The Ultimate American Dream: Interview with Pol’ Atteu and Patrik Simpson

Very few people in this world possess the ability to leave everyone astounded. But when it comes to Pol Atteu and Patrik Simpson, they are able to keep everyone hooked in an easy and effortless way, through their detailed analysis when it comes to fashion and through their entertaining commentary when it comes to producing their unique content on our screens.
Once you get the opportunity to interact with them, you can’t help but ask yourself “How do they do it?”
A quality that gives the ‘oomph factor’ such a versatile and good name…one needn’t even try. If we were to combine this phenomenon with the American Dream, what do we get? A powerhouse couple who are charismatic with a capital ‘C’, where their presence has significantly reshaped the landscape of a country that gives its people the freedom to do and aspire what they choose to do. Not to mention, co-exist collectively where various individuals from all walks of life share the same thoughts, ideas and beliefs.
Pol Atteu and Patrik Simpson are the definition of the ‘American Dream.’ When I had the pleasure to interview them, I was really surprised and spellbound to see how outgoing, witty and endearing their personalities were. True to their personas, it is their transparency and authenticity that really makes the audience gravitate towards them. As we always say, Dedication transcends into a surplus of admiration that comes in avalanches.
To state that they are masters of their crafts would be putting it too lightly. They shattered the glass ceiling despite the hardships they faced in the beginning. Having established their mark on the glorious landscapes of the U.S.A, here is a couple who keep themselves ahead of the curve. It is through their love, dedication and magnetism in the contributions that they make in the entertainment and fashion industry, that triumphs above all. Introducing the Ultimate American Dream, Pol Atteu and Patrik Simpson.

Q.1 Hi Patrik! Hi Pol’! Thank you so much for being a part of the ‘USA Issue’. We are super delighted to have you join us and be on the cover of our magazine. To start with, what according to you signifies the American Dream? What makes the USA so significant and special? (Pol’ & Patrik)

Pol’: The opportunities and the freedom to be able to exercise and express your creative direction. Living in America gives us the liberty to do so. We have traveled to over 70 countries in the world and the United States is honestly the only country that allows everyone to co-exist together whether they share the same thoughts, ideas or beliefs, or not. It is what truly makes us special and why everyone wants to come here.

Patrik: To me the American Dream is when you are living the life you choose to live. The USA gives everyone no matter race, religion, sex or sexual orientation the chance to live side by side with one another and pursue happiness in their own way. Whether it be love, career, success or family. Every American has the right to choose their own unique path in life and many other people in the world do not have that luxury. I am blessed that I have it all!

Q.2 I was just going through your Instagram accounts and I just started tuning into your podcast, ‘Undressed with Pol’ and Patrik’ and to say that its captivating would be an understatement. From your dynamic commentary to your transparent and eloquent views on fashion, what is the most fun part in working together? (Pol’ & Patrik)

Pol’: Sharing ideas and spending quality time together and living the American Dream most people all think about and cannot obtain. We live each day together as a Beverly Hills Power Couple. They call us The PPBoyz Beverly Hills for a reason. As far as fashion, I like to say I don’t just make couture, I am couture!
Patrik: Working with the one you love has been an extremely rewarding experience. It’s not easy but we figured out a way to make it work. Communication and honesty are the key. We are both big and strong personalities so many times it takes compromise to make it work. We try to remember that when the cameras are off it’s just 2 men that love each other and live their lives together. It is PLAIN and SIMPLE. Nothing comes between us. When it comes to fashion, I live, eat, sleep and breathe fashion and love to express myself with clothing and accessories. It’s a big part of WHO I am and always have been.

Q.3 It is said that the best way to understand the heart of a creator is by understanding the way in which their audience understands them, be it in the form of music, fashion, design and art. Now your influence in entertainment and fashion is purely commendable. You have so many people coming from all walks of life who look up to you two, because of the uniqueness you bring in your skillset and talent. Having said that, what is it about you two that converts one-time viewers into loyal fans, making them gravitate towards your aura? (Pol & Patrik)

Pol’: The sincerity and being genuine and the care that we put into each of our relationships is what makes us who we are. We are not characters on a show in truth our reality on-screen is the same as off-screen and when people meet us or send us messages on social media or email, they quickly understand that we are our authentic selves and we are who we are, and we love everyone.

