LAS VEGAS — Billy Porter never set out to be the poster child for genderless dressing, but his willingness to push the boundaries of fashion set him on that path.

The singer, actor and entertainer was the keynote speaker at the opening of the MAGIC/Project trade show here on Feb. 13.

Dressed in a baby blue belted safari jacket and matching pants with silver platform boots, Porter said it wasn’t until he scored the lead role of the drag queen Lola in “Kinky Boots” that he started exploring wearing dresses and shoes, viewed historically as womenswear, when not on stage. Before that, he dressed more traditionally.

Growing up in the Black Pentecostal church, he said his mother would often tell him to change his outfits before services because she was embarrassed by his clothing choices. And as an adult, “I was told my queerness would be my liability,” he said, adding that he was often told he wasn’t masculine enough. “So I had to figure out how to be masculine enough to eat.”

But after playing Lola, he realized he “never felt more powerful than when I was thumbing around in six-inch platform heels.” And he also “never felt so masculine.”

To set himself apart when not performing, Porter knew he needed an edge. So he stumbled upon a Rick Owens store in New York and spent a small fortune stocking up on the designer’s rock ‘n’ roll-inspired genderless looks.

It wasn’t long after that he started gaining notoriety by wearing a custom silver suit with a fuchsia lining at the Golden Globes followed by the look that broke the internet — a Christian Siriano-designed black velvet tuxedo dress he wore to the Academy Awards in 2019. “Penguin suits are boring,” he recalls saying at the time. “I’m going to wear a gown.” (He wore a bright pink version of the tuxedo dress to the Golden Globes earlier this year.)

Another standout outfit was the Egyptian-inspired gown The Blonds designed for him for the Met Gala that same year when he was carried onto the red carpet by shirtless attendants.

These over-the-top moments “could have tanked my career,” he said, “but it was exactly the opposite. I have changed the face of fashion forever.”

Porter, who said he preferred wearing sweatpants and T-shirts at home, then moved beyond talking strictly about fashion, advising the attendees to: “Stand in your truth and the truth will set you free.”

He said that while it was never his intention, he has become a champion of individuality and inclusivity. His newest projects include directing “Anything’s Possible” on Amazon Prime and an episode of “Accused” on Fox, both of which have transgender story lines. And his production company, Incognegro — “You’ll never forget it,” he said of the name — also seeks to tell stories of people who would not otherwise have told their stories.

“Fashion is art and we’re the first to be silenced,” he said. “I’m trying to step up and use my art to make a difference in this world.”