From the South Bronx to Celebrity Stylist: E-Stylz Staying True to NYC

Eric “E-Stylz” Santiago is a celebrity fashion  stylist who works across film, TV, music, and editorial fashion.   He accepted the invite to be on this podcast although he had no clue what this show was even about.

Currently he is wardrobe supervisor for The Tamron Hall Show on ABC.  He has styled celebrities, performers, models, and television personalities and has worked on red carpets, magazine shoots, and TV productions.  

So, I broke format for this episode.  E-Stylz Shares why he would never move here and what it may take to change his mind.  

Give him a follow on Instagram @OfficialEStylz

https://www.instagram.com/officialestylz?igsh=eHFkbHhuaTB3dnEx

TikTok @EStylz

https://www.tiktok.com/@estylz?_r=1&_t=ZT-94Z2Pwy41pG

Grab his book on Amazon https://a.co/d/04qABeJ8

Transcript

Speaker 2 0:00

Besitos to you. I'm your host, Lizzette Perez. From Apple to Oranges is a podcast about the New Yorkers that now live in Florida. Real stories, real people, real moments happening in both New York and in Florida. And who knows, maybe one day you'll be a guest on the show too. Because one thing I learned over the years is that when I meet another New Yorker, we can't seem to stop talking about it. And this podcast is gonna get down to all the reasons why. Besotps to you, it's Lizzette Perez. Welcome back. But if this happens to be your first time with us, follow and subscribe, download a few episodes so you can catch up. Because we've been having a lot of fun on this podcast so far. A few things about me, really quick. I'm originally from the Bronx, but I am a Florida resident for decades now. It wasn't my choice to move here though. My parents made the switch when I was a teenager in high school. I met my husband Eddie senior year. We have three daughters. One is in college, and our twins, Mia and Maya, they're 16 now. They are miracle babies. They have special needs. And I am a radio personality oon 102 Jamz, Orlando's Home for Throwbacks. Weekdays 10am to 2pm is when you can catch me. Now, my guest today, he was invited on the show, not knowing what this podcast was even about. I didn't tell him he's a childhood friend, so happens to be he was in town visiting, so I had to snatch him up for an episode. Now here's the thing. I'm slightly breaking the format, okay? Because Eric technically doesn't live in Florida. But Florida has pretty much been his second home since the 90s. He's been kind of like a reverse snowbird because since I've moved here, I've seen Eric two to four times a year, maybe some years even more, especially when I go back to New York. He has a lot of family out here still to this day. We've done it all here. We've done the theme parks, the clubs, the beaches, Florida road trips. I mean, I've done more with Eric out here than what I have done with my friends that actually live out here. So I consider him an honorary Floridian. He knows Orlando really well. We've been friends since kindergarten, by the way. Today, my guest is Eric Santiago. Also known as E-Stylez. He's a celebrity stylist. He's currently wardrobe supervisor at ABC's Tamron Hall Show. Also fashion producer and teacher of the Newark School of Fashion and Design. He's an author, a music producer, and so much more. What am I leaving out? You tell him.

Speaker 1 2:17

Oh my god, I'm like an octopus of everything. Costume designer, artist, a little bit of everything.

Speaker 2 2:23

Okay, now we're gonna tap into that more, but I'm gonna ask you first. I don't think I've ever told you my idea for my podcast. I know I have like two or three ideas that I might have told you one of them, but I don't think this one was one. So what do you think it is? I mean, if you had a guess, knowing me.

Speaker 1 2:39

Okay, so knowing you, maybe I'm thinking something more in the likes of people living from like coming from New York or something that has to do with the Bronx. Or let me see, and something that's like musically inclined? I mean, I don't know. I knew that hint would give it away.

Speaker 2 2:58

I knew that hint would give it away. You nailed it pretty much. No way. Yes. Like okay, so follow along. Okay. The name throws people off because at first they're like, What? Well, when I say the name, they don't quite know what it is yet. Right. But the name of the podcast will be From Apple to Oranges. Oh, so I was close. Yeah, you were right, because it's gonna be stories about the New Yorkers that now live in Florida. Wow. Okay. Okay, okay. So you know there's so many New Yorkers out here in Orlando, in Florida, like Florida is the sixth borough. Right, pretty much. Yes. So, and I've been out here years, and the reason why I said you are basically an honorary guest because you don't really fit the criteria, but you kind of do, because you might as well live here. You don't live here, you still live in New York, right? Your family and lives out here. Yes, and you're out here like three, four times a year. Correct. He's here for the holidays, he's spending a lot of special time here. I again, I see him four times a year, ever since I moved here back in the 90s.

Speaker 3:53

So that's so weird how we kind of spoke about that today.

