Tonight the requisite blizzard of flashbulbs will temporarily blind all on the red carpet in Cannes at the start of the 60th film festival. And tomorrow morning, after the nation has finished perusing the paparazzi pictures of Norah Jones and Natalie Portman looking fabulous/not fabulous, soignée/ dishevelled, stylish/style-free outside the Palais des Festivals, it will raise a mournful head and ask: “Is there no end to this infernal celebrity obsession to which so many have fallen prey?”

Probably not. Not while we keep wringing our hands, talking about how dreadful it all is and then rushing out to buy whatever it is they’re wearing, carrying, driving, eating and philosophising about.

Frankly, we all seem to have got ourselves into a bit of a bind over celebrity culture which, lest we forget, was brazenly making entrepreneurial hay centuries ago with items that had allegedly been worn/touched/warmly recommended by Jesus. Admittedly, things may have reached their apotheosis recently, and it is certainly true that not being able to move for celebrity endorsements of everything from Rolex watches to frozen fish does become wearing for all concerned. Perhaps the problem is that the business of celebrity product placement is so very unscientific. Not only is it a white-knuckle ride for the brand, which – unless financial and legally binding contracts are exchanged – can find its feathered dress, lovingly handcrafted by an entire village in the Andes, left on the floor at the last moment. No one is sure even now what Norah Jones will wear tonight – including those who have provided her with an assortment of dresses.

But even when a product is successfully placed it can backfire, with the “wrong kind” of actress effectively killing a dress and, sometimes, wreaking havoc on a brand’s image. More confusingly, the same woman can have a disastrous and beneficial impact, depending on brand compatibility (see Victoria Beckham).

This, then, would explain why, finally, labels are becoming more discerning about whom they dress. At Yves Saint Laurent, the designer Stefano Pilati has been forming long-term relationships with Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, Kristin Scott Thomas – arthouse favourites to a woman – in keeping with the label’s edgy image.

Moschino is also more than happy to dress up-and-coming actresses. “First, it’s nice to feel that you’re supporting them,” says Sugar Ansari, who has dressed Sienna Guillory, Kelly Macdonald and Archie Panjabi, and is still fielding last-minute requests for Cannes, “but also it’s refreshing for the brand’s profile. In the end, it’s about the mix. Kylie, pictured above, is great to dress because of her style, profile and personality. If you can dress quirky girls too, then perfect.”

Meanwhile, Jimmy Choo, from its suite at the Martinez, will tend the feet of 12-year-old Dakota Blue Richards, one of the leads alongside Nicole Kidman, in the screen version of His Dark Materials. “No one’s going to say no to Nicole or Angelina Jolie,” says Tara ffrench Mullen, Jimmy Choo’s communications director, “and we’ve taken 350 pairs of shoes and our dyer from Scotland down to Cannes this week. But it’s great to nurture new identities.”

Getting in early on an actress’s career, rather than simply hijacking a star at her peak, is now The Grail. For one thing, the low-hanging fruit is easier to pluck and, for another, an actress starting out should be eternally, gratefully loyal for those crucial first-impressions outfits. Thirdly, when it all works out, a designer can take much of the credit for the actress’s tremendous style.

“We’re definitely seeing more and more of the cool, underground-type actresses going for the big brands,” says Siobhán Mallen, Grazia’s senior fashion editor. “And while I think the brands know that we’re not going to put them on the cover, we’ll certainly feature them inside. It can make us look at them in a new way, as serious fashion contenders.”

A young actress can also help to reposition an old brand. And, as YSL has discovered with this season’s Downtown bag (number of celebrity sightings: endless; number of sales: equally endless), despite the public’s protestations, large numbers of us are still eager to put our names down for something that has been repeatedly seen on celebrities of various ranking. In answer then to that oft asked question: when will it all end? Not quite yet.

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