Cut-price McQueen: The £465 tartan dress celebrities can't get enough of

By Lauren Paxman

Last updated at 12:55 PM on 29th November 2011

When Alexander McQueen launched a diffusion range, McQ, in 2006, even the fashion label could not have anticipated how successful the range would become.

But after the Duchess of Cambridge chose Sarah Burton as the designer of her wedding dress, she basically guaranteed that everything McQueen's creative director did would turn to gold.

Scroll down for a video of Rihanna's X Factor performance...

On trend: Katherine Jenkins and Chloe Moretz let the dress do the talking with simple black shoes

Punk-rock: Rihanna and Emma Watson both gave the McQ pufball tartan dress a hard edge with chunky shoes or a leather jacket

Punk-rock: Katherine Jenkins let the dress do the talking this morning while Rihanna and Emma Watson both gave the McQ pufball tartan dress a hard edge with chunky shoes or a leather jacket

Last night Burton was named Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards. However celebrities have been snapping up McQueen and McQ designs ever since the royal wedding.

One frock in particular - the £465 Puffball tartan dress - has become the party dress of the season.

Short but sweet: Cheryl Cole wearing the dress (left) and a publicity shot

McQ was set up five years ago as a trendier - and much more affordable - take on Alexander McQueen.

Last November, Burton brought the range back inhouse, it had been licensed out for years.

Having McQueen's creative director back at the helm has given the range a new lease of life and turned it into a celebrity favourite.

Classical singer Katherine Jenkins wore the frock this morning for an appearance on ITV.

Rihanna, chose the red and black number for her appearance on the X Factor.

She wore a prim white shirt underneath, but her chunky shoes, which were scrawled with Tipp-Ex graffiti, gave it a harder edge.

Emma Watson also gave the dress a punk look by wearing it with a leather biker jacket and some studded Louboutin heels.

The actress also wore black netting underskirt to make it even puffier.

Cheryl Cole and Chloe Moretz just let the dress do the talking, keeping their accessories nice and simple.

McQ has a range of designs featuring the red and black tartan - all are suitably festive making them perfect purchases in the run-up to Christmas.

The Crombie tartan coat (£845), features a kilt which can be zipped off.

McQ's tartan trousers (£275) also make a statement out of their zips, with over-sized pull tabs.

If the print feels a little too bold, McQ's little black dresses might be more suitable

Snap it up soon: Selfridges is selling the dress for £465 but it is bound to sell out very quickly

A £270 safety pin print dress looks smart but with a bit of an edge, while, the £375 Gaga zip dress will give wearers a flattering silhouette.

All can be bought from Selfridges and from next February they will also be available in a new four-floor McQ shop on Dover Street in London.

To celebrate the store's opening, the label will also put on a show at London Fashion Week the same month. McQueen will continue to show in Paris.