Speaker 2 3:57

Yes, and I was telling Wendy, I was like, yo. So I gotta backtrack, I gotta backtrack. So Wendy, from the last episode, just so happens that was recorded, you know, a couple weeks prior to this one. And with Eric being in town, we made plans to meet up with Wendy in Tampa. She drove up from Fort Myers. We met up at Brunchies, my favorite spot out there. Yes. And we met up to hang out. But the whole drive there, me and Eric was talking on topics that I was planning to bring him on the show for. And it's so funny because he didn't know. Like I had to hold it in all day that I was even hoping to have him record this episode because I didn't know what time we were gonna get back to Orlando. You know what I'm saying? So I was like, oh, the whole time we're talking. I'm like, I hope he's ready for this show by the time we get to the studio to do it, you know? But while we were there, freaking Wendy and Eric was in this whole conversation, I told her, you know, you're doing my podcast episode. This is the podcast episode right here, basically. And she was like, yo, you're right. I'm like, this is everything. I'm like, I hope you leave enough juice in him. Right, right. So when he comes on my podcast today, mind you, he doesn't know why he's coming.

Speaker 1 5:02

I had no idea. It was a total secret. And I'm like, okay, I don't know. You know, I'm I'm down for whatever, especially if it's you know, my one of my best friends. So of course. But I had no clue. And the funny thing is that I was speaking with you about, oh, you know, I would live out here. But what was the reason why I told you why I wouldn't live out here?

Speaker 2 5:22

Because it's dead and there's no opportunity for your work for entertainment. So we gotta talk about that in a few minutes. I wanna know everything you're doing. We gotta tell everybody where they may have seen your work. But tell me first. Do you see the vision? Do you see, like, does it make sense to you? No, totally. I think the podcast is about.

Speaker 1 5:40

I think it's super, super niche, especially for the fact that you have a lot of people that come from New York. So having, I think, that kind of like that opening to get, you know, people to s to talk about, especially their transition to come to Florida and to Orlando. I think that it's gonna be so much fun. And also it's gonna be great for the listeners because they really are gonna be able to get prepared for coming here. And also just mm-the person that was like you and me, one that's staying behind and one that's coming, you know, and not they don't know what to expect. I think it's awesome. I love it. Congratulations, I'm very cute. You know, you definitely caught me by surprise, but I didn't even know that pretty much all day I was already kind of already on.

Speaker 2 6:25

That's what I'm topic. And that's what made me want to do the episode. Like, look at Wendy today. Yeah. You know, all she did was reminisce about us back in the day. You know what I mean?

Speaker 1 6:32

Yeah, and you know, there was one thing that I don't know if you kind of picked up on, but it stuck in my mind. But when we were walking out of Brunchies, which by the way was delicious, one thing that she that she said to us, she was like, I already know when y'all from like we're all from New York because look at our sneaker game. Yeah, and our sneaker game was on point, you know, it was very New York, so I was like, Oh, you know what? That's so true. Cause and then I saw it, now she had me looking at everybody else's sneaker game, and I'm like, oh, they're definitely not.

Speaker 2 7:03

There's a difference, there's a difference, even how we lace our sneakers. Yeah, the whole day I'm like, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, he's talking about what I need him to talk about, like telling the stories. For you, it's gonna be why you didn't move here. Okay, why you didn't move here. So your family came down and didn't no, you did not come down with them, right?

Speaker 1 7:21

No, not at all. Because what happened was when my parents retired in New York City, I had the option of either coming to Florida or staying. And I decided to stay. You know, they were like, hey, you know, I was like 18 years old, and my passion and my dream was in the arts. I went to music and art, and I just felt that that's where I needed to be, which was New York, where I get all these, you know, where you have this a land, a city of opportunity, right? So basically, my parents were like, Well, pay your rent for one year, after that, you're on your own. So that was nice. That was nice, right? Oh gosh. So, but you know, there was a countdown on that, you know, and I knew that I had to kind of just like shape up or ship out. So basically, I did my thing, you know. I had to make sure that I was able to like hold it down and stay in New York. But they ran over here. And I call it Borlando, no shade.

Speaker 2 8:14

Borlando, oh my gosh, yo, but for real, when I moved here, I was very bored. So yes, I I never heard that before. But thank God it got so much better. You know, you always came back to visit, all your cousins are here, and I'm thinking one of these years, Eric is gonna move down.

