Billy Porter reflects on 'daring' Oscar dress
Billy Porter believes the dress he wore to the 2019 Academy Awards "changed the world".
While speaking to Page Six, the Tony winner reflected on the iconic Christian Siriano velvet tuxedo dress that he wore at the 2019 Oscars.
The 53-year-old, who is known for breaking gender norms, noted that he rarely thinks about the famed outfit, however, he does consider the lasting effect it has had.
"What the world thinks is the most memorable is the Oscar dress, the tuxedo Oscar dress that changed the world," the Cinderella actor told the outlet. "That's the most significant one because of the impact it's had on the entire world. Fashion has changed since then. Men feel freer since then and I love being a part of that."
The daring look, which the actor/singer recreated at the 2023 Golden Globes, has inspired others to start wearing more gender-fluid outfits, and Porter explained that wasn't his intention.
"Everything that I do is based on the assignment and how I feel," the Pose star stated. "The fact that it feels daring is other people stuff, I show up and do what I want. What I feel, what makes me happy.
"I'm always daring, I guess, to some other people because there's so much fear connected to it and I hope that having presence enough to not be afraid of what other people think and use that in my art can be freeing for some people, I hope. Because it's definitely freeing for me."
