Emmy Awards 2019: From Billy Porter to Sophie Turner, our picks of the good, bad and ugly on purple carpet

At this year’s Emmys red carpet, while there were some impressive fashion sightings, the situation overall was rather dry and generally uninteresting. A questionable trend of red and pink was seen floating around in the Emmy bubble. Considering just how hard it is to make these two colours work together, it would be better to keep the general expectations low.

Good

Billy Porter

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Porter is one of those few celebrities, who one can tell, genuinely loves fashion. Keeping his style history in mind that featured a tuxedo ball gown at the Oscars, a rainbow gown at the Tonys, and a dramatic winged Egyptian outfit at the Met Gala, this was relatively low-key. Sporting a black custom Michael Kors crystal embroidered jacket and trousers with a Stephan Jones avant-garde hat and Oscar Heyman jewelry, Billy managed to give us one of the most remarkable looks of the night.

Many people already expected him to win that night so Billy, being one of the most influential voices of the LGBTQ+ community, took that opportunity, and presented us with an image for the ages. The first openly gay African-American man to win Best Actor (Drama) looked like an absolute icon when he went to get that Emmy.

Billy Porter at Emmy Awards 2019

Gwendoline Christie

Twitter exploded the moment she stepped on the purple carpet, and for good reason! Gwendoline looked like an actual royal, and all the Catholic imagery only enhanced her royalty more. Gucci is known for its over-the-top, downright campy designs, so to take all that bling, and execute it in such a glorious fashion, was an absolute treat.

Gwendoline Christie at Emmy Awards 2019

Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth wore a vintage 1963 Valentino black and white gown with a sheer neckline and long flowy, feathery sleeve cuffs. It is minimalist enough to suit her style preferences, but dramatic enough to leave an impression. Classic Hollywood glamour to a T.

Gwyneth Paltrow at Emmy Awards 2019

Kendall Jenner

This was Kendall’s first time at the Emmys, and she definitely left a strong impression. Sporting a marvelously fitted Richard Quinn gown that juxtaposed bright red florals with a black latex neckline and shoulders, she looked great. The fitting of the gown was impeccable and enhanced her height.

Kendall Jenner at Emmy Awards 2019

Kerry Washington

In a sea of gowns, Kerry effortlessly stood out in a fabulous black and white sequined Alexandre Vauthier ensemble. It is comfortable, and you can tell she is loving herself here. Easily, one of her best looks until now.

Kerry Washington at Emmy Awards 2019

Mandy Moore

Mandy is one of the few celebs of the night who made the combination of red and pink work so perfectly. The fitting of this Brandon Maxwell dress was beautiful, and I love the side slit and extra fabric of the bodice, which walked the line between classy and sensual. Also, that hairstyle and makeup was simply stunning.

Mandy Moore at Emmy Awards 2019

Michelle Williams

Michelle is another LV girl, and one look at her recent style history will have you raising eyebrows at her questionable partnership with the brand. Still (surprisingly), I really like this particular look. It is simple and classy like she prefers, but also leaves a significant enough impression. I absolutely love the colour and crystal embroidery that captures the attention of the viewer.

Michelle Williams at Emmy Awards 2019

Natasha Lyonne

Natasha has always played with trends, and opted for outfits that are distinct enough to never put her in a box. So just like her past looks, this dramatic gold metallic Gucci dress kept things edgy enough to suit her personality, but also glamorous enough to be event-appropriate. The garment moves on her body without overpowering her. In this one case, a bow made things better.

Natasha Lyonne at Emmy Awards 2019

Niecy Nash

Niecy has consistently given us jaw-dropping looks, and she only added another one to her file. The fitting of this Christian Siriano gown is gorgeous, and I love the matching turban. It is bold, sexy, and gorgeous.

Niecy Nash at Emmy Awards 2019

Sandra Oh

Sandra looked gorgeous in a pale pink form-fitting dress by Zac Posen. The craftsmanship that went into the dress is abundantly clear and highly appreciated as the end result was so classy.

