billy porter oscars red carpet 2020
David Fisher/Shutterstock

Lights, camera, Billy Porter! On Sunday, February 9, the longtime Pose star, 50, totally shut down the 2020 Oscars red carpet in a gorgeous ensemble featuring a gold bodice featuring feather-like detail and an orange, pink and red print skirt. He completed the look with a fierce pair of gold platform shoes. 

Of course, this is hardly Billy’s first time making a statement with his fashion choices. In fact, at the 91st Academy Awards, the American Horror Story actor wore the most incredible velvet tuxedo gown designed by Christian Siriano.

“When you come to the Oscars, you must dress up,” Billy wrote on Instagram at the time. “Thanks, [Christian Siriano], for creating this custom couture masterpiece.” A masterpiece, indeed! But Billy’s ensemble was more than just that … it was opening up a much larger dialogue about gender and fashion. 

“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,” Billy wrote in a February 2019 piece for Vogue.

At Palomo Spain, genderless boys floated down the runway in gorgeous chiffon dresses and capes. It was lovely. Fashion has the ability to touch people in a different way. I also went to Christian Siriano’s show,” Billy continued. “I’ve loved him ever since he was on Project Runway. He was the first person who understood that everybody wears clothes — not just size zeros. He’s become the go-to person for all of the Hollywood women who are rejected by the fashion industry.”

Not to steal the spotlight from Billy, but Christian, 34, recently sat down with Ashley Graham on her podcast, “Pretty Big Deal,” to set the record straight about designing clothing for plus-size women. “How hard is it to manufacture clothes in every size?” the longtime model, 32, asked.

“I mean, it’s definitely harder, it’s not the easiest job. And that’s really because the process is longer. It’s like, you have to fit your clothes on multiple sizes before you actually produce them, which a lot of brands just don’t want to do because they don’t want to take the time, or the money and the resources,” Christian admitted, before clarifying, “So, yeah that’s it! But it’s doable. We do it. And I have a small team. So, it’s not that hard.”

We’re so thankful that creatives like Christian and Billy continue to break barriers in fashion. It’s so important!

Can’t get enough celebrity content? Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for fun, exclusive videos with your favorite stars!