Oscars 2023: This Year's Carpet To Turn 'Champagne' In Colour. Know Why
It has been a tradition since 1961, but this year will be the first time the carpet at the Academy Awards isn't red.
New Delhi: This year marks the first time that Hollywood's biggest night ‘Oscars’ will not have a red carpet. It has been a tradition since 1961, but this year will be the first time the carpet at the Academy Awards isn't red. The red carpet at this year's Academy Awards will be a "champagne" shade, allowing celebrities to show off their most lavish and daring ensembles.
The tradition of walking down a red carpet at the Oscars began in 1961, at the 33rd Academy Awards, which was held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. It was the first time that the ceremony had been shown on television, and Bob Hope served as the show's host. Once the Oscars were first shown in colour for the first time in 1966, the general public first had a chance to view the red carpet in all of its splendour on television.
Jimmy Kimmel, the host of this year's Academy Awards, revealed the carpet's official colour on Thursday. As the new carpet was unveiled in front of the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Kimmel gushed about it. He joked that last year's on-stage slap between Will Smith and Chris Rock triggered the move away from the red carpet.
Kimmel made light of the rumours of violence that had been swirling around this year's event, saying that the organisers' choice to use a champagne-coloured carpet instead of a red one was proof that they were certain no one would be hurt.
Lisa Love from Vogue, and Ral vila, the dazzling Met Gala's creative director, consulted on the colour shift. According to Love, black tie dress code has always seemed out of place when the event takes place in the middle of the day and guests arrive mid-afternoon, providing for awkward picture ops. Using a carpet protector, they may alter that.
Love also said that the decision to change the carpet’s colour was met with little resistance. They intuitively understood that they could do anything they wanted. Other colours were attempted as well, but under the tent's cover, they seemed too muted.
Media attention was piqued when the champagne-coloured carpet was shown at a press conference with Oscar show producers Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss.
"Red carpet" coverage of the 95th Academy Awards begins on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
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