Did Maya Rudolph deliberately sabotage her fashion at the Emmys last night?

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The writing for The Emmys was incredibly bad and the show seemed to drag on forever. I’ve had this job for a dozen years and it was one of the worst awards shows I can remember, but that could also be because life just sucks lately. One of the more confusing bits was with Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen. They were offstage on a set, the camera kept panning to them eating and since it was the 70th Emmy Awards they were supposed to know Emmys history and didn’t. Honestly I kind of tuned it out, but it was a real missed opportunity to showcase past Emmy winners and great television. (They did kind of acknowledge that by honoring Betty White, who at 96 took a little while to reach her stride on stage, but still has it. Also the Reparations Emmys were very well done and funny. That was easily the best segment.)

Maya Rudolph is not known for her staid or sensible fashion choices, but at least her styling is usually pretty. She didn’t even have that going for her last night. These are the two dresses she wore, on the red carpet and during the ceremony. The first one wasn’t bad, it would have been a lace nightmare on anyone else but compared to the ruffled colonial nightdress she wore on stage it was practically high fashion.

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Embed from Getty Images

Also check out Maya’s eye makeup. Everyone knows you don’t use heavy dark eyeliner on the bottom too. Her hair would be pretty without the barrettes. It’s like she’s telegraphing her distaste at having to participate in this. I choose to believe that over the fact that she would willingly go out like this. I could be wrong. She’s a comedienne, she just may have a “f-k it” fashion sense.

70th Emmy Awards (2018) Arrivals

Speaking of that, here’s Emilia Clarke in Dior. You could see her pasties through her dress. I just watched that movie Me Before You (I know! I was sick on the couch though) and I actually liked her in it. There’s something endearing about her. Look at how happy she is in this bad gown. I do like the mixed floral patches and lace paneling on the skirt, but that calls for a much simpler bodice.

70th Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals

70th Emmy Awards (2018) Arrivals

Dakota Fanning got the better Dior gown, although that bar is very low. Look at the back of this lovely emerald gown. The skinny matching belt is a perfect touch and her styling is gorgeous.
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Millie Bobby Brown was cute in a Calvin Klein gown with a huge bell skirt. She was one of the few women wearing a print last night. (Pastels, occasional neon colors and sequins were big but prints are usually a risk.) This is a little costume-y for my taste but I like that it’s age appropriate. She looks relaxed and comfortable.

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photos credit: WENN

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58 Responses to “Did Maya Rudolph deliberately sabotage her fashion at the Emmys last night?”

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  1. Deanna says:

    I actually like Emilia’s dress. She looks stunning.

  2. Lucy2 says:

    I love Maya, but rarely like her fashion choices. She is so funny, and what little I saw their bit really wasted her talent.

    I love Dakota’s dress!

    • Nancy says:

      I love her too. I thought Emilia looked good. She’s one of those happy, peppy people, always smiling. Dakota definitely growing up and Millie is cute, definitely NOT Drake’s gf, she’s probably crushing on him.

    • tealily says:

      These dresses are particularly terrible, I think, but more than that, her posture is awful and that eyeliner is just pulling her entire face down. She’s so gorgeous, this is just bad styling.

  3. Elisabeth says:

    Khaleesi <3

  4. Sofia says:

    I think that, because she’s not conventionally “pretty,” Maya does this on purpose. It makes it seem like she’s not trying and, therefore, people won’t judge her for falling short of a (ridiculous) beauty standard.

    • Snowslow says:

      I find Maya Rudolph stunning and her smile makes me melt.

      • Nancy says:

        Her mother was Minnie Riperton, a singer from the 60’s that had a couple big hits. Maya is lovely and who cares what she wears. They have turned award shows over the years into fashion contests. I doubt Maya wants to be a participant in the contest.

    • Veronica S. says:

      That’s a shame if it’s true because I’ve always found her very striking. She may not be “traditionally” attractive, but her features are very unique and hard to forget, which I think is actually better in the long run where the industry is concerned. Conventional beauty fades and can be easily replaced. Faces with character tend to stick in people’s minds.

  5. Smee says:

    Maya needs to step away from the puffy sleeves. Everything about these outfits is “vintage little girl” – especially the barettes. She needs a stylist who gets her because she is a very striking looking woman.

    The dress Millie Bobby Brown is wearing could be better – the execution of the skirt is poorly done, but I like the 19th c. vibe.

  6. Josephine says:

    I keep seeing dropped waists, like Emilia’s, and I don’t get it at all. They seem so unflattering, especially on a fitted dress.

  7. Lala11_7 says:

    I’m sorry…ESPECIALLY after reading that kinda heartbreaking interview this weekend that Maya did…it LOOKED AND FELT as though…SHE WAS OVER IT!!!! I will not watch anything that Michael Che is on… #1…he looks JUST LIKE MY EX (who needs to see THAT constantly)… #2, he makes me want to throw hands with his horrific, elitist, sexist attitude…AND…HE AIN’T FUNNY!!!! But I did see a bit of Maya and Fred and it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PAINFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Snowslow says:

      What interview?

