When someone says Mariska Hargitay is the hostess with the mostest, they may be referring to the number of outfits she wore.
The “Law & Order: SVU” star hosted the Emmy Awards for the first time on Sept. 14 and proceeded to wear at least 13 different outfits during the evening — and that doesn’t include what she sported in her pre-taped sketch with Taylor Swift.
Hargitay first walked the red carpet in a flowing red sequined gown with one strap hanging off her shoulder. It matched a red sparkly dress worn by her daughter, Amaya, 15, for the occasion. The Emmys carpet was a true family affair for Hargitay, who was also joined by husband Peter Hermann and their sons August, 20, and Andrew, 14.
Many fans pointed out that Hargitay and Amaya’s red dresses seemingly re-created a red dress the Emmy host’s mother, Jayne Mansfield, wore in the 1956 musical, “The Girl Can’t Help It.” Before her hosting gig, Hargitay won two Emmys for her HBO documentary “My Mom Jayne.”
But Hargitay latest homage to her mom’s fashion was merely the beginning of her cavalcade of costumes, as she slipped into a shimmering, strapless off-white dress to deliver her opening monologue.
To open the show, she joked about the audience being full of former “SVU” guest stars, celebrated her status as the first female host in 15 years, and re-created Nicole Kidman’s famous AMC ad to honor TV storytelling.
Throughout the night, Hargitay made frequent costume changes, including a sleek black gown with matching gloves, a satin white suit and a fur-lined cape paired with a sword.
Take a look at some of Hargitay’s fashion highlights worn over the course of the evening:
As the evening wound down, Hargitay said she enjoyed the experience.
“It’s been an absolute delight to be your host,” she said as the show drew to a close. “Thank you for all the love and joy tonight.
“And now that we’ve reached the end, there’s only one thing left to do,” she said as the iconic “dun, dun” from “Law & Order: SVU” played.
“God, I love it when it does that!”
