Cousin Greg in Gucci?
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It’s easy to spot Nicholas Braun at a party — he’s 6-feet, 7-inches, after all — but he’s also becoming something of an “It” boy on the fashion circuit. Braun has climbed to popularity in the wake of “Succession,” on which he plays fan favorite Cousin Greg. The two have become somewhat entwined (so much so that at Sundance a few weeks back, Braun, who was in town promoting an entirely different project, was referred to as Cousin Greg repeatedly by press, fans and reps). The character identity proved strong for trunk maker Au Départ Paris, who asked the actor to host their U.S. debut party on Tuesday evening at Jeffrey New York during New York Fashion Week (“As cousin Greg on Succession, Nick’s character navigates the trappings of extreme wealth and with Au Départ’s relaunch the brand is aiming to revolutionize and reinvent the world of ultra luxury forever” was how the connection was described in press notes).
Braun attended the Rag & Bone show Friday — “I like them because they make clothes for tall men” — and says the coming days will be his “crazy days,” attending parties for Thom Browne and Dior.
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“It’s really a circus,” he said of fashion week. “Like, it’s a lot of cameras, and a lot of craziness, and a lot of brief but very important moments, which I think is kind of cool. Because these 15 minutes are going to be crazy at this location and then it moves right on.”
His own personal style revolves around fit. “To find clothes that are long enough for me. Especially at 6′ 7″, it’s just difficult,” he said. “I like my stuff tapered and tailored. I like suits a lot so I usually go for a suit. What else can I say? Guys are easy. Guys are easier than women.”
Asked if he gets any style inspiration from playing Cousin Greg, Braun pointed out the lack of flair favored by the Roys.
“I wear a lot of Brooks Brothers and Calvin Klein on ‘Succession,’” Braun said. “I guess I like both of those brands in life, but you know, you can’t wear Thom Browne on ‘Succession,’ or wear Gucci as Greg.”
Could be an interesting arc?
“Like, if he goes to Milan and it gets crazy,” Braun said. “Yeah. I’ll pitch it.”
The party inside Jeffrey, of which he was a cohost with Au Départ chief executive officer Gianfranco Maccarrone and Jeffrey Kalinsky showcased a selection of handbags and trunks from the brand, which closed in the Seventies and was relaunched in 2019.
“It’s probably out of my own price range because I couldn’t spend 70 grand on a trunk. But if I could, I would because it’s just really nice stuff. I love the patterns they have on the sides of their trunks and I like a leather bag. I like the fact that they were dormant for a long time and they’re starting back up,” he said. “I guess this is ‘Succession’ level stuff. The Roys would buy these trunks; Greg would look at them, and receive them as a gift. But I’m glad they invited me. I’m new to the hosting thing and to be doing collaborations like this; it’s a cool new chapter for me.”
Braun’s idea of luxury differs a bit from his television alter ego.
“To me, flying first class is like the greatest thing. So whenever I get to do that, I feel like I’m at the high end of luxury,” Braun said. “Food, a good meal. Like going to Frenchette or some restaurant and getting everything on the menu…those are luxurious moments. I feel like I’m maybe close to buying a watch. That would be like a good luxurious thing for me. I’m not quite there yet. I still have the same pots and pans I’ve always had. I haven’t leveled up too hard.”
Braun is freshly back from Sundance, where he premiered his upcoming film “Zola,” arguably the buzziest movie to come out of the festival. In it he plays the boyfriend of Riley Keough’s character, who is a stripper and prostitute; as Derrek, Braun is constantly hoping Keough’s Stefani will leave her sex work life behind her.
“To me it felt like a big departure. I wanted him to feel really like destroyed by that relationship,” Braun said. “I lost some weight to do it and I felt like I should have irritation around my nose and kind of look a little infected in a way, because I think that that type of relationship is so toxic that he’s in. But he is earnest. He’s earnestly in love with her and trying to make that work. He feels so much. So that’s what was exciting to me about that guy. And Greg has similar stuff, I guess, in that he shows emotions too, that other family members probably hide, but I think they’re so different.”
Up next, Braun is looking to turn to directing, possibly very soon.
“I might direct a music video for an artist I really love,” he said, keeping the details under wraps. “That’s the kind of the next part of my career. I want to act and I have another acting role in this limited series based on the creator of WeWork. But I want to direct and I want to start doing more than just acting.”
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