Lisa Rinna Never Stops Yapping
Photography AGATA SERGE
Styling DANYUL BROWN
Hair GREGG LENNON JR
Makeup NICK LENNON
Production MOLLY APPLE
Photography Assistant & Lighting VICTOR ALVAREZ
Videography RENÉE PARKHURST
Production Assistant AUBREY SALITA
Set Assistant AMY MAZIUS
SHOT ON MEDIUM FORMAT & HAND PRINTED
Lisa Rinna is more than a Beverly Hills housewife. She’s an actress, a no-fucks-giver, a Fashion Week staple, and the queen of “owning it.” For our U.S. cover story, MERDE brought together Lisa and her stylist Danyul Brown to talk ambition, breaking narratives, going viral, and dancing through the noise. Shot in medium format as undone portraiture, the imagery nods to the old guards—while Rinna reminds us she’s busy rewriting the script.
Dress POSTER GIRL - Shorts & Tights STYLIST’S OWN - Shoes MACH AND MACH
Lisa Rinna is more than a Beverly Hills housewife. She’s an actress, a no-fucks-giver, a Fashion Week staple, and the queen of “owning it.” For our U.S. cover story, MERDE brought together Lisa and her stylist Danyul Brown to talk ambition, breaking narratives, going viral, and dancing through the noise. Shot in medium format as undone portraiture, the imagery nods to the old guards—while Rinna reminds us she’s busy rewriting the script.
MERDE: The theme of this issue is ‘YAP’, which translates as literal chatter, but also the acronym ‘Your Ambition Pays.’ Lisa, what does ambition mean to you at this stage of your life and your career?
Lisa Rinna: I was thinking about that today. This is my 35th or 36th year working in this town as an actor; it's just part of who I am as a person. I have ambition and I will always have it. At this point in my life, I think about it in a different way. I'm a bit more relaxed now, allowing for it to happen more than a battering ram, which I would call myself in my 20s and 30s. There’s been an evolution into allowing things to be, but still, that sense of drive is there.
M: The word ‘pay’ can mean a lot of different things, like monetary or social recognition. What do you think the payoff right now is for you? ‘
LR: I never really think of it as a payoff. That word doesn't ring true to me. I think it's about connecting to what's authentic to you. That’s the payoff for me, to feel connected to the work. I love that.
MERDE: Danyul, how do you think Lisa's ambition shows up in how she dresses? How have you built her wardrobe and her looks around that ambition?
Danyul Brown: You know, it's funny. As a stylist, I work with a lot of people of all different ages, genders, nationalities, interests, and out of everyone that I've ever worked with, I'm most inspired by Lisa. That there are no limitations. She's never hesitant to keep reinventing herself or take on a new opportunity. I think that kind of ambition and drive—to keep succeeding, setting yourself apart, creating a shock factor, and most importantly, having fun—that inspires my ambition. It inspires me to motivate myself as well. If I can even be 5% of what Lisa has in her, then my ambition has paid off.
MERDE: Lisa, you’ve embraced reinvention fearlessly through fashion, especially in the past few years. What role has Danyul played in this visual transformation? And how do you fulfill each other?
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LR: He's played a monumental role in this. I believe that people come to you, and you come to people in your life when you're ready to be in that space and to go to that place. I really don't think I could have done what we've done without Danyul. Everything we create together is so magical. My publicist, Jeffrey, introduced us. I had only had like one or two stylists in my life, and it was not the same connection at all. They were more like facilitators, people that just got me things to wear, but there was no creative vision behind it. Danyul unlocked a Pandora’s Box in me that was already there. Together, we’ve been able to play in this realm. I would have never guessed that I would get to do this at this stage in my life.
““Danyul unlocked a Pandora’s Box in me that was already there. Together, we’ve been able to play in this realm.””
