The BASIC Show

QUENTIN THRASH: Barber Turned Celebrity Tailor | EPISODE 5

• Season 1 • Episode 5

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🎙️ Meet Quentin StayFly Thrash — celebrity tailor, luxury menswear designer, and fearless style voice shaking up modern masculinity. In this exclusive interview on The BASIC Show, Quentin opens up about confidence, creativity, and the power of a perfect suit.

 

In this episode:

His journey from local designer to dressing Hollywood’s elite

Bold takes on men’s fashion, masculinity & personal branding

Why tailoring is more than fabric — it’s identity

How to own your story through what you wear

Behind-the-scenes stories with stars & athletes

This one’s for anyone into menswear, luxury fashion, creative hustle, or building unshakable confidence.

 

đź”— Follow Quentin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quentinstayflythrash

🎥 Produced by The Agency Studios

🛋 Set by DesignTonik Interiors

đź’§ Powered by Drink MyMuse

🎵 Original soundtrack by Brandon Dalo

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SPEAKER_02:

So you work with NFL players and opera singers and Grammy-winning musicians.

SPEAKER_03:

You've made it through 100% of the hard times that you thought you wouldn't make it through. I'm not an astronaut, but I want to be able to take people to the moon. How much money in one transaction? I slept on a couch for five years.

SPEAKER_02:

If you never risk, you will never drink champagne.

SPEAKER_03:

Drive the traffic, and then that traffic is just going to funnel back into the business. You know how many conversations that have started just about our watches, and then it led to being able to do business with people? The Rebels are always the cool kids.

SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to The Basic Show with Victoria Boschetta.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, anyway, welcome to The Basic Show.

SPEAKER_03:

Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_02:

I'm very excited to have you. Backstage, we just talked a little bit about the last time we worked together. It was for Basic Magazine almost eight years ago. Yeah,

SPEAKER_03:

I was a young buck back then.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, you were. You

SPEAKER_03:

know, I actually wasn't a designer at that point.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, right? I wasn't a designer at that point. Were you a celebrity barber and stylist?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, I was a barber and stylist.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes. So tell me what has changed since the last time we did an article about

SPEAKER_03:

you. Man, a lot has changed. Yeah, so I started my own company, Thrash Bespoke. So I do custom menswear, custom suiting. I'm a dad now. Congratulations. That's a huge thing. My son, he's eight years old now.

UNKNOWN:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Man, so much. I don't know where to begin at.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, you have an interesting story. So let's go from the beginning. I know you came to Los Angeles, right? some years ago, and that was the first time you actually got on the plane. Yeah. So tell us about your first months and your first impression when you landed in L.A. I'm pretty sure you had like some cultural shock.

SPEAKER_03:

You know what? I've always it definitely was culture shock in a sense of I hadn't experienced a lot at that time. I was young. I was, I think, 22, almost 23 years old and like some from a small town. So like I hadn't really experienced a lot. So that's why when I moved here, that was my first time ever on an airplane. But honestly, I've always been very open to change. So when I moved to LA, it wasn't too big of a, it wasn't too hard of an adjustment for me just because I was already open to just figuring out things and seeing how the city moved and seeing how things worked. But yeah, I moved here at the end of 2011, I believe. And I didn't know anyone. So the first two guys that I met were two club promoters in Hollywood that lived in my apartment complex. And we started hanging out because I started cutting their hair because they lived a couple of doors down from me. And that's kind of how I got introduced to Hollywood. So I was always hanging out in the clubs with these guys and hanging around celebrities and going to all these like mansion parties and stuff. And that's how I was able to start meeting eating celebrities, and once they found out that I was a barber, they was like, oh, can you come and give me a cut for this music video or whatever it may be? And that's kind of how things got started. So I kind of got thrown into the fire as soon as I touched down in LA. Yeah, that's what a lot of people don't know is like, I kind of got started pretty quickly. I think within like my first month, I was cutting like French Montana's hair. I was cutting like Travis Porter and Roscoe Dash, all these people, man. And it was pretty quick. But I was like, I'm one of those people where I adapt easily. So as soon as I see how things are going, it's like, okay, I get it. You know what I mean? So I just kind of find where I get in at. Do

SPEAKER_02:

you think it was the situation where you were in the right place in the right time or your personality shined through and helped you kind of navigate such a

SPEAKER_03:

change? I think it was the personality thing. I think that the two guys that lived in my apartment complex, I think they seen something in me. They were like, this is a guy that we can kind of bring into this situation and he's not going to mess things up or he's not going to make us look bad. So I think they noticed that about me. So Yeah, so they immediately kind of, like I said, threw me straight into the fire. So I was like, yo, this is a lot going on right now. But, you know what I'm saying, I know how to navigate. I know how to figure things out. I know how to just pay attention to what's going on and not speak so fast and just, you know what I'm saying, kind of evaluate the situation. And, yeah, it worked for me.

SPEAKER_02:

Do you think it's because of your Southern heritage? Like you were more friendly and, you know, kind of more open in a sense?

SPEAKER_03:

I'm very open.

UNKNOWN:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

I am friendly, but I'm also very kind of not standoffish, but I'm just kind of an introvert. So I really don't speak unless spoken to. You know what I mean? And like that can help you out in a lot of sense. Like sometimes people don't like you when you take up too much space in the room. You know what I mean? So me, like I already draw a lot of attention just because of my stature, the way that I dress. So I don't have to do a lot. I don't have to do too much. So I think that's why they were like, yo, we can bring this young cat into the fold and kind of show them

SPEAKER_02:

the way. But I bet it wasn't that easy because I remember and I know many people who come to LA, this world is so different from any other place they're coming from. Just the mentality, the blend of cultures. I mean, also the challenges. Was it that easy for you? So you came in the first month, you right away smoothing with celebrities or did you have tough times as well

SPEAKER_03:

um no it was a lot of tough times like i slept on the couch for five years

SPEAKER_02:

oh my god

SPEAKER_03:

i slept on the couch for five years so just because i was able to kind of navigate things pretty easily that was just kind of my way of um I just know how to navigate certain things. I know how to pay attention and read between the lines. I'm one of those type of people. So I can get in and fit in wherever I go. I'm one of those people. You can put me in any circumstances and I'll be able to figure out how to get myself out of this.

SPEAKER_02:

Which is rare because most of the people like comfort, right? I know a lot of people come here and as soon as they feel a little bit of discomfort, they're going back to where they feel comfortable.

SPEAKER_03:

So that was kind of the part of the thing. So before I moved to LA, I was comfortable in a sense. I was what? I left when I was 22, but I had been working in a barbershop for a while. So when all my friends that were the same age as me were still in college, I was in the real world working, making money, doing things. So I had been comfortable before. So once I moved to LA, me being going back to the trenches, if you want to call it, like sleeping on couches and all that stuff, like it never really bothered me because I knew what the goal was moving forward. And I knew that at the end of the day, I can always go back to doing that.

SPEAKER_02:

That's always a backup option. Yeah, I always know that I have a

SPEAKER_03:

backup plan, but I know what my goal is, and I know that if I put the time in, I put the effort in, I know that eventually I'm going to get there. No matter if it's two years, five years, ten years, I know eventually I'm going to get there.

