10. Vivienne Westwood. Westwood is unique, and her "punk style" is making its own mark. True, not all of us can carry off the "Sex Pistols" look (dog collars, spikes, razors, safety pins, black leather, and velvet), but years from now, she may be to the future generation what Dior, Chanel, and YSL were to today's fashionistas. She hasn't made the Oscar walk yet, but the wedding gown she made for Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex In the City) has been the talk of the town. Not only that, she made Camilla Parker Bowles look good, and fortunately, not in a punk outfit. That has to count!



9. Oscar Dela Renta. Feminine, flashy, flowery, and fashionable: Oscar De La Renta's ornate and luxurious style make you want to wear ruffles, lace, and floral designs. His signature style includes beads, buttons, and ornaments on his designs, and if you feel like you can get away with it, try on a gown, just like Sandra Bullock a few years back.

8. Versace. Donatela Versace had big shoes to fill, but she certainly proved that she was more than just "Giani's sister". Her designs may be just a tad more feminine and a little more wearable (read: not so "high fashion"), but who are we to argue when it was good enough for Madonna?

7. Dolce & Gabana. Do you want to look like Fergie, Jennifer Lopez, Gisele Bundchen, Michelle Williams, Madonna, Monica Bellucci, Ashanti, Christina Aguilera, Isabella Rossellini, and Kylie Minogue? Maybe not, but you can dress like them. The immaculate Italian tailoring and aristocratic elegance of Dolce & Gabbana is perfect for the celebrity royalty walking down the Oscars red carpet. Picture perfect.

6. Valentino Garavani. Speaking of royalty, here is a designer that, not only has royalty in mind, but has them as clients as well: Princess Margaret, Jackie O, and Elizabeth Taylor (a true royalty in her own right), to name a few. Though not as innovative as his contemporaries, Dior, YSL and Chanel, he definitely has an eye for glamor and elegance, and even Julia Roberts donned on a vintage Valentino for her walk on the red carpet.

5. Giorgio Armani. While we all can't date Christian Bale, Giorgio Armani can at least have our date looking like him. As they say, "it ain't a suit if it ain't an Italian suit", and Giorgio Armani is one of the best in the business. If your man can't look good in an Armani suit, then girl, you have got to be kidding!

4. Gucci. One of the five great designer houses (along with Chanel, Givenchy, Dior, and YSL), Gucci not only offers fashion, but durability as well. Elegant and chic, just like Jessica Alba - that is the promise of Gucci.

3. Chanel. We can thank Coco Chanel for every woman's wardrobe "must-have": that little black dress. A true pioneer, Chanel was a fashion innovator. She modernized the stuffy Victorian fashion, and made comfort part of the deal. Feminine, sophisticated, and simple: that is how Chanel fashion is often described, and apparently Natalie Portman, Diane Krueger, Kate Bosworth, and Victoria (Mrs.) Beckham like it that way.

2. Givenchy. Hubert de Givenchy not only built his fashion empire on modern, ladylike style, but he developed and influenced many of this generation's fashion designer, too. The dressed the classic Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina, setting the benchmark for elegance. Some names that have been connected with Givenchy are John Galliano, who is also affiliated with Dior, and fashion's "enfant terrible", Alexander McQueen.

1.Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. Before anyone else, there was Christian Dior, and with Marlene Dietrich as one of his primary clients, Dior set the standards for high fashion. His death left the House of Dior not only without a lead designer, but a company head, as well. This was the time when Yves Saint Laurent took over, making Dior's style softer, lighter, and easier to wear in the process. But, he modified it too much, and the House of Dior and YSL soon parted ways. Nevertheless, these two names as synonymous to high fashion, and you can't go wrong with either one. If you're skeptical, think about this: almost anybody who's anybody has worn one, or the other.