--- title: Billy Porter Explains What Inspired His 2019 Met Gala Look description: Billy Porter's gilded, regal look for the 2019 Met Gala was inspired by a variety of sources — from Diana Ross to Elizabeth Taylor canonical: https://time.com/5584938/billy-porter-met-gala-2019-look-inspiration/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-05-07T15:45:29.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:58:56.340Z og:title: Here's the Inspiration Behind Billy Porter's 2019 Met Gala Look You Probably Missed og:description: He arrived as a magnificent Sun God og:url: https://time.com/5584938/billy-porter-met-gala-2019-look-inspiration/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt348a7de406969920/6989499222fb85482be28386/billy-porter-met-gala-2019-look-meaning.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion - Street Sightings og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here's the Inspiration Behind Billy Porter's 2019 Met Gala Look You Probably Missed twitter:description: He arrived as a magnificent Sun God twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt348a7de406969920/6989499222fb85482be28386/billy-porter-met-gala-2019-look-meaning.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here's the Surprising Inspiration Behind Billy Porter's Magnificent Sun God 2019 Met Gala Look > Sponsored content. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=a010ca7d-7396-43bc-9cdc-7836e2e08be8&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1)  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang May 7, 2019 3:45 PM UTC  NEW YORK, NY - MAY 06: Billy Porter attends The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art at on May 6, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Bauzen/GC Images) NEW YORK, NY - MAY 06: Billy Porter attends The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art at on May 6, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Bauzen/GC Images) Bauzen—GC Images  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang May 7, 2019 3:45 PM UTC [Billy Porter](http://time.com/5537621/billy-porter-dress-oscars-2019/) had one of the most iconic entrances in Met Gala history when he showed up to the [2019 Costume Institute Ball](http://time.com/5581638/best-dressed-met-gala-2019/) as the Sun God, [carried in on a gold and velvet litter hoisted by six shirtless men](http://time.com/5584341/billy-porter-met-gala-2019/) — a perfect embodiment of the night’s theme, [_Camp: Notes on Fashion_.](http://time.com/5581241/met-gala-2019-camp-theme-explained-photos/) While Porter’s resplendent custom catsuit and 24-karat gold headpiece by the Blonds (which was hand detailed with Preciosa crystals, chain fringe and gold bugle beads) might bring to mind Egyptian iconography, the inspiration for the look came from one of the modern camp icons: Diana Ross. In an interview with [_Playbill_](http://www.playbill.com/article/inside-billy-porters-2019-met-gala-look), the _Pose_ star and Tony Award-winning entertainer shared that the Sun God idea came about while he and _Pose_ creator Ryan Murphy were discussing looks, with Murphy suggesting that Porter dress in the looks of Diana Ross’ iconic _Mahogany_ montage. “We stumbled upon this Egyptian idea. Ryan Murphy, we were talking—I’m at Ryan’s table. Ryan was talking about, ‘You should go as Diana Ross’ _Mahogany_ montage, five outfits.’ But who wants to work that hard throughout the evening?” Porter said. “But I watched the montage and the thing that stuck out to me the most was the Egyptian look. It was this Diana Ross Egyptian moment that launched it and we expanded from there, to Elizabeth Taylor, to Egyptians were gods so this is the sun god. All different ideas came into play and we landed on what we got.” Porter, who wowed viewers when he showed up to the 2019 Oscars in a stunning tuxedo and Christian Siriano skirt combo this awards season, said that the night’s theme wasn’t difficult given his background in theater: “I am a theatre baby, and I do understand camp. 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