Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys turned the 2026 Emmy Awards red carpet into a study in coordinated black on Monday, September 14, arriving at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on a night that would end with Rhys making television history. Russell, nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for "The Diplomat," wore a custom Khaite black leather halter gown, while Rhys, nominated in two categories, wore a made-to-measure Thom Browne tuxedo.
Russell's gown marked a departure from the understated eveningwear she has favored on past red carpets. The floor-length column dress, created with Khaite founder Cate Holstein and stylist Frank Fleming, was reportedly the label's first custom red-carpet piece. It featured a high, scarf-like neckline at the front and an almost entirely open back, closed with a halter strap and finished with a buckle detail and a high slit. Russell paired the leather gown with black stilettos, a slicked-back low bun and vibrant drop earrings, keeping the rest of her styling minimal so the dress's silhouette and open back could carry the look.
Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell are fully ready to battle Katherine LaNasa and Grant Show for best couple at the Emmys. pic.twitter.com/LHV1uGZIxI
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) September 15, 2026
Rhys's tuxedo took a similarly structured, monochrome approach. The made-to-measure ensemble included black grosgrain tipping, a bibbed white Oxford shirt, a knit cashmere vest layered under the jacket, a bow tie and Thom Browne's signature wingtip boots — a tailored counterpoint to Russell's leather gown that connected the couple's red carpet moment without having them match outright.
The pairing continued a red carpet partnership that traces back to "The Americans," the FX series on which the two actors met and later became a couple. Monday's Emmys marked Russell's ninth time attending the ceremony and came only months after she and Rhys walked the red carpet together at both the Golden Globes and the Actor Awards earlier this year.
The night turned into a milestone one for Rhys, who won two Emmys in a single ceremony — Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for "The Beast in Me" and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for "Widow's Bay" — becoming the first performer to take home two lead acting Emmys in one night. Combined with his 2018 win for "The Americans," Rhys also became the first male actor to win lead acting Emmys in the drama, comedy and limited series categories. Russell did not win in her category this year.
Russell's choice of Khaite extends a run of visibility for the New York-based label this awards season; she had worn the brand's structured Salm dress at a pre-Emmys party the night before. Leather eveningwear was a notably rare choice among Monday's nominees, most of whom opted for satin, chiffon or beaded gowns, which made Russell's gown one of the more discussed looks of the night alongside Selena Gomez's chainmail Louis Vuitton and Florence Pugh's lilac custom Vivienne Westwood.
For a couple whose joint red carpet appearances have leaned toward restraint in recent years, Monday's looks — her boldest leather statement yet, his precise tailoring — offered a coordinated but distinct pairing on a night that ended with history made in Rhys's categories.
