Fashion power couple Pol’ Atteu and Patrik Simpson are not just designers, TV stars, Radio and Podcast Hosts and celebrity style kings—they are history makers. From becoming the first same-sex couple to grace the cover of Victor Magazine in Dubai, to lighting up the Nasdaq building in Times Square with the season five poster of their hit Award-Winning series Gown and Out in Beverly Hills, they’ve broken barriers while staying true to love, fashion, and authenticity. With 22 years of partnership—both personal and professional—their love story is as timeless as their couture gowns. They work together hosting Undressed with Pol’ and Patrik on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and the Sirius XM App and they are regular co-hosts on Jeff Lewis Live on Sirius XM, Radio Andy.
Let’s start at the beginning…How did your love story unfold?
Patrik: We met in New York City, 22 years ago. I was the president of the Modelling Association of America…
Pol: The youngest president!
Patrik: …for the second time. This is a major international association, we have members from all over the world. So, I was in New York City and famous fashion photographer Jo Lance—who is a good friend of mine—was having a party at his loft. I left the hotel and went to his studio and I saw Pol’. He was being interviewed by multiple international fashion networks, including Style.
Pol: Yes, I was there, I was doing Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. I had my Flagship Beverly Hills boutique at Rodeo Drive and was unveiling the new collection at Bryant Park. That’s where the Fashion Week was, in the tent. And Jo Lance, our common friend, has a photo studio. And he said: Let’s do a photoshoot! And I was like, OMG, I’m gonna get all the models! I am gonna do this, and I am gonna do that, and I was doing my interview, and he asked, ‘Why don’t you do your interview at my loft? While we’re doing all the models.’ So I was at the loft, I was doing all the interviews about the inspirations, the collection, the details, and the colors… and the story was… he walked in.
Patrik: And, you know, I was staring at him, and he was staring at me all night and I was like, ok, I am over it… I grabbed him, pulled him into the bathroom, pushed him into the wall and kissed him.
Pol: So, I was like, ‘You’ve already took advantage of me, I don’t need to go anywhere with you. And he said, ok, you don’t go with me anywhere, fine. And he looked at me and said: I am at the Waldorf. I should say yes! But I was like, ‘Are you staying in the regular section or the towers…?’ And he answered: ‘I have a one-bedroom suite in the towers with my key card.’
Patrik: And a doorman…!
Pol: And he asked, would you like to go and hang out in the city tonight? And I was like, OK, let’s go. I mean, I was gonna go out with him anyway, even if he lived in a tent… obviously. But I think we realized those moments when a relationship is supposed to start—it’s a make-it-or-break-it moment when you kind of have to evaluate the character of the moment. Instead of figuring it out in six months from now and saying, ‘Oh, I remember what you said six months ago…’
Patrik: We are not that type of people, you know. When you start a relationship and you see a red flag, and you ignore the red flag. If there is a red flag—I don’t need it.
Pol’: Because when he said that and the reason, he stood up taller, I saw how the manner changed, and I realized that this guy is interested. He is not trying to take advantage of the scenario or the circumstances. So, we had dinner and we had a blast, so much fun. A lot of people see me as a very conservative person, because I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, they don’t realize how much fun I am. So, we had so much fun, and I don’t think he expected that!
Patrik: Just to wrap up the story… We flew away, he was in Beverly Hills, I was in Scottsdale, AZ and I sent him flowers the day every hour all day long.
Pol: I called him to thank him, and he said, ‘I am having a photoshoot in Mexico this weekend, do you wanna go?’ I said, hold on, I’ve just got here but I was telling my assistant, get me on the first f*ng flight to Arizona! I don’t know where this is but let’s go.
Patrik: You came to Arizona, we went to Mexico, and we’ve been together for 22 years ever since. My whole thing was that I’d been with someone for 10 years before—he had died. So, I knew that this was the one and there wasn’t going to be anyone else that I would want to be with.
After sharing such a beautiful personal journey, let’s dive into your professional life. You work together around the clock – has any celebrity ever truly surprised you with their styling request?
