Red carpet

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President Barack Obama exiting Air Force One on red carpet Barack Obama leaving Air Force One by night.jpg
President Barack Obama exiting Air Force One on red carpet

A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.

Contents

History

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera arriving in Paris in October 2010 Pinera Paris arrival 2010.jpg
Chilean President Sebastián Piñera arriving in Paris in October 2010
Halle Berry attending the premiere of the movie Robots Halle Berry red carpet.jpg
Halle Berry attending the premiere of the movie Robots

The earliest known reference to walking a red carpet in literature is in the play Agamemnon by Aeschylus, written in 458 BC. When the title character returns from Troy, he is greeted by his wife Clytemnestra who offers him a red path to walk upon:

Now, dearest husband, come, step from your chariot.
But do not set to earth, my lord, the conquering foot
That trod down Troy. Servants, do as you have been bidden;
Make haste, carpet his way with crimson tapestries,
Spread silk before your master’s feet; Justice herself
Shall lead him to a home he never hoped to see. [1]

Agamemnon, knowing that only gods walk on such luxury, responds with trepidation:

I count it dangerous, being mortal, to set foot
On rich embroidered silks. I would be reverenced
As man, not god. The praise of fame rings clear without
These frills and fancy foot-rugs; [1]

Oriental carpets in Renaissance painting often show rugs and carpets, patterned but with red often the main background colour, laid on the steps to a throne, or on a dais where rulers or sacred figures are placed.

A red carpet was rolled out to a river to welcome the arrival of United States president James Monroe in 1821. [2] In 1902, the New York Central Railroad began using plush crimson carpets to direct people as they boarded their 20th Century Limited passenger train. This is believed to be the origin of the phrase "red-carpet treatment". [3]

By the late 1920s the red carpet had become synonymous with Hollywood and film premieres. A crimson-hued carpet was used for the first ever Hollywood premiere, the 1922 premiere of Robin Hood , starring Douglas Fairbanks, in front of the Egyptian Theatre. For the following decades, the red carpet was one of the few places the public could catch a glimpse of stars like Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly. [4]

In 1961, the red carpet was introduced at the Academy Awards at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. In 1964, the broadcasters of the ceremony opted to film outside the venue, showing the arrival of guests as they stepped out of their limousines. From this point forward, the red carpet became a globally acknowledged focal point for actors and actresses to make a grand entrance and showcase themselves at the Oscars. [4]

Publicity events

A red carpet is also used in gala celebrity events such as the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Grammy Awards, Met Gala, and BAFTAs. While the awards take place inside, much of the publicity and excitement takes place outside with journalists discussing the red carpet fashions, what designers are being worn by which stars and photographers taking pictures in the press line. This is now a spectacular international product placement arena of great importance to the fashion industry. Red carpets are often coupled with publicity backdrops which contain brand logos or emblems for photography purposes. [5]

Other colors

Carpeting in other colors may replace red in some instances to honor a certain cause, such as a "green carpet" to promote environmental awareness; or, for a sponsored event, the sponsor's logo colors, such as the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, which uses an orange carpet to match the network's primary imaging color; [6] The MTV Video Music Awards have similarly varied, with some editions having used black (2022), [7] white (2016), [8] and blue (2017) carpets. [9]

In 2019, the premiere of the film Detective Pikachu (2019) used a yellow carpet to match the color of its title character Pikachu. [10] The premiere of Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) used a blue carpet to match its namesake character. [11]

At the 95th Academy Awards in 2023, the organizers chose a different champagne color for the first time since the red carpet was introduced, as part of an attempt to better reflect a "day event into the night". [12]

Phrases

More generally, "red carpet treatment" and "rolling out the red carpet" usually refer to any special efforts made in the interests of hospitality.[ citation needed ]

Airline lounges

United Airlines operates a series of airport lounges at major airports that were formerly known as "Red Carpet Clubs".[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agamemnon</span> Figure from Greek mythology

In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Acheans during the Trojan War. He was the son of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of Clytemnestra, and the father of Iphigenia, Iphianassa, Electra, Laodike, Orestes and Chrysothemis. Legends make him the king of Mycenae or Argos, thought to be different names for the same area. Agamemnon was killed upon his return from Troy by Clytemnestra, or in an older version of the story, by Clytemnestra's lover Aegisthus.

