Teyana Taylor is buzzing with excitement. She’s getting her toes done at her ’90s-inspired Harlem salon, Junie Bee Nails, and in between sips of her Ciroc cocktail, the new face of Sean Combs’ peach-flavored vodka, says life is good. In April, Kanye West announced Taylor’s third studio album is in the works, and the singer knows her fans are ready. “I feel like I’ve always given looks, so at this point, it’s just about the music,” she says of her GOOD Music release, out at the end of this month. “I just need to give y’all what y’all been waiting for, which is the music. I don’t have a specific look for the album, or a specific anything. I just have this music that I want to get out.”
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Honestly, Taylor is right. She’s done athleisure before it was a ‘thing.’ And if she isn’t matching outfits with her husband, Sacramento Kings basketball player, Iman Shumpert, in what they refer to as ‘Balenci’ (yes, short for Balenciaga) or ‘Ricky,’ code for Rick Owens, the singer is all about Balenciaga sock-style sneakers, a good white tank, and biker shorts. “I’ve been doing biker shorts for a very long time now,” she says. “I mean, now you can find biker shorts anywhere. But if [for whatever reason] there are no biker shorts in sight, I’ll just cut a pair of leggings into a pair.”
It’s no wonder then, she says, that Kanye West always has a compliment for her. “Not trying to be cocky, but it's all the time," she says of how often West has something nice to say about her style. “When I see him, he’s always like Yo, T, you’re so swaggy.” But the artist considers the nicest thing the ‘Ye rapper has ever done is ask Taylor to work with him on his inspiration. “I think that’s pretty cool. He values my opinion.”
And it makes sense. The 26-year-old has the eye — and she’s excited fashion is finally catching up to her. “That’s what I’ve been waiting for,” she says, noting how much she loves that wearing high heels isn’t necessary to be considered “dressed up” anymore. “I can’t walk in high heels and I love sneakers. It’s so dope that you can be ‘hood chic.’ No one is looking down on you. The face of Karl Kani’s PLT collaboration also specifically mentions Dapper Dan’s new atelier, in partnership with Gucci, as a reference point. “Everything is coming full-circle. Everyone is getting their just due. Where streetwear is right now is where I always wanted it to be.”