Pol’: None of them surprised me, really. I’m gonna tell you why. The reality stars just want to be so present and be seen, so they want glamour that nobody’s ever seen. The other celebrities are playing a character—because I also dress people from TV shows, and I also do costume design and wardrobe. So, when they are playing a character, I want the best to come out from the character, so their performance reflects on their clothes. And you see the mood change when I put the clothes on.
Did they ever surprise me? No. I kind of know what I will make for them.
The only thing that surprised me was when Anna Nicole Smith called me saying, “Pol, I didn’t want to go, but I changed my mind, and I’m gonna go…” And I asked, “When is this party again?” And she said, “In two hours.” I can’t say no to my friends…
Patrik: So, he made the dress from bathing suit material with cut-outs in it, because none of the fabric stores were open at that time—and she won Best Dressed in 2004 on VH1 Big in 04!
I’d say the one who surprised me the most was Betty White, because he made a fabulous turquoise dress for her when she was 92 years old, with a slit all the way up her legs.
Pol: She didn’t want me to put the slit. She looked at me and said, “Pol…” And I was like, “You have great legs! I’ve already shaped the rest of you, let me focus!”
Patrik: And she said three words which I’ll never forget: “You are the designer.” And that showed me respect—from Betty White. That was a surprise, because this was the woman who was dressed by everybody!
Pol: And she said after this dress: “You energized my career, Pol. You have no idea.”
Who are some of the unforgettable names you’ve had the honor to dress?
Pol: Carrie Underwood, Bella Thorne, Ariel Winter, Ava Kolker, Gabrielle Walsh, Renée Taylor, AnnaLynne McCord, Vivica Fox… and many more.
I did Pepa’s dress, and she won Best Dressed by Page Six for the Grammys.
When you’re designing for someone, what’s your mindset? What’s your creative philosophy?
Pol: When I’m creating a dress, I want the person to shine. When I’m creating the character, I want the character to shine. The dress, the clothes, the color, the feel—it has to be reminiscent of what the energy has to be for the individual to give their best performance. It’s not just the art I’m creating. I want them to enjoy the evening for what they’re doing.
Patrik: He always says to them, “I don’t care if you rip it off, stain it—have fun. Just bring it back, and I’ll repair it.”
You’ve dazzled on red carpets and charity galas alike. How was the DIFFA Dallas experience?
Patrik: Pol did the Board of Director’s gown for the gala last month, and we flew to Dallas and attended the event. We actually made all the front pages in the Dallas press. Erykah Badu performed on the stage. It was fabulous!
If you could choose anyone to dress for the next Met Gala, who’s your dream client?
Pol: I was gonna do the Orange County Housewife, but I was like, no—I’ll do your show. If I had to select a new muse, I think I would select Margot Robbie because she embodies the spirt and energy of my dearly departed best friend, Anna Nicole Smith.
Patrik: Speaking of Margot Robbie, we have our eye on her to play Anna Nicole Smith in our movie based on our book, Anna Nicole Smith – Portrait of An Icon. But, for Met Gala I would say Blake Lively. She is stunning. I don’t care about her fight with Justin Baldoni. She is the perfect person for Pol’ to dress. She’s tall, sexy and has the Beverly Hills attitude that commands a presence in a Pol’ Atteu gown.
Let’s take it way back. If you could design for any historical figure, who would it be?
Pol: I can’t imagine going backward…
Patrik: Cleopatra! And the second one would be Marie Antoinette. Two of the greatest in history and I could only dream of what Pol’ could create for them!
Every designer has a war story. What’s your most unforgettable fashion emergency?
Pol: So, Betty White was standing right here, in front of the mirror. (He gestures.) I was doing her dress. I had pinned it, because I was doing the fitting. And I told her, “Betty, be careful, there are lots of pins in it, so don’t move your arms. Just stand here for a few minutes.” Well… she put her right hand to her left shoulder to pull the fabric up, put it onto her shoulder—and when she did that, she cut all the interior of both of her arms. I just saw it and was thinking… It’s a turquoise dress and I see red drops all over! And I told myself, “OMG. Where is this stain coming from…?” I went into panic mode. She needed the dress in two days. Like, the world is watching—and I can’t make this dress again!
