‘Baby Reindeer’ Star Nava Mau Worked With Gigi Goode for Her History-making Emmys Night

A few weeks ago, Nava Mau was online when she saw Gigi Goode post her first collection. Mau was immediately drawn to a red wrap dress and sent a screenshot to her stylist. Goode sent the dress over the next day and it was a perfect fit, which then begged the question of where Mau was going to wear it.

“And then I was up late one night and I was like ‘Hold on, what if actually that’s the Emmys dress,’” Mau says. “And then Gigi went and made a whole new custom design.”

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The final product is what Mau wore to Sunday’s Emmy Awards, where she was nominated for best supporting actress in a limited series for “Baby Reindeer,” making history as she became the first trans woman to be nominated in that category. Mau accessorized the Gigi Goode custom look with Bulgari jewelry and was styled by Luca Kingston and Amanda Lim, with hair by Rena Calhoun and makeup by Luigi Chamorro. The moment was the first major red carpet look for Goode, who broke out as a runner-up on season 12 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and released her first collection recently. Goode came out as trans in 2021.

Working together on the gown was a reunion for Mau and Goode: They first met on the show “Generation” that Mau was on, when Goode had a cameo on one episode.

“She is brilliant,” Mau says. “It was a really beautiful way to reunite.”

“The story that came together with this look feels to me like past, present and future. There’s something futuristic about the dress, the jewelry and shoes call on classic Hollywood glamour, and we kept the hair and makeup very modern — simple and chic,” Mau says.

“I feel like we face so many barriers as trans people when it comes to being able to pursue our dreams, because we so often are having to simply find ways to survive and have access to housing, health care and employment. And of course, nowadays our access to public life is being legislated. And so for me to see someone like Gigi pursuing her dreams and doing it with such talent and grace, it’s a no brainer that I want to align with her,” Mau says. “And honestly, the dress was phenomenal. It really, first and foremost comes down to that, that she’s extremely talented and I think she has a lot to offer, and it’s very exciting that she would be, and already is, groundbreaking because she is a trans woman in fashion as a designer now.”

“I think that trans people possess a unique perspective on past, present and future,” Mau adds. “We must always be in tune with who we’ve been, where we are now and where we want to go.”

Getting Ready for the Emmys with ‘Baby Reindeer’ Star Nava Mau

Launch Gallery: Getting Ready for the Emmys with 'Baby Reindeer' Star Nava Mau

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