LaQuan Smith, the designer known for bringing sexy back to runways and celebrity wardrobes, believes in the power of joy in fashion and beyond. “My entire existence has been about celebration,” he says. “Growing up in New York during a moment when there was such vibrant nightlife is what originally inspired me to create the kind of clothing I’m designing.” As a teenager in Queens in the early 2000s, he was too young to hang out at Bungalow 8 or experience the energy of the hip-hop–fueled runways of Baby Phat and Sean John, but he studied the scene’s intricacies through glossy magazines and television shows. “Sometimes I think I was born too late,” he says. “I would have loved to attend those kinds of things, because they shaped my tastes and the way I look at life.” Smith’s grandmother gave him his first sewing machine when he was 13, and he started designing looks based on the outré styles that had been burned into his consciousness. By the time he was a student at the High School of Art and Design, Smith, now 35, knew his stuff. “There were moments when I wasn’t on the guest list, but I snuck my way in,” he says. “Or I knew there was some fierce bouncer at the door, and I couldn’t get in to save my life—but that exclusivity creates desire.” Since making his New York Fashion Week debut in 2010, he has moved from modest presentations to epic events. “I didn’t wake up one day and say, ‘Hey, I want to be the king of partying in New York,’ but we’re creating these moments that other brands aren’t,” says Smith. “A great party takes away all the seriousness; it allows people to share in an experience and make a new memory.”
The designer in his grandparents’ kitchen at age 5.
Courtesy of LaQuan Smith
“My family has always loved me unconditionally,” Smith says. “I never really had to have a conversation about who I was because they already knew. When I’d bring my girlfriends over to try on dresses or when I brought my first boyfriend home, it was never a thing. I know my experience differs from others’ because I never had to have a coming-out story. They’ve always been ride or die loving me, and that’s how you should love children.”
The support of Smith’s family, particularly his grandfather George, pictured here in 1990, informed his career. “I tear up looking at this photo because his death was so recent,” says Smith. “He was my cheerleader from day one. He never questioned my interests and celebrated my talents. Even though he didn’t understand the fashion business, he gave me advice on being an entrepreneur and came to every one of my shows.”
Curating the perfect Fashion Week guest list is about more than who sits in the front row. For his infamous afterparties, Smith always selects a performer who captures the mood of the moment. After his fall/winter 2023 show, in February, he went with Ice Spice. “This was a wild night,” he says. “She’s incredible—the hottest female rapper around. I thought she would be the perfect addition, but I didn’t realize the crowd she would bring out!”
“I’m always thinking about how I can top the last collection,” says Smith. “It’s a natural thought process, but it’s also pressure. When we showed a collection at the top of the Empire State Building [below and right center, in 2021], people got so excited, and it made history. So the expectation is, ‘Well, what will he do next?’ ”
The designer showing his spring/summer 2011 capsule collection at the Manhattan Center, in New York.
Johnny Nunez/WireImage
“My woman wants to be the center of attention,” says Smith. “I have seen her in the flesh; I know exactly who she is and where she’s going. I know many people are incorporating streetwear into their wardrobes, but that just isn’t my girl. I’m about sexiness, glamour, and confidence.”
“I was nervous here! I love Tom Ford; he’s the best ever, in my opinion,” says Smith of the designer. “I think we’re very similar in terms of personality. Tom and I are both Virgos, and our birthdays are quite close together. This was a private dinner at Indochine a few months after we met in Los Angeles. We’ve built a great friendship since.”
Smith’s personal style rules? Look good, feel good, smell good. “There’s a level of excitement and freedom around menswear at the moment, and I love dressing up—men don’t get to do that enough! We’re living in a very fluid era, so why not put on a great blouse or a pair of high-waisted trousers?”
At the Save Venice gala in 2023, Smith spent time with fellow designers (seated, from left) Phillip Lim; Laura Kim, of Oscar de la Renta; and Prabal Gurung. “We’re all friends and have similar journeys and struggles when it comes to business,” says Smith. “I think what everyone is doing is fantastic, and it doesn’t cost anything to say hello and show some love.”
“When I’m going out, one of the most important things is making sure my date will be comfortable too,” says Smith. “Ciara came with me to the ACE Awards in 2021. She presented me with the Hero award that evening. Naturally, she’s in head-to-toe LaQuan Smith, and I’m in my collaboration with Blackglama. That night, we had the best time cracking jokes, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company. She’s the sweetest person.”
At the Flannels x LaQuan Smith Fashion Week party in Paris, September 2022.
Courtesy of Flannels London
“There’s a lot to celebrate right now,” says Smith. “People come out because it’s a genuinely good time. I never want to do something that isn’t on brand. Life is exciting, and it feels like we’re doing the right things in an authentic way.”
“This was so iconic! I’d never met Madonna before this photograph,” says Smith of the above snap from his spring/summer 2023 afterparty. “I’m saying, ‘I love you, Madonna,’ and she’s telling me, ‘No, you don’t invite me to any of your shows!’ She talked to me like we’d known each other for a decade. It’s great to have her support, for her to come see my work and give me a hug.”
“In this shot, she’s wearing it in a Tiffany & Co. campaign, which blew my mind.
Mason Poole/Courtesy of Parkwood Entertainment
Recently, I created a shattered glass catsuit that she wore on the Renaissance World Tour.
Courtesy of Parkwood Entertainment
That is from the On the Run II Tour. It was the first look of the first night, so it kicked everything off. That was so powerful for me.”
Courtesy of Parkwood Entertainment
When Beyoncé is a fan of your work, you know you’ve done something right. Smith loves dreaming up styles for Queen B’s biggest moments. “Every time she wears the brand, it’s iconic,” he says. Each time I walked down Fifth Avenue, I saw a billboard with my work, which was a dream come true.
Another muse is the actor and musician Teyana Taylor (above, at Smith’s Met Gala afterparty in 2022). “I’ve always enjoyed Teyana’s music and watched her journey. She’s a native New Yorker like me and looks good in everything she wears,” he says.
Fashion Week doesn’t have to be a grind. “There is so much hard work and sacrifice that goes into these shows, for everyone involved,” says Smith. “It’s important to celebrate the small victories. As creatives, you have to. This is what we live for. When I was younger, I would look in a magazine or on Style.com and see Marc Jacobs backstage or Tom Ford celebrating after, and those were the moments that inspired me.”
No one embodies the sexy, carefree energy of Smith’s collections quite like the Selling Sunset star Christine Quinn. “Christine is that girl. I couldn’t be prouder of what she’s doing in the fashion space, and she looks goddamn hot doing it!” says Smith. “She’s a genuine person with a big heart.”