Hello, everybody, and welcome back to If I'm Honest. I was so energized and invigorated by today's conversation, and it's very cool because this this guest I've known from a distance since I was in high school, Kyle Bryan, is the founder of Function Global, a New York-based partnership agency operating at the intersection of fashion, luxury, entertainment, and culture. Before launching Function Global, Kyle spent a decade as brand director at Laquan Smith, where they helped transform the label into a globally recognized name through strategic partnerships, celebrity relationships, runway productions, and brand collaborations. Throughout their career, Kyle has independently secured millions of dollars in partnership revenue and led high-impact campaigns and activations with brands, including Samsung and American Express, known for blending high fashion with sharp business strategy, they have built a reputation for creating partnerships that are culturally resonant, commercially impactful, and visually unforgettable. Through Function Global, Kyle now advises brands, designers, talent, and companies on building meaningful collaborations that drive conversation, shape culture, and create lasting value. What made this conversation so cool is that Kyle's passion came through so intensely, and they are so well educated on the history of their industry. We get into how they broke in, how they got internships, what very important key personality traits they had that made them successful. We talk about building a powerhouse luxury brand and what goes into that, and we talk about what growth looks like at this chapter of their lives as they're building something new from scratch in the white space that they had identified. I had a lot of fun having this conversation, and I hope you enjoy listening to it. Kyle, thank you so much for joining me on If I'm Honest. Of course, I'm so happy to be here. How are you doing this week? I'm doing good. I'm doing great. I'm happy to be back in New York. I'm happy to be in the city. I'm loving the hot weather that we're getting. So it is down for that. Warm after an absolutely brutal winter. Brutal. Were you here for it, or were you in LA? No, I left right when the snowstorm hit. I was like, get me out, get me to LA. Had the best time in LA. It was like such a godsend for me to be there. Oh, that's so great, you guys. Yeah, especially this winter. Like we, my husband and I moved back from North Carolina, and so the welcome, welcome home to New York was brutal. Yes, in that. But for our listeners, you and I are both New York City public school kids. Yes, we different schools, but we had met there, and I don't think we really hung out very much. We might have been at a few parties together. Sure, but I've been following you for a long time, and I think it's so cool what you've been building and how you've been making such a mark in the industry. And so you've been involved with fashion for two decades now, and you've had a lot of different roles, but especially including the 10-year stint as brand director of Laquan Smith, which is incredible. So in your youth or teen years, were you always building towards this career in fashion specifically, or did you have other visions of where you land, or what what got you into it? I think I always levitated towards just creative and the arts in general. You know, I think that in my early teen years, I realized that fashion could be used as kind of an armor and also a weapon. You know, I grew up, you know, in spaces that a lot of people were not like me. So fashion became my way of communication. It became some type of you know, you know, armor for me to wear. But it also can be like a weapon too. You know, because if you're gonna look, then I want to give you something to look at, you know. But my teen years, I I always really wanted to be in fashion. I mean, there was a movie that I was obsessed with in 2003 called Love Don't Cost a Thing, and it was starring Nick Cannon and Christina Milian, and it was kind of the tell-all tell sign of our, the the kind of the old story of the reject kids didn't have brand names and like the popular kids did and you know the the popular girl took the reject kid and gave him a brand name and like now he's bomb and popular so like I just it was such a funny thing to see in those years to see how fashion was used as this this resource, as this as this weapon of sorts, you know. So, I think I saw that, and I was my my my gears were turning. And then when I got into high school, my freshman year, it was just fashion, fashion, fashion, like internship, internship, internship, whatever I could absorb, whatever I could learn, I had to do. I did like classes at FIT on the weekends. Like I really wanted to learn like not only about the designers, but fashion history. Like fashion history was like super important to me, just to know where we came from. Why is everything like this? Why are we moving in this direction? Or like when I would see collections, I really wanted to like dissect them and know. Look for I need to know look 42 from Dior. Like that was important for me, you know, to know to be a resource, to be an encyclopedia. So if I did go to these internships and I was in these spaces, I knew what the hell I was talking about. You know, I think that fashion sometimes can be. Separated into two categories with people, it's like the nepotism side of like my mom and so and so and my uncle so and so, and then there's the other side of fashion that's like I know my shit, like I pure hustlers that studied this craft, obsessed with this craft, know this from start to finish, and I really wanted to be in that latter crowd to know everything that I could, you know, but there's a credibility with that that I think is so important, and and I don't know if you felt this, but especially for me, like as an outsider in racing, a woman in a male-dominated field, right? Absolutely, being smart and knowing the physics of the car and that those really technical elements that make it so that you know your shit and like helped me get respect. Yeah, I don't know if it was a similar thing for you. Absolutely, I think it's important for even the intern to know why Christian Dior in 1947 had the new look and why the new look was happening because of fabric rations in World War II and what was going on in World War II and why did we get there and why was this such a new look and why did it dominate American culture in the 1950s and 40s? And and it's a trickle down effect. And like that stuff's important, you know. It's like not about the entertainment and this glamor and celebrities and bra ha ha. Like it needs you need to know what's going on. And I think what I appreciate about these days is the kids are doing it. You know, you don't see it as much. I think that you see the commentators and you see the bloggers and you see the influencers taking up space, and they don't necessarily know too much about the industry or the history. But there are kids still out here that know it, you know, and that's just that's good to know. That's still happening. So, were you like a big history kid in school, or did fashion make you interested? I think I loved history, but I think when it got to fashion history, it excited me because it made sense. Because I could look, you could look at something and identify a time. You could identify a moment. You can identify a social issue. You could identify what was going on in the world, just like looking at a painting. You know what I mean? And I think that that was important for me, because if I know how