<i>Oresteia</i> Trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus

The Oresteia is a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus in the 5th century BCE, concerning the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra, the murder of Clytemnestra by Orestes, the trial of Orestes, the end of the curse on the House of Atreus and the pacification of the Furies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persian carpet</span> Term for a handmade carpet from Iran

A Persian carpet or Persian rug, also known as Iranian carpet, is a heavy textile made for a wide variety of utilitarian and symbolic purposes and produced in Iran, for home use, local sale, and export. Carpet weaving is an essential part of Persian culture and Iranian art. Within the group of Oriental rugs produced by the countries of the "rug belt", the Persian carpet stands out by the variety and elaborateness of its manifold designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anatolian rug</span> Term commonly used to denote rugs woven in Anatolia

Anatolian rug is a term of convenience, commonly used today to denote rugs and carpets woven in Anatolia and its adjacent regions. Geographically, its area of production can be compared to the territories which were historically dominated by the Ottoman Empire. It denotes a knotted, pile-woven floor or wall covering which is produced for home use, local sale, and export. Together with the flat-woven kilim, Anatolian rugs represent an essential part of the regional culture, which is officially understood as the Culture of Turkey today, and derives from the ethnic, religious and cultural pluralism of one of the most ancient centres of human civilisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ardabil rug</span>

Ardabil rugs originate from Ardabil located in the province of Ardabil Province in northwestern Iran, 639 kilometers from Tehran. Ardabil has a long and illustrious history of Persian carpet weaving.

A Kashmir rug is a hand-knotted oriental rug from Kashmir valley in India, which is associated with Kashmiri handicrafts. Kashmir rugs or carpets have intricate designs that are primarily oriental, floral style in a range of colors, sizes and quality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerman carpet</span> Style of Persian carpet named after region in south central Iran

Kerman carpets are one of the traditional classifications of Persian carpets. Kerman is both a city and a province located in south central Iran. The term also sometimes describes a type which may have been made elsewhere. Typical manufacturing techniques use an asymmetrical knot on cotton foundation, but less frequent examples incorporate silk or part silk piles, or silk foundations with wool pile.

American entertainer Jennifer Lopez wore a green Versace silk chiffon dress to the 42nd Grammy Awards ceremony on February 23, 2000. The sheer fabric was printed with a tropical leaf and bamboo pattern, and cut with a very low neckline that extended well past Lopez's navel, while the waist of the dress was studded with citrines.

Tadashi Shoji is an American-based Japanese fashion designer known for his evening wear and bridal collections, and his red-carpet fashion. The Tadashi Shoji brand is carried in over 700 major department and specialty stores worldwide, with signature boutiques in the United States, Indonesia, and the Middle East. The company operates offices in Los Angeles and Shanghai, as well as showrooms in New York City, Tokyo, and Osaka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red carpet fashion</span>

Red carpet fashion consists of outfits worn on the red carpet at high-profile gala celebrity events such as award ceremonies and film premieres. The clothes worn to award events such as the Oscars and the Golden Globes consistently receive intense worldwide media scrutiny, making their red carpets an international product placement area of great importance to fashion designers. Despite the publicity given to award ceremonies, other red-carpet events such as the Vogue-hosted Met Gala also have a significant impact on the fashion world.

Red carpet fashion in 2000 was largely overshadowed by the revealing green Versace dress worn by Jennifer Lopez for February's Grammy awards, which became one of the most talked-about and widely publicised red-carpet dresses of the year. For the 57th Golden Globe Awards Halle Berry borrowed a glamorous Valentino dress, that was described as setting the standard for Golden Globe red carpet style, and according to Phillip Bloch, her stylist at the time, "began the time when a dress could actually make a career."

Red carpet fashion in 2007 featured beading and metallic themes at the Golden Globe Awards, dresses with a single shoulder strap at the Oscars, and strong colours or black-and-white at the Emmy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keltie Knight</span> Dancer and television personality

Keltie Colleen Knight is a three-time Emmy Award-winning Canadian television personality, podcast host, New York Times bestselling author, and former professional dancer.

<i>Detective Pikachu</i> (film) 2019 film directed by Rob Letterman

Pokémon Detective Pikachu is a 2019 mystery fantasy comedy film directed by Rob Letterman. Based on the Pokémon franchise, the film is a loose adaptation of the 2016 video game of the same name. It was written by Letterman, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, and Derek Connolly, from a story by Hernandez, Samit, and Nicole Perlman, and produced by Legendary Pictures and Toho. It was the first live-action Pokémon film and the first live-action film based on a Nintendo game property since Super Mario Bros. (1993).