SPEAKER_02:

Did you have your goal very refined in your mind? Did you know exactly what you're going to do? Not

SPEAKER_03:

at

SPEAKER_02:

all. So what was driving you? What was that purpose that you had in your mind that you have to hustle, you have to, you know, suffer here and there, just, you know, going for that ultimate goal that you set for yourself? Well,

SPEAKER_03:

you know, I come from being an athlete.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, so tell me more about that.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, I come from being an athlete. So, well, in high school, I was captain of the basketball team, football team. I was an all-state long jumper in track and field. And I actually went to college on a full football scholarship out of high school. So that type of stuff, like I'm very like results oriented and I know, I just know how to, muscle it out to get to the bigger and

SPEAKER_02:

probably the discipline as well right because you come from the sports or from certain types of athletics right you already have the discipline within you so you know that you have to wake up you have to hustle you think that helped you in the beginning

SPEAKER_03:

but like I said that's kind of all because sports has always been in my life I've always kind of operated like that so I've never really get to work like even nowadays if I have a bad patch or something that I'm going through is like, I never really tripped. I remember when COVID happened, everybody else was freaking out. I was like, you know what? I realized that this isn't a me thing. This isn't a me issue. This is a world issue. So everybody's going through what I'm going through right now. So why am I going to pull my hair out crying about something I have no control over? I can only control what I can control. So even during COVID, I never really stressed too much.

SPEAKER_02:

But how can you be so positive? It's interesting because a lot of people will just break in and give in. Where does it come from?

SPEAKER_03:

It's hard for me to give a direct answer because I've always operated like that. I've always just been like, whatever it is, So there's this quote, and it says, you've made it through 100% of the hard times that you thought you wouldn't make it through. And it's a very simple quote, but that really has done it for me. So whenever I'm going through any type of hard times, I think about it. It's like, I've been through harder stuff before, and I'm still here.

SPEAKER_02:

So whatever happens today is still going

SPEAKER_03:

to be a past day tomorrow. It eventually has to pass at some point.

SPEAKER_02:

So that all comes really from your mindset, right? Do you believe that... If you really have a thought or an idea, you will find the ways how to bring that idea to life.

SPEAKER_03:

A thousand percent. I believe that anything that you can fathom is possible somehow, whether it just takes time and persistence or if it just takes money. Whatever it is, you just got to figure out what that is and then figure out how to get there. A perfect example, I think about Elon Musk, right? I think about... At that point where you have so much money to where you can literally do whatever you want to do. So he was like, yo, I'm not an astronaut, but I want to be able to take people to the moon. A

SPEAKER_02:

lot of people think it's crazy, right? Exactly. If you

SPEAKER_03:

dream big enough and you got enough money to do it, it's possible to do it. So I think about that at every stage. So no matter what it is, it's like whatever that goal is that I'm seeking, there's a way to get there. I just got to figure out what the components are that are going to help me get there. But it's never like, can I do it? It's just like how

SPEAKER_02:

much... It's out of question.

SPEAKER_03:

That's never a question. It's just more like... Am I willing to put in the time and effort that it's going to take to get to whatever that is?

SPEAKER_02:

And then down the line, you'll figure out how. Because I feel a lot of people, they focus on how. And the more they know, the more obstacles they have in their head. Oh, I've got to do this. I've got to do that. I need to find money. I have to find an investor. And they end up doing nothing. But people who achieved actually something, they didn't ask and didn't create any obstacles. All they knew, this is what I need to do. This is what I want to do. And then somehow, step by step... Either circumstances will change or figure out how to get to my goal.

SPEAKER_03:

You know what? I've seen this funny video on Instagram the other day. And it was a little kid, might be like two or three years old, right? Yeah. And she had a bicycle and it was a chicken walking around. And you could see her struggling. She was trying to make the chicken ride the bike. So she kept putting the chicken

SPEAKER_02:

on. Oh, yeah, yeah. You seen it? Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_03:

And the caption said she was able to achieve this because there was nobody to tell her that she couldn't.

SPEAKER_02:

You

SPEAKER_03:

know what I mean? So like that speaks volumes to kind of like how I think as well. It's like no one can tell me that this can't be done because I've seen other people do it on different levels. So yeah, it's just a matter of are you willing to put in the time and put in the work and effort to get to whatever the

SPEAKER_02:

outcome is. And I love the idea if it's better to regret that you've done something than to regret of things that you've never even tried. Yeah. And a lot of people I feel are scared. And you're an amazing example that you came here with no friends no connections no networking system and just by knowing and you know your passion maybe you didn't even know at the time what you wanted to do but you just knew you want to be successful so what was the point you were you were a celebrity barber right you you were a model and then photographers started to ask you to help them to style shoots. And that kind of brought you to the world of fashion. So what was the changing moment where you said, you know what? I actually want to be a tailor. I actually want to make clothes.

SPEAKER_03:

So that's not even actually how it happened. No? Okay. It wasn't a... So... I had two friends, Andrew and Rodolfo. They have a brand called Pocket Square Clothing. And they started doing made-to-measure suiting. So they had a store in downtown where they sold ties and pocket squares and things like that. And they started doing made-to-measure suiting, right? And I was like, oh, it's perfect. I get the discounted rate to be able to go design my own suits and make whatever I want to wear. So that's all it was. I wasn't trying to start a brand. I wasn't trying to design for other people. I was just like, yo, I get a chance to... You just happen to be there. Pick my own fabrics and make my own suits. And so what happened was I had this green double-breasted suit that I had made, and I was wearing it one day in downtown. And there's an actor by the name of Sam Adegoke. He was on a show called Dynasty on CW. And I was walking down the street, and he stopped me. He was like, yo, bro, this suit is dope. He's like, where'd you get it from? I was like, I actually designed it myself. He was like, where? He was like, can you design that same suit for me for the show? And I was like... In my mind, I'm like, I ain't never made nothing for nobody else before. But I was like, you know what? I'm talking to myself. I'm like, I'll figure it out.

SPEAKER_02:

See, this is great. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

So I told him, yeah. And then I went back to my homeboy, Andrew Rodolfo. And I was like, I just got an order for a suit. And I got to figure out how to make it for somebody else. And so we went through the process and they helped me out with it. And I delivered the suit and it was a hit. So the show started ordering more suits for me after that. So I made a pretty decent amount of money with that transaction. And I was like, yo, this was a little... Not that it was easy, but it was like... Easy for you. It was easy for me. And I was like, yo, I really need to lock in and really focus and take this serious. Because I don't think I'd ever made that much money in one transaction before at that time. And I was like, yo, so I got to take this serious. So that's when I really started putting in the hours to really learn how to design and learning fabrics and learning how to take measurements properly and all that. I really started putting in the hours at that point because I didn't go to fashion school.

SPEAKER_02:

So you self-taught yourself. Yeah, I

SPEAKER_03:

self-taught all of this stuff. Between self-teaching, just having the will to want to know is what I call it, having the will to want to know. And then... not being afraid to ask him for help. Same way I asked Andrew Rodolfo. I wasn't afraid to ask for help. Um... And I think that people, especially other entrepreneurs, when you find people that are passionate about the things that you are, you're a lot more willing to help people and give people information compared to people who just have their hand out for stuff, right? So, yeah, I wasn't afraid to ask. I asked a lot of questions. I used to go thrifting, and I used to tear clothes apart just to see how things worked, you know what I'm saying, from the inside out. Dissect. Yeah, so I really went to the ground base to teach myself, you know saying this, this whole, uh, crap. And yeah, so that's how I started designing out. And I was like, yo, like, I actually, I need to turn this into a business. So I came up with the brand name. It was thrash bespoke. Um, And yeah, I just kind of went from there

SPEAKER_02:

and started going. Well, a few things. Number one, in my mind, you're pretty much a walking business card, right? People look at you and they see you. So you represent your style, you know, your taste, your vision. And people looking at you say, I want to look like that. And number two, what I wanted to comment, you said a really amazing thing that somebody asked you to do something that you weren't specialized in that field. You might have... felt maybe scared a little bit or, you know, hesitant, but you overcame that. I said, you know what? I'm going to do it. I'm going to find how. Yeah. Right. So you didn't hesitate. You said yes, confidently. And you went back and said, we got an order. Yeah. So him. So

SPEAKER_03:

I've talked about it a couple of times over the years. And I'm sure he didn't even know that I wasn't that confident about what I was doing at the time. But I just knew on the back end, I was going to go figure it out and find out how to get to get to where the goal was. But yeah, like I'm like that. with most things, man. I feel like one thing that I talk about all the time is just like being in a place to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. Because sometimes like even now, there's a lot of things that like opportunities that come my way that I'm able to take advantage of and I'm able to deliver on them, right? Because I've put in the hours, I've put in the time. But if you had to ask me five, six years ago, if you had to give me that same opportunity, I wouldn't have known what to do with it. So that's made me now more prone to trying to research things and just know as much as I can about the space that I'm in. So when an opportunity does come to me, I know how I can execute it. Or what will happen is you'll get these opportunities and then you'll end up messing up the relationship because you aren't able to deliver.