DB: I had been watching Lisa on TV for a long time, forming all these ideas in my head of what I wanted to do with this woman who didn't even know who I was. It was fate that her publicist took Lisa on, and that we’d had an existing relationship for him to refer me. Lisa also unlocked a Pandora's Box on my end, as well. I've been styling artists and talent for many years, but I wasn't able to ever have that creative outlet to really show who I was and prove what I was capable of. Lisa almost became a blank canvas for me to paint my picture, but we painted it together. It’s never been a one-sided thing. We built up trust very quickly; she and her family are like a second family to mine. When you have that strength in a relationship and that connection, anything is achievable
M: I was lucky enough to see that bond on our cover shoot set.
DB: I have a lot of people who come to me and say, ‘Do what you did for Lisa Rinna, for me,’ and my response is, ‘It’s simply impossible, because you are not Lisa.’
LR: I'm very flattered when I hear that people ask for that. But yeah, you kind of can't.
M: It’s a once-in-a-lifetime connection. Lisa, you've said before that you're not afraid to hustle. You’ve really built a ‘no fucks given’ attitude through your TikTok dancing videos. It’s bridged the gap between yourself as a mother, actor, entrepreneur, and reality icon. Do you feel there’s a difference between the public persona you present and who you are privately? Or is there no real separation for you?
LR: I teach my daughters to hustle as much as they can. I think it's really important, because at the end of the day, no one's going to do it for you. It's exciting to get out there and create new things, even if you've been told many, many times, ‘Oh, you can't do that. You need to stay over here in this area.’ I'm like, ‘Well, yeah, I can go there, and watch me.’ My M.O. is: ‘Don't tell me what I can’t do. Watch me.’ I think that—because of the jobs that I've had—the public has built a narrative that I don't necessarily have control over. I usually play a character. Even if it's ‘reality,’ it's not necessarily my true self, because they don't show my truth. When I did a show like that for so long, I got pigeon holed. I was reactionary in that role I played, because that's what they wanted. What’s changed since the pandemic happened, and starting my silly little dance videos, is that people got to see who I really am. That's me. You can see me do this fashion journey, and then you see me in my sweats dancing around my yard. It’s a fuller picture of who I am.
M: The full picture is gorgeous. Danyul, in fashion, ambition is often silent and built behind the scenes. Do you feel pressure as a stylist to make yourself more visible in order to succeed? Do you feel that Lisa has brought you out from behind the scenes? How do you build this together in front of cameras as well?
DB: Since moving to Hollywood, I’ve felt the pressure a little bit more to make myself visible, but not in the regard that I strive to be famous. My passion lies in helping people—women, men, people of all genders—feel more confident and better about themselves. I came from the art schools in London, and over there, it was not about who you are; it was about what you were capable of. I hope that I still lead with that narrative. Obviously, when you're representing a celebrity in such a fast-paced environment, your name means something, and so does your reputation. I definitely feel the pressure to uphold that, but for how that reflects on my client, not necessarily how it reflects on myself.
M: You’ve certainly talked back through style, wearing Connor Ives’ ‘Protect The Dolls’ shirt in one of your dancing videos. Danyul, do you have more ideas on curating Lisa's style as a kind of protest? Is that something that you've discussed?
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DB: Yes and no. I'm fortunate enough to share a lot of the same views as Lisa, so we fight for a lot of the same things in the world. Regarding the flamboyance, dress, costume, and couture we’ve delved into, that's really about protest and freedom. What I mean by that is: the freedom to be whoever and wear whatever. Lisa flies the flag for a lot of people, and shows by example that there is no age limit on what you wear. I think she speaks volumes regarding reinventing yourself, that it's never too late. It's another form in which this beautiful connection works; we fight for all of the same things.
M: MERDE is very much rooted in irreverence, which is something I love about your style. You’re not afraid to have fun with yourself or challenge convention. What are some fashion rules—whether within the industry or just about dressing in general—that you’re both tired of hearing?
LR: We don't have any rules. Whatever rules people put on themselves, I feel sorry for them, because that's just restricting.
