By Larisa May
Photo provided by Hollywood Beard, taken by Yano (@oh.yano on Instagram)
Hollywood Beard, known on social media as Hollywood the Generous, is an expert when it comes to keeping things fluid. From his androgynous alternative style to going with the flow in day-to-day life, fluidity is a defining factor in his practice.
Beard started his fashion journey while he was still in school, finding comfort in upcycling pieces to stand out from the crowd.
“Growing up I was bullied, day in, day out because I was homeless,” Beard said. “I would go to school in clothes that wouldn’t always smell the best, they weren’t always clean, I didn’t have the freshest haircut, I didn’t always have the nicest clothes like the other kids. … I grabbed some change, my mom taught me how to hand sew, and I went to Goodwill and saw things I liked and brought them home. I cut them up and sewed them together, wore them to school and then that was the first time I ever received a compliment ever in my life. Since then it was like a switch for me.”
After school, he focused on runway modeling, but as a Black alternative model at the time, a lot of creators ignored him and selected other models. Instead of letting that drive him away from the fashion world, Beard switched lanes and decided to focus on styling instead.
He took his fashion pursuits to social media, posting content on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, where on the latter he’s gathered over 94,000 followers. While his content primarily focuses on him creating different outfits that fit his style, he can work with anyone’s look.
“If you give me the OK to give you variety, I will definitely do that,” Beard said. “I will make sure you’re in something you’re uncomfortable with, but that way you’re growing. People come to me because they want to get out of their comfort zone … if not, I feel like I’m not doing my job as a stylist.”
One of his most memorable clients was Ski Mask the Slump God, whom he accompanied on his tour with $uicideBoy$. Beard explained that after going on tour with Ski, he came to the conclusion that celebrity styling is one of his ultimate career goals.
Within his style, which he self-defined as “alternative,” Beard isn’t afraid to draw attention to himself and aims to break stereotypes and create a bold look. He didn’t always lean into the style as much as he does now, but he’s proud to say he embraced the alternative look before it was popularized on sites like TikTok.
His style can be described as androgynous, as he often dons pieces that are considered more feminine, such as long skirts.
Beard likes the ambiguity of the look, saying “I like that if I’m walking somewhere, someone asks me, ‘Hey are you a girl?’ No, but thank you!”
His favorite pieces in his collection right now are a fur cut-off vest and a long leather skirt one of his previous partners got for him.
While he loves his connections and the time he’s spent within the growing Phoenix fashion scene, he sees himself moving to a city that’s already established its place in the fashion world. For him, fashion needs to be a part of everyday life.
“I want to go somewhere where the fashion is daily, so my plan is to go to London. I would go to New York, but who wants to pay New York prices? I’m a city boy at heart.”
Although the ultimate goal is to move away, Beard won’t forget his roots in Phoenix.
“I will always, always come back to Phoenix,” he said. “It will always be the heart and soul.”