SPEAKER_02:

So how do you get to the point, let's say you take up all of these opportunities, and you might get burnout. Have you ever experienced burnout in your career?

SPEAKER_03:

Not on a major level as of yet. One thing about me is I'm very cool, calm, and collected. So I try not to let myself get overwhelmed with things. And if I know that I just don't have the capacity to do something, one, I'll say that. I just don't have the capacity to do it at that point. Two, as a business mind, I know how to outsource.

SPEAKER_02:

That's a very good skill, actually. A lot of creatives are control freaks and they're so afraid and that's actually how they do get to burnout because they want to do everything themselves and they have an excuse that, oh, because I'm a perfectionist or I want to do it the right way. It's my stamp, it's my brand, it's my identity. But at the same time, if you don't know how to outsource, you will never maybe go to the next level because you're going to just start doing that one thing over and over again. Have a Have you ever experienced situations in life when you felt completely out of your comfort zone?

SPEAKER_03:

All the time. I feel like everything I do, I'm out of my comfort zone. I'm just not afraid to face it head on. You know what I mean? So, yeah, that's a reoccurring thing there.

SPEAKER_02:

So you're just going for it. And I'm sure you failed, right? How do you approach failure? Does it bother you?

SPEAKER_03:

How do I approach failure? I'm trying to think of the last thing I, like, failed at.

SPEAKER_02:

Because I

SPEAKER_03:

feel like I always find a way to find a solution. I can tell you one situation, which once again, my client never knew. To this day, he doesn't know that this happened. I was dressing Tyler James Williams from Abbott Elementary and Everybody Hates Chris. I forget what award show it was. And I designed this tuxedo for him. And because of the way the fabric was made, it had no give at all, right? So this suit came back completely too small. Oh, no. It was like he couldn't even get it on. But I was like measuring because I was like looking at it and I was like, this don't look like it's going to fit. So I had to go back to the fabric store that I bought the fabric from, hoping that they had more fabric. And... I couldn't find it. I'm stressing out. And this is like days before the event. Days before the

SPEAKER_04:

event.

SPEAKER_03:

And I ended up asking one of the guys that works there because I knew he'd know the lay of the land a little bit better than me. I was like, yo, I need this fabric. I have to have it. There is no other option. I have to have it because it was a very specific fabric. And he literally turned around and was like, there it is right there. And I was like, thank you. So get this fabric. So in order to make this suit fit, I had to add panels into the suit. So the legs were too small. So instead of this one seam, I had to make two seams and make a whole other panel in order to be able to make the pants wide enough to be able to fit. The jacket, I had to do the same. Under here, I had to add a panel to be able to make it big enough, which To this day, my client knows nothing that that happened.

SPEAKER_02:

So he thought that's a new way, new style.

SPEAKER_03:

Because it was executed so well, I don't think he even knows that it's like that. Because it was done, of course, it was done tastefully. All of my tailors are masters of their craft, you know what I mean? So it's like the seams, you can barely see them. The suit was actually a plaid fabric, so it's so many lines and things in there that it just kind of blends in. But yeah, that's one I thought I had, because this was a really big award show. And it was days before. I

SPEAKER_02:

can't imagine that. What was going through your mind? Did you have any already like calculating plan B, C, and D? Or you knew like, I'm going to make this suit happen no matter what?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. So the only other option that I could think of would be to go and like buy something from a store. You know what I mean? Because it was literally days before. There was no way to make this suit again. But I was like... This has to work.

SPEAKER_02:

And it's interesting how life works, right? Because you, I don't know if it's, I don't like the word manifesting, though. But I feel like because you had such intention in your mind, no matter what, you're going to make this happen. Somehow, you know, situations worked out the way that you made it happen. You know, your team, the available fabric. I don't know if it's called luck. Do you consider yourself a lucky person? I

SPEAKER_03:

really don't use the word luck, to be honest. I don't use the word luck. I don't know what I call it.

SPEAKER_02:

Because you work hard. You don't need luck, right? Yeah, I work

SPEAKER_03:

hard. I work for every single thing that I do, so I don't think that it's luck or has to be luck. I just think that I try to make sure I'm doing the right things in life, and I make sure I'm doing well by people, and It works in my favor.

SPEAKER_02:

So you work with NFL players and opera singers and Grammy-winning musicians. So which collaboration stands out as particularly memorable to you and your favorite collaboration you've ever done?

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, man. I've had so many really interesting moments. Honestly, speaking of the opera thing, so that was a really big thing for me just because, one, you don't see a lot of black men in opera.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes. Two,

SPEAKER_03:

finding an opera singer that was willing to kind of push the envelope of how opera singers dress on stage. And for three, for him to allow me to be that person to kind of like help him take that step. So that was really... That was really big for me.

SPEAKER_02:

So how did that collaboration come into fruition?

SPEAKER_03:

He found me on social media. Um, I'm not sure if someone told him about me or if he just kind of stumbled across me himself, but he found me on social media and he hit me up and he was like, yo, um, cause like he wasn't like a big celebrity or anything like that. So I had to like, like really do my research to find out who he was. Like he didn't have a whole bunch of followers on Instagram. So, um, I just didn't know who, I didn't know who he was at the time. Um, of course I'm not in the opera space, so I wouldn't have known him. Um, And then, but yeah, so he reached out to me. He's like, yo, he's like, I really love what you've been doing. I've been watching you for a while. I got some stuff coming up that I think I want you to design for me. So we met and we talked about what he was doing. He's like, yeah, so I'm actually an opera singer. He's like, I'm opening... What is this? Othello? Othello?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, yes, yes. Yeah,

SPEAKER_03:

so he was Othello. Playing Othello, yes, yes. Is it Othello or Othello?

SPEAKER_02:

I think it's Othello. Othello. Yeah,

SPEAKER_03:

so he was performing as Othello. So it's like as soon as I meet him, all of a sudden I start seeing him on billboards all around the city and he's on the bus stops and all of this stuff. I'm like, that's crazy. I've never noticed him before, but now that I've met him, I see him all over the place everywhere.

