Billy Porter has been turning heads on red carpets for months now—albeit away from Broadway. His look on the red carpet of the Golden Globes, for which he had earned a nomination for Pose, garnered tons of press, and his fashion statement at the Academy Awards kicked it up a notch.
“It was the first time a man has ever worn a gown on the Oscars red carpet, which we didn't even really think about,� fashion designer Christian Siriano said of the dress he made for Porter.
“With Billy, he just wanted to be his true self. He was like, ‘This is me; this is what I want to represent to the world.’�
The process of making the dress for Porter and consulting with stylist Sam Ratelle only took one week: “That’s when it's a real moment, when it’s natural and organic.�
Porter is, of course, most famous for his Tony-winning performance as Lola in Kinky Boots. He also recently appeared on Broadway in Shuffle Along.