Television stars wore playfully glamorous fashion on the silver carpet Monday night as the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards celebrated the small screen’s biggest names and top shows.
The event was supposed to take place in September 2023, but last year’s Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes meant it had to be postponed for the first time since 2001.
Audiences might be ready for more Hollywood award shows, too, if ratings are any indication. The Golden Globes, which aired earlier this month, drew about 50% more viewers than its 2023 event. In addition, many of the television shows up for awards on Monday featured stars with big followings, including actor Jeremy Allen White from “The Bear,” who was recently featured in an ad campaign for Calvin Klein.
Fashion looks on Monday night were colorful and fun, with cheeky plays on genderful tuxedo dressing and colorful interpretations of eveningwear in lush satin, rich velvet and sheer tulle. For consumer daywear, this might translate to casual velvet jackets paired with jeans, or tuxedo elements added to everyday outfits. However, fashion brands should also expect a colorful prom and wedding season, and a return to exuberant special occasion dressing as the year progresses.
Here, some of the biggest trends from this year’s Emmys.
Polar opposites
All-black tuxes contrasted with head-to-toe cream looks, and both trends showcased monochrome minimalist elegance.
Actor Sheryl Lee Ralph wore a fishtail cream tux-style gown by Christian Siriano, while actor Issa Rae wore a feathered floor-length caftan gown from Pamella Roland’s spring-summer 2024 collection. Actor Joy Sunday showed off a white off-the-shoulder Safiyaa pantsuit with an attached train. White wore a cream double-breasted Giorgio Armani jacket over a white shirt.
On the other end of the spectrum were plenty of pitch-black tuxedos paired with black shirts, ties and shoes. Actors Lionel Boyce, Edwin Lee Gibson, Kevin Alves, Brett Goldstein and Theo James, as well as writer and actor Will Sharpe, all sported all-over black. The color was also seen on actor Niecy Nash-Betts, who wore a custom Greta Constantine velvet and satin tuxedo-esque gown, while actor Lizzy Caplan wore a sweeping vintage Yohji Yamamoto floor-length black dress, actor Elizabeth Debicki wore black velvet Christian Dior Haute Couture and actor Laverne Cox wore form-fitting strapless vintage Thierry Mugler.
Offbeat tuxedos
When the tuxedos weren’t all black or traditional, the common theme was unusual styling, and bare-chested looks were popular. Actors Liv Hewson, who dropped out of Emmy consideration due to the show’s lack of a genderless category, showed off their top surgery scar in a sweeping Moschino tailcoat, while actor Tyler James Williams went shirtless under a black leather Dolce & Gabbana suit. Bobby Berk was also bare beneath his Banana Republic x Peter Do suit. Actor and TikTok style influencer Reece Feldman, also shirtless, accented his black Saint Laurent tux with a sheer floor length draped shawl.
Meanwhile, unusual colors were everywhere. Actor Joseph Lee wore a pale gray suit and a see-through shirt, while actor Chris Perfetti’s tux was navy. Bill Hader’s tux from Dior Men was silver, as were the tuxedos worn by Brian Cox and Kumail Nanjiani. Donald Glover and Anthony Anderson, who wore an Etro tuxedo, both sported black suits embellished with floral embroidery, while actor Kevin Pollak and musician Michael Trotter Jr. of band The War and Treaty both wore pink velvet jackets. Meanwhile, Joel Kim Booster wore a brown Todd Snyder tux, Anthony Carrigan had a cowhide jacket and RuPaul paired a black sequined tuxedo with a hot pink shirt.
Balletcore and all its associated frills is evolving and maturing, but it’s not going away. On Monday, ballerina-length dresses that showed off sky-high heels were seen on actors including Ayo Edebiri, who wore custom Louis Vuitton; Quinta Brunson, who wore Dior Haute Couture; Jenna Ortega, who also wore Dior Haute Couture; Simona Tabasco, who dressed in Marni; Tracee Ellis Ross, who wore a sculptural white in Balmain dress; and Alfie Fuller, whose floofy pink tulle ballet dress was pure fantasy. Claire Danes wore a pink vintage Balmain dress, which shows that Barbiecore is also still at play.
Ballet themes were also seen in the flounced and sheer floaty layers on Annaleigh Ashford, who wore pale neutral ruffles; Sammi Hanratty, who wore soft pink, Jasmin Savoy Brown, who wore sheer gray Givenchy; Riley Keough, who wore see-through Chanel; Courtney Eaton, who wore sheer black Jason Wu; and reality star and fashion designer Jenna Lyons, who wore floor-length sheer black shirting.
Gemstone shades
Bold jewel tones of red, wine, burgundy and plum looked rich and lush against the silver carpet. Actor Rachel Brosnahan wore a dark plum laced-up and corseted Versace gown with a thigh-high slit, while actor Taraji P. Henson wore a fitted custom Atelier Versace in a bright shade of purple, and actor Amy Poehler wore dark burgundy sequins from Roland Mouret.
Meanwhile, purple’s brighter cousin red was also a popular color in both dark and bright shades. Actor Juliette Lewis wore dark red sequins from Moschino, actor Sarah Snook wore a sweeping lipstick-red Vivienne Westwood, actor Camila Morrone wore a rich red Atelier Versace gown and actor Katherine Heigl wore a strapless red custom Reem Acra dress. Also in red were Meghann Fahy in Armani; actor Suki Waterhouse, who showed off her baby bump in Valentino; actor Janelle James, whose red Rodarte gown featured shoulder bows; and actor Emily Hampshire, who wore a bright red Carolina Herrera gown.
Hints of spring
Even though it’s the middle of winter, spring-like green shades ranging from neon and lime to olive and emerald were all over the silver carpet. Actor Rhea Seehorn wore a sparkling lime Naeem Khan gown, while celebrity Padma Lakshmi wore a full-skirted lime green Marchesa dress and actor Jessica Chastain wore a neon-green Gucci gown. There were also paler shades of green, including actor Hannah Waddingham’s seafoam green sheer Marchesa dress, actor J. Smith-Cameron’s deep green gown, actor Sophie Thatcher’s chartreuse Saint Laurent column gown and author Taylor Jenkins Reid’s emerald skirt. Suits also went green, including actor Bella Ramsey’s olive green Prada suit, and green velvet tuxedos on actors Ronald Gladden and Tatanka Means.
