The Best Dressed of 2012

Positively iconic. Those are the words that came to mind when Diane Kruger peeked over her shoulder wearing a pale blue Giambattista Valli Couture dress at this year's Cannes Film Festival. They popped up again when Erin O'Connor mounted the steps at the Investec Derby in Epsom, England, wearing a floral hat by Louis Mariette, and yet again when Rooney Mara donned a black Nina Ricci gown at the Golden Globes.

This year's greatest looks are memorable not only because they belong to high-end labels, but also because of how stunning their wearers were in them. Get a look at the best-dressed women of the year, here in the gallery.