Which designers will rule the red carpet in 2015?

As we prepare to jump stiletto-first into the 2015 red carpet season with the Golden Globe Awards this Sunday, it will be hard not to think about funny woman Joan Rivers' style-centered saltiness and Oscar de la Renta's fantastical gowns.

The two - both of whom died last fall - are irreplaceable fashion icons.

Yet the baubles will still twinkle and the mani-cams will still capture perfect, French-tipped nails. The sweetheart necklines will continue to plunge, and ball skirts will undoubtedly billow. In other words, the show will go on.

But will it be good?

E! network hired Kathy Griffin to lead Giuliana Rancic and Kelly Osbourne in the acerbic next-day fashion analysis on Fashion Police. Stylist Brad Goreski will join the cast, too, when it airs Monday at 9 p.m.

Griffin has plans to continue what she calls Rivers' "fearless style." But the comedienne, who herself has landed on E!'s worst-dressed list, is usually more rude than clever. I wonder if there weren't better choices - such as Wanda Sykes, Chelsea Handler, or Margaret Cho. What about Tim Gunn? I'm just saying.

Finding an American-based designer who captures the magic of red carpet glitz like de la Renta - especially when it comes to the bedazzled ball gown - is a much more difficult task.

De la Renta was a force in fashion because of three important things. First, because he had licensing deals with perfumes, bags, sunglasses, every woman knew his name. He had a signature look - he was the master of the fairy tale-inspired ball gown thanks to the care he took understanding a woman's body, especially her waist.

And, lastly, he had major celebrity muscle. He was a couturier for every first lady from Jacqueline Kennedy to Michelle Obama. Not only was his clientele list endless, it was ageless, as it included Oprah Winfrey, Katy Perry, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Candice Bergen.

For these reasons, very few of today's red carpet designers rise to the level of de la Renta greatness. Gucci, Dior, and Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen create magnificent pieces, but they aren't American. Monique Lhuillier, Badgley Mischka, and Reem Acra capture sparkling Hollywood glamour, but lack the name recognition. And Prabal Gurung and Olivier Rousteing for Balmain have a substantial celebrity following, but they're just too new to the game.

No one can replace de la Renta, our late czar of all things glam. However, here are my predictions for the designers who may rule carpets to come.

Taiwanese-born Wu became known beyond the fashion world back in 2008 when he designed Michelle Obama's white inaugural ball gown. He made a scarlet dress for the 2012 ball, too. The same year, he introduced a capsule collection for Target.

With a signature silhouette that is flowy, the New York-based designer is trying to build a brand off the red carpet with a ready-to-wear collection that, ironically, is sold alongside de la Renta at the Saks Fifth Avenue in Bala Cynwyd.

At 32, Wu has a celebrity following that includes Michelle Williams, Rihanna, and Kerry Washington (on whom Wu made his Academy Award red carpet debut last year with a strapless, mauve maternity gown).

A wunderkind once known for his wild New York Fashion Week runway shows, Zac Posen offers metallic and saturated pastel gowns that are architectural.

Posen, 34, has branched out to design the Truly Zac collection for Conshohocken-based David's Bridal, and a clothing and accessories line called Z Spoke. He's a regular judge on Project Runway.

Last May, more than a dozen women attended the Metropolitan Museum of Art's gala honoring Charles James wearing Zac Posen. Posen's red carpet clients include Naomi Watts, Amanda Seyfried, Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Chastain, and Sofia Vergara.

Bridal gown designer Vera Wang, 65, is a fashion world powerhouse. She has the Simply Vera collection at Kohl's, and, like Posen, Wang designs bridal gowns for David's Bridal under the label White by Vera Wang. Fans of her soft aesthetic also have Vera Wang bedding, crystal, and china. Like Posen, she's also served as a judge on Project Runway.

Wang's pieces are ethereal, and her red carpet gowns are often bride- and bridesmaid-appropriate - give or take a shade of blush or white. Her A-list-wearing roster includes Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Idina Menzel, and Emma Watson.

On Monday, Christian Siriano, 29, made the art and style category in Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 list. The Season 4 Project Runway winner designs a line of shoes for Payless. In 2012, he opened a clothing store in Manhattan, and he also has an eponymous line of makeup. In September, he debuted a fragrance, Silhouette.

Siriano's gowns are best described as tailored-meets-breezy, meaning a structured dress may feature a sweet, lace underlay, or a flowing gown may have a flower fashioned from hard angles.

Celebrities spotted in a Siriano include Christina Hendricks, Sarah Hyland, and LeToya Luckett.

215-854-2704

@ewellingtonphl