Nicole Kidman wasn't nominated for an Oscar at the 1997 Academy Awards, but she made fashion history with the chartreuse dress she wore on the red carpet that year. Her Christian Dior Couture gown, a floor-length sheath dress embroidered with stylized flowers and trimmed with fur, was from John Galliano's very first couture collection for the house, and its unabashed extravagance was just a first taste of the kinds of fashion he would design in his tenure there. It was also one of the first instances of truly modern couture appearing on the red carpet.
Couturiers have always had a special relationship with celebrities who need jaw-dropping dresses to wear for particularly glamorous events. But now more than ever, couture has become the gold standard for women who have to look elegant and fashionable in front of the flashbulbs. A look at our favorite couture moments in recent memory, here in the gallery.