At the 75th Emmy Awards, young Hollywood proved the future is, in fact, bright.
Awards season continues with television’s biggest awards night taking place today in Los Angeles after being postponed in September, 2023, due to the ongoing writers’ and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
A parade of fashion made its way down
Taking place at the Peacock Theatre, nominated frontrunners included The Crown, Succession, The White Lotus and The Last of Us.
Unfortunately for the stars lining up to have their photos taken, they had to battle with one of the worst step-and-repeat backdrops we’ve seen so far.
Nevertheless, the fashion on display offered up a glimmer of hope as the future of Hollywood served up some unique red-carpet looks.
Adam DiMarco, Ayo Edibiri, Tyler James Williams, Young Mazino, and Courtney Eaton were just some of the promising bright young things who are showcasing that it is quite possible to have a personality on the red carpet without subscribing to the conventions of a dress code.
Vintage treasures, leather cocktail dresses, skew-whiff tuxedos and dresses constructed with giant collage flowers are the types of shapes and textures that challenge the status quo.
Here we take a look at the looks that made the most impact.
Some notable omissions here: Jeremy Allen White and Elizabeth Debicki, who although looked great in their respective custom Giorgio Armani and custom Christian Dior, played the type of safe card that only good-looking people have the privilege of getting away with.
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Ayo Edibiri
The star of The Bear continues her sartorial winning streak as one of this season’s best up-and-coming red-carpet dressers thanks in part to her collaborative efforts with super stylist Danielle Goldberg. For today’s event, the pair selected this sculptural leather Louis Vuitton tulip cocktail dress with the simple addition of a tennis chain and black sandals. Fresh from winning her nominated award at both the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, Ayo once again took out her category for best supporting female actor in a TV series for her season two performance, dedicating her speech to her parents.
“This is a show about family and found family and real family and my parents are here tonight and I’m making them sit far away from me because I’m a bad kid but thank you. Thank you so much for loving me and letting me feel beautiful and Black and proud of all of that. I love you so much. Probably not a dream to immigrate to this country and have your daughter go ‘I wanna do improv’ but you are real ones.”
Keri Russell
What’s not to admire about this explosion of silk from Alexandre Vauthier’s fall 2023 couture collection? Keri hits the right mark with a cocktail dress that could have swamped her but with the right balance of styling, is quite possibly one of her best red-carpet appearances ever. A home run.
Adam DiMarco
The simple cut of this Dior Homme suit is a tonic to some of the more outré menswear looks we’ve been witnessing lately (here’s looking at you, Barry Keoghan) and the White Lotus star creates plenty of impact with very little effort with this sleek tailoring.
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Simona Tabasco
She had the final victory in the last season of White Lotus, and the Italian actor is here to remind us of her star power in this full-skirted Marni creation by creative director Francesco Risso. Teamed with pink satin pumps, the playfully constructed dress features a collage of riotous flowers enlarged for maximum impact, styled by Ramona Tabita.
Tyler James Williams
The actor and rapper is possibly best known for his role in Everybody Hates Chris, but he’s also made an impact in his recent role as Gregory Eddie in Abbott Elementary. Another example of a tux sans shirt, Tyler takes things further in this leather tailoring from Dolce & Gabbana styled with Cartier jewellery.
Dulcé Sloan
The longtime correspondent on The Daily Show, standup comedian and author radiates in this gold sequin gown with cut-away sleeves, keeping the styling fresh and simple.
Sophie Thatcher
The Yellowjackets star ditches her tomboy threads from the hit TV show for this satin olive sheath gown. Not an easy colour to pull off, especially with this high-shine texture, but its minimalist shape, long sleeves and elegant neckline make this look a standout in its simplicity.
Courtney Eaton
Fellow Yellowjackets co-star Courtney also keeps things sleek in a sheer lace Jason Wu design from the brand’s fall 2023 collection. Courtney, who has Māori roots from her mother’s side, also stars in Brittany Snow’s recent directorial debut Parachute.
Aubrey Plaza
I can’t imagine anyone else wearing a lemon-hued gown with a giant sewing needle emerging from the bust, but camp is what Aubrey does best. The White Lotus star makes an impact with this suitably eccentric choice from Loewe spring/summer 2024. The brand is synonymous with a surrealist point of view. The irreverent design provided the perfect surprise in a sea of ubiquitous sequin gowns. Revisit our conversation with Loewe designer Jonathan Anderson and what luxury means now.
Young Mazino
Yes, we get it, there’s Jacob Elordi and Timothée Chalamet, but can we take a moment to give credit to another young actor with strong style credentials, like Young Mazino? The star of Netflix series Beef is set to appear in season two of The Last of Us. This custom Givenchy look is one of the last from outgoing creative director Matthew M. Williams, who announced his departure from the brand in December. A sharp black tuxedo is given a contemporary feel with stomping loafers and hardware jewellery.
Issa Rae
Living out her best Dreamgirls fantasy in this Pamella Roland spring/summer 2024 ostrich feather and sequin cape dress, the Barbie star makes a convincing case for some 60s retro glamour. The antithesis of ‘quiet luxury’ we hope to see more unapologetic glamour like this as awards season unfolds.
Jessica Chastain
Is this what they mean by fashion peacocks? From young Hollywood to a more established name, the red-carpet favourite doesn’t disappoint with a bold chartreuse Gucci gown styled with Reza jewellery by Elizabeth Stewart. Jessica has developed a flamboyant approach to award-dressing, which sets the bar high for any other actor looking to experiment with their fashion. Jessica is nominated for outstanding lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie for the biopic George & Tammy, in which she stars as country singer Tammy Wynette.
Donald Glover
I love Donald’s eternally cool fashion choices, but more importantly, he seems like he doesn’t care what anyone thinks about what he’s wearing, which is an attitude everyone should try and harness. For a look that could have been plucked straight out of someone’s grandmother’s closet — slip-on shoes included — Donald’s confidence carries this and in the process, challenges the sometimes banal look of a classic tuxedo. For those plugged into TikTok trends, you’ll recognise this Bode fall 2023 look is the perfect example of dressed-up ‘grandpa-core’. Jewels by Cartier.
Lizzy Caplan
It’s a rarity to see a Yohji Yamamoto design on a red carpet, the veteran Japanese designer unaccustomed to the political whims around red-carpet dressing. What’s even better is that this unique design is a vintage treasure from the designer’s spring 1999 collection, sourced from legendary vintage archival fashion rental destination Artifact New York.
