Awards show fever takes hold on the catwalk

Max Azria’s collection for Hervé Légèr riffed on the label’s signature bandage dresses using metallic embellishment and longer hemlines.

The Grammys and the Baftas dominated this week and the Oscars is just 10 days away now in Los Angeles, so perhaps, like the rest of the country, designers are experiencing awards-show fever. A celebrity endorsement on the red carpet can be a boon to many designers' businesses, and enthusiasm for those knock-out numbers perfect for a high-wattage night abounded. From fashion-forward frocks to decadent showstoppers, there were dresses aplenty on the runways.

Badgley Mishcka has chosen Rumer Willis, the progeny of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, to be the new face of the brand this spring, so it was no surprise that she was perched front-row next to Kelly Osbourne. Although Badgley Mishcka is clearly courting the next generation of Hollywood players, the label didn't stray too far from what it's been known for: eveningwear that was on full display in all its flamboyant glory.

Dennis Basso delivered a parade of voluminous shapes, luxe separates and chiffon dresses that's sure to please his well-moneyed clientele, including the likes of the socialite Tinsley Mortimer, who was in the audience. Vera Wang, too, knows a thing or two about dressing women on the red carpet. Instead of sequins, the designer uses the most luxurious fabrics, and this season she opted for sheer grey chiffons that were pleated in the most inventive and delicate ways to create intricate textures. There were a number of parkas to toughen up the looks. Speaking of tough, Rad by Rad Hourani is a label built on a black palette, unisex silhouettes and geometric construction techniques fit for chic, galactic androids. Hourani's fashion-forward vision is still intact, but expanded. The colour palette ventured into grey and there was a lot of draping and ruching, organic techniques that created flattering shapes around the body. These were seen on a black wool dress, high-waisted silk skirt and a leather wrap number that may not be an obvious choice for many celebrities, would not be too much of a stretch for progressive style icons such as Tilda Swinton.

Rodarte, a label by Kate and Laura Mulleavy, has been an American fashion darling since it burst on to the scene. But despite the label's conceptual ideas about fashion, celebrities with mass appeal such as Natalie Portman and Reese Witherspoon have worn a number of its gowns. This time, the designer travelled to a futuristic American prairie replete with fluorescent lights and sculptures resembling electronic tumbleweeds, with clothes that included patchwork blouses, textured, full A-line skirts and silk floor-length gowns printed with images of wheat fields.

Hervé Léger by Max Azria is all about feminine curves - those trademark taut bandage dresses have been worn by every young starlet, but this time they were longer and were adorned with metal hardware. The most winning, if not the most original, were two flesh-toned dresses with mini skirts that seemed to recall Versace during the reign of the supermodels in the early 1990s.