It’s not easy to stand out on the Oscars red carpet, where the powers of designers, stylists, makeup artists, and hair stylists combine to help Hollywood A-listers dress for attention.
A full-skirted gown is not usually sufficient means for creating a notable fashion moment. But it is if you’re a man.
And that’s how Billy Porter—who appropriately stars in the FX shows Pose—stole the spotlight during the early hours of the pre-ceremony fashion parade. The actor wore a velvet gown by Christian Siriano that was a fitted tuxedo on top, and a floor-sweeping skirt on the bottom.
Several female actresses also dressed to upend the boring gender norms of the red carpet, wearing pants and suits instead of gowns. Eighth Grade‘s Elsie Fisher wore Thom Browne, Amy Poehler wore all-black Alberta Ferretti, and Awkwafina wore sparkling DSquared. Wouldn’t it be nice if no norms were the new norm?