Speaker 1 8:30

And I'm like, don't push it. This is looking at and it's again, we brought you we spoke about this today. This is so crazy because I was like, you know what, Liza? Like, I would really move out here if you had the entertainment industry here. But there isn't any. Well, for what I do, you know, there is nothing fashion related at all. And what did I tell you? If I was to move out here, it wouldn't actually even be in Orlando. I would have to move to like Miami or West Palm Beach, Fort Lorida, you know, that kind of thing. Just because it still gives me sort of a little bit of a New York vibe a little. I call Miami tropical New York. Yeah, it's like a tropical New York, but I also know that the closest that you're gonna get to here in Florida would be like a modeling agency. And that's sad, you know. You you have models in Miami or whatever the case may be, but when it comes to production, like you know, Housewives of Miami or you know, things like that, you know, those are like productions that are happening in this particular city. But when it comes to anything outside of that, the only way I told you I would be here is if when I'm filming and we're filming in Orlando, we're filming in Miami. That's the only time I'm here to to work work-wise, you know. I don't see that avenue opening. Maybe one day it would. Maybe I might eat my words one day, and there's like a big production house besides Disney. I love Disney, don't get me wrong, I work for Disney now. But yeah, you know, that that's just kind of weird how we were talking about that today. Yeah, so you must have been like, oh my gosh.

Speaker 2 9:58

I was, I was listening to the whole time, especially when we're on the bench. When we were sitting on the bench, I was like, I'm gonna hear this story all over again later. So you have been to Orlando at this point, like hundreds of times. Yeah, I might as well have dual residency at this point. Yes. I mean, that's why you're an honorary guest today. I feel like you've been here enough, you know, you've been up and down 50. Some like grandfather then, you know. Yeah, you've been to all the theme parks. We've been to the theme parks together, you know, and we've done a lot throughout the years here in Orlando together. Like anytime you came in town, I was happy because I was miserable and bored, and and you got to witness some of that. I remember when I'm uh when remember, oh my gosh, one of the first memories of you visiting us, you stood at my parents' house. Yes. And we went to Church Street at that time, where back in the day in the 90s, it was like Church Street Exchange and it was popping. When the arcade was there and the little restaurants. This is before downtown Orlando. Yes, before downtown Orlando became nothing but bars and restaurants, it was a little more family welcoming. Yes. You know, you can go at night with your kids and walk around Orange Avenue and Church Street and just hang out. Now it's nothing but bars and restaurants, and it's really, it's really changed. Now it's really changed. So I can't not walk around with your family.

Speaker 1 11:18

No, no, no. Not only that, but I actually was walking around uh was there with my nephew, shout out to Michael and my niece Destiny and my sister Michael, and I was like, this is not the same place. I was literally shocked of all the places that were closed, yeah, and also just kind of like, you know, for rent. And I'm like, wow, so you lost this luster. Like I I was really sad about it, especially, you know, mommy, rest in peace. She lived downtown. Yeah. So that was down the block from us. Right. So I would just take a stroll, you know, and I'm like clutching my pearls. Literally. Like, what's going on?

Speaker 2 11:54

Well, it's happening everywhere, though. I want to say in episode three of the podcast, the episode with DJ Kulmaiksky, we talked about that. That that was going down in New York, everything was shutting down, how forum's not the same. I mean, it's happening everywhere, especially since COVID. I mean, times might just be catching up to what we went through there. But downtown Orlando has been changing. Like on Halloween in 2024, there was a guy in the crowd in the streets during, you know, party time. You know how uh Orange Avenue gets, right? Because you've been. And there was a guy that just pulled out a gun and he pointed it to the crowd behind him and just randomly started shooting. He wasn't even looking. You know, he just pulled it out and started shooting. And ever since then, there was a lot of talks about businesses suffering in downtown Orlando. So that could be a reason. Wow. At one point there was a curfew they tried putting in place, this and that and the other. And yeah, so downtown Orlando has gotten a little wild from like that one time we went. Which was beautiful. It was so much. And of course, what did we lose? The camera. And we didn't have, you know, this was before the cell phones and all the pictures on your phone. Yeah, we had a camera, like one with batteries and film. And we took all these beautiful pictures at my grandmother's pool that day. Yeah. Just, you know, just wild and just jumping in the pool and snapping pictures, you know, pictures that you had to develop. We didn't even see them. Okay. We didn't even see them.

Speaker 1 13:17

Never got a chance to see the pictures. You know how upsetting that was because we really took our time posing. We were really going in.

Speaker 2 13:27

Yes. And then we had pictures downtown and just trying to get the buildings in the background. For me, it was like I felt New York in the air. Just being downtown Orlando with some buildings was like, ooh, we're in a city vibe, you know? Yeah. And then my boo is here from New York. So it's like, oh, when you came to town, oh my gosh, I was so happy all the time. And it's so beautiful because I remember when we were in seventh or eighth grade.

Speaker 3 13:50

Yeah.

Speaker 2 13:51

And you had already had, like, your family already had property down here. Yeah, my grandparents and we were. And that was before I found out. You're like, don't worry, I'm never gonna move there. Right. And that's before your family even moved here. Because I was like, what? You're gonna move to Florida? And you're like, no, honey, I'm not moving nowhere. And the funny thing is, like, that was before I found out that my family decided to move to Florida. And when they found out, I knew for like a year and a half when we were still in New York, and I'm or two years, and I'm like, no. And you're like, don't worry. I'm we we got family in Florida. I'm gonna be down there all the time. I'm gonna see you like three, four times a year. Yeah, yeah. And your word was bond. I could. You did. Yes. Like all these years, like decades. You come down two, three, four times a year. One year was like five times. It's like, oh my gosh. Yeah. So I love that you have been in my life all these years, which is why you are an honorary guest today on my podcast. Because you earned it. You are an honorary Floridian, like it or not.