      • Anastasia says:

        I know the New York Times Magazine did a front cover article on her this past Sunday.

      • Snowslow says:

        Thanks @Lala11_7
        There is an inherent sadness to her isn’t there?

      • Lala11_7 says:

        Her Mama, Minnie Ripperton…she’s from my hometown…grew up in my old neighborhood…a lot of my people…know her people…knew her…(went to school with her…heard her slay a solo in somebody’s church on Sundays) her voice is one of the FIRST distinctive things I remember…and folks STILL haven’t gotten over her passing like that…cause it was so fast…and she was so young…and her talent?!?! MAN!!! So…whenever I see Maya…I get an EXTRA SPECIAL TINGLE…cause I know where Maya is from…and the fact that she hooked up with one of my FAVORITE WRITER/DIRECTORS TO BOOT?!?!

        YOU GO GIRL!!!!

      • Snowslow says:

        Yes @Lala so sad her mum passing away like that. Also in love with the couple Rudolph Thomas Anderson.

    • Emily says:

      I really enjoyed that interview (as sad as some parts of it were, especially the ones about her mother), there was so much about her I didn’t know! I encourage everyone to read the article, it was really interesting and well-written.

  8. Lala11_7 says:

    Regarding the fashions….

    Anyone who looks like they can walk into Studio 54, on a Friday night, in 1977…gets my approval…

    DAKOTA FOR THE WIN!!!!!

    • LadyT says:

      That’s the best I’ve ever seen Dakota look. Perfect color.
      Such a waste of Maya’s talent. The writing was spectacularly bad last night.

      • elimaeby says:

        I think Dakota’s styling was amazing BUT that dress looks like either a bridesmaid’s dress or something I would have worn to a homecoming dance back in the early aughts. It was pretty, but bland.

  9. Nev says:

    Love Maya!!!!!!!

  10. Esmom says:

    Maya struck me as being a bit subversive with her choices.

    I also find Emilia endearing. I just love her smile.

    Dakota’s earrings remind me of the ones Angelina wore to something some years ago. Stunning.

    Millie looks lovely from head to toe.

  11. Erinn says:

    Millie looks absolutely beautiful here. I’m glad it’s more age appropriate, and it still has the dramatic skirt to make it fun.

    Dakota looks stunning. She’s such a pretty girl, I still can’t believe how old she is.

    Maya – I don’t know. I feel like she just has fun with it, and wears something unexpected – it doesn’t really work well though. I think she’s a very pretty woman, and this sort of distracts from it. But at the same time, maybe she just doesn’t care about conventional red carpet choices, and I’m not going to be too harsh on her for it. She’s so talented that I just don’t care what she wears.

  12. Veronica S. says:

    I think Emilia’s dress is gorgeous, but my whole thing is…if you can see the pastors, what is even the point? Why not just show the nipples? We’re seeing the other 98% of the breast otherwise.

    • Nancy says:

      That’s the same thing Jon Snow told her!!

      • Veronica S. says:

        I feel like it draws even more attention, to be honest, because it still screams ‘NIPPLE!!!” but it’s dark and black and really obvious instead of just a flesh toned nipple that you see and then move on from.

        Also, let’s all appreciate that my phone transformed “pasties” into “pastors,” which makes for a rather ominous implication.

  13. Meganbot2000 says:

    I see Emilia Clarke at theatre in London quite a bit (and not just big fancy West End shows, proper serious theatre about Chechnya and stuff like that). I don’t think she can act but she is very endearing, and the fact she genuinely cares about theatre makes me warm to her.

    • Veronica S. says:

      I’m fairly neutral on her acting, but I think her big draw is that she has very charismatic features – just look at how her big smile just lights up a room. She’ll do well enough in rom-coms and the like. It’s when she’s older that I think she’ll run into problems with finding parts.

  14. Jess says:

    Maya’s white dress/styling on stage had a creepy Baby June vibe to it. And normally I find everything she does hysterical but that but with Fred was so lame. I actually turned off the Emmys last night and went to bed, which is something I never do, because it was so bad and boring. Hannah Gadsby was the only funny bit – and her bit was incredible!

  15. Veronica S. says:

    I wanted to comment again that Millie getting to look her age just highlights how often she’s overdressed and purposefully “aged up” through makeup and the like. She’s got such a darling face when it’s not made up to look twenty. I’m wondering if her stylists were starting to hear some of the criticism when they put this together and went for something more girlish.

  16. Agenbiter says:

    Whenever I see Emilia Clarke in photos I think “Girl is smizing within an inch of her life”. There should be a name for the lip-curling part of what she does as well.

    This isn’t saying she’s not a perfectly nice person – and props for finding a look that works for her – but some variety would be interesting. She reminds me of a Sears Catalogue Juniors model, or women laughing alone with salad …

  17. Tootsie45 says:

    Maya is gorgeous. Whoever did her makeup needs to be FIRED.

