Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor has long been a force to be reckoned with on the red carpet. Her looks are a captivating blend of boldness and color, or conceptual fantasy, commanding attention with every step. Since her Oscar-nominated role in "King Richard," one thing has become abundantly clear - pants are a common thread in her fabulous outfits.

Resisting Femininity's Hyper-Performance

The 55-year-old Mississippi native tells PEOPLE exclusively, "I've made choices about not wearing dresses and have ensured I'm wearing pants all the time." After stepping out on the 2022 Oscars red carpet in an orange, ruffled gown from Donatella Versace, Ellis-Taylor has embraced more theatrical, rock-influenced outfits that favor pantsuits over skirts. "Because I'm resisting how women have to perform," she explains. "Particularly on these carpets, there's this hyper-performance of femininity. And I'm like, 'I don't want to do this.'"At the New York City premiere of "Origin" last December, she made a bold statement in a ruffled pink cape framing a bright orange pantsuit, finishing the look with dazzling face jewelry and earrings. At the NAACP Image Awards in March, she continued the cape trend in a flowery number over a wide-lapeled suit, all in turquoise.Ellis-Taylor admits that one of the main reasons for experimenting with her public style is the variety of options. "I had great people around me" while promoting 2021's "King Richard," she says, "but I think because I had never done anything like that before, I was just like, 'Well, what do you think I should do?' So, I just sort of did what everybody else wanted me to do."

Expanding Fashion Choices

Following her performances in buzzy films like Ava DuVernay's "Origin," Tina Mabry's "The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat," Lee Daniels' "The Deliverance," and Titus Kaphar's "Exhibiting Forgiveness," Ellis-Taylor is back on the awards campaign for RaMell Ross' "Nickel Boys." Compared to her last red carpet circuit, she says, "I have more choices. I am working with someone who can go to these fashion houses and get stuff like this for me."Hence the exuberance in her looks while promoting "Nickel Boys": a poncho-like, cream-colored coat with gold embellishments in New York; an all-black confection of ruffles with leather gloves and boots in London; a bright marigold pantsuit-and-cape combo in Los Angeles, to name a few.

Proudly Expressing Queerness

For Ellis-Taylor, testing conventions on Hollywood red carpets offers an added bonus - the opportunity to proudly express her queerness. "I was surrounded by so much f—ing homophobia and bigotry in this industry," she says of publicly owning her bisexuality in 2022. Several queer people, including some who have not claimed their sexuality publicly, have privately thanked Ellis-Taylor for being so out and proud. As she points out, "Somebody still needs that.""Nickel Boys," starring Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson, is in theaters December 14.