Patrik: And he was like, “Get some bandages! Get something to wrap her with to stop the bleeding!” And I went back through the doors, looking frantically for bandages—and couldn’t find them. The only thing I could find in the bathroom was toilet paper. So, I ran out with a roll of toilet paper, and I rolled Betty White’s wrists with toilet paper. I swear to God! And the interesting thing about this… The publicist is screaming, “She’s on a blood thinner! She’s on a blood thinner!”
Pol: I thought she was gonna die. I thought I killed Betty White. But she survived. And the worst part… she was wrapped up in toilet paper standing in the middle of our boutique!
Your show Gown and Out in Beverly Hills has become a fan favorite. How did the idea for the series originally come to life?
Patrik: Honestly, what really happened about this whole thing… that had happened with Betty White, she survived, she left, we were talking, we were going through the details of the day, and I realized that I need to pick up a camera and start filming our celebrity fittings. This is how we came up with the idea about our TV show, Gown and Out in Beverly Hills. That was the moment! Our next big fitting was Renée Taylor from The Nanny, and I had my iPhone out, and I filmed the whole thing—and it came out as the first episode of Gown and Out in Beverly Hills.
What’s the secret behind the show’s success—and how much of it is planned versus spontaneous?
Patrik: Nothing! We don’t even know how the ending of the show is going to happen. No script, no outline. We just bring in the celebrity and pick up cameras and shoot everything and then we create the actual storylines later. Each episode has a beginning, a middle and an end, and the ending is always the reveal of the spectacular gown Pol’ has worked on during the show and we get to see it come to life at the end. Our show has elements of project Runway, The Kardashians, Say Yes to the Dress, with a little bit of our personal life all wrapped up in a fun quick episode. We are and award-winning show. We just won 10 Telly Awards in categories ranging from overall show (which we tied in first place with Real Housewives of Orange County) to me wining for Best Directing and our team for Best Editing. Previously, we won Outstanding Digital Series at the American Reality Television Awards (ARTAS) and will know next month if we are nominated this year. Fingers Crossed!
Pol: Hold on. Virág, you met me a few times. Do you think I would ever be in anything that would be scripted…? NEVER. Our life is just always crazy busy and we do so many things packed into a single day so there is always something to include in the show, and that is the icing on the cake.
With another season now out, what can fans look forward to? Any exciting celebrity fittings you can tease?
Patrik: This season, we’ve got some great celebrity reveals. Carrie Underwood, Scheana Shay—Pol’ did a wedding gown and we were the first witnesses to Scandoval—Pepa from Salt-N-Pepa, for her Grammy’s gown and her daughter, Egypt Criss’ wedding gown at 8 ½ months pregnant!
Pol: And the best one is…
Patrik: The best reveal is US! We are on the cover of Victor, international magazine—the first gay couple…
Pol: Same-sex couple…
Patrik:…on the cover. We made history. In Dubai and the Middle East. There has never been an “out” same sex couple on the cover of any magazine…We were the first openly ourt and proud gay couple ever to grace a magazine cover there. Of course, we have to mention the music for the season created by our mutual friend, by lionel Cohen—we adore him. I will send him the episodes, and he will look at it, and he knows instantly: what song goes here, and that song would go there. He is a music genius.
Speaking of making history—you’ve actually done it twice. Can you tell us about that unforgettable moment in Times Square?
Patrik: We were invited by Nasdaq…Our season 5 poster for Gown and Out in Beverly Hills was revealed on the 7 story NASDAQ building and it was iconic to be standing in front of the billboard reveal with my husband, Pol’ Atteu.
Pol: I was off the plane at 6 a.m.… I went from the airport to Nasdaq, and I took my suitcases to 42nd Street. It is history… SnowWhite90210 (their little dog – by editor) is the first animal that’s ever been invited!
– Virág Vida –
