Toukie Smith, Model and Actress Who Walked for Willi Smith and Chanel, Dies at 74

Doris "Toukie" Smith, a model and actress who worked on American and French runways in the 1970s, has died at age 74. She had a long battle with multiple sclerosis, a disease that damages the protective coating of the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. WWD reported the death on 14 November 2026.

Smith was a native of Philadelphia. She was the sister of Willi Smith, the American designer who founded the WilliWear label in New York.

Her runway work began with her brother's brand. She appeared in WilliWear presentations in New York for fall 1973 and spring 1979. Fall is the autumn season, and a presentation is a runway show in which a designer displays a new collection to buyers and the press. Later in 1979, she walked for Geoffrey Beene, the American designer label, in its fall collection. She also walked for Chanel, the French fashion house, in its fall 1979 ready-to-wear collection. Ready-to-wear means clothing made in standard sizes for shops to sell, as opposed to made-to-measure pieces.

The model Bethann Hardison said that Willi Smith's decision to use his sister in his shows helped launch her own modelling career in the 1970s and 1980s.

Smith was known for her appearance as well as her walk. She wore her hair cropped close and natural, a look that was less common on runways at the time. WWD's tribute headline calls her a trailblazer who redefined runway beauty. The publication also included her in its "SA's 73 Movers" feature, which named Black models and designers among the people shaping the fashion business.

Smith's death was reported in a tribute that drew on the accounts of people who worked with her. Her career spanned both the American and French fashion calendars, and her shows included the work of one of the best-known designers of her generation, her brother. Her memory now rests largely with the people who shared the runway with her.