Sandra Oh at Emmy Awards 2019

Zendaya

Sporting a green Vera Wang dress, Zendaya looked simply marvelous. I am generally not a fan of a corseted bodice but I love it here. Also, the transition from bodice to the skirt with a swift draping around the waist, that eventually ended with a wide sensual slit, was an absolute delight to watch.

Zendaya at Emmy Awards 2019

Bad

Amy Poehler

As much as I love how comfortable she looks, the scrunched-up waist of this Greta Constantine jumpsuit gave the outfit a very amateurish appearance, which definitely does not suit event.

Amy Poehler at Emmy Awards 2019

Angela Bassett

It is a testament to Angela’s empowering aura because it almost always manages to conceal her ill-fitted garments. Here, fitting is not as big of a problem as is the general design, that featured an oddly shaped neckline and a semi-cape that seemed confused in itself. The addition of that bag only added to the randomness of the look.

Angela Bassett at Emmy Awards 2019

Emilia Clarke

As nice the colour looked on her, the plunging neckline-cum-shoulder straps made things rather weird. The difference in fabrics between the top and bottom half of the Valentino dress did not help the situation much either. I love her hair-makeup. It complimented the minimalist look she was going for. But as a whole, the dress just did not do it for me.

Emilia Clarke at Emmy Awards 2019

Indya Moore

Louis Vuitton have not had the best track record when it comes to red carpet looks in the past 10 years. So Indya being a LV girl, naturally gave an average-at-best look. While I like the two slits, and how the fabric falls, the corseted bodice is simply not right. The ill-fitted cups (intentional, I am assuming), and hoop-ring zip in the middle, are making things downright unattractive. I like the finishing touches, and her hair-makeup was nice, but as a whole, not a fan.

Indya Moore at Emmy Awards 2019

Lena Headey

Lena likes a good floral dress. While the colour and print are nice, the design by Brock Collection simply did not reach the Emmys standard. The pleats on the cuffs and waist only made things busier. That black bow did not help the situation much either.

Lena Headey at Emmy Awards 2019

Maisie Williams

Maisie opted to keep things relatively youthful with a black, semi-sheer, semi-embroidered JW Anderson midi dress. It’s a nice enough dress and she did look good in it, but for television’s biggest night, it was undoubtedly an underwhelming choice.

Maisie Williams at Emmy Awards 2019

Phoebe Waller-Bridge

While not a fashion icon, Phoebe’s style has always been distinct – bright and sharp. Even though it was nice to see her in a classic princess gown, the dress in itself was not anything special. Considering the number of times this particular design has been worn on the red carpet, the choice felt rather generic. Still, it is a testament to her charm she even made this downer of a dress work for herself.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge at Emmy Awards 2019

Taraji P Henson 

Taraji was one of the women who opted for a red and pink gown. While it is clear she can work the colour combo, the Vera Wang look is not nearly as good as one would hope for it to be. The double-layering of the tulle gave way to the visible underlining underneath, that just looked ugly. It is a deal-breaker.

Taraji P Henson at Emmy Awards 2019

Ugly

Amy Adams

Amy’s style is relatively unadventurous. Despite asking for more interesting looks, she has found herself a comfortable niche in blue and white plain dresses. That is why this Fendi look was so painful to witness. The colour does absolutely nothing for her. The nude dress underneath the sheer overlay looked like a potato sack. The feather appliques were nice, but sadly they were not enough to save the look. 

Amy Adams at Emmy Awards 2019

Kathyrn Newton

While I adore the colour on her, this Ralph Lauren piece is hilariously weird. The fabric of the skirt is nice but the asymmetrical hemline made things awkward. As for the matching waistcoat, I do not understand the purpose of that here. 

Kathryan Newton at Emmy Awards 2019

Sophie Turner

Sophie is yet another Louis Vuitton girl. Well, it was not a good look. The colour completely washes her out. The nude makeup did not help the situation. The fitting of the dress was not great, the fabric falls awkwardly, and the silhouette is just dowdy.

Sophie Turner at Emmy Awards 2019

All images from Twitter.