The Prologues

Attending Toy Story 5 | Los Angeles, CA | June 9, 2026

Erdem Fall 2026 Aleví Milano ‘Bar 110 Sandals’ - €670,00

Taylor at the world premiere of Toy Story 5 in Erdem. Her original song for the film, “I Knew It, I Knew You”, broke records upon release as the biggest soundtrack single based on first-day plays.

As always, I had initial opinions when I first saw photos of Taylor. Then came the thoughts that benefited from a closer look. Among my surface-level takeaways was what a playful homage the dress is to the landscape of Toy Story. It’s a little Western (perhaps a nod to Jessie, the character who inspired “I Knew It”) and a little whimsical yet sweet - fitting for a family film. There’s also a nod to Taylor’s magpie tendencies; has she ever met a sequin she didn’t love? Styling-wise, I’m a sucker for a bow and a minimalist sandal, both of which get checks from me. A half-updo, minimal jewelry, and a plait keep things relaxed and unfussy. The shoes are also a new-to-Taylor brand. Where I typically would have expected standbys like Jimmy Choo or Giuseppe Zanotti to be at play for a red carpet look, we instead get an introduction to Aleví Milano. While a powder blue or metallic silver hue might have been more expected, I thought the warm tan shade of her heels grounds the look and, perhaps I’m reaching, felt like a strappy stiletto way of nodding to a pair of cowgirl boots.

Diving deeper, Taylor’s dress comes from Erdem’s Fall 2026 presentation titled “The Imaginary Conversation.” Created for the house’s 20th anniversary, Erdem Moralıoğlu conceived the collection as a “dialogue” between Erdem’s muses. That conversation is woven into the looks through richly textured brocades, florals, and frayed edges. Moralıoğlu described the concept as a “mashup” rather than a retrospective, thoughtfully revisiting Erdem house codes through his signature romantic lens.

Several parallels caught my attention. Wearing a dress celebrating 20 years of Erdem to an event positioning Taylor’s return to her country roots feels like an apt bookend as her career approaches the 20th anniversary of her debut album this fall. It’s the second time she’s recently nodded to a 20th anniversary, following the Stella McCartney x H&M top she wore to a Cavaliers game last month. Toy Story 5 also arrives in theatres on June 19 — the 20th anniversary of her first single, “Tim McGraw.”

The idea of a mashup also brought me back to The Eras Tour. The show itself was a supercut of Taylor’s past eras, but its most literal mashups came during the acoustic set, where Taylor paired songs from across her catalogue to deepen old stories and create new meaning. That same connective spirit feels echoed in the dress’ patchwork details which brings contrasting fabrics together into a cohesive whole and also nods to the (presumed vintage) jacket from the “I Knew It” visuals.

Toy Story 5's co-director McKenna Harris reveals that Taylor Swift wrote 'I Knew It, I Knew You' in a day:

“She's a very busy lady and she's doing so much with her career. The second she watched the movie she loved it so much and it resonated with her so much specifically because she has such a nostalgic relationship with Jessie too and grew up with these movies. She wrote the song in a day, it was such an incredible feeling for us because we respect her so much, we think she's the absolute coolest. She has big Jessie energy to me. And so to hear that her as an artist loved this thing that we made and then made something beautiful in return, it was such a wonderful gift. I think it is a blessing and we're so excited about this collaboration.”

2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards | March 26, 2026

Wiederhoeft custom Nak Armstrong 'Ruched Ear Cuff' - $8,250.00 Dena Kemp 'Bi-Color Tourmaline Earrings’ - $36,000.00 Kindred Lubeck custom engagement ring Spinelli Kilcollin ‘Aysa Tennis Bracelet’ - $15,700.00 L'Dezen ‘18K Diamond Ring’ - $1,000.00 Selim Mouzannar ‘Beirut Rosace Ring’ - $11,070.00 Jimmy Choo 'Satin Slingback Sandals' Aquazzura 'Tell Me 85 Embellished Satin Sandals’ - $1,255.00

Taylor kicked off her first red carpet appearance of 2026 at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. As discussed over on Liner Notes, this is an award show that Taylor notably loves. She has, in fact, attended it more times than she has missed it since its inaugural airing in 2014. As a minor ceremony, the iHearts’ dress code is more casual than, say, the Grammys. Typically, this isn’t the place for a full-length ballgown. A short hemline, a playful romper, or a cool jumpsuit? All are fitting here. And, indeed, Taylor has worn a variation of all of those in her previous appearances.

But tonight, she opted for a custom pair of minty separates by Wiederhoeft — a New York-based brand that Taylor has worn before. You might remember the floral brocade set she wore on Late Night with Seth Meyers during The Life of a Showgirl promotion. As the so-called “high priest of corsets made in New York” it seemed natural to see Taylor in one of their tight-fitting silhouettes. Corsetry is one of those pieces that feels like it’s had an evolving story in Taylor’s fashion journey. From the prom-like dresses (complete with pickups and shiny fabric) of her earliest days, to the sweeping “Love Story” Shakespearean ballgowns as costumed stand-in for a romantic belief in fairytales, to the constriction and intimacy of the bustier on Tortured Poets, all the way up to the emboldened and - as Taylor herself described - “happy, strong, confident, and free” take on a Showgirl’s costume in the present day.

While my first thought upon seeing this refreshing shade of green and spangly metallic fringe on Taylor was, GREEEEEEEEEEEEN. My second thought, between the color and the almost western-like fringe, as a debut lover, was Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version). Though would you blame a debut-hearted girl that at an awards show celebrating the hits of the radio airwaves for helplessly being reminded of a certain self-titled album that, in large part, was propelled massively by the love shown towards it from country radio? Ultimately, when paired with her peachier makeup and jewels the effect comes across more as a softened take on the two-toned colors (mint and orange) that have become synonymous with Showgirl. Rather than a bold, saturated tone that one might normally expect, I thought the choice of this milder color gave the look a sweeter, more romantic feel overall.

Indeed, by red carpet standards, I felt Taylor’s jewels tonight were lovely and quite pared back choices. Particularly as we’ve seen her really lay on the art of the stack or rock a large statement piece before. Among her choices were a dainty mixed diamond tennis bracelet by Spinelli Kilcollin featuring all the colours of gold (white, yellow, rose), and two more statement rings by L’Dezen and Selim Mouzannar worn on her right hand - plus an ear cuff from Nak Armstrong. I felt the mix tied in nicely with the custom embellishments on her Wiederhoeft set as well as the peachier makeup she opted for. Naturally, the real stars of the show were her Dena Kemp ombre earrings and, of course, her engagement ring by Kindred Lubeck. The former acted as a lovely “bridge” point between those two aforementioned Showgirl hues.

To finish things off, we have not one - but two pairs of shoes. In addition to my love of green, I’ve also always been a lover of a minimalist strappy sandal. These perfectly coordinating satin sandals by Jimmy Choo that Taylor wore to step out onto the red carpet were the loveliest finishing touch. I thought that surely nothing could top that but I happened to notice before Taylor even managed to get to her seat once inside the venue that we had experienced a shoe change! And if there’s one thing I love even more than a strappy heel … it’s an ankle strap. Note that this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Taylor exhibit a shoe change at an award show. I still vividly recall three shoe changes at the 2015 MTV VMAs. My best guess at these types of changes is geared towards comfort or, perhaps, simply for fun. If we were honing in on the “comfort” factor, I would hazard a guess that the Aquazzura’s ankle strap detail offers greater support - especially when you’re walking up stairs to accept an award on stage. I say, the more shoes the better.