Better off red. That was the memo celebrity stylists seem to have received at tonight's 66th Primetime Emmy Awards. No fewer than seven stars—Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Claire Danes, Uzo Aduba, Octavia Spencer, Mindy Kaling, and Mad Men's January Jones and Christina Hendricks—chose the vibrant shade for this evening's ceremony. There's safety in numbers, but only Louis-Dreyfus, in Carolina Herrera, picked up a prize (for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Veep), and enjoyed a prolonged lip-lock with Bryan Cranston, to boot.

Fuchsia was the second-most-popular color, with Zooey Deschanel, Kaley Cuoco, and Allison Janney all thinking pink. Janney took home the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy award for Mom wearing Nicolas Jebran. The little-known Lebanese designer was also behind Beyoncé's second-skin number and Iggy Azalea's partly sheer one-shoulder gown at the VMAs last night. Now that's a grand entrance.

The red carpet's other big message: Just say Giamba. The Paris couturier Giambattista Valli scored big with Michelle Monaghan, Allison Williams, and a peroxide-blond Lena Dunham all choosing designs fresh off his couture runway. Amanda Peet's floral print dress was Valli resort. In trademark fashion, Dunham's pajama shirt and ball-skirt combo proved to be one of the most divisive looks of the night, but we think the irrepressible layers of tulle suited the Girls creator.

A movie star in a television crowd, Julia Roberts set herself apart in a heavily beaded, leggy Elie Saab number. Maybe it could've done with a few less beads and a few more inches at the hem, but at least it wasn't a strapless gown. Surely we've seen enough of those to last us a few more Emmy ceremonies. (We could've also gone without the moment Sofia Vergara was used as a prop.)

The stars of the show: Julianna Margulies in a beaded Narciso Rodriguez gown that dipped precipitously in the back (nobody gives back like Narciso), Natasha Lyonne in curvy, lacy Opening Ceremony, Lizzy Caplan in sexy black-and-white Donna Karan, Kerry Washington in fiery-orange Prada, and Gwen Stefani in haute casual Atelier Versace. As a shoeless Sarah Silverman put it, "We're all just made of molecules and we're hurling through space right now." Best not to take this red-carpet business too seriously.

Nicole Phelps

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