1. Balmain

Ever since Christophe Decarnin, 44, took over as creative director of this flagging French fashion house (in 2005), it\'s become the label of the supercool. Along with stick-legged fashionistas, like Carine Roitfeld and Dasha Zhukova, Decarnin\'s legions of celeb fans include Gwyneth Paltrow - who chose a Balmain micro lace dress to make her post-babies comeback - Kate Moss, Lindsay Lohan, Christina Ricci, Kate Hudson, Charlotte Casiraghi, Audrey Tatou, Sarah Jessica Parker and Julia Stegner. In its heyday in the \'60s, Balmain was worn by utterly hip, incredibly beautiful women like Ava Gardner, Jane Birkin, Sophia Loren and Brigitte Bardot. Four decades on, it\'s lured a similar breed i.e. fashion crazies who can pull off Decarnin\'s skintight, split to the thigh, shorter-than-short hemlines, and can afford sky high price tags (£1,000 for a t-shirt?). Lavish appliqués, beading and embroidery salute Balmain\'s couture past otherwise Decarnin\'s inspiration comes from ‘80s glam rockers like Kiss, Billy Idol and Michael Jackson.

By Julia Robson

2. Versace

Was there ever a contemporary designer label more closely linked to celebs than this one? Anyone who is anyone has worn it. In fact, any wannabee starlet who doesn\'t own something emblazoned with a Greek print of Medusa can\'t really call herself A-list. The late, great Gianni Versace, virtually created celebrity culture. He invented supermodels, catwalk shows as we now know them, and a type of modern day glamour that guarantees the wearer a front page newspaper splash the day after making an appearance in a fiercely sexy Versace number. Full respect to Donatella, who still scoops up an impressive number of frocks on Oscar night. Who wears it apart from Elton John? Beyoncé, Elizabeth Hurley, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Demi Moore, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Halle Berry, Gisele Bündchen and Kate Moss. Rumour has it Versace PAY celebrities to wear their gear and sit front row at fashion shows. With a turnover of 310 million euros you would hardly think they\'d need it? They famously offered the late Princess Diana, post-divorce, a million pounds to appear on their catwalk. She declined but - sensible girl - took the frocks.

3. Hervé Léger by Max Azria

Er, Vera Wang, I think your time is up. ‘It\' dress of the moment is ‘the bandage\'. Victoria Beckham, Rachel Weisz, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kelly Brook and Lindsay Lohan are all wearing them. A red bandage transformed Jessica Simpson into Jessica Rabbit. A steely grey one recently showed off Kate Winslet\'s incredible curves and bright blonde hairdo. Cheryl Cole wore a tangerine dress shortly after her bust up with hubby Ashley and an emerald green beaded one to celebrate being back in his arms (having magically sprouted an impressive cleavage courtesy of her Hervé Léger). Now it\'s a case of, \"not another Hervé Léger dress\", every time you spy a celeb-on-pap-alert. They love them because they give you the perfect hourglass body (being the frock equivalent of miracle pants). This ultimate bodycon dress also shave off one entire dress size - ideal for photo opportunities. Although the highstreet is at bursting point with cheap copies, it\'s hard to replicate the expensive elasticised fabric, which justifies the price tag (a whopping £1,300). Originally a French couture label, Max Azria, founder of the US label BCBG, acquired it in 1999 and re-launched the bandage at the start of the ‘80s revisited movement of 2007.

4. Roland Mouret

Celebs love this man because he came up with an edgy dress that shows off the figure they work so hard to maintain. Not easy. Don\'t tell me Mouret\'s Galaxy - or his subsequent ‘Moon\' or ‘Titanium\' - show off a ladies curves when most of its wearers are a size 0 (except Carol Vorderman). There\'s no denying the impact he\'s had on fashion particularly celebrity-driven trends. Indeed, his moment seems endless (the dress continues to be copied on the highstreet and is still being worn by Ms Vorderman but obviously not on Countdown). Mouret fans include Demi Moore, Rachel Weisz, Scarlet Johansson, Kiera Knightley, Claudia Schiffer, Cameron Diaz and of course Victoria Beckham, whose own debut range, some are calling a tribute to Roland. His latest RM collection with its signature drapes and folds and hourglass silhouette, continues to clad the glam pack. Being both refreshingly expensive and exclusive in dimension (sizes ‘s\' for skeletal to ‘l\' for ultra-skinny) still features high on the celebs\' wish list.

5. Marc Jacobs

Want to see who is the coolest of-the-minute celeb? Look at the front row line up at Marc Jacobs\' show. Here, as well as the usual suspects - Courtney Love, Victoria Beckham, Sofia Coppola, Scarlett Johansson, Madonna, Carla Bruni Sarkozy, Gwyneth Paltrow - you can spot next generation hotties. A decade and a bit on from when he first started rocking fashion with his famous grunge collection of 1993, he remains in a league of his own in terms of trendsetting and celebrity following. Celebs love him because they could choose anything from his collection blindfolded and still look clued up and fashion savvy. When Madonna recently received a text on her Blackberry from the designer asking her to front the Louis Vuitton campaign (to the tune of ten million dollars) it took less than four seconds for her to tap back, \"I\'d love to.\" Enough said.  Jacobs is not just designer to the stars he\'s a celebrity in his own right.

