Randolph Duke's Spring '08 sheer madness

Randolph Duke has probably dressed more actresses for awards than any American designer and quite a few A-list European ones.

His clients include Jennifer Aniston, Kim Basinger, Felicity Huffman, Angelina Jolie, Barbra Streisand, Sharon Stone, Mira Sorvino, Debra Messing, Charlize Theron, Renee Zellweger, Jennifer Lopez, Hilary Swank, even Britney Spears, back when she wasn't acting nuts and flashing her lack of panties.

And the list goes on...

So it was a little surprising that only Kelly ("Nip/Tuck") Carlson attended Randy's Sunday night runway return (and his first-ever L.A. runway show) after a seven-year absence.

His new collection -- shown at the Mercedes-Benz Spring 08 Fashion Week at Smashbox -- was titled "The Living Earth" and reportedly was inspired by "the natural beauty of California." Think ferns, palmettos, assorted cactuses and lotus-blossom design elements for sportswear and evening looks.

Duke also showed some scandalously sheer gowns that will need a lot of lining to wear during the 2008 awards season. Occasional actress Bai Ling, who modeled in (!) a show yesterday, will no doubt wear Duke's sheer stuff with aplomb. But there aren't enough pasties in the world for most actresses to risk embarrassment.

That said, here are some of Duke's elegant, more carpet-appropriate offerings:

Photo credits: WireImage