Refusing to Ask Celebrities Who They Were Wearing at the Golden Globes Missed the Point
The red carpet at Sunday night's Golden Globes was a parade of black, as attendees banded together to prove that fashion can be a powerful tool in making a political statement. All guests were encouraged to dress in solidarity with the Time's Up movement — a call for change started by 300 women in film, television and theater against systemic sexual assault, harassment and inequality in the workplace across all industries. While the dress code was a suggestion rather than a requirement, the majority of Hollywood's key players showed their support, and despite the lack of color — black gowns at an awards show are usually seen as "boring" or "safe" by critics — there were plenty of show-stopping moments for fans of capital-F Fashion.
However, if viewers were particularly fond of a certain look this time around, chances are they had to do some digging to find out which designer was behind it. Throughout the E! red carpet pre-show, seasoned host Giuliana Rancic repeatedly noted that the evening's correspondents would not be asking celebrities who they were wearing, but rather why were they wearing black. In theory, it's an admirable and welcome update on the typical red carpet interview fodder; the celebrities on hand had a giant platform on which to use their voice for good and speak out against injustice. (Interestingly, most men interviewed on the carpet were not asked why they were wearing all black.) But the subtext here was troubling, as it essentially wrote fashion off as frivolous — and on one of the biggest business nights of the year for the industry as a whole.
"This was the red carpet on which fashion is not supposed to matter. Or perhaps fashion was to matter more than ever," writes Robin Givhan in the Washington Post, in regard to the activism and respect for the Time's Up message at the Globes. But on the flip side, she continues: "It was filled with custom-made dresses crafted by design houses just for the occasion. And mostly, they received no on-air credit." Asking celebrities who they're wearing is not an inherently shallow question, and the refusal to acknowledge the work luxury labels and stylists put into creating these red carpet moments not only does their businesses a major disservice, it also feeds into the false belief that fashion is not something to be taken seriously.
What casual red carpet viewers might not realize is that designers and their ateliers likely spent hundreds of cumulative hours creating these custom all-black pieces on a very tight timeline — the plans for the red carpet blackout in support of #MeToo were formed just under one month ago — and did so free of charge. In return for their labor, labels are generally given several valuable shout-outs from the celebrities they dress, helping to spread the brand's message and build awareness. Debra Messing, for example, wore a custom Christian Siriano gown on the Globes red carpet, but instead of showing gratitude for his efforts, she mostly seemed thankful that she didn't have to talk about her clothes. "Messing responded [to Rancic] with an audible sigh of relief and a 'thank you,' because being asked to acknowledge the designer who collaborated with you on the evening is such a terrible burden," Givhan notes.
If anything, the Golden Globes's red carpet blackout made designers' and stylists' jobs more difficult than in seasons past. Runway looks had to be remade in black in an effort to support the cause and stylists had to rethink their clients' cohesive awards season narratives — especially those who are nominated in major categories through the Oscars and gradually build up their wardrobes leading up to the main event. To say they do not deserve credit for their hard work, and an outright refusal to give it to them on principle, missed the point of the evening's protests completely.
Recommended Articles
Many of the events' A-list guests are locked in longstanding (and very lucrative) contracts with legacy fashion brands: Dakota Johnson is a current face of Gucci, as is Alicia Vikander of Louis Vuitton, Zoë Kravitz of Saint Laurent and Natalie Portman of Dior. A frequent requirement of said contracts is that celebrities must wear pieces by the respective house for red carpet appearances, and without the opportunity to tell the audience who they're wearing, brands' ROI certainly takes a hit. Despite the lack of publicity they received, several brands and stylists reportedly made monetary donations to support Time's Up, including Calvin Klein, Prabal Gurung, Tiffany and Co. and Forevermark.
Of course, the rise of social media helps to soften the blow, as top stylists, designers and the celebs themselves post their full looks — complete with tags and credits — within hours. But what about the aforementioned casual viewers who won't do additional research? Tracee Ellis Ross, with the assist of politically outspoken mega-stylist Karla Welch, was a hit on the red carpet in a black halter gown over jogger pants with a matching turban, which was later revealed to be a look from Jacobs's Spring 2018 collection remade in black. Jacobs has dealt with some very public business struggles over the last few years, and a single shout-out from Ross could have done wonders for his bottom line. Though Ross's 4.1 million Instagram followers and Welch's 122K put a lot of eyeballs on the New York-based brand, the impact likely pales in comparison to the effect of Jacobs's name being a live part of the red carpet conversation.
