Carrie Underwood is making no bones about her fashion savvy. Skulls and cross bones are one of the hippest fashion symbols at the moment, so her macabre messenger bag is very de rigueur.

The one time symbol of rebels, the morbid skull graphic is now an idyllic status icon flaunted by fashionable women and countless A-list celebrities.

The gallery shows some examples of how skulls are being used by in-the-know modern designers.