Death of the red carpet

My earliest memory of red carpet hype stems back to school days in the 2000s when young girls would often scrutinise the back pages of tabloids for all the red carpet looks. These would serve as an inspiration for future weddings or be cut out for matric dance mood boards.

And this could be seen in the dresses opted for in each era, the red carpet played a crucial role in how these would be mimicked. Naturally, this creates importance for the glitzy affairs where they are worn because it’s not just little school girls who keep their eyes on these dresses but high-flying jet setters who can afford to make the call to the designers who own them.

For centuries, red carpets have become a predominant staple of movie releases, so much so that the game was forever changed when comedian Joan Rivers asked “who are you wearing?” to Golden Globe attendees in 1994.

While Hollywood stars didn’t want to associate themselves with the glitz and glam of fashion, this monumental moment would require a shift in how Hollywood stars would prepare themselves for appearances. Soon enough, the lucrative relationship between celebrities and fashion designers merged to make way for red carpet culture. A culture that seems to have run its course.

Each event carries its own significance, the MTV Video Music Awards are much more casual. Stars on tour for the world premiere of their movie play the role of keeping eyes on the production. While risqué pieces are expected at these affairs, an Oscar nominee might have to balance the scale between being bold and demure. Even filmmaker Sofia Coppola lamented on Instagram about missing the days “when the Oscars was more personal and less perfect”.

Taking on movements like Time’s Up or trying to be bold can backfire as an ambassador or attendee at the Met Gala, where your host brand simply wants to market their current trends to their audience.

It’s no wonder stars like Reese Witherspoon pushed for campaigns like #askhermore where stars on carpets are not limited to questions like “who are you wearing?” as seen with inane interviews that are sexist.

We have seen the same problem on South African red carpets at the state of the nation address where female parliamentarians would be asked about what they are wearing rather than their work. An opportunity that has been used as their excuse for rocking outlandish ensembles on the highly ridiculed carpet.

And while their ensembles aren’t always up for throughout the year, our celebrities have been ridiculed for outlandish silhouettes, mixed fabrics and overly detailed gowns. It’s a quintessential South African celebrity look that borrows from the 80s power dressing fused with overt nods to African craftsmanship, including beading that can include jewels or animal prints that can be traded for feathers or fur.

And it works for some of our audiences who can often look up to this style as a status symbol. Wild colours and mixed elements that allow designers to shine and have a distinct “mama I made it” appeal. A sort of nouveau riche couture if you will.

While our hunger for outlandish styles could be seen in the many stars abroad like Cardi B or Rihanna, it left many with a sour taste during Covid-19. More and more stylists were put under pressure to dress their clients down and make them more relatable during the pandemic.

West’s famed Yeezy x Adidas collaboration has been the talk of the town due to the company making losses thanks to unsold Yeezy shoes. Working with the star, who not only keeps up appearances but attends fashion shows, has proven more lucrative than his superior Beyoncé who has been revealed to be a burdensome collaboration for the brand, all the while continuing her presence to red carpet events exclusively. Without engaging in fashion events and seeing what is happening in streetwear, Beyoncé’s total control of the collaboration makes this a gamble.

The next major red carpet will be the Met Gala honouring Karl Lagerfeld, a theme that most likely has no trickle-down effect as workwear trends have changed and people no longer care about suit and tie but rather comfortable clothing that blurs the lines between casual and formal. And where will we be seeing those looks? It is without a doubt something we will see on the streets and front rows of April and June’s fashion week.