Singer labelled desperate over pond-inspired dress

British songstress Imogen Heap may have left the Grammy Awards empty-handed, but she managed to turn heads with her wacky outfit.

The 29-year-old's pond-themed creation brought back memories of the infamous "swan dress" Bjork wore to the Oscars in 2001.

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Heap, who missed out on the trophy for best new artist, sported a black ruffled dress and jacket dotted with lily pads and flowers, and appeared to have grass sprouting from her hair.

She also carried a white parasol and a green toy frog, telling reporters its name was Gary.

"A fabulous designer from Los Angeles got in touch with me via MySpace asking me if she could make my Grammy dress, and this is what happened," Heap said.

But US style critic Steven Cojocaru begged to differ, branding her the worst-dressed star on the red carpet in Los Angeles last night.

"There's an origami thing going on, a little Polynesia," he said. "There's a plant on her head. She's desperate, desperate, desperate for attention."

Heap found some success in 2002 as part of indie duo Frou Frou.

But while her solo offerings have been prominently featured in blockbuster films like The Chronicles of Narnia and TV shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Six Feet Under and The OC, the musician herself has a relatively low profile.

She was also nominated in the best song written for a movie Grammy category for Can't Take It In, from the Narnia film.