Q. Thanks for granting us this interview, BAILEY! You are known around the globe as a trendsetter and an influential figure in the world of business and fashion, what are your sources of inspiration when developing new brands and projects?……

R. Oh! Thank You! I mean come on!….Harper’s Bazaar .. is the most iconic fashion & culture magazine in the history of the world!!. 155 years of Trends and Impeccable Style. This is a huge honor and My great privilege! I can now check this box from my bucket list! ….

I am inspired by many, many things. …I feel like I operate on a different frequency than most . working in ways that most people would consider backwards ….as an example even with building, design and architectural … Most people create a business, and then find a place to put the business to go….and I work differently. I find a space that inspires me, and I create a business to fit that space. And I’m very intentional about making sure that that business isn’t just good for me but it’s also good for all of the surrounding community . If it’s truly the Right Location It should elevate the entire neighborhood.

Q. Your epic and unapologetic vision coupled with your natural understanding of luxury marketing, personal branding and upscale lifestyle have helped you build an Empire. All based on your own unique individual qualities; Could you share some tips with our readers on how they can achieve their most ambitious dreams and goals, like you have?

 

 

R. Well, I’m very far from finished. I have a lot more to do but I’d love to share.
You can’t be a visionary thinking about yesterday. In order to design buildings, furniture, and fashion that will be considered Iconic ..you can’t think in terms of today ….you have to think of what will be.. if you’re thinking about what’s in style and fashionable today …you’re already way too late …you’ve got to create the future!

When it comes to dealing with people not on My Team….well… Sometimes it’s hard for me to talk to people because …. Well…I get so bored …I mean, partly because typically in my mind I’m already five conversations ahead of the one we’re having right now. You’ve probably heard that term … Thinking outside the box. .. Well, I didn’t even know there was a box until my late 20s and by then it was way too late. … my best advice for everyone is to stop trying to be like everyone else and just be the very best version of yourself. Trust me that’s way more interesting- to do that. Imagine that your life is a Hollywood movie about you and you are the STAR! Now take a moment and imagine what the Hollywood version of You would look like… How would they enter a room.?What would they be wearing? How would they speak ?

 

It’s still you, but an elevated version of you. Keep that image in your head. Now, in this movie that… is your life… you’re not just the Star. You’re also the Director! You are in charge! Make the choice every day to be the Hollywood version of you, be that boss, be that superhero!
Stop waiting for life to happen. It’s happening right now!

Q. When it comes to lifestyle essentials, what are those items that you simply can’t live without?

R. We all have that favorite, cozy sweater, or that old hat from years ago that we find comfort in… sometimes it can feel like a warm hug. The power of fashion is incredible. It’s always my goal that when you put something on that I’ve designed, it makes you feel a certain way. It makes you stand up taller and puts a sparkle in your eyes. Give you more confidence. If it doesn’t do that, it’s not for you. I really want everything I do to matter. I want to inspire you. I wanted to lift you up, I wanted to make you feel special. I want to make you dream.

Q. We know you are a naturally gifted fashionista. How would you define your sense of style?

R. Well, I was a kid when I first started designing, and I did it just for myself because I couldn’t find or get access to what I really wanted to wear. So, I started customizing jackets and kind of re-designing and deconstructing in order to create the looks I wanted to wear….. our clothes are a tool and it’s one of the biggest you have in your arsenal for life. Everyone starts the day completely naked and equal. What we choose to put on after that is simply a costume… a choice about how we want to be perceived by the people we come in contact with that day. My personal style is very fluid. Everything from full-on leather studded rockstar, to suited corporate executive and everything in between.
Fashion has energy. One of my life hacks that I’m famous for, is showering and changing multiple times a day. When I need to switch between projects, use a different part of my brain to think in a different direction. It helps me a lot to shower and change. I change the clothes and it changes the energy.

Q. What can you tell us about your conglomerate and the various brands and projects under the BAILEY umbrella such as: B Elevated, Midas Social Club, B Well, House of Bailey and B Seen?

R. I was very intentional when I was developing these business models because I wanted a very diversified portfolio but one that was also interconnected and could be cross-promoted between the brands. And importantly, all need to be things they did very well even during a crisis. What My brand stands for… is incredibly important to me and anybody who sees my logo on any product… I want to have an immediate sense of style and taste and quality.
King MIDAS is a name that people have called me for years and years. If you don’t know the parable, it’s a story about a king and everything he touches turns to gold ‘no pressure.’ That’s why I named the club MIDAS and there’s also a show in pre-production called the Midas touch.
Living up to my own expectations is my biggest challenge!

Q. Name 3 brands you couldn’t live without, and why.

R. Well, there are definitely some brands that I respect and admire because when you say their name, you get an immediate picture in your head of what to expect from them, and that is very powerful. That means they’ve done an incredible job branding themselves in a global market. Versace is one of those brands. When you say the word Versace, you know exactly what you’re going to get.

Q. Looking forward, where do you envision yourself? Do you have any new and exciting projects in the works?

R. I’m really excited about the global entertainment brand that I’m building, MIDAS… social clubs.
The flagship of which will be in Cancun, Mexico, but I’m planning 7 other strategic locations around the world. I love to see people’s reactions when they see the renderings; it’s unlike anything anyone’s ever seen. It’s definitely gonna be a place to see, and be seen! We’re gonna have a lot of fun with new technology and amazing production. I’m very excited about it.

Q. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

R. You can become anything you choose to become if you can dream it, it can happen. I am an amazing example of that… No dream is too big.
I heard an amazing quote recently… “Strong communities are built when men plant trees in the shade of which they know they will never sit.”
Now let that sink in a bit. Focus on being the very best possible version of you (the Hollywood, elevated’ you).
Absolutely my best advice is to be intentional. Be intentional with everything you say, everything you do… make it count. My mom taught me something when I was very very young, and it’s made my life incredibly simple. She said, “Honey, if you always tell the truth, you’ll never have to remember what you said.” They may not always like what you have to say, but at least they’ll know it’s the truth. The difficult things that we go through in life, the hard, tough moments. Those are the things that give you depth of character and turn you into the amazing human that you end up being. If we never went through anything, we would be some boring blob of goo that nobody would want to hang out with anyway…. Learn from everything!