Pose star, Tony winner, and "living life like it's golden" goals Billy Porter was one of the first to arrive on the 2019 Academy Awards red carpet, but incredibly he managed to shut it completely down in a stunning gown by Christian Siriano and jewelry by Oscar Heyman and Bros. Scientists say this lewk is such a serve that all past red carpets have also retroactively been shut down and all future red carpets likewise belong to Porter. Frazer Harrison Getty Images Styled by Sam Ratelle, Billy Porter showed up looking like the glamorous dowager with a dangerous secret in a Victorian novel and also her suave butler with a mysterious past. MARK RALSTON Getty Images Billy Porter is out her giving you one-man Edith Wharton novel and honestly we're not worthy. Billy Porter, in a full length gown with a bespoke tux-style top, has heard of your cute little gender norms but politely RSVPs "No thanks, sweetie." MARK RALSTON Getty Images In the words of Pray Tell, Porter's character from Pose, "Category is: Having a wedding to yourself and LOVING IT." Kevork Djansezian Getty Images About his choice, Porter told Vogue, "[At the first fitting in the gown,] I felt alive. I felt free. And open, and radiant. And beautiful! Which has not always been the case for me." He also pointed out that this lewk is not what he considers drag. He clarified that it was important that he was a man in a dress. "My goal," he said, "is to be a walking piece of political art every time I show up. To challenge expectations. What is masculinity? What does that mean?" This just in: EXPECTATIONS ARE SHEWK. TRADITIONAL NOTIONS OF MASCULINITY FOUND SHOT INTO SPACE. Category is: The first 35 pages of your graduate thesis! Kevork Djansezian Getty Images Category is: I see your harness, Chalamet, and I raise you CRINOLINE FOR THE GAWDS. Category is: Supreme Court Justice from a far better alternate timeline. Category is: dress for the job you want, presuming the job you want is He Who Owns Everything. Frazer Harrison Getty Images 10s across the board. R. Eric Thomas R Eric Thomas is a Senior Staff Writer at ELLE.com, home of his daily humor column "Eric Reads the News," which skewers politics, pop culture, celebrity shade, and schadenfreude. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Billy Porter may not be nominated for an Oscar tonight, but he’s already won the red carpet. The “Pose” actor arrived at the 2019 Academy Awards wearing a black velvet ball gown with a full skirt and train designed by Christian Siriano. “Shutting the carpet down In a Siriano velvet tuxedo gown!” the designer tweeted, later adding, “what an honor it was to create this moment!” In an interview with E! News, he added that he was only given one week to design and fit the ensemble, which consists of a traditional tuxedo shirt worn underneath a full, strapless ballgown. Porter also expressed his appreciation for Siriano and his team, tweeting, “When you come to the Oscars, you must dress up. Thanks @CSiriano for creating this custom couture masterpiece. @OscarHeymanBros you have outdone yourselves with your iconic jewels. Style by @sammyratelle Grooming by Anna Bernabe.” This isn’t the first time the “Kinky Boots” star has made headlines with his bold red carpet choices. The actor attended the Golden Globes wearing a floral-embellished suit and cape from Randi Rahm, and recently took New York Fashion Week by storm. Porter’s stylist Sam Rattelle previously told Page Six Style, “When [Porter] started wearing dresses recently, that was very specific because of all the stuff that was going on in the White House regarding transgender rights. We started talking about it and we’re like, we have to start representing these people because you have to normalize that somehow publicly. There has to be visibility.”