Is this the end of the red carpet?

The actors' strike could have far-reaching implications for how we watch and consume fashion.

At first it seemed impossible to imagine: no more red carpets! More photos of movie stars and names to look at in fabulous dresses that are covering the internet. Could 'Oppenheimer' and 'Barbie' be the last gasp of that fashion and film marketing Valhalla that was the modern premiere - at least for the foreseeable future? For now, actors, from unknown to famous, are banned by their union from engaging in any promotional activity. This means large openings. That means magazine covers touting new movies. That means film festivals with all their associated dressing and posing possibilities. That means photos on social media of them dressing up for previews.

And what that means for fashion, an industry that has become increasingly intertwined with the people of Lalaland in a mutually beneficial ecosystem of influence and outfits – and equally important, what that means for the public's understanding of fashion, much of which is received through the prism of fashion. fame - is potentially huge.

Actors sign contracts that can be worth millions, negotiated by agents and managers, to be brand ambassadors, appearing in a combination of commercials, front rows, store openings and red carpets, dressed by stylists, generating coverage, desire and, above all, publicity for everyone involved.

Their work may be their substance, but fashion is the fat that makes them bank accounts at a time when the economy of movies is changing - part of the reason for the strike). Timothée Chalamet on the Venice red carpet in a crimson halter top Haider Ackermann and Florence Pugh in a sheer pink Valentino "revenge dress" are images that have had these actors and brands front and center on social media for days. backless on the red carpet in Venice in September 2022. Credit...Vianney Le Caer/Invision, via Associated Press

ImageFlorence Pugh wore Valentino at the brand's runway show in Rome in July 2022. Credit...Marco Piovanotto/Sipa USA, via Associated Press

Alison Bringé, director of marketing at Launchmetrics, a data analytics and software company, wrote in an email that Margot Robbie's appearance as Schiaparelli at the film's Los Angeles premiere "generated more than $2.1 million in media impact value in just 24 hours, more than half of what the fall 202 show 3 by Schiaparelli amassed overall."

With all of that coming to a halt, along with the studio productions themselves, what's going on? And who are most at risk? Actors and studios aren't the only ones with a stake in this game.

At the moment, agents and talent seem to be holding their breath and turning their heads to see what others are up to. The brands themselves remain mom. Louis Vuitton, whose ambassadors include Jennifer Connelly, Michelle Williams and Ana de Armas, declined to comment. Versace, who...