Billy Porter continued his year of extraordinary fashion on the red carpet at the 71st Emmy Awards Sunday.
The “Pose” star wowed with a custom-designed Michael Kors suit embellished with more than 100,000 crystals. He literally topped off the look with an asymmetrical hat created by Stephen Jones, whose headwear has appeared in Dior and Vivienne Westwood runway shows.
Porter, a nominee for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for “Pose,” dropped a few hints about his Emmys ensemble last week. On Twitter, he thanked his longtime stylist, Sam Ratelle, whom he met during his Tony-winning run in the Broadway smash “Kinky Boots.”
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter on Friday, Porter elaborated on the look, calling it a “little ’70s disco throwback moment.”
“It is very edgy, very on the pulse,” he said. “We’re excited. It is a classic silhouette yet heightened.”
And Porter, who has dazzled with iconic looks at the Golden Globes, the Oscars, the Met Gala and the Tony Awards this year, said he was proud of his role as a pioneering fashion plate.
“I created a space where people who are coming behind me can see themselves: a black queer man who stands inside of his power and inside of his truth and his authenticity and loves himself first — thereby teaching everybody else around him how to do the same,” he said. “It’s such a wonderful time for me. You know, I feel free!”