<doc-sep>UPDATE: Tonight, Billy Porter shut down the Met Gala red carpet when he arrived on a litter—carried by six shirtless men! Story here. At tonight’s 91st Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, Pose star Billy Porter defied fashion norms by stepping out onto the red carpet in an unapologetically fabulous gown. The custom creation by designer Christian Siriano included a sharply tailored tuxedo jacket overtop a full-skirted strapless velvet gown. A play on masculinity and femininity, the look challenged the rigid Hollywood dress code and was boundary-pushing in all the right ways. For the actor and singer, the fashion choice was deeply personal. Below, Porter reflects on coming to terms with his queer identity and how his fashion choices have became a powerful tool for self-expression and representation. I’ve always been inspired by fashion. My grandmother, my mom—they were always stylish. I grew up loving fashion, but there was a limit to the ways in which I could express myself. When you’re black and you’re gay, one’s masculinity is in question. I dealt with a lot of homophobia in relation to my clothing choices. [Even] when I had my first working contract at A&M Records, I was silent for a long time. I was trying to fit in to what other people felt I should look like. When I landed a role in Kinky Boots, the experience really grounded me in a way that was so unexpected. Putting on those heels made me feel the most masculine I’ve ever felt in my life. It was empowering to let that part of myself free. Now I’m in a space where, being on Pose, I’m invited to red carpets and I have something to say through clothes. My goal is to be a walking piece of political art every time I show up. To challenge expectations. What is masculinity? What does that mean? Women show up every day in pants, but the minute a man wears a dress, the seas part. It happened to me at the Golden Globes [when I wore a pink cape], and I was like, really? Y’all trippin’? I stopped traffic! That Globes outfit changed everything for me. I had the courage to push the status quo. I believe men on the red carpet would love to play more. This industry masquerades itself as inclusive, but actors are afraid to play, because if they show up as something outside of the status quo, they might be received as feminine, and, as a result, they won’t get that masculine job, that superhero job. And that’s the truth. I’ve been confronted with that.<doc-sep>
Billy Porter wanted to make a statement with his 2019 Oscars look — and he certainly accomplished his goal. The "Pose" star turned heads as he walked the red carpet in a custom-made Christian Siriano tuxedo gown. His unique style essentially "broke the Internet," becoming a top trend on Twitter and Google Sunday night. Ahead of Hollywood's biggest night, Porter explained the inspiration behind his iconic look. 'GAME OF THRONES' STAR EMILIA CLARKE STUNS ON OSCARS RED CARPET WITH NEW BRUNETTE BOB HAIRCUT "When you’re black and you’re gay, one’s masculinity is in question. I dealt with a lot of homophobia in relation to my clothing choices. [Even] when I had my first working contract at A&M Records, I was silent for a long time," Porter, 49, revealed to Vogue, noting his role in "Kinky Boots" really helped ground him. "My goal is to be a walking piece of political art every time I show up. To challenge expectations." — Billy Porter "Now I’m in a space where, being on Pose, I’m invited to red carpets and I have something to say through clothes. My goal is to be a walking piece of political art every time I show up. To challenge expectations. What is masculinity? What does that mean? Women show up every day in pants, but the minute a man wears a dress, the seas part," he later added. Fans of the actor and performer gushed over Porter's "fabulous" outfit Sunday. ANNE HATHAWAY JOKES ABOUT HOSTING OSCARS WITH JAMES FRANCO AHEAD OF 2019 SHOW: 'IT'S ALREADY BEEN WORSE' "I wish I had a Billy Porter when I was a kid. You don't need to want to wear a dress to be inspired by someone who is unafraid to be themselves," one Twitter user wrote. "Billy Porter just set the bar impossibly high for #Oscars fashion," another commented. "The king of Siam better watch out cause Billy Porter has come to teach the children," a third chimed in. Porter thanked Christian Siriano for creating the special gown for him in an Instagram post Sunday — just hours before the Oscars officially kicks off. "When you come to the Oscars, you must dress up. Thanks @csiriano for creating this custom couture masterpiece. @oscarheyman you have outdone yourselves once again with your iconic jewels," he captioned the image, which garnered more than 65,000 likes within just one hour. The 49-year-old also credited New York Fashion Week for inspiring the design. "I’ve always wanted to wear a ball gown, I just didn’t know when. I was inspired [this past New York Fashion Week] because there’s a conversation happening about inclusion and diversity. There were so many people of different races and voices," he told Vogue, adding that the look has made him feel "free, open and radiant."