Anna Sawai Wins Her First Emmy Wearing the "Dress of Her Dreams"—a Red Vera Wang Gown—at the 2024 Emmys

The actress took home the trophy for her performance in FX's 'Shogun.'

Anna Sawai Emmys 2024 red carpet
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Anna Sawai captured the hearts of millions of viewers when her show, Shogun, premiered on FX earlier this year. The hearts of the fashion crowd came later, when her red carpet looks proved that she was a style star to watch. Her custom Vera Wang gown on the 2024 Emmys red carpet has cemented her status as a bona fide fashion girl.

Sawai won her first-ever Emmy, in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category, for her work on Shogun, where she plays a noblewoman in 1600s-era Japan. "This is to all the women who expect nothing and continue to be an example for everyone," she said in her heartfelt acceptance speech.

Sawai's style off-screen is—like her character—nuanced and multilayered. Whether she's wearing an all-leather matching set while sitting in the front row at Chanel’s Haute Couture show or posing in double denim for an interview with Marie Claire, she always perfectly blends structure and softness.

The same can be said of her look tonight. To celebrate her nomination (and later, her win), Sawai worked with megawatt stylist Karla Welch—her other clients include Hailey Bieber and Greta Gerwig—to land on the best-dressed list in a red mermaid peplum-style gown custom-made for her by Vera Wang. She accessorized with some very sparkly Cartier jewelry. Earlier in the night, Zanna Roberts Rassi, the journalist and host of E!'s Live From The Red Carpet pre-show, said that Welch told her that Sawai's dress was the "dress of her dreams." It shows—the actress is glowing tonight in the hue.

Anna Sawai 2024 Emmys Red carpet

Anna Sawai's mermaid look was a showstopper on this year's red carpet.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Speaking of her glow, Sawai opted for a dewy, naturally glamorous makeup look for her Emmys debut. A touch of matching bright blush—she's tapping into this summer's red blush trend, no doubt—was perfectly accented with classic black eyeliner and a pink-nude color on her lips. Her glossy black hair was pulled back into a slicked-back low bun.

Anna Sawai

Sawai's Cartier jewels accented her naturally glowing makeup look.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Sawai's ensemble on tonight's red carpet fits right in with the rest of her style. The actress has become known for her structural looks. At the Shogun premiere in Los Angeles back in February 2024, she opted for a gray, column-style Prada gown featuring oversized grommets for an architectural take on the classic silhouette.

Anna Sawai

Anna Sawai at the 'Shogun' premiere in Los Angeles in February 2024.

(Image credit: Getty Images)
Julia Marzovilla
Fashion E-Commerce Editor

Julia Marzovilla is the Fashion E-Commerce Editor at Marie Claire, where she reviews the latest launches from fashion and beauty brands, finds the best on-sale items around the internet, and interviews experts to find the best products in any category to share with her readers. She also creates shopping guides that span every vertical on the site as an expert in everything from the best laptop bags to the best laser hair removal devices.

In her near decade of experience, Julia has both written for several top outlets in the E-Commerce space and worked at major fashion labels. Prior to joining the Marie Claire team, she contributed similar shopping stories to sites such as Bustle, InStyle, The Zoe Report, Who What Wear, and worked as the Trending Fashion and News Writer STYLECASTER. You can find her across the internet at @JuliaMarzovilla. In real life, you can find her creating shopping guides for her friends, cooking or baking in her too-small kitchen, or buying tickets for the next time Harry Styles is in town.

Julia has a Bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Journalism from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. She lives in New York City, her hometown.