And so another awards season draws to a close.

Those haute couture dresses are winging their way back to designers; millions of dollars worth of glittering jewels returned to Tiffany, Cartier, Bulgari et al.

It was a year of surprises in the winners’ circles with The Hurt Locker’s David and Goliath-style triumph over Avatar, and Lady Gaga conquering both sides of the Atlantic, but there were just as many revelations in the wardrobe department.

Stars experienced a style epiphany that saw many ditch the usual strapless fishtail gowns in favour of more dramatic silhouettes and a glittering array of embellishments. Colours followed the catwalk influence with nudes and metallics dominating.

All that glittered turned to wardrobe gold with Sandra Bullock’s embroidered metallic lace Marchesa gown. It echoed elements of the chiffon bodice of Drew Barrymore’s crystal-enhanced Atelier Versace dress that bowled over Golden Globe commentators.

One of the biggest surprises was the emergence of prints. The cloud-like waterfall design of Rachel McAdams’ strapless floral Oscar dress by Elie Saab was utterly dreamy, following the lead of BAFTA’s Best Actress winner Carey Mulligan in Vionnet.

But the winner of this year’s couture parade has to be teen icon Miley Cyrus. Having rocked a funky metallic mini at the Grammy Awards, she looked feminine and fabulous at the Oscars in a champagne basque dress with cascading sequinned full-length skirt by Brit designer Jenny Packham.

Dressing to make the most of her age, figure and skin tone is a red carpet formula for success that will never go out of fashion.