    I have a similar eye shape and we CANNOT do a winged eye. It sucks, but it is 100% impossible to do without looking like the side of your face is falling down. You have to go with soft liner and pull up at the edge as in here: https://goo.gl/images/7CcBdW

    It’s a tricky eye shape to navigate, but it’s not THAT hard, and I’m assuming these folks are freaking professional makeup artists.

  18. Other Renee says:

    Dakota looks beautiful. I don’t like Millie’s dress. Too Little Bo Peep for me.

  19. saltandpepper says:

    Emilia pulls off a not-great look, she’s so pretty and seems sweet; love the color of Dakota’s dress.

  20. ValiantlyVarnished says:

    About Maya’s makeup – I’m going to defend it. Her eye makeup is very much on trend. The current eyeliner trend is took create an exaggerated inner corner line – giving the eye a very feline look. But it doesn’t work on everyone. Maya has hooded eyes and so I think the effect is lost. But the idea that your dont put eyeline on the bottom lash line it outdated.

    • Celebitchy says:

      “Outdated” That’s me

    • Bailie says:

      Sorry, but I really don’t care how trendy something is, if it looks as awful as it does on Maya.
      She is a very attractive and talented woman, but her make up is really bad here.
      Reminds me of the hideous aging black eye pencil use of Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Middleton.
      It’s very aging on most women I have seen.

    • Veronica S. says:

      I don’t mind it as much in the close up shots, but the problem with hooded eyes is that heavy eyeliner doesn’t translate as well from a distance because it makes our eyes look even smaller, and the problem with photographs is that most of them will be panned out or at a distance. Unless I’m doing a cat eye, I recommend people with hooded eyes use dark browns or navy blues if they’re going to kohl line the entire eye – or just stick to a bottom or top layer – because it’s not as overwhelming. Only very dark skinned women with hooded eyes should be using those rich blacks. A cat eye is possible on a hooded eye, but you have to do it thinner and more gently winged, and the artist here has gone too heavy for it to look right from long shots.

      • Anastasia says:

        Yep. I have hooded, deep-set eyes, and I have a very thin line of permanent eyeliner on my top lids (it’s not super obvious, really just makes my lashes look thicker at the base). And then if I wear eyeliner, I just do a smidge on the lower lid but just on the outer 1/4. I find that doesn’t make my eyes look tiny like any other method does.

        I wish I could line my waterline, but my eyes are just pinholes if I do that.

  21. JANE says:

    In my opinion, Maya is very attractive and also very talented.
    Her make up in these pics is shockingly horrendous.
    Why would anybody try to make themselves look so bad?
    And the two outfits are hideous.
    I love Dakota’s dress, the green is lovely on her, the belt works really well and the whole dress is nice.
    It’s great to see the back of her dress without the ridiculous ” pantyhose fabric look!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • indian says:

      I agree.. She needs to hire someone that’s worked with Indian artists.. I think she looks very Indian..they’d know how to dress her for her skin tone and eyes..

  22. Miss Melissa says:

    Millie Bobbie Brown is a girl, not a woman. She is a 14-year-old girl.

    She is being rushed through childhood so fast as it is, I dispaired seeing this article contribute to that same behavior by referring to her as one of the “women”.

  23. Digital Unicorn says:

    Maya’s outfit was horrible, Emilia has consistently bad red carpet outfits, Millie’s was age appropriate but hate the skirt – Dakota for the win.

  24. Melbelle says:

    Twiggy would disagree about that eyeliner. And I’m not saying it looks great on Maya, but these so-called “rules” are ridiculous and just begging to be broken. Wear all the eyeliner and all the white in winter.

    • Lisbon says:

      I couldn’t care less about rules, but if something doesn’t work on me, I’m not going to force it.
      That’s why I have a mirror.
      Not everything works on everybody.
      I think the harsh dark eyeliner is often very aging, SJP and Kate are good examples.

    • Ashby says:

      @ melbelle :

      No doubt Twiggy would disagree,but she has a very different look than Maya and was much younger too.

    • Veronica S. says:

      Twiggy had large, almond-shaped eyes with significantly less hooding. She could afford the extra eyeliner because she had space to spare. As I stated above, strong eyeliner for hooded eyes is fine in person, but in distance photographs, it tends to overwhelm the face because it makes the eyes look smaller. I have the same eye shape as her, and I always envied my friends with more open lids because they could get away with it, and I could not.

  25. LoveBug says:

    Wow, that make up is really aging Maya. That dark eyeliner or dark eye pencil look is very aging on many women. Looks awful.

  26. As says:

    Oh boy, this is not a good look. Few women can pull this off, very few.

  27. Sara Martin says:

    Emilia Clarke looks like she had a nice shot of liquor or 12 just before getting out of the limo. Definitely deserves to celebrate!

  28. North of Boston says:

    Maya seemed to be dressed up as a creepy doll from someone’s attic.

    I love her, think she’s brilliant, funny and beautiful. But her fashion/styling choices last night were a mess. And the less said about the combo of Jost/Che hosting and the unfunny bit with her and Armisen, the better.

  29. Anare says:

    My hubby told me about Maya’s dress. Said it looked like something his Great Aunt Tillie would have worn in the 1920s. Lol! I see what he meant.