It's been a hell of a year for fashion. Here are some of the highlights:

Diane Kruger: Queen of Cannes

I've always been a devoted fan of Diane Kruger, but since she took the world by storm at this year's Cannes Film Festival, everyone seems to be a Kruger fan. Most starlets have as many hits as they do misses when it comes to fashion decisions, but Kruger has proved herself to be one of the most consistently-stylish women around. No wonder Karl Lagerfeld can't get enough of her!

Raf Simons Takes the Reigns at Christian Dior

After over a year of scandal and rumor regarding the departure of longtime Dior designer John Galliano and his replacement, fans of the French couturier can rest peacefully knowing that Raf Simons has taken over. His stunning Fall 2012 couture show, with its floral wall runway and "New Look" silhouettes harkening back to the style that made the label famous, has done much to reassure worried fashion followers that Christian Dior is in good hands.

Blake Lively Becomes the New Bombshell

Another personal style icon of mine, Blake Lively, turned heads everywhere at the Los Angeles premier of Savages this summer. The hair, the makeup, and damn that dress!- everything is just flawless. Gossip Girl may be over, but I know this girl's got a bright future ahead of her, and certainly more stunning red carpet moments.

The 'It' Sweater of the Year

Each season there seems to be one "It" item that every off-duty model and fashion editor seems to fawn over. This year it was the Kenzo Tiger sweater. It's just loud enough to make any outfit stand out, and it's comfy enough (it is a sweatshirt, after all) to actually be a practical statement piece. Some may be sick of the sweater by now, but I still dream of wearing a tiger of my own.

London Takes the Gold

2012 was a heck of a year for London. A new future queen, a Diamond Jubilee for the current queen, and, oh yeah, the 2012 London Olympic Games. The city pulled out all the stops for the opening and closing ceremonies and made sure to include British achievements in all areas, including fashion. One of my favorite parts of the closing ceremony was watching the top British supermodels -Kate Moss, Stella Tennant, Naomi Campbell, and Lily Cole, to name a few- strut out in designs by Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane, and more (all in gold, of course) to David Bowie's "Fashion". It was an iconic moment that I will never forget.

Carrie Who?

It took me time to warm up to HBO's new series Girls, heralded as the "Sex and the City for the new, younger generation, but I finally have found a place in my heart for these four strange, misguided, and hopelessly beautiful women living in New York City and trying to find their way in the world. Each girl is an individual and each one has her own distinct style, but don't try to fit them to a Sex and the City character: these four girls are all there own.

The New 'It-Girl' Bag

Lana del Rey is the new songstress and muse. She's sung for Chanel shows and done a collaboration with H&M, and now she has her own 'del Rey' bag designed by Mulberry. Perhaps it will be the new Kelly or Birkin? Either way, you know you've made it as an icon when you get a bag named after you.

What were your favorite moments of 2012, fashion-wise?

Love that Freida Pinto is never afraid to take a risk. She's got the slit without overdoing it (See Natasha Poly and Anja Rubik channeling Angelina), the yellow is stunning against her skin tone, and the bead work makes it a must-have Cannes gown. Parfait!

I think Bella Heathcote is absolutely adorable so she can almost wear anything and get away with it, but I have to agree with other critics who claim that this dress is just too dark. Also, I know that there's the prestigious Palm D'Or Award, but that is not an invitation to actually wear palm print on your dress.

The young star of the movie I'm most looking forward to, Moonrise Kingdom, wore a butter yellow Louis Vuitton dress with ultra-cool ruffles and a hairdo straight of of the runway show. I think she looks fresh and fun for a young star, and this dress gets me excited to see what else Kara will be wearing when promoting her new movie.

Fan Bingbing is without a doubt this year's best dressed at Cannes. Everything she wears is stunning. I adored this dress in all its whimsicality, but what I didn't dig was the hair. She should have either pulled it all back or worn it all down.

Stunning. But of course, it's Diane Kruger, so were we really expecting anything less? The color, the cut, the gauziness. And when she turns she get get all Dracula-dramatic on us. I love it.

I'm a huge Lana fan, so I was absolutely ecstatic to see her in a flawless dress that so perfectly accentuates why I love her. The vampy neckline and simple side-swept 'do left me in awe. Lana's been very trendy lately so I've been worrying that she would get caught up in the "Let's Try to Out-Weird One Another" competition of Gaga, Nicki, and Katy. Also, weird observation: I find it funny that she was invited to the Moonrise Kingdom premier because Lana totally reminds me of a grown-up Kara Hayward.

Because Cannes is as much about the yacht parties as it is couture ballgowns, Freida picked the best Ferragamo ensemble she could. Blue and white nautical stripes and a halter top. Also, she managed to make the summer trend of belly-bearing look classy by keeping her skirt hem longer.

Only Diane Kruger could wear such a risky dress with such ease. The dress is gorgeous, the shoes go well, her hair and makeup is simple, and she looks about ten feet tall. I'd say it's a winning look!

Another beauty in burgundy. Mia Wasikouwska is another favorite of mine for her unabashed whimsicality when it comes to fashion. But she also knows how to look completely elegant, which is why I love this dress. The drapery is to die for and the color- nothing beats it.

There were plenty of dramatic trains at Cannes -see Naomi Watts and Eva Longoria- but they seemed to be excessive additions to dresses only for the effect. Fan, the Queen of Cannes Style, donned an Elie Saab dress that would not have been the same without the gauzy train. Completely elegant and, even with the train, it appears to not be all that over-the-top.

What was your favorite Cannes red carpet look?