Is there any more statement, eye-catching moments that are like a red carpet event?
A red carpet outfit is a moment in history, everyone from all over the world looking at breath-taking garments, with the passion of the designer behind each and every outfit. Red carpet events have become so popular over the years, having extreme influence on the fashion world and are used at all major events such as; the Met Gala, Oscars, Grammys, and more.
It’s seen as a formal occasion for designers to dress celebrities in their bold and wonderful creations for the entire world to gaze at.
The best part about the red carpet is the social media covering every inch of the event. so we can admire and appreciate the unique and dazzling outfits that never fail to disappoint.
As a red carpet event get so much attention and we see on a daily basis how much impact and influence a celebrity has on their fans, why don’t they use these special occasions and their platform to raise awareness of important societal issues that we all face?
What important issues?
It isn’t surprising that issues of today’s society are constantly creeping up, with now over 10% of the global population suffering from some form of mental health issues. People suffer with mental health in silence and don’t always get the help they need.
If issues such as mental health had more awareness it could save a person’s life. So, why should celebrities not use the red carpet to their advantage to spread awareness when possible?
An amazing example of a celebrity using their platform at the red carpet to create awareness is Harry Styles. At the 2019 Met Gala, Harry turned everyone’s head in his gender-neutral outfit designed by Gucci.
As a celebrity, Styles has a lot of influence on the younger generation, even being voted as ‘the most influential celebrity dresser of 2020’ by the shopping platform Lyst. Therefore, he has not only created more awareness on the gender-neutral topic but also inspired other individuals to dress more freely.
Since Harry has challenged the norm, he blew his fans away being the first solo male cover star for the US Vogue magazine, with his gender-neutral cover constantly pushing and creating awareness for important social issues in today’s society.
Another alarming societal issue is sustainability. Being sustainable is a crucial factor towards the future, especially in regards to fast fashion and people not conscientiously thinking about the damaging affects they are contributing to.
The fashion industry needs to be more sustainable, so it only seems right the red carpet events get involved too? With such events having enormous publicity and having significant impression on their viewers, why is important topics not promoted more in these specific events?
One celebrity who already does this is Cate Blanchett. Cate rewears her red carpet dresses to numerous events to try create more exposure for sustainability and to influence and inspire viewers to do it too through their own fashion.
RAD AGENCY – Red Carpet Advocacy
“The Red Carpet is watched by millions of people, so shouldn’t it reflect our values?” Carineh Martin
The RAD agency was created in 2018 by Carineh Martin and Arianne Phillips, with the purpose of working with fashion houses and celebrities to raise money and promote awareness on an international scale.
RAD is an incredible example of an organisation involving celebrities that’s geared to creating more awareness to the issues in today’s society. Their mission is to create conscientious communities, educating and inspiring people to get involved with social progress.
They help celebrities make full use of their red carpet moments to create awareness on the important issues. Like Patricia Arquette, wearing her outfit specifically in support of GiveLove. GiveLove works with schools and NGO’s to protect water resources and help communities become more resilient to climate change.
RAD as an agency have raised over $1 million for various organisations, all helping towards important issues that everyone faces. As this is still a fairly new programme, the impact they have had on significant topics has been unbelievable and is something that should be continued to develop, reaching and engaging further, to celebrities, viewers of the red carpet and the rest of the fashion industry.
It’s clear to see how powerful and influential a celebrity can be on their viewers and what better way to create awareness than at a red carpet event?