this pendulum is always swinging and how this is always going to react, yeah, then I know how to pivot at all times. I know what was going on. I know what was happening. So it's important for you to just to to know your history, but also know what's going to happen, forecast it. You know, that is such a smart perspective. You have that's really cool. And then also, I feel like being like in New York and on the streets, and like, like I feel like I could almost see like, you know, you see someone dressing. Like, did you bring that history and just like your day day? Like, that must have been so stimulating. Sorry, that was not a cohesive thought. No, absolutely. It's but everything matters, and everything is this recipe. And I think if you look at like that, and fashion is becomes like that, you can take it out of the business side and understand what's going on in the business more. You know, it can really just reflect what's going on, and even if it's current history or current events, like people are going to write about this time, they're going to write about what we're wearing, they're going to write why we were wearing what we were wearing, and I think that that's important because that's our history. That's our why we were here. Sometimes, you know, I think that some important collections and fashions do that to people too. I can I can recall. Oh God, the first collection I saw that I absolutely freaked out over was in 2007. Nicolas Ghesquière was the creative director for Balenciaga, and he had a runway show for fall 2008. Right, and this collection just rocked my world. Like I saw it, and I was just like blown away. I I wanted to be that girl. I wanted every single thing in there, but there was this universe that was created that I was just like everything about it. I just need to be a part of, and like I think ever since then, when I saw that collection, it really dictated the rest of my fashion career. And I can still always go back to that collection and be like, "Oh wow! Like follow eight, like what was going on? You know what I mean? Like how does this connect? Like how does this go on? And that was live in the like in 2008. You saw that. I saw it. Yeah, it was live. It was live stream for the first time. Balenciaga wasn't doing that back then, and it was like live stream. So I was like at home on YouTube, like looking to see what was going on because 2008 was such a great year for designers and for fashion because we still had all of our greats, but we also had these insane young kids that were becoming greats like the Gallianos, the McQueens, the Hedi Slimanes, and things like that. So we were at this like insane time of so much creation, so much beauty, so much art, and you wanted to see these shows. And when I saw that collection, it really just changed everything. It actually changed me so much that if people are avid followers of me, my name before Kyle A. Bryan on Instagram was Balenciaga Neoprene. Oh wait, you know now that you mentioned that. Oh my gosh, I think I'm not sure I was actively following. I think I knew that from like tags and stuff. Oh my god! Yeah, Balenciaga neoprene. Everyone's like, "Where is that from? Where's that from? And it's because neoprene was a fabric that was heavily used in that. Collection from fall 2008, and it was like once I saw it used like that, and the shapes and the structure and stuff. It's like I am Balenciaga Neoprene, you know. And people never got it unless you were like a huge like fashion buff, or you just like were into fashion like that. But that was kind of like my nod to like if you know, you know, you know. So cool. So I just want to like say like your passion for this and passion is an overused word, but like you can feel that you like live, eat, breathe, sleep this, and this is such a fun energy to be around. So thank you for coming in studio and for chatting with me about it. So, so you dove into internships. You you got a lot of experience. What was that process like? Like, were you applying? Were you meeting people? Yeah, I think in New York at that time it was very hush hush. Fashion was hush hush. You did. There was never a guidebook on how to get into the industry. It was very much like you needed to know someone to get in, or they made it so difficult that it wasn't possible. You know, and I think that I just wanted to take everything I could from the experience, so I found the emails, I found the blogs that were putting up these job postings and things like that, and would just email so much that these people got so irritated by seeing my name. I needed the experience, like it is what it is. Like I didn't have anything, no experience, nothing to back up on, but I knew I loved this, and I knew I knew so much about it. So it's like, get me in a room with you. I can show you that I will wipe the floors, I will clean the computers, and then I will do an incredible job at the end of the day. So like, I think that's where it started. And internships back then were not nice, and they were they were not nice. I was crying in the middle of the streets in torrential rain with garment bags, going to Condé Nast at Four Times Square. If you know, you know, these were times where like we were treated like nothing, interns were nothing, and I think that it was such formative years to know that like you need to do X, Y, and Z to get here, pay your dues, like work for that person, work for that place, work for that designer, and I think that was a lot of what I had to do back then. Was figure out who I wanted to work with, what designers I wanted to be aligned with, where I I saw my education being best used, you know. And I think no matter what sector I tried to learn it all, so whether it was production or PR or design or whatever it was, like I wanted internship in it so I could say I know that stuff too. I know what they're doing over there. I know why they're cutting that pattern like that or something like that or why the zippers like that. But um, so smart. Thank you. Yeah, I think, especially for a young person, like recognizing the inherent value of being so knowledgeable that people can't deny that skill is the foresight to do that is very, very admirable. Thank you. Yeah, and so I read in an interview-I don't remember which one-but I read that you have a dedicated approach to networking, quote unquote, and it spoke. This article spoke specifically about landing clients, which I love to hear because networking is obviously so important, especially in an industry that's a little more hush hush. But can you share what this dedicated approach is? Yes, I think networking is so important, and it changes throughout the years and how people connect and how people really decide to even become colleagues or do business together. But I think I was lucky enough to come up in a time in fashion where a lot of these connections happened at nighttime. You know, this was a nightlife business at one point where the clubs were the clubs were king. I think that it was important for me to have these incredible colleagues and connections at night that could influence and maybe turn into daytime situations. And I think some of the most important people that I've met, even back then, are still incredible colleagues, still incredible network, like you know, networking buddies or people I can count on in the industry. You know, I also think it's about meaningful connections, you know. When you do network with someone, when you do have that first conversation, that first deal, I appreciate doing business with people that I like as well, you know. And I think