Which Designers Have Been Seen on the Red Carpets So Far This Year?

With spring fashion trends bringing minimal whites, bold colours, embroidery, and pleats to the red carpet, and with top designers ushering in an array of slits and slashes in dresses in their fall lines, 2011 is shaping up to be an exceptional year for red carpet fashion. Many established haute couture designers seem at the top of their form, with up-and-coming designers making their mark as well.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards show set the tone with designer dresses in jewel shades worn by Jessica Alba in Atelier and Emma Stone in Lanvin. Sarah Harding and Sam Taylor-Wood turned heads in red gowns by Georges Chakra and by Celine respectively.

At the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards (the Oscars), red carpet fashion featured clean, linear lines as well as curve-hugging glamour. Red was worn to stunning effect here, too, with Sandra Bullock in a ripe-red Vera Wang, Jennifer Lawrence in a cherry red Calvin Klein design and Anne Hathaway wearing a red, vintage Valentino. Cate Blanchett looked particularly lovely in a Givenchy couture gown of pleated lavender chiffon with pearl embroidery.

In a red carpet appearance of a different sort, Victoria Beckham wore one of her own creations, a midnight blue dress from her 2011 Fall collection, to the Royal Wedding. Victoria Beckham Dresses are gaining appeal on the red carpet. Brooklyn Decker looked stunning at the Academy of Country Music Awards, wearing a blush-coloured fitted dress from the Beckham's Spring 2011 collection. Jennifer Hudson wore the same dress to the 2nd Annual Mary J. Blige Honors Concert in New York.

Ms. Hudson seems to be celebrating her new figure with Victoria Beckham Dresses , wearing a short, satin-crepe bell dress from Beckham's Spring 2011 collection on her recent appearance on “Dancing with the Stars.” Demi Moore appeared in the black zipped version of this dress earlier this year. Gisele Bündchen wore a black capped-sleeved Victoria Beckham dress to collect her Global Environment Citizen Award from Harvard University.

At New York’s MET Costume Institute gala, many celebrities followed the advice of Vogue’s Anna Wintour, paying tribute to the late Alexander McQueen. Sarah Jessica Parker wore a beaded vintage McQueen. Zac Posen dressed Christina Ricci in a tightly corseted gown, paying tribute to the McQueen signature hourglass silhouette.

At the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival, shades of pale dominated the red carpet scene. Uma Thurman floated in a white silk Versace with a feathered hemline. Salma Hayek shimmered in an off-white, beaded Gucci gown. Aishwarya Rai wore a stone coloured Elie Saab creation. Red made an appearance here as well, with Rachel McAdams wearing a scarlet, embroidered Marchesa gown with organza and tulle.