Mickey Freeman Lets Us In On What It's Like Styling Keke Palmer: "She's a Chameleon!"

Published on 3/16/2021 at 4:58 PM

Mickey Freeman

You may not know Mickey Freeman, aka MickeyBoooom, by name, but chances are you've probably seen his work on the red carpet since he styles some of the biggest names in the industry. The fashion stylist and designer, who's repped by The Only Agency, is clearly one to watch within the fashion space, which is why we spoke with him to learn more of his story.

"The idea of styling as a career was always inside of me."

"I jokingly tell people that I've been styling since I was a child because I'm my own muse," Mickey said. "The idea of styling as a career was always inside of me. As I became an adult, I began developing the necessary business acumen to make it a reality, along with the understanding that the journey would not be an easy one and that it would require a great deal of hard work. My professional journey began with many round-trip charter bus rides from my hometown of Philadelphia to NYC, lugging suitcases full of clothes I paid for out of pocket to shoot with fashion photographers that I connected with online. After much prayer, persistence, and perseverance, my dreams began to manifest."

Clearly, those dreams became a reality, as we've continually been seeing his work on A-listers. "I have a ton of celebs whom I've styled that I would say are my favorite," Mickey revealed when asked about his clients. "Many of those celebs are actors, including Peyton List, Dascha Polanco, Brett Gray, Dylan Sprouse, Aldis Hodge, Ella Anderson, Keke Palmer, and the list goes on! Other celebs that are in the music industry include Dave East, Tamar Braxton, and Lil Mama," Mickey told us.

Keep scrolling to read more of our interview where we learned what it's been like working during the pandemic, who some of his favorite designers of the moment are, and more about Keke's style. There are even some behind-the-scenes styling pictures!

Working During the Pandemic

"The pandemic has made work challenging, but I've been trying to keep busy while overpracticing the required safety protocols. As a creative and freelancer, you have to be able to adapt and maneuver, especially through the ever-changing, rugged terrain we call the fashion industry. I feel blessed and very happy to be working with new clients."

Styling Keke Palmer

"Keke Palmer is a chameleon! Her unabashed confidence, progressive mindset, and proud connection to our African heritage are attributes that shape and inspire every facet of her style. The characters that Keke takes on in films are all vastly different but face many of the same issues as many modern women do, which I see manifesting in her style. I recently styled Keke Palmer for L'Officiel Italia's February 2021 digital cover story as well as billboards in NYC and Toronto. The styling was a progressive nod to gender fluidity, celebrating the newly broadened spectrum of sexuality and conveying the overall understanding of what it is to be a boss woman in a male-dominated industry."

Favorite Red Carpet Moment

"So far, my favorite red carpet moment that I've styled would be actress Peyton List for the MTV Movie & TV Awards in 2020, where she wore a sleeveless, tiger-print dress from Roberto Cavalli's fall 2000 archives. MTV is all about pop culture, and what better way to incorporate one of the best pop culture moments of 2020 from the Netflix series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness?"

Emerging Brands He's Championing

"I love supporting emerging brands. There are so many which I'll be supporting this year, including Theophilio, Judy Zhang, Hester Sunshine, Calechie, Silver & Riley, Sai Sankoh, Han Wen, Chris Port NYC, Wiederhoeft, Arianne Elmy, Dorshelle Guillaume, Todd Fisher, Samantha Black, 3.Paradis, Tokyo James, and my namesake FreeMen By Mickey, to name a few."