MJ Rodriguez Brightens Up the Emmys Red Carpet

Forget pretty in pink… MJ Rodriguez is fabulous in fuschia…

The 28-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress rocked the Emmys red carpet in a hot pink Jason Wu gown that she collaborated with the designer to create.

MJ Rodriguez

“I wanted to stand out. I wanted to be sharp. I wanted to have angular lines, hence the deep V. And I wanted a color. I wanted it to pop. I wanted people to see me. And I wanted to feel like this is the first moment that I’ve ever had been taken seriously,” Rodriguez said during the E! red carpet special. “That’s what this dress does for me.”

Rodriguez, who was nominated along with the rest of the Pose cast for Outstanding Drama Series, said that nailing the magnetic color was a priority for her stunning look.

“The color stood out to me,” she said. “When I first saw it, I was like, ‘Oh my god this is a very prominent color.’ Not only does it look great, but I know it looks good on my skin complexion because I’m a wonderful girl of color. And, that’s what my eye drew to.”

Rodriguez said she also loves the fashion on Pose, which is all about the underground drag ballroom culture in New York City in the ’80s and ’90s. When E! host Zanna Roberts Rassi asked if costume designer Lou Eyrich actually spends around $30 on each outfit to maintain authenticity, Rodriguez said she wasn’t sure, but she did know they are “spectacular.”

“I do know some are actually pretty cheap,” Rodriguez said. “But I do know that every piece of clothing on that show is spectacular.”

She’s also tried to grab a few to keep — with no success.

“I try my best to borrow something,” Rodriguez said.

The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards aired live from the Microsoft Theaterin Los Angeles on Sunday, September 22.