Megan Thee Stallion is on everyone’s playlist. Her Houston flavor, sultry bars and naturally curvy physique has all eyes and ears paying attention to the self-proclaimed Hot Girl. And while her raps are continuing to gain popularity, so is her unique style. “Megan’s thing is signature two pieces. She likes to be comfortable–that’s all she cares about,” says 23-year-old Todd White, Kent State University student and Thee Stallion’s stylist.
She’s not even like a client [to me] at this point. We call each other cousins.
White first reached out to Megan through an Instagram DM and though it took some time for her to respond, they eventually met in New York last September. He spent his own money to buy a blue Fashion Nova two-piece that he hoped she’d love. After his first gig, he turned his fashion student dreams into a reality, becoming her lead stylist. “She’s not even like a client [to me] at this point. We call each other cousins. I truly feel like we’re family, so I’m doing work for someone I truly enjoy,” said White.
Now juggling school and working for one of the most in-demand rappers in the game, White’s schedule is packed to say the least. In early May, Megan performed at Rolling Loud–her first festival–and after a week of classes, he flew in the night before her performance to get started on her look.
ESSENCE caught up with the young stylist to talk all things fashion–from White’s love of vintage corsets and Jean-Paul Gaultier–to Megan’s continually evolving style.
ESSENCE: How was it when you first started with Megan?
WHITE: When I first heard Tina Snow, I was like, ‘I have to work with this girl,’ it clicked. I remember having a conversation with someone about dreams jobs and what I would love to do and I always wanted to work with a female artist. When I first heard Megan a year and a half a go, I was like, ‘Damn, I need her.’ She posted a behind the scenes shot of her in the Make A Bag video, and I had told her about all the things that I wanted to do with her and she followed up with the dm’s that I sent. We scheduled to meet in September/October and she got booked for a New York show so that’s the first thing we did.
ESSENCE: What is the process like from having no budget to having access to various brands?
WHITE: The crazy thing is no one is hitting us up like they should or I’m not getting hit up like people would think. I don’t know if it’s a clout thing but this is the hottest girl so I’m confused on why my emails are not blowing up right now. But, we are getting some things in the works that I’m like, ‘Ok, I can work with that.’ I am definitely open so I can be more creative with what I want to do with her. I always have had the vision of what I want for her. I would constantly send her mood boards a few times out the week of just like ideas and images I wanted to do with her. Once I got the budget I was like pulling those back out, I didn’t really have to do anything new. I was just trying to find things to match that because she is already like, ‘I want to go for that look,’ now it’s just about finding the certain resources to get these things. A lot of the things I like are archived or older designer pieces.
ESSENCE: What was the vision for Thee Stallion’s Rolling Loud outfit?
WHITE: This is so funny because she was like, ‘I want to do desert camo.’ I tried to introduce something new but she was pretty stiff, so we needed options. I did a few basic pieces and sketched a few ideas. If we are going to do desert camo, I want to do Chanel, or something like straight off the runway. If Jeremy Scott did desert camo, I feel like it would’ve had all the jewels. My main goal was for this outfit to look like that. I had Chanel jewelry that I pieced with it to make the buttons pop. We it more of a performance look.
ESSENCE: How do you deal with haters who make comments on Megan’s sexy style?
WHITE: It’s frustrating sometimes, but I definitely try to ignore things because she don’t care. [Megan] is going to do what she wants to do. I try to pick up that mentality because I care sometimes. It’s my work and my art. I don’t want to cover her up, at least not right now. I think it’s really important to keep doing things that are true to Megan. She doesn’t want to be covered up so I don’t want to do that. I want Megan to feel comfortable and be herself, I just want to make it more fashionable. I look back at that blue outfit and I thought I was doing something. I only thought I was doing something because I’m like, ‘Damn, this is the first time I’m working with Megan.’ I knew it was something that she would like, and she wore it. Now, I would never do that for a performance. I want to keep pushing the looks for her.
ESSENCE: What has been your favorite look so far?
WHITE: My favorite so far is the Vivienne Westwood corset. I have a huge thing for corsets and I think they look great on her; it’s like a high-end sex appeal.
ESSENCE: What would you love to see Megan wear?
WHITE: I want every look be timeless and for her style to [be iconic] 20 years from now, like Lil Kim. I want to do simple things and throw in designer pieces that just heighten the looks. I have a few Gaultier moments I want to see her in. I would love to see her in a McQueen piece, more Westwood and I want the corsets to be her thing, I want it to be the signature for Megan.