that that dedicated approach comes from me realizing great people, great energy, great authenticity, and like knowing that we can do great business together, and I think that that can come from all different walks of life. You know, I don't necessarily love to just stay in fashion when I'm, let's say, quote unquote, networking or connecting with people. I think that every industry is important. Everyone from the CEO to the janitor is important to know. I have incredible friends in the steel industry. I have incredible friends in grocery stores. You know, it's I love to just stay in contact and make sure that everyone's world that you know I know what's going on in it, and I think that that maybe sets me apart a bit from other people because I'm not just so laser focused on fashion. I want to make sure that culture. Is being affected somehow, and it sounds like it's really also honing in on that human connection, right? Like I think so many, especially so many competitive industries, can start to feel transactional. Sure. Absolutely, only want to get to know you if I get something, or even if it's not intentional. It's like if you're ambitious people who are trying to get to a certain level, like you're going to focus on what's going to help you get there, but I think that you cannot undermine the power of that human connection. And I think especially when the world's as miserable a place as right now, it becomes even more critical, and especially when jobs are scarce, there you know things are changing, technology's changing everything. Those those people that make you feel something, and who you make feel important just by nature of being curious about them, which I think you can't can't fake that, right? Like if you're having a conversation with someone, they're gonna know if it's just like small talk or if it's like, oh wow, this is a genuine person that's exactly interested, and that carries. I think that's applicable to any industry. It carries, and people want to stay in contact. They want to know what's going on with you, what's happening in your neck of the woods. You know, I think that carrying all these contacts and having this expansive network that I have now from all these different industries and meeting all of these different people, whether they are CEOs or whether they are janitors, it's like I always want to keep in touch with them and know what's going on in their life too, because like, sure, we work, but like, it's life too, and I think that that's important to have those kind of connections with people where it's not just so work focused, but it's like, hey, what's going on in your neck of the woods? You know what I mean? And that that stuff carries. People want to stay in touch with you. They want to still do business with you in that moment. Yeah, you know, was it those types of thoughtful connections with people that helped helped you land at Laquan. Yes, absolutely. I I landed at Laquan because a friend of mine was my boss at Nicole Miller. You know what I mean in public relations, so I was able to still have that connection somehow in the industry to be like, hey, what's going on over there? I see something over here. I want to be a part of it, you know. I think a lot of people don't know that in the beginning of me joining Laquan, I was at kind of a crossroads because I had been offered to do this reality TV show, right? So it was like, well, what are you going to do with this? Like, how is this going to affect your career and what you're doing? And I really wanted to be able to have a national stage for what I was doing, so you don't really do a reality show unless you really know what you're selling. Honestly, like what are you promoting? What are you doing on there? And I think that people might have thought of it as twirling or just you know being on a reality show, but no, it's the the real reason was is that I wanted the brand that I was uplifting, and that I was trying to create this luxury powerhouse to have a national stage at the jump. You know what I mean? Like it needed to like start out with you know people from Oklahoma knowing what it was, and people in Nigeria knowing what it was, and like that was helpful. It was something that was easy, even though people didn't see it for what it was. Like that, maybe that was an incredible jumpstart and starting point for me to then go head on this route to get this done. So cool, and this was Rich Kids of Beverly Hills. Yes, it was Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, and then I was on EJNYC. Okay, so oh, I hadn't even thought about that. That so you you knew that you wanted to build in fashion and like kind of very strategically understood the landscape of where media was and where all that presence was and where you could get that exposure to then help that brand grow. Yeah, I had to make it really clear also to them at the company, like, hey, I'm on the show. This is what's going on. This is my plan. Yeah, this is how I see us using this to our advantage. This is what I see going on, and I think that television in 2016 at that time was was cool. Still, you know, it wasn't like now where it's like what shows are happening. I think that back then it was like reality shows were very much on a high, on especially on the E network for sure. I also was on America's Next Top Model in 2016, which is hysterical. Know that, yeah. As a judge, like they came to the showroom and the girls acted as like models, you know, as like a real go see, as like in a real designer to see how they would do, and then we judged them afterwards and stuff like that. Yeah, so it's like I would have I wouldn't have necessarily said yes to that, but I think that we were in a building phase. It was about building. It was about making sure the name was shown in these different places, on a national stage, on an international stage, and I think that that was always helpful in the back of my head. Of like, what is everyone not doing? Yeah. What is the missing white space here? Yeah. You know, I think a lot of what I did at the brand was finding that missing white space. I realized that there was in 2016 when I did come onto the brand back then. It was very minimal. The fashion industry it was Celine, Phoebe Philo dominated, where it was camel coats and very sharp cuts and barely any color and no skin at all. You know, and I saw that that that's what the world was like thirsting for in fashion was this sexy, unapologetically glamorous woman. Like, where was that anymore? We didn't see it. So, I made it a point that that would be our brand's mission: is that we're here for that unapologetically glamorous woman. And I came. This this this theme kept coming, and I kept saying, "Unapologetically, glamorous, unapologetically glamorous. And I'm sure so many people have heard me here say that at this point. But it just became a mantra to know that this woman was this alpha female that could do absolutely anything. And then it was my job to figure out, okay, who is this woman? Where is she eating lunch? Where is she traveling to? How is she shopping? And what is she wearing? And what's her non-negotiables and you know what does she look like on a red carpet and what does she look like at home and it was then a really fun journey once that framework was set and I knew what was going on because I think beforehand it was like okay what are the what are the puzzle pieces we have what do we have to work with but then I think once I figured out that framework then we were kind of off to the races. Well, it gives you that north star. Like you need the