This cover story appears in V131, available for purchase now

V Magazine: What was the spark that first made you want to do what you do?

Taras Romanov: When I was a boy, I fell in love with movies. I remember the early moments when I moved to this country and owned a television for the first time. A small box with a VHS player along with a big box collection of tapes we acquired. I would go through it watching films every day, obsessed with all of the many unique stories and characters. Traveling through different worlds and time just by hitting the play button. I just knew that’s what I wanted to do someday.

Pants LOIS JEANS + V DENIM, Necklace Elsa Peretti® Snake Necklace in 18K Gold for Tiffany & Co., Top The Row, Belt Artemas Quibble

V: Was there a moment that was a turning point in your career?

TR: When I made the decision to move to New York for the first time, all by myself, it changed everything. The city showed me a different world: a more inspirational one. It showed me that my dreams were possible through hard work and determination. I sometimes feel as if I have lived many different lives, and the experiences I’ve had in NYC have amplified this. The strange situations, interesting personalities, and the big moments have all made me develop as a person and as an artist.

V: What’s a passion or interest you have that people might not know about?

TR: Many people really don’t know about my deep passion for music. It’s a huge inspiration for me and a big part of my life. Growing up playing different instruments and exploring genres was always special to me. My mother was a very dedicated musician; she always motivated me to keep practicing and never stop learning. These days I continue to find new ways of expressing myself musically. A lot of exciting music projects are on the way!

V: What do you remember about your first pair of denim? What made it special?

TR: My first pair of denim was very baggy, and also it had quite a lot of rips from what I remember. This was around the age I was skateboarding a lot and falling all the time. That didn’t stop me from wearing them. I remember feeling like they protected my legs from getting cuts and scrapes.

V: What words do you live by?

TR: Always be your true self and keep moving forward. To get to where most people can’t, you have to be willing to do the things most people won’t. [Be] dedicated, work hard and believe. Improvise, adapt and overcome in any situation. Above all else, praise God and be grateful every single day.

Pants LOIS JEANS + V DENIM, Necklace Elsa Peretti® Snake Necklace in 18K Gold for Tiffany & Co., Top The Row, Belt Artemas Quibble, Boots vintage from David Casavant

V: What’s the most enduring lesson that you’ve learned from being in the public eye?

TR: I’ve learned that everyone will have an opinion and personal point of view on you, whether it’s positive or negative. There will always be criticism in life and people trying to guide you down different paths. As long as you know yourself, your worth, your goals, and your story…none of those opinion’s matters.

V: What would you like the legacy of your career to be?

TR: [I would like to] leave a mark in the film industry. I always felt I was destined to leave behind a specific and unique body of work. Movies that were exciting, different, powerful, and inspiring to watch. Stories that changed a person’s life or made them feel something they haven’t before. [I want to] connect with them in a special way, and exceed their perceptions of life from all corners of the world. That’s the biggest legacy I would like to leave. I don’t follow records or awards, those things follow when the body of work speaks for itself. With fashion, the potential is limitless. I see myself as someone who can break the rules and change the game.

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