Photo FeaturesThe Most Mesmerizing Looks from the 2024 Tony Awards Navy Carpet, Part 2: Insects, Mermaids, and Hair!
From bejeweled bugs to creative coifs, these standout details made the outfits.
By
Dylan Parent
June 18, 2024
On June 16, the best and brightest from Broadway's 2023–24 season arrived to Lincoln Center for the 77th Annual Tony Awards. While the ceremony itself ended up being a historic evening, many attendees and nominees started the night by showcasing looks with thoughtful details. Motifs from the natural world—wings, shells, and scales, oh my!—married with coiled coifs to present outfits that contained a whole narrative.
Here are all the scrumptious garments, accessories, and curls from the navy carpet with details that caught our eye. And to see part one of Playbill's favorite outfits of the 2024 Tony Awards, click here.
This article will be updated with all stylist credits as further information is received.
Please Welcome to the Carpet: A Bit of Earth
Bugs abounded on the Tony carpet this year with Jane Cox and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins incorporating the natural world into their ensembles. Taking inspiration from creepy crawlies were Idina Menzel and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins while Linda Cho slithered alongside in a reptilian gown. Steven Skybell provided a breath of fresh air in his verdant brocade.
Lighting Designer Jane Cox and playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, both of whom won Tonys for their work on Appropriate, paid homage to the revival play's oft-mentioned cicadas. Cox fluttered down the carpet in an original dress by Caitlin Brown, while Jacobs-Jenkins sported a bejeweled collar critter. Jacobs-Jenkins' husband Cheo Bourne also had cicada pin on his sharp suit.
Presenter Idina Menzel's hypnotic Naeem Khan gown was evocative of a contemporary Spider Woman.
Nominee Amber Iman's Gert-Johan Coetzee dress communicated that it can't be too tough to be a mermaid living on dry land. In fact, it seems like a rather glamorous life!
Tony nominee Steven Skybell, who was one of the many attendees styled by Jake Sokoloff, couldn't please us more than he did in a leafy custom Brandon Gray of Grayscale Design suit.
Tony Award winner Linda Cho sparkled like a serpent. The Costume Designer, who won recognition for her work on The Great Gatsby, may have thanked her "tiger mom" for always encouraging her success and happiness, but channelled a cunning and confident snake in her look.
Orchestrator and lyricist Will Butler went big with a large, crinkled ribbon fittingly reminiscent of sheet music.
All Tied Up!
Creative takes on the tie had us in a knot, with Stereophonic nominee Will Butler and An Enemy of the People winner Jeremy Strong putting a twist on the classic bow.
Scenic Designer David Zinn, in a scarf by Marc Happel and his own jewelry (including tributes to his father and his cat), had a beautifully groomed beard and mustache that delightfully set off his black and navy jacket, shirt, and pants.
Emmy, Golden Globe, and now Tony winner Jeremy Strong's bowed necktie harkened to the accessory's academic roots (fitting since he does play a scientist in An Enemy of the People).
Everybody Say Yeah
Last, but certainly not least, are three artists whose refined take on classic silhouettes have stayed at the forefront of this writer's mind.
Nominee William Jackson Harper, accompanied by Ali Ahn, shone in satin Thom Browne.
I Believe in Hair
Another noteworthy detail on the carpet was the hair displays, particularly Special Tony Award winner Nikiya Mathis and set/costume designer David Zinn's hair styling. Both recipients also wore dark-hued garments with unexpected pops of color made visible through their movement.
Mathis, renowned for her work with hair and wigs, established herself as Queen of the Coif. The custom dress by Bronx-born designer Angel Ayala was complimented by Ja Nina's makeup design and hair by Created to Create.
And, finally, Isabelle Stevenson Award recipient Billy Porter dripped in Robert Wun Couture.
To see all the shining, shimmering splendor showcased during Tony Awards arrivals, check out the full red carpet gallery below.
The new musical is celebrating the box office opening at the Nederlander with an offer for fans to get $20 tickets, harkening back to Rent's first-of-its-kind ticket lottery.