Speaker 1 14:52

I have to say I'm so, so proud of you because I came to 102 Jams when she first started, and that was over 10 years ago. Oh, that was how many years.

Speaker 2 15:05

It was in the 90s.

Speaker 1 15:06

Oh my god.

Speaker 2 15:07

In the 1900s. Oh my goodness. That was when I first started. So that was when I first started my career. Yes. In the 90s, and I happened to be here at 102 Jams.

Speaker 1 15:19

And it's like a full circle.

Speaker 2 15:21

Because for those who don't know, One or Two Jams went away. It went away for two years. It was gone. If the format flipped and it flipped back. Which I'm grateful they chose the throwback format to be called One or Two Jams. Orlando's home for throwback. So yeah, I worked here. I worked here back then. I remember you visiting.

Speaker 1 15:36

I came to visit, I came to chill in the station, and I met DJ Nasty. Shout out to DJ Nasty too. That's on here. Yes, DJ Nasty's back on one or two jams too. And you're both Grammy winners. Look at that, right? And just a thing from when we like first met, that wasn't even something that was thought of, you know, or like, oh, we're gonna win a Grammy. That's just nothing that, you know, that was never something that was even thought of. So to kind of like full circle, God bless, that we're all still here to be able to have this conversation again, you know? And and and it's just like wow, you know, and it's also like never give up. Never give up on your dreams, never give up on what you really want to do in life. Never let anyone tell you no. There's no such thing as no. That doesn't even exist in my vocabulary. There's no no in my vocabulary. No, it just means not now. No means not now, and maybe no means not this door, but the other door might open for you.

Speaker 2 16:30

So I want to share a story, be that you're a fashion stylist. It's so funny because I remember in third grade, my parents hadn't pierced my ears yet. Okay. And I remember you pushing my hair back and going, Lizette, you're so pretty. Tell your mom to pierce your ears. You would look beautiful with some earring. Like you were styling me in third grade. And not only that, I remember in seventh grade, you know, the girls started exploring with a little bit of makeup. You know, my parents wasn't down for that yet, but I remember you telling me, like in seventh grade, Lizette, see if your mother lets you put on some lip gloss. It doesn't have to be like full-blown color, but just something to make you pop a little bit. You were telling me that back then. Are you serious? I swear, I swear. Oh my goodness. Some of my first memories with you, and it's so funny. So you definitely I know the things that I've heard back from people. I'm like, oh my god, I really said all those things. You did. Wow. So you're definitely in the right lane. Let's take a few minutes to talk about that. Because you are a celebrity stylist.

Speaker 1 17:28

You won that Grammy from U State. Winning uh for yeah, so what I did was I won the Grammy with Burning Spear for a reggae album of the year. It's called Jaya's Real. So if you pick up the album, you open it up, and then you see the inserts, you'll see my name, and I kind of did everything from the cover to the clothing to the whole design behind it. So we all won a Grammy, and we were all excited because I went into that project of just doing something I love. So just to get nominated, we were like, no way, you know, okay, great, you know, and then we won for Reggae Album of the Year. So that was like, wow, you know, like, and I was just like, wow, like this is really happening. So that really, really like catapulted my career. And like now I'm on the Tamon Hall show. Shout out to Tamon Hall. I'm the wardrobe supervisor, and then I also work for the Newark Fashion School of Design and teaching some courses there as well. Shout out to Newark Fashion School of Design. I'm happy to be with all of these amazing people that I get a chance to work with. And I mean, I've styled almost everybody from A to Z. Pick up my book. It's called Confessions of a Celebrity Stylist, and I literally have uh chapters from A to Z because I literally had a client from every letter of the alphabet. Who was X? Well, it was Xerox. Oh, so I did the Xerox ads. Okay, yeah, so Xerox, I did their ads. So yeah, like I I have like What was Z? These are weird letters. No, so Z was for Zenith, and we did the commercials for Zenith. Okay, yeah, and then yeah, all the letters, like it just keeps going and going for and I'm like, because I was trying to put the book together, like, how am I gonna like kind of like put all the stories of my career, you know? Um, I've been in this career now for 20 years, you know. So I'm like, how am I gonna narrow all this down? And I'm like, wait, the alphabets because that's let me see who I worked with. Let's know how it works, yeah. Not only that, but in my resume, it's already alphabetical order.

Speaker 2 19:34

Ah, okay. So you already know.

