Malcolm Todd Might Forget to Wear a Shirt, But Flip-Flops and Jeans Are Non-Negotiable

Malcolm Todd describes himself as a "wholesome rockstar," a title earned from the casual day-in-the-life clips on his Instagram side account. At 22, with candid songwriting and instantly catchy melodies, he shows up on camera looking effortlessly unpolished—and that easy charisma is exactly why Gap came calling.

Gap's fall 2026 campaign, "Denim on your Own," dropped Tuesday, August 11, starring Todd alongside "Obsession" actress Inde Navarrette. The campaign was directed by Tanu Muiño with creative direction from Gap's Calvin Leung. The soundtrack features Todd's own cover of Robyn's classic "Dancing on My Own," playing over footage of him dancing to his own rhythm in Gap jeans. It's the latest in a string of buzzy moves from Gap this year—following an earlier campaign with Young Miko, and just weeks after its collaboration with Hailey Bieber became one of the summer's most talked-about fashion team-ups.

Talking about the cover, Todd says the Gap team gave him a few options, and he personally chose "Dancing On My Own" because it resonated with him emotionally. "They weren't asking me to do a carbon copy—they just said, 'You're the musician, we trust you, go have fun with it.'" He brought his usual band of collaborators into the studio and pulled it off in what he calls his signature way—playful, excited, giving it everything. The shoot was also the biggest production he'd been part of yet. "I was nervous for maybe 20 seconds, then realized everyone was just as excited. It felt like summer camp."

The song is widely known thanks to HBO's "Girls," though Todd admits he's not much of a fan of the show himself—his sister Audrey Hobert, on the other hand, is a diehard. Asked which character he'd be if he had to pick, he says everyone loves Adam Driver, "so hopefully I'm him."

He's more animated talking about his personal style evolution than he is about music. Growing up on the Westside of LA, he describes an open-minded environment where he tried everything—loud colors, skinny jeans, baggy pants—before eventually settling somewhere in the middle. "I just wanted to try everything. I think that's what being young is about." These days, his go-to Gap piece is a pair of '90s loose-fit jeans, paired with a T-shirt and flip-flops. "That's really all you need." He also admits California weather means he rarely has to layer up—"sometimes I even forget to put on a shirt."

Asked to describe his style in three words, he lands on "authentic, comfortable, and maybe a little random." His studio outfit philosophy for workdays borrows from football player Deion Sanders: "If you look good, you feel good; if you feel good, you play good." Sometimes "good" is just shorts and socks, sometimes it's a full suit. His style advice for readers is just as straightforward: "Wear what's comfortable, and don't worry about what other people think."

Asked at the end of the interview what he'd wear if stuck in an elevator with his celebrity crush, Todd's answer is Jessica Alba—paired with his Gap jeans, a funny T-shirt to make her laugh, and, of course, flip-flops. Just as he's shown throughout this whole conversation, when it comes to style, he's never overthinking it.