The 2019 Emmy Awards' Best Dressed Stars
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All the best dressed stars at the 2019 Emmy Awards walked the red carpet, dazzling everyone at home watching. Television's biggest night, the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, took place on Sept. 22, 2019, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, Calif. While the ceremony decided to go without a host for its 2019 ceremony, the show went off without a hitch — and, of course, your favorite stars dressed to impress.
As many viewers noticed, the 2019 Emmy Awards red carpet wasn't actually red at all — instead, celebrities posed for photographers while standing on a carpet with a deep purple hue. According to Rita Garcia, an anchor for Good Day LA, this purple color was chosen for its association with everything regal. "It's royalty," Garcia shared (via the Los Angeles Times). She continued, "They're honoring this year's Hollywood and television royalty."
There's no doubt that the stars in attendance at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards looked every bit the part of Hollywood royalty. From floor-sweeping ball gowns to Billy Porter's show-stopping statement accessory, television's most beloved stars made the purple carpet their personal runway. Here's a list of the best dressed stars at the 2019 Emmy Awards.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge was a winner at the 2019 Emmy Awards in more ways than one
If you didn't know her name before she was one of the best dressed stars at the 2019 Emmy Awards, you definitely do now. Phoebe Waller-Bridge owned the ceremony, picking up award after award for Fleabag — the Amazon dramedy series of which she is the creator and star.
Fleabag's second season marked the end of the series, making its multiple wins even more special. The show claimed four trophies throughout the evening: writing for a comedy series, director for a comedy series, outstanding lead actress in a comedy series, and outstanding comedy series. And while she likely didn't expect to be on the Emmys stage as much as she was, Waller-Bridge certainly wore a gown worthy of all the awards.
The writer and actress stunned on the Emmys' purple carpet, donning a sparkling Monique Lhuillier ball gown that looked as if it were ripped from the pages of a fairy tale. While her dress featured a dramatic, plunging neckline, Waller-Bridge kept her accessories to a minimum, foregoing a statement necklace and opting instead for Swarovski earrings and a few rose gold fashion rings.
Mandy Moore was pretty in pink (and red) at the 2019 Emmy Awards
A pop queen in the early 2000s, Mandy Moore is currently the queen of breaking fans' hearts with her role as Rebecca Pearson on NBC's hit show This Is Us. So it should come as no surprise that Moore attended the 2019 Emmy Awards looking like total red (or purple) carpet royalty.
The star rocked a color-block Brandon Maxwell dress, which featured an off-the-shoulder, hot pink bodice and a figure-hugging, fiery red skirt. With a plunging neckline and thigh-high leg slit, this look could best be described as old Hollywood glamour with a sultry twist. Moore accessorized with dazzling diamond jewelry from Forevermark — her sparkling drop earrings peeking through her loosely curled locks.
In an adorable twist of fashion fate, the actress behind Moore's onscreen daughter-in-law, Susan Kelechi Watson, donned a strikingly similar color palette. While it doesn't appear that the stars planned to have a twin moment at the 2019 Emmy Awards, they seemed to have been as delighted by the coincidence as the rest of us. Moore posted a photoset with Watson on Instagram, captioning it, "Always happy to be here and twinning with my girl."
Jameela Jamil proved she knows how to make headlines at the 2019 Emmy Awards
The Good Place star Jameela Jamil consistently uses her platform to call attention to important issues like toxic diet culture and celebrities using social media to shill potentially harmful products to their fans. "These people are selling hair growth gummies, but wearing extensions or photoshopping themselves to look slimmer and selling a weight loss shake," Jamil once told Elle UK. "There are so many lies being told and we've accepted that as a cultural norm." And it seems Jamil's determinedness to change that cultural norm is already shaking things up by effecting change (via The Guardian).
Given her activism, we were happy to see Jamil show up as one of the best dressed stars at the 2019 Emmy Awards. She looked simply stunning in a one-shoulder baby blue Monique Lhuillier ball gown. The star wore her long, jet black locks behind her shoulders, revealing to E! News that she did her own makeup for television's biggest night. "I always do my own!" Jamil exclaimed.
Gwendoline Christie won fans' hearts with this heavenly ensemble at the 2019 Emmy Awards
HBO's hit series Game of Thrones might have come to an end in 2019 with its eighth season — but it seems Gwendoline Christie (better known to Game of Thrones fans as Sir Brienne of Tarth) isn't quite ready to let go of the show that propelled her to fame.
Forgoing the traditional evening gown worn by most female celebrities to award ceremonies, Christie arrived as one of the best dressed stars at the 2019 Emmy Awards wearing a drapey dress you'd expect to see depicted in some sort of centuries-old, Medieval tapestry — or, you know, in Game of Thrones. According to Harper's Bazaar, Christie's regal number was designed by Gucci — and, according to fans on Twitter, the star's head-turning gown looked as if it came from the wardrobe of Jesus Christ himself. One Twitter user even posted a photo of Christie's look next to a depiction of Jesus, joking, "Now, I personally had accepted Gwendoline Christie as my lord and savior long ago, but I am glad it's catching on."
