Billy Porter's Tony's outfit, made from the 'Kinky Boots' curtain, makes statement about reproductive rights
Billy Porter's outfits never cease to amaze. And his Tony's gown-suit hybrid is no exception to that rule.
Made from the Kinky Boots' curtain, Porter's custom red velvet ensemble also carried an extremely important message with the inclusion of a uterus-themed motif.
Porter told The Hollywood Reporter that the outfit was a "beautiful nod to Elizabethan couture" with a message about women's reproductive rights.
"At the fitting, we spoke about making a pattern on the train that was in the shape of a uterus, but not obvious, of course," Porter told THR. "And I thought it was awesome because women’s rights are under attack right now. I’m an advocate for all who are disenfranchised. None of us are free until we’re all free!"
"I really want to make sure that I’m showing up for all of the disenfranchised people I can so that we can find power in our unity," Porter continued. "This government is trying to take away the woman’s right to choose and that’s unacceptable. No!”
The statement comes as several states in America passed bills outlawing abortions after cardiac motion in a foetus is detected (around six weeks into a pregnancy). And in Alabama, lawmakers passed a near-total ban — the only exception to which would be when the woman's health is at serious risk. Alabama's law carries no exceptions for rape and incest.
Designed and created by Celestino Couture, the outfit was described by designer Sergio Guadarrama as a "gender-fluid evening suit".
Oh, and just in case it wasn't spectacular enough, the gown is also embellished with over 30,000 Swarovski crystals.
Iconic.
Topics Celebrities
Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.
A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.
Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