SPEAKER_02:

But it's incredible because sometimes a lot of creatives wait for the opportunity their way their way but you just been doing you right you've been creating posting on social media doing what you love and then this opportunities came just because and the guy said he's been following you for a while so it's just Pretty much what kind of advice you can give, I guess, in that realm to designers who are just starting out? I think

SPEAKER_03:

the number one thing is kind of something that you spoke on earlier about being a walking billboard. So me, no matter where you see me, whether it's social media or you see me in person, you're always going to get thrash at a high level. You know what I'm saying? It's rare to see me come out in sweatpants and a t-shirt with stains. I'm not going to present myself that way because you never know who you're going to run into. You never know who sees you from afar and just may not have said anything at that moment. You know what I mean? So one, being a walking billboard. Two, utilizing social media properly. So even though I'm a designer... I realized that my influence in the get ready with me space on social media is what got more eyes on me. So now that I have the eyes on me, now that they can see that, Oh, everything that he wears, he actually makes it. So he could make this for me. Um, so, cause I know a lot of designers don't like to be content creators because of that. They only want to focus on the brand. I was like, no, there's a way to balance both because this one is going to drive the traffic. And then that traffic is just going to funnel back into the business. Um, So yeah, so like those are the main two key components right there. It's like one, always making sure that when people saw me that I look like what they want to look like.

SPEAKER_02:

Let me ask you this then. I know most of the influencers or content creators, they create this image of themselves and they might not live that life in reality. So what about you? It seems like to me from, you know, knowing you at least from social media and a little bit outside of it, it seems like it's your identity. You live this life. Do you dress like this in real life outside of the social media?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, I'd be dressed like this today if... If I wasn't here doing cool shit with you. Yeah, I think that everything is about the lifestyle and not just how you portray yourself on social media, right? So even if you look at my car outside, my car feels like what you would expect thrash to be. If you go to my apartment, my apartment feels like what you would expect the thrash world to kind of feel like. So everything has to make sense. And I think... People, especially in the luxury space, I think people can see through when it's not genuine. You know what I mean? So I think when people experienced me, they were like, yo, like, I like this whole world. Like, you know how many people I've influenced to buy classic cars around me? I can name quite a few people that they have bought classic cars because they're like, yo, thrash is right. Like, the way people react to you, the way people, the way it just starts certain conversations, just all these different types of things. Even like I'm into watches, like vintage watches and things like that. You know how many conversations that have started just about our watches and then it led to being able to do business with people? Even Cedric the Entertainer, our relationship started over my car. His wife saw my car and was asking me about it and then said, wanted to show me his car collection. That led to me dressing him for when he hosted the Emmys.

SPEAKER_02:

There you go. So you are your identity. And speaking of that, how long did it take you to really find your style and find your identity? I know you mentioned before in some other interviews that you mix different cultures, you mix different influencers. So can you tell me a little bit more about how would you describe your style and how did you refine it to the condition it is right now?

SPEAKER_03:

I think... The most important thing about being able to do, to refine style like that is to remain curious. So I'm always curious about things. So the things that I'm interested in, I try to understand why I'm attracted to this. And then I figure out how does this fit into my lifestyle? And I feel like that's how you come up with something genuine is when you find all these elements that you actually love and then mix them together, now you've created something new instead of just copying something that you've seen.

SPEAKER_02:

So how do you know that you love something?

SPEAKER_03:

I don't know. I think I'm just always curious. If I see something and I like it or if I see something, even if I don't like it, even if I be like, yo, I hate that tape recorder right there. And it's like, well, why do I hate it so bad? And then I dive in deeper to like, oh, I don't like it because the shape is odd or I just don't, I really don't like it. I really don't dislike it. I just don't like the color. You know what I mean? I dive a little bit deeper to figure out what it is. So it's like, so what about this would make me like it? Okay, maybe if it was instead of this way, maybe if it was this way, maybe I like it more.

SPEAKER_02:

But you also expose yourself to different things, right? Because if you're narrow-minded, you haven't traveled anywhere or haven't seen different cultures, you probably wouldn't even know if you like something or not.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. And in the earlier ages, before I was able to travel, that's kind of what it was. It was like me watching TV, me looking at magazines, watching movies. and being inspired by things. And even sometimes it could be like a movie. It could be a movie character that you watch and you're just like, yo, like I like his aesthetic or I like his personality. Or this person acts like me or he reacts to things the way that I would. And that right there can kind of help you kind of hone in on like, okay, I'm learning more about myself at this point because now I'm understanding why I do certain things or understanding why I'm attracted to certain things.

SPEAKER_02:

So you're very observant in a sense, right? Yeah, I

SPEAKER_03:

observe everything. If you're ever with me out in public, you'll see I know almost everything that's

SPEAKER_02:

going on

SPEAKER_03:

around me. Everything. I tell you, I don't talk a lot when I'm out in public. But I observe

SPEAKER_02:

everything. You're making notes, huh? Yeah, I observe everything. So where does it come from, your love for arts, love for fashion? If you go back to your childhood, was it true that you started drawing Air Force sneakers? It wasn't just Air Forces. It was

SPEAKER_03:

like any sneaker that I liked. So what I did, I drew... I forget what the first one was, but I draw a sneaker. Right. Because I was I was really big in the drawing and I took it to my dad and I had my dad make copies of it. And I made like basically I made my own like like sneaker coloring

SPEAKER_02:

coloring book.

SPEAKER_03:

And I would go and just color these shoes in different colorways that didn't exist. Just what I thought would be cool. And little did I know that the sneaker culture today would be what it is with all of these crazy collaborations and crazy things like that, because I was doing that when I was in eighth grade. in ninth grade, I remember I made a pair of plaid, they were like color-blocked, Air Force Ones and the middle of the shoe behind the Nike check was plaid.

SPEAKER_02:

I love that.

SPEAKER_03:

I did that when I was like 14 years old.

SPEAKER_02:

You should find those sketches and go pitch them to the brand.

SPEAKER_03:

I know that I threw them away because I've always felt that I'm also not a person that's very attached to things. If I lose something or I tear something up or I break it, it is what it is. I'll get it again or I can make it again. Like I said, I'm a very cool comic collector person. I don't really stress out. So I remember when I finished that coloring book that I made, I just threw it out because I was done with it. And I wish I hadn't at this point. Unless

SPEAKER_02:

you remember it right now, you can like replicate it. You know what? You should patent the plaid shoe, plaid sneaker.

SPEAKER_03:

But I mean, it's been done. It's been done now. It's been done now. It's been done.

SPEAKER_02:

Everything is, nothing is new under the sun. Yeah,

SPEAKER_03:

nothing is new. But like I said, I did it when I was 14 years old. And I remember the Jordan 14, I made a mule version where like the heel was out. Now it's become a thing where everybody's making these mule sneakers now.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh my God.

SPEAKER_03:

I did. And I did it not on purpose. I did it because I was drawing the shoe and I think I stopped and didn't finish it. Yeah. And I was like, this kind of look cool. And I just finished it, drawn it like that. And it was like a slide-in Jordan 14. And now it's just crazy to see where, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02:

And you have insane videos on Instagram. I've seen one of the videos where you altered the tubby sock to fit into the Margiela shoes.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, the tabbies.

SPEAKER_02:

Tabbies. I mean, how did you even come up with that idea?

