When it came time to design the assortment of shoes, Porter and Jimmy Choo’s Sandra Choi knew they wanted to release it during Pride month. “Billy is a true original,” says Choi. “He embodies the Jimmy Choo ethos with his daring spirit on and off the red carpet.” As a result, Porter also drew from the history and iconography of queer style to find the right look and feel for it. “The inspiration was Pride, and everything goes back to the flag,” he says. Porter wanted to take the iconic rainbow flag and use it as a reference for the shoe colorways. “The pride flag is beautiful and I love the new version with the transgender colors, but for my taste, I'm not a big primary color person,” says Porter. “I wanted to take the colors of the flag and reinterpret them to feel a little bit more luxurious.”
A sense of queer pride, particularly when expressed through fashion, is something Porter has always made his M.O. on the red carpet—so it makes perfect sense for him to continue that as a shoe designer. “The messaging that I received from my entire life was that my queerness would be my liability,” says Porter. “For the first 20 years of my career, I ran away from that queerness, and I tried to fit in. Then Kinky Boots happened.” Ever since slipping into those iconic ruby-red heels on Broadway, Porter says he approaches dressing with 100% confidence—heels and all. “I’m so blessed to have played Lola,” says Porter. “Embracing the feminine side of myself made me feel much stronger and empowered. I realized I don't need the excuse of a character to wear a heel.”
So what’s next for the star, now that he’s dropped a shoe line and wrapped his smash-hit series Pose? Expect him on the red carpets again soon, of course—but it seems he also has a few more unexpected projects in the pipeline. “I am directing my first film for Orion Pictures, called What If?,” says Porter. “I’ve also been working on new music for the last two months, I have a single coming out at the end of the summer, and I also have just finished my memoir, releasing in the fall.” Oh, and he’ll also be portraying the Fairy Godmother in September’s Cinderella. Just a little bit of a busy summer, then. Luckily he has the perfect new pair of shoes to be running around in.
June 04, 2021 at 08:00PM
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Billy Porter on the Joy of Heels and His Inclusive New Shoe Collection - Vogue
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High Heels
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