It’s seen at movie premieres and big events, and the phrase “roll out the red carpets.” Why did red specifically become the color to welcome the rich n’ famous?
A red carpet was rolled out to a river to welcome the arrival of United States president James Monroe in 1821.[2] In 1902, the New York Central Railroad began using plush crimson carpets to direct people as they boarded their 20th Century Limited passenger train. This is believed to be the origin of the phrase “red-carpet treatment”.[3]
By the late 1920s the red carpet had become synonymous with Hollywood and film premieres. A crimson-hued carpet was used for the first ever Hollywood premiere, the 1922 premiere of Robin Hood, starring Douglas Fairbanks, in front of the Egyptian Theatre. For the following decades, the red carpet was one of the few places the public could catch a glimpse of stars like Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly.[4]
In 1961, the red carpet was introduced at the Academy Awards at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. In 1964, the broadcasters of the ceremony opted to film outside the venue, showing the arrival of guests as they stepped out of their limousines. From this point forward, the red carpet became a globally acknowledged focal point for actors and actresses to make a grand entrance and showcase themselves at the Oscars.[4]
Because it was already the colour of the rich and famous long before those kind of events? Basically after Tyrian purple no longer was the thing, kermes and cochineal and similar, very expensive, dyes were the indication of wealth and luxury. Even after synthetics became a thing, the associations no doubt lingered.