Taylor Okata is a major fashion stylist best known for dressing Evan Mock, among other celebrities. He is also the creative director of the men’s beauty brand, Hawthorne, and the creative services platform, Passionfruit—in which he served as the creative director for the SS22 Jacquemus fashion show. On the tail of the NY and London Fashion weeks,

Taylor shares with us his thoughts about the phone case becoming an increasingly important fashion accessory and tips on how to best pair it with your wardrobe. 

CASETiFY: What advice would you give to shoppers on how to style their new iPhone 14 cases?

Taylor: Have fun! Choose cases that reflect your mood and personal style — Think about it as you would with other accessories: jewelry, bags, shoes. Choose something that compliments your outfit. You can keep your look tonal, and have your case pop with color or texture. Or, take inspiration from your case’s design and dress according to theme

CASETiFY: What are your thoughts on the recent emergence of phone cases into the accessory space?

Taylor: Our phone is an extension of us — It’s the first thing on your checklist as you walk out the door: “Phone √ keys √ wallet √” — and, we need to protect our phone physically. So, it makes perfect sense (phone) cases are a necessary accessory. It makes even more sense to have a case reflect your personal style since we’re always seen with our phones. Let’s not forget we live in a world of infinite selfies, where your case is on display as much as your face and outfit. It’s also an opportunity to show your interests and taste – It can be a conversation starter.

CASETiFY: What trends are you currently following/loving?

Taylor: I love seeing more baggy, oversized pants/denim, because I’ve always preferred oversized over “skinny” or “slim fit,” which are also outdated terms, haha.  I’m really into seeing a new take on a not-so-proper prep — You know I love a sweater vest, and I enjoy styling an edgier version of prep.

CASETiFY: What trends do you see taking hold in the coming weeks? What common themes did you see during SS23 Fashion Week across New York, London, Milan, and Paris?

Taylor: I saw a lot of elements of the early 00’s hit the runway, and what I like to call “pop,” which is a nod to the era of THE pop star — Low rise denim, baggy denim, exposed underwear / boxers in layering, cargos. We see this with the appeal of what Glenn Martens is doing at Diesel. The mini skirt isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and we’re seeing more skirts on men and all genders (GMBH, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, Miu Miu, Peter Do). There were a number of menswear debuts calling to a more all-gender future as well (Simone Rocha, Peter Do, Miu Miu). The sophistication and effortless luxury we saw at Bottega Veneta is my ideal uniform — This type of craftsmanship is something we’ll continue to see thrive to rebel against the age of meme-like pieces.

CASETiFY: How can fans shop these emerging trends (and become early adopters) with CASETiFY?

Taylor: There are so many great CASETiFY cases to fit these emerging trends, and I selected ones I felt are really flexible to style with. Take the Zebra Print case for example – You can make it feel luxury by keeping it tonal with all-black, or give it a 2000s reference by wearing it with denim. If you’re going with a print, choose a tonal or two-tone option versus something busy with additional artwork and a lot of graphics.

CASETiFY: What is your personal favorite case (from the selects you chose) and why? How does this represent your personal style?

Taylor: The butterfly case because it’s giving 2000s and “POP,” making things not so serious. I love creating a narrative in my head when getting dressed to make it fun—When I saw the butterfly case, I was like let me give you a little boy-band realness. My personal style is really based on my roots of being an island boy. It needs to feel authentic to me, my interests and subcultures I’m a part of. I love offsetting my look by colliding opposing worlds that speak to me — sport and couture, prep and punk, island and city — that duality is who I am.

CASETiFY is the global lifestyle brand and home to the first and largest platform for customized tech accessories. Created with the highest-quality materials and most cutting-edge designs, CASETiFY’s products turn your personal electronics into stylishly slim, drop-proof accessories. Known for tapping top artists and creatives for its Co-Lab program, CASETiFY gives brands and individuals the opportunity to share their unique visions with the world. For more information on CASETiFY, its stores, partners and products, please visit www.CASETiFY.com.