Speaker 1 19:36

So me writing the book was me going through every person on my resume from A to Z to be able to kind of figure it out. Because how am I gonna write a book with all these clients that I've had and make it make sense? Yeah. So I made it into a fashion glossary, a fashionosary.

Speaker 2 19:52

Oh, that's so cool. And again, it's uh confessions of a celebrity stylist, and it's available on Amazon.

Speaker 1 19:57

It's available on Amazon, and it's it was bestseller, so make sure you guys pick it up.

Speaker 2 20:02

I don't have it here because I'm still reading it, but I'm gonna have it here in the studio. Okay. I wanted to. And you know you got your chapter. Yes, yeah. Yes, you know what though, you said Wendy Carrero, but you didn't put my last name. You could you could have mentioned any Lizette. Let me tell you. You didn't even do my maiden name. Really? Really? I gotta look at it again. You sure? I'm sure. So if you're reading the book, go get the book just so you can see where my name was not mentioned fully. I don't know.

Speaker 1 20:28

I gotta you gotta maybe finish reading it.

Speaker 2 20:31

No, I I skimmed through. I went I went to find my name because I remember you.

Speaker 1 20:35

Like she skimmed through the album.

Speaker 2 20:36

I just but I'm Oh yeah, we gotta talk about that because that's like definitely 2025, 2026 material, futuristic. But um, yeah, for so for the book, baby, yeah.

Speaker 1 20:48

You didn't I don't know, I don't believe that. If you didn't say my name, I don't know for some reason.

Speaker 2 20:52

Say my name, say my name. You didn't do it, you didn't do it.

Speaker 1 20:55

It's okay, it's okay. Yeah, okay, but I I'm gonna re- I'm gonna look at that again.

Speaker 2 21:00

But I love you, and you know what? We're gonna move on because you still got a lot to share. Tell us about the time you were on Love and Hip Hop.

Speaker 1 21:07

Okay, so Love and Hip Hop was with Cardi B and Bianca Bonnie and shout out to them. But I was working on Love and Hip Hop season seven, that was like the main season that you know that was popping off. And that was fun. I had a great time with them, they were amazing. I wished them the best on everything, obviously things, you know. But we always also kind of like we grew out of these kind of things, you know. And now that the show has developed a little more, you know, it's kind of more exciting. But at that time, you know, it was just ratchet, you know, it was ratchet TV. How many seasons you worked on? Was it just one through seven?

Speaker 2 21:42

One through seven, and I know I seen you on TV. Yeah, it was twice.

Speaker 1 21:45

I was that episode, but I know I was on it a few times, but I know I was with I forgot her name a few times. I wasn't on the show, and people were like, Oh, I just saw you on Love and Hip Hop and stuff, you know. But that was cool, but I also knew. That kind of like what everyone has gone through with that, I think like Cardi B has been really the only one out of that franchise to really blow, you know, because for us it was more like okay, now we have to start straying away from it because it was starting to give us a negative, you know, backlash. So I didn't want to be associated with something that always was like negative and fighting, and not only that, but the clothes that I was putting on them was getting ripped off. No one wants to get ripped off clothes, you know, and bring it back to the showroom and they're like, oh, you know, they had a fight yesterday, so here's your clothes. Like, no. So it was affecting me, like what also like when I was doing mob wives, you know, when I was doing mob wives, you know, you get these clothes for these celebrities to wear, but and then these brands don't want to share their clothes because they might come back damaged, you know. So, and it's because of the the the concept of the show, it's not for everything. So I had, I mean, it was I mean, I was dealing with mob wives, which was fantastic, but and then everyone was sort of kind of scared because they're like, oh, he's with the mob, you know? Yeah, I am with the mob, but I'm not with the mob, you know. But I understood like everyone was like, you know, like it was just like different.

Speaker 2 23:11

Were you were you assigned like one specific chick on each show or something?

Speaker 1 23:15

Karen Gravano. Karen Gravano. I remember you saying Karen, okay. Yeah, Karen Gravano. Shout out to her. I love her, she was the best, and you know, that's Sammy the Bull's daughter, Karen. And yeah, I changed her look. I made her look amazing for Mob Wives, and you know, rest in peace to Big Ange, you know what I mean? And the cast was amazing. I loved working on Mob Wives, but again, that kind of gave a little small stigma of like, oh my god, he's with the mob. And you know, I walk into rooms and they're like, oh my god, you know. So so you have to kind of learn to kind of navigate your way on how to advance in your career and not get stuck in that that runt of like, okay, this is only what he's about. So you gotta always kind of keep growing.

Speaker 2 24:05

Right. Who else have you worked? Well, all the shows. Let me let's start with the shows. What are any other shows you worked on that we would know about?

Speaker 1 24:11

Well, I did one of uh uh, you know, one of the biggest uh movies, The Best Man.

Speaker 2 24:18

Okay.

