I’m a Fashion Editor and These Were by Far My Favorite Emmys Red Carpet Looks

Textures were a hot theme of the evening, with plenty of sequins, rhinestones, feathers and ruffles to go around. But my absolute favorite person to play with texture all evening was Britt Lower of Severence. Her custom Calvin Klein gown, in an equally unexpected rusty orange-red hue, was artfully designed to appear wrinkled in the bodice in a truly fascinating way. This dress definitely made me do a double take (maybe even a triple take) to figure out exactly what was going on. And any red carpet dress that makes you want to lean in for a closer look, whether you like it or hate it, is a definite winner in my book.

In the same way Lower’s gown made me want to zoom in to get a better look at the details, Ruth Negga’s Prada number gets stranger and stranger the more I look at it—and I mean that in the absolute best possible way. At first glance, I assumed the print was a water color floral. But looking closer I realize those aren’t elegant blooms at all, but satellites and clouds and fungus maybe? What exactly is happening with the bottom half of her dress? I’m not quite sure yet, but you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be trolling stylists all over Instagram until I find someone who knows the full story.

As much as I love red carpet looks that push the envelope, I’m also a total sucker for a classic nod to old Hollywood. This particular Emmys didn’t have quite so many old-school looking gowns, but Katherine LaNasa’s really stood out to me. The Jason Wu design is just the right shade of ivory, and combined with the Robin’s egg blue details it’s giving me all the vintage vibes. The neckline is so interesting too, with a very pointed V made softer with that satin bow across the bust. Just gorgeous, and oh-so classic.

Mark my words, peridot (or chartreuse if you’d rather) is going to be the color of fall 2025, and I’m delighted to see Isa Briones being an early adopter of the trend. Here tonight with the cast of The Pitt, Briones made a big swing by opting for this Erik Charlotte gown in such a brilliant green hue, but I think she pulls it off flawlessly. Add to that the dramatic cut of the hips, fun mix of textured and the floor-grazing navy and cerulean ribbons adorning her up-do, and it become very clear that Briones is not afraid of taking risks on the red carpet. She’ll definitely be one to watch in the coming years.

Jenna Ortega has swiftly become one of my favorite celebrities to see walk a red carpet. The gal knows how to have fun and seems to really be living her best Wednesday Addams-inspired life. This Givenchy stunner is a modern twist on Isabella Rossellini’s iconic ensemble in Death Becomes Her, and is done just oh-so beautifully. The size and positioning of the gems, the cut of the skirt, her hair and makeup—all of it just looks so perfectly Ortega. I truly couldn’t picture anyone else wearing this look. It’s definitely a 10/10 for me.