THRILLED TO BE SEEN

Alberta Ferretti has dressed every stripe of actress, including Jennifer Garner, Patricia Clarkson and Christina Ricci, in her 30 years in fashion. So you’d think the red carpet would be old hat for her. But the shrewd designer -- she runs the Aeffe fashion conglomerate in Milan, which also includes Moschino and Narciso Rodriguez, with brother Massimo -- admits to still getting a thrill from seeing one of her gowns under the Klieg lights. Here, she explains why Hollywood continues to excite her.

What have been some fashion highlights for you on the red carpet?

The ones that I remember the most are the recent ones, particularly the Venice Film Festival. Sandra Bullock, Scarlett Johansson and Anne Hathaway all selected our dresses. It was such a joy because it was in Italy, and all of those actresses are young and modern, some of the most talented in the world.

Do you get nervous waiting to see who will wear your gowns at these events?

It’s quite an emotional and anxious time. It’s almost like debuting in a theater, that kind of emotion of not knowing what’s going to happen.... it’s a joyous occasion and wonderful surprise when we do see our dresses.

What is the Alberta Ferretti style?

Extremely feminine. We’re also in a moment of glamour with the current collection -- the lightness and luminosity of the fabrics.

When you design, do you ever think, “This would be great for the Oscars”?

Of course. There are two dresses from my show that are very luminous and beautiful. Both are embroidered, one with larger crystals, one with hand-cut transparent paillettes. But in most cases, the dresses you see on the red carpet are made specifically for that individual.