How the Oscars became the “largest international fashion show that anyone can attend.”

The Oscars are not any longer only a celebration of movies. They have also develop into a fashion show where fans, designers and media have a good time and criticize Hollywood stars as they stroll, pause and pose on the annual awards show's red carpet.

A keen eye could be a story in itself.

Take the actress Lupita Nyong'o. After wearing a powder blue Prada dress on the 2014 Oscars, she became the brand new “it girl” overnight. She was named People magazine's most beautiful womanbecame the first black ambassador for beauty giant Lancôme and landed on the covers of Vogue, Vanity Fair and Glamour.

But fashion wasn't at all times so central to the ceremony.

In my book concerning the history of the Oscars red carpetI would love to indicate two key figures who made the Oscars the style spectacle we all know today.

Television puts the Oscars within the highlight

In the late Forties, the Hollywood film industry faced economic headwinds.

More and more households bought television sets, which affected cinema attendance. Studios' revenues also fell as they were forced to sell their theater chains after losing an antitrust case in 1948.

The financial difficulties continued to extend in 1949 Film corporations refused to finance the Oscars after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization that provides out the awards, allowed British movies to compete directly with American productions.

The organization found temporary solutions to maintain the event going. However, faced with the potential for canceling the Academy Awards altogether for financial reasons, the Academy weighed the professionals and cons of airing the show on television, which was seen because the film's fundamental competitor. Eventually, the academy contacted NBC and asked the network to cover the prices of hosting the event in exchange for the rights to broadcast the show in 1953.

Until then, studios had rigorously crafted and controlled the general public image of their stars. Television was a brand new medium – and a more spontaneous one. Studio executives were afraid of how their stars would seem on screen and behave throughout the broadcast. Additionally, many nominees were skeptical about appearing on the event because there was no agreement for television appearances of their contracts.

Edith Head, guardian of glamour

So the academy hired Edith Head As a fashion consultant, he oversees the looks of the celebs.

At the time, Head was Hollywood's most famous costume designer. She's been working for the reason that days of silent movies, and that's what she was She is used to being within the media highlight through her promoting work for Paramount.

Head was accountable for ensuring that everybody dressed appropriately, adhering to the rules beneficial by Decency and Propriety the code of conduct for television broadcasters. She also needed to ensure that no two dresses were the identical and that the presenters' and nominees' outfits looked good on camera and complemented the set.

One of her most significant roles was to discuss fashion in media interviews leading as much as the Oscars, which she often described as a fashion show.

“This is a very competitive evening from a fashion perspective because, as I said, the stars are presenting themselves as themselves,” Head explained in considered one of them their radio shows. “For me as a fashion designer, the most exciting question is who will wear what.”

The post-war growth of the international fashion industry paved the best way for Hollywood stars to wear the newest creations from European designers, including Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy and Pierre Balmain.

By the mid-Nineteen Sixties, nevertheless, latest fashion trends similar to miniskirts, shapeless dresses, trousers and bohemian styles threatened to upend the formal wear of the Oscars and the female ideals favored by Head.

In 1968, she felt the necessity to remind young actresses of the event's importance Press release by actress Inger Stevens wore a mini dress to the ceremony in 1967. For Head, this was not an off-the-cuff social gathering; It was a glamorous, high-end fashion parade.

Two years later, in 1970, she again emphasized the importance of formal wear when announcing the nominees for the Oscar for Best Costume Design. She reminded young actresses that the Oscars are “the most important time of the year in Hollywood” and advised them to avoid “the crazy, edgy, unusual fashion.”

Fred Hayman repairs the ship

After Head left office at the top of the 1971 ceremony, celebrities pushed the boundaries of decency and ushered in an era of questionable fashion decisions: Edy Williams' shocking bikini looksBob Mackie is unforgettable Transparencies for Cher and Armanis exaggerated informality for Diane Keaton.

The fashion order was restored in 1989 with the impresario of Beverly Hills Fred Hayman became the event's latest fashion coordinator.

Luckily for him, fashion was in style within the Nineties.

Newly successful designers similar to Giorgio Armani, Thierry Mugler and Gianni Versace moved into the highlight alongside established conglomerate brands similar to Louis Vuitton and Givenchy. Supermodels had develop into celebrities on par with actors, and cable television created specialized international networks devoted exclusively to fashion and celebrity culture.

Hayman was desperate to capitalize on this momentum to advertise Rodeo Drive because the West Coast's luxury shopping mecca.

Hayman began his profession within the hotel industry. But in 1961 he switched to fashion after investing in a friend's boutique, Giorgio Beverly Hills. Hayman would eventually develop into the boutique's sole owner. In 1989, the identical yr he arrived on the Oscars as fashion coordinator, he renamed his store Fred Hayman Beverly Hills after the sale of the Giorgio brand to the cosmetics company Avon to commercialize his perfume line.

Giorgio Beverly Hills supplied the wealthy and famous by retailing clothing from a wide range of designers and types from Europe and New York City. As the Oscars' fashion coordinator, Hayman became the event's official clothing contact, attracting more celebrities, brands and media attention to Rodeo Drive.

Building on Head's media strategy, Hayman presented the style previews. These were press runway shows organized on the Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Wilshire Boulevard to anticipate annual red carpet trends.

With Hayman, fashion took a large step forward on the Oscars. Thanks to his efforts, the West Coast improved its fashion profile, prompting luxury brands to open flagship stores along Rodeo Drive.

He continued within the role for a decade until he was replaced by a stylist L'Wren Scott for the ceremony in 2000.

Through their media savvy, Head and Hayman were capable of transform the Oscars into a stunning glamor spectacle – what Head often describes as “the biggest international fashion show where everyone can participate.”