SPEAKER_03:

So I bought the Margiela tabbies and... I didn't have socks that I could wear with them because I could only wear them sockless at the time because I didn't have any tabby socks. And the thing is, you can buy tabby socks, but through Margiela, one, they're just like overpriced and they only have like black and white, right? And I always have on- I

SPEAKER_02:

know, you wanted the red ones. So

SPEAKER_03:

I was like, I wear different color socks every single day, so I need to have access to all these colors like I normally wear. So I just thought through, I was like, well, how can I make a tabby sock? And- Once I thought on it long enough and it made sense to me, I just went and I snipped it and had it sewn up again and I put it on. I was like,

SPEAKER_02:

yo, it works. Yeah, that looks amazing. So when you have an idea like that, do you sit on it for a long time and kind of like rewind a thing? Or if you have an idea, just instantly go and just do

SPEAKER_03:

it? Majority of the time, I just go for it. Just go for it. Majority of the time, I just go for it. Like I'm perfectly fine with messing up. Because I learned something. I learned either it works this way or it doesn't work this way. Now you've got to think about it from a different perspective, which I love doing that because now I have information to pass on. Now I have conversation. Now that even makes me more interesting because I can talk about the failures that I have or I can talk about the successes that I had and what I've been through to get to those successes. Because I feel like the successes alone aren't impressive. But when I can explain to you, like, I went through this and this and this and this, and now that's how I got to that. That's the cool part. But just being like, oh, yeah, I'm cool. I did this.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I've actually had similar conversation with another guest saying that how many successful people have you seen that just success came so easily to them? All of them. Look at John Rowling, who wrote Harry Potter, right? How many publishing houses rejected her? You know, look, every single billionaire, you know, self-made. How many rejections they had to face to really get to the point where they got them.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, I've seen this guy on Instagram. I watch a lot of informational stuff, especially about wealth and entrepreneurs and stuff like that. It was this one guy, he was saying in order to be in his friend group, you had to have been sued before, lost everything and made it back or I forget what the third, it was like three things. And he was like, yeah, if you haven't been all of those things, you can't be a part of my group because you have to prove that you can lose everything and you know how to make it back again. And so it wasn't a fluke.

SPEAKER_02:

Maybe the third one was go through the divorce.

SPEAKER_03:

I was thinking that. That's what I was thinking in my head, but I didn't want to say it and be lying about it. But I feel like it might have been divorced.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, because I feel like it was a horrible thing anybody can go through in any way.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, man. But I was like, dang, that's crazy because I appreciate that because all the people that I like around me... We enjoy being able to explain each other why this works, why this doesn't work. So, you know what I'm saying? Of course, we're all going to make our mistakes, you know what I'm saying, our own things. But if you can help me bypass some mistakes, you know what I'm saying, I'll gladly take it.

SPEAKER_02:

Plus, I feel like hardships make you stronger, right? If you just succeed in everything you do, life is kind of boring, right? You don't learn anything new. And if you stay within your box, you never compromise, you never take risks, you will never drink champagne. I think that's a Russian expression. I don't know if it exists in English. It's an expression. Dresden says, if you never risk, you will never drink champagne. Something like that. I don't know if it makes sense in English. But to me, people who take the most risks, they might have failed more times. But they also have high chances to become successful in comparison with those who are just always so comfortable. Everything is so nice and neat. But they will never go to that next level.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, man. I enjoy screwing stuff up. I enjoy it. I have no problem telling you how badly I landed on my face. That's way more interesting than just telling you, oh, I got it right the first time. It's way more interesting.

SPEAKER_02:

So what was the worst thing you went through and ended up with a smile on your face? Man,

SPEAKER_03:

I don't know how to think about it, man. Because like I said, I don't view them as... Negative things. Right.

SPEAKER_02:

So it's just experience. Yeah, it's just experience. It's

SPEAKER_03:

just this is what it took to get to where I was going. So I really don't categorize them as I have to think on things. But it's a shit ton of them.

SPEAKER_02:

Every day, right? Yeah. Especially in the canala industry. Our industry is very challenging. It's like you have to wear so many hats. You have to do marketing. You have to be a content creator. You have to do designing. You have to do communications. You have to do the business part of it, the finances. And just it might get exhausting. So what is the least favorite thing in your business that you absolutely hate doing but you're still doing?

SPEAKER_03:

Least favorite. You want to know what? To be completely honest with you? Yeah. Content creation.

SPEAKER_01:

Really? I

SPEAKER_03:

don't enjoy it. I just understand how important it is. I don't enjoy it, though.

SPEAKER_02:

You just want to live and create and let somebody do

SPEAKER_03:

it. Because this is genuinely who I am. And this is just me being thrash. But me having to show the world this. Oftentimes... I don't know if you ever noticed, but I don't really post a lot on my stories, right?

SPEAKER_04:

And

SPEAKER_03:

that's because when I'm out and about, I'm in the moment. You know what I mean? I'm not the person with my phone out filming everything that I'm doing, trying to document, trying to show you where I'm eating at, show you where I'm staying at.

SPEAKER_02:

I notice the same thing. People who post more, it means they didn't have a great time at the party. And those who didn't post anything, they probably had a blast.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, exactly. I don't need to prove how cool I am to people. Like, this is genuinely my life. And if you don't believe me, that's fine with me.

SPEAKER_02:

So speaking of that, you do look really cool. And speaking of men's fashion, some looks, let's say, that you wear, I cannot imagine other guys wear. So what would be your advice for men? What kind of elements you think should be a must in every man's closet to be at least a little bit more fashionable than they are?

SPEAKER_03:

I think most guys can look good in a lot of things. The main thing is making sure things fit you properly. You'll be surprised. That's why people oftentimes say to me, they was like, bro, I could never wear that, but it looks good on you. And that's just because it's literally how everything fits on me. Because even if you look at, imagine if you look at my outfit and you turn the lights off on everything and everything was just black and white. I'm very traditional. I don't wear things that are very avant-garde or crazy out of the box. It's just the way that I put things together and the way things fit on me makes them seem more consumable. But people don't view it that way. They're just like, oh, this just looks so crazy. I'm like, bro, I'm wearing the same thing that you're wearing. You know what

SPEAKER_04:

I mean?

SPEAKER_03:

It's just mine fits me well, so it translates well. And I carry myself a certain way, right? It's that je ne sais quoi, as they say. It's just like... It's just, I can have on a white t-shirt and black jeans, and I'm still going to get complimented on how well I'm dressed. That's literally how my life goes. And it has nothing to do with the clothes all the time. It's literally how my vibe is when I walk in the room. And that's something that you can't really pay for. You know what I mean? So that's why some people don't, they just don't have that confidence to feel comfortable in the things that they want to wear.

SPEAKER_02:

So number one, to summarize for guys who are interested, any clothes they buy, it needs to be fitted. So they need to bring it to the tailor and make sure the suit is fitted, the shirt is fitted, and everything is the right length, right?

SPEAKER_03:

I mean, sometimes it's not even as far as going to the tailor. Some people just don't know how to shop correctly for their size.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, okay. Have you seen how Europeans dress? The really tight, tight jeans on guys. Yeah,

SPEAKER_03:

like stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02:

And every time they come to LA, I'm like, yep, they're definitely not from here. Too tight. Too tight, too tight.

SPEAKER_03:

Skin tight jeans.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

But yeah, man, some people just really don't know how to shop for themselves.

SPEAKER_02:

So let's say if the guy has an interest to dress fashionably, what are the few things he should have in his wardrobe that he can mix and match with the rest of his wardrobe? What would that be? I

SPEAKER_03:

think a good pair of... Like raw denim.

SPEAKER_02:

Denim, okay.

SPEAKER_03:

A good pair of raw denim because the thing about raw denim is that the more you wear them, they're going to like age with you and they just kind of take on a life of themselves.

SPEAKER_02:

So what is raw denim?

SPEAKER_03:

Like raw denim, like this, like raw denim, like exactly what I have on.

SPEAKER_02:

I see. So

SPEAKER_03:

every pair of denim that you see, no matter what color it is, starts like this. So you know how you'll see jeans that are like faded and they have like the little

SPEAKER_00:

distress marks? Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_03:

Those are made to emulate what can happen to these if you wear them enough. So your jeans literally take on a life of how you wear them, depending on what your lifestyle is. You see all these wrinkles right here? My pants will start to develop... like the marks in here because of how I sit down, how I, you know what I'm saying, do certain things. I see, they're adjusting to your lifestyle. Yeah, they literally like, they take a like, wherever you wear your wallet in one pocket, you'll start to see that, you know what I'm saying, imprint in your, like all of those things, your jeans will take on that. That's why all of these like fashion jeans that you see, they're to emulate that.

