The Oscars are undergoing their own image overhaul for the 95th anniversary.
As Hollywood’s biggest names gear up for its biggest night for Sunday’s Academy Awards, they won’t be walking on a traditional red carpet.
The normal red-colored carpet, which has become a fixture for the fashion industry, will now be the color of champagne.
Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel was on hand to assist with the rollout on Wednesday, joking that the new color indicates the confidence of show producers that no blood will be shed — a tongue-in-cheek reference to last year when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the live broadcast.
Still to be referred to as the red carpet, the new color of the most famous 50,000-square-foot rug was chosen by creative consultants Lisa Love and Raul Àvila, whose pedigree include work with Vogue magazine and the annual Anna Wintour-powered Met Gala.
The Oscars have been using a red carpet since 1961, when it was first used outside the entrance to the 33rd Academy Awards. Ever since, it’s become ubiquitous in representing a form of glamour for all sorts of events far and wide.
However, in recent years, different-colored red carpets have become the new trend in Hollywood.
Last year’s Emmy Awards carpet was gold, while this year’s Golden Globe Awards carpet was gray. In November, the world premiere of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in Los Angeles featured a stunning purple carpet.
Lisa Love told The Hollywood Reporter that Academy CEO Bill Kramer gave her and Àvila much freedom.
“He basically said that we need to turn this event from a day event into the night,” she said. “That’s always been something that the Oscars has had a problem with ... Everybody’s dressed up for a night event and they are there at 4 o’clock.”
When it came time to pick the color of the carpet, Love said, “We had to first come up with the tent and what color that would be. In order to block the light, that had to be a darker color.”
“You’ve seen it as a sienna or saffron-colored sienna, which connotes the color of sunset,” she added. “Where do you see the sunset best? From the sandy beaches with a glass of champagne in your hand.”
