Thematic Looks: The Future of the Red Carpet

Literal dressing or “method dressing” has been used throughout the years in Hollywood, with actors paying homage to the characters they have played on the red carpet. Glenn Close famously attended the 1999 premiere of 101 dalmatians dressed as her character Cruella De Ville after agreeing in her contract that she could keep the costumes, and who can blame her?

Method dressing doesn’t just mean showing up in costume however, but showcasing their characters and reflecting the films they are in through even the most minute details in their fashion choices. It gives the actors and designers the opportunity to make a statement, whilst also showing their creativity through their styling. It is apparent that now we are in “the age of method dressing”, with the past few years showcasing some of the best looks on the red carpet that reflect the characters and themes of the films, whilst also influencing viewers fashion choices.

It’s no secret that the films we watch have a direct impact on the latest fashion trends, on and off screen. Hollywood plays a major role in inspiring our choices of clothing and self-expression and has since the beginning of its creation. The Golden Age of Hollywood brought about fashion icons like Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly, all symbolising the style of their time. Hepburn’s iconic little black dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) is still being replicated to this day.

Characters in films can be fashion icons in their own right, just look at Cher Horowitz from Clueless (1995) for 90s inspiration, or Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada (2006) with her high-end couture looks. As films can be rewatched and enjoyed years later, fashion trends can come and go just the same. They can bring back trends from different periods of time, like the revival of 70s fashion that came after the release of Almost Famous (2000) with Penny Lane’s infamous Afghan coat. Costume design is a crucial part of breathing life into a character and transporting the actor and audience into the world portrayed on-screen, whether that’s 19th century rural England or a galaxy far far away.

There are many actors nowadays that embody their role when taking to the red carpet, which has become a runway of its own. Never one to shy away from a thematic look, Zendaya has become a red carpet icon with her embodiment of the characters and themes of the films she has starred in.

Her looks for the Spiderman: No Way Home (2021) premiere and press tour alone perfectly show how actors and stylists can incorporate small details into their looks that can promote and reflect the film. On an appearance on the Graham Norton show, she wore a green suit from the Valentino Spring 2022 collection and purple shirt to emulate the colour scheme of the Green Goblin from the comics. Her red carpet looks continued this theme of honouring the iconic villains in the movie, with metal spine detailing on a dress by Roberto Cavalli, a nod to Dr. Otto Octavious. She also paid homage to the hero wearing a full-length web patterned Valentino dress and mask.

She has continued this same attention to detail and thematic looks at the premiere of Dune: Part 2 (2024) arriving to the London Premiere of the sequel to the sci-fi franchise in archival Mugler from their 1995 Fall collection. Styled by Law Roach, she dropped jaws when she arrived in a suit reminiscent of robotic armour, an ode to her character Chani.

Serving a tennis inspired look at the Sydney premiere for her upcoming film Challengers, the actress wore a custom glittering green dress by LOEWE with the shadow of a tennis player printed on as a nod to her tennis player-turned-coach character.

Margot Robbie has dabbled in method dressing in the past, paying homage to her character and real-life actress Sharon Tate at the premiere for Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood at the Cannes Film Festival. She wore the same hairstyle Sharon Tate did to the festival back in 1968.

Nowadays, Robbie has taken her method dressing to a whole new level with her press tour and premiere looks for one of 2023’s biggest films, Barbie. Taking to the red - or rather pink - carpet in carefully curated looks to replicate actual iconic costumes seen on the Mattel doll.

Outfits such as the “Enchanted Evening” Barbie look worn at the London premiere showcased her stylist Andrew Mukamal’s efforts to piece together existing garments like the Vivienne Westwood gown, with accessories to match like a tulle stole and three-strand pearl necklace. Just look at the attention to detail! Her outfit for the Los Angeles Premiere of the film, a custom-made Schiaparelli gown, was made to replicate the 1960s “Solo in the Spotlight” Barbie.

Image source: New York Times (photo linked)

The affect this had on the world can be seen through the emergence of #barbiecore, a trend that draws inspiration from the vibrant and extremely pink outfits worn by the dolls and characters in the film.

These looks have transformed the red carpet from simply a chance for actors and actresses to show their personal style, to a performance art. Designers, stylists and the actors themselves now have the opportunity to collaborate to bring exciting, theatrical and meta concepts to fashion.