vision to work towards, and I think any company, any group of people, if you're not if you're not aligned on what that is, it makes it very hard to make the right decisions that are the most impactful. And I think you summarized it really nicely. You talked about how, of of your time at Laquan, that you came in with a mission to really help create the first luxury American brand by a black designer, and that story hasn't really been told before. And so, like, it's just it's so clear to your point, like from a 360 degree view, what you're working towards, and you continue to say that the main goal was to help rewrite the legacy of black luxury entrepreneurship while creating a brand that is inclusive of all people and sizes, and so when you joined the brand, did you have that clear vision from the start, or was it a bit of a a digging expedition to kind of understand what the designer was trying to evoke out of the brand and how you could translate that on a commercial level? Sure, I think I mean I came in there with a mission, you know, from my past my past jobs in fashion, I worked at startups. I loved a good startup. You know, I loved a whippersnapper trying to make it happen, and all of us on the floor eating out of tuna cans and figuring it out. Like, love that shit. Like, that was my jam. I worked at a brand called Hood by Air that was really trying to make things happen in streetwear at the time, and also Alexander Wang, when we were on just one floor and on Broome Street, you know, I loved startups, you know, and then I loved getting the startup to a certain place and then leaving. That was kind of my mo when it came to jobs. And then when I found the Laquan situation, I wanted to dig my teeth into something. Like I think I knew that this was going to be more than five years of my life, you know, where I needed to build something because I saw the puzzle and I just needed to kind of put the pieces together. I think that trying to build a luxury powerhouse in America, especially in fashion, is one of the most difficult things. But beyond being a black designer, that makes it even more difficult. So there are so many challenges and so much strife that went along with it, and sure, sure, sure. But I think that at the end of the day, it was a story that had to happen. It's not the first time it's happened. You know, this has happened in the past with Willie Smith and really other incredible fashion design, black fashion designers here in New York as well. But I think that building a luxury powerhouse has to come with certain standards, and you have to you have to create this universe, you know, and you have to be passionate about that universe. It talks, like I mentioned before, this whole unapologetically glamorous woman, you know, and really setting up that framework, and then understanding, okay, what is she surrounded with? What is in her world? And I think that that was one of my kind of like aha moments. Was like, okay, well, she's obviously drinking, you know, Dom Perignon, you know what I mean? And she's obviously, you know, putting on La Mer skincare, you know, and she's obviously, you know, eating at this restaurant or she's going to this destination. And then I was like, "Wait a minute! Then that needs to be a part of this world, you know? Like, why isn't that makeup brand backstage? Why isn't that person having a partnership with us or a collaboration with us? And why aren't they paying us for it? You know? So I think that's where my aha moment came: is that in order to build this luxury universe, I needed this luxury ecosystem around us, and who was going to be a part of that? How was I going to also build this luxury brand and have all of this luxury ecosystem around me? It's you needed to kind of have those smoke and mirrors in a way. I needed those eyes and that kind of amplification from a luxury corporation to say. Yes, this is luxury. Yes, we are aligned, and once you do that every so often, and you start building this universe, then there you go. You know what I mean? Then you're off to the races. Oh, completely. So you talked about one of your strengths is kind of identifying the white space, and then like really creating something meaningful and cool in that. Were there any specific examples of something where you had this idea and you knew it was great, yeah, and you got pushback, but like I mean, like real pushback. Like there was like real, like creative differences, but then either it worked through or didn't. But like there was something that maybe one that works through. Maybe let's do one that worked that like you knew was right. You were had conviction. I don't know how much pushback you got from anyone else, but like something that people did not understand when you presented it. I think one thing was I wanted to do a denim collaboration really bad with Jordache Jeans. I really was passionate about doing a denim collaboration, and part of what the denim collaboration I wanted to do was have visuals with it, but I also wanted to have an incredible event because I knew that events were king. You know, that's how a lot of these eyes metrics and things were were shown was through these events. So I knew I could throw a sick event. I presented it to our company. Hey, I'm gonna do this collaboration, but I need to have this event also with it. The timing of the event was happening while we were supposed to be in Nigeria, right? Meaning the planning of the event, and I was like, no problem, I can still plan it in Nigeria. Like, just give it to me. Let me do my thing while we're in Africa, and when we come back, you know, you'll see what I'm talking about. And that was quite tough. You know what I mean? Dealing with vendors and production and the lovely people at Cipriani on the different time zones that we were on, and making that that party and that event a success. What was so intense about that event is that my vision was I wanted all of the models in our in our last runway show to also come to this party, but in their full looks that we they were wearing from the Jordache collection, and I wanted us to walk from Soho Grand to the Cipriani downtown location, where I knew paparazzi would be, where I know the cameras would be, and see all these supermodels walking down the street in this denim, going to the party. You know, and it turned out to be one of our best events that we've ever had, it really was. It was one of the things I look back on of like, wow, because it was so intimate. It was only a 55 person seated guest list at Cipriani at Socialista, and it just resonated with everyone. The music was incredible. We ended up having the grandparents of Maggio Cipriani come upstairs and party with us, and everyone was just having the most incredible time. And that collection-it was called the hoedown because everyone was in denim. So it was just one of those times that I thought, "Wow! Like, thank God I went through with it. Thank God we did this. Just because, to me, that showed the brand in the the most perfect light. Yeah, you know, and that's such a moment to be proud of. And I have a question, but I'm going to preface it. That I was talking with a producer of a former producer of SNL, and something that she said was that like pride is not part of an SNL production. Like you do your job, and you're expected to do it well, and like it's just not part of the culture. Do you feel that that was the same in fashion, at least at that time, or were you able to like be really proud of yourself that you you made this shit come together and and it was something to take a moment to