Oscars Red Carpet Delivers Diversity When Nominations Didn't
The 92nd Academy Awards greeted its guests on the red carpet with an annual style spectacle that’s become its own fashion economy.
(Bloomberg) -- The 92nd Academy Awards greeted its guests on the red carpet with an annual style spectacle that’s become its own fashion economy, kicking off an Oscars night with a diverse parade of stars for a show mired in scandal over a lack of diverse nominees.
Controversy started for this year’s Oscars on nomination day, when even after making changes to the Academy’s membership by adding a younger and more diverse set of voters, only one person of color was nominated across the four acting categories. For many, it was a step backwards. On the pre-game show outside the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, it was business as usual.
Regina King turned heads in a blush Versace gown and half a million dollars worth of glimmering Harry Winston jewelry. Saoirse Ronan put on a black and purple Gucci gown with an oversized peplum. Spike Lee wore a suit in Lakers colors with the number 24 as a tribute to the late basketball legend Kobe Bryant. Janelle Monae had 168,000 Swarovski crystals on her Ralph Lauren cowl and gown. Billie Eilish donned head-to-toe Chanel and Billy Porter continued his red carpet revolution looking like a mythical deity in a custom feathery gold top and billowing baroque skirt.
Pink was plentiful again on the red carpet, with Laura Dern and Idina Menzel among those keeping the trend strong. So did Julia Butters in her bespoke Christian Siriano dress. It’s a long night, so the 10-year-old hid a turkey sandwich in her purse. Sustainable fashion was on display this year too, even though the Oscars didn’t have the eco-friendly dress code issued by the BAFTAs a week ago. Kaitlyn Dever decided to wear what she said was a "completely sustainable" gown by Louis Vuitton, Lily Aldridge plucked a dress from the Ralph Lauren archive and Margot Robbie chose vintage Chanel couture.
As for the red carpet, designers looked to make memorable moments with their creations as always. For young upstarts, it presents a chance to get national recognition. Established designers and big brands look to red carpets to stay top-of-mind with shoppers and retain their cachet as the preferred choices for the rich and famous.
“It can really put a designer on the map,” said James Mischka, who with Mark Badgley started their fashion label out of Beverly Hills in the 80s and became red carpet mainstays. “It’s even more important now than it was when we started doing it. No one could pronounce Badgley Mischka when we started, and we got a couple mangled versions of it on the red carpet too but eventually people started saying it properly.”
Though fashion and Hollywood have enjoyed a symbiotic relationship for decades, this year they double-booked their date. On the opposite coast of the U.S., New York Fashion Week is in full swing with dozens of fashion shows. Tory Burch held hers Sunday morning, Jason Wu had his during the red carpet and Palm Angels is scheduled to happen during the Oscars itself. Tom Ford, the designer who chairs the association behind the bi-annual shows, avoided the logjam by holding his show in Los Angeles last week.
These days, the red carpet economy includes brands paying big bucks for actors to wear their labels. Meanwhile, the media frenzy happens on NBCUniversal’s E! network, which had its usual hosts Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic. Advertisers included used clothing seller the RealReal, Neutrogena wrinkle repair and KiwiCo subscription boxes for kids.
The red carpet impact is seen soon after the Best Picture prize is awarded. The craze for the top outfits begins and copycat designs will begin to pop up in the marketplace. Lawyers send out cease-and-desist letters as trademark battles break out between the world’s most prominent fashion houses and those looking to sell cheaper versions of the hottest red carpet looks for shoppers who don’t have thousands of dollars to dish out for them.
For now, gawking at the real versions will have to do.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Virginia Van Natta at vvannatta@bloomberg.net
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