Billy Porter delivered a powerful message at the 2019 Tony Awards Sunday, sporting a custom-made gown crafted from the stage curtain of Kinky Boots that included a subtle yet striking nod to women’s rights.
The Pose actor has already rocked instantly-iconic looks at the Golden Globes, the Oscars and the Met Gala this year, and explained to The Hollywood Reporter that the train of his gown featured a subtle pattern in the shape of uterus.
“I thought it was awesome because women’s rights are under attack right now. I’m an advocate for all who are disenfranchised,” he said. “None of us are free until we’re all free!”
Currently best known for his role in Pose, the actor and singer won a Tony for his portrayal of drag queen Lola in Kinky Boots back in 2013.
That musical, which featured music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, closed April 7 on Broadway, after 2,507 performances.
When the production closed, stylist Sam Ratelle was approached by Scenery Bags to see if Billy would be interested in having the stage curtain made into a purse.
They opted instead to have Celestino Couture start sketching options for Billy’s Tony Awards gown, the actor recalled in a New York Times interview published on Sunday.
“I want to flip the question of what it means to be a man,” Billy said of the ensemble. “This question of masculinity, this sort of microscope of heteronormative masculinity that we are very often held up to, especially as leading men, needs to be shattered.
“You know, it’s toxic and I’m over it and I’ve lived it and I’m not doing it anymore.”