““I teach my daughters to hustle as much as they can. I think it’s really important, because at the end of the day, no one’s going to do it for you.””
DB: We don't typically follow trends; we like to set them. We definitely get a lot of heat for it, but we love the heat. It creates movement. We’ve set a precedent where people look at what we do and aren’t always sure whether they love it or hate it—but they’re engaged enough that it pushes them to go create something of their own.
M: YAP is also about making noise when no one is asking you to speak. What's something that you want to YAP into existence, on your own terms?
LR: I’m yapping it all into existence. It’s wild to think I actually got to go to Demna’s final Balenciaga couture show this past July. That’s huge for me. I’m really grateful. I just love the way that he expresses himself. I love his take on society. I’m a huge fan.
DB: I always felt I had something to prove— to Lisa, to Jeffrey, to everyone on our team. Getting these invitations all these years later shows first, that we’re doing something right, and second, it proves what I already knew about Lisa:she’s incredible to be around. The way she looks, dresses, and carries herself is only part of it. It’s who she is that really makes an impression. She genuinely celebrates both the designers and the designs. Some people just show up and leave, but Lisa cares.
M: How are you approaching Lisa’s style in her new upcoming project: The Traitors ?
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LR: We had the fitting for The Traitors, and we didn’t know what to expect. You need about eleven looks. It’s for TV, and I haven’t done TV in about two and a half years. So it was this balance of showing where I’m at with my fashion now, but not looking like I just walked off a Paris couture runway either. I wasn’t trying to be Alan Cumming. He’s brilliant in that role on the show, so it was more about figuring out: what does MY Traitors vibe look like? We should’ve had a film crew there for our fitting, you’d see how effortless it is—how much we trust each other.
DB: We don’t even have to communicate with words. We both just know when we love something or hate something. We’ve done so much together, and it’s never just about pulling a full look straight off a runway. Each look is styled head to toe, mixing pieces from different brands, and that’s where I thrive as a stylist.
LR: Who knows what's gonna happen, but it's gonna be fun. It's gonna be interesting. I can't wait.
M: What made you say yes to being on TV again, Lisa?
LR: I wasn't sure I wanted to do it; I’d said no to being on TV again at first. I liked The Traitors as a viewer, but I didn’t think I wanted to be on it. Then two and a half years went by, and offered it to me again. Literally everyone in my world was like, ‘You have to do it. You must do it.’ I got so much peer pressure that I finally thought, ‘Okay, let me at least see how I feel about it.’ Normally, I say yes to almost every opportunity the universe throws my way—not every single one, but close. But with this, I just wasn’t sure. I didn’t know if I wanted to go back into reality TV, or if I was ready for it, but everyone made good points and here I am.
M: You’re going to break the internet.
LR: We’ll see. It’s all such a game of luck. You go in blind, with no idea who you’ll be with or whether you’ll be a Faithful or a Traitor. It’s really about letting go and living in the moment, because it’s something you can’t control. You just have to show up and do it.
M: Do you have trouble releasing control?
LR: It’s coming at a time in my life when I can really appreciate it. I know it’ll be good for me.
M: Your reality TV fans will be ecstatic. What else can we look forward to?
DB I think people can look forward to a fresh reinvention of who Lisa Rinna might be in different situations. The Traitors will be a glimpse into her ongoing style evolution, showing the many versions of Lisa that we’re lucky to work with, thanks to the different characters she embodies.
Despite all the success we’ve already had, it’s inspiring and motivating to realize there’s still so much more to achieve.
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““It’s really about letting go and living in the moment.””
Lisa won the award for “Outfit of The Year" at the 2025 Las Culturistas Culture Awards, where she thanked Danyul onstage and urged viewers to support “our trans siblings” by picking up their “Protect the Dolls” T-shirts. We can't imagine a world where she isn't still finding new ways to surprise us—both on and off screen. As Lisa steps into a new role of deception set to air in 2026, we'll remain faithful followers, even if she's a Traitor.