Rocking the Red Carpet
The annual awards season is upon us and in February thousands of people will watch the world’s rich, famous and beautiful walk the red carpet as they come to collect their accolades. But as Christo Valentyn finds out, there is more to the red carpet than just being seen.
Whether it’s for this year’s 54th Annual Grammy Awards or the 84th Academy Awards, there is usually big excitement surrounding awards season. Our favourite stars go all out to look their best as they make their way down the red carpet, smiling and waving through temporary blindness as hundreds of flashbulbs erupt around them. They are professionals, and they make the whole affair look as effortless as buying a loaf of bread at the convenience store around the corner.
A Right Royal Affair
“Once upon a time, way before the Academy Awards, rolling out the red carpet was reserved for kings and queens,” explains celebrated South African fashion designer and etiquette guru, Simon Rademan. He has not only walked the red carpet himself several times with some of his celebrity clients, but has also studied the art of walking it since his earliest involvement in fashion.
“The earliest known reference to walking a red carpet in literature is in the play Agamemnon by Aeschylus, written in 458 BC,” he says. “In the play, Agamemnon returns from Troy. His vengeful wife, Clytemnestra, greets him and offers him a red path to walk upon. This was something that was strictly reserved for the gods”.
According to Simon’s research, the earliest modern use of the red carpet treatment as part of a ceremony dates back to the early 1900s, when the New York Central Railroad unrolled a red carpet to welcome passengers aboard its famous 20th Century Limited train in 1902. Since then, the red carpet has become synonymous with the glitz and glamour associated with celebrity culture.
Poker Faces
But behind the smiles and the expertly coiffed hairstyles, gracing the red carpet is often not as effortless as it seems. Just ask the gorgeous Jeannie D, well known presenter of Top Billing and a regular visitor to the red carpet, both as a media personality and VIP guest. “When I’m working the red carpet, interviewing stars as they arrive, my mind is completely focused on asking the right questions,” she says. “But as a guest, posing for the cameras and being interviewed, I’m usually thinking only one thing – don’t trip!”
Not that Jeannie is likely to trip in one of the designer outfits she usually wears on the red carpet. “I have really good relationships with top South Africa designers who, after all the years of dressing me, know exactly what I like and what works with my style. I feel safe in their hands,” she adds.
Model, actress and FHM’s Sexiest Woman of 2011, Shashi Naidoo, agrees. “I’m really lucky to work with people who understand my personality, my body and my style. Peter from (designer boutique) Pallu usually selects a few dresses for me and I always fall head over heels in love with one. It’s almost a perfect science.”
Yet Shashi also gets the occasional bout of nerves. “You can’t help but be nervous about whether you will be on the best dressed list or asked what you were thinking (with that outfit), but even more nerve wracking is keeping the cameras from shooting you from strange angles!” she laughs. “I’m usually thinking about avoiding a wardrobe malfunction!” Yet it remains a thrill, she adds. “It’s always exciting and one of the most glamorous aspects of the industry.”
Jeannie agrees. “By the time the cameras start flashing, you’re so well prepared that it’s simply adrenaline that gets you through it. I love the glamorous dresses, the make-up and absolute chaos of the carpet!”
Work It, Own It
Being prepared is part of the fun and, armed with a handful of top tips from those who walk the red carpet regularly, anyone can have a tip-top experience in the limelight.
“If you are wearing something you don’t wear regularly, the red carpet is not the place to do it for the first time,” warns Simon. “Wear your outfit at home and get accustomed to it, as any discomfort will show prominently on your face and in photographs.” He adds: “And never wear a coat or shawl if it’s not part of the original design. Get a friend to meet you at the entrance with your coat. After all, you are only walking from the car to the entrance hall of the venue.”
“It always helps to plan out your day so that your hair and make-up isn’t done in a huge rush,” says Shashi. “I recommend having a friend to help out with the last minute dress steaming and outfit checks, as it almost always gets manic towards the end. It’s also important to have your map and directions ready and leave earlier than you need to,” she advises.
Jeannie agrees, and adds that a lot of the preparation lies in the grooming. “The things that make you look your best cannot be bought, so smile and do things to bring out your inner confidence. All the rest is merely decoration,” she says. “Strut that carpet like you own it!”
Story by Christo Valentyn
