Sheryl Lee Ralph Wears 'Anything But Basic' Black Gown and Bedazzled Braid to the Emmys

It can be hard to steal the spotlight in a sea of bold colors and dazzling sequins, especially when you're wearing a black dress, but Sheryl Lee Ralph did just that at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards.

The Abbott Elementary star walked the red carpet in a dramatic black strapless velvet look by New York-based designer Brandon Blackwood (his first-ever gown according to the label's Instagram!).

"Black is anything but basic — it is classic, it is chic, it is timeless, it is evergreen," Lee Ralph, 65, told E! during its Emmys red carpet coverage.

The dress, which featured a thigh-high slit and red lining, was styled with a coordinating purse and black pumps.

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The first-time Emmy nominee took her glam one step further with a waist-length braided ponytail adorned with bling, plus extra sparkles on her eyes.

She posed alongside her husband and Senate member Vincent J. Hughes who sported a traditional black tuxedo.

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When it came to finding a red carpet look, the actress revealed that it wasn't all smooth sailing.

"The most horrible thing happened," Lee Ralph told PEOPLE while attending the The Hollywood Reporter and SAG-AFTRA Emmy Pre Party on Saturday. "The designer sent my cast member and me the same sketch. And as I was picking out my dress, she had already picked out hers. Horrible."

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Thankfully Blackwood came to the star's sartorial rescue. "I have to tell you that five days ago I had no gown, I had nothing and Brandon Blackwood heard about my plight through Roberto [Johnson], the stylist in New York and my daughter Ivy Coco [Maurice] – they all came together and here I am," she told PEOPLE on the red carpet.

In conversation with the PEOPLE Every Day podcast with host Janine Rubenstein, the mom of two also revealed that she looked to Ivy for some style cues –  because, if there's one thing Lee Ralph loves to do, it's "slay on the red carpet."

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RELATED: See the Full List of 2022 Emmy Nominations!

Lee Ralph is nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for her role as Barbara Howard on Abbott Elementary. The ABC mockumentary is nominated for seven awards, including outstanding comedy casting as well as nods to its writing and casting.

"Believe it or not I didn't sink my teeth in at all. I was just doing my job because I thought that I was going to be there collecting a check. I had no idea that people would see the subtleties in the work, they miss the layers that you put in sometimes as an actor, and they saw it all," she told PEOPLE on the red carpet on her involvement in the series.

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She also recalled the moment when Robert de Niro encouraged her to push forward in her career.

"In between shots he looked at me and he said you are great - you're a damn good actress but Hollywood is not looking for you. They're not looking for the black girls so you better wave that red flag and let them know you're here because you deserve to be seen," she remembered. "Thirty years later I am seen with my Emmy nomination."

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The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards are being broadcast live on NBC from the Microsoft Theater in ‎Los Angeles.