Thanks to the rise of so-called ‘ugly’ fashion trends, colour clashing has become much more prevalent on the red carpet. The 71st Emmy Awards were no different, giving us a masterclass in how to ‘match’ red and pink hues.
We’ve had it drilled into us from an early age that it’s a colour combination you just don’t wear unless you want to give yourself a headache. But, fashion rules are made to be broken, and the Emmys purple carpet is the best place to do it.
Celebrities styled their colour clashing outfits in different ways, but it is interesting to see the similarities between them. Many women chose to wear fire engine red with a paler pink against it, and called upon various other trends of the moment to make their outfits fresh and modern.
Here are some of the best Valentine-themed outfits from the 2019 Emmys.
Susan Kelechi Watson wore a sleek red gown by Badgley Mischka, and gave it some extra drama with pale pink satin balloon sleeves and trailing bows. Voluminous sleeves was another major trend of the night, with several stars in red and pink employing this look.
Mandy Moore’s outfit also had pink puffy sleeves, but attached to a fire engine red skirt with a thigh-high slit. With the off-the-shoulder neckline of the dress and her big hair, Moore really was going for full Hollywood glamour.
The custom dress is by Brandon Maxwell, and the designer posted an emotional tribute to Moore on Instagram: "I have it on good authority that she’s even more beautiful on the inside, and that’s hard to do! A true joy to work with."
Watson and Moore star in the TV show This Is Us, and even though the work colleagues hadn’t planned for their gowns to match, they definitely seemed pleased about it on the purple carpet.
Both of the previous dresses have had similar vibes of sleek, streamlined silhouettes. Taraji P Henson’s take on the red and pink trend was a more ethereal; she wore custom Vera Wang, layers of pale pink tulle draped on the floor, accompanied by an even longer red cape. A major slit and a deep-V made sure the outfit was still sexy.
Zoe Kazan is known for her kitschy style, and this year’s Emmys was no different. A plain black dress was made into something altogether different with the addition of two giant shoulders in pink and maroon, feeding into a bow at Kazan’s waist. With the addition of bows and a 70s feel, this dress is instantly recognisable as Gucci.
Marisa Tomei went full couture for the Emmys, wearing a Ralph & Russo gown straight off the runway. Not only does this jump on board the pink and red trend, but it also ticks many other popular fashion boxes of the moment: an asymmetric neckline, shoulder detailing (just like Kazan’s outfit), and a cape she could really work on the red carpet.
A lot of these outfits remind us of Emma Stone’s Thakoon two-piece from the 2014 Met Gala.
At the time, two shades of pink was daring, which just shows how times have changed. Now it really would seem like pink and red has hit the mainstream – fashion ‘rules’ be damned.
