Byron Bradshaw: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

20 questions with New York based fashion entrepreneur Byron Bradshaw

The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?

You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

I’d rather be dead than boring.

Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2013?

Being uninformed. I don’t understand how in this day and age people can be so unaware of the world around them.

Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

My youthful metabolism.

What might you swap all your wealth for?

A lifetime of good health for myself and my loved ones.

Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the banking crisis?

I think we’d all be better off if everyone would accept a little more personal responsibility.

What phrase or word do you most loathe?

“I can’t.”

In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

Absolutely. Philanthropy should be more than just writing a cheque. It’s our duty to leave the world a little better than when we found it; and that requires a little elbow grease.

The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

Sadly, mobile devices are a necessary evil in today’s business world. However, we should all try to unplug more and enjoy the world around us. Why see the sights through an Instagram filter?

If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

Dolly Parton, David Sedaris, Marina Abramović, Oprah and my puppy.

If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

Anyone who knows me knows how absolutely difficult this would be for me: Chicken parmesan, steamed broccoli, chicken-fried steak, gravy, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, guacamole, fajitas, Sour Patch Kids, sweet tea, Diet Coke, and a Shiner beer. I’d eat it all on the South Mall at the University of Texas campus.

What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

I guess that would depend on when you had your last drink the night before, no?

A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

Martini, extra olives.

Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

Any with great whiskey and fun tunes.

Who is the most positive person you know?

My good friend, Janice Heise. She’s so grounded and Zen, but at the same time if you cross her, she will cut you.

What’s your most guilty pleasure?

Singing show tunes in the shower.

If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

Probably my initials, BBB.

If you were a car, what marque would you be?

A Merecdes-Benz G-Wagon.

Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

Growing up, I had a pet cow named Angus that I bottle-fed. He would stand at my back door and moo when he was hungry.

What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

Way too many pictures of my dog and my boyfriend.

Byron Bradshaw is a New York based fashion entrepreneur who has variously worked for Cameron Silver, Inc. and GQ Magazine. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.

Follow him on Twitter @ByronBradshaw and on Instagram at byronbradshaw

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