Taylor Swift has worn Simkhai twice in just three days, taking the Los Angeles label from a surprise television cameo straight into her date-night wardrobe. The Grammy-winning singer appeared in a plaid Simkhai minidress on Saturday Night Live on Saturday, 3 October, then chose the designer again for dinner with Travis Kelce on Monday, 5 October.
For Kelce's 37th birthday dinner in New York City, Swift wore Simkhai's black Zinnia Lace Cashmere Midi Dress, currently priced at $895 (about £676). The back-to-back appearances come after several previous Simkhai moments on nights out with Kelce, making the brand an increasingly familiar name in Swift's off-duty rotation.
Swift Takes Simkhai From 'SNL' to Date-Night
Taylor’s surprise appearance SNL dress is a SIMKHAI Wells Off-Shoulder Mini Dress! 👗
— Dana 0️⃣ IN HER GRADUATE ERA (@DanaBrigoli) October 4, 2026
Cost is $595 🖤🩶🤍 pic.twitter.com/vU58stZuk4
The first of Swift's two Simkhai looks came during Dakota Johnson's opening monologue on Saturday Night Live. She wore the $595 (£449) Wells Off-Shoulder Mini Dress, a brown-and-cream plaid design from Simkhai's Fall 2026 collection, with knee-high Burberry boots and a Saint Laurent chain belt.
The appearance was more than a fashion cameo. Johnson introduced Swift as 'my literal therapist', prompting the singer to respond, 'I'm not your therapist, actually', before joking about their wine-fuelled catch-ups. Swift later returned during the show's closing moments with a birthday cake for Johnson, who turned 37 the following day.
Two nights later, the plaid mini had been replaced by black cashmere and lace. Swift wore the sleeveless Zinnia dress to celebrate Kelce's birthday at Torrisi in Manhattan, layering it under an oversized Saint Laurent leather jacket. She completed the look with Jimmy Choo strappy sandals and a Givenchy Voyou bucket bag.
The Zinnia Dress Fits Swift's Date-Night Formula
Taylor Swift out and about in New York City recently celebrating husband Travis Kelce’s birthday wearing the Zinnia Lace Cashmere Midi Dress by Simkhai ($895), Oversized Textured Leather Jacket by Saint Laurent ($7,400), Azie 85 Leather Sandals by Jimmy Choo (on sale: $626; reg:… pic.twitter.com/rH5juriVM7
— what taylor wears (@whattaylorwears) October 6, 2026
The Zinnia is part of Simkhai's Fall 2026 collection and combines a V-neck cashmere silhouette with lace around the neckline, straps, back and hem. Simkhai describes the dress as having a 'sleek, elongated silhouette', while the lace adds texture to the otherwise minimal black design.
It also lands squarely within a formula Swift has returned to for evenings with Kelce: an all-black dress, statement outerwear and designer accessories. In February 2025, ahead of the Super Bowl in New Orleans, she wore Simkhai's black Joy Guipure Lace Long-Sleeve Mini Dress for dinner with Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Mahomes.
Simkhai had already entered the couple's New York date-night wardrobe before that. On 28 December 2024, Swift wore the label's long black Gianni coat, covered with crystal embellishments, over a black Fleur du Mal minidress during an evening out with Kelce in Manhattan's Meatpacking District. The latest Zinnia look therefore continues a pattern rather than marking Swift's first date-night with the brand.
Simkhai Is Becoming a Repeat Swift Pick
Taylor Swift looked stylish in a SIMKHAI Gianni coat paired with a black mini dress, STELLA MCCARTNEY crystal tote bag and LOUBOUTIN Movida platform sandals and Travis Kelce looked dapper in a red denim set as they stepped for a date night in NYC.
— Style-Stars (@style_starss) December 29, 2024
📸: Backgrid pic.twitter.com/66abzy52ic
Founded by Jonathan Simkhai in 2010, the fashion house describes its approach as designing for the 'elevated everyday', mixing sculptural construction with detailed craftsmanship. The designer won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2015 and now operates the brand from Los Angeles.
Swift's latest run shows how broadly those clothes are appearing in her wardrobe. In three days, the same label carried her through a high-profile comedy cameo and a private birthday dinner, with the outfits moving from autumn plaid to lace-trimmed black cashmere.
For Swift, who frequently shifts between established luxury houses and contemporary American labels, Simkhai has now appeared repeatedly in her going-out wardrobe. With the label featuring across multiple dates with Kelce as well as her recent Saturday Night Live cameo, it has become a recurring name in her current rotation.
