From the Founder, Brian Mazza 12/15
Design the Life. Be the Character.
You already know who you want to be.
What you think you need is permission, validation, or someone to package the vision for you.
You do not.
You need belief.
You need clarity.
You need the courage to act like the main character before the world agrees.
I was watching the Ralph Lauren documentary on a recent flight. If you know me, you know my love for menswear. Not fashion for trends, but fitted garments that express character. Clothing that tells a story before you ever open your mouth.
Years ago, when we had The Ainsworth on 26th Street in New York City, we were still a small hospitality group. No corporate office. No unnecessary overhead. But we did have a vacant nine hundred square foot basement sitting unused. Around the same time, we were operating a summer nightclub in Southampton called Dune. That season changed everything for me.
At twenty two years old, I was introduced to custom clothing. I would buy fabrics at B and J Fabrics on 37th Street, then travel uptown into Spanish Harlem to a tailor working out of his apartment. Shirts with structure. Collars that stayed strong. Proper darts. Clothing that fit with intention.
People started asking where I got my shirts.
That curiosity turned into Windsor Custom. A men’s custom showroom hidden behind a steel fireproof door. Saturday and Sunday football culture meeting Savile Row vibes . Two worlds no one thought belonged together. Eventually, it became something so unique that The New York Times featured it on the front page of the Thursday Style section.
At the time, no one else saw it.
I did.
That is what vision looks like before it is validated.
I have studied Ralph Lauren for years and continue to. What stands out is not just taste or aesthetics. It is clarity. He knew what he wanted, how he wanted it, and when he wanted it. He was ruthless in execution because the vision was non negotiable.
He designed his life his way.
That is the lesson.
When you know who you are, who you want to become, where you are going, and how you operate, your decisions move fast. Your energy aligns. Your actions are guided by what I call the clarity train.
Clarity takes time.
Clarity requires self respect.
Clarity often demands that you temporarily detach from the reality you are living while you build the reality you want.
Ralph did not need an agency to tell him how to see the world. He trusted his internal compass. The same is true for you.
You do not need someone else to design your life.
Step outside your current circumstances. Look at yourself as the lead character in a film. Who is that person. What do they stand for. How do they move. What environments do they choose. What standards do they live by.
Then write the script.
Have the confidence to build your desired life, your desired journey, and your personal mood board without waiting for approval.
On paper, I am an athlete. I train hard. I love competition. I love sport. But at the core, I am a creator. I am driven by vision. I am wired to knock down obstacles and turn ideas into lived realities.
Just like that young kid from the Bronx, Ralph Lifshitz.
As Ralph says, you do not need all the things you thought you needed.
You just need the good things.
Stay true to yourself.
Design boldly.
And never outsource your vision.
