood. In fact, the last time anyone remembers seeing him was at the 1991 induction ceremony for the Family Stone at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But the folks at ATR aren't discouraged, and are confident that they can deliver the great man, and release Sly and the Family Stone 30th Anniversary Woodstock Tribute by late summer . . .

When punk avatars Jeffrey Bischoff and Cinder Block from Tilt celebrated the tenth anniversary of their silk screen and merchandising company -- also dubbed Cinder Block -- on Feb. 20 at their Oakland, Calif., factory, a few of their more illustrious clients stopped by to pay homage. Included among the revelers were Matt Freeman from Rancid, Fat Mike from NOFX and Green Day. Green Day were bound to show up, since Billie Joe Armstrong's wife Adrienne worked there as a silk screener until the birth of their second child last year. Green Day stayed to play a two-hour set for the guests. Also performing was Jello Biafra, who teamed with Canadian malcontents Huevos Rancheros for "Surfin' Bird," and, appropriately, "I Fought the Law." Seems the neighbors were none too enthused with the festivities and called in Oakland's finest, who were greeted by Green Day's Mike Dirnt's announcement, "The strippers have arrived!" Luckily the defenders of the streets recognized him and laughed. Okay, they grimaced . . .

Look what the Pearl Jam Rumor Pit Web site recently coughed up: Regarding the gossip that PJ are performing with Neil Young at his upcoming shows at Seattle's Paramount Theatre on March 5 and 6: "You never know, baby," followed by a punctuating "Ha!" We'd advise fans to run out and find a scalper immediately . . .

A sinister pervert in clown make-up first reunited them in a storybook tale of murder, mayhem and rock & roll. Now, nearly a year after reforming for the soundtrack to frontman Dee Snider's horror film, Strangeland, Twister Sister are back with a vengeance. Though the glam-rock quintet has no plans to record together again, they are clearing their calendars this summer for the first national Twisted Sister tour in more than a decade. Concert booker Dave Kirby of the Agency Group says Twisted Sister hope to create or join a package tour with other nostalgic fist thumpers -- perhaps the recently reformed Iron Maiden, who also plan to do an arena tour in the near future. Though details of the road jaunt remain tentative, Snider told Rolling Stone Network in an interview last year that the band will insist on a "full KISS-style return, not like Motley Crue" if they ever decided to revisit the past. One way or another, Twisted Sister -- song/screenwriting frontman Snider, guitarists J.J. French and Eddie Ojeda, bassist Mark Mendoza and drummer A.J. Pero -- will dig out their baby blue eyeshadow and feel the noise again on an undisclosed date this summer. Stay tuned and hungry for more details . . .

Oh dear . . . you're being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on March 16, and because you've already been inducted once before (with that band of Beatles you used to run with), you figure the public could do with a little refresher course on your latter-day achievements. What's a knight like Paul McCartney to do? Simple: release a limited edition, Silver Anniversary version of 1973's Band on the Run, generously fattened with a bonus disc of twenty-one unreleased bonus acoustic and live tracks. The Capitol Records reissue of the classic Wings album will hit the shelves March 9 . . .

JAAN UHELSZKI and RICHARD SKANSE