Emmy Fashion Prognosis: More A-Listers Means Better Clothes

Badgley Mischka. Michael Kors. David Meister. American designers are traditionally the ones who dress female Emmy nominees — with Julianna Margulies being the obvious exception.

But now, with Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Zooey Deschanel, Kristen Wiig, Sofia Vergara, Elizabeth Banks, Uma Thurman and Ashley Judd nominated for Emmys this year … well, ladies and gentlemen, it seems we’ve got ourselves a major fashion awards show to look forward to.

Kidman, who received an Emmy nomination for her role in the HBO movie Hemingway & Gelhorn, can obviously wear any designer she chooses — which could mean Tom Ford, Gaultier couture, Chanel (a previous Emmys holdout), Lanvin or even a gown from Dior’s Raf Simons.

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Moore, with a good shot at winning for Game Change, is a loyalist to Lanvin, and it’s exciting to think of what Alber Elbaz could whip up for the Emmys. Deschanel is a total fashion girl, wearing Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, Prada — her Golden Globe gown by the latter was unique, and no doubt, with stylist Karla Welch at the helm, she will wear something amazing that no one else would ever have the nerve to wear.

Wiig is now a certifiable movie star (Bridesmaids), so the field is wide open to her too. Thurman, nominated for her guest shot on Smash, hasn’t been on a red carpet since Cannes in 2011 – but when she shows up, clear the field, because stylist Anna Bingemann and Thurman always create stark dramatic strong looks together with major designers.

Judd, being from film, on top of being tall and beautiful, could also break through to couturiers in Europe if she chooses.

Vergara, now working with stylist Deborah Waknin, has never looked better, and her fashion choices have gotten higher up the food chain consistently, in terms of designers. Traditionally, designers have not flocked toward very curvy women, as they assume their looks hang better on thinner frames. But Vergara really knows how to work it.

Christina Hendricks traditionally just goes for attention in a low-cut dress, but we’re hoping, with her great turn on the last season of Mad Men, that she doesn’t opt for her typical low cut black – and goes serious Paris or Milan chic, in a strong color, like fall’s prevalent blues.

Elizabeth Banks, nominated for guesting on 30 Rock, is now a movie star due to the blockbuster status of Hunger Games, and while her choices lately — for the Met Ball and some other red carpet moments — have been hit and miss, hopefully she will be more “movie star” than Hunger Games‘ Effie this go-round. She’s certainly got the pick of the designer litter at her disposal. She should just keep her hands off the loudest gown in the litter.

Claire Danes is a designer’s favorite, as she’s likely to win for Homeland, she’s severely thin and she comes from movies as well as television. And with her Oscar nod this year, Melissa McCarthy can rate a major designer gown as well. She looked fantastic at the Oscars. No large-framed woman has ever worn major designer clothes to awards shows, except for Oprah Winfrey at her heaviest – and she paid for those clothes. But McCarthy is headed for movie stardom as well.

Downton Abbey‘s Michelle Dockery is still a bit of an unknown in the U.S., but that’s likely to change after the Emmys and her Vanity Fair cover this year. With Downton riding high, she could emerge the fashion star of the Emmys if she decides to full-on wow. Will she stay in her 1920s mode or go full-on contemporary? We vote for modern, modern, modern — a total surprise.

Glenn Close and Emma Thompson are Armani devotees from years past, so we have a feeling Mr. Armani is getting started today, and will be making them look much like what he did recently at Armani Prive’s show in Paris.