Patrik: What you see on television is what you encounter when you meet us LIVE. Life is too short to not recognize and respect everyone from all walks of life. My dear departed best friend, Anna Nicole Smith said it best “I don’t care if you are the maid scrubbing toilets or you are the CEO of a billion-dollar company, at the end of the day we are just people and we all use the bathroom the same way!” It’s such a funny and simple answer and yet so true. That is why I think people like us because we are honest and fun and love life and love making memories together and always enjoy meeting new people. Some of my dearest friends, we have met along our travels. Life is special and precious and always about making memories and we do on constant basis.

Q.4 It is pretty rewarding when you can transform your passion into a reality. Pol’, your designs are impeccable. They are conventional, timeless and each have a story to tell. Your dresses have this innate capacity in making your clients feel like the world is theirs to keep. I’d like to ask you, when it comes to developing a conceptual design into an outfit, do you also work on the creative direction aspect of it, since an outfit alone…cannot be expressed with just the color or silhouette of the dress? (Pol’)

Pol’: It’s multiple layers of development from concept to inception to execution to capture every woman’s essence to bring it out to the forefront and to highlight them in that special moment that they are putting on a Pol’ Atteu custom gown for. Not only do I design and craft these beautiful gowns, but I also actually sew them. Many designers do not sew. I bring my love of color and textures and fabrics into the “Pol’ Atteu Beverly Hills Playground” and always finish with something I am the proudest of, or it doesn’t go out. That is why I have created gowns for hundreds of celebrities because they know the perfection and attention to detail I possess when creating. My gowns do not wear them, they wear my gowns and it’s THEIR special moment to shine.

Q.5 Patrik, as the executive producer, co-creator and star of Gown and Out Beverly Hills, there’s a lot of effort that’s put into releasing every episode in order to make it a massive hit. Tell me about a time when you worked on a project that at once didn’t receive much hype, but to you it’s something close to your heart, that you feel is a hidden gem that’s difficult to work on. (Patrik)

Patrik: Two projects come to mind. The first is the Anna Nicole Show with Anna Nicole Smith. The show was iconic as it was one of the very first reality shows. The world and the producers didn’t really know or understand what a reality show was. Back then no one knew that reality television would take the entertainment world by storm. Anna Nicole and E! Television were the pioneers of the reality tv business. That show was one of the best reality shows ever and started the trend and business of reality TV. Without Anna Nicole and her show, there would be no Kardashians, Housewives of Vanderpump Rules. I really don’t think people gave Anna Nicole enough credit for what she started.
The second show was New Money. We originally signed on to this show as a docu-series that was going to follow our lives and 4 other couples lives in Los Angeles. We were the ‘Gay Beverly Hills Power Couple’ and we were excited to showcase our lives on the show on E! television. It was like coming back home since we began our reality television on that network. The show wen through so many changes and was cut from an ongoing docu-series following our life in several episodes, to a one-off (which means one episode) following us, and then in the final edit stages, the show was completely changed to a competition series with 3 couples battling over who spent the most “New Money”. We won the show as I shut down Rodeo Drive and proposed to Pol’ with a 22-karat diamond engagement ring, however that was never the show we signed on the dotted line for. So, I was quite disappointed in how it all transpired, and it really taught me the hard knocks lesson of reality tv and nothing is always as it starts out to be. Overall, the show and experience were great and my proposal to the man I love is forever on the small screen.