6. Dolce & Gabbana

If you could you would wear this label brought to mainstream prominence courtesy of Carrie Bradshaw (actress SJP and stylist Patricia Field), in Sex And The City. If a dress or outfit by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana makes you look like a celebrity even when you are not, think how it makes the genuine article come across? Exactly. Madonna and Kylie are possibly the loyalist fans of the Italian dynamic duo\'s phwoarr factor dresses - on- and off-stage. Reeling off their client list is like reading a who\'s who: Jennifer Lopez, Lindsay Lohan, Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Alba, Beyoncé, Victoria Beckham, super-stylist Rachel Zoe, Dita Von Teese, Katie Holmes, new Bond girl Olga Kurylenko (see left) and Naomi Watts. They are quite simply the crème de la crème of red carpet designers. It\'s no surprise these boys, famous for their corsets and womanly designs, have defined trends in glamour for almost three decades. They remain the only designers ever to have got Madonna not just to sit front row but model on their catwalk too.

7. Stella McCartney

Macca junior got a head start in the dressing celebrity stakes because so many famous A-listers were already in her girly gang. All of them supercool just like Stella. Her incredible fashion success over a relatively short time has proved she is far more than a Beatles daughter. Her own label launched in 2001 and is now sold in 40 countries not counting own boutiques in Beijing, Bahrain, Bangalore etc. Too right she goes by her first name only... just like those headline-grabbing friends/fans of hers: Madonna, Gwyneth, Liv, all the Kates (Hudson, Beckinsale, Hathaway, Moss), Naomi, Natalie (Portman), Reese, Alicia, Halle and Pammy. She has made it hip to be veggie, is into all things organic and is a key player in ‘Londonwood\'. But what makes Stella\'s gear so popular with women, famous or not, is the fact it\'s damn sexy. She\'s also come up with the best actress-off-duty day uniform and hip alternative to wearing a frock (skinny tux trouser suit). Wearing this you don\'t ever look like you are trying too hard. Stella signatures include sexy blouses and tight trousers; skinny tuxedo jackets and non-leather shoes. As seen on celebrities, globally, everyday, every night...

8. Giorgio Armani

Celebrities queue up to be a client of the great Italian maestro. No one does dressing-up for grown-ups better. Hollywood\'s finest including Michelle Pfieffer, Andie McDowell, Sharon Stone and Beyoncé, insist on wearing his designs head-to-toe. He\'s also got a massive male following including Richard Gere (who first wore Armani throughout the cult movie that made him a superstar, American Gigolo), Al Pacino, John Malkovich, Christian Slater, Jeremy Irons and John Travolta. During Oscar night most superstars are clad either in an Armani tux (men) or Armani ballgown (women) both guaranteed to get flashbulbs popping for all the right reasons. Armani started off doing menswear before moving on to revolutionise tailoring in womenswear. Anything Armani makes is elegance personified. This man could even make a men\'s thong look chic. He\'s not half bad at making a silk purse out of a sow\'s ear when it comes to transforming celebrities either. As well as wardrobing virtually all of Hollywood off-screen he\'s racked up 300 costume credits including The Aviator and The Untouchables.

9. Rue du Mail

Now this is an exciting, bubbling under the surface sort of celebrity label. Supercool babes spotted wearing it include Kate Moss, Kirsten Dunst, Lou Doillon, Emmanuelle Seigner, Joana Preiss, Sofia Coppola and her bessie mate, actress and director, Zoe Cassavetes. So far, so groovy. The French designer, Martine Sitbon, who quit the Paris runway in 2004, made her comeback two years ago with this label, named after the street her atelier resides. Her signature was edgy romantic with a tough slightly Goth girl vibe. This 2008 style clearly strikes a chord with actresses and A-listers seeking something a little bit dark and different to wear. The clothes are quintessentially boyish French PJ Harvey-ish, with their beading and skinny silhouettes but also have that low-key grunge/high glam LA vibe. For instance one slinky grey dress in the current collection is slashed to the thighs - yes both sides. When it comes to skintight, really sexy black satin cigarette pants and a boyfriend jackets, no designer comes close.

10. Christian Louboutin

The signature red soles look as if they might have stepped off the red carpet. The chances are they have! These heels are a, if not the sign of celebrity. There is something about the look, height and feel of these heels that keeps the world\'s most famous, most beautiful, most rich, tottering back for more. Who wears them? Who doesn\'t. Patti LaBelle, Mariah Carey, Leigh Lezark, Nicole Kidman, Rachel Bilson. Kylie Minogue wore them in her 2 Hearts video (you got a flash of red soles when she danced on the piano.) Angelina Jolie wears little else besides Louboutin both on- and off-screen. In the movie Wanted, she wears a pair as the assassin, ‘Fox\', which are allegedly from her own shoe cupboard. Britney Spears wore Louboutins during court dates for her custody battle - and subsequently out clubbing in LA. Christina Aguilera put hers through their paces throughout her Back To Basics tour. Meanwhile Madonna\'s black patent studded Mary-Janes were the star of her Live Earth video.