2012 celebrity wardrobe hits and misses

Kanye West shocked some fans by rocking a Givenchy leather kilt for his performance at the Sandy relief concert in New York. No surprise: The kilt had its own Twitter account within minutes. (December)  (Larry Busacca / Getty Images for Clear Channel)

The Duchess of Cambridge set off a maternity frenzy. The eagerly awaited pregnancy was announced after the former Kate Middleton was rushed to the hospital to be treated for acute morning sickness. She made her first public appearance after the announcement at a sports awards ceremony, wearing a forest-green Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen gown with a peekaboo slit in the skirt. (Was she perhaps inspired by Angelina Jolie’s Oscars attire?) The gown was gorgeous, though a far cry from maternity wear. (December)  (Indigo / Getty Images)

Lady Gaga maintained her reputation as the world’s leading Dadaist performance artist when she threw the launch party for her new perfume, Fame, at New York’s Guggenheim Museum. Guests got to watch Gaga as she feigned sleep while lying inside a giant reproduction of a Fame perfume bottle. She eventually ‘woke’ to the sounds of the David Bowie hit “Fame” -- naturally -- and proceeded to get dressed and spray herself with perfume. The pop star spent the remainder of the evening inside her perfume bottle, where she got a cherub tattooed on the back of her head. Fame, by the way, is the first-ever black eau du parfum. (September)  (Kevin Mazur / WireImage)

Nicki Minaj arrived at the Grammys in a Versace-designed Red Riding Hood cloak with what failed to be 2012’s hottest accessory: a pope impersonator. (February)  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Gwyneth Paltrow was stunning at the Oscars in an ivory cap-sleeve cream evening column and cape from Tom Ford’s Fall 2012 collection, garnering “best dressed” nods the world over. (February)  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)