Billy Porter wasn't afraid to go bold at the 2019 Emmy Awards
Pose star Billy Porter arrived at the 2019 Emmy Awards wearing a black and silver Michael Kors suit featuring wide-leg trousers, an oversized scarf as a tie, and a dramatic, angular statement hat. Ahead of the ceremony, Porter hinted at his outfit in a piece he wrote for The Hollywood Reporter. "I want to do a little '70s disco throwback moment," the star revealed. He continued, writing, "It's a custom couture piece by Michael Kors, inspired by that line and his 2020 resort collection. It is very edgy, very on the pulse. ... It is a classic silhouette yet heightened."
Even more buzzworthy than his hat was Porter's historic win for outstanding lead actor in a drama series, making the star the first openly gay black man to take home the Emmy for that category (via the Television Academy). Addressing the star-studded crowd in his emotional acceptance speech (via CNN), Porter said, "We, as artists, are the people that get to change the molecular structure of the hearts and minds of the people who live on this planet. Please don't ever stop doing that. Please don't every stop telling the truth."
Zendaya made a splash at the 2019 Emmy Awards
All the best dressed stars at the 2019 Emmy Awards revealed show-stopping designer looks, but Zendaya just might have stolen the entire show with the emerald green number she donned for the evening.
The Euphoria actress arrived to the Emmys wearing a one-shouldered number designed by Vera Wang, which featured a sheer bodice, a sweetheart neckline, and a silky train with a thigh-high slit that would make even Angelina Jolie blush. With her red locks loosely curled and parted to one side, it was hard to admire Zendaya's Emmys look without immediately wanting to burst into singing "Part of Your World." She might not be playing Ariel in the live-action version of Disney's The Little Mermaid, but we think the Spiderman: Homecoming star should definitely consider slipping on a mermaid tail for Halloween.
Of course, Twitter had plenty to say about Zendaya's gorgeous green gown — and, unsurprisingly, fans were in love with her look. One Twitter user posted, "How is Zendaya so consistently perfect?? Not surprised, just impressed." Us too, girl. Us too.
Laverne Cox made a statement at the 2019 Emmy Awards
Laverne Cox is never one to disappoint on a red carpet. This gal knows how to dress for any occasion, and the 2019 Emmy Awards ceremony was no exception. The Orange Is the New Black star arrived to the Emmys in a dramatic, feathery ball gown designed by Monsoori, featuring an asymmetrical neckline and one-shoulder statement piece. Cox donned a fresh-faced makeup look, pulling her locks into a low-pony and accessorizing with Lorraine Schwartz statement earrings.
However, it was the star's custom clutch that had people talking. Designed by Edie Parker, Cox's clutch featured waves of rainbow hues, along with the words "Oct. 8," "Title VII," and "Supreme Court." The star's date, ACLU LGBT & HIV Project lawyer Chase Strangio, explained the meaning behind Cox's clutch. "October 8th, everyone should be aware that the [Trump] administration is asking the Supreme Court to make it legal to fire workers just because they're LGBTQ," Strangio told E! News (via Pride). Standing alongside Cox, Strangio continued, "So we really need to show up on October 8th and pay attention because our lives are really really on the line."
Talk about a statement piece!
Michelle Williams spoke her mind and showed off her style at the 2019 Emmy Awards
Michelle Williams has rarely left us disappointed with her red carpet looks throughout the years, and her purple carpet look at the 2019 Emmy Awards might just rank among our all-time favorites. The Fosse/Verdon star stunned in a show-stopping Louis Vuitton number, which featured all-over colorful embroidery work, along with a figure-hugging column silhouette and a sweetheart neckline. Williams styled her blonde bob into loose waves and opted for minimal accessories. Instead of a statement piece, the star let her acceptance speech do the talking for her.
After winning the award for outstanding lead actress in a limited television series or television movie for her role in Fosse/Verdon, Williams used her stage time to deliver a powerful speech on the importance of equality for women in the workplace. Addressing the crowd, Williams said, "I want to say thank you so much to FX and Fox 21 Studios for supporting me completely and for paying me equally, because they understood that when you put value into a person, it empowers that person to get in touch with their own inherent value."
Kristen Bell went for a dress as cheerful as she is at the 2019 Emmy Awards
Kristen Bell is quite a colorful character, as evidenced by pretty much every talk show appearance she's ever made. We all love her for her quirky, offbeat brand of humor — so, of course, we appreciated that Bell chose a colorful, beaded Dior gown as unique as she is to wear to the 2019 Emmy Awards. However, as the star's stylist, Nicole Chavez, told InStyle, there was more to Bell's ball gown than what met the eye.
Revealing that she always tries to find brands that "speak to [Bell's] socially conscious side," Chavez revealed to InStyle, "This collection showed in Marrakech and was, in essence, a love letter from Dior to Morocco," The celebrity stylist continued, "It featured local artisans, encouraged multi-nationalism, and was developed by the house's first female creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri. So, it checked off a lot of boxes for us."
Chavez also revealed that Bell's dazzling diamond accessories came courtesy of Harry Winston, though she was careful to choose pieces that didn't overshadow Bell's already dazzling dress.