It’s been a fabulous couple of weeks for Billy Porter. Kicking the year off with a slew of nominations for his role as Pray Tell on the groundbreaking FX series, Pose, the Tony Award-winning actor is bringing his best to the world stage. Though he didn’t walk away with a trophy at the 76th annual Golden Globes last week, the revered actor is using his growing visibility to affect change beyond his roles on screen. “I keep saying I’m just grateful that I lived long enough to see this day where our stories are front and center and I get to be a part of it,” Porter said after his Globes nomination.
In addition to being part of the history-making cast in Ryan Murphy’s FX series, Porter is also among an influx of cisgendered entertainers that are abandoning the binary for a more fluid expression. The culture shift is apparent throughout Hollywood, where black tie means more than just a standard tuxedo. “This is art as activism, which is what I’ve always been interested in, ” Porter said. While the importance of this platform during awards season is not lost on Porter, the actor’s winning looks have taken a team of dedicated people to orchestrate.
For his stylist, Sam Ratelle, getting looks together is as much an opportunity to defend equal rights as it is a chance to look good for step and repeats. The stylist plays a crucial role in representation as gender non-conforming people are becoming more visible in the media. While actors like Ezra Miller, Cody Fern and Timothee Chalamet have been sporting nonconventional looks, Porter further diversifies the roster of cisgendered men subverting the status quo. An openly gay, African American man approaching 50, the Kinky Boots star’s sartorial gestures are downright political. “I’ve been in this business for thirty years and this feels real, this feels right. This is art as activism, which is what I’ve always been interested in,” Porter said. Taking this into account, Ratelle took the opportunity at the Globes to dramatize Porter’s real-life hero status on the red carpet. “I knew that I wanted Billy in a cape from the beginning, after all, he’s a superhero to all of us in the LGBTQ community,” he said.
While the Randi Rahm custom couture look created for the occasion took six months to make, the process was a labor of love for all involved. “I knew Randi and Billy would be a great match,” Ratelle said. Together with the New York-based designer, they created a look that’s been added to a growing rolodex of red carpet moments. Including a gorgeous hot pink lining in the cape and decorating it with floral embellishments, the team went to work on finding the perfect accessories. “Heels, which Billy is fond of wearing, are especially taboo because men are ‘not supposed to wear them,’ Ratelle said. The stylist pulled a pair of Gucci’s Sylvie velvet loafers in tribute to Louis XVI of France and a nod to times when it was socially acceptable for men to wear heels.
Just last night, Porter stunned at the Critics Choice Awards in another custom couture look by Rinat Brodach. I caught up with Sam Ratelle in the middle of his busy awards season to talk working with Billy Porter and get a breakdown of some of his favorite looks yet.
Roytel Montero: How long have you been working with Billy Porter as a stylist?
Sam Ratelle: I started working with Billy in February of last year. We met through my husband Ryan Ratelle who had previously been Billy’s publicist during his time in Kinky Boots on Broadway. From the moment we started working together, he has trusted me so implicitly and allowed me to do what I do best. We have a great relationship when it comes to how we collaborate together. It is truly a joy to work with him and I always laugh my butt off with him every single time. COMEDY.
Tell me what your preparation process looks like for getting ready for an appearance or red carpet?
Billy has had an incredible journey in the past year. Things moved very quickly and before we knew it he was filming “Pose,” then “American Horror Story: Apocalypse” and soon after that, his first feature film, Limited Partners with Tiffany Haddish, Salma Hayek and Rose Byrne, which comes out this summer. With his tight schedule, we have to squeeze in as many looks as we can every time we meet for a fitting. Billy is not a sample size, so it’s challenging sometimes to pull from showrooms and designers. We often have to go with custom pieces which requires a lot of planning. It’s been incredible to work with designers who understand Billy’s style, what he is feeling in the moment and what he would like to express through fashion and merge that with their vision in order to create something new and unique. Our styling is always situational. There is always a time and place for every garment. One day it’s a dress, one day it’s a suit, and another day it’s something completely androgynous. We always try to plan each look according to the theme of each appearance and once they’re set we archive each of them until we meet with Billy on the day of to get him ready for the event.
In the past few weeks leading up to the Globes, Billy has turned some really fabulous looks that obliterate norms. Which stand out as your favorites?
NBC Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting
Billy and I both adore Issey Miyake. When I saw this full look, I knew he had to wear it to the Rockefeller center tree lighting as a white Christmas moment. We used a hat from Esenshel to top it off and to help execute our vision of a winter snowman. Our team called him Frosty Porter – it was a magical day!
To Kill A Mockingbird Broadway Opening Night
We love supporting new, emerging designers and we’ve had the pleasure of working with Xllullan recently. We are in awe of her work – it’s meticulous. Mockingbird was one of the most highly anticipated play openings on Broadway this season and, given the subject matter, it was an important event. We wanted Billy’s look to reflect the importance of the evening and so we went with a classic and refined look from Xllullan.
Vanity Fair/FX Pre-Emmy Party
We adore working with Diego Binetti. His most recent line, Love Binetti caters to the “free-spirited citizens of the universe that constantly strive to redefine the rules through self-expression and creativity.” That’s Billy Porter in a nutshell, so we had to get him into some of their looks. The poncho immediately spoke to us as it celebrates people of indigenous descent and is a reminder that we all immigrated to this nation and took over someone else’s land.
Head Over Heels Broadway Opening Night
This was such a fun get up. We knew Head Over Heels combined a Renaissance pastoral romance with the songs of the Go-Go’s, so we wanted to him to wear something that was strategically thematic to the 16th century. We found this Ashish top which impeccably recreated a version of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa with sequins.
As someone who’s dressing such an important male figure in Hollywood right now, you’re playing an immense role in inspiring social change – what’s your relationship to that?
Billy is one of the most authentic humans I know. He is politically charged and well aware of the power of his voice in the LGBTQ community and beyond. It is imperative for both of us to highlight and support not only people of color, but our LGBTQ family. I was kicked out of my home at the age of 16 for being gay. I ended up being a client of the Ali Forney Center who provided housing and resources for me as a young adult so I could get back on my feet. I identify with Billy’s background strongly. We both have been fortunate enough to benefit greatly from LGBTQ charitable organizations, therefore it’s imperative to support and bring light to their causes. Everything we do together has purpose and meaning. For example, when the White House asked the Supreme Court to fast-track the ruling on the Transgender Military ban, we immediately started putting him in dresses on a more regular basis. Fashion can absolutely be, and has been throughout history, a catalyst for social change. We’re thrilled that people are taking notice and so grateful for the platform and ability to reach people.
With awards season in full gear and premieres/events coming up, are there any events in particular you’re excited to get dressed for?
Every day is a fashion event with Billy Porter! I think 2019 is going to be a great year for Billy and we’re excited for everything that’s going to come his way. We are both foundationally rooted in the theater. We are excited for the Tony Awards this year and to continue to bridge the segregation between fashion and Broadway. Men’s Fashion week will be a lot of fun and, hopefully, we get to create looks for the Emmy Awards and the Met Gala. The theme of this year’s Gala is Camp: Notes on Fashion. Can you even imagine the look Billy could turn out for that?!
