Quoted: Is Red Carpet Fashion Still Relevant?
Feb14

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Quoted: Is Red Carpet Fashion Still Relevant?

   

by
on Feb 14, 2013 in Features

 

 

We have a love-hate relationship with awards season. Only at The Golden Globes, The SAG Awards, The Grammys, and The Oscars can we ogle celebs on the red carpet in all their glory. And whether it’s Joan Rivers or Ryan Seacrest, the most important question any of these stars must answer is, “Who are you wearing?”

Of course, the tie between awards season and the fashion industry has always been undeniable, but lately we wonder if the viewing public’s interest in what the stars are wearing could be waning. Thousands of designers just wait to see what Halle, Anne, Emma, and Angelina will wear, so they can start their knock-offs. And just as red carpet looks have become more accessible, most stars aren’t quite as alluring or glamorous as they used to be. Where are the Grace Kellys and Cary Grants?

Do we feel inspired anymore? Is Anne Hathaway’s slightly ill-fitting dress relevant to the fashion world as a whole? With The Oscars approaching on February 24th, we asked accomplished Dallas designer Abi Ferrin (pictured below) to weigh in.

 

 

DFW Style Daily: What do you think of the relevance of red carpet fashion? Now that we know that all the stars have people who dress them, the whole thing seems to have very little to do with the actors expressing their own style.  Do you think the veil has been lifted on the red carpet fashion industry? 

Abi Ferrin: “I think that red carpets and celebrities’ red carpet choices are still relevant to a point, though not as key to influencing fashion as they once were. We all still crowd around the TV to watch red carpet arrivals for all the shows – more so than the awards themselves. Like it or not, the big [fashion] houses with the big budgets do still put out some amazing products.

“There are also the distinguishably bad, ill-fitting, and tasteless options out there as well, which seem clearly to belie a paid sponsorship. What I feel is more relevant, and of more interest, are more relatable faces who haven’t or can’t be bought. Princess Kate, Blake Lively, Dakota Fanning, and Kate Hudson, to name a few!”

 

 

(Image credits, from top: 1. LATimesblogs.LATimes.com; 2. IBTimes.co.uk and Tstyledme.com; 3. Abi Ferrin headshot via AbiFerrin.com)