All designers dream of having a celebrity wear their most extravagant creation on the red carpet. The lights and the cameras are all drawn to the stars and what dresses they are donning.

“Who are you wearing?” every celebrity will be asked. And every designer wants to be the answer to that question.

But it honestly may never matter anymore, since designers are getting less recognition for their creations than ever before. The morning after a magnificent red carpet show, everyone discusses who dressed to impress and who should really try harder.

But the talk is hardly ever over the looks themselves. There is no gushing over the skill of a bias cut or the brilliance of subtle beading. There is virtually no mention of the designer’s name. It becomes all about who wears the look, not who was behind its creation. It’s all about Lupita’s (Ralph Lauren) cape, Pharrell’s (Vivienne Westwood) hat and Rihanna’s (Tom Ford) pasties.

I’m sure if I mentioned Jennifer Lawrence’s white trash bag-esque dress from the 2014 Golden Globes, you would know exactly what I’m talking about, but have no idea who made it. To be honest neither did I — It’s Dior. I looked it up.

And that’s a tragedy.

These designers pour hours and hours into creating dresses to make these celebs feel special for a night and no one is keeping tabs. Or at least no one I know is.

The only people keeping score may be the workers in the fashion salons of New York, Milan and Paris, the fashion capitals. They tally the designers as they come down the carpet, comparing notes on if there were more Versace gowns than Valentino. Magazine editors and other designers fuss over which trends have popped from the super-lit red carpet runway.

Clothes come down the carpet like they are chocolates on a conveyor belt. We see them so quickly and then before we know it they are gone, with very little taste left in our mouth of what we really liked about them. By the time we get to the awards show, we have already forgotten what our favorite dresses look like and, more importantly, who made them.

There was once a time — when awards shows were still in their beginning stages — when celebrities wore beautifully designed dresses and everyone wanted to know who made them. More often than not, it could transform their careers and bring light to their designs.

Now, instead, celebrities do very little to boost designers’ careers. The tables have actually turned — fashion is more necessary than ever for celebrities to boost their image in the world of the rich and famous.

They are constantly posting photos on Instagram and Twitter of their carefully styled outfits that make them look one part hipster one part fashion guru. The paparazzi follow them everywhere, making it necessary for them to look good even after a sweaty workout.

But the red carpet is where they need to shine. Wearing just the right look has the ability to turn an average actress into a style icon. Think Dianna Agron or Hayden Panettiere.

Designers are turning away from celebrities and more toward social media and self-promotion. Designers can have their own TV shows or stream their runway shows on their websites. Celebrities are just another tool — and not their main one — that they use to get their name out there.

Designers deserve recognition for the work that they have put into all of their looks. Sketching such beautiful dresses, sewing them with detail to the tiniest bead and tailoring them perfectly to stars’ bodies is no easy feat.

And when celebrities walk down the red carpet looking fabulous and stylish, designers deserve to have the world know that it’s their creation.

Alexis McDonell is a junior magazine journalism major. Her column appears weekly in Pulp. You can email her at admcdone@syr.edu.

Published on January 26, 2015 at 12:01 am