BET has tapped Billy Porter to host and narrate its new docuseries, Black + Iconic: Style Gods. The four-part documentary celebrating “Black cultural icons, pioneers, and activists and their impact, influence and legacies in fashion, music, film, and dance” will premiere this February.
Similar to prior BET original documentaries, the first sector in the franchise—directed by Lynne Robinson and produced by Stanley Nelson and Firelight Films—will be a two-hour film dissecting fashion with the help of archival footage and original interviews with pioneering Black models, fashion designers, and style trailblazers. All will explore the myriad of ways racism and high fashion have systemically affected Black people and how we’ve persevered, nonetheless.
“We’re thrilled to be working with BET again after the success of our first project together, ‘Through the Fire: The Legacy of Barack Obama,’” said Nelson in a statement. “I couldn’t think of a better home for this series celebrating Black icons via the numerous mediums through which Black creatives have made an indelible mark on the culture.”
BET’s Connie Orlando, who also serves as executive producer on the docuseries, added, “With this definitive and original documentary franchise, we look forward to giving some of the amazing Black icons who have shaped and continue to influence popular culture their well-deserved recognition.”
She continued, “We are proud to partner with Firelight Films and Stanley Nelson again, a pillar in the creative and documentary communities, and Firelight Films on this groundbreaking series. We loved having Billy Porter perform at last year’s BET Awards, and we are honored to have one of the most recognizable entertainers, trailblazing forces, and a style icon in his own right, narrate ‘Style Gods.’ We hope ‘Black + Iconic’ inspires our viewers while reinforcing how Black people are both the source and the driving force of what is cool and next in culture.”
Black + Iconic: Style Gods premieres on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8 PM ET/PT on BET, BET Her, BET+, and VH1.