That said, some designers stay out of the high-stakes fashion derby. ''Nobody's even allowed to [borrow] anything from my store,'' says Lily et Cie's Rita Watnick, who memorably dressed Renee Zellweger in a yellow Jean Desses vintage gown for the Oscars in 2001. ''Everything we've ever done has always been paid for. Isn't it refreshing?'' Adds Halston designer Bradley Bayou (who dresses Jennifer Aniston and Oprah Winfrey): ''I don't bribe anybody, I don't send money to anybody. I don't try to buy them trips. I think you should be able to stand by your work.''

But as long as what stars wear on Oscar night gets as much -- if not more -- scrutiny as the awards themselves, don't expect the multimillion-dollar celebrity-dressing business to end anytime soon. ''We think about it as a new kind of advertising, because there's so much money spent to make it happen,'' says Jones. ''There will come a time where clothing contracts are going to be reported just as commonly as a star's next film role and salary. It's not at that point yet, but it could be a lot sooner than we think.''

Originally posted Feb 27, 2004 Published in issue #753 Feb 27, 2004 Order article reprints
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