Oscars 2017: The geeky side of glamour

Image source: UK Business Insider

If you're anything like us, this Sunday evening you'll be in blissful Sunday blues ignorance as you tune in to the Oscars 2017. The nominations are in, the popcorn is in the cupboard and we're ready to rock 'n' roll. We won't be looking at Meryl Streep's Manolo Blahniks or Ryan Goslings Gucci suit though - we'll be admiring that luxurious roll of bright red carpet that's as rich in history as it is in colour.

How the red carpet treatment came to be

You might not be able to move these days for snaps of stars on the famously pigmented floor but the red carpet treatment has been knocking about for over 2,500 years. It was first mentioned way back in 458 BC in a play called Agamemnon by Aeschylus (this guy makes Shakespeare seem like a millennial).

The leading fella comes back from the Trojan War to find his missus has laid out a crimson walkway to celebrate his return. He politely declines for it is only Gods who deserve this extravagant treatment and he is but a mere mortal. Duh!

This connection between red walkways and those in a position of prestige, royalty of aristocracy continued right through the Renaissance period. It was particularly popular in Oriental artwork where pathways towards thrones were typically a vibrant shade of rouge. Red's reputation came about as the dye was super expensive and pretty hard to get hold of so only affluent members of society could afford such a lavish luxury and valuable export.

The crimson carpet of today

The modern day red carpet and the one we know so well today is thought to have emerged in 1902 when the New York Central Railroad used plush red carpet to welcome people onboard the 20^th Century Limited passenger train. It was in the 1920's that Hollywood and the red carpet blossomed into the synonymous duo we know today after opulent picture houses fabricated an iconic marriage between luxurious red interiors and the silver screen.

Since then red carpet has been considered the epitome of glamour, the ultimate symbol of glitz and I'm sure this Sunday's pre-award ceremony celebration will prove no different. If it's only La La Land and Denzel Washington you're interested in then feel free to skip the next step but if you fancy getting your geek on with a fellow carpet nerd then keep scrolling to find out more about that world famous floor...

The geeky side of glamour

The red carpet concept was first rolled out (literally) at an awards ceremony in 1961 at the Academy Awards in Santa Monica but it wasn't until 1992 that The American Turf & Carpet Company took over the manufacturing of this magical strip of fabric. Quite a contract, right?! Since then, the 33 foot wide carpet has been manufactured and dyed in Dalton where a secret blend of colours is used to ensure the material looks 100% red on our television screens.

The Red Carpet is made with continuous filament Nylon to ensure it's tough enough to withstand the parade of pampered feet and razor sharp stilettos. It covers an area of 16,500m² and takes a whopping 2 whole days to install. It is replaced every two years to ensure it stays looking tip top but until then, is stored with extreme caution to ensure the iconic hue never fades or alters.

Forget rolling - we should be tiling out the red carpet

This whacking great roll of cut pile carpet is reported to cost the princely sum of $30,000 but I'm thinking of sending one of our sales supremos to sunny LA because we could certainly give these guys more bang for their buck.

Think about it...carpet tiles can be packed away neatly in protective boxes, they can be replaced individually and one of our top-selling bold red tiles like Nouveau Network - Cardinal Red or Nouveau Platinum - Russian Red would certainly save the Oscars team a pretty penny.

Watch this space, you might see DCTUK on Hollywood Boulevard yet but for now, give your visitors the ultimate red carpet treatment by shopping our collection of affordable red and crimson carpet tiles.