Toye was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa with one sister.[4] In the late 1970s, she moved to New York City to study fashion at Parsons School of Design, though she later dropped out as her modeling career took off.[5][6] While a student there, she began her gender transition.[7][4] Toye met Steven Meisel at a party thrown by Gabriel Rotello, and began modeling for an illustration class that he taught at Parsons.[7][4] She became involved in the downtown culture of the East Village in the early 1980s, frequenting clubs such as Studio 54 and meeting designers like Stephen Sprouse.[4] Toye rose to prominence as a model after serving as Sprouse's muse and walking in his 1984 show at The Ritz night club. [8][9][3][10][11]
In 1984, she was named "Girl of the Year" by New York Times fashion columnist John Duka.[7] Toye was represented by Frances Grill of Click,[12] walked in shows internationally for Chanel, and appeared in editorials for Interview.[13][10] Toye also became friends with artists of the East Village scene, including Nan Goldin and Greer Lankton. She was Lankton's maid of honor and the subject of a doll by Lankton, which has been exhibited at galleries like Civilian Warfare and Participant Inc.[14][15][16][17][9]
Historic preservation work
In 1987, Toye married art dealer Patrick Fox and moved back to Des Moines.[7][4] She became involved in real estate and local advocacy groups for the preservation of historic homes, and continues to work as a specialist for FEMA consulting on historic preservation and renovation.[18][5][7][19] In 1993, Toye and Fox purchased the Hatton House, a 130-year old Stick style home in the River Bend neighborhood. Toye prevented the destruction of the house and preserved original features using a grant from the State Historic Preservation Office in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.[20][21] When Toye and Fox divorced in 1995, she retained full ownership of the home.[20]
^ abcdeWalker, Andre (December 16, 2009). "Heroes: Teri Toye". V Magazine. Archived from the original on December 16, 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
^ abCarothers-Kay, Ann (November 16, 1996). "Passion for Preservation". The Des Moines Register. p. 34. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
^Brown, Elspeth (2019). Work!: A Queer History of Modeling. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press. ISBN9781478002147.