appreciate? Yeah. Well, if I'm honest, more and more people are doing a plug. I love it. As a plug, I think in fashion you start to become in this cycle. You don't celebrate your wins. You become it becomes this six month cycle of the next Fashion Week, the next Met Gala, the next Art Basel, the next Cannes Film Festival. You're never thinking of the success. You're just thinking of okay, how do I now top having a fashion show at the top of the Empire State Building? You know what I mean. That's just what ends up happening, especially when you are somewhat premier in fashion, and you are always having to compete with yourself. Then it's you don't celebrate your wins, but I think that having incredible people around you, having an incredible network, and being able to take a second-you know what I mean-and being able to really feel it-I think happens after you're out of it. You know, it's difficult when you're in it, for sure. But people, I think a lot of colleagues that I know, we've now tried to do a lot of just, you know, self. Well, not I don't want to say self help, but just like self care. You know what I mean? Like that's important. Not burning out. Like not trying to go more than you can go. You know, just knowing your limits and knowing, okay, even though this is a crazy industry, I'm not going to do too damn much. I'm going to keep it cute, but that burnout is real. You know, it's it's quite constant, but it takes it takes you to have a very ruthless mindset of okay, I have this goal. Let me get this goal done, and then I can rest later. You know, no, that makes sense. And it's interesting because like. I'm a big believer in little victories and like celebrating them. And from the sense of, I feel like it drives momentum and gives like kind of that enthusiasm. But could also totally see to your points, like when you when you're in these cycles and like the industry keeps moving so quickly, whether or not you're gonna stay on board. Like you need to keep up with that. So I'm glad that you're able to focus on some self care because I think, especially as we get older, like I don't have the energy that I have. Like I, I love the life that I'm having now. I'm exhausted all the time, and it's like wasn't like this 10 years ago. But yeah, life will force it for you sometimes. I mean, I think of a crazy time when we did have a runway show at the Empire, at the top of the Empire State Building, the only one and the first and only one. Congrats! Thank you. The stress of that, the stress of having that type of production, my entire left leg went numb. I was hopping around backstage, trying to get from floor to floor to this to this, and everyone was looking at what's wrong with you, and I was just like, I don't know, you know what I mean? But that made me force myself sit down. Let me go get a checkup. Let me go see what's going on with me because I just you lose yourself. You absolutely lose yourself. I would look crazy backstage, like because I had just went through months of all of this work, and I would do this crazy speech and look crazy and be filmed. And I'm like, wait a minute, why do I have my makeup done? Like, why don't I look good back then? That's like the one thing I could do. So, like, slowly but surely, I started realizing that and started putting somewhat of myself first. I can, I need to be good before the work is good. Yeah, you know, no, totally. It's like putting your oxygen mask on first, but then also it then that will then like feed others the energy that they need to then also help you because so much is collaboration in in life, and so I think that's a really important thing to recognize. So about a year ago, you stepped away from Laquan Smith to start Function Global, which just recently launched. And congratulations, that's huge. What is Function Global, and can you walk me through how you got the vision for it when you knew it was time commit to commit when you knew it was time to step aside from Laquan, like all that. I think that throughout my career, I had checklists and I had goals. You know, at Laquan, I had a very specific checklist and goal to work with specific people, go to specific places, do specific priorities and initiatives. Right, and I think that that last May, I saw that that was all checked out. You know, it was all kind of done, and I had to figure out what was next. But I think in the back of my head, I always had this vision for Function Global. Function Global is a strategic partnership agency where we connect the corporate world and the creative world. So far too often do we see creatives not being able to achieve their visions, whether it's you know a certain product, a certain collaboration, a certain priority they have because they can't get it funded, you know. And on the flip side, we see so many corporations that are just dying to be in fashion or be in the culture to be able to just immerse themselves and to align themselves with the right things, and I feel like that language is lost, and that connection and that bridge is lost. So, Function Global is here to be a bridge for both of those industries to make sure that meaningful connections and meaningful partnerships can happen. I think that when I say meaningful connections and meaningful partnerships, I mean things that can change culture, things that can change the world. I'm I'm not necessarily focused on the one-offs here. I want things that are that are big and great, and that I know that need to happen, and that can really change our outlook on the world. You know, whether it be a huge corporation working with a fashion designer, or someone working in food, or in tech, or in cannabis, you know, I really want to be a resource to connect these industries and to kind of be a translator, if you will. I've realized that a lot of creatives don't necessarily know that corporate language, you know. And on the flip side, the corporate people don't necessarily know to talk to a creative and tell them how to what this scope of work actually is or what these deal points actually are, and I've been in that position for over 10 years. You know, I know the ins and outs of how these deals should work, how they should be structured, but also to fight for these creatives. I know what they deserve. You know, and I also want to fight for corporations because I want to make sure those deliverables are done. They're done on time, and they're done to the best of everyone's ability. But I think that in our industry we have PR firms, we have marketing firms. You know, we have all these incredible different lanes. But to me, there hasn't been a true white club service when it comes to partnerships and collaborations. And that's really why I started Function Global. You know, oh, incredible! And you know, just even on what you said earlier today that you were realizing, okay, we should have when you're thinking about like who the woman is from a 360 degree view, like we should have her drinking this certain this certain drink, and that she should be wearing this makeup, and we as Laquan Smith the brand should be having these different elements feed our ecosystem. So you're having those visions. Did you? Do you think you always had an inkling for entrepreneurship, or did you did it kind of come when you were getting to the end of appointment? You're like, ah, I just need to fill this space. I think it was always in the back of my head because what would happen is, is when I would finish a partnership or a collaboration, a lot of my designer peers in the industry would be like, hey, how did you get that? Or like, hey, can