As Beyoncé’s Progress pride-referencing ‘Cozy’, a standout track from her latest album, Renaissance, fills the air, stage and screen star Layton Williams is striking pose after pose, throwing shapes with his body that defy comprehension. The thundering beat reverberates through the photographer’s studio in the former Whitechapel Bell Foundry — you can almost hear Big Ben clang in time with the music.
The song’s description of dramatic highs and lows seem tailor-made for Layton’s showbiz story and potent brand of unapologetic confidence. Although meeting him today, it’s difficult to believe he’s ever been anything less than upbeat. He’s smiley, bouncy and generous with his energy: as his self-assuredness spreads around the room, this writer starts to doubt his own dull-AF sartorial selections in favour of gluing gems to his face and strutting down imaginary catwalks… “You’ve got one life — it’s not a dress rehearsal,” says Bury-born Layton, in his delicious northern drawl, when Attitude praises his dazzling personal style: everything from feathered gowns on the red carpet to deconstructed blazer-dresses at star-studded parties. “It’s fun to be glam — and I feel better when I’ve got that armour on,” he shares.
Layton’s innate sense of showmanship,
