Home > Fashion> Trends > After the ramp or the red carpet, where do designer clothes go?
Celebrities wearing loaned designer clothes for big events is an open secret. But where do these clothes go?
Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan in a Manish Malhotra ensemble. (Courtesy Instagram/Manish Malhotra)
By Pooja Singh
LAST PUBLISHED 24.11.2023 | 09:31 AM IST
Earlier this week, director-choreographer Farah Khan said something that got social media muttering.
“Manish (Malhotra) ki party main Manish ne kapde diye the,” she told Bharti TV, explaining that one of the country’s top designers had loaned clothes to celebrity guests at his highly publicised Diwali house party. “Woh humne next day return kar diye (we returned them the day after)... It is almost like a fashion show with A-listers wearing his clothes... people are able to see his designs.”
While some were surprised to learn that celebrities often wear clothes loaned from designers to parties and red-carpet events, others raised concerns about whether designers go on to sell those garments as pre-worn or new?
Also read: Where ‘just looking like a wow’ has always been a trend
Well, some keep these in their archives but many put garments worn—either for a night out or on the runway or red carpet—back in their stores and sell them as new. Designer Tarun Tahiliani, who keeps them in his archives, says there’s nothing wrong about putting them back in stores as long as you are transparent.
Indian fashion and Bollywood have long been dependent on each other to stay on top of the news. When a leading celebrity wears a garment created by a designer of note, the two don’t just gain each other’s social media followers but also showcase their position as “people who matter” in the glamour world. This grabs the attention of consumers who might turn into customers.
Designers across the world loan their clothes to popular people, including content creators, hoping it will get more eyeballs. “Dressing is part of the game because it helps in marketing,” says designer Rahul Mishra, who's dressed the likes of Gigi Hadid, Zendaya and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. “Of course, you want more people to see your work, otherwise how will you run the business? One bad season can kill a brand.”
Mishra, for instance, has over 1,000 pieces in his archive in the Noida, Uttar Pradesh, factory. “We keep pre-worn, loaned, borrowed—whatever you call them— clothes in the archives. In every collection, we make a maximum of three samples (each in a different size) for each garment that travel to the US, Europe or Asia, depending on the requirement. These ‘press clothes’ are used for the runway, magazine shoots, red carpet events. This is a standard practice among designers across the world.”
From Dior to Louis Vuitton, international designers dress celebrities and either gift the garment to the famous wearer or put it in their archives, says Tahiliani. “There are no clear-cut rules on the afterlife of worn clothes. It’s all dependent on the brand’s philosophy. Actually, anything and everything is fine if you inform the customer that the garment was worn before. In fact, there shouldn’t be any hesitation in claiming so, especially now when pre-loved fashion has become popular among consumers,” adds Tahiliani, who likes to keep names on the “clothes to be loaned” list to a minimum.
Also read: The past, present and future of Tarun Tahiliani
Emerging designers, however, say they can’t be choosy. They feel the pressure to dress as many celebrities as possible to grab the attention of a potential consumer who’s scrolling Instagram in the hope of buying what Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh or Kareena Kapoor Khan wore at the airport.
“What’s wrong is not telling the customer they are wearing clothes worn by someone before. How do you make a brand big? Bollywood. You can be selective when you have a choice,” says Amit Hansraj, who's been part of the fashion industry for over two decades, working as a merchandiser. He founded his own label Inca three years ago. “Celeb endorsem*nts are honest and that’s why the biggest designers in the world continue to do it.”
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FAQs
There are iconic fashion houses, like Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel, that keep their red carpet dresses in special archives. But lower-tier designers tend to sell the samples they lend to celebrities. Usually, such a sale takes place a few years after the event.
What happens to all the clothes made on Project Runway? ›
Season-seven winner Seth Aaron Henderson said at a Fashion Week El Paso press conference in 201 that clothes produced by contestants "go up for auction immediately after the show."
What happens to runway clothes after the show? ›
"First, [we ensure] we get everything back," she tells Fashionista. "All the garments [are put] back in order, the accessories [are put] back to [into] their boxes... Then we have to take the [whole] collection back to the showroom, because we usually start market the next morning.
What happens to the clothes celebrities wear? ›
From Dior to Louis Vuitton, international designers dress celebrities and either gift the garment to the famous wearer or put it in their archives, says Tahiliani. “There are no clear-cut rules on the afterlife of worn clothes. It's all dependent on the brand's philosophy.
Do celebrities pay for their red carpet outfits? ›
So who foots the bill? Unsurprisingly, the stars are not expected to fork out for their gowns and baubles, with many designers happy to pay for their dresses to be put on show.
Where do celebs buy clothes? ›
There is a mix of boutiques, but Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, All Saints, The Kooples, Hugo Boss, and DVF are among those that claim the star power and are the places most likely to spot a celeb.
Why do runway models not wear bras? ›
For some, going braless is simply another way to get noticed. And in the social media age, getting noticed is the point. As attention-seeking ploys go, it's not new. In 1966, Yves Saint Laurent famously shocked society by putting a sheer blouse on the catwalk, saying 'nothing is more beautiful than a naked body'.
Where do clothes go after the runway? ›
After a fashion show is over, the clothes are usually returned to the designer or fashion house that created them. Some pieces may be kept for display or editorial purposes, while others may be sold or donated to charity.
What happens to all the clothes? ›
Some end up in landfills. Others are packed up and sent to countries like Chile. In Chile, clothes are sorted, and some are sold in local markets. Anything not sold is shipped out to the desert.
Do celebrities get free clothes? ›
In some cases, celebrities may be compensated with monetary payments, while in others, they might receive free clothing, accessories, or other perks in exchange for their attendance and promotion of the event.
The most renowned artists receive succulent amounts of money from luxury firms to show off their best designs.
What do celebs wear under dresses? ›
Many celebs and A-listers make shapewear for women their must-have armor on the red carpet to make sure their designer dress appears wonderful on camera and avoid any possible incident with their outfits (exactly what paparazzi and fashion critics always wait for.)
What happens after the red carpet at the Met? ›
Guests are then said to make their way through the annual exhibition, which also includes a co*cktail hour. The theme this year is 'The Garden of Time', with the exhibition itself titled 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion' — read more about exactly what it all means here.
What do stars do with their old clothes? ›
But now fans have a chance to wear the exact ensemble they've loved seeing on their celeb role models - thanks to some stars cashing in by selling the clothes they've made glamorous appearances in on the resale site, Depop. The second-hand site has over 30 million users, and sellers include models, singers and.
What happens to the clothes actors wear in movies? ›
Often the clothes are used again. Production houses spend a lot of money on designing versatile costumes. So, when the shooting is done, the clothes are packed and stored in boxes with care, so they can be used again for other shootings. If you look closely, many times, junior actors later appear in those outfits.
What happens to Oscar gowns? ›
Where celebrities keep their dresses after the ceremony. They don't keep them anywhere. Despite the fact that many dresses are unique and are made for a certain celebrity, they are the property of the brand or the designer. Celebrities have to return the clothes within 48 hours.