I be connected as well, and then on the flip side, a lot of the corporations would come and say, "Hey, we, you know, once we finish a partnership with you, but we still want to work in fashion. Like, who should we work with? Like, we have still some money, so who's the best person to have this incredible moment that we just had? You know, and then a lot of it in the back of my head was like, this is a business. You know, I really should be able to kind of like dig deeper into this because I did not want to feel stifled just operating on one specific moment, one specific initiative. Like so many people need to change the world with their ideas, and a lot of that is getting funded and getting the money. Yeah, no, totally. So you've essentially been in stealth mode for the last year, yeah, can you share some of the unexpected things about that that have been challenging, or things that you just like weren't expecting you would have to sort out? Yeah, I think that being in stealth mode for a year, like you say, was an interesting moment because I was able to build. You know, I was able to build without pressure, I was able to create what I thought needed to happen-a framework for Function Global. But also, obviously, that comes with challenges. Everything does. I think that what's cool about, I guess, my career is that I've been through it. Like I have really been through it. Like after these 1015, years, when you work in this this high-paced industry, so many pivots happen, so many lows, so many highs. You know, and it it builds a thick skin, but it also builds this kind of knowledge of, okay, shit's going to fall apart. It's going to, it's all going to fall apart. How are you going to pick it up? You know what I mean? How are you going to pivot? How are you going to think on your feet? And I think that throughout all of my experiences, like unfortunately, it's prepared me for that. You know, I don't want to say unfortunately, but fortunately as well, because now I know that partnerships, collaboration can be lost in a second. Oh, it's difficult things are fickle in that kind of industry, and you have to be prepared for the worst, but you also have to be prepared for the for the best, you know, a simple conversation with someone-you never ever know where that can land you. And I think that knowing that in the back of my head has also kept me supercharged and has kept me super motivated because you never know when that next deal can come or when that next idea that I'm also thinking about comes. I really want Function Global to be a partnership agency, but also at its core, I wanted to have a brand mission of meaningful partnerships. So if I see something that I see needs to happen in the industry, if I see two parties that are not doing something and they should be doing something together, that's also where I'll step in and say, "Hey, so and so, and hey, so and so, you're missing something here. If you came together and did X, Y, and Z, and we created X, Y, and Z, this is what really could happen here. This is how we really could change things. And I also want to be able to make sure that those moments can happen as well and function. And that goes again back to what you were saying about like that intentional connection building, relationship building with people. Like to your point, you never know what can lead to something, both the positive and the negative. And like my my experience there is like, I was interested in Web3 and NFTs, and when it was really at its highest, I was able to connect with communities that then ended up being sponsors for my last two races in that star. So so damn cool, and and then that led to what I thought was going to be a sponsorship for multiple races next year, which fell through at the 11th hour when we were already designing the suit. And that was for me. That was the end of my active racing career. So like it just to your points, like the highest highs and the lowest lows. And I think you're more likely to have more lows than highs. And then every time you do that, though, you you get that much more resilient and bouncing back. Of course, absolutely, it builds it builds you up. You know exactly what you're doing. You know how to operate, and know that like everything can be gone in a second. You know everything can be gone. Like industries can fail. Like I've seen so much happen in this industry over the years, and that's why I'm like we we all have to just be grateful. We're grateful that we are still standing. That a 3d printer has not come in and taken over this entire industry yet, and that we still can be creative and have these amazing moments. Yeah, you know, yeah. That being present is so critical, and seems to be a theme with a lot of people I'm talking with this year. It's like something about right now. It's like, especially I think maybe because you know technology and AI are coming in, it's it's changing the face of every type of industry, which is scary, but also can be exciting. You know, yeah, all that. So, you've been building over the last year. Has it been exclusively building, or have you been able to like really get your hands into the work that you're trying to do as well? Yeah, I think being an entrepreneur, you have to find a balance of both, especially starting out. Obviously, I've been in the building phase, but primarily, I've been in the working phase. Like right after I got out, it was off to the races. I think the first thing that I was getting done at that time was most likely a September fashion week. You know, so it was it was not necessarily that much changing for me at that time. I was still working. You know, I think at that time when I left the company, I had around three retained clients, and two of them were already having runway shows. So thank you. Yeah, so it was it was important for me to be able to still be at Fashion Week, still be in a different capacity for sure, and that was interesting going to a show and not being in the lane that I'm normally was used to in for 10 years. But it was it was a a welcome change of being back there and getting done what I had to get done, and then and then going home. Yeah, yeah. So then that's fantastic that you had those clients on retainer, and I think that's like very smart. Obviously, to have that intentional bridge, I guess between yeah, and and so that's that's fantastic. So what do you think your philosophy is for like future clients that you're going to try to onboard, and how you're approaching building up the client base? Sure, I think I'm being very methodical and very calculated with the clients. I believe in certain people. I believe in certain brands. I have always had a peripheral vision around me in my 10-year career of like who's up next and who's doing what, and a lot of what was happening post leaving was reaching out to those people and letting them know that I am here and that I would like to support them and I would like them to become a part of my company and I think that the response has been great. You know, since I have been in the industry for a while, people have seen the results and have been able to see. Okay, this is the real deal, you know. But I think that beyond me identifying and beyond me seeing a lot of the people that I do want to work with, I I do believe that there is certain formulas for success. You know, I do believe that there are certain people that even if they don't have, let's say, the celebrities and the metrics and the numbers, but the vision is right and the vision is going to get them somewhere. I'm about you, you know. I'm about