google says the GQ Men of the Year awards 1998 event was broadcast in October 1998, she was born in November 1984.
I don't think the absence of Scarlett's parents in these photographs was exceptional, pictures of Kirsten Dunst or the Fanning sisters on red carpets/events as child actresses also show them photographed alone so I assumed that Scarlett's parents were with her at the event, just off camera or something.
Back on the subject of fashion - it's interesting to see her in such very 90s styles, she discarded them once she broke out and had Annabel Tollman styling her (also the trends just changed, I think she found her groove with that 'old Hollywood but make it youthful' feel Annabel found for her) but it'd be cool if she could revisit some of these looks.