Before he stepped into fashion, Benjamin Priest was already building a name behind the scenes. The Indiana native worked with global brands like McLaren and Formula 1, where precision, storytelling, and high-stakes execution shaped his creative instincts. A chance meeting with Will Smith would lead to a lasting creative partnership — one rooted in trust, shared vision, and the freedom to think beyond trends. That collaboration eventually gave Priest the rights to the Bel-Air Academy intellectual property — not to recreate something nostalgic, but to build something entirely his own.
That vision became Bel-Air Academy (BAA), a Los Angeles-based label that reflects Priest’s minimalist ethos and obsession with narrative. Focused on foundational staples — hoodies, tees, bodysuits, and crewnecks—the brand strips fashion down to its basics. “We want the product to speak for itself,” he says.
Priest doesn’t describe himself as a fashion designer. Instead, he sees himself as a creative-business hybrid, focused on storytelling and brand-building. He’s involved in every part of the business, from product development to creative direction.
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BAA launched with cotton-based basics: hoodies, crewnecks, tees and bodysuits in black, grey and white. The line features no prominent logos or bright colors — just form and fit.
While BAA could leverage Will Smith’s fame, Priest says that was never the plan. “This is the anti-celebrity brand,” he says. “Will draws inspiration from the cool things we create and helps us with the filmmaking side — narrative, creative teams, bringing great directors to the table. But it was important that BAA didn’t rely on recognizable faces.”
Instead, Priest wants people to connect with the product before they even realize what BAA stands for. “This is like The Row approach,” he adds. “The Olsen twins didn’t have to be in every photo for it to be great.”
Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma became an early supporter of BAA after a casual conversation with Priest. “Kyle and I were talking about NBA tunnel walks and how ridiculous they’d become,” Priest says. “We joked about him doing anti-tunnel walks — just showing up in grey sweats every night.”
Kuzma didn’t know Priest was working on BAA at the time, but the grey sweats idea aligned with the brand’s core concept. Kuzma wore BAA pieces in October and November before the launch and was later featured in Vogue. “Then he fell in love with the product and became almost like the prototype,” Priest says.
Priest’s minimalist approach isn’t just about fashion. It’s a broader design philosophy. “I don’t like the business!” he says. “I don’t like how it is appropriated.” BAA doesn’t follow the traditional fashion calendar and has no plans to produce runway shows. “The goal is to create things people truly need, not things they want just because they saw it on someone else.”
On minimalism, Priest explains, “It’s about stripping everything back to its most essential form, like a painting that becomes more beautiful as you remove what doesn’t belong.”
He adds: “We’ll explore denim, canvas and nylon for swimwear, but it’ll always be about enhancing your wardrobe with pieces that go with everything. Not occasion-driven clothes. This is about trusting my taste. If it’s something I want, I hope other people will enjoy it as well.”
His favorite brands include The Row (“If I’m ever buying luxury, you’ll see me at The Row”), vintage Margiela, vintage Russell Athletics and Yeezy. “Although controversial, Ye set a lot of the heartbeat for what everybody does,” Priest says. “Even in the middle of the controversy, we all pay attention to what he's doing from a shape and fabrication standpoint.”
His advice to young designers: “Have a real point of view. Be patient. This isn’t a cash grab. A lot of people think fashion will take off quickly. But for us, this is a long play. We’ve got other businesses. We’re not rushing this.”
BAA recently launched a narrative-focused social series titled “Lucky Me,” further reflecting its commitment to storytelling over celebrity marketing. The brand’s approach centers on discipline, function and clarity — letting the product speak for itself.
