Banner

Gives “Missing Banner” notification when banner image is already uploaded. This happened on page refresh

American actor Billy Porter wore a black velvet tuxedo dress designed by Christian Siriano on the red carpet of the 91st Academy Awards on February 24, 2019. At the time, Porter had recently come into public view for his breakout role in the FX television series Pose and had been receiving attention for his boundary-pushing red carpet attire during the 2018–19 film awards season. Following his appearance at the 76th Golden Globe Awards in a custom silver suit with fuchsia-lined cape, he was invited to host red carpet interviews at the upcoming Oscars pre-show. Porter approached Siriano and together they conceived the tuxedo gown.

The gown was well received by fashion journalists, who highlighted its elegant design. It cemented Porter's status as a celebrity and as a fashion icon. Critics have described it as a favorite Oscars dress and one of Porter's most fashionable red carpet looks. Porter considers the outfit a piece of political art intended to drive a conversation about men's fashion and masculinity, for which it has received praise from fashion writers, academics, and the general public, as well as criticism from conservative commentators.

Contents

• 1Background
• 2Design and development
• 3Reception
• 4Legacy
• 5See also
• 6References

Background

Billy Porter first came to prominence after originating the role of drag queen "Lola" in the Broadway musical Kinky Boots in 2013, for which he won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.<1><2> In 2018, he was cast as ball culture fashion designer Pray Tell in the critically acclaimed FX drama Pose, which critics have called his breakout role.<3><4> Porter made several red carpet appearances during the 2018–19 film awards season on the strength of his performance in Pose, wearing outfits – both suits and dresses – by designers including Tom Ford and Michael Kors.<4>

Porter was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama for his role in Pose.<5> On January 6, 2019, he walked the red carpet at the 76th Golden Globe Awards in a custom silver suit with fuchsia-lined cape designed by Randi Rahm. Porter, who is gay, said he wanted to wear an outfit that would prompt a conversation about red carpet fashion and its relationship to masculinity for his first major awards show appearance.<6> Following the Golden Globes, Porter's popularity soared; he later said the outfit "changed everything for me."<4><6>

Design and development

Advertisment

Designer Christian Siriano at OZY Fest (2018)

In early February 2019, ABC News asked Porter to host Oscars pre-show interviews on the red carpet at the 91st Academy Awards, scheduled for February 24.<7> Porter wanted to wear a custom gown, and selected designer Christian Siriano based on his reputation for dressing celebrities whose bodies and style do not fit into conventional norms of beauty and fashion. Porter and his stylist Sam Ratelle approached Siriano after his February 9 show at New York Fashion Week.<8><9><10>

Despite the short notice – custom red carpet gowns typically take months to complete – Siriano accepted immediately. Working from Porter's desire to play with gender norms, Siriano came up with the combined ball gown and tuxedo concept. He also designed a secondary outfit for Porter after discovering that the gown would be impractical for the stage where Porter was set to conduct interviews.<7><8> The entire design was created over a single week. Siriano, Ratelle, and their teams worked up to 18 hours a day to complete the outfits.<7>

Advertisment

The final ensemble comprised a full-length strapless black velvet ball gown over a white tuxedo shirt with ruffled cuffs, topped by a black velvet tuxedo jacket with silk lapels and black bow tie.<11><12> Porter wore jewellery by Oscar Heyman and six-inch heeled boots by Rick Owens with the outfit.<8> After his arrival, Porter changed into a tuxedo with black velvet palazzo pants to conduct pre-show interviews.<7>

Madame Georges Charpentier and her Children, Auguste Renoir, 1878.

Advertisment

Ratelle said the design had been inspired by the Auguste Renoir painting Madame Georges Charpentier and her Children <Wikidata> (1878). Users on social media compared Porter's outfit to a similar 1980s look by ball culture icon Hector Xtravaganza. Ratelle confirmed that the resemblance was unintentional, but stated that he and Porter felt it was an honor "to pay our respects to Hector".<7>

Porter described the ensemble as a political statement that challenges norms of masculinity and femininity. Speaking to Vogue in 2019, he said, "This look was interesting because it's not drag. I'm not a drag queen, I'm a man in a dress."<8> He later explained to Variety that he was interested in continuing to push the norms for what was considered acceptable for masculine red carpet fashion.<13> He also called his choice to wear a dress to the Oscars a business decision, saying that as an entertainer, seeking attention via fashion was part of how he earned a living.<14>