WHO WORE WHAT?.....2019 Emmy Awards Red Carpet: My Top 15 BEST DRESSED!

Best Fab--Five of my Best Dressed Ladies from the 2019 Emmy Awards Red Carpet (L to R) Emanuela Popstacchini, Rachel Brosnahan, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Regina King and Kendall Jenner

 Best Gown-ed--(L to R) Julia Garner, Mandy Moore, MJ Rodriguez, Michelle Williams, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge--71st Annual Emmy Awards Red Carpet

Sunday night was the 71st Annual Emmy Awards and the red (it was actually purple) carpet shined with lots of the actresses looking fabulous in their best couture. Several trends came through (as always) including COLOR (pink-and-red combos), mint (green and blue) as well as shimmering dresses, full "Princess" ball gowns, and slits/peek-a-boo skin...Let's take a look at my TOP 15 BEST DRESSED, beginning with THE DIVA, Catherine Zeta-Jones:

Catherine Zeta-Jones in Georges Hobeika Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2019--Leave it to Catherine Zeta-Jones to always show how it is done...on the red carpet. Zeta Jones looked regal and flawless as always, here wearing a strawberry pink-red silk chiffon gown from Lebanese designer Georges Hobeika Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2019 collection. The gown featured a hand-draped and gathered bodice with dramatic cape, side slit and nude illusion neckline giving a peek-a-boo aspect at the top. Perfectly matching strappy heels and an elegant center-parted hairstyler finished it all off. Brava!

Michelle Williams in custom Louis Vuitton--Best Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Television Movie winner Michelle Williams wore this custom-made sequined gown from Louis Vuitton. The dress featured Chinoiserie-like crystal embroidery and perfectly fitting column shape.

Rachel Brosnahan in Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2019--"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" actress Rachel Brosnahan looked beautiful in this deep mint blue gown from Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2019. The completely sequined gown featured a wrap-like neckline, ruffled peplum, side drape, and high side slit. It was one of my TOP FAVORITE looks.

Gwyneth Paltrow in vintage Valentino Couture 1963--Gwyneth Paltrow wore this exquisite example of vintage Alta Moda design from her favorite couturier (and friend) Valentino. The black and white gown (which I immediately knew was Valentino when I first saw it!) was from Valentino's Couture archives from 1963. It featured a white silk duchesse skirt attached to a silk velvet and sheer black silk chiffon neckline panel. The perfect 60's flourish was those feathered sleeves.

Here is the original sketch and gown:

Valentino Haute Couture 1963

Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Monique Lhuillier--"Fleabag" actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge was resplendent in this nude-colored gown from Monique Lhuillier. The tulle gown had a plunging neckline and heavy-to-light gold sequin paillettes trickling up and down from the waist.

Julia Garner in Cong Tri Ready-to-Wear Spring 2020--Winner of the Outstanding Supporting Actress Emmy for "Ozark", actress Julia Garner wore a purple silk chiffon gown from Vietnamese designer Cong Tri. The one-sleeved dress was part of Tri's Spring/Summer 2020 Ready-to-Wear collection shown recently at NY Fashion Week and featured a beautifully gathered bodice that fanned out to a full skirt with a dramatic train and cut-out side. I loved the color, dramatic and sexy shape and the fact that yes, you actually can wear purple on a purple carpet.

Kendall Jenner in Richard Quinn Spring/Summer 2020--I know, Kendall is an actual model and almost six feet tall and a size 2, so yes, she could look good in a "Hefty Bag", as they say. Still, she looked DIVINE....dramatic, runway-worthy! I absolutely love it when people make dramatic red carpet statements and Kendall did that with this modern take on a gown. British designer Richard Quinn is known for his bold prints and bolder shapes and was featured in the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute "Camp" Exhibition (and had Queen Elizabeth attend his runway show!). This mermaid-shaped body-hugging gown features an outstanding corset top and beautifully pleated bottom skirt section, but more importantly, I love the unexpected black latex turtleneck top; it's NAUGHTY pretty!

