This story first appeared in the Sept. 29 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
Remember the Oscars in 1990s? Giorgio Armani certainly does. It was the year some might consider the tipping point, when Hollywood’s most esteemed awards show began its shift from a night honoring movies to one where fashion upstages just about everything else. Dubbed the “Armani Awards,” the event — seen by more than 40 million viewers around the world — showed Julia Roberts, Jodie Foster, Denzel Washington and Tom Cruise in the Italian designer’s creations. Says Armani today, “The modern red carpet, at that moment, was an idea in bloom.”
Now, of course, call it a full-blown, overrun garden, as big-night media impressions have multiplied exponentially and fashion brands are valued in the billions — from Michael Kors ($3.3 billion) to Dior ($34 billion). As awards season begins anew, fresh faces will become instant style stars (remember, few knew Lupita Nyong’o this time last year) and little-known couturiers will break out along with them. But the true fashion royalty in Hollywood? Those designers who don’t disappear after Oscar night as quickly as Roberto — as the style titans on our list prove.
Click here to see the full list and click here for exclusive photos of the designers with their famous muses.
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More from THR’s Top Red Carpet Designers Issue:
Top 25 Red Carpet Looks of the Year
Awards Season’s Hottest Accessories, From Clutches to Shoes
The Night Joan Rivers Terrorized Nicole Kidman
On the Red Carpet: 7 of the Hottest New Designers
Quiz: Match the A-List Designer to His or Her Favorite Movie, TV Show
When a Size 0 Isn’t Really 0: The Psychology Behind Top Designers’ Big Secret
