This question is about two months too late, but why wasn’t Tyler, the Creator at the Met Gala this year?!? The theme was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” with an emphasis on Black Dandyism. He’s totally a fashion dandy! Remember his retro bellhop couture at the Grammys five years ago? As one person put it, “he’s like the prince of dapper.” Tyler has a new collaboration with Converse — he previously redesigned the Chuck 70 and One Star, now he’s put his touch on the 1908 Jogger and Naut-1 — and the pastel-colored, flower-embroidered designs had me thinking about his inexplicable absence from the Met. Though not gonna lie, if he was trying to convey that he’s too cool for Anna Wintour, I respect the flex. The Cut just interviewed Tyler to tout his Converse collection, and Tyler had some fabulously strong opinions on style, substance, and podcasts:
You’re a pretty big collector of watches, cars, and Louis Vuitton trunks. Is there anything special in your collection that was hard to get? Do you have a favorite?
No, it all finds me. All the cool sh-t I got, it finds me. I walk in a random store and it’s like, look at this random cool thing that I just happened to find, in this city or country, and bam, I get it. I’m a magnet for sh-t I love because I’m just so pure about it. I found an F40; that car is sweet. It’s all f–king cool as sh-t. This is how parents are when people ask if they have a favorite child. Well, people have a favorite child; they’re lying if they say they don’t.Back to style: You don’t seem to be interested in fashion rules, but do you have your own fashion rule?
I hate brown, purple, and red together. It makes my body itch. The only time I think it worked was on Dru Hill’s first album cover; outside of that, purple, red, and brown together is f–king disgusting. But that’s not a rule, that’s just me hating that colorway, but I let people do what they love. I hate when women wear boots with shorts, the tall, long boots with shorts. There’s something so dusty about that to me, that Coachella look. … I want people to do what they’re going to do. That proportion just seems crazy to me, but what I’m saying is now law, dude, there’s probably some sh-t I wear that people hate and that’s okay. I love individualism so much. There are people who hate how I dress, but I don’t ever want to look like them because they’re dusty to me. So what they say does not matter, and I’m happy they have their opinion.You’ve talked a lot about wanting to ban podcasts; are there any you listen to?
I think we give a lot of people who aren’t smart and just want attention platforms to be loud and incorrect, and other stupid people follow them. Where are the people with skills? We need electricians, we need more drummers, painters, teachers. Everybody with a mic is crazy. I just think that sh-t is gross. Deante Kyle is sick, and The Cutting Room Floor is sick. Those are two podcasts that are in the right direction.What’s the last meal you cooked for yourself?
I’m gonna tell you something right now. If my house had paint chipping all over it and needed painting, do you think I’d get on the roof and start painting? No. You know why? Because I’m not the best option. So why the f–k would I cook for myself if I don’t have to? If I want Italian food, let me go to a place where they’re going to do it the best with love, with expertise. I’m not in my house cooking, are you crazy?
“I think we give a lot of people who aren’t smart and just want attention platforms to be loud and incorrect, and other stupid people follow them.” Welcome to America!! We were gonna put that slogan on our money, but it was too long so “In God We Trust” snuck in. In practice, though, we definitely trust loud, attention-seeking, dumb people (present company excluded!) over the guy from the other motto. Tyler, on the other hand, is such a breath of fresh air! Even when I didn’t agree with his take on something, I was completely enthralled with his conviction. To answer the fashion rule question with “brown, purple and red do NOT go together!” was sublime. But where he truly captured my heart, was the cooking question. “I’m not in my house cooking, are you crazy?” is so good, I’m tempted to make it my email signature. Because like Tyler, I am not the best option! Unlike Tyler, I only pretend to have the funds to back up this stance.
Photos credit: Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon, Getty Images for Netflix, Nicky Nelson/Wenn/Avalon, Faye’s Vision/Cover Images