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The first instance of Hollywood’s use of the red carpet is largely attributed to the 1922 premiere of Douglas Fairbanks’ “Robin Hood,” but the fashion spectacle has undergone many mutations over the years that haven’t pleased everyone.
The arrival of television coverage of the Oscars in 1964 was seen as the first step in establishing the red carpet as a fashion event, turning Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Elizabeth Taylor into style icons. The Ayerhs fashion blog wrote, “Hepburn’s collaborations with Givenchy, Kelly’s timeless elegance, and Taylor’s bold jewelry choices were defining moments that linked red carpet appearances with global fashion trends.”
WWD said the late 1990s and early 2000s are “considered the peak of red carpet fashion,” with its popularity largely attributed to the late comedian Joan Rivers’ acerbic comments on stars’ fashion choices and asking all guests the same question: “Who are you wearing?”
Vanity Fair wrote in an article last year, “Beginning in 1994, Joan Rivers, as the harridan of fashion gaffes, almost single-handedly made the ‘arrivals’ sideshow at the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards more compelling in some ways than the ceremonies inside. Along with her daughter, Melissa, she carpet-bombed the stars on the red carpet for the E! Network, helping turn the mere act of showing up somewhere into a pastime, even a profession.”
While the worst- and best-dressed lists spawned by Rivers have continued, the #AskHerMore online campaign encouraging red carpet correspondents to expand their questions to stars beyond fashion has led to some awkward conversations as well as weighty discussions over gender pay in Hollywood and political issues.
In a column last year, Christian Allaire, a fashion and style writer for Vogue, admitted that he missed Rivers’ “completely-unfiltered interviews,” and believed her fixation on style appealed more to fashion fans. He wrote, “Fashion is [a] form of self-expression — is it really vapid to ask celebrities about their clothes when they’ve spent so much time deliberating and choosing what to wear? It’s art!”
A New York Post article last year commemorating the 10th year since Rivers’ death stated, “Her barbs and self-effacing humor made the pre-show more of a must-watch than the stuffy ceremonies themselves.”
Any loss of relevance for the red carpet over the last two decades is partly due to lower ratings across awards shows as well as the proliferation of red carpet events, including at the Met Gala, Grammys, and a number of other film awards shows beyond the Academy Awards.
Some also believe red carpet events have lost some stature because they’ve become more about marketing than fashion inspiration.
“Everyone has become highly aware of the fashion branding aspect of red carpet events, and nobody wants to see one more privileged person walk in one more costly endorsement deal dress,” Dr. Elizabeth Castaldo Lundén, University of Southern California fashion scholar and author of “Fashion on the Red Carpet: A History of the Oscars, Fashion and Globalisation, told WWD.
Social media is also seen by some to be diluting the impact of the red carpet as stars are able to go viral with a look worn on a talk show or some smaller event. Annika Lautens, fashion news and features director of FASHION Magazine, wrote in a column, “Stars are expected to serve at every movie premiere, album launch, gallery opening and — in the case of the Kardashians — family gathering; having your outfit go viral isn’t a happy accident but a requirement.”
Nonetheless, the red carpet still gets major attention, with some believing social media is only amplifying the ability to build awareness through dressing celebrities.
Robert Burke, New York-based luxury consultant, sees fashion houses reembracing celebrity endorsements after leaning on influencers in recent years. He told Business of Fashion last year, “We’ve seen probably the most interest in the red carpet in many, many years, especially from European luxury brands.”
Nigel Barker, best known as a judge and photographer on the reality show “America's Next Top Model,” recently told ABC 7 Chicago that the red carpet remains “the most important fashion moment” with the potential to ignite a designer’s career. He said, "That kind of press, that kind of coverage and that kind of star bringing your gown alive can change your entire career path. Designers take these outfits and looks and they just cascade down and it isn't long before you see them on the high street in various other forms.”