Netflix's newest reality series Styling Hollywood features our new favorite power couple, celebrity stylist Jason Bolden and interior designer Adair Curtis!
Premiering today, the show revolves around Jason and Adair working with some of our favorite celebrities like Taraji P. Hensen and Dulé Hill on everything from last-minute dresses for the Emmy's to jaw-dropping remodels of their Los Angeles homes.
PRIDE had a quick chat with the couple about their heartwarming new series, the power of Black love, the importance of POC behind the scenes in the entertainment industry, and a funny moment shared with Bring It On icon Gabrielle Union, who makes an appearance on the show.
PRIDE: Black gay stylists have long been a part of the entertainment industry. Why do you think we're just now getting a series like this and actually seeing them?
Jason Bolden: I think it's just like everything else, there's always been this block on not really wanting to expose people of color and their greatness. I just think it's time and you can't deny it, the power and the force of what culture is now with social media. You have no choice but to move with the times or you die. I think that people have no choice but to indulge, putting it in front of people. It's just time, and it's been time for a while now, but there's no time like the present.
Adair Curtis: Jason is a stylist and me, I'm an interior designer. I think the same can apply. We haven't gotten much love in the media and I think just with the times, things are changing and we're now getting recognition and exposure. And I think a platform like Netflix is one of the best platforms to be exposed on because it's worldwide.
I'm not really a reality TV girl, but I loved the show! Y'all are also hysterical to watch as a couple. You mention a few times the power of Black love. What does Black love mean to you?
Jason: When Adair and I actually say it, it's to help the planet completely indulge and take it in. What we see planted and forced in front of us all the time with people who actually don't look like us. We come from that, that's what we know. You don't get enough of actually seeing it. For us, it's just very important to show people what [Black love] looks like. Its triumph, its joy, its resilience, and it's us. We really, really, really want to expose that and amplify that on this Netflix platform because we live it, we see it. And the people around us live it and see it too. So it's a great opportunity to expose that to the planet.
Because there are so few representations, Black people are often times burdened to represent the whole race. Do you feel any pressure?
Adair: No, I wouldn't say that there's any pressure, and I'm speaking for both of us. More of a responsibility than pressure. It's our responsibility to show how we live and we're really in love. That doesn't mean we're not in a relationship that doesn't have issues because sometimes you go through things. I think that's an important part of the journey too. We're showing our true selves and all of our brilliance and times that aren't so great, and I think that's also necessary to see.
What do you think about the recent controversy of Black actors and celebrities going to sets and not having hairstylists who knew how to handle their hair. How do we solve it?
Jason: Just in totality, when it comes to clothing, you're dressing humans. So when anybody comes to Jason as he only knows how to dress Black women, first of all, you're part of the problem and you sound crazy because I'm dressing humans, I'm dressing women. I can dress anyone.
When it comes to when you go on these sets and things like that, this is not something that is new. This is how it's been since the beginning and it goes back to deciding to include people and be inclusive fully. I have friends who are hairstylists and makeup artists who happen to be Brown, they go into it knowing that in order for you to get a job, you have to know how to do other hair.
For a very long time for a lot of people who don't look like us, there's not always a guarantee that the job had to know how to do that because that was of no importance to them. It sucks and its really awful that women of color and men of color have to walk into a space that they deserve to be in and in those moments feel so uncomfortable and not being happy in those situations when those situations should be a great time.
You know, it's time. And the power of Brown celebrities right now, they're bringing the people with him. They're bringing the company of their people with them. For example, Ava DuVernay, no matter what is, if I can't do it, Ava doesn't want to do it. And I learned a lot of that stuff from my white counterparts. It's like "Oh you get to do everything" and then as soon as something comes to me it's like, "Oh no, we're going to actually use someone else." It's really really bizarre, but it has changed and again like I said before, you either roll with what's happening or get rolled on. No one's terrified about saying no and no thank you anymore and that's a major bonus with what's happening right now in the culture.
Do either of y'all have any funny stories with any celeb clients you can share?
Jason: Um...I have a lot of funny stories and I can't even remember one of them.
Adair: [laughs]
Jason: I can't think of any, they're just happening all the time.
Gabrielle Union in episode one wanting to leave the bougie furniture store and asking to go to Target, I thought was hilarious.
Adair: Haha, that's really who she is though!
Jason: That's literally just who she is.
Adair: She's like, "Do we have to go over here? Do we have to do this? Do we have to do that?" She understands the quality and allows us to be fully immersed in design and creative but at the same time, she's like if we don't have to spend $200,000 lets not. That's where the term EconoLux (Economy Luxury) came from.
Jason: Hashtag EconoLux.
Hashtag what? Can you repeat that?
Adair: Like economy, but lux.
Catch Adair and Jason on Styling Hollywood, out now on Netflix.
