Alessandro Dellacqua

Alessandro Dell'Acqua's sensual, lingerie-inspir­ed womenswear keeps his star aloft in the edgier margins of Italian fashion. Sticking primarily to his signature nude and black palette, Dell'Acqua's cocktail dresses are red-carpet staples, and his va-va-voom separates, like pencil skirts and chiffon blouses, tread the sexy-sweet overlap. The designer, whose come-hither footwear is a hit with upscale gallery girls, cites Italian screen sirens as his main muses. He's also known for closing his shows to Pat Benatar's "Love Is a Battlefield."