Q.6 There are so many T.V shows and podcasts that pertain to fashion but ‘Úndressed’ and ‘Gown and Out’ have raised head and shoulders above various other channels. What do you think took the two of you so far and what worked for you-as Patrik Simpson and Pol Atteu, having cultivated masses in terms of global success? What is your USP? (Patrik and Pol)

Pol: The backgrounds that we come from. From the modeling industry (Patrik) to the design (Pol’) to the love and energies we bring from each of our perspective industries to the small screen that we get to share with everyone. We are also extremely hard working and continuously strive to make everything we do a success. The love and care we put into each project we do really does come through on-screen. The relationships and celebrity friendships we have are because our friends know that they can count on us, whether famous or not. Anna Nicole Smith was my best friend because she knew she could count on me, and Patrik and we could count on her for love and support. I instill that basic formula into all my relationships and friendships and that is why we have cultivated this incredible group of famous and not famous tribes around us.

Patrik: I started my career in the entertainment industry as an international fashion model working in New York, Paris, Germany and Japan. One of the first shows I walked in was for Versace. After that I was a casting director in Hollywood, and I was always behind the scenes in production. Even now as a talent onscreen, I attribute our global success to the hard work, dedication and love of what we are doing, to the success we have. People think reality tv is easy and it really is not. I have been an actor on stage and screen as well and to be honest, I’d rather have a script. Our show Gown and Out in Beverly Hills is 100% unscripted and we do not even know the ending result or how the episode we film will play out until we get into the edit bay. I think our show is globally successful because it relates to so much of what people love and crave and want to watch. Everyone is curious about celebrities and the Beverly Hills lifestyle. We are where many people secretly have a desire to be or be a part of and maybe they are too afraid or too shy or not ready to put their lives out there for all to see. Nothing is off the table or off limits on our TV show. I have had a face-lift, liposuction surgery, gynecomastia surgery and a Brazilian Butt Lift, all on TV. Because what you see on our show and in our podcast is our real lives and that is what makes our show organic, real and fun to watch. We do not hold back for anything. We even fight on camera, but we always make up at the end of the day. No one is going to break us up.

Q.7 You both have an incredible fanbase. When you look back at your incredible journey towards success, what is that one moment when you both felt extremely proud of? (Patrik and Pol)

Pol’: Every day being a new challenge we work together to overcome makes each moment attainable as we journey in life together. There are so many but, when we get messages from people watching and getting to know us on TV and the radio it is truly inspiring to know how we have changed the trajectory and affected them and helped to change their lives for the better and allowing other people to live out their dreams and not be afraid. That is what we stand for and I think that is why it works for us.

Patrik: I think my proudest moment was in Season 4 of Gown and Out in Beverly Hills when I dealt with the death of my mother, Barbara Anne Simpson. She fought a long battle with Alzheimer’s, and it shook me to the core when I lost her. Our show is normally a fun, lighthearted journey with me and Pol’ and our celebrity friends. In the episode with Shobna Gulati, a famous UK actress, we both had a heart-to-heart talk on our couch in the boutique about our mothers. Her mother had passed from Dementia/Alzheimer’s and my mother was fighting the illness at the time. It was a tear jerking moment and I was so proud to be able to bring attention to this incredibly heartbreaking illness that affects so many people. The show was released after my mother lost her battle with the illness and passed away. I included a beautiful memorial and tribute to both our mothers at the end of the episode and that was one of my proudest moments that I could first of use the power of our television show to bring attention and awareness to Alzheimer’s and that I could have this beautiful tribute to my mother’s memory forever on the small screen all over the world. My mother was my biggest supporter and cheerleader, and I am proud to feature her and I know she would be proud to see all that we have accomplished.

Q.8 When you have the opportunity to converse with your fans or with the people close to you, be it in the form of live Q & A’s, meet and greets and of course, on your podcast…do those conversations sometimes transcend into inspirations for a particular idea for a future episode or say…a design just by connecting with them? (Patrik & Pol’)

Pol’: Every connection we have and make is meaningful and translates to positive gestures that we cherish and embody and translate to our creative outlet to learn and grow from. We have many people we have met along our journey in life that have grown into beautiful everlasting friendships. When we are filming our TV show or our podcast our creative brains are always absorbing and taking in all that we learn. Many times, this has translated to a custom couture gown. My life is all about fashion and making people look their most beautiful and I take inspiration from the people we meet, the experiences we have and the adventures we embark on. Some way or another, it winds up in the gown I create. Quick example: I was in Costa Rica for a week in the cloud forest and when I came back, I created the most beautiful Kelly-Green couture gown for my client’s baby christening. I was inspired by the forest and the trees to go in this direction. So, every experience translates somehow and in some way.

