8 APRIL 2005

The sweet smell of A-list glamour filled the air in New York's Hammerstein Ballroom on Thursday night, when some of the city's most stylish residents turned out for the annual Fragrance Foundation Awards.

Oscar winner Marisa Tomei met up with R&B diva Ashanti and catwalk queen Sophie Dahl for the glitzy prizegiving. The showbiz stars had come along to see veteran designer Carolina Herrera pick up a lifetime achievement award for her much-celebrated career in fashion.

With some of the industry's biggest names in attendance, the red carpet was awash with elegant frocks. Marisa opted for a floor-length white satin number, while Ashanti was showing off her curves in a peach silk affair slashed at the front. English rose Sophie Dahl likewise hit the right note with a classic white dress and matching fur-trimmed jacket.

The annual FFA Awards, or "FiFis" as they are known, are described as the Oscars of the perfume industry. The foundation, which was set up back in 1943, aims to unravel the mysteries of our sensitivity to fragrance by supporting scientific and psychological research at leading universities around the world.