"Awards season just kicked off with the Grammys on February 2nd. Many celebrities wore gowns that will forever be memorialized through photos and videos across the internet. But what happens to the physical gowns when the night is over?" -- Amara deanes, 7th Grade
Awards season just kicked off with the Grammys on February 2nd. Many celebrities wore gowns that will forever be memorialized through photos and videos across the internet. But what happens to the physical gowns when the night is over?
“The afterlives of outfits can take many different forms — some are kept in storage, some are displayed at exhibitions, some wend their way onto the open market and are auctioned, and some are bought by the celebrities wearing them,” says CNN. “Occasionally, some don’t even survive the night.”
Oftentimes, the gowns are saved in specialized storage facilities. They are first cleaned from all possible residue (oils, makeup, etc.) that could damage the gown if allowed to oxidize. They are then put into climate controlled storage facilities. Sometimes, these facilities are owned by the fashion houses that made the gowns. Other times they’re private storage facilities. One of the most notable of these facilities is The Wardrobe in Los Angeles.
“The afterlives of outfits can take many different forms — some are kept in storage, some are displayed at exhibitions, some wend their way onto the open market and are auctioned, and some are bought by the celebrities wearing them,” says CNN. “Occasionally, some don’t even survive the night.”
Oftentimes, the gowns are saved in specialized storage facilities. They are first cleaned from all possible residue (oils, makeup, etc.) that could damage the gown if allowed to oxidize. They are then put into climate controlled storage facilities. Sometimes, these facilities are owned by the fashion houses that made the gowns. Other times they’re private storage facilities. One of the most notable of these facilities is The Wardrobe in Los Angeles.
The Wardrobe's climate controlled storage facility in L.A
Owned by Julie Ann Clauss, The Wardrobe is one of the first of its kind to consider that gowns should be preserved rather than just stored in a box. “Archiving dresses is important because they represent more than just fashion; they capture the spirit of a time period, a designer's vision, and an important moment in pop culture,” commented Ms. Stephanie Verrieres, OSA Fashion Department chair.
Archiving the pieces worn by celebrities has been taken into consideration much more in the past few years. More and more people are wearing vintage gowns for award shows, and the thought of a piece being reworn is becoming more prevalent. We saw this with Chappell Roan's Grammys red carpet look, a Jean Paul Gaultier spring 2003 archive dress.
“Fashion is cyclical, and many vintage pieces hold timeless beauty and craftsmanship,” says Verrieres. “Reworn gowns can bring new life to older designs, while also showcasing sustainability in fashion.” Creating couture gowns takes a lot of time, effort, materials, and money. Making hundreds of new ones every season isn’t sustainable. Thus, archiving dresses to be worn again is a great way to save the designers hard work.
The Wardrobe’s clientele does not only consist of celebrities looking to preserve their closets. Designer brands are also calling on Clauss to archive their pieces after the season is over. “Certain brands are starting to sell archival pieces. It underscores the importance of quality in fashion and not investing in throw-away pieces that are polluting the planet,” says Clauss in an interview with The Los Angeles Times.
Sometimes, gowns are taken out of storage for special exhibitions or sold to museums. “An outfit chosen by a celebrity for a high-profile event like the Oscars or the Venice Film Festival can end up in an exhibition (as might be the case with the Met Gala)...” writes NSS Magazine. One example of this is the "Crown to Couture” exhibition at Kensington Palace in 2023.
Archiving the pieces worn by celebrities has been taken into consideration much more in the past few years. More and more people are wearing vintage gowns for award shows, and the thought of a piece being reworn is becoming more prevalent. We saw this with Chappell Roan's Grammys red carpet look, a Jean Paul Gaultier spring 2003 archive dress.
“Fashion is cyclical, and many vintage pieces hold timeless beauty and craftsmanship,” says Verrieres. “Reworn gowns can bring new life to older designs, while also showcasing sustainability in fashion.” Creating couture gowns takes a lot of time, effort, materials, and money. Making hundreds of new ones every season isn’t sustainable. Thus, archiving dresses to be worn again is a great way to save the designers hard work.
The Wardrobe’s clientele does not only consist of celebrities looking to preserve their closets. Designer brands are also calling on Clauss to archive their pieces after the season is over. “Certain brands are starting to sell archival pieces. It underscores the importance of quality in fashion and not investing in throw-away pieces that are polluting the planet,” says Clauss in an interview with The Los Angeles Times.
