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Emmys 2014: Behind the red carpet gown

Actress Hayden Panettierre was famously refused a Tom Ford gown at this year's Golden Globes because the designer has a strict rule of dressing one actress per red carpet.

The Nashville star then did what any self-respecting millionaire would do. She overcame the one girl rule by purchasing her own Tom Ford number for $10,000.

As the 66th Annual Emmy Awards sneak up on us, we can’t help but speculate on what the stars will be wearing. But the simple act of wearing a dress, as Panettiere’s scenario demonstrates, is never….well, simple. At least not when it comes to the dog and pony show of award show red carpets.

Gail McInnes, Brand and Publicity Director at Magnet Creative Management, represents some of Canada’s most prominent designers. Her impressive roster of clients, which include Lucian Matis, are heavily involved in the process of dressing celebrities. She acknowledges that there’s quite a bit of strategy involved in dressing celebrities -- and it’s about the designer’s image as much as it’s about the celebrity’s.

“If a designer is loaning out any gown to a celebrity, they have the right to decide who and what events they want to have their brand seen on,” says McInnes. “I think his (Tom Ford’s) approach to red carpet dressing is effective and empowering for his brand. It's important to align your brand with the right personalities.”

While many prominent designers like Ford have actresses clawing at their multi-million dollar Santa Fe Ranches to borrow couture gowns, McInnes says there are instances when it’s the designer who has the celebrity wish list.

“Typically, A-listers are paid by brands to wear their items on the red carpet,” she says. “As a brand, you have to be prepared to shell out a good few thousand dollars or so to guarantee they will wear your design on the red carpet.”

Another major player when it comes to how a gown ends up on actress X is someone you may have never heard of, a phantom image-maker if you will. This person is the stylist.

According to McInnes, a stylist is often the brains behind a celebrity’s red carpet look, and they can cost up to $5,000 per day to source the clothing, conduct several fittings and advise on what look and feel is appropriate for the event. Every little detail counts, including how the dress photographs.

Stylists play a huge roll in the process but there’s no hard and fast rule as to how an actress comes upon her red carpet dress. After all, we’re quite sure the iconic swan dress of Bjork wasn’t stylist-approved.

“Sometimes, it could be as simple as the celebrity seeing an editorial featuring the designer's work and they get in touch, “ McInnes says.

And she would know.

“Last year, we had an A-Lister spot a Lucian Matis design in a magazine and came by our showroom because she wanted to wear one of his gowns on the red carpet for TIFF.”

I guess heading to the mall is passé?