Manchester-boy Mickey Taylor talks style, business, and the importance of having the right people around you.
The fashion
“For me, that’s my day-to-day kind of style…” explains Mickey, when I compliment him on the head-turning red-carpet looks he’s been serving during awards season. “I’ve always been someone who doesn’t see gender on the clothes rack, and will just wear what I feel comfy and happy in.”
“I feel confident in what I wear and what I do. I love that people enjoy my outfits. I get so many messages about my style and how it inspires others to be confident. It baffles me a bit, but I welcome anything that pushes others to try new styles – that makes me happy.”
“I did have my own clothing line, but I’ve now sold that. I didn’t have the time to give it the love it deserves. It’s now in great hands.”
The tattoos
“I’m almost done…” confirms Mickey, when I ask him if his body art is still a work in progress.
“It’s really only my right arm that I’m planning on fixing now. I’ve just had my torso reworked, and I love it! I’m almost done after that. No more face tatts – I promise!”
The music
“One Sided has recently been released…” says Mickey, when talk turns to his music ventures. “Two more music videos are on the way, but there won’t be any new singles as the album – Troubled – will be next.”
The business
“I guess I tend to run mine like most others…” replies Mickey, when I ask him about the content creation process he follows. “I book in a day with a model. Film it with him. Edit it. Publish it, and market it. It’s definitely a full-time job.”
“When it comes to working with studios, they’re all different – they’re like sexy snowflakes.”
“We’ve known for a while that in the UK the standards and payment has always been eclipsed by the US…” adds Mickey, when I ask him about a recent Twitter discussion about differing rates of pay from studios. “Fan subscription sites give us the chance to actually survive in a decreasing sex market in the UK. It’s enabled us to build brands and names that, in turn, have helped many models when it comes to our studio presence.”
“Between the filming, the music, and the modelling, there’s never a dull day. It can be hard to find time for a cup of tea!”
The support network
“Pam is definitely up there at number one…” confirms Mickey, when I ask him about the influence of mr. Pam – the industry icon who refers to him as her porn son. “She got me an exclusive contract, taught me how to write scripts, and how to direct. She’s a total inspiration to me. We both push each other to go beyond what we do.”
“I wouldn’t say many people within work gave me that drive besides her. Maybe for comparison and healthy competition, I look at others to get better. But my strength comes from friends and my incredible support system. I don’t like to look to other models for that. I don’t want to become insecure by comparing myself to what they do. They do what they do, and I do what I do. We can’t compare or compete. We will never be each other.”
“It’s hard, at weaker moments, to remind myself of that. So, I have my friends. They keep me humble, push me further, and tell me when I suck at something. I need people in my life who won’t be yes-men. I need to hear ‘no’ and ‘do better’. My friends are my family – always have been.”
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