SPEAKER_02:

I see. You know what I'm saying? Wasn't it the story about the first jeans that actually were made, I forgot, like in the farm and for like a, I don't want to lie. Do you remember the story about the Levi's? It's supposed to be for the tractor drivers or something because of the durability of the material. And they weren't even supposed to be like a fashion or clothing element. Yeah,

SPEAKER_03:

I know that much. They weren't supposed to be for fashion. For fashion, yeah. But yeah, I feel like it always comes from like some type of rebellious thing of someone to be like, yo, I'm going to wear this for a whole different purpose. And it ends up becoming a thing because that person, the rebels are always the cool kids, right?

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, so the denim, the raw denim.

SPEAKER_03:

The raw denim.

SPEAKER_02:

What else?

SPEAKER_03:

I think... A good suit, like whether it's a navy suit or a gray suit, I wouldn't say black. I'd say navy or gray.

SPEAKER_00:

Cotton or wool. Wool. You

SPEAKER_03:

always want to wear natural fibers.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. So

SPEAKER_03:

cotton, wools, silks, things like that because those are going to be the fabrics that stand the test of time.

SPEAKER_04:

Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

So once you start wearing like polyesters and stuff like that, those fabrics aren't going to last as long, right? And they're not going to wear in and break in, right? So that's why you want to wear natural fibers.

SPEAKER_04:

Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

So wool suits. And then wool sounds... aggressive, but there's different weights of all fabrics. You know what I mean? So you have lightweight wools, you have heavyweight

SPEAKER_02:

wools. I see, like different density, yeah? Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

So like this is wool, you know what I mean? So typically people think of like a coat coat.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I would never think this is wool.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, this is wool.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

So nice suit, make sure it's well tailored.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it's well

SPEAKER_03:

tailored. And I think accessories go around. If you're trying to be stylish, accessories play a big role. So whether it's Having a nice watch. It doesn't mean it has to be an expensive watch. It just needs to be a nice watch. It can't be some big gaudy watch.

SPEAKER_02:

So what is a nice watch?

SPEAKER_03:

A watch that actually fits the proportions of your body, of your wrist. You know what I'm saying? Things like that.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

Because some people wear like these big gaudy watches because they want to be. It's like that's not what it's about. It's about things being like tasteful. What else? What

SPEAKER_02:

about like leather jackets, stuff like that? I

SPEAKER_03:

don't think, I think leather jackets are kind of like another stage of cool.

SPEAKER_02:

Is it?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

It's still in fashion? Yeah, yeah,

SPEAKER_03:

yeah. I mean, yeah. I mean, a leather jacket is always going to be cool, but I've said like.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, it's a next, we're talking about the basics. It's another

SPEAKER_03:

level of like, it's a little bit above

SPEAKER_02:

the basics. Above the basics. It's above the basics. Okay. So the suit, the raw denim. What about belts?

SPEAKER_03:

Or

SPEAKER_02:

don't you

SPEAKER_03:

have

SPEAKER_02:

to? Because the belts don't really fit.

SPEAKER_03:

Not really, because I don't only wear belts when I wear jeans. So my suits don't have belt loops because they're tailored and designed to fit me perfectly.

SPEAKER_04:

So

SPEAKER_03:

I don't wear belts. So I wouldn't say belts are an important part. I think a good pair of dress shoes, a good pair of leather sole dress shoes.

SPEAKER_02:

Leather sole.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, because cheap shoes, people can tell from a mile away. You know what I mean? People can tell from a mile away.

SPEAKER_02:

That's what the girls always look at, right, at the day. They say, always look at the watch and the shoes. I don't do that.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, yeah,

SPEAKER_02:

yeah. But I've heard.

SPEAKER_03:

So you say. So you say.

SPEAKER_02:

No, I don't. I honestly don't.

SPEAKER_03:

But, yeah, so a good pair of, like, leather-soled shoes. Because, like, the cheaper shoes you buy, like, you can just tell from a mile away that it's a cheap shoe. And, like I say, it doesn't necessarily have to be expensive, but if you're buying the right things, it can appear to be expensive.

SPEAKER_02:

So if you're talking about expensive, not expensive, what is, like, Can you give me a few brands that not like designer luxury brands that guys can go and get some decent clothes from?

SPEAKER_03:

So my daily wear penny loafers are a brand called GH Bass and they're like the quintessential penny loafer brand. Bass and Sabego. So they're like affordable priced. Like, they've been around for forever. Those are the candy loafers that people have been wearing for hundreds of years. You know what

SPEAKER_04:

I mean? Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

What's another good brand of...

SPEAKER_02:

All those shoes are just clothes.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, just clothes in general.

SPEAKER_02:

Clothes in general,

SPEAKER_03:

yeah.

UNKNOWN:

Oh.

SPEAKER_02:

Because I know a lot of guys just like, oh, we want Zara, you know, or

SPEAKER_03:

whatever.

SPEAKER_02:

But it's like either Zara or it's like 24. Is there like some brands in between?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, like mid-range brands.

SPEAKER_02:

Mid-range

SPEAKER_03:

brands. Yeah, you know what, that's actually a hard

SPEAKER_02:

question. Because

SPEAKER_01:

my fashion is difficult.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, that's a hard question for me because I'm not much of a consumer.

SPEAKER_01:

Ah, okay. I may get rid

SPEAKER_03:

of it.

SPEAKER_01:

And I

SPEAKER_03:

have been for a while

SPEAKER_01:

now. That's right, because you're disgusting.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, and before I was designing clothes, I was too broke to buy clothes. So I was buying, I was thrifting. So I really wasn't focusing on what brands that I wanted

SPEAKER_01:

to

SPEAKER_03:

wear. So I was kind of like getting what I could get from a thrift store. And I took that major jump to only wearing expensive suits. But I've always been a big fan of Ralph Lauren. The thing about Ralph Lauren, I'll always say, is because Ralph has something for any and everyone. So you can have jeans and a t-shirt from Ralph Lauren, or you can have a$5,000 suit from Ralph Lauren. And you can find anything at any price range there. And also, don't be afraid to shop on clearance racks.

SPEAKER_00:

Of where?

SPEAKER_03:

Clearance racks.

SPEAKER_00:

Clearance

SPEAKER_03:

racks.

SPEAKER_00:

What's that?

SPEAKER_03:

Clearance. It's

SPEAKER_00:

like a sale. Oh, okay. Yeah, clearance rights, sales rights. Oh, I see.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, like not being afraid to shop on sales rights because Ralph Lauren designs timeless things, so they're never going to go out of style. So even if they get on clearance rights, it's not going to be like something that like, oh, people are going to notice that this is some old stuff. It's like, no, this is...

SPEAKER_02:

But guys are different, right? They just can't get one item and wear it for 20 years.

SPEAKER_03:

Not if you want to be considered a style.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_03:

But I mean, I also don't think that you need to have a lot of stuff, though. Like, I could survive wearing T-shirts and jeans for a long time. I could if I wanted to.

SPEAKER_02:

So speaking of that, say, what do you think is an affordable number, I mean, good number for guys to spend a month on clothes for men? Like, yeah, what is, like, average if thing is a good number?

SPEAKER_03:

That's a hard question, just because everyone has, like, different needs and wants for what they're buying, right? Zero? Like...

