More often than not, Kerry Washington is going to deliver one of the best red carpet looks of the night, whether it’s the Emmys or Oscars or SAGs, she’s reliably fashionable, but never predictable. If I had asked you 24 hours ago, then, between Kerry Washington and Keri Russell, who would have the more dramatic look at the Emmys, who would you have said? 

 

Keri Russell is also reliably fashionable, never predictable, but also never extra. Which doesn’t mean she can’t pull off a dress, because she most certainly can, but when she does… 

Here, let me give you an example, because it’s always better to show not tell – Keri at the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere a couple of years ago: 

Keri Russell arrives at the Star Wars:The Rise Of Skywalker European premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square London
 

This is a f-cking dress, a spectacular dress. But it’s also a rather muted colour. And she’s wearing it as easily as she would a tracksuit. Like second skin. That’s my point about Keri – I never feel like she dresses to become A Moment. 

But then again, being stylish is sometimes about subverting expectations. I never, ever would have expected Keri to show up in this … 

 

Like between Keri and Kerry, I would have checked off Kerry’s box for Keri’s Zuhair Murad dress with its train and feathers and drama. But that’s what makes it work – because it’s on Keri…

And on Kerry, a look that’s equally excellent only a much different mood. I typically don’t love this material, because it can be tricky to work with the light and what it exposes but the cut of this on Kerry is so perfect, so exact (it’s custom Etro), the effect is stunning. And it’s also ambitious – with the low corset detail underneath the blousy neckline, this is a dare, a fashion equivalent of a quadruple-triple combination in figure skating. High risk, high reward. And she f-cking nailed the landing.