May 22, 2025
It’s not every day that you can laugh your ass with a legendary. On a Friday in May, Swizz and I were laughing as we talked about his style quirks, his name’s etymology, and…his toes.
Yes, toes. Later, I will expand on this. I’ll give you a little context. The legendary producer, songwriter and DJ Edward Enninful joined me on Zoom to discuss his navy and red-striped Moncler x Edward Enninful suit.
This year’s theme is [ Tailoring Black Style] us. So it’s simple. Swizz explains that the other themes were harder to pull from because they are different eras and styles you may not be familiar with. I love that my wife [Alicia Keys] is able to create something creative with me this year. I hope the people love it. Even if people don’t like it, we still love it. “We’re going to have a great time.”
Let’s be honest; only his wife’s opinion matters. “Listen to me; my wife is the one who has the final say in everything. That’s how it works.“ She respects me and my taste, but she cares about her opinion of how I look. So I ask, “Babe, what do you think?“ Are we okay? It’s done. We both felt that way about this look, and I cannot wait to have our next fitting. It’s going be super amazing.“
“Everyone I knew had a dream job, and I believe I am probably the 0.1 per cent that was actually able to do my dream work.”
The conversation took turns and twists that no one saw coming. Swizz’s conversation with me was hilarious and genuine. From him being a Virgo who is irritated to the softie he has ever worked with, it was a great experience. Let’s go back.
The Met with Moncler
“I have always been a big fan of the brand, even though I’ve never met or known the entire team. I love that they made something so simple as a down bomber coat into the thing everyone wears when it is cold. They’re changing it up and stepping out of the box with the Met Gala. My wife also collaborated with the Genius Program. I love their disruptive instincts.
A Matching Accessory
“I’m excited to wear my new brooches. I have a collection of brooches with a Brazilian jewellery brand called Ara Vartanian. This project took us five years to complete. I want to see it again so that I can add a brooch or cufflinks. “I love accessories.”
Sweatsuits with Exposed Toes
“My favourite item in my closet is my comfy sweatsuits, which I can lounge in and be lazy. After dressing up for so many events, I enjoy just relaxing in a super soft sweatsuit and some soft slippers. My favourite clothing is cosy wear.
“The things I would never wear – see, I’m stating that and I’ll likely wear it tomorrow, because I’m so spontaneous and I can change my mind any second – but what I wouldn’t wear in the future, is a suit where my toes are hanging out of my sandals. It feels like I’m wearing nothing. “I’m not quite there yet when I see people in a suit with just their toes sticking out.
Swizz Peevez
“I am a Virgo. I’m a man. My kids apply deodorant while not washing their hands. Why would anyone do that? This is against the rules. You are supposed to apply deodorant right after washing up. It’s not unusual for kids to do this, but what makes you spray so much cologne or apply so much deodorant right after basketball practice? You are putting on your old body odour with a new outfit. For me, dirty fingernails are not an option. I’ll stop the car. I can’t. “I’m from South Bronx, and I’m used to the struggle, but I can’t do dirty nails.“
What’s your name?
“Hahahaha! That’s funny. Growing up in the Bronx, I wore K-Swiss shoes all the time. When I was part of the GTR (Guaranteed to Rock) breakdance group, I wore them with fat shoelaces. I was the youngest, and I always wore K-Swiss shoes. When Jordans and other sneakers came out, I wanted to change the name. I began to make up new names, and people continued to call me Swiss. “Yo, my name is Loco.“ They kept calling me Swiss, but I couldn’t get away from them. When I began DJing as DJ K-Swiss, I realized that I didn’t even wear K-Swiss any more. As soon as I began doing beats, I had to change names again. They didn’t like any of the names I thought up. Swiss, Swiss, Swiss. Then I thought, “All right, Swiss Beats.“ but then I said, “Man, this has to be different.“ I changed all of the s to z. Now, I felt I had a unique and unrelated name to the shoes. “I did buy the company twice, but only for nostalgia’s sake.“
“My favourite item in my closet is my comfy sweatsuits, which I love to lounge in and just be lazy. “I’ve been dressing so much for events that I just love being in a super soft sweatsuit and some soft slippers while doing nothing,“ says the producer.
The biggest softie you’ve ever worked with
“You know my brother DMX. He barks like a puppy and does all this yelling. But he wants to hug all day and play with remote control cars. It was his way of expressing what he had been through as a kid and how he had fought in different ways. Earl loved to play with remote control cars, play pool and watch South Park. It wasn’t tough to chill with him. He always had that inner child, and I loved it. I loved that part of him because he always had his inner child. Joe? Joe?
Education is a powerful tool.
If I didn’t do music, I may not have a career. You might have wanted your dream job when I was growing up, but it wasn’t easy to get there. The resources were very limited. Everyone I knew had a dream job, but I was probably one of the 0.1 per cent who could actually do it. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized there were no educational programs or systems. The teacher would put the homework on the board and then leave the classroom. Later, I learned that education is the key to freedom and that it’s the key to being able to come up with great ideas and get out of poverty. That’s why education is so important to me. Harvard just awarded me the Entrepreneur of the Year Award yesterday. You think that you need so many people to build something because you lack knowledge. By doubling down on how to build up your mind and build companies, this helps.”
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