Emmy Awards 2011: Lea Michele joins the red hot ladies in the night's bold colour of choice

The A-list ladies were ready to paint the town red as they arrived for the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles last night.
It was the colour de jour as the actresses rolled out for television's night of nights.
The early buzz was about Michele's sophisticated Marchesa dress; she had the look of a seasoned star instead of starlet.

Bringing sexy back: Lea Michele set pulses racing at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles tonight

High note: The Glee star opted for a stylish Marchesa gown

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.
The colour was worn by 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 E! News host Giuliana Rancic in Roberto Cavalli.

Sleek and stylish: Kate Winslet was ready to paint the town in an Elie Saab dress 

Friday Night Lights actress Adrianne Palicki, comedian Kathy Griffin and Entertainment Tonight host Nancy O'Dell and Kerry Washington rounded out the list of red-hot ladies.
Modern Family's Sofia Vergara opted for a shade lighter in an orange Vera Wang number.
Julianna Margulies took the biggest risk in a strapless Giorgio Armani Prive gown, with a stiff crescent-shaped bustier and embellished with clear oval stones and shimmering paillettes.

Red hot: Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev in Donna Karan

Painting the town: Kerry Washington, Friday Night Lights actress Adrianne Palicki and E! News host Giuliana Rancic in Roberto Cavalli

TV stars: Comedienne Kathy Griffin and Entertainment Tonight host Nancy O'Dell

It's a look that required confidence - and it's a good thing Margulies, who told E! she picked her dress late last night, has that.
InStyle's fashion director, Hal Rubenstein, said about her: 'If you watch the clothes she's worn since coming back to the red carpet with The Good Wife, you'll see she makes incredibly sophisticated choices and she doesn't walk around asking 175 people for their opinions.

Orange crush: Modern Family star Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang

'She always looks like herself. There's something very grown-up and intelligent about her.'
There were also straight-from-the-runway electric blue looks.

Claire Danes wore a fully beaded strapless gown in bright blue by Oscar de la Renta, Dianna Agron chose a Roksanda Ilincic and Amy Poehler was in a T-shirt-style iridescent dress by Peter Som.

Mad about the girl: Christina Hendricks wore a dazzling gown by Johanna Johansson

Golden girls: Mad Men's Elizabeth Moss wore Marchesa; Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi in Armani Privé and So You Think You Can Dance presenter Cat Deeley in Monique Lhuillier

White hot: Prime Suspect star Maria Bello, the Good Wife's Julianna Margulies in Armani Prive and 30 Rock's
Jane Krakowski in J Mendel  

Rubenstein said all the best gowns were sleek, form-fitting ones.

'Virtually every single woman who looked good wore a body-conscious dress,' he said, ticking off favorites Winslet, Vergara and Julianne Hough in a champagne and light-pink, duchess satin strapless gown by Carolina Herrera.

Filled with Glee: Amber Riley, who plays Mercedes Jones in the hit show and her co-star Jenna Ushkowitz, who plays Tina Cohen-Chang, posed together as they arrived at the bash

Moss hit a personal best as did Julie Bowen in a beaded, silver lame Oscar de la Renta with a plunging neckline, he said, and the surprise was Kristen Wiig, whose deep V-neck copper gown was courtesy of Zac Posen.
The man makes an amazing gown,' Wiig said on the carpet. 'I love the cut. It's comfortable and it's different.'

Jewel tones: Olivia Munn (left) and Kristen Wiig kept things bright in green and chocolate

Katie Holmes, one of the last arrivals, wore a blue, silk-crepe dress with a tank top and cinched waist designed by Calvin Klein's Francisco Costa, and Christine Baranski did sleek and chic in Zac Posen's midnight-blue, double lapel gown.

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,' Hendricks said.

Purple reigns: Kelly Osbourne in J Mendel and Emmys host Jane Lynch in David Meister

Funny gals: Mike and Molly star Melissa McCarthy and Parks and Recreation actress Amy Poehler

Blue belles: Katie Holmes in Calvin Klein Collection by Francisco Costa, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards in Ines DiSanto and Dianna Agron in Roksanda Ilincic

Bright: How I Met Your Mother's Cobie Smulders and Clare Danes in Oscar de la Renta

Some stars 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.'

Taking the plunge: Emily Blunt in Elie Saab, Julie Bowen in Oscar de la Renta and Glee's Heather Morris

Stealing the spotlight: Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese lets Glee star Heather Morris shine

Dark side: Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco in Romona Keveza, Gwyneth Paltrow in Pucci and Evan Rachel Wood in Elie Saab

Zooey Deschanel did a little prom-queen turn in a pink strapless gown with a dropped waist and red ribbon belt.
Minka Kelly, one of those new 'Charlie's Angels,' is a red-carpet up-and-comer - and that meant she got to wear a navy blue-and-black gown with long lace sleeves and a lace inset at the waist by Dior.

Rachael Taylor wore a light pink-and-silver beaded column dress by Armani, and Annie Ilonzeh had on a draped, wine-colored strapless goddess gown by Romona Keveza.
Ceremony hostess Jane Lynch showed a preference for purple - sporting at least three gowns in that shade by David Meister.

What a frill: Heidi Klum, pictured here with her husband seal, wore a gown designed by previous Project Runway winner Christian Siriano

A handful of stars did the black thing, with Kaley Cuoco in a one-shoulder gown by Keveza, and Tina Fey in a wool-jersey gown with cap sleeves and an open neck from Tadashi Shoji.

Evan Rachel Woods did black, choosing an all-over beaded boat neck by Elie Saab.

Her big bling came from her cuff bracelet, created for her by Fred Leighton, using a 19th-century diamond bow brooch.
Cat Deeley, wearing a metallic strapless Monique Lhuillier gown, wasn't all that eager to give back her $1.4 million in Bulgari jewels.

She told E!'s Ryan Seacrest, 'Meet me in Rio tomorrow?'

Just heavenly: Charlie's Angels stars Annie Ilonzeh, Minka Kelly and Rachael Taylor

Growing up fast: Sarah Hyland and Ariel Winter, who play Hayley and Alex Dumphy in Modern Family 

Pretty pastels: Dexter star Julia Stiles, Julianne Hough in Carolina Herrera and Glee's Jayma Mays

Posted in: world stars