The History and Evolution of the Red Carpet: From Ancient Greece to Modern Hollywood

A quintessential symbol of Hollywood, red carpets have been largely bypassed during the past few months due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. A-list actors, who power the red carpet machine, are mostly barred from promoting their movies, swapping glamorous gowns and tuxedos for picket-line fashion. With the SAG and studio heads indicating a potential agreement is on the horizon, the upcoming red carpet season seems likely to move forward, welcoming back the shine of Hollywood stars to the crimson carpet. Fashion stylists, designers and actors will collaborate once again to embrace the esteemed tradition, showcasing their curated outfits at premieres and award shows. To understand how red carpets became so popular and relevant in the entertainment and fashion industry, it’s necessary to go back 2,480 years. Did the red carpet originate in ancient Greece? The most popular version of the red carpet’s origins is linked to Greek playwright Aeschylus, who mentioned a red carpet in “Agamemnon,” dated 458 BC.  For Dr. Elizabeth Castaldo Lundén, author of “Fashion on the Red Carpet: A History of the Oscars, Fashion and Globalisation” and a Sweamfo Research Fellow at the School of Cinematic Arts of the University

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