Tracy Taylor
Fashion director & stylist
I met Tracy Taylor on the summer solstice — the longest and happiest day of the year. I was leaving dinner in the West Village with fellow i/Editor Mariana Velasquez. Tracy was walking with her dear friend, photographer Matt Albiani. The sky still glowed in the aftermath of the recently set sun.
Tracy and I locked eyes with a smile, and her energy pulled me towards her like a magnet. We realized we recognized each other — we had lots of mutual friends, but couldn’t remember when we had met. We chatted, laughed, and introduced our friends to each other.
I’m not sure if it’s because it was the summer solstice or, more likely, because of who Tracy is, that I left our interaction feeling giddy for days. Even just a small dose of her presence lingers with you.
Tracy is a self-proclaimed happiness enthusiast, which is only one of her many roles. As a fashion director and stylist in the editorial world, she is the creative force behind visually cohesive and impactful images and campaigns, working with the most respected photographers, designers, and models. Her clients have included Lily Collins, Jane Fonda, Nicole Kidman, and Lupita Nyong’o, as well as numerous magazines, newspapers, and retailers.
Tracy is incredibly warm and open. I am excited to share her i/Edit interview, complete with all of her favorites, below.
Q&A
I’m always struck by how visually exciting the things you create are. What is your secret sauce to creating impactful images from project to project, year after year?
First of all, there are so many different characters during a photoshoot. The clothes are one character, and sometimes just having different clothes is enough to make an image unique. But then there’s the hair, the makeup, the nails, the skin, the different light, the camera angles, the visual elements, and things in the background — all of which you can play with.
On top of that, I’m a visual and sensory junkie. I’m inspired by everything: music, film, TV. I’m kind of a culture vulture in that way.
Sometimes I’ll pull from the same inspiration and do it a few times, but there’s always a different twist. Let’s say I’m using Georgia O’Keeffe as a reference. You can do that story in so many different ways: you can do a literal version, you can do a nod to it, or it could just be the clothes. That alone leaves me with so many ideas to pick from — when you multiply that by a million books and movies and such, it feels like an endless stream of inspiration.
When you’re doing shoots with certain clients, do you know instinctively which photographers you want to work with?
It’s not one-size-fits-all for me. There are people I love to work with over and over again, but they’re just not right for everything. You have to consider things like the light, the texture, the angles, and pick who will do that best. You wouldn’t ask Leonardo da Vinci to do what Rodin or Giacometti did.
I always feel like a shoot is like a mini movie. You have a story to tell, and you have to ask yourself who the best cinematographer or director is.
Behind the scenes with Tracy on a shoot for Vogue Arabia, featuring a Prada embossed leather blazer and matching midi skirt.
What are your favorite under-the-radar recommendations that you wish more people knew about? Why are you obsessed with them?
I like smaller designers like Nili Lotan, Wales Bonner, Bettter designed by Julie Pelipas, and District Vision. They’re all a bit more spare and street than my maximalist days.
I love the shell necklaces from RENATA.Q (designed by Renata Quaglia).
I’m also very into lesser-known beauty brands: VIOLETTE_FR for makeup, RŌZ and Act+Acre for hair. Westman Atelier is another fave.
Paid subscribers get access to the full interview below, including the places that changed how Tracy thinks about fashion, the movies that inspire her visually, her favorite hidden-gem spot for quiet thinking, and the restaurants she swears by in NYC, LA, and Europe. I hope you’ll consider becoming a paid subscriber to support our work — and a huge thank you to those who already do!