you. I know where it's going to go, and I can probably see five steps ahead of where I can take this, you know. But I'm also into the bread and butters of the people that are doing it incredible, incredibly well, but are missing a white space. They're missing something in the background of, hang on, why haven't we gone down this product category space? You know, because we didn't think that we could get this person to partner with us. You know, I want to be able to even identify in the people that are doing things incredibly well how they can be even better. Totally, and so it sounds like you've got maybe several verticals within your company in terms of like probably you know fashion houses and and the brands, yeah, the non-fashion brands that are culturally really relevant who are doing stuff, but then also potentially like a consulting arm, and maybe it's all together. But did you view it as like these specific verticals, or is kind of like you're seeing what the need is and being adaptable to what what's? I think it's about being adaptable for sure, but I also think it's about having a very specific service that you can provide to people. You know, being able to match make them with partners, being able to go end to end with a partnership management from contract negotiation to execution to being able to be on site to see this activation or this moment happen in person. So, I think that those services are important to have. But I also think that beyond having you know a partnership consultancy, it's also about being, you know, a resource for creative direction. You know, I really believe that even though partnerships make the world go round, if they don't look incredible and if they don't resonate, what are we doing? You know, so I also love to jump in and say, hey, this is what it needs to look like. This is how it needs to be shot. This is who the model should be. This is how we need to shoot it because I've seen also throughout my career how things need to happen and how they should look. Recently, I just did some really amazing creative direction for Elisa Johnson for Mother's Day, which I was so happy about. Oh, that is fantastic! Thank you. Yeah, and that was I think it was just me kind of like showing what can happen in that creative direction lens, being able to see okay from concept to talent to casting to photo to styling, how a message can really be shown and how culturally you might not see it up front, but that it can it can live past you know 10 years. That's the stuff that I'm interested in. No, totally. Ask a question. You don't have to answer it if you don't want to. But is there a dream person or brand that you would want to do this work for? Or maybe that you might not have a connection to at the outset that like you're you're going to be working. Ooh, I love that. I love that question. I think there's a couple of people, but I think that I genuinely have wanted to do something with Apple Music for a second. Apple Music is one that I have always had this incredible idea for them. I know exactly how they should do it, and I see something very culture shifting for them that I'm able to do, and it's something that I've ticked away at. It's stuff that I have have put bones on, have already have decks on, and things like that. And I put that out there to manifest. I love manifesting, so that's partially why I ask. But I don't know if you're the same way. So some people are like absolutely not. No, I love to put it out into the universe for sure. But it's one of those things that, when it when the right time happens, it will happen. But they're one that I see a few white spaces for that I think could be quite interesting and quite how do you say fruitful. Well, it's in the universe. We are all manifesting that. Yes, I think that's really cool. And I think I think also I don't know if you feel this, but sometimes when you have an idea for collaboration and like it's like you're so proud of it and it seems like it's amazing, and then when you get in the room with the other party, yeah, you then also can just build on it and makes it like even even more vivid almost. And like I find that type of teamwork and building so so cool. Yeah, whether it's for like campaigns or you know keynote delivery or whatever it is, of course, that it's so fun when all the puzzle pieces kind of click together. I always say, get me in a room. Just get me in a room. Let me feel the energy. Let me feel what's going on, and like we'll get it done. And you're you're you're clearly so intentional with so many aspects of your life, and I think that that's really admirable because I think at least some of the culture that I feel like I was raised with and that was going on is like, oh, like just be chill, like over the flow. It's like, like I was almost made to feel bad for taking my life so seriously, but like we only have one. Like you need to take it seriously. I am all about intention. I am all about getting exactly what you want, all about manifestation, but I'm also all about like planning. I love a good plan, you know. Like I love a good plan. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Exactly, exactly. So, kind of along those lines, when it comes to all this building that you've been doing in very different, you know, lanes that you've mentioned, how have your priorities changed over the year, maybe, and I know it's a vague question, but maybe from the specific perspective of doing work that's serving you, like obviously you have to start, you got to get in the door, you got to hustle, you got to do all that. But you're fairly established at this point. Like, where would you say your biggest professional priorities are? I would say, hmm, I think my biggest business priority right now is doing good business. You know, I think that there's so much happening in our industry or other industries that is just not good business. You know what I mean? And like keeping it top of line, like keeping it transparent, keeping it good, keeping it like leaving like leaving a partnership, leaving a collaboration, leaving it better than you saw it at first. You know what I mean? I think that that's my biggest priority in business is that I always want people that I work with or around me to know that good business is being done. You know, yeah, that standard of excellence. Yeah, it's incredible. Okay, so one last question before we get into the kind of closing segment. Okay, you were asked in a 2016 interview to share a quote that describes you, and you chose quote. There's something about fashion that makes people very nervous. End quote from Anna Wintour, and that feels like a quote that stands the test of time. And as someone who's been defining the fashion industry, would that still be the best quote that describes you? Oh God, that quote is so funny. I can't. That quote was actually my high school yearbook quote, which even makes it even crazier. I love it. I can't believe people put up with me. Hey, it worked. You're here. It worked every step that you took, it worked. I think that that quote that quote still means a lot to me. I mean, that quote is from a documentary called The September Issue, and it's the opening line in it. And at that time, fashion was mean. Fashion was not nice. Fashion was inaccessible, and it made people nervous. It people didn't understand why they couldn't get this dress, or why they couldn't be in this cool crowd, or they couldn't be in this what they saw as this sorry this right moment. And I just I loved it. I loved it. I thought it was so incredible that seduction of fashion and