On the Red Carpet: 7 of the Hottest New Designers

This story first appeared in the Sept. 26 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.“>

Altuzarra

 

Global darling Joseph Altuzarra creates sexy and slightly sadistic looks. Julianne Moore wore his high-slit LBD to the Toronto Film Festival, while Gwen Stefani went with a skinny red suit for NBC’s Today. Says the designer, “The women I work with like to feel like themselves, not like they’re wearing a costume.”

Antonio Berardi

In 2013, Gwyneth Paltrow made a memorable entrance (and exit) at the Iron Man 3 premiere in a gown with sheer side panels that outlined her derriere. It’s thanks to British designer Berardi, whose provocative looks highlight the wearer’s most covetable assets. “Gwyneth’s irreverence and confidence make her an absolute joy to work with,” says Berardi.

Cushnie et Ochs

Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs‘ 6-year-old line does bodycon for a new generation. The New York-based duo has wiggled Lizzy Caplan, Jada Pinkett Smith and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley into their skin-revealing dresses. “Women in Hollywood are taking more risks than they used to and defining much more of an individual style,” says Cushnie. Adds Ochs, “With Instagram, they’re much more aware of who they are wearing and supporting, too.”

Delpozo

Since his appointment to the Spanish fashion house in 2011, creative director Josep Font has brought a modern spin to traditional couture techniques. Fans include Keira Knightley and Kiernan Shipka. “Our designs have a fresh approach,” says Font of his mixed prints and unexpected silhouettes. “Delpozo [pieces] are delicate with intricate construction, so they have a feminine fit.”

Rosie Assoulin

A year after launching her label, New York’s Assoulin is attracting attention from Hollywood. Julianne Moore wore a navy jumpsuit to a Veuve Clicquot polo match, and stylist Micaela Erlanger put Michelle Dockery in a handkerchief gown for the 2014 Emmys. Erlanger says that it was “the perfect choice. Rosie has such an incredible eye, and her design is modern but so elegant.” Adds the designer: “The cherry on that cake was a punch line from the late, great Joan Rivers,” who said the look must have been inspired by Mary Todd Lincoln.

Simone Rocha

The Irish-born, London-based designer is best known for her subversive take on ultrafeminine dressing: If there are pearls, they’re supersized; if there is daisy lace, it’s neon yellow. Rocha’s cool avant-garde designs have garnered a following with such fashion leaders as Alexa Chung, Rihanna and Solange Knowles.

More from THR’s Top Red Carpet Designers Issue

Hollywood’s Top 25 Red Carpet Designers Revealed

See The Designers With Their Muses

Top 25 Red Carpet Looks of the Year

Awards Season’s Hottest Accessories, From Clutches to Shoes

The Night Joan Rivers Terrorized Nicole Kidman

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