Yvonne Orji Kept It Lowkey Political at the Virtual Emmys

There was never any doubt that this year’s Emmy Awards would look different than they have in years’ past. The Covid-19 pandemic caused the nominees to forego attending the ceremony in Los Angeles and remain at home, safely socially distanced and logged on to a livestream, turning the Emmys into what host Jimmy Kimmel called the “Pandemmys.” But just because there was no live audience and the actors tuned in from their homes, that doesn’t mean that everyone took the safety protocols as an excuse to wear sweats while sitting on their couch. Instead, some actors, like the Emmy-nominated Insecure star Yvonne Orji, went all out, putting together a designer look for the event. Orji’s stylist Apuje Kalu dressed Orji in a burgundy Azzi & Osta one-shoulder paillette gown. She tuned into the ceremony from Atlanta, where she is filming (and remaining in a quarantine bubble), and laid out her own red carpet. For her hair, the actress went natural with a Black power fist shaved into the side of her head—a notable choice for an evening in which just a few other nominees used appearances to nod toward the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests in response to police brutality in the United States. Orji sent W exclusive photos of her getting ready process, giving a sneak peek into her dress selection, close-ups of her jewelry picks, and of course, plenty of shoes.