How Colbert Bandleader Jon Batiste Took His First Emmys in Tom Ford

With boss Stephen Colbert hosting and The Late Show nominated for six awards, Jon Batiste’s first Emmys night was sure to be an auspicious one. The Louisiana-born jazz musician, whose band, Stay Human, has been The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’s house band since 2015, always manages to look sharp—he’s been making custom suits with his tailor for years. But for the 2017 Emmys, he took this interest in elegant dressing to a new level with his cream-colored Tom Ford tuxedo.

Batiste has been a fan of Tom Ford for a while, but after the two met during Men’s Fashion Week earlier this year, the collaboration came together quite naturally. According to Batiste, his Emmys look was inspired by the white tuxedo jackets and general “sartorial splendor” of jazz legends such as Duke Ellington. “[I like to dress] traditional but with a twist, my own little thing here and there,” he says. “And I think there are certain brands that have that kind of vision, aesthetically, and Tom Ford is one.” Batiste certainly put his own distinct spin on the classic tux by pairing it with high-top sneakers (not to mention the custom “Make Jazz Great Again” hat he wore to the fitting). Here, take a look at some behind-the-scenes photos, charting his Emmys look from start to finish.