Morgan Stewart McGraw Defies Easy Definition
She’s a designer, podcaster, fashion influencer and VIC (very important client)—and, increasingly, proof that a modern career doesn’t need to fit neatly into one box.
Your career began in 2014, when you starred in the reality show Rich Kids of Beverly Hills. Since then, you started the clothing brand Renggli, became a fashion content creator with 1.7 million Instagram followers, and launched a podcast, The Morgan Stewart Show. When someone asks you what you do for work, what do you answer?
You tell me, what do I answer? It stresses me out. One time, somebody huge asked me that at a Chanel show. I was like, “I have a line,” but she was like, “What the fuck are you saying?” I don’t know how to answer that question, but I usually downplay it, which is not something I’m proud of. I’ll be like, “Oh, I have a clothing line, and I do stuff on TV sometimes.”
I’m surprised you don’t lead with the podcast.
We’ve had that only since March. Also, saying you have a podcast is like saying you have milk in the fridge. I need to be different.
Who’s your dream podcast guest?
Kristen Wiig. She’s hilarious. I’d die for her. I’ve run into her a few times, and I just get a good vibe.
You were 26 when Rich Kids of Beverly Hills started. How did it impact your career?
I wouldn’t be here without Rich Kids. You never bite the hand that feeds you, and Rich Kids was a jumping-off point. During the show, we didn’t really experience how iconic and well-received it was. We were kept in this bubble of “Well, we don’t know if we’re getting picked up,” or blah, blah, blah. It was always on the precipice of uncertainty.
Did you have a dream job when you were growing up?
Yes, it’s this. I knew I had to be public-facing and successful. Being successful was really important to me.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
“Make everything emotional.” If you are a creative being who cares and makes something with other people, you are creating a camaraderie and a team. If they fuck with you, it is emotional. It’s not just business.
You’ve lived in L.A. your entire life. What was it like growing up there?
It’s so cliché, but my childhood was pretty magical: hiking, hanging out with my parents, shopping with my mom. I have a vivid memory of the sky always being extremely blue. I love how beautiful it is and how consistent the weather is. I hate and love how casual it is. Sometimes I’m like, I need to be more than this. There need to be some expectations. You can literally go anywhere in jeans and a T-shirt. But then if I get taken out of that context, I’m like, This is crazy. I can’t be dressed up like this.
You launched Renggli, which makes elevated basics, in 2023. Who is the brand for?
It’s for somebody who wants to be well-dressed but not too fussy. The girl who has things going on—she’s working, she’s a mom, she’s a wife, and she wants good clothes that are reliable but also really fashion-forward. Our product is not so niche. Sometimes you just need a fucking miniskirt without a weird eagle head coming out of it. Girls living day-to-day life just want to look good and feel good. Unless they’re going somewhere specific, nobody is wrapping themselves in Ace Bandages and gluing feathers on their body.
You’re a regular at Fashion Week. There’s been a big reshuffling of designers at major houses in the past few years. What are you liking?
I’m a huge Michael Rider fan. I think he’s done amazing at Celine. Chanel, obviously, we needed a change, and we got a great one. I’m being very specific about my Chanel purchases. I want to make sure that they’re the right ones. I’m not just buying all the things. Fashion right now is really fun. It almost brings me back to 2010 and 2011. It’s way more whimsy—people are in prints, patterns, and sequins.
Stewart McGraw wears a Gucci jacket, pants, and shoes.
You’ve discussed feeling as though you’re half fashion client, half fashion influencer. Where do you stand now?
The houses have welcomed me from a PR standpoint. Not all of them—specific ones. People were confused, because they were like, Well, she’s a customer, but also somebody who’s extremely influential and makes sales. I was like, I can be both. I’m never going to stop buying clothes I like. But I can be treated like an influencer, because the biggest thing I have with my followers is trust. They know if I’m telling somebody I like something, it’s because I do.
What’s your dream bag?
A Birkin 35 Croc in beige. I just got it for my birthday.
What makes you an original?
My sense of humor. I possess something that most people don’t have. Does that sound cocky? Like, I can’t do long division, but I can do other things.
Hair by Vincent Pelletier for Chris McMillan at A-Frame Agency; Makeup by Carly Fisher at PRTNRS.
