It’s the top of the red carpet — for now.
The star-studded solid of “Oppenheimer” walked out early from the London premiere on Thursday night, as Hollywood went on strike at midnight in its biggest labor motion since 1960.
The dressing credits still went out. Florence Pugh wore a fiery red Valentino gown, and Cillian Murphy a menacing-looking black suit, transparent shirt and bolo tie by Saint Laurent. But they could be the last celebrity red carpet dressing communiqués from luxury brands for some time.
On Friday, actors joined writers in shutting down Hollywood with the unions taking motion against streaming services’ pay, the longer term use of AI in production and more.
The strike means talent cannot walk the Venice and Toronto red carpets, participate in Emmy For Your Consideration campaigns or the upcoming Comic-Con convention. Negotiations, auditions, rehearsals and fittings are also banned, in line with SAG-AFTRA strike rules.
Lisa Rinna, who was slated to cohost a store opening party with Philipp Plein on Friday night in L.A., canceled, perhaps to avoid the looks of partying with the famously glitzy designer on the primary day of the strike, while actors are fighting for his or her livelihood. Over the weekend, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher landed in hot water for glamming it up with Kim Kardashian in an Instagram post from Dolce & Gabbana’s ultra-luxe Alta Moda show in Italy.
However the celebrity fashion social swirl isn’t going quiet.
In keeping with industry sources, under strike rules, actors can still do any business or fashion campaign, and do press for those brand partnerships. But they can not answer questions which are in promotion of TV or film projects. Talent can go to events for a fashion brand, to fashion shows and dinners, but any media questions on the sidelines of the Givenchy cocktail party on Rodeo Drive next week, for instance, can have to be light and airy — or pertain to theater, music, podcast or book projects.
Several luxury brands are hosting events here in the approaching days, including Givenchy and Hermès, and time will tell whether it becomes difficult to get talent to attend due to optics (not to say getting people to buy Birkins, though Hollywood’s highest rollers should not more likely to feel the financial pinch).
Stars are hitting the picket lines at Netflix, Amazon, Paramount, Disney, Fox and more, and maybe, like Writers Guild of America members who’ve been striking since May, their looks will likely be documented on the Instagram style account @PicketFits. (It wouldn’t be surprising to see a tone-deaf PR blast exit about what they’re wearing on the picket line, either.)
Much of the Hollywood image-making machine will shut down, too.
A press tour is a no-go for “Haunted Mansion,” the film based on the Disney theme park ride, which promised to be a menswear bonanza, with stars Jared Leto, LaKeith Stanfield, Ryan Gosling and Owen Wilson.
Disney chief executive officer Bob Iger called the unions’ demands unrealistic. “It’s very disturbing to me. We’ve talked about disruptive forces on this business and all of the challenges we’re facing, the recovery from COVID[-19] which is ongoing; it’s not completely back. That is the worst time on this planet so as to add to that disruption,” he told CNBC.
Without major events to decorate for, many stylists will likely be out of labor; hair and makeup people, too.
Behind the scenes at talent agencies, nonetheless, fashion dealmaking is already accelerating.
Agents who negotiate business deals have been more lively than ever in recent months, attempting to open up latest streams of revenue for talent making diminishing returns on film and TV. The pressure is on to attain mega deals like United Talent Agency’s Timothée Chalamet Bleu de Chanel ambassadorship, and get talent more creative roles at brands, like Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton and Future at Lanvin.
Without work within the immediate future, clients who been selective within the brand space could also be more inclined to make deals and attend fashion shows. In spite of everything, while strike rules prevent talent from promoting projects, they don’t say anything about promoting themselves. Giving an interview on a every day beauty regimen or love of dogs may suddenly develop into quite a bit more attractive (and media outlets will need the content). There may very well be a return to pandemic-era, at-home social media fashion shoots, too. And all the pieces promotion-wise that has already shot is embargoed, so those September magazine covers pegged to movies and TV will still be a go.
Fashion and Hollywood could get even cozier if rumors first reported by Bloomberg are true that Kering chairman and chief executive officer François-Henri Pinault is taking a majority stake in Creative Artists Agency, the agency that represents his wife Salma Hayek.
The Kering luxury group already has a foothold in Hollywood as a serious sponsor of the Cannes Film Festival, with its Women in Motion program showcasing female actors, filmmakers and producers. Kering brand Gucci is the longtime sponsor of the LACMA Art + Film gala in L.A., and Saint Laurent recently launched a movie production subsidiary headed by artistic director Anthony Vaccarello, releasing “Strange Way of Life” by Pedro Almodóvar, starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal.
CAA wouldn’t comment, Kering denied any involvement of the group, and a spokesperson for François-Henri Pinault and his investment company Artémis declined to comment. But when the deal goes through, CAA clients would likely have a leg up on deals and campaigns for Kering brands.
In fact, WME has had a chunk of the style world since 2013, when the agency bought IMG Worldwide and its runway events, including Latest York Fashion Week.
WME’s newly organized fashion division brings the corporate’s representation and management areas along with its events business. When the spring 2024 shows roll around in September, stars may find they’ve more time on their hands to attend — and even design. Prepare, Angelina Jolie is already whipping up her first collection with Chloé.
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