The Met Ball

In terms of star wattage, it has become an event to rival The Oscars. The Metropolitan Museum of Art\'s annual Costume Institute gala in New York, this year celebrating the centenary of Paul Poiret (credited with freeing women from the corset), was hosted in New York on Monday 7 May by Anna Wintour, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Nicolas Ghesquière and Cate Blanchett. From Chloe Sevigny to Christy Turlington, every star worth her fashion salt was in attendance. Here we select the best of the gowns gliding up the red carpet

Cameron Diaz offsets her stunning fuschia Dior by John Galliano dress with turquoise jewels

Silver sensation

Miss Bosworth channels a \'20s flapper look in Prada

Emerald queen

Chloë Sevigny vamps it up in a green silk gown by Balenciaga

Feather fondant

Mary-Kate Olsen in a plunge-neck black feather gown

Snow White

This contoured white Calvin Klein dress hugs Christina Ricci\'s famous curves

Teal steals the show

Christy Turlington shows off her yoga abs in Versace

Silver crush

A Michael Kors crushed-velvet silver number brings out Eva Mendes\' cappuccino-coloured skin

Hippie deluxe

The Moroccan hippie print of this Dior Couture by John Galliano dress makes supermodel Jessica Stam stand out from the crowd

Life in mono

Gisele Bundchen keeps it simple in monochrome Yves Saint Laurent

Black clad vamp

Lindsay Lohan never disappoints with her red carpet entrances

Fairy princess

Camilla Belle delights in a Gaultier Paris haute couture frothy mauve gauze

Back view

Liv Tyler\'s turquoise Calvin Klein backless gown is a perfect match for her pale complexion and raven hair

Keeping it simple

Mischa Barton looks elegant in a pared-down Giambattista Valli column dress with black applique bustier

Purple reign

As her recent appearance in Ugly Betty proves, Lucy Liu, wearing Zac Posen, stands out no matter what the occasion

Cool Connolly

Jennifer Connolly hits all the right notes in a silver Balenciaga mini-dress

Sex bomb

Sexy as ever in Stella McCartney, Scarlett Johansson seems to be referencing her Justin Timberlake music video cameo, What Goes Around

Passion for pink

A floor-length Roberto Cavalli strapless gown for Rosario Dawson, Quentin Tarantino\'s latest muse

Czech delight

You can always count on supermodel Karolina Kurkova, in Roberto Cavalli, to work an outfit to the max

Gorgeous in grey

Helena Christensen in a dove-grey floor-length Calvin Klein strapless column dress

When the clock strikes twelve...

Renée Zellweger makes like Cinderella in Carolina Herrera

White hot

J-lo knows how to work her best asset in Marchesa

\'It\'-couple

New \'It\'-couple Kirsten Dunst, wearing vintage Yves Saint Laurent, and Johnny Borrell look like they\'ve raided his grandmother\'s attic

America\'s sweetheart

A brunette Jessica Simpson teams blood-red lipstick with a Roberto Cavalli down-to-there neckline

Red sensation

Jennifer Garner makes an entrance to remember in Valentino

Dream girl

Jennifer Hudson gets it right once again in a sexy yet elegant Michael Kors body-con dress

Going for gold

Cate Blanchett, in Balenciaga, reminds us of the number of gold statues sitting on her mantlepiece