Before we close out the year, it's time to take a look back at our Best of 2012 winners. From the best red-carpet queen to the top model of the year, celebrities, designers, and models battled it out for the top spot — and we have all the results from your votes right here. So take a seat, relax, and check out who won the fashion accolades in 2012. Do you agree with all the winning picks?
Positively iconic. Those are the words that came to mind when Diane Kruger peeked over her shoulder wearing a pale blue Giambattista Valli Couture dress at this year's Cannes Film Festival. They popped up again when Erin O'Connor mounted the steps at the Investec Derby in Epsom, England, wearing a floral hat by Louis Mariette, and yet again when Rooney Mara donned a black Nina Ricci gown at the Golden Globes.
This year's greatest looks are memorable not only because they belong to high-end labels, but also because of how stunning their wearers were in them. Get a look at the best-dressed women of the year, here in the gallery.
Designer shake-ups, editor switcheroos, and more peplums than you could shake a hip at: 2012 had it all. Herein, we break down the biggest fashion stories of the year, alphabet style. Click through to relive it all — the gossip, glory, triumphs, scandals, and everything in between — in our most extensive year-end recap yet.
In the celebrity world, where stars like Kate Bosworth and Diane Kruger have already proven their style power, it's not easy to break through, let alone be the breakout fashion star of the year. Nina Dobrev, the rising talent from The Vampire Diaries, did just that, beating out a veritable who's who of young Hollywood stars, including Solange Knowles and Allison Williams. With a penchant for ultrafeminine designers like Monique Lhuillier, Elie Saab, and J. Mendel — not to mention an affinity for showing off her stems — she set herself apart in bold hues, lacy details, and a sweet-chic sensibility, though we may attribute her breakout status to just one jaw-dropping appearance: the gilded Donna Karan Atelier gown she wore down the Met Gala red carpet. Of course, it's really up to you to decide which look you love best (and there are more than just a few to choose from). Click on to see the moments that earned Nina Dobrev her breakout title.
Perry Ellis once said that "fashion dies when it is taken too seriously," but if the social commentary the industry has gotten this year is any indication, there's no danger of that happening anytime soon. In fact, if the memes spawned in 2012 say anything, it's that the public's interest in fashion has never been so high. A look at some of the best examples — from Balenciaga Did It First to Your LL Bean Boyfriend — here in the gallery.
2012 was filled with exciting designer collaborations highlighting affordable fashions from some of our favorite designers. Out of all of the top contenders, you chose the Jason Wu for Target collection as the best collaboration of the year. Wu's 53-piece "gamine chic" line — all items were priced under $60 — debuted in February, showcasing Wu's penchant for designing feminine pieces with a fresh twist via crisp peplum tops, sweet floral-print dresses, Peter Pan collars, and pleated skirts. "I wanted the collection to have a sophisticated voice with an American sportswear spin," said Wu. A big congratulations to Jason Wu — check out the winning collection in the slideshow now!
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen juggled a schedule full of family, fashion, and football this year. Tom's New England Patriots made it to the Super Bowl, Gisele modeled for Vogue covers and launched a line of lingerie, and to cap things off, they welcomed baby Vivian Lake earlier this month! The Brady-Bundchens also took time out for vacations and some downtime close to their Boston homebase with sons Benjamin and Jack.
Click through to revisit the Brady-Bundchen's biggest moments of the year, and don't miss out on all our Best of 2012 coverage across the PopSugar Network!
Source: X17 Online, Splash News Online, Facebook user Gisele Bündchen
From Taylor Tomasi Hill and her bright blue Comme des Garcons shorts to Julia Sarr-Jamois and her floral Céline suit mashup, this year seemed to offer more outstanding ensembles than ever before. In fact, there was no stopping the style set as they stomped through the world's fashion capitals in their sartorial finest — and thank goodness. Our favorite looks from an entire year's worth of stunners, right here.
If our Instagram feed is any indication, 2012 was a fantastic year. The influential app followed us while visiting the studios of some of our favorite New York designers and eating beautiful pastries in Paris — and helped document our favorite moments every step of the way. And this year, there was a lot to see, from intimate moments backstage with models Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn to Stefano Tonchi and Deborah Needleman having a tete-à-tete during Fashion Week. Get a look at those snaps — and our other best shots from 2012 — here in the gallery.
The votes are in — you chose Prabal Gurung as 2012's designer of the year. And rightfully so, because it was no ho-hum year for Prabal. In addition to designing gorgeous collections for his namesake and ICB by Prabal Gurung line, Prabal contributed to the Target + Neiman Marcus holiday line, managed to find time to dress the Easter Bunny, played street-style photog on the side, had a major red-carpet moment with Jennifer Lawrence, among other celebrities, and announced another designer collaboration with Target, slated for February 2013. Congrats to a majorly talented designer whom we can always count on to deliver the most amazing creations that have our jaws permanently dropped. We can't wait to see what magic he creates in 2013!
