Your stylist gives your shoulder one last squeeze before the car door opens.

The flash of bulbs hits you like a wave.

Then, the red carpet stretches out before you—a crimson river under the blinding white lights. Your heels sink slightly into the plush fabric as you take your first step.

A row of photographers is already shouting.

A few paces ahead, a woman in a shimmering green dress trips slightly on her heel, catches herself, and laughs it off to the cameras. Bad Bunny, in a perfectly tailored white suit, is posing for a selfie with a fan just past the media pit.

You’re on the carpet now. The music from inside pulses faintly through the walls.