Introducing Monty

Monty wears a single 1930s saltwater pearl in their left ear every day, in reference to them being the [boyish] “Girl With The Pearl Earring” from Vermeer’s famous painting [“for the past year, that pearl has been paired with a different cap, usually worn backwards, at least 5 days a week”]. A tornado of energy and excess fabric, the 36-year-old was born and raised in Brooklyn, where they now live with fiancee Samy, a multimedia artist and tattooist from Australia, in the three bedroom open industrial loft - which also serves as a workshop and studio – that we are welcomed into, in an artistic and affluent neighborhood with “too many white people, but an overall air of diversity in culture”.

They lead us through the loft - past vintage skateboards, curated art prints, multicolored basketballs, a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf of art texts, novels, antique cameras and modern Leicas, a tattered vintage Rawlings baseball glove, a pink Kaws statue, toys, and, of course, the entire swatch-deck by Pantone - towards the bedroom where they hurriedly move two matching plaid cigar robes from an antique red leather chair for us to sit down, before settling down across from us on a Scandi pallet bed, with its “overpriced millennial mattress”, in their relatively minimalist bedroom, where we talk through their various passions. Hip hop [“mostly emergent females in the rap game and also various goats of all variations”], dance [“self-taught freestyle hip hop and unclassifiable movements of my arms, feet and full body”], and clothes which they refer to as “sports and genderless textiles” [“I hate the word ‘Streetwear’ and will not use it”].

Time to get to the bottom of their two life mottos: “YHLQMDLG - Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana,  translated as I do what I want”, and an underrated and iconic Naomi Campbell meme which really captures their general energy - “Before you say I’m extra and too much, ask yourself...are you even enough?"

Let’s start with having you explain your style to us, Monty...

I am a living, breathing manifestation of all style possibilities and all possibilities for gender identity as reflected in my choice of brands, fabrics, silhouettes and other materials for accessories and beyond. I happen to only buy “men’s” clothing and all my t-shirts and sweatshirts are between a size M-XXL. None of my clothes technically “fit”. I paint 3 finger nails every couple of weeks (light blue, crimson and baby pink, left hand 3 middle fingers from ring to pointer in that color order) and have almost grown in enough for another clean straight razor eyebrow line fade.

Would your friends describe your style any differently do you think?

I think they would say “f**k, that is so you.” Also adding, she/they really just consistently turn looks of limitless nature and we just, we’re with it. 

Thinking of your friends, what’s your ‘style/fashion role’ in the group?

Honest? Humbly, I feel I both lead and inspire my friends, but am also inspired by one in particular. One of my best friends Dan and I spend hours building piles of anything goes looks for photo and video shoots at his house in Chelsea. For his 30th birthday blowout, I wore a faux tiger plush ankle length robe with a scarf on my head over all black Rick Owens neck to toe. Someone keeps trying to buy one of my favorite shirts: an XXXL 80s motocross Budweiser promotional limited edition 360 screen printed t-shirt with almost ¾ sleeves from years of stretch and a tearing neckline. It meets my knees.

Who inspires you style-wise?

Anyone that says no one is full of sh*t. Whether conscious or not we are all taking inspiration. For me? Consciously: Bad Bunny and Jaden Smith as they, to me, are the two best dressed men in Hollywood and both fellow POCs who do not conform to expectations for how they should identify, who they “should” be or what they “should” wear. I also share their macro-belief systems and attitudes, which is certainly an added halo.

In the public eye, whose style do you admire and are influenced by?

Think I hit that above. Bad Bunny, Jaden Smith, my 3rd would be Tyler, The Creator, hands down- for the same reasons.

If you could ‘steal’ one person [in the public eye’s] closet, whose closet would you steal and why?

Can we combine Tyler, Jaden and Bunny please? For the above reasons, and I would steal any of the three faces and bodies too, though mine’s not so bad if I continue on here with full honesty.

Where are your three favorite stores to shop in for clothing/apparel?

Dover Street Market - both, various locations globally

Other than that I mostly only shop vintage.

What is it about these stores that make them your favorite/preferred place to shop?

100% the curation/buyers = the goods... and me also knowing their almost exact sales cycles to the week. I don’t care about buying “this season”- ever. With vintage you know you can always find something unique and extravagant. Whatever I don’t like I move past. Whatever I may miss entirely wasn’t meant to be anyway.

Does the experience of those stores matter to you too?

Beautiful physical spaces where no one tries to “help” or redirects me to womenswear. Intuitive and human friendly mobile shopping experiences and amazing customer service across the board.

What other stores/spaces are you shopping in and why?

Vintage/flea markets globally, are limitless and lovely.The pieces I find in these places are always paired with existing wardrobe and new items. Also, we buy books, art, objects, cameras, toys and go beyond clothing and accessories almost every time.

Going a little more specific, what are your top five favorite brands?

Rick Owens

Adidas - staple classic, always leveling up, but still only select pieces. Besides the Yeezy thing, I innately cannot help but detach from them hoping and letting myself believe they are in a s**tty long-term contract with Ye where they have to keep doing this s**t.

Ader Error - crush, slay, textures and materials I have never seen put together before, genderless, Seoul-based.

I only wear/own Calvin Klein Men’s Small ¾ boxer briefs and only wear adidas hi-socks in a handful of variations besides one tie-dye pair my homie made under a small capsule called FOUL. I probably have 50 pairs of each.

What are your top priorities when it comes to buying new items of clothing?

That I feel f**cking sexy

That the materials are quality

The silhouette

The way they fit as I see fit

The buying experience 

And why do those things matter to you in the order they do? 

If I don’t feel sexy, I won’t wear it for free.

I can already guess the percentages of low quality materials on the care tag before looking at it- I look at every item’s 'ingredients' before purchase.

If you don’t know how to do a proper drop shoulder on a sweatshirt or select the right t-sleeve length to match the design of a t-shirt, it’s a no at glance, not even worth a try on. If it feels like an extended part of me, not something on me.

How many pairs of shoes, any shoes, do you own?

Estimated, 50.

If you had to split them up into categories and write a percentage next to them [what, math!] what would that look like?

75% sneakers

20% boots

5% other; e.g. moccasins, slides

What type of shoe would we typically find you in, if you there is a ‘typical shoe’ for you?

Sneakers, to name one brand or pair would be impossible.

What are the most important things for you when it comes to buying your favorite kind of shoe?

Silhouette, colorways, materials, fit, uniqueness.

What about your favorite brands for shoes? Who do you always end up going to?

Nike - Collaborations Only

Adidas - Collaborations mostly

11 by Boris Bjorn x Salomon Collaborations

Rick Owens - Sneakers and Boots

Why are these your favorite brands do you think? 

They all have the best of the above “important things” (silhouette, colorways, materials, fit, uniqueness).