Speaker 1 24:19

Oh, yeah, you did that show, yes. Yeah, I did The Best Man.

Speaker 2 24:22

That was on Netflix, right?

Speaker 1 24:24

Yeah. And then um, I mean I've done two.

Speaker 2 24:26

That was just like last year or the year before. It was two years now. Two years.

Speaker 1 24:29

Two years ago you were filming and I went to Dominican Republic to work, and then I did the Bull, I did Dierra from Detroit, I did three-part body problem that's on Netflix now. I've done so much. Like I can't sometimes it's so hard for me to kind of to remember because I'm not one of those people that just stay behind and just remember it from the time it happened. I keep it pushing. I'm like, okay, I did the job, now it's time to move on and go for the next job. So yeah, sometimes I have to literally like look it back on my resume. Yeah because I'm like, oh my god, I don't remember, but I did this and I did this and I did this and I did this, and I'm like, oh wow, you know, but not to sound kind of like crazy or whatever, but I'm never kind of satisfied. I always want more, you know, like I feel like I have more to give. So I I never kind of harbor just with that one job. Yeah, I always want the next big thing. And now, you know, I'm on daytime television, you know, with Tamaron Hall. And I'm also working in the Board of Education, you know, with the Newark Fashion School of Design. So those are two different things, you know, but they're both, you know, rewarding. And and I just have so many other things that are coming up, and I'm just going with the flow, you know. And then, you know, I'm producing now, you know, so you know, producing some music and I have my artist, and you know, so I'm just doing my thing, just keeping myself going. So are you gonna tell the big thing about your artist? Well, well, what they could do is they could first what I'm gonna do is I'm I'm not gonna tell them all. We'll save that for the next show. Okay, but they can definitely yeah, for sure, right? Let them pick up the album. It's called Red Jacket Sessions. His name is Gennaro. You'll find him on TikTok, you'll find him on Instagram. That's J-A-Hyphen-N-E-R-R-O. His album is off the chain. I produced it, I wrote it, and it's already got like 2,000 streams, so it's getting there. People are hearing it. But yeah, I I I'm tapping into what I went to school for, which is music. So I everyone gets it confused. They're like, did you go to school for fashion? No, I did not go to school for fashion. I went to school for music. I went to music and art. I went to LaGuardia, shout out to LaGuardia High School, music and art, performing arts. But I went to school for music. So fashion, I bumped into it. Because you know I was in corporate.

Speaker 2 26:49

I remember you did Neo's music video.

Speaker 1 26:51

What song was that? When you're mad. I'm in the video too. Remember, I'm in the I don't remember. So I'm in the video with Neo, When You're Mad, and then when the song starts, we were filming on the rooftop in Miami at the Delano. Shout out to Delano, I need a room, okay? And I'm giving him a pound, and I have my Kango hat because the the model that was supposed to be there for that part was late. They could not keep waiting. So he was like, Can you just get in the video for me? And I'm like, Of course, I'll get in the video for you. So yeah, so I winded up doing When You're Mad for Neo, one of my mus oh, tons of music videos I've worked on.

Speaker 2 27:30

Who was your favorite artist or you know, actor or performer that you worked with? Like who was your favorite or the easiest, however you want to describe them?

