Rihanna, Cyrus Among Seventeen's 'Style Stars'

NEW YORK, Nov. 26, 2007 — -- Rihanna led the pack of trendsetters this year, but she may have Miley Cyrus, Rachel Bilson, Emma Watson or the "Gossip Girls" nipping at her heels in 2008.

That's the prediction of Gina Kelly, the fashion director of Seventeen who helped pick the "Style Stars" for the magazine's December/January issue.

In some ways, it's the younger generation of celebrities who enjoy the most influence over the fashion world because they're the ones willing to take the risks that inspire new trends, says Kelly.

"All the people we picked are true to their own style," she adds.

Take Rihanna: She rocked the 1980s look with bold prints, bright colors and big door-knocker earrings.

"I love her because she's not like anyone else out there," Kelly says. "It starts with her haircut. When she started out, it was long and pretty, but when she got the asymmetrical bob, she just started to break out _ and then she got a cool new wardrobe to match her cool new hair."

Other winners in Seventeen's first-ever Style Star awards were Vanessa Hudgens, Jessica Alba, Jordin Sparks, Fergie, Lauren Conrad, Ashley Simpson and Lil Mama.

"Lil Mama -- she stands out because she's super individual. There's a little tomboyishness but she also can be girlie," Kelly observes. "She's also very age appropriate. There's never too much skin."

Right now, Cyrus, the real-life "Hannah Montana," is doing a good job connecting to the teens and tweens who love her, Kelly says, but she'll have to walk a fine line as she gets older and likely becomes an even bigger star. "I'd love to see her evolve a little but also keep her youthfulness."

Meanwhile, "Gossip Girls" has become the TV destination for style-savvy young women, in the way "The O.C." and "Sex and the City" were for the girls who are now in the 20s and 30s, according to Kelly.