Sometimes, gowns are taken out of storage for special exhibitions or sold to museums. “An outfit chosen by a celebrity for a high-profile event like the Oscars or the Venice Film Festival can end up in an exhibition (as might be the case with the Met Gala)...” writes NSS Magazine. One example of this is the "Crown to Couture” exhibition at Kensington Palace in 2023.
The historic 'Silver Tissue' gown that was displayed at the 'Crown to Couture' exhibition
Running from April 5th until October 9th, the exhibition featured dresses from throughout history. It opens with the historic “Silver Tissue” gown from the 1660s. It was shown alongside a dress that Audrey Hepburn wore to the 1954 Oscars. The rest of the exhibition goes on throughout history, until present day, where it shows outfits from the likes of Beyonce, Lizzo, and Billie Eilish.
Although, the red carpet to storage pipeline isn’t always how it goes. Sometimes, the wearer doesn’t even own the dress they’re wearing. Most dresses are loaned to the wearer, meaning they have to be returned to the designer after the show. Although, some designers gift the gowns to the celebrities. This can happen toward the end of the fashion season, when the designers don’t need the dress anymore.
It may also be gifted because the dress was custom made for the celebrity. "For big events sometimes bespoke pieces are made especially for the celebrity, quite often in this case as the pieces have been made especially for them it can be kept,” said celebrity stylist Harriet Byczok in an interview with Mirror. On certain occasions celebrities buy the dresses they wear off the designer.
Very rarely, dresses find their way to the open market to be sold to the highest bidder. This is often through very usual ways. Lady Gaga famously left the gown she wore to the 2019 Oscars in her hotel room. “It then spent months in lost and found, before being given to the employee who discovered it, according to the auction house behind the sale,” reported CNN.
Although, the red carpet to storage pipeline isn’t always how it goes. Sometimes, the wearer doesn’t even own the dress they’re wearing. Most dresses are loaned to the wearer, meaning they have to be returned to the designer after the show. Although, some designers gift the gowns to the celebrities. This can happen toward the end of the fashion season, when the designers don’t need the dress anymore.
It may also be gifted because the dress was custom made for the celebrity. "For big events sometimes bespoke pieces are made especially for the celebrity, quite often in this case as the pieces have been made especially for them it can be kept,” said celebrity stylist Harriet Byczok in an interview with Mirror. On certain occasions celebrities buy the dresses they wear off the designer.
Very rarely, dresses find their way to the open market to be sold to the highest bidder. This is often through very usual ways. Lady Gaga famously left the gown she wore to the 2019 Oscars in her hotel room. “It then spent months in lost and found, before being given to the employee who discovered it, according to the auction house behind the sale,” reported CNN.
Tyla's dress being cut at the end of the 2024 Met Gala
Other times, gowns are damaged before they can be preserved. The most recent example of this is Tyla’s iconic “Sands of Time” gown from last year’s Met Gala. It was made out of three different shades of sand mixed with micro crystals, causing it to be very stiff and delicate. She had to be carried up the stairs just to avoid it ripping. Towards the end of the night, Balmain’s creative director, Olivier Rousteing cut off the bottom of the dress, turning it into a mini dress.
You might be wondering, why even save them at all? Saving these gowns is very important to pop culture and history. You can learn a lot about what happened during a time period through the clothes they wore. “Preserving them for future generations allows us to study and appreciate fashion’s evolution and its role in our societal values and trends,” says Verrieres. The afterlifes of these pieces matter to the future, for both cultural and environmental reasons.
From exhibitions to auctions, a gown can be subjected to many fates in its lifetime. But one thing’s for sure, there will always be iconic award show gowns.
You might be wondering, why even save them at all? Saving these gowns is very important to pop culture and history. You can learn a lot about what happened during a time period through the clothes they wore. “Preserving them for future generations allows us to study and appreciate fashion’s evolution and its role in our societal values and trends,” says Verrieres. The afterlifes of these pieces matter to the future, for both cultural and environmental reasons.
From exhibitions to auctions, a gown can be subjected to many fates in its lifetime. But one thing’s for sure, there will always be iconic award show gowns.
