The red carpet crisis

Lupita Nyong'o, (left) Winston Duke and Danai Gurira attend the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. PHOTO | NEILSON BARNARD | AFP

What you need to know:

  • Our red carpets don’t have interviews that break new ground or capture moments that are so transformative and dramatic it becomes a rolling stone.

  • The red carpet, Fashion Police, a new age of woke celebrities, all these will trickle down to our red carpets.

A few things happened on the way to the Oscars last Sunday. Things that most would brush off about the red carpet. For one, E! News seems to be undergoing a crisis with their red carpet coverage.

Here is what you may not have known about the red carpet. They have interviews with invited A-listers. But, these interviews are not actually so random.

The reporter does not just spring themselves onto the subject and ask questions. This came out when it was reported that days before the red carpet, TV personality and producer Ryan Seacrest might not be able to draw in enough celebrities to his particular nook of the red carpet.

Why? The#MeToo, #TimesUp movement that gained traction during awards season and the fact that Hollywood is going through a peculiar period where careers are jettisoned because of sexual assault allegations. Now, Ryan is a red carpet veteran, but there were celebrities who already said they would not agree to be interviewed on the red carpet by him. Investigations ultimately found there was insufficient evidence to declare any kind of sexual assault.

But, the flip side of this was fellow co-host Giuliana Rancic who got to field the crowd that was avoiding her colleague. Alongside this is the fact that after E! broke the mould, other media can now build on their success.

ROLLING STONE

This is all a symptom of what is now being called the red carpet crisis. It started when female celebrities wanted to talk about more than fashion, then the male celebrities were felled at an alarming rate by sexual allegations, and now the red carpet is not only business unusual, it is also very political.

I find this quite fascinating. I have interviewed so many celebrities in the course of my career, and there is one thing that I have come to discover. They don’t like causing ripples in an organised interview where they have time to plan. Our red carpets don’t have interviews that break new ground or capture moments that are so transformative and dramatic it becomes a rolling stone. There is a lot of caution all driven by acting conservative when in fact as prolific personalities, it is moments like this, interviews where there are lights, camera and action, that can enhance a career. The red carpet, Fashion Police, a new age of woke celebrities, all these will trickle down to our red carpets. And why not? It is apparent Kenyans can handle themselves on the red carpet in Hollywood, be it the Watu Wote crew or Lupita.

If you are asking yourself, why are we bringing first world dilemmas and problems to our doorstep, listen up.

BEAUTY BRANDS

The newest and one of the most beloved beauty brands in the US, Glossier, actually set a red carpet beauty trend by launching their product on celebrities, six in total. One of them was 57-year-old deep chocolatey Viola Davis and another stunning beauty in her 40s, Tracee Ellis Ross as well as 51-year-old Latina powerhouse Salma Hayek. Not only did the six showcase the diversity of the product Glossier Lidstar, its first ever metallic eye shadow, it showed how strategic branding goes a long way and it plugged into a generation long overlooked by the industry. For so long the red carpet has been about style - specifically gowns. Only recently has it become a place to promote black beauty. Now it is about individuality, brand messaging and placing affordable products in line of sight. This is the world’s biggest fashion platform. To say it was a major win for a brand is an understatement. 

Finally, one of the most glorious Oscar moments involved Tiffany Haddish, an African American standup comedienne who is also the breakout star of the black chick flick, Girls Trip.

ERITREAN GOWN

Tiffany wore a $4,000 Alexander McQueen dress, which she had won twice before. Once on iconic Saturday Night Live (SNL) show. Before that, the Girls Trip premiere. She said she would were the dress again. Everyone tried to talk her out of it. On the red carpet she wore a stunning traditional Eritrean gown with a black and gold embroidered cloak in honour of her late father and his roots.

As host at the event, she broke the McQueen white dress. Why? It was expensive and she will milk for all it’s worth. It has certainly earned her a whole new posse of frugal fans. Rita Moreno also re-wore her 1962 red carpet outfit 56 years later. Rita is an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner). Her gown was made in Manila. To mix it up she packed on the accessories, adding the original opera gloves that came with it. She was quite excited about it too, tweeting well in advance. Ah, the joys of being 86 and not giving a darn. And another thing. The Wakandas certainly know how to bring back the essence of African royalty. May we see more people like us and our brands on more red carpets.