Both adored and abhorred for his delightfully shameless self-affirmation, scathingly acerbic criticism, and long-running love affair with all things luxe and expensive, Bryan is a stunning picture of excess. Draped in rabbit furs, clutching a denim LV bag, and wearing his by-now iconic Chanel hood-ornament of a pendant, Bryan makes it a point to document his activities in picture and prose, whether they be his frequent McDonald’s binges, trips to the drugstore for his daily dose of Xanax or, his favorite pastime of all, shopping.
Yes, shopping. Specifically, in the hallowed halls of a certain sector of the Ayala Malls shunned by mere mortals equipped with horrendously low credit limits: Greenbelt 4. Bryan’s cheerful acceptance of excess is precisely the reason for the double-edged effect he has on his readers. A recent post highlighted what might be considered an appropriate tagline for his blog: "Don’t hate me because my bag is your annual income." YStyle tracked down the Queen of Tactful Tack and barraged him with a series of quite possible intrusive questions. Love him or loathe him, Bryan’s outrageous expenditure will continue in earnest.
When did you start blogging? Give us the origin story. How did you get your super powers?
I started blogging around April ‘03. My first blog was a private, work-related thing, with only a few industry colleagues reading it. I conceived my current blog, Bryanboy.com, back in October of ‘04. The original plan was for it to become some sort of Russian travel journal for my friends in the UK when I went to Moscow and St. Petersburg for a holiday. Since then, I never looked back and I blogged my brains and heart out – despite the fact that I only have two brain cells and an Oreo cookie to share.
How do you feel about the label nouveau riche? Don’t take offense, now. People throw those words around a lot these days.
I’m not even "riche"! Generally speaking, I don’t feel anything at all. At least I’ve got a label – a niche where I can be classified. Heck, I’m only 18 (plus five, don’t tell anyone).
Though there are times that I genuinely feel sorry for those old-moneyed oafs who have to abide by the this-is-how-we-do-things handbook of life. I may not gallop from one gala to the next soiree but at least I don’t have a broomstick up my pundata.
What do you think is the secret to your blog’s success? Apart from the shameless self-gratification and high-end fashion, of course.
There will always be someone out there in the world who can relate, understand and appreciate you. And there will always be someone, or, at least in my case, a ton of people from Abra to Zimbabwe (no kidding) that will despise you. Shameless self-gratification? High-fashion? I wish.
You gained popularity on other shores (getting into NY Times, etc.) before ever having made a debut splash on Manila. Are Filipinos just blind to your glory?
I wouldn’t say I’m popular because I still don’t have the movie offers, the book deals, the magazine contributing editorships, the TV commercials, the drama series, the handbag lines, and the fragrance launch. Hah, bloody, hah!
But yes, most of my readers are from the good ‘ol USA and Europe. It’s only recently that I’ve gotten a ton of readers from Asia (hello to Singapore and Malaysia). What’s quite mind-boggling is the fact that I’ve been on-and-off in the local clubbing scene for the past, gosh, seven to eight years and it’s only recently that people locally are starting to notice me.
I’ve got no qualms about it because frankly, I’d rather create a splash in foreign oceans where I can still maintain a sense of anonymity. Unfortunately, I’m still living under the roof of my ever-so-whatever parents and God knows what they’d do had they known what I was really up to.
Favorite designers, local and international?
Locally, I love my super gal pal Christina "Tina" Daniac for her "fight fight fight" creations.
John Galliano (for Christian Dior) and Marc Jacobs for clothes. (Uncle) Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Valentino and Hermes for accessories. I also love Urban Outfitters and Kitson on Robertson (in LA) for casual clothes.
Who do you look up to? Admit it, there has to be someone.
The almighty good lord God up above. He’s the only one that I can see whenever I tilt my head upwards, sans Boucheron or Chanel glasses, of course. Failing that, there’s always Kimberly Stewart. Har dee har har.
Media appearances and mentions worth noting?
The Daily Telegraph, UK’s most conservative newspaper, told me I’m a "recipe for trouble" on their June 27th issue for emulating a typical, British "chav scum." That was great fun!
That was a classic. Here I am, third-world vulgarity galore and then you’ve got the Daily "Torygraph" (known for its Tory readers). The irony of it all! Loves it! Every other brush with the media doesn’t matter at this point.
My dream stop: Italian Vogue. Or V magazine.
How far are you willing to take your blog in terms of the dichotomy of privacy and celebrity?
First off, I have no desire for "celebrity" status. (Alright, who am I fooling? Hah!)
How far am I willing to take my blog? Wherever the wind blows. Heck, if people from Zimbabwe are talking about my blog, what else is there to share?
What’s the next big step?
I need a gorgeous, eye-candy type, sober, stable, independent male (or female) flat mate so I can move out of my hell-hole of a parent’s birdcage soon. Please be fabulous. Please be fun. And please be fantastic.Send me a message or call me. Lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: +63915-7851492 or e-mail bryanboy@gmail.com.
Otherwise, I’ll just patiently wait for the movie offers and the book deals as I blog my way to fabdom.
Visit my blog, www.bryanboy.com. Baboosh!