Why is the Red Carpet Red?

Back in the ancient times, red was associated with goods and blood. Nowadays, it is associated with glamour, fashion, fame, and a bit of infamy. But how did we get there? What is the first reference of the red carpet? And how the “red carpet” evolved over the years?

Ancient Times

The first and earliest known reference to walking on a red carpet is in literature in the play Agamemnon by Aeschylus.  In the tragedy, the king returns victorious to home from the Trojan War, and his vengeful wife Clytemnestra offers him a red path to walk upon. She says:

“Now, my beloved, step down from your chariot, and let not your foot, my lord, touch the Earth. Servants, let there be spread before the house he never expected to see, where Justice leads him in, a crimson path”.

The king is cautious, and concerned. He knows that only gods are allowed to walk down a “crimson pathway”. He replies that he is a man, not a god. And he was right to be dubious. His wife soon murders him in a bathtub.

The play was written in 458 B.C. giving us the first historical reference of the red carpet. Some 2,500 years later, the red carpet is associated with celebrity, fame, prestige, and brings up images of glamour and luxury leading up to a private jet or awards show.

How did we get to the modern red carpet?

The earliest “modern” mention of red carpets is in the Renaissance period. During Renaissance art, red carpets were pictured in portraits of wealthy families. The families had the kind of wealth that could get them intricately patterned rugs.

Red as a color has long been associated with prestige, royalty, and aristocracy. Back in the days, “scarlet dye” was the most difficult to make and the most expensive. Similar as purple, red was associated with high-class and prestige.

The first reported red carpet in USA was used in Georgetown, South Carolina in 1821. The carpet was used for the arrival of president James Monroe. The carpet was laid before his riverboat, giving him a walkway onto the shore.

In the 20th century, the term “red carpet treatment” was born via the railroads. An exclusive train, called the 20th Century Limited, was introduced in 1902 by the New York Central Railroad. The train welcomed its passengers with a luxurious red carpet, leading them right onto the train.

The Golden Era of Hollywood

The red carpet becomes the standard during the Golden Era of Hollywood. It was one of the few places where motion picture stars can show their clothes. Clark Gable escorting Carole Lombard, Jean Harlow showing her full-length fur, and the always pleasant Grace Kelly were seen at the red carpet. Back then, there were no tabloids, no paparazzi, and the red carpet was an exclusive place where the movie stars could be seen. The actual pigment of the carpet was not important, since color film and photography were not common.

Decades later, the red carpet was introduced at the Academy Awards in 1961. Back then, viewers with black and white broadcast could still not see the red carpet.

Hollywood catch on in the 1920s, with the boom of the film industry. The first reported carpet was used at a premiere of the movie Robin Hood in 1922, staring Douglas Fairbanks at the Egyptian Theatre.  By 1953, the red carpet was iconic to make regular appearances in film, like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes starring Marilyn Monroe. That movie cemented the association between glamour, fame, and red carpet.

At the first red carpet at the Oscars in 1961, stars like Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, and Burt Lancaster walked on it. Broadcasters of the ceremony started filming red carpet arrivals outside in 1964. Hollywood historians say that the red carpet exists with a primary purpose to be “an obvious guideline of where people would walk”. The second reason is more practical, as Hollywood did not want people slipping or falling down going into the theater. And of course, the third reason is glamour.

The moment that changed everything

One moment that completely changed the way people viewed the red carpet was in 1969. Barbra Streisand suit, specifically her sequined, see-through Scaasi pantsuit in which she accepted the Award for Funny Girl. After that bold podium moment, stars began using their red carpet looks to make an appearance and statement. They started differentiating their looks via their varied fashion sense. Thanks to the advent of People magazine in 1974, the red carpet moved into a whole new category.

Actors were in control of their wardrobes. And the result was more diversity, since the looks reflected their personalities and sense of style. Stars with casual sense of style dressed casually, and someone who wanted to look funny would dress funny. Nowadays, we see more classic cocktail gowns at the red carpet.

Who are you wearing?

The question that is as iconic as the red carpet became popular in 1994. The E! awards pre-show hosted by Joan and Melissa Rivers changed everything. Melissa knew someone at E!, and back then, nobody was doing the red carpet, as it was a horrible job.

Joan hosted the 1994 Golden Globes red carpet for E! alone, and by the time the Oscars came, Melissa joined in to make the coverage a “two-woman show”. The duo revolutionized the red carpet. They were the first people that came out and made it more of a true conversation between star and reporter. And they were the first ones to ask stars “what and who are you wearing”.

The red carpet isn’t red

Fun fact: the red carpet is not actually traditional red color. In fact it is closer to burgundy, and it has been like that for the past 15 years at the Academy Awards. The exclusive shade is called Academy Red, and is designed with a purpose to flatter the A-list celebrities who are photographed and filmed walking on the carpet. The precise specifications are kept secret, and only the show’s organizers know it.

A crew of 18 workers usually install the carpet, and it takes them nearly 900 man hours to fully install the carpet. The job is always finished just mere hours before stars begin arriving on Sunday afternoon.