OSU alumnus walks Louis Vuitton's 2024 Men's Fashion Week in Paris

OSU alumnus walks Louis Vuitton's 2024 Men's Fashion Week in Paris

Friday, September 13, 2024

Media Contact: Mack Burke | Associate Director of Media Relations | 405-744-5540 | [email protected]

Twice every day, Taylor Williams is in the barn working with horses on his family's 33-acre horse ranch. He lives the life of a true cowboy, one he learned from his family.

His grandfather, Fred "the Lawman" Williams, was the first Black cowboy to start the Pony Express, a horseback baton relay race in Oklahoma. Riders race around the arena holding the baton until the first team to drop it in a barrel wins.

In addition to racing at the Pony Express, Williams handles all care and maintenance for his horses. Since he was a boy, his mother, Tiffini Williams, said he dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. Williams started his educational career at Oklahoma State University in the fall of 2019 to pursue his dreams, majoring in animal science.

"Taylor chose OSU because it was close to home while also being one of the best vet schools in the nation," said Reggie Williams, Taylor's father. "When we take our animals to the vet and I look at the wall, they almost always graduated from OSU."

Before graduating in May 2023, Williams was a member, treasurer and president of Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. He was on the scout team for Cowgirl basketball, in NAACP, Afro-M, Black Student Association and the Retention Initiative for Student Excellence (RISE) program during his freshman year.

"When he was a senior at OSU, he was so involved on campus and maintained a 3.8 GPA while taking the difficult classes required for vet school," Tiffini said. "Taylor would always tell me he had to take care of what was important to him, and his grades came first."

As a hobby, Williams began taking pictures in the outfits he wore and posting them on social media. He was modeling locally for brands in Oklahoma City and friends with clothing lines when an agency discovered his Instagram and recruited him to walk as a model for Louis Vuitton at Men's Fashion Week in Paris.

"They emailed me, and I didn't think it was real at first," Williams said. "I looked into it, and they actually wanted me to come to Paris to model in a new cowboy clothing line."

Grammy Award-winning artist Pharrell Williams - in collaboration with Louis Vuitton - paid tribute to the American West wardrobe in the show by including cowboy shirts, chaps and workwear with details like turquoise beading.

"Pharrell wanted me because I'm a real cowboy," Williams said. "When I met him, he was so excited I wanted to model for them. He repeatedly thanked me for taking time to come to Paris to model with him."

Following fashion week, Williams' primary focus has shifted back to his educational career. This August, he will begin his pursuit of a doctorate at OSU's College of Veterinary Medicine.

Williams will continue his dreams and pursue a career as a large animal veterinarian, and he hopes to open his own clinic in his home state. He hopes to continue modeling and rodeoing as side hobbies but will ultimately prioritize his dream to be a veterinarian.

"Taylor is used to having a full plate," Tiffini said. "He excels at everything he does. Modeling on the side, as well as being a veterinarian, might be tough, but we know he's going to succeed, even if it means little sleep. That's what he'll do."

Photos by: Mariah's Moments and Ra'mon Dickens

Story by: Jillian Remington | STATE Magazine

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