Fashion Focus: The Emmys

At this weekend’s Daytime Emmy Awards, the Oscars of talk show and soap TV, Guiding Light starlet Gina Tognoni took home the best supporting actress award. Now, readers are probably wondering why this warrants a post; after all, it’s unlike Bostonista to be glued to the tube for mid-day dramas (we get enough of that in the office, thank you).

Here’s why: The winning woman was dressed by local designer Michael De Paulo. A regular on the Boston style and social scenes, De Paulo has been sketching and sewing cocktail and couture gowns for the past few years. Known locally for outfitting his muse, Tonya Mezrich, he specializes in bright, dramatic dresses.

De Paulo met Tognoni through a New York stylist, who brought the diminutive actress—a former Miss Teen Rhode Island!—to Boston for a look-see. The threesome met at the Taj to go over sketches and samples; the geometric red number was the first frock Tognoni tried on.

De Paulo describes his effort, which took two weeks to custom create, as “very edgy but clean-lined,” and related Tognoni said her outfit was the nicest-looking dress at the Emmys. “I felt the best I’ve ever felt,” she told him. The pair is now in talks about Tognoni’s upcoming wedding. De Paulo, currently working on his Spring 09 garden party-themed collection, also designs bridal gowns.

In related news, Boston gal (and cook-not-chef) Rachael Ray beat out Ellen DeGeneres and The View to nab a golden statue for her eponymous morning talk show. Sadly, she wore Donna Karan, not M. de P.

Michael De Paulo dresses are available by special order at Saks Fifth Avenue, Prudential Center, 617-262-8500, saks.com; michaeldepaulo.com.