In what was a far cry from last year’s impersonal Zoom gala, first-time host Cedric the Entertainer brought the 73rd Emmy Awards back to life, celebrating television with an intimate in-person ceremony Sep. 19 at the Los Angeles Microsoft Theater. Nominees’ excitement to be back beamed throughout the ceremony, especially on the red carpet. From Michaela Coel’s enchanting neon two-piece to Bowen Yang’s avant-garde platform boots, here are The Daily Californian’s picks for best-dressed at this year’s Emmy Awards. 

Jason Sudeikis in Tom Ford

The “Ted Lasso” star dazzled in a deep turquoise velvet suit fresh off of Tom Ford’s Fall 2021 collection. After the unsurprising number of men in plain back suits at the Met Gala, the colored velvet — at the bare minimum — was an attractive approach to the former. The Apple TV Original Series swept the ceremony, winning in seven different categories,and Sudekis himself won for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. While the suit was not stylistically groundbreaking by any means, Ford’s prominence as an American designer fit perfectly with Sudeikis’s aura in channeling and celebrating his boldly American character Ted Lasso. 

Emma Corrin in custom Miu Miu

Emma Corrin wore a canary-colored custom satin Miu Miu dress paired with satin gloves, bonnet, and sharp stiletto nails in what she described as “crucible realness” on her Instagram. The sleek dress was conservative yet daring, especially with the addition of the cap covering her hair. Corrin was dressed by stylist Harry Lambert, who has also worked with the actress on her W Magazine and Cartier shoots. As of late, there’s been a collective theme in Lambert’s work with Corrin to push the actress into more playful looks through creating different personas — her Emmy’s look being no different. Her dress definitely did not fit the description of the classic Emmys gown, but it was uniquely Corrin, alluding to more daring, bold looks in the future. 

Michaela Coel in Christopher John Rogers

Michaela Coel and Christopher John Rogers are a match made in heaven. Coel was dressed in a custom neon yellow two-piece set perfectly complemented with matching yellow eyeliner and a jaw-dropping diamond necklace. Coel’s win as the black woman to ever take home Best Writing for a Drama Series for her work on HBO’s “I May Destroy You” was followed with a heartwarming speech dedicated to survivors of sexual assault. Seeing both Rogers and Coel find overwhelming success in the past year makes their collaboration for this year’s Emmys divinely timed. The Louisiana-born designer is known for winning the esteemed CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund award in 2019. Roger’s designs feature bold colors and distinctive silhouettes that are balanced between boisterous and graceful. With television and fashion being a predominately white-dominated space, both creatives continue to fashionably pave the way for those to come. 

Bowen Yang in Zenga

There was nothing funny about comedian Bowen Yang’s iconic red carpet look. The SNL star wore a well-fitting black suit from designer Zenga, glamming it up with a Tiffany and Co. brooch alongside chrome high-heeled boots. While the look might’ve scanned as underwhelming at first glance, Yang’s boots stole the show. They were designed by up-and-coming New York-based brand Syro, owned by duo Henry Bae and Shaobo Han. Syro specifically designs heeled boots for men, with both owners identifying as Asian within the queer community. Even though male artists and creatives have broken down masculine stereotypes through clothing at events in the past, Yang’s boots were enough to dazzle on the usually conventional Emmys red carpet. 

Yara Shahidi in Dior 

Shahidi stunned yet again in a kelly green Dior dress. The “Black-ish” star looked incredible just a week prior at the Met Gala (again in Dior) honoring Josephine Baker. Her look for the Emmys had a similar American inspiration: a 1950s silhouette, with an off-the-shoulder draped top, a belt cinching the waist and a flowy bottom that stopped at the ankle. The look was elegant, classy — very Dior. 

Kaitlin Clapinski covers fashion. Contact her [email protected].