If you’ve been following Limite since it’s one month being public on the web you should be aware that we’re all about chatting with the taste makers and go getters who influence the way the market and culture trend evolves into. Over the Spring and Summer, I’ve been hearing Hot Air coming out of peoples mouths so finally decided to see what this brand was all about, comes to find out that the world is even smaller than you think. I had the chance to speak with Bee on the marriage of “cool” and “luxury” and hopes of working with Sir Richard Branson.

 
Name / Alias: Bee Nguyen (pronounced WIN)

What do you currently do for a living? 

I am CEO of Grand Tactics, my marketing / consulting agency and I am also a founding partner in Hot Air Brand.

Where are you originally from? 

Originally from Saigon, Vietnam but grew up in Los Angeles since I  was a little shorty.

What is Hot Air Brand; to those unaware?

Hot Air Brand is my latest business venture, we are a newly launched luxury lifestyle apparel brand that is inspired by the global sport  of Hot Air ballooning. There has never been a brand that has catered to the culture and lifestyle of hot air ballooning, sort of like what Nautica did for sailing, Polo for the sport of polo; we aim to do so with Hot Air.

What drove you to launch Grand Tactics?

I launched Grand Tactics after leaving my marketing post over at  Nike; I decided to take the next step in my career by launching my own agency. I have always wanted to go into business for myself, and  was fortunate enough to have the ability and timing to do so. Grand Tactics has allowed me to capitalize on all of my years of learning and developing my business savvy within the Entertainment Industry;  everyone needs marketing.

How would you describe your style?

I would have to say that my style is simple, street, and luxury all  fused into one outfit. I like mixing clean, understated pieces with  one or two key luxury items.

What inspires you in your daily pursuit of Life?

My inspirations for my daily pursuit of Life has to be the desire to  provide a loving, comfortable home for my family, making sure that my daughter has all that she needs in order to live her life to her fullest potential. I love what I do, being able to wake up everyday  of my life and do what I want to do and get paid very well for it is a dream come true.  I thank God every day for my blessing and abilities. I am always in pursuit of learning new truths and  unknowns, and hopefully I have been able to teach a few others what I have learned along the way in order to continue to pay it forward.

Within the last several years, there’s been a big marriage between the urban and luxury world, with the help of people like Pharrell Williams, Sean “Diddy” Combs and Gwen Stefani. What’s next for the merge of “cool” and “luxury life”?

The urban community has always had an admiration for the unattainable, and luxury is definitely something that most kids in the inner city can only dream of. I think the next merge of “cool” and “luxury life” will be in the form of us paying a ridiculously high premium to be more environmentally friendly, i.e. hybrid Phantoms and Murcielagos. I’m sure all of the high-end fashion houses are also looking to “Go Green” and will begin to look more in depth into manufacturing with organic fabrics.

What new collabo’s can we expect from Hot Air?

We recently released our first collabos with Grey One and Diamond Supply, we are in talks with our friends over at In4mation to do something as well as Pro-Keds, and Rocksmith. Basically we will be looking to collaborate with great, likeminded brands that just so happen to be friends of ours. I would love to do a collaboration with Sir Richard Branson, he is a big Hot Air balloon enthusiast. Virgin x  Hot Air, lets go!!

What new projects are you working on?

Aside from continually helping to create new collections for Hot Air, I just recently inked a deal with sneaker brand PRO-Keds and will be working with them on their re-launch into the footwear game. I also have a couple of film and TV projects that I am shopping alongside my homies pro skater Stevie Williams and director Jessy Terrero. In addition to all of this, I still find time to be an integral part of  the L.A. nightlife, we have a weekly party we throw in Hollywood at CENTRAL which has been poppin’ off.

Bee and directors; Chris Robinson & Jessy Terrero

Which fashion capital interests you the most? Why?

I would have to say that LA has my interest at heart, probably  because I live here, and it is very important to me that we remain a formidable city for fashion. You have such a wide array of personal style based on the great weather that we have year around. Only a handful of clowns in LA wear Ed Hardy, and the world needs to know that!!!

What are your wardrobe trademarks?

You can always find me rockin’ a crisp v-neck tee, a pair of Hot Air Brand raw denim, fresh pair of kicks, a nice watch, and if it’s sunny outside, one of my vintage shades on.

What’s on the top of your playlist?

Kid Cudi “Day and Night”

MGMT “Electric Feel”

Kanye West “Swagger Like Us”

Rick Ross “Maybach Music”

Who’s your style icon?

Style icon would have to be the various people profiled on the Sartorialist’s site , he always profiles regular folks with a great sense of fashion, I take my inspiration from so many different folks, its hard to just pinpoint one person.

What books are you currently reading?

I just finished re-reading “Beyond Disruption” and “Lovemarks”. I tend to read books that pertain to my field of brand marketing, these 2 books are really great in defining how we flock to certain consumer products and are unknowingly marketed to.

What does success mean to you?

Success to me means being able to live a happy, healthy, comfortable  life. Life is all about balance, too much of anything can be bad for you. This is a life mantra that I have taken on as a part of my upbringing as a Buddhist. It is also very important to me that I surround myself with likeminded folks as you are definitely the company you keep. I appreciate being able to have friends and family  that are so inspiring, gifted, and positive. I know that I have a lot more in store for me to achieve and attain as I walk down my daily  path called life, but the road to success is not a bad journey at all.