SPEAKER_01:

No, no.

SPEAKER_03:

Five years?

UNKNOWN:

No.

SPEAKER_03:

I think that This is the thing, you don't have to buy a lot of clothes often, right? I think if you buy the right things, they can last. So if you buy a good pair of denim, so I think if you buy a good pair of... Yeah, so say you

SPEAKER_02:

buy clothes

SPEAKER_03:

for about five

SPEAKER_02:

years. Yeah, you can. You

SPEAKER_03:

can, right?

SPEAKER_02:

But if you buy, let's say, three, four pairs of the same exact

SPEAKER_03:

jeans. See, I own one pair of almost everything, right? I have one pair of dark indigo jeans, I have one pair of black jeans, one pair of light black. That's all I need. I don't need five pair of black jeans. I don't need, you know what I mean? Yeah. So that's kind

SPEAKER_01:

of high.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay. Um, t-shirts, I buy, I buy my white t-shirts that fit really well. I buy them from Uniqlo for 10 bucks.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

Um, And just make sure those fit well. Then you find a good pair of shoes that you can wear often. And the thing about going also, when I said buying leather-soled shoes, now you can also re-sole those shoes when you wear them out. So that's the thing about investing in things that aren't just throwaways. That's

SPEAKER_02:

the true sustainability for you, right? Even though they say leather is not sustainable, but actually, in fact, it is because it lasts through, I mean, not generations, right?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, like once it'll last, but even if it does get out on you, you can replace unlike brother.

SPEAKER_04:

You know

SPEAKER_03:

what I mean? So, yeah, maybe buy a good pair of pantyhose for$150 maybe. These aren't bad. Maybe buy a good pair of pantyhose for like$150. And like I said, you can literally wear it for forever and just get the soles swapped out. Just go to a cobbler and have the soles swapped out.

SPEAKER_02:

So what do you guys can get in spirit? I know back in the day it was like GQ and Esquire, but I think nowadays it's very like commercialized. What do you think guys... could get ideas on how to dress in general?

SPEAKER_03:

I mean, you'd be surprised just like how good social media has made things to do research. Just like looking up men's style hashtags on Instagram or TikTok. Like, you'll find, yeah, you'll go down, I mean, you'll find it. And you'll just go down the rabbit hole just seeing people who are doing things, like, doing cool stuff and, like, doing things that you may be interested in. Like, I even started experimenting with different silhouettes of clothes that I typically had because of things I was like, yo, like, this is kind of cool. Like, I never thought about, you know what I'm saying, what to look like on me. So I may try it out to see how it goes. Some of y'all be like, yo, this works. Or maybe like...

SPEAKER_02:

Well, now you made me think. Do you work out? Do you go to the gym? What do you work to eat?

SPEAKER_03:

So, no, I actually don't. You don't? So, I'll tell you, I was an athlete growing up. So, when I was in college, I talked about football. So, I was probably like 30 pounds bigger, like the muscle I was in right now. And luckily, I just have the genetics that where my body...

SPEAKER_02:

Lucky people.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, I am. I can't argue with you. I can't argue with you. My body just rests where I'm at right now. And I look like I work out every

SPEAKER_02:

day,

SPEAKER_03:

but I haven't worked out since I was Did

SPEAKER_02:

you play tennis or climbing? Nothing. Well,

SPEAKER_03:

I actually just got into indoor rock climbing. I just got into that recently, but I still haven't done it a handful of times.

SPEAKER_01:

I can't imagine me wearing a three-piece

SPEAKER_03:

suit. Nah, but yeah, I got into that. I don't do it often, but I'm just an athletic person, so I was... Pretty decent at it when I first

SPEAKER_04:

started.

SPEAKER_03:

But other than that, as far as actually working out in the gym, I haven't consistently worked out in the gym since I was in college.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, lucky you.

SPEAKER_03:

I mean, you've

SPEAKER_02:

come a little bit, you know, at some point. But the

SPEAKER_03:

thing is, I still, whenever I need to do like strenuous things, I still have the abilities. I'm still very strong. I still have the ability. I can still run. I still have, you know what I'm saying, the capabilities of doing

SPEAKER_02:

everything. But that's a certain age. You know what I mean? Like that is just going to drop all of a sudden. Until

SPEAKER_03:

that happens.

SPEAKER_02:

So you're going to wait until

SPEAKER_00:

the very last moment.

UNKNOWN:

And that's the thing. When it does happen or when I do start to see changes in my body, I know how to fix it.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

But as of right now, it's like...

SPEAKER_02:

I can tell you're a very positive person. I mean, it's very rare. Very few people are very positive, which is a good thing, right? Nothing can really put you off course. So a few last things. So let's say if a guy is going on a date, what he should wear to impress a woman if we put the personality aside.

SPEAKER_03:

What's the

SPEAKER_02:

good thing to wear for a first date?

SPEAKER_03:

First date, I think it depends on where the date

SPEAKER_01:

is at.

SPEAKER_03:

I think that plays a big role. But for me, I would go with maybe it depends on the guy. Maybe go jeans and like a polo shirt.

SPEAKER_01:

Jeans and a polo

SPEAKER_03:

shirt. Jeans and a polo shirt because it's like casual but it still shows that like you put forth effort.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

But it's still kind of casual to where like even if you're doing something a little bit more active, you know what I'm saying, you're okay. And then I always layer whether it's like a sweater or something like that or a jacket.

SPEAKER_01:

Over your shoulder

SPEAKER_03:

or on top. Either wearing it or over your shoulders or even a jacket. But I say this because you run into a situation where your day gets cold You want to be able to... See? You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01:

Like, little stuff like that. Okay, that's a good point. You

SPEAKER_03:

know what I'm saying? She just thought she was being a stylist. You were thinking

SPEAKER_02:

of her. That's good. Guys, make notes.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay. Yeah, my baby course coming soon.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, no, it should because sometimes it feels like... But at the same time, it's a dangerous ground because I would be suspicious of the guy who dresses way better than a woman.

SPEAKER_03:

Which I've been told.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. You know what the baby is?

UNKNOWN:

It's...

SPEAKER_03:

I've had a lot of women who are self-conscious about going out with me because worried about how they need to dress.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, I see. And

SPEAKER_03:

I'm like, I'm not even thinking deep into it because I don't take long to

SPEAKER_04:

get

SPEAKER_03:

dressed. I'm so in my zone of style to where it's like, I only have things in my wardrobe that I love. So I can just grab this and grab that, and I know what's going to work because I've built my wardrobe that way. So I'm not like the person that, oh, what am I going to

SPEAKER_01:

wear? Five hours in front of the mirror. Yeah, what we're

SPEAKER_03:

thinking is doing all that stuff. I get compliments on my skin all the time. I'm like, I have no skin. Skin, the regiment. I'm

SPEAKER_01:

like, I'm a dude, dude. Yeah, like,

SPEAKER_03:

I'm a dude, dude. I was just like, I still take care of myself, but it's not to the extent of what people think it is to have something to make after

SPEAKER_02:

me. Did you see that morning routine?

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, yeah, when he was, like, doing the ice thing. I'm like, yeah, that's crazy. Would you do that? No, never. Not a chance, and no. But, yeah, man, but... But, yeah, I don't overthink things when it comes to being dressed.

SPEAKER_02:

But I guess... On the girl's part, it's probably some of the inner insecurities on their part, right? They may think they're not good enough to be next to you, and you look so great, and they just need to be up there, you know, with you. That also might be the thing.

SPEAKER_03:

You know what, though? I honestly don't require an overly stylish woman.

SPEAKER_01:

Really? I

SPEAKER_03:

don't require it. I mean, it's cool to have her.

