Awards season special! The most iconic red carpet dresses of all time

As Awards Season 2016 comes to a glittering close with the 88th Academy Awards taking place in Hollywood tonight, we've rounded up the best red carpet dresses of all time. From the breathtakingly beautiful to the outrageously extravagant, plus everything in between, we've searched high and low to bring you the crème de la crème of red carpet attire. Read on for our edited highlights or head over to the full version of our most Iconic Red Carpet Dresses here.

The Awards season brings one of the busiest periods of the year for the stylists of Hollywood. At this time more than any other, it's crucial for Tinseltown's finest to look nothing but their best, so the pressure is on. It's no easy task, as a red-carpet outfit can make or break reputations and solidify careers. Gwyneth Paltrow's pink Ralph Lauren princess dress for the 1999 Oscars went hand-in-hand with her America's sweetheart persona and cemented her status as Hollywood royalty, along with her Best Actress win. Ball gowns instantly came back in vogue and Gwyneth was credited with making pink fashionable again.

Remember Björk's infamous swan dress from the 2001 Oscars? Ridiculed at the time, now a cult classic, the Marjan Pejoski creation has been immortalised in the Museum of Modern Art as one of the most talked-about red-carpet looks ever.

And then there was Angelina's thigh-split velvet Versace gown of the 2012 Oscars; and that right leg that spawned a thousand memes! She probably didn't anticipate such a huge interest as she struck that unworldly pose over and over, but Angelina's trademark insouciance ensured her own inimitable cool would be remembered for years to come.

Most recently, in 2016 Cate Blanchett's Golden Globes' rose quartz Givenchy gown ensured she truly cemented herself as a fashion power player in one of her most stunning looks, while similarly, Michelle Williams's divine mustard Vera Wang gown from the 2006 Oscars marked her transformation from mainstream teen queen to achingly-cool leading lady.

Some dresses are so perfect for the wearer, you couldn't imagine them on anyone else – the prime example being Jennifer Lopez's navel-skimming Versace number at the 2000 Grammy Awards.

And as for the more fashion-forward, Emma Stone's custom Lanvin jumpsuit at the 2015 Golden Globes was inspired and showed what can happen when the stylist thinks outside the box, putting Petra Flannery on best stylist lists everywhere. In the hands of the right stylist, a red-carpet look can be era-defining. It definitely starts with the right dress, but there are things to remember along the way in order to make the wearer look immaculate. So how to emulate the stars and make sure you too can look red-carpet ready for your next special occasion? Head over to read our full-length feature listing more than 50 of the most iconic red carpet dresses of all time here, or read the exclusive insider advice of three Hollywood super-stylists on how to emulate red carpet glamour. All imagery from REX Features

Feeling inspired take a look at the latest red carpet gowns