The Hollywood history of Oscars fashion : How film award red carpets became fashion shows

Do we watch the Academy Awards and other film awards shows for the films, or the fashion show that red carpets have become over the past century of fashion history? Oscars fashion is a huge part of celebrity culture, and the evolution of red carpet fashion from the golden age of cinema to the present tells us so much about Hollywood marketing and corporate interest in fashion. It's surprising given the huge reach of the Oscars, but the first Academy Awards had no red carpet, no red carpet fashion, and no media coverage! But red carpet history doesn't begin with the Academy Awards. Red carpets were a feature of the first film premieres in the golden age of Hollywood, featuring designer looks often made by the same costume design departments that dressed Hollywood stars for their movie roles! These early red carpets were an important part of fashion evolution in America, letting designers move from costume design in film to careers in couture fashion for their celebrity clients. The history of awards show fashion really starts in 1945, when the Oscars added a red carpet at a new venue, inviting fans to watch in person from bleachers and listen at home with a radio broadcast. The next step in the evolution of red carpet fashion was the Oscars' move to TV! The old studio model still played a role in Hollywood history, and they were nervous about the change, but the opportunity for sponsor money and marketing outweighed all of that. With the red carpet dresses visible to all, f