An unofficial award ceremony for an official awards red carpet.
It’s back to regular programming with today’s 76th Emmy Awards taking place just seven months after the 75th Awards in January, where we last surveyed the most glamorous, most impactful red-carpet looks to kick off awards season.
Returning
Featuring an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for television, the small screen’s biggest night offered plenty of fashion to be inspired by.
Below, the Viva team dishes out their expert eyes on the best from the night.
Best strapless gown: Ayo Edebiri
A minimalist silhouette gets a maximalist makeover.
There was a lot of beautiful block colour on display at this year’s Emmy’s ceremony, so Ayo stood out (in a good way) in this brilliant print. The eye and light-catching dress is by Bottega Veneta, made with appliqué sequins that created a sort of leopard pattern. On the red carpet, The Bear star told Laverne Cox the design reminded her stylist Danielle Goldberg of the work of Gaetano Pesce, an Italian artist who recently passed away and collaborated with Bottega Veneta for Milan Design Week 2023.
Ayo herself described the column dress as having “Nollywood vibes”, a portmanteau of Nigeria and Hollywood. Ayo seems to really be enjoying Bottega Veneta at the moment, she wore an aquamarine short suit from the Italian fashion house to the premiere of Inside Out 2 in June, as well as a red and white printed cowl neck gown from the label’s fall 2024 collection for a promotional appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers that same month. — Tyson Beckett, multimedia journalist
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Best white shirt alternative: Dan Levy
A classic tux turned on its head? Why not.
Doing the honours of hosting the awards with father Eugene, Dan once again displays the unique sense of humour that works best when comedians get dressed for the serious business of award ceremonies. Opting for his red-carpet go-to Loewe designed by Jonathan Anderson, I love the way this look challenges the classic tuxedo with something skew-whiff; surrealist design is a hallmark of the designer, and offers a welcome reprieve from the formalities of these sorts of occasions. Styled by one of the best, Harry Lambert. — Dan Ahwa, creative and fashion director
Best use of fringe detail: Bowen Yang
Where embellishment was scant, the comedian made up for it with this playful trim.
The SNL star and actor-comedian provides tux relief in the form of this cool white Bode suit. It has a relaxed fit and offers a slick palette for the embroidered and tasselled shirt worn underneath. The shoes are also Bode’s signature house style, punctured with gold flowers. Other small, joyful embellishments are scattered throughout the outfit – from a brooch to a chain link necklace. The ensemble is styled by Michael Fisher, who has also dressed stars Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd and Oscar Isaac. — Madeleine Crutchley, multimedia journalist
Best neckline: Christine Baranski
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Advertise with NZME.The Gilded Age star keeps things suitably gilded.
There were several sculptural, interesting necklines on the night (see Dan Levy, Baby Reindeer’s Nava Mau, Hacks’ Hannah Einbinder) but the winning number came courtesy of this elegant custom Oscar de la Renta metallic gown. What makes this a winning look is how well it has been styled, with complementary earrings and embellished satin Gianvito Rossi heels in red. Kudos to stylist Cristina Ehrlich for getting the balance right. — Dan Ahwa, creative and fashion director
Best use of texture: Kirsten Wiig
A textural Oscar de la Renta number with the Midas touch.
I couldn’t quite get behind Palm Royale, the late 1960s Florida set comedy-drama for which Kristen Wiig was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. But I’m glad it exists if only to bring us her in this metallic basketweave Oscar de la Renta number. I love how textural it is (it reminds me visually of Harakeke), though it’s likely a challenge to sit through a ceremony in. Given the heft of the gown, keeping the rest of the styling paired back was a wise choice. — Tyson Beckett, multimedia journalist
Best accessory: Jonathan Bailey
A classic black-tie accessory reimagined.
Much of what the Bridgerton star chooses to wear on the red carpet has the perfect sense of nonchalance. Languid shirts and tuxedos that are maybe half an inch more relaxed. Today this use of a cummerbund is a great surprise, and just the right amount of support for a silky shirt that could otherwise veer toward sleaze-town. — Dan Ahwa, creative and fashion director
Best use of colour: Da’Vine Joy Randolph
In a sea of ubiquitous blacks and neutrals, Da’Vine was a ray of light.
It’s not easy to pull off a bright colour on a red carpet, and while many of Da’Vine’s red carpet choices have veered towards ideas plucked out of that old-Hollywood glamour playbook, this time she turned it up a notch in a Grace Jones-inspired Sophie Couture gown that draped beautifully, complemented with Bulgari Serpenti jewels. It’s the right amount of edge that made this a standout. — Dan Ahwa, creative and fashion director
Most romantic gown: Greta Lee
Body-con gowns be gone – floating dresses are here to stay.
Attending the awards with her first nomination for her role as Stella Bak in The Morning Show, Greta Lee opts for a fresh Loewe gown. This look showcases the actor’s smarts with handling elaborate garments that could look overly fussy. A waterfall of sheer lace drapes from the structural neckline of this romantic dress, but Greta flees from the bridal realm with ostentatious gems and heavy brows. — Madeleine Crutchley, multimedia journalist
Most intellectual outfit: Sarah Paulson
When Prada looks most at home.
There are people who put Prada on and make it look like it’s come from Forever New. Then there are people like Sarah who put Prada on and suddenly it all makes sense. What could have been complicated to pull off, she manages to make look easy. A trifecta of ideas – a blue dress, an underskirt, a trailing bow – could have looked like a hot mess on anybody else. — Dan Ahwa, creative and fashion director
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About Last Night: Rena Owen’s Custom Zambesi Gown For The ‘Whina’ Premiere. The beloved New Zealand actor teamed up with iconic brand Zambesi for a seminal red-carpet look.
