Awards season is here, and there’s no doubt that it is a favorite among many collegiettes. Who could resist watching the stars show off numerous gorgeous dresses on the red carpet? Although they may be criticized for days afterwards, it is still worth watching and deciding who wore their dress the best. When all is said and done, viewers are left wondering how much those glorified prom dresses and everything that went with them cost. And who paid for them?
Take, for example, Jennifer Aniston’s red Valentino dress that she shined in on Sunday night at the Oscars. Nobody knows the exact cost, but a dress very similar to hers found on Valentino’s website was priced at $6,980.00. Now, this sounds pretty expensive for a dress that will be worn for only one night. However, that is cheap compared to some dresses. One fashion website noted that Halle Berry had the option of wearing a Valentino dress that was between $50,000 and $100,000 for the 2002 Oscars. Although she declined the offer, one can only imagine what that stunning gown would have looked like.
The choices for these dresses are made by each celebrity’s stylist. They determine who and what the star will wear to each show. Part of their responsibility is also to work with the designers in the hopes that the stars will simply be able to borrow the dress. This will allow the designer to get their name out and the stars will not have to pay a dime while still looking fabulous in the limelight. As this is becoming more and more popular, designers actually put together a dress specifically for the celebrity’s night on the red carpet to ensure they shine.
Designers have also begun to depend on award season for a chance to show off their new fashions and gain popularity. This was extremely evident in 2008 during the Writer’s Guild of America strike. Some of the major award ceremonies were cancelled, thus no red carpet dresses for designers to show off their latest concoctions. This was also evident in 2002 when Halle Berry showed up to the 2002 Oscars wearing Elie Saab, causing him to become an overnight sensation.
After the dresses are chosen, the stylists again work their magic to persuade the jeweler to allow the star to simply loan the accessory. This works just like the dresses in terms of gaining publicity. Some of the jewelry, however, is so expensive that it is actually accompanied by a security guard to ensure nothing happens to it.
Limelife.com’s article cited Forbes’ breakdown of the expenses for the big night.
Dress: $5,190
Clutch: $1,995
Earrings: $9,800
Shoes: $865
This list does not include the cost of hair, makeup, perfume, or manicure and pedicure for the star to look her absolute best in front of millions of viewers.
All of this talk about dresses and red carpet style is thanks to Halle Berry who appeared at the 2000 Golden Globes wearing a red and white Valentino dress. Before this appearance, everyone arrived casually.
So the next time you watch stars strut their stuff down the red carpet, just think how much they don’t have to pay to wear that gorgeous dress or stunning necklace.
Pictures courtesy of www.theepochtimes.com