Which designer created Billy Porter’s tuxedo gown for the 2019 Academy Awards?

Christian Siriano created Billy Porter’s tuxedo gown for the 2019 Academy Awards.

Porter wore the black velvet tuxedo-gown hybrid at the 91st Academy Awards in February 2019. The design combined a traditional tuxedo jacket and bow tie with a voluminous ball-gown skirt, creating a deliberate fusion of masculine and feminine formalwear.

Christian Siriano made the custom outfit after Porter discussed wanting a look that could express both elements of his identity. The garment became a landmark red-carpet moment because it challenged the expectation that celebrity formalwear must fit neatly into a men’s suit or women’s gown category.

Porter was not presenting the outfit as a historical costume. He wore it as contemporary eveningwear, while the event’s extensive global coverage made the image influential in conversations about gender expression and fashion. The 2019 ceremony honored films released in 2018, and Porter attended as a presenter rather than as an acting nominee.