Patrik: Well I produce our TV show so everything we do whether it be meeting people, interviewing for our podcast or attending an event or red carpet somehow translates to a part of our show and the brand of Pol’ Atteu and the brand of Pol’ and Patrik AKA: The PPBoyz Beverly Hills. Not only do we work on the tv show and podcast together, we also wrote a syndicated travel article from our experiences traveling abroad called The PPBoyz Beverly Hills take you to… So all the experiences we encounter in life are somehow incorporated into our show, podcast or article. Our show is reality, and it is non-scripted and so my ‘producer/creator brain’ is always thinking about what or how I can use this as content for our show. The hard part is taking that experience and making it fun and interesting to watch and to keep the audience entertained. Each episode of Gown and Out in Beverly Hills is 22-26 minutes, so we pack a lot into that time. The key is to keep the audience engaged and coming back for more. I love it when someone tells me they just binged our show, because he tells me they loved it and could not stop watching. That feels good to hear and validates what we do and are putting on the small screen for people to watch.

Q.9 It is common to have bad days. What are some of the activities that you two resort to in order to lift your spirits up? What keeps you aware and going? (Pol and Patrik)

Pol’: Everyone has bad days. My sewing machine gives me tranquility and puts me in a meditative state and helps me to look inward and to push forward. What keeps me moving and aware and going on a constant basis is knowing I have the love and respect from my husband, Patrik. I am the type of person that shuts down and shuts off when I have a bad day and can’t cope. He pushes through and eventually I can be open and get off my chest whatever I am feeling and then I can tuck away the issue or problem and continue with a smile. I am glad I have him to help me through those tough moments.

Patrik: Ewan McGregor sings it best from one of my favorite movies, Moulin Rouge and from my favorite director, Baz Luhrmann. He sings “All You Need is Love ” and he is so right. Honestly, love makes the world go round. I stay away from hate and count myself blessed to have love in my life. There are many times that I get moody or depressed or sad, but Pol’ is truly the most special person in my life and knows how to get me to snap out of it. It also helps having the most beautiful puppy, SnowWhite90210 by my side. She is a true joy and gives unconditional love. Pol’ is always the voice of reason and knows how to ‘rope me in’ when I am on one of my tangents or I am off in LaLa land, as he likes to call it. I am July Cancer and very free-spirited and free flowing. Sometimes it drives him and others crazy. It’s like I am flying through the clouds but thank god for Pol’ as he knows how to bring me back to reality and he honestly keeps me grounded. It’s a Yin and Yang relationship that just works because we mutually love and respect one another, even if we are having a bad day. We never get angry. That is one thing my mother always said to me, and I live that daily. He is a Capricorn, and I am Cancer so we clash many times but, in the end we always come together.

Q.10 Are there any exciting projects that you two are working on that you would like to share with us? Or do you wish to keep it as a surprise? Not to mention…what are some of the fashion trends you two are NOT looking forward to? (Pol & Patrik)

Pol’ and Patrik: We just finished shooting a new hybrid season of our reality show called Gown and Out in Beverly Hills Hits Dubai, and it all about our recent adventures in Dubai with an expanded cast, including your editor, Martin Al Masri, Persiana Dulo and the VBF team and will release on Prime Video worldwide at the end of this year. We start shooting season 5 of Gown and Out in September for Prime Video, with all new celebrity reveals and some exciting things happening at the boutique and in our lives. We were featured this year on Vanderpump Rules and Growing Up Hip Hop and we will continue to shoot our weekly podcast UNDRESSED WITH POL’ AND PATRIK available on Apple, Spotify and YouTube and new episodes drop every Wednesday. Last but not least, our book Anna Nicole Smith “Portrait of An Icon” available on Amazon, is now being turned into a major motion picture and we have our eye on actress Lily James to play Anna Nicole Smith, alongside an all-star cast.