Teyana Taylor and Thom Browne opened up about their creative bond in a new WWD Weekend cover story.
The actress, 35, graces the magazine’s Fall Fashion Issue in a striking black-and-white beaded coat dress with sleeves that nearly graze the floor, standing behind the seated designer, 60, who wore his signature suit short set. The outlet Style obtained an exclusive first look at the interview and photo shoot, which showcases Taylor’s newly dyed silver platinum pixie cut.
“The heart, the genius, the person behind this work of art is very important for me,” Taylor said of Browne. “That’s why I ride for you the way I ride for you. I gotta love here before I can even love the design.”
The two have built a partnership spanning several years of red carpets and front rows. Taylor has worn the New York-based designer’s creations to major events including the 2023 Met Gala and the 2026 SAG Actor Awards earlier this year, where she turned heads in a trompe-l’oeil “naked” dress constructed from 160 pattern pieces, its bodice giving way to a skirt embroidered with 400,000 sequins and 175,000 beads.
“People from the outside would think we’re very different. But we’re so weirdly similar,” Browne said of the star.
Taylor echoed that sentiment with characteristic directness. “I feel like I’m your spirit animal in a weird way; I’m like your extrovert and you’re like my introvert,” she told the magazine.
Their connection runs deeper than aesthetics. Browne recalled one of his fall/winter 2022 shows that moved Taylor to tears, rooted in the Island of Misfit Toys. “The show was based on the Island of Misfit Toys, because I feel like we are so true to ourselves,” he said. “Sometimes we are very much on our own.”
Taylor has long been a visible champion of Browne’s work from the front row, and she articulated what draws her to his designs. “I feel like the way you put your imagination and your dreams on paper is really iconic to me,” she declared. “That’s a fashion icon to me as someone that could put it on paper and bring it to reality, and then I just get to wear it.”
The pair’s collaborative relationship represents a rare alignment between performer and designer in an industry where such bonds are often transactional. Taylor’s loyalty to Browne’s vision has made her something of a muse for the avant-garde American designer, whose surrealist approach to tailoring has redefined modern red-carpet dressing.
The WWD Weekend Fall Fashion Issue featuring Taylor and Browne hits newsstands this week.
