Last year, Lacan Smith hosted a fashion show at the Empire State Building, had the honor of celebrating his brand’s arrival at Net-a-Porter in Los Angeles, and dressed like a ravishing woman. Stars: Beyoncé, Rihanna, Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian, The They include La Anthony, Chiara, Dua Lipa and Megan Fox. The New York-based designer’s Met Gala result was another milestone, and given the hype surrounding the brand, it was a good time to celebrate. This moment has existed for over ten years.
Holly Bailey at the 2021 American Music Awards in a chocolate velvet lace dress by Smith.
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
“He was a designer, a womenswear designer, a brand owner – [that] “It’s always been my dream,” said Smith, 33, who was born and raised in Queens. After being rejected by Parsons and FIT, he paved the way for that dream to come true without a fashion school education. “I was really devastated,” he says, “but this form of denial was ammunition to understand and find my way.”
In 2010, Smith’s bold, meticulous and often skinny Ghost caught the attention of fashion editor Andre Leon Talia. ONE Fashion At the age of 21, the stylist made the first show of New York Fashion Week. “What nobody told me was how hard it was to do that,” Smith said.The hat, despite the initial fanfare, he It would be years before he could break into retail and establish a viable, sustainable business. “[But] I have always been focused on my activities. I try not to cling to these pedestals.”
Today, Smith runs a brand found at Farfetch, Moda Operandi and The Webster, and employs full-time staff who work from his studio in Long Island City. “One of the things that really got me to where I am now is my direct client business and working with famous A-list clients,” he says. “Even though I haven’t always been to the latest newsrooms or retail stores, I still have customers. Celebrities just wanted to wear a LaQuan Smith [and] This is an ef dripIt is made. “Girls want to look like Kim Jong Un, Rihanna, Beyoncé, no matter who they look like.”
Model Winnie Harlow at the Net-a-Porter event in a gold thigh-high dress
Photographs by Stephanie Keenan/Getty
The woman Smith gets, he says, is “cheating and sexy and he wants to be the center of attention.” Her aesthetic is inspired by a number of influences: the combination of classic feminine dress codes favored by her mother and grandmother, and the “sassy and moody” look she grew up with when she saw women like her. Grace Jones and Lil Kim. Everything translates into body-hugging cat costumes, short dresses andD. Low miniskirts.
“I think all women want to feel good,” says Smith, “so this is my path. And to be honest, I think it works. ”
Your fans agree. “I feel that its design reflects my personality; Lively, cool, sexy, that’s it,” said Anthony, who wore a burgundy satin gown by LaQuan Smith to this year’s Met Gala, where she hosted. FashionLive broadcast on the red carpet.
Later, Anthony hit the designer’s powdered lace swimsuit. “He really understands how to make clothes that fit different body types and really knows how to emphasize my body type and similar body types. she understand”
La La Anthony in a casual dress at the Met Gala 2022
Cindy’s Order/MG22/Getty Images
Although fashion has recently begun to bend figures, diversity, and incorporate it into its many forms, all of this has always been important to Smith. As a gay black man, the connection to often marginalized and neglected groups is deeply personal.
“I don’t think I got a chance to quote, to live aloud until I was an adult,” he said, adding that he was in his 20s when he attended his first Pride Parade.
“It was impressive, fun, exciting,” he recalls. “But the most important message was that people felt free. People felt excited and free to be who they are, I’m sorry. And that’s what I live for 100 percent. I try to bring the same kind of messages and attitudes to the work I do.”
This is especially noticeable in Smith’s testimonials, which the designer likens to the high-energy catwalks of Thierry Mugler and Gianni Versace, which Anthony describes as “brilliant, brilliant”.
But even to the plaudits of Hollywood, Smith remains focused on his brand’s goals: “Keep your luxury, keep your sexuality, keep your wealth,” he says. “Just make people want more.”
Megan Fox corset in a LaQuan Smith dress at the 2022 Los Angeles Fashion Awards
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
A version of this story first appeared in the June 8 issue of The Gossipify. Click here to subscribe.
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.