.digital
After Roaming On The Digital Aether, Taylor Phillips Now Walks On Solid Ground
written CHIDOZIE OBASI
In a world permeated by downturns and saturation that shape society with increasingly ferocious pace, carving out a personal lane with fierce, unapologetic demeanour is no mean feat. However, one’s journey may be shaped with hard-hitting and defiant steps, which, in turn, lead to thematically varied outcomes. Such is the case with Taylor Phillips, the New York city multihyphenate who’s worn a lot of hats over the years.
“I’ve spent more than a decade sharing my life online,” he tells LE MILE’s Fashion Market Director, Chidozie Obasi, the moment they settle into conversation. “What started as a kid from a small Midwestern town moving to New York to pursue modeling eventually evolved into a career built around storytelling,” he confesses. “Along the way, I’ve shared everything from coming out publicly and navigating relationships to building a business and creating a life that feels authentic to who I am.” Over that time, Phillips built a broad community across his platforms, and that has shaped the way he approaches everything he undertakes. “Whether it’s content, creative direction, or brand building, I’m always thinking about connection first,” he says. “That’s ultimately what led me to launch GoodPark. In many ways, the brand feels like a culmination of everything I’ve learned over the last ten years—about storytelling, community, identity, and creating experiences that people want to be part of.” But there’s more to the story, which you’ll probably read here first. You’re welcome.
Chidozie Obasi
How’s the past year been for you?
Taylor Phillips
The past year has been both exciting and transformative. Last year, GoodPark launched its first swim collection and the response exceeded anything we could have hoped for. Since then, we’ve spent the year expanding the brand, refining our point of view, and building something that feels much bigger than swimwear. What excites me most is that GoodPark has evolved into a lifestyle brand with a very clear perspective. We’ve expanded our product offering, strengthened our community, and spent a lot of time defining what we want the brand to stand for. On a personal level, it’s also been a year of reflection. After spending more than a decade creating content online, I’ve become increasingly interested in building something lasting. Social media moves incredibly fast. A post exists for a day, maybe a week if you’re lucky. Building a brand feels different. You’re creating something people can physically experience and hopefully carry with them for years.
When did you first realise you wanted to go into the fashion space?
It happened in a pretty roundabout way. I don’t think I fell in love with fashion first—I fell in love with imagery. I was fascinated by photography long before I ever considered fashion as a career. Growing up in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, I remember waiting for catalogues to arrive in the mail. J.Crew, Lands’ End, Abercrombie & Fitch—they weren’t just selling clothes, they were selling worlds. Their campaigns felt like moments I wanted to step into. At the same time, I was obsessed with pop culture. I grew up watching America’s Next Top Model and the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. I still remember seeing Gisele Bündchen in Taxi and being completely captivated by her presence. Fashion entered my life through modeling, but what kept me interested wasn’t necessarily the clothing. It was storytelling.Modeling exposed me to branding, photography, creative direction, and the way great brands create emotional connections with people. I became fascinated by the idea that a product could be a vehicle for something much bigger than itself. That’s ultimately what pulled me into such a space.
Could you unpack any key reference points you look at when finding inspiration, and talk us through the influences you had while growing up?
Honestly, most of the influences that shaped me came later in life. I grew up in a very blue-collar, industrial town, and my exposure to the creative world was fairly limited. It was often the little things—a catalogue arriving in the mail, a magazine, eventually getting access to the internet—that made my world feel bigger. We had an Abercrombie & Fitch at our local mall, and I was obsessed with those campaigns. I used to save the shopping bags and hang them on my bedroom walls because I was so drawn to photography. Looking back, that was probably one of the first signs that I was interested in visual storytelling. As I’ve gotten older, my sources of inspiration have shifted. I’m endlessly fascinated by people and the stories they carry with them. I love hearing what someone remembers about their childhood, a place they grew up, a summer they can’t forget, a song that reminds them of someone. Those small details often inspire me more than traditional fashion references. That’s very much the world GoodPark lives in. We’re not interested in nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. We’re interested in memory—how certain moments stay with us and continue shaping who we become.
If your path had to be described in a manifesto or summed up as a story, how would you best go about it?
I’d describe it as a story about becoming comfortable taking up space and staying open to possibility. For a long time, I was trying to fit into versions of myself that other people expected—professionally, personally, creatively. The biggest turning point in my life happened when I stopped doing that and I’ll be the first to admit it’s something I could be better at. Coming out publicly, sharing my relationship online, leaving a traditional career path, starting a business—each of those moments required becoming more comfortable being seen. If there’s a common thread throughout everything I’ve done, it’s the belief that authenticity compounds. The more honest you become about who you are, the more opportunities you create for meaningful connection with other people.
Speaking of your brand, what urged you to create it in the first place and where did the initial concept come from?
GoodPark started from a desire to create community. Years ago, I launched a small collection of apparel with positive messages and affirmations. What surprised me wasn’t the products themselves—it was how strongly people responded to the feeling behind them. People weren’t buying a t-shirt because they needed another t-shirt. They were buying into a sense of belonging and shared values. That idea stayed with me. Over time, it evolved into GoodPark.
Today, the brand is inspired by the feeling of summer—not necessarily a season, but a state of mind. Long days with friends, spontaneous adventures, human connection, and the freedom to be fully yourself. The products matter, but they’re really vehicles for a bigger emotional experience. At its core, GoodPark is about creating things that help people feel moreconnected—to themselves, to each other, and to the moments they’ll remember years from now.