Speaker 1 27:39

I would always say Vanessa Williams. She changed my life. That was my L. Vanessa Miss America L. Williams. Okay. Yes. Because she gave me a chance. She saw a talent in me that I didn't recognize. She extended herself to me to be able to give me that opportunity. And if you watch My Brother, the movie's called My Brother. It's with Tatum O'Neill, Fredro Starr. Onyx. Yes, from Onyx. And Nishon Kears from Desperate Housewives. Um, and at that time that was the stuff happening, you know. And I started reverse in this business. I started out in motion picture. So my first job ever was working in movies. So it was different for me. I kind of I'm one of those people that got into this business sort of again by mistake and reversed in how you work. Because starting out in motion picture, everything else became kind of easy. And not only that, but my first credit was a major motion picture with Vanessa Williams and all of these people. And I was the wardrobe supervisor of the show. So of the movie. So and working with Anthony Glover. So it was like, Did this just happen? Is this really happening? I started reverse in the in this business, and then everything else kind of fell into place, you know. So imagine me doing then a music video after that. It was so easy because I'm working 40, 50 hours a week, you know, and and and working all these hours a day. So anything after that, I was like, I could do that. I could do that, I could do that. So it was just easy. It broke me into the business like no quicker than you can. Yeah, I mean, you know what I mean? Like it just doesn't really happen. So I'm one of those rare, rare cases of me starting, you know, starting in movies. You know, like I would have never thought. I was in corporate. Right. I I went and started doing this job just to take a chance because my friend needed help. Shout out to Roger Mackenzie. He changed my life. He was the one that knocked on my door and was like, hey, I need help. My assistant's sick. And he's like, I know you're on vacation. Can you come help me out, please? And I was like, okay. And then he threw the script of the movie at me. And he's like, just circle the parts that are fashion that need, you know, changing wardrobe clothes. And I'm like, oh, okay. So I'm going through the script, but it didn't say who was in it. It just had, you know, obviously their character names. So then he came back. He's like, Come on, let's go. We're going on set. And I'm like, he's like, yeah, I'm doing a movie. And I'm like, oh, you are. He's like, yeah, and you're on vacation for two weeks. I'm like, yeah, okay, good. He's like, come with me. So I went. And then I saw Vanessa Williams like literally walk by. You're like, wait, and I'm like, no, I was like this. I was like, make new things. And I was like, no way. And then I saw Tatum O'Neill, and if no one knows who's Tatum O'Neill, she is the youngest Oscar winner at seven years old. She was married to John McEnroe, the tennis player. And her father, Ryan O'Neill, huge star. And then working with, you know, Onyx Fragile Star. So it was just like unbelievable. And then of course, I kept it together. I wasn't a groupie. I wasn't starstruck because I didn't want to make him look bad, you know? And I I got sent to Vanessa Williams' trailer. She was supposed to be out for lunch. I went into the trailer and she was there. So I got startled because I wasn't supposed to be there with her. And I'm like, oh my God, I'm so sorry. You know, she's like, no, it's okay. The clothes are in the back. Go to the back. And I was like, okay. So I went right to the back. I started putting the clothes together, you know, looking at the script. And then I literally was out the door. And she's like, Where are you going? I'll never forget these words. Where are you going? She said it just like that. And she's a Pisces like me. Shout out to Pisces. She's the day after me, Mark Start. So I'm like, Miss Williams, I'm going back to the wardrobe trailer. She's like, wait right there. Like that. Wait right there. So she went in the back. She came back. She's like, okay, thanks. So then when I went back to the wardrobe trailer, they were like, hey, you know, I was like, oh my God, Vanessa Williams was at the trailer. And they were like, what? I was like, yeah. They were like, what did she say? I was like, look, I didn't say anything to her. I just I didn't really talk to her. I was just like, yeah, yeah, no, cool. So we're on lunch, right? Then right before lunch was up, the director, which is Anthony Glover, shout out to him too. He was like, Can you uh he was like, Can we have Eric and Roger come to the director's trailer? And I'm like, he was like, What did you do? I'm like, I didn't do anything. I swear, I didn't do anything. And he's like, Well, the director never really calls anyone back to the trailer to talk about anything. So I was like, listen, I'm not here to mess up your job. I'm just here to help. I'm going home, I'm packing myself, you know. Like, I don't need this crap, you know? And he's like, All right, let's go. So we go, I sit down, he goes, have a seat. And just meeting the director, Anthony Glover, in person, because that was the first time I got to meet him in person, was like, wow, because I saw him like behind the camera and all that kind of stuff, but not like in person person, sitting down with him. And he's like, have a sea, have a seat. So you're Eric, right? Because obviously I'm the new one there. Remember, I'm just showing up.

Speaker 2 32:26

But yeah, he goes, You wasn't E Styles yet.

Speaker 1 32:28

No, I wasn't ESTY's yet, right? And then he was like, Whatever the star wants, the star gets. And I'm like, oh I'm still not getting it. I'm still like, okay. And he was like, So Vanessa Williams said that she wants you to style her for the remainder of the movie because she doesn't want to waste time here. And you did her clothes in five minutes, and I'm like, wow, I did it that fast. I didn't realize that I my mind triggered fashion, triggered, I know how to set it up, you know? So I'm like, what does that mean? So we would love for you to work with us for the remainder of the movie. And I'm like, in my head, like, how am I gonna do this when I have a job? I have a corporate job, I have a regular job, like I'm on vacation. So I had to take a chance, right? I had to not only take a chance, right? But remember, my parents are here. Yeah, they're in Florida. I only have one year, remember, to get myself together, right? So if I leave my corporate job, how am I gonna pay my rent once this job is over, right? Because people keep forgetting, like, yeah, the movies only go on for three months. What happens after three months? What are you gonna do for money? Like, no one's thinking about that. And you was not trying to move to Florida. And I was definitely not trying to move to Florida. Especially after experiencing that. No, but I also had to take a chance with speaking with my family, speaking with my parents, speaking to just people that support me. And you know, some of them were like, You're crazy, don't do it, you know, stay with your corporate job, you're making money. And then I had the, you know, leave the job, take a chance. Do you love it? Is this something that you wanna do? Is it something that you see yourself doing? Is it something that you want to grow doing? Eventually, my vacation was almost over. So now it's like, oh my god, I only have like a week left before I gotta go back to work, right? So I had to make a decision, and I'll never forget my mom was like, follow your dreams, follow your heart, and no matter what, I will always support you. She has always supported. And she's always supported me. I took that chance, and here I am today. From little like me, you was always a dreamer.

