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Halle Berry made an international sensation of Lebanese designer Elie Saab when the actress wore his now iconic floral red gown to accept her 2002 Academy Award.

But these days, fashionistas are just as likely to pay attention to what Berry's soon-to-be-born baby will be wearing as they are to the actress herself.

Celebrity gossip magazines and blogs, such as Celebrity-babies.com and Babyrazzi.com, keep close tabs on the latest styles worn by the Jolie-Pitt brood and the Beckham boys, transforming Hollywood playgrounds into the toddler-fashion equivalent of their parents' red carpet events.

As the infant fashion industry becomes increasingly competitive, children's clothing designers are clamouring to have their work seen on A-list offspring, hoping that what Berry did for Saab, the likes of Suri or Shiloh can do for them.

"The whole idea that celebrity babies are such big business these days ... getting your clothes on them - and photographed in Us Weekly and other tabloids - is like gold for these designers," says Libby Shumka of Vancouver's Boutique Public Relations.

Shumka has helped South Surrey, B.C.'s Peekaboo Beans send free samples of its children's clothing to Hollywood parents in an effort to attract celebrity endorsements.

"It's kind of a strange business," she says, "because here are these kids who didn't ask to be in the spotlight, and all of a sudden their life is being chased around by paparazzi."

Nonetheless, she says, the exposure her clients would receive from having a celebrity child photographed wearing their products is potentially worth millions of dollars in advertising.

Getting baby swag into the right hands is not easy, Shumka says, as it's often difficult to track down the appropriate publicists and agents.

And not just any famous child will do. There's a baby hierarchy in terms of who generates the most buzz, and competition is strong. Nicole Richie's newborn and Christina Aguilera's baby recently vied for public interest when each had their own cover of People magazine. In December, Forbes magazine even issued a top 10 list of "Hollywood's Most Influential Infants."

Not all publicity is good publicity. Companies prefer to strategically target famous parents who best reflect their brand and avoid associating with more dubious celebs such as Britney Spears, whose reputation as a mother could use a makeover.

Peekaboo Beans sent samples of its girls and boys clothes to Canadian singers Nelly Furtado, Chantal Kreviazuk, Sarah McLachlan and U.S. actresses Courteney Cox and Jennifer Garner - in other words, stars with squeaky clean images.

"You want to align yourself with people who are credible," says company founder Traci Costa, noting that her promotional efforts paid off when McLachlan wrote her a letter to endorse her brand.

Similarly, New York's Baby CZ designer clothing line received plenty of press when actress and singer Jennifer Lopez was recently reported to have added its $250 cashmere cardigan sets to her baby registry. Meanwhile, California-based Lucky Jade has also garnered publicity by clothing the offspring of Sheryl Crow, Meg Ryan and Milla Jovovich with its hoodies and onesies.

Realizing the marketing value of their children, some publicists and celebrity parents actively seek out designers to supply them with free product.

Jayneoni Moore, a Hollywood stylist, approached Whistler-based designer Jo Thomas to feature her Milkshaxs brand of baby outfits at a recent star-studded event, where celebrities snagged the latest in baby products.

Since then, several entertainers, including Sex and the City's Chris Noth, have become fans of the brand, giving her company a major boost, Thomas says.

"If a celebrity endorses and loves your product, it opens a lot of doors for you," she says. "We're getting a lot more wholesale inquiries from retail stockers, especially down in L.A."

Still, Thomas thinks the ultimate feat would be to see her clothes actually photographed on the stars' children.

Shumka says she regularly scans gossip magazines and blogs to see whether Jennifer Garner's daughter, Violet, is wearing the Peekaboo Beans clothes she sent her.

"As soon as she does, that's it - stop the presses. We're going to make the most of it," Shumka says.