The plunging red gown Cindy Crawford wore to the Oscars in 1991 comes second only to Elizabeth Hurley’s safety pin number (1994) and J Lo’s wild jungle-printed dress (2000) in terms of the most iconic Versace looks of all time. The power of the LRD requires no explanation. Wear a mini or maxi in this traffic-stopping shade, and you’re guaranteed to turn heads.
Interestingly, the red wall has arisen in a moment when the shopping landscape is awash with 50 shades of beige (we’re looking at you, quiet luxury). Arriving on the the autumn/winter 2023 runways like jolts of adrenaline, shades of scarlet, crimson, carmine and ruby bled into everything: from polished overcoats at The Row and high-shine skirt suits at Prada, to crisp suiting at Ferragamo and winter wool at Fendi.
The (conveniently named) red carpet is not immune to this trend, with celebrities of all ages stepping out in the fiery hue. Tessa Thompson stopped passersby in their tracks with her Elie Saab Couture creation at the Venice Film Festival, while at the SAG Awards, Jamie Lee Curtis opted for a plunging Romona Keveza in a similarly look-at-me shade. Celebrities aside, Matchesfashion.com has seen searches for red evening dresses increase by 23 per cent year on year, indicating that regular consumers are on board, too. Red really is the ultimate shade to command attention in, whoever you are and whatever the occasion.
Even if you don’t have a black tie event to attend, the red trend can still inject life into your day-to-day wardrobe. For example, a red sundress would make a chic addition to your holiday wardrobe, especially when styled with chunky gold jewellery and cat-eye sunglasses. Or, for a twist on daytime tailoring, why not swap out your usual black or grey for a shot of crimson? Or, for the merest nod, you can’t go wrong with a red accessory: be it a bright bag or vibrant shoes.
What do the abundance of red threads say about where fashion – and indeed society, which the industry holds a mirror to – is at right now? “There is no other colour that is so fundamental, so fused to our primal, human itches,” writes Charlotte Sinclair in an essay on the hot hue. “Red takes no prisoners. It is emphasis itself, the double underline, the stop sign, the alert, the roadblock, the alarm, the danger, the oomph, the sex, the passion, the incitement, the excitement. It’s the colour of kings and queens, war and empire, theatre and power. Red is adrenaline, fireworks, the break with convention. It is shame and violence and blushing and rage.”
At a time when it’s easier to feel discombobulated than not, it’s not surprising that a colour which simultaneously represents life and danger is trending. The drama of it! Think: the Cinderella-esque style of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, the defiance of Meghan Markle in caped Safiyaa during one of her final appearances as a senior royal, and the wildly provocative Franc Fernandez meat dress worn by Lady Gaga to the 2010 Grammys. Red is Cindy at the 1991 Oscars, and who doesn’t want to radiate that energy?
Get a head start on the trend with these red pieces that command attention in the chicest way possible…
