Emmy nominee Issa Rae usually opts for bright and colorful looks on the red carpet, but she took everyone by surprise in black-and-white at the 74th Emmy Awards.
This ceremony is the first awards show to kick off the 2022–2023 awards season, even though it feels like just yesterday that Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper were pretending to be in love for real on their A Star Is Born campaign. Issa Rae, who is nominated for the Emmy for lead actress in a comedy series for her performance in the last season of her HBO comedy Insecure, served in a black-and-white gown with a dramatic keyhole cutout.
The Insecure creator also debuted a sharp copper-toned bob that hit just above the shoulders. For her makeup look, Rae opted for a bold wing and deep burgundy lip.
Rae is nominated in the lead actress comedy category alongside Rachel Brosnahan of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Quinta Bronson of Abbot Elementary, Elle Fanning of The Great, Kaley Cuoco of The Flight Attendant, and Jean Smart of Hacks. Smart won the Emmy in this category in 2021 (and again this year!). Rae’s also nominated for her work as executive producer on The Black Lady Sketch Show, which is up for outstanding variety sketch series.
Who is she rooting for tonight? “Everybody black. Nothing has changed. It will never change,” she told Laverne Cox on the red carpet.
Between Insecure and The Black Lady Sketch Show, Rae has earned eight Emmy nominations throughout her career so far. Prior to this year, she was nominated for lead actress in her role on Insecure in 2018 and 2020. While Insecure was not nominated for the outstanding comedy series award at this year’s Emmys, Issa Rae still brought the red carpet down.
