The competition behind the Oscar red carpet.

The dominance of luxury brands

For an A-list actress to walk the red carpet requires months of preparation and the support of a professional team, according to AP. Hollywood stylist Tara Swennen, who has served many famous clients including Kristen Stewart and Julie Bowen, revealed: “The Oscars are the most visible awards ceremony in the world , so when a star wears a designer’s dress, it’s like a huge advertising campaign for that design. So it’s really worth it.”

The 96th Academy Awards ceremony took place on the evening of March 10th, but Hollywood Boulevard had been closed for a week prior to roll out the red carpet for Valentino, Dior, Tiffany, Prada, and other luxury brands preparing for the event. The Oscar week schedule began in earnest on the evening of March 7th with a Louis Vuitton party. On the evening of March 9th, Chanel hosted a party at the Polo Lounge. Armani, Prada, Versace, Saint Laurent, and even Philipp Plein also held events leading up to the world's biggest film awards ceremony.

Next came the post-Oscar awards ceremonies. Armand de Brignac – a brand of cognac owned by LVMH – hosted a reception at Chateau.

Marmont. Gucci hosted a private party to compete with
Madonna and Guy Oseary. And many other parties, big and small, that haven't been listed.

In recent years, European luxury conglomerates have dominated the Oscars, according to Vogue. These conglomerates started with jewelry and watch deals, and stars began directing their jewelry toward the cameras when appearing on the red carpet. Brand ambassador contracts also included clauses requiring stars to wear the brand's products at the Oscars and other events.

A prestigious fashion magazine points out that while celebrity representatives used to focus on blockbuster film deals, they are now shifting their attention to contract terms with cosmetic brands at after-event parties. It could potentially be a breach of contract if Dior's global ambassador, Anya Taylor-Joy, doesn't wear Dior's clothing when appearing at the Oscars on March 10th.

Vogue writer Christina Binkley metaphorically stated that the entire bodies of award-winning stars are "divided" among fashion and beauty corporations. At the 2023 Oscars, at Vanity Fair – the oldest and largest post-Oscar party – actress Riley Keough, granddaughter of Elvis Presley, wore Boucheron earrings; her body was adorned with a sparkling Celine gown; and her face was styled by YSL Beauty. Clearly, the granddaughter of the legendary Elvis Presley was the biggest winner in the deal with luxury giant Kering – LVMH.

When writer Christina Binkley asked Keith Baptista—co-founder of creative agency Project, who works regularly with Chanel, Gucci, and other clients, including on events during Oscar week—what's new at the Oscars lately, he said: “I feel like brands have come and taken over Oscar week.”

Even the famously independent and assertive designer and businesswoman Miuccia Prada acknowledges the benefits of the red carpet. About a decade ago, Christian Langbein – then the public relations director of Prada North America – confided that getting designer Miuccia Prada to care about what celebrities wore was a challenge. There were no rules; she dressed actress Uma Thurman in a purple chiffon gown when the actress was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 1995 Oscars. She also tended to care more about the outfit for an architect like Rem Koolhaas than the attire of star Brad Pitt. “Miuccia didn’t care about the red carpet at the time,” Langbein shared.

However, the situation changed. In 2014, Lupita Nyong'o wore a long blue Prada gown to the Academy Awards, where she was nominated for and won an Oscar for "Best Supporting Actress" for her role in "12 Years a Slave". Nyong'o's outfit made a strong impression, and Prada has been catering to stars on the red carpet ever since.

Actress Emma Stone wore a mint green dress and a diamond necklace, both from Louis Vuitton, at the 96th Academy Awards. Photo: AFP

Not for everyone

The prestigious Vogue magazine recently published an article stating that the Oscar red carpet is a story about artists with the most powerful agents and not about fashion.

According to the representatives the Vogue writer spoke with, a Dior contract can be worth seven figures, but for most brands, the amount goes up to nearly $250,000 per year. However, only a select few celebrities can secure benefits in this way.

Sources indicate that many young stars now aspire to be paid to wear a designer's creations, but only 3 out of 10 actually have paid contracts. One stylist revealed that convincing celebrities to do things the traditional way is becoming increasingly difficult: borrowing a dress or tuxedo to wear on the red carpet and then returning it.

Due to agreements in place, the public will no longer see many independent fashion brands appearing at the Oscars. Last year, LVMH brands dominated the red carpet, from Fendi, Tiffany, Berluti to Louis Vuitton, Givenchy and Dior Couture. Kering and private equity firm Artémis had at least four brands on the red carpet. American brands have yet to achieve this status, although Tom Ford, Tory Burch, David Yurman and a few others have begun to make appearances.

According to archived press releases and research on the 2022 and 2023 Academy Awards, writer Christina Binkley found that only two dresses worn on the red carpet were by independent designers, not backed by a major agency. Both dresses were worn by actress Jessie Buckley. Designer Erdem Moralioglu, through his Erdem label, designed a tea-pink satin dress for Buckley when the actress, born in 1989, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2022. Buckley wore a black lace Rodarte dress at the 2023 Academy Awards.

It's been a long time since Sharon Stone wore a Gap turtleneck and a ready-to-wear Valentino dress at the 1996 Academy Awards. That infamous event was marred by a tire dent: Sharon Stone's pink Vera Wang dress was run over by a FedEx driver, leaving a tire mark on the hem. Today, the dresses worn by stars at the Oscars are flown in from Paris, France to the United States, accompanied by personal stylists and tailors.

Personal finance website

WalletHub has analyzed the pricing of the Academy Awards each year and estimated the average cost of a star's red carpet outfit to be $1.5 million, with the majority spent on jewelry. Cassandra Happe, a WalletHub analyst who compiled this year's data, noted that there are undisclosed costs, such as sending a brand's team from Paris to Los Angeles and the star's contract fees.

Vogue writer Christina Binkley shared that one of her favorite things about the Oscar red carpet is that it showcases the artists' fashion sense outside of their acting roles. Sharon Stone wore Gap, Joanne Woodward made her own green taffeta dress for the 1958 Oscars...

"Now I wonder if Miley Cyrus was paid to wear five outfits – including Gucci, Tom Ford, and Martin Margiela – at the Grammys last month?" - Christina Binkley shared.

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