The history of the red carpet
One of the earliest remarks of the red carpet can be traced back to the times of Ancient Greece. Red was the colour of the gods and within a Greek tragedy play, “the Oresteia”, a red carpet was laid out to welcome home a Greek god. With the use of the red, there was a sense of welcoming and as a warm colour, it made the god feel important. Many artists adapted the use of the meaning that red had and was used to illustrate royalty or wealth.
In 1902, the red carpet became a prominent figure in modern day. In New York and Chicago, a new rail service that began running, used a red carpet to guide passengers to their carriage as it was seen to be luxurious. We now see it used at many prestigious events.
Red carpet culture
Red carpet culture symbolises style, status, and prosperity. With glitz and glamour, fashion and style is a focus of the red carpet and is seen across the entire globe.
In 1969 Oscars, the first unique outfit was seen on the red carpet and was worn by Barbara Streisand. The sequined see -through outfit made the talk of the event and since this, it was a tradition for somebody to wear something unique at a red-carpet event.
What makes a look so iconic on the red carpet?
With the uniqueness of Barbara Steisands outfit during the time, it made designers have a new outlook on fashion and how they can expand the meaning of what fashion is. From glitter, to boldness to simplicity, the range of garments seen on the red carpet have a uniqueness in some way. Some of the most iconic looks are mentioned below.
The double denim disaster!
Everyone knows getting double denim right can be difficult. In 2001, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears defied all those concerns and ended up with one of the most horrifically iconic moments of all red carpet history. However, the use of denim over recent years has changed in many ways and many designers have incorporated it into their looks seen on runways.
Lady Gaga meat dress fiasco!
2010 started off with Lady Gaga wearing a dress made from Argentinian beef sewn in layers that was designed by Franc Fernandez. The message that was to be persuaded by the dress was a protest against the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy against the gay soldiers. Lady Gaga quoted to why she has picked this style of dress and the meaning she wanted to say, “If we don’t stand up for what we believe in, if we don’t fight for our rights, pretty soon we’re going to have as much rights as the meat on our bones.”
Cate Blanchett’s high fashion couture
Cate Blanchette styled an impressive high fashion couture lilac gown designed by Givenchy in 2011. With architecture structure, the uniqueness of the dress stood out by having sharp shoulders and an elasticated breast plate. The look was quoted to be “One of the most fashion looks of the evening.”
Jonathon Van Ness
In 2019 at the event of the Creative Arts Emmys, Jonathon Van Ness went against the classic dress code for men on the red carpet. Breaking the mould, he styled a black a turquoise dress with high heeled wedged boots. Defying the odds of the classic ‘black suit’, Jonathon Van Ness showed the world the beauty of a male wearing a dress, with the message that anybody can wear what they want and look beautiful.
What is the fascination over the red carpet?
The red carpet has introduced a new meaning and an influence on the fashion world that no one has seen before. Starting as simple scraps worn by the Greeks to the fashion seen today, fashion is an art style that is evolving, and won’t ever stop.
The red carpet almost cast a spell over the minds and shows the generation of today that no matter how bold, unique, or simple a look may be, it’s a style of beauty that can be accepted and worn by anybody.
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