Marisa Tomei in Ralph & Russo Couture Fall/Winter 2019--Marisa Tomei wore that pink-and-red color combination that we saw several examples of at Sunday's Emmys red carpet. Tomei's one-shoulder dress was from UK design duo Ralph & Russo and their Couture collection for Fall/Winter 2019. The silk chiffon gown had a beautifully draped top section with bow-tied details at the shoulder and waist and featured a super sexy high side slit.

Mandy Moore in Brandon Maxwell-- Pink silk gazar off-the-shoulder blouse with red crepe skirt with side slit.

Susan Kelechi Watson in Badgley Mischka Spring/Summer 2020--"This Is Us" actress Susan Kelechi Watson wore this off-the-shoulder gown in THE SAME COLOR combination as Mandy Moore's Brandon Maxwell, making her look a sure-fire will-make-it-on-Emmys-Red-Carpet-Trends line-up! The dress was from Badgley Mischka Spring/Summer 2020 collection and featured a simple column shape with beautiful and dramatic billowing sleeves...

Color Blocking Ladies--Susan and Mandy posed for Instagram to celebrate their perfect color combination choices at the 2019 Emmy Awards

MJ Rodriguez in custom Jason Wu--"Pose" star MJ Rodriguez who plays "Blanca", wore this hot pink silk taffeta gown from American designer Jason Wu. I loved the color, shape and dramatic statement the dress made even before MJ walked onto the red--I mean purple--carpet. The gathering at the plunging neckline top was beautiful and I also liked the black bow side waist details.

Regina King in custom Jason Wu--Mint was another hot color at the 2019 Emmy Awards and actress Regina King was one of the Best Dressed in mint. King also chose Jason Wu for her gown, a halter-neck gathered silk chiffon dress with sequined details at the top bodice. I also loved the satin harness-like details, giving a Gladiator-like look.

Jameela Jamil in Monique Lhuillier--Another mint-colored beauty was the gown worn by British actress Jameela Jamil. Her dress was by Monique Lhuillier and featured a draped off-the-shoulder full-skirted silhouette. The color looked great against her skin and the shape was dramatic and entrance-worthy: No one could take their eyes off her!

Naomi Watts in Christian Dior Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2019--You really cannot go wrong with Christian Dior Haute Couture. First, it's a dress that (if one were to buy...Naomi did not) would set you back about $75,000...

Detail of the Dior Haute Couture gown

It's all hand-made, taking hundreds if not thousands of hours to make with beautiful and very expensive silk tulle point d'esprit fabrication. The dress includes a built-in caged petticoat and boned corselet (very old-school Dior!). It's classic Hollywood Glamour with it's 50's silhouette. It is one of those looks that if a woman wants to vibe Grace Kelly, copy this!

Emanuela Postacchini in Antonio Grimaldi Couture Spring/Summer 2019--Italian actress of "Who Is America?" and "The Alienist" got my attention with this dramatic and sculptural ivory column gown she wore at the 2019 Emmy Awards. The silk crepe gown with feathered applique--from Italian couturier Antonio Grimaldi and his Spring/Summer 2019 Couture collection--had a simple column shape but it was all about that shark fin-like neckline that framed her face beautifully; so very Alta Moda! Bellissima!

I know I said "Top 15" but...I had to add an...EXTRA DIVA:

Laverne Cox in Monsoori--Speaking of dramatic statements (which I am a fan of!) Laverne Cox certainly made one in this black and light lavender ball gown from Bahraini designer Shaima Al Monsoori. The dress featured gradating multi tiers of tulle, plus a one-shoulder top section with a dramatic draped flourish. But the gown wasn't the only statement Laverne made on the carpet...

The Rainbow Clutch--Cox used the Emmys to make a political statement with this Rainbow clutch designed by Laverne highlighting LGBTQ rights and Title VII. On October 8th, the Supreme Court will hear a case of whether LGBTQ workers are protected by the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a law that "prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin".