No outfit created as much buzz at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards than the feathery white tuxedo worn by actor Billy Porter.
And local fans of television and fashion might be pleased to know the outfit was designed by Greenport’s Alex Vinash.
The Argentinian-born designer, who runs L’Boutique at American Beech in Stirling Square, the restaurant complex owned by his partner Brent Pelton, started drafting the custom tuxedo gown for the “Pose” star about a year ago — before the actor even knew he’d be nominated for best actor. The final creation consisted of a white button-up, satin trousers, tuxedo jacket and a dramatic train covered in white feathers and Swarovski crystals. The swan-like train was so long it needed to be carried with Porter down the red carpet.
“I was thinking that feathers are something that you don’t see much on men,” Vinash said. “I wanted to keep the shoulders masculine and use the silhouette of a man, but also have some fun and have something more feminine on the bottom.”
Porter, a fashion icon who hosted the red carpet show at the Academy Awards for ABC in 2019, paired the look with Jimmy Choo boots and Tiffany & Co. jewelry. Vinash even designed the suit-gown hybrid with a thoughtful detail for after the red carpet — the feathered train could be unzipped and removed for sitting comfortably in the ceremony.
“It definitely is my best design that I did for a red carpet, that’s for sure,” he said from Los Angeles on Tuesday. “And it’s even more special that I did a red carpet with a man, because I usually do more women’s wear. So it was super, super special.”
Porter’s ruffly entrance earned praise from fashion critics at major media outlets and was also picked up on quickly by fans on Twitter. Hollywood icon Meryl Streep even complimented Porter on the outfit after the two embraced at the event. In a video shared on Twitter, you can hear Porter explaining the zip detail to Streep.
“I did not know that it was going to be the number one on the red carpet, because it’s packed with a lot of celebrities going over the top,” Vinash said. “But in this case, this year [Porter] has had so much press because he’s the only one who pushed a little bit.”
Porter has also worked with Vinash in the past. He appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and The Late Late Show with James Corden in the designer’s outfits last year.
For now, the designer said he is continuing to work on his collection for the boutique and for the third year of his fashion show to benefit Community Action Southold Town, which works to help low-income residents meet their basic needs.
“I still think that it’s a great help,” Vinash said. “It’s a fun show to work, and it’s a nice way to give something in return — a little show, a little fun.”
“I love what I do, and I keep doing it and keep working every day,” he said. “I have to keep not only the celebrities happy, but I’m lucky to have so many clients from the North Fork and so many thanks go to the North Fork.”