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> (film) 2020 film by Jeff Fowler

Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2020 action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series published by Sega. Directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller, it stars Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog, alongside James Marsden, Jim Carrey, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub, Neal McDonough, and Tika Sumpter. The film follows Sonic, a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog who can run at supersonic speeds. He teams up with a town sheriff, Tom Wachowski (Marsden), to stop the mad scientist Dr. Robotnik (Carrey).

<i>The Bad Guys</i> (film) 2022 film by Pierre Perifel

The Bad Guys is a 2022 American animated heist comedy film loosely based on the children's book series of the same name by Aaron Blabey, produced by DreamWorks Animation Studios and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film was directed by Pierre Perifel from a screenplay by Etan Cohen, and stars the voices of Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Richard Ayoade, Zazie Beetz, Alex Borstein, and Lilly Singh. It tells the story of a criminal group of anthropomorphic animals who, upon being caught, pretend to attempt to reform themselves as model citizens, only for their leader to find himself genuinely drawn to changing his ways for good as a new villain has his own plans.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog 2</i> (film) 2022 film by Jeff Fowler

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 2022 action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series published by Sega. It was directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey, Josh Miller and John Whittington. Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub and Colleen O'Shaughnessey reprised their roles, with Idris Elba and Shemar Moore joining the cast. In the film, Sonic and Tails must find the Master Emerald before the villain Dr. Robotnik and a new rival, Knuckles the Echidna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silk Sonic</span> American R&B superduo

Silk Sonic is an American musical superduo composed of musicians Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. The duo released their debut single, "Leave the Door Open", in March 2021. They later released "Skate" in July 2021, followed by third single, "Smokin out the Window", and their debut album, An Evening with Silk Sonic, in November 2021. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, while the first three singles reached the top twenty on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Leave the Door Open" spending 18 weeks in the top ten and two non-consecutive weeks at the top spot. The song later won four Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Prada dress of Lupita Nyong'o</span> Blue dress worn by Lupita Nyongo

Lupita Nyong'o wore a blue dress on March 2, 2014 to the 86th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre, at which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in 12 Years a Slave (2013). In collaboration with Nyong'o, the gown was designed by Prada and styled by Micaela Erlanger. After the ceremony, the dress garnered critical praise from fashion blogs and publications, being cited on several 'best dressed' lists and considered one of the most significant gowns in Hollywood history.

Sohee Park is a South Korean womenswear designer based in London, United Kingdom. She is known for her clothing label Miss Sohee, which specializes in couture.

References

  1. 1 2 Aeschylus (26 July 1973). The Oresteian Trilogy. Translated by Vellacott, Philip. Penguin UK. ISBN   978-0-14-190629-4. OCLC   1004977950.
  2. "A brief history of Georgetown County (South Carolina)".[ dead link ]
  3. Henderson, Amy. "What is the Origin of Hollywood's Red Carpet?". smithsonianmag.com.
  4. 1 2 Baker, Lindsay (22 February 2016). "Where does the red carpet come from?". BBC News.
  5. Jeff Schear (October 11, 2010). "Red Carpet Misconceptions". Chicago Now. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  6. Carly Ledbetter (March 28, 2015). "Kids' Choice Awards 2015 orange carpet style was brighter than ever". Huffington Post. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  7. "Lil Nas X Shuts Down the 2022 VMAs Black Carpet in a 'Heavy' Feathered Headpiece: 'I Feel Amazing'". People. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  8. "Blue Ivy and Mom Beyonce Flutter Down the White Carpet at the VMAs". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  9. Gray, Yasmine (2017-08-28). "12 of the Best Red-Hot Looks From The 2017 VMAs". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  10. Silliman, Brian (3 May 2019). "Talking favorite Pokémon, sequel hopes on Detective Pikachu's yellow carpet". SYFY WIRE.
  11. D'Alessandro, Anthony (17 February 2020). "'Sonic The Hedgehog' breaks video game pic opening record with $70m & reps 4th-best Presidents' Weekend debut – Monday Update". Deadline. premiere on the Paramount lot featuring games and activities for kids on a blue carpet.
  12. Gardner, Chris (2023-03-10). "Oscars 2023: Why the Red Carpet Isn't Actually Red". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-03-12.