Fashion is not a trivial business, and even in the most tumultuous cultural or political times, it shouldn't be treated as such. Though as an industry it's struggled with making cohesive, sincere statements in the past (see: Dior's "We Should All Be Feminists" T-shirts that retailed for $710 a pop), the increased activism and political engagement we saw throughout 2017 proved it's on the right path. But if we want to continue on this trajectory, banning fashion from the discussion — especially in the most literal sense — is absolutely not the way to do it.
Sadie Sink in Miu Miu at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Caitriona Balfe in Chanel at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Debra Messing in Christian Siriano at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Susan Kelechi Watson at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Zuri Hall at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Allison Williams in Armani Privé at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Kelly Clarkson in Christian Siriano at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Catherine Zeta-Jonesin Zuhair Murad couture at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Tracee Ellis Ross in Marc Jacobs at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Alexis Bledel in Oscar de la Renta at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Mandy Moore in Rosie Assoulin at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Caleb McLaughlin at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Jamie Chung in Ermanno Scervino at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Claire Foy in Stella McCartney at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Milo Ventimiglia in Ermenegildo Zegna Couture at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Alison Brie in Vassilis Zoulias at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Rita Moreno at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Nick Jonas at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Dakota Johnson in a Gucci dress with NIRAV MODI jewelry at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Chrissy Metz in Sachin & Babi at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Heidi Klum at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Samira Wiley in Romona Keveza at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Darren Criss at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Jessica Biel in Dior Couture at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Sarah Paulson in Calvin Klein at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Amy Poehler in Greta Constantine and Saru Jayaraman atThe 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Christina Hendricks in Christian Siriano at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
William H. Macy at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Issa Rae in Prabal Gurung at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Finn Wolfhard in Saint Laurent at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Jude Law in Saint Laurent at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Ricky Martin in Dior Homme at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Frankie Shaw at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Amanda Peet at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Gwendoline Christie at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Jessica Chastain in Giorgio Armani at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Zoe Kravitz in Saint Laurent at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Allison Janney at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
James Franco at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Gayle King at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Abbie Cornish in Moschino attends The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Pamela Adlon at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Kendall Jenner in Giambattista Valli at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Connie Britton at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Kerry Washington in Prabal Gurung at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Michelle Pfeiffer in Dior Haute Couture at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Lena Waithe at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Millie Bobby Brown in Calvin Klein at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Diane Kruger in Prada at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Isabelle Huppert in Chloe at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Saoirse Ronan in Atelier Versace at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
America Ferrera in Christian Siriano and Natalie Portman in Dior at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Mariah Carey in Dolce & Gabbana at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Zac Efron at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Ansel Elgort in Prada attends The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Gal Gadot in Tom Ford at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Greta Gerwig in Oscar de la Renta at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Aziz Ansari in Ermenegildo Zegna couture at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Emilia Clarke in Miu Miu at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Reese Witherspoon in Zac Posen at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Nicole Kidman in Givenchy at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Halle Berry at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Naomi Campbell at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Sarah Jessica Parker in Dolce & Gabbana at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Penelope Cruz in Ralph & Russo Couture at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Hong Chau in Stella McCartney at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Neil Patrick Harris in Tom Ford at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Angelina Jolie in Versace at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Geena Davis at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Margot Robbie in Gucci at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Laura Dern in Giorgio Armani at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Maggie Gyllenhaal in Monse at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Kate Hudson in Valentino at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Eva Longoria at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Mary J. Blige in Alberta Ferretti at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Emma Stone in Louis Vuitton and former tennis player Billie Jean King at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Lily James at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Tarana Burke and Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton at in The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Viola Davis in Brandon Maxwell at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Elisabeth Moss in Dior at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Laurie Metcalf in Sachin & Babi at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Meryl Streep in Vera Wang and NDWA Director Ai-jen Poo at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Rachel Brosnahan in Vionnet at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Tonya Harding at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Laurence Fishburne at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Katherine Langford in Prada at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Lena Headey at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Sally Hawkins at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Imkaan Executive Director Marai Larasi and Emma Watson at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Madeline Brewer in Diane von Furstenberg at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Rosa Clemente and Susan Sarandon in Saint Laurent at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Salma Hayek and Ashley Judd at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Sharon Stone and Roan Joseph Bronstein at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick in Alchimia Di Ballin at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Ava DuVernay at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Helen Mirren (with Viola Davis) in Zuhair Murad couture at The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Photo: Getty Images
Homepage photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Never miss the latest fashion industry news. Sign up for the Fashionista daily newsletter.