Speaker 2 34:35

I remember you, I remember you were training for the winter Olympics. It's so funny that it's on now.

Speaker 1 34:39

A lot of people don't know that I was a champion figure skater. I was ice skating since the age of five, and so I had that structure of, you know, commitment and discipline. And, you know, I was going to school. Remember, I was being taken out of school because you were bomb.com little. Yeah. So I was being taken out of class just because I had training. So I had a special kind of pass in school because I was a United States figure skating champion and also just training for the Olympics. So there's a lot of things that people don't really know about me still. But you'll hear about it in the book, I guess, right? Who did you hate working with? My god. I don't have a problem. Drop pins. Don't say you allegedly have problems. Okay, so you know what he's working with. All I'm gonna say that people, if they know, they know. I don't know her.

Speaker 2 35:32

Okay.

Speaker 1 35:32

Yeah. Okay. I know who you're talking about. Right. I know who you're talking about. So if you know what I'm talking about, then you know what I'm talking about. But it was one of the most difficult artists, so I'm giving more hints.

Speaker 2 35:45

Well, I could see that, yeah.

Speaker 1 35:46

One of the most difficult artists to work with, and also for the fact that we overworked, and she did it on purpose, and that's because she could, because she could, right? And I've never worked with any other artist that kind of did that out of spike. She's done that so many times, even on American Idol. Throwing more hints out there, you know. So just being difficult for no reason, but I'm not gonna lie, I did get something good out of that, and what I got back good out of that was that I worked extra, extra hard, right? So when I worked extra, extra hard for this artist, every other artist wasn't as hard. So it made it again a little easier. You know what I mean? Yes, it's like you got that extreme. It was boot camp, it was boot camp 160, 360, 560, whatever you want to call it, you know? So just having that extreme boot camp with this artist, everything became sort of easy. But sh I could have put all of her her okay there you weren't right, clothes in my book bag, then having two SUVs following us. Wow. Literally two SUVs following us full of clothes, to then just pick the smallest thing that I could have just put in my book bag. Yeah. Literally.

Speaker 2 37:03

So for clarity and another hint, was it the person who said I don't know her or was it the person she didn't know?

Speaker 1 37:09

The person that said I don't know her.

Speaker 2 37:12

Okay.

Speaker 1 37:13

Yeah. Wow. But it's funny because the one that's the other person that's It's the same. It's just it's the same thing that I've been hearing. And I and the funny thing is her being, you know, I'm gonna give it a hint. Her being, you know, from the Bronx and her being Puerto Rican. And her, you know, I never had a chance to work with her enough for nothing. I'm happy that I haven't. I hate to say it because of the things I've already heard for a while. You know, it's not something that just kind of just happened. I've heard it for quite some time. So I don't really allegedly, allegedly.

Speaker 2 37:44

It's just a rumor.

Speaker 1 37:45

It's a rumor, you know, but yeah.

Speaker 2 37:48

For the sake of the audience, and for the sake of this episode, you've given Florida a lot of hate.

Speaker 1 37:54

What do you hate about New York? It's just overly crowded, and one of the worst parts that I hate is no freaking parking.

Speaker 2 38:04

Now that you got a car. Now that I have a car.

Speaker 1 38:07

You know, it's annoying. It's so annoying to fight for parking. Literally, fight like, like, I as soon as I turn on the lights to my car, there's a car literally right next to me that I'm already I'm already used to kind of like this. Like, I see them by the peripher peripheral vision of my underside when they pull up. And I'm like, I'm even looking. Cause I didn't even put my seatbelt on, and I don't even want to conversate with you right now. Yeah, like let me put my seatbelt on. Like, bro, relax. Yeah, yeah. So it's like that. Oh my gosh. I loved having you here. What's your handle on IG? Instagram is official eStyles because I got hacked, so I had to start over. Yeah, but you know, now I am two times authenticated, so try me now. My TikTok is eStyles, right? And then my Facebook, just Eric EStyles, Santiago on Facebook. And yeah, just find me, Google me, you'll find me, and you know, let's talk. Let's chop it up.

Speaker 2 39:03

This episode is brought to you by BX Journeys. Visit their website at bxjourneys.com to book your next cruise out of New York City or Florida. Visit BX Journeys on YouTube to catch their reviews and to check out their next adventures. You can email them at bxjourneys at gmail.com. Now, my next guest is CEO of Spinmasters DJs. He's a military vet, a father of five. He knew DMX very well and even locked them up once in the 90s. He's gonna tell us about that on the next episode of From Apple to Oranges. And he's the last guest to be on the podcast without knowing why he was even invited. He is from the Bronx. His name is DJ Kasper, and I can't wait for you to check out the episode. Make sure you subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss out. I'm Lizette Perez, bestitos to you until the next one.