Emmy Awards' red carpet sees some bold moves

The Associated Press, Sunday, September 18, 2011, 4:17pm (PDT)

There were no shrinking violets on the Emmy Awards red carpet Sunday night, with stars wearing bold red — from Lea Michele's dress to Christina Hendricks' lips — as well as strapless necklines and more than a little bit of glitter.

The early buzz was about Michele's sophisticated Marchesa dress: She had the look of a seasoned star instead of starlet. She wore a plain-front, low draped back with rosette sleeves that really let her work the crowd. She gave fans lined outside the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles a big wink.

There was some high fashion, too, including Julianna Margulies in a strapless Giorgio Armani Prive gown, with a stiff crescent-shaped bustier and embellished with clear oval stones and shimmery paillettes. Couture is a bit more of a risk and requires confidence. It's a good thing Margulies, who told E! she picked her dress late last night, has that.

Gwyneth Paltrow, in a black-sequin number by Emilio Pucci, also has the presence to pull off the belly baring look she was sporting, but the jury's still out on whether it was too see-through. She said she didn't realize just how sheer it was until she got there.

Some celebrities have been thinking about their outfits for weeks. Sarah Hyland collaborated with Christian Siriano to create her one-shoulder, coral-colored gown with a jeweled waistband. Heidi Klum trusted Siriano, a "Project Runway" alum, to come up with her mushroom-colored strapless gown with a pouffy, asymmetrical hemline.

"I love him. He's just a wonderful person. ... I like to give my designers some props," said Klum, of her "flirty" dress. "It has an old-fashioned feel but it's glamorous."

Red was the hot color, on Kate Winslet in her cap-sleeve Elie Saab — which seemed so covered until she flashed the cleavage — and on Nina Dobrev in Donna Karan and Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang.

But the electric blue that emerged as a runway trend for spring just last week in New York was well represented here. Claire Danes wore a fully beaded strapless gown in bright blue by Oscar de la Renta; Dianna Agron in a Roksanda Ilincic; and Amy Poehler in a T-shirt-style iridescent dress by Peter Som.

Two "Mad Men" sirens opted for sexy, beaded, head-turning looks, with Elisabeth Moss in a second-skin Marchesa and Christina Hendricks in a Johanna Johannsson with an open V-neck. "It was the only dress. I tried it on and it was perfect."

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Associated Press Writer Sandy M. Cohen, and Solvej Schou contributed to this report from Los Angeles.