Red carpet prep can be pretty intense.
A hairstylist, makeup artist, manicurist and stylist can all be hovering around a celebrity at any given moment. Then there are assistants, managers, brand associates and even the glam squad's assistants in the room.
So when E! News joined designer Rebecca Minkoff and her date, Olivia Culpo, at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge just before the 2018 CFDA Awards, chaos was expected…but never realized.
Instead, the designer and fashion influencer were relaxed, calm and sipping on a Froseccó cocktail, courtesy of Ruffino Wine, before getting ready for the big night. The duo met while both Rebecca and Olivia served as judges on Project Runway. Flash forward to Monday night, where they share how they worked together on Olivia's bright yellow maxi-dress.
"Rebecca sent me a number of sketches of different outfit options. I chose the sketch that I liked the most," Olivia explained. "At that point we didn't have any colors picked out, and then I went back and forth with her with a few colors I liked, she suggested a few colors, and then we kind of just picked the color we both loved."
It was a collaboration of creative minds, which is exactly the mantra Rebecca is trying to share with her collection.
"I think what I'm trying to do is change the sort of ‘she-ro' mentality—the ‘I did it all by myself; I'm alone in this.' We're a community of women," said the designer. "I'm here because a lot of great women supported me. And how do we as a community galvanize, change the world and do better things together? Yes, we can love a bag, but how can we be more empowered if we're stronger together, and we all try to help each other out, and lift each other up?"
At its most basic form, this means sharing information, like easy tips on how to look and feel your best self. Although it can take one to two hour to get ready for a red carpet event, drinking "water really helps," urged Olivia. "Getting the sleep that you can helps."
Just make sure you don't drink too much before the event starts.
"I just had a liter of water, so I'm going to say, ‘Don't have a liter of water right before the carpet,' because bathrooms are not accessible," she added. "I also think that practicing a pose in your outfit beforehand is really valuable…even taking a picture. I've had wardrobe malfunctions where I didn't realize how see-through something is, so you want to make sure that with the flash, it will still read as you would like."
Even if you're not going to going to a red-carpet event, no one likes feeling bloated.
"I would say drink some parsley water if you'd like to de-bloat naturally," noted Rebecca. "And to have a charger in your bag."
There's a world that needs running, ladies and gentlemen.