SPEAKER_01:

She's not wearing slippers and shirts and t-shirts. I mean, not. I mean... That's what I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, that's a little aggressive, but I think that women can get away with just being elegant.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

You don't have to try to overdo things. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01:

So what is elegant?

SPEAKER_03:

Just have class.

SPEAKER_01:

What is class?

SPEAKER_03:

So I think that just dressing for your body style. Just finding the things that work for you, whether it's, like, I actually find myself a lot more attracted to women who don't necessarily need to wear makeup all the

SPEAKER_04:

time.

SPEAKER_03:

Like, if you wear makeup, great, right? But, like, you're also just as comfortable in your own skin without makeup as you are with makeup.

SPEAKER_02:

That's a tough one. I know. It's so much pressure, you know, like, to look great and your natural makeup also takes a long time for women. I mean, some women are lucky when they don't have to use makeup, but nowadays... I know, but

SPEAKER_03:

somehow I've noticed that I naturally kind of attract to the women that like don't feel the need to always do that but like you said the way they carry

SPEAKER_01:

themselves

SPEAKER_03:

yeah they still look yeah they still look perfectly fine And

SPEAKER_02:

maybe you're attracted to confidence.

SPEAKER_03:

That's a thousand percent.

SPEAKER_02:

Because if you're not looking perfect, not wearing makeup, but you're comfortable in your own skin, it means you're comfortable enough with yourself just to go out, especially on a date.

SPEAKER_03:

And I think, who isn't attracted to comfort? I meant comfort, but to confidence.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, exactly. But it's a tough one. It's a lot of work, you know, work on yourself, right? And just being like, you know, I only get one body in this lifespan, this lifetime. That's all I have, so I either love it or Or, you know, I can't live hating it. But I mean, going

SPEAKER_03:

back to what I was saying, it's just like the... It doesn't, you don't necessarily have to do a lot always to look your best.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_03:

You know what I mean? Because some women can

SPEAKER_01:

overdo it. You know

SPEAKER_03:

what I mean? It's like, yo, like, just go to the movies. Like, why take five hours to do it? You know what I'm saying? Like, that isn't necessarily the case. But, like, if you have that one little black dress that always works and you got a nice pair of, you know what I'm saying, heels or whatever that you might want to wear with it. And, like, you don't have to try to be... and a wingtour every time you walk by the house. Right, right.

SPEAKER_01:

Or they're overly dressed to look overly sexy. Yeah,

SPEAKER_03:

or you can have on jeans and a t-shirt. If you just wear things that fit you well, then that's perfectly fine.

SPEAKER_02:

And that's another thing, probably a hard thing for women to find... pieces of clothes that fit you perfectly. Not a short dress will fit everybody. Or an oversized blazer also doesn't look on everybody. I love the movies of the 90s. I love the clothing from back in the day. Women could just throw a white shirt with a pair of jeans and they would just have this natural flowy hair just like this beautiful school of clothes. She just looks so African. Just wearing a white shirt And nowadays, there's so much excess of

SPEAKER_03:

these things. Yeah, especially, I feel like, yeah, definitely, like, 90s, for sure. Like, I feel like women were just, like, yeah, like, the, like, what word am I looking for? I'm just talking about, like, natural beauty in the

SPEAKER_02:

90s. But I feel like it's good that you mentioned that, because I feel like back in the day, and maybe it was just me, there was so many, like... imperfect faces. I feel like we spoil so much with the faces that look the same.

SPEAKER_04:

And

SPEAKER_02:

you're like, yeah, they have a little crooked teeth, but that's fine. You know, they have a little imperfect skin. That's fine. The hair's not like super perfect, but it's fine. It's real, right?

SPEAKER_03:

And that's what you end up enjoying about people, right? I enjoy the uniqueness of this person, right? Because that's what I'm... I mean, I'm not going to say I'm not attracted to it because, I mean, we're all attracted to things that... Like, there's like a quintessential good-looking person, right? But then the people that I'm really attracted to is like the one that I can spot from a mile away. It's like, oh, because she has this thing about her. She does this type of thing. Like, that's wild. But if she looks like, there's a lot of women out here. Like, I've had women that get upset with me. It's like, oh, you didn't recognize me? I'm like, you look like every other chick, you know what I'm saying, that walked through here. You know what I mean? Like, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes.

SPEAKER_03:

You look like every other Instagram chick on Instagram. I'm sorry about

SPEAKER_02:

that. Trying to chase that perfect picture, which they think men like. But at the end of the day, men apparently don't like that perfect picture. They just want a natural woman who's confident, right? And that's what we need from you guys to encourage and let us know it's fine not to wear makeup. It's okay to, you know, have a little messy hair. You don't have to look perfect all the time. And that will give us confidence. Because I feel like there's so much pressure on women to look perfect that they free themselves to look the way they are. Like, I can't imagine. I remember one time I did put makeup one day and I called my sister. I'm in a grocery store. I have no makeup. She's like, congratulations.

SPEAKER_03:

I'm

SPEAKER_02:

like, thank you. I did it.

SPEAKER_03:

You know what? Even, like, speaking about myself now, the... that's kind of part of my style as well. It's like the balance of like not everything has to be perfect, right? So that's like, even though like my style is very kind of put together, there's still like the reason why I have free form locks and I don't have like these like perfect pristine locks and things like that. Or the Italians have this term called sprezzatura, right?

SPEAKER_00:

The

SPEAKER_03:

what? Sprezzatura. Sprezzatura. Yeah, sprezzatura. I'm not, don't get me trying to spell it without writing it down. But basically what it means is like the art of, I'm trying to figure out how to say it right without making it too hard. It's like the art of looking cool without making it look too hard. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So this is a part of how everyone thinks that, oh, one, the other. Yeah, that's what I'm asking. Yeah, it's like, no, that's the whole spiritual thing. Not even having it tucked behind your tie, just kind of letting it live. It's like you have to be free and live instead of having to be so prim and proper all the time. So that's kind of a part of most of my lifestyle. I was like, I don't want to be perfect. That's

SPEAKER_02:

what comes, again, back to what we're talking about, about the confidence, right? If you're confident, what you wear, even if it's imperfect, is going to look cool because you own it, right? And I think that's what is important for everybody to realize. Just love the way you are, accept yourself, which is a hard thing to do, but that's how you develop the confidence. Well, anyway, I know we're a little bit over time and I could talk to you for another two hours. I have some questions I didn't ask you. You know, and maybe just to wrap it up, would you have or share with our audience an advice for somebody who still didn't find themselves, who are searching themselves? What is the first thing or first step you would recommend them to take to get closer to their goals or their purpose or find that one thing that they want to do for the rest of their lives?

SPEAKER_03:

I think it's something that we've already spoken on, and it's to, one, stay curious and not be afraid to try things in order to get to the goal of where you want to be. Like, I didn't get to where I'm at now by being perfect. You know what I mean? I've worn a lot of stuff that I hated wearing. You know what I mean? But once I put those things on, I realized why they didn't work. And then now I was able to kind of reverse engineer that and figure out, okay, now I know how to make this work. So once being curious and not being afraid to try things and then figuring out why those things work or don't work. Yeah, I feel like that's kind of the best thing.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, on that beautiful, wise note, I would like to end this very curious, exciting conversation with you. Thank you so much for coming on The Basic Show. Stay fly. Stay positive. Bring the light. Share your knowledge. And I wish you good luck in Paris when you're going to Paris, Italy.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, I'm going to Italy. Paris is potential.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, cross fingers for you. Well, thank you so much.

UNKNOWN:

so