Taylor wears a jacket by LOUIS VUITTON, shirt by CELINE, pants by DSQUARED2, shoes by CHURCH’S and tie by ETRO
Taylor wears a total look by PRADA
Taylor wears shirt and pants by MOSCHINO and tie by CELINE
Walk me through your creative process, or even your own background in branding and design.
I don’t come from a traditional design background, which I actually think has been an advantage. My background is in content creation and audience building. For more than ten years, I’ve spent every day paying attention to what captures people’s attention, what creates emotion, and what makes someone feel connected to an idea. When I’m developing something for GoodPark, I almost never start with the product. I start with a feeling. I’ll ask questions like: What memory does this evoke? What does this moment feel like? Who is this person? Where are they? What are they listening to? Who are they spending time with? I like to zoom out and build the entire world before focusing on the individual pieces inside it.
Once I understand that world, everything else starts to fall into place—the photography, the copy, the colors, the casting, the product design. I try to design from inside the experience rather than from the outside looking in.
Among a highly saturated market of both independent and established labels, what strategies do you adopt to stay afloat and continue carving out space to develop your own practice?
I think the biggest advantage smaller brands have is clarity. Large brands often have to appeal to everyone. We don’t. We have a very specific perspective on masculinity, community, memory, and self-expression. The goal isn’t to be everything to everyone. The goal is to create something so distinct that the right people immediately recognize themselves in it. I also think being a small brand gives us permission to experiment. Some things work, some things don’t, and that’s okay. I’ve spent most of my career online, where adaptation is part of survival. The digital landscape changes constantly. Algorithms change. Platforms change.
Consumer behavior changes. You learn to stay curious and keep moving. Community has also been a huge advantage. Because I spent years building an audience before launching GoodPark, the brand didn’t start from zero. There was already trust, conversation, and shared values. We launched with built-in support, and that’s something I’ll never take for granted.
And are you hoping to scale the brand further?
Absolutely. The long-term vision has never been limited to swimwear. I see GoodPark becoming a complete lifestyle brand that extends into apparel, hospitality, experiences, and community. The brands I admire most aren’t simply selling products—they’re creating worlds that people genuinely want to be part of. That’s what we’re building. I don’t necessarily measure success by how many products we sell or how quickly we grow. I measure it by whether we’re creating something meaningful enough that people want to keep coming back to it. If we can do that, growth tends to follow naturally.
Any exciting projects for the future?
We’re currently expanding beyond our core swim category while continuing to refine GoodPark’s identity and visual world. I’m also incredibly excited about bringing thecommunity together in real life. Some of the most meaningful connections happen offline, and I think there’s a huge opportunity to create experiences that feel just as intentional and memorable as the products themselves. That said, there will always be another project. There will always be another launch, another idea, another thing on the horizon. What I’m actually trying to get better at is slowing down enough to appreciate what’s happening right now. I’ve spent most of my life with my foot firmly on the gas pedal. I’m always looking ahead, thinking about what’s next, chasing the next goal. Lately, I’ve been learning the value of pausing and taking it all in. So while I’m excited for what’s coming, I’m equally excited about becoming better at appreciating what’s already here.
Taylor wears a total look by LORO PIANA
Taylor wears vest by PAUL SMITH, shirt by ETRO, pants by SETCHU and shoes by AQVA ALTA
Taylor wears jacket by CANALI, shirt by ISABEL MARANT, pants by RANDOM IDENTITIES by Stefano Pilati and shoes by AQVA ALTA
Taylor wears t-shirt by SON OF A TAILOR and swimwear by GOODPARK
Taylor wears henley shirt by DOLCE&GABBANA and swimwear by GOODPARK
PARK HYATT MILAN
Located in the heart of Milan’s historic centre, Park Hyatt Milano has stood for Italian luxury hospitality for over two decades. Recently refurbished by Flaviano Capriotti Architetti, the hotel combines contemporary Italian design with bespoke experiences and refined suites inspired by the city’s landmarks. The Montenapoleone Suite looks out directly onto the Milan skyline thanks to its spacious panoramic terrace, spanning 180 square metres with an outdoor area of 35 square metres.
— visit Hyatt.com for more information.
photography
STEFANO SCIUTO
fashion market director + stylist CHIDOZIE OBASI
contributing fashion editor EDWARD PUSCA
head of production JESSICA LOVATO
fashion coordinators FILIPPO CANCELLIER + ALBERTO MICHISANTI
make up MARTA CUPAIOLI via MKS MILANO
hair FUJIWARA TAKAHASHI via MKS MILANO
talent TAYLOR PHILLIPS
photography assistant GENNARO ANDREOLI
fashion assistants ISABELLA RUIZ + CHARISSE ORDINARIA + ANGELINA PERSIANI + LOUIS VEDERE
fashion market director + stylist CHIDOZIE OBASI
contributing fashion editor EDWARD PUSCA
head of production JESSICA LOVATO
fashion coordinators FILIPPO CANCELLIER + ALBERTO MICHISANTI
make up MARTA CUPAIOLI via MKS MILANO
hair FUJIWARA TAKAHASHI via MKS MILANO
talent TAYLOR PHILLIPS
photography assistant GENNARO ANDREOLI
fashion assistants ISABELLA RUIZ + CHARISSE ORDINARIA + ANGELINA PERSIANI + LOUIS VEDERE
credits
all Images (c) LE MILE
and Stefano Sciuto