that. Allure and that curiosity to be in this tight knit, exclusive world that you just couldn't have access to, and I think that Anna's saying that you know there's something about fashion that makes people very nervous. I I take it to heart because I always want fashion to make people nervous. I think that you should always be on your toes with fashion. I think that fashion is there to make us curious and to want us to know more and to do more, and it shouldn't just stop at putting on a gorgeous dress, you know? Yeah, and as you were saying that, I was almost thinking that if if an like if something like an industry makes people nervous, then it's gonna be a very select few that really commit to it long term, and so you're gonna get those really incredible, energetic, intense, driven, like just awesome people that really make change. And so that kind of self selecting and that that weeding out feels so relevant, and I feel like you embody that. So that's really cool. Thank you, absolutely. No, you're no. This is just. It's really. It's really fun, and I think I I am not at all involved in fashion. I have a stylist because I know that I can't dress myself. Like I'm good at plenty of things, but seeing like from anything from a design perspective, whether it's my home, my dress, like how I dress, like I don't have the eye. I cannot put it together. I don't have proportions, right? I don't know my colors. Yeah, recognized early on, and my stylist told me early on, like you, you can do better, girl. And so I think for me personally, it's just really, really educational and fun to hear kind of all of the other elements that aren't aren't just the the esthetics of it, but really everything that's going behind the scenes. So thank you so much for sharing all of that. Absolutely. So final segment, two parter. So I like to ask my guest to finish the sentence if I'm honest. Okay, and it's meant to be parting wisdom for our listeners. Okay. So how would you complete the sentence if I'm honest? Okay. Hmm. If I'm honest, I'm very ready. Is I think my answer. I'm very ready. I think that I've prepared for a long time for this. I've wanted this for a very long time, and I'm in a place in my life where I know exactly what I need to do to get it. So if I'm honest, I'm ready. I love that, and I love that because also, like you know, that you've done the work, and I think like you can say you're ready when you've done all that. So you know that you will, you will react to whatever gets thrown your way and whatever happens. So that's awesome. So great. Okay, final segment, rapid fire. If you're honest, okay. Do you take the subway? Ooh, of course I take the subway. Every New Yorker takes the subway. Excellent. Yeah, very cool. I I had a very sweaty subway ride. Like it was one of those really hot days where I forgot just how hot the subway gets. She's a she's a hot box for sure. Yes. Which fashion week is your favorite? Oh wow, city wise. Yeah. Or vibe wise. I don't know. I I've never been to one. That's such a hard answer, just because it's all about New York Fashion Week. I want everyone to understand that New York Fashion Week will always be the epicenter of the world of fashion of culture. I don't care what anyone says; all companies should be putting money towards New York Fashion Week. But if I'm honest, I think that Paris Fashion Week is a beast in itself. It's a fashion week that, when people don't really understand it, since it's at the end, it's where everyone congregates. So if you didn't see so and so in Milan, if you didn't see so and so in London, you're gonna see them in Paris. So it's kind of like the biggest high school reunion because a lot of people don't come to New York anymore, which is an issue. But they go to Paris, so it becomes this epicenter also where you're seeing everyone, and it's this amazing reunion, and everyone has their own favorite restaurant of the expats that we go to. Everyone has their favorite late night like eat that they go to. You know, it's like it becomes this nostalgic thing for a lot of fashion people because you have to get through it. You have to get through Paris. So I would say both New York and Paris for sure. So now I have to add a question: Do you go to your high school reunions? Oh, I went to my 15 year high school reunion. I didn't. It was incredible. Shout out to the lab school 2010. I had such a great time. I went with my girlfriends, and it was so cool to see everyone and to be in it. But they had to force me a little to go. But I went and had a great time. I was so happy to see everyone, I ended up like taking all of them after the reunion to like this club to like keep drinking because I was like, we're not finished here. Like we need to go somewhere else, and like we had such a good time. Yeah, so fun. I've also been to all of our reunions today. We haven't had our 15 because I guess COVID kind of threw off. Okay, but you did 10. I did five. I did 10. Wow, I had so much. Fun at all of them. Yeah, I was friends with. I was like friendly with a lot of people. That's good. So it it was really fun, and I don't keep in touch with everyone. So yeah, it was it was perfect. So much fun. Okay, what is your favorite holiday? My favorite holiday. My favorite holiday would be Christmas. I love Christmas. I love the Christmas energy. I love the cold. I love wearing fur. I love I love the Christmas music. I can listen to a Christmas album like back to back, no matter when. Like it just puts me in a good mood. Yeah, yeah. And like the Christmas, like the ginger snap and like the cinnamon and all that. Yes. Yeah. Oh, I get that. Where is a place you'd like to visit for fun? Where is a place I like to visit? You would like to visit. I would like to. That I haven't been to. Oh my goodness. There's so many places. Top of my list though is South Korea. I must go to South Korea. I really want to do like a skincare concierge trip there and like get incredible lasers and be out for like two weeks and recover and like come home like a brand new person, brand new. Well, I will say your skin looks amazing. So good baseline right there, and we're gonna manifest that as well. Yes, are your dinners more home cooked or restaurant slash takeout? Oh no, I think it's a mix of both. I do love to cook. Like, cook is cooking is like therapeutic for me, so I will throw down in the kitchen every so often. But I do have like my my daily things that I do love for takeout. So I won't lie, my Uber Eats definitely gets yeah its fair share. Oh, amazing! And then, last question for you: What is something that you're grateful for right now? Something that I'm grateful for right now is waking up every day. I'm just happy to be here. I'm grateful to be going after my dreams. I think that that's really what it comes down to: is that I'm happy to be in this position where I am now, where I'm educated. I know what's going on, and like I said, I'm ready. But I'm grateful that I'm in this position. I'm grateful for all of the highs, all of the lows, all of the nonsense that got me to this point. I'm I'm just grateful for it all at this point. Yeah. Oh, I got chills. Thank you so much for sharing so much of what you've been doing with us, this was such a enlightening conversation, and I wish you the absolute best because you've put in all the work. So, where I'm going to link everything in the description, but where can people find you if they? Sure, you can find me at Kyle A. Bryan, and you can find Function Global at Function Global. Amazing, Kyle! Thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate you.