Today we’d like to introduce you to Winston Bartholomew Holder III.
Hi Winston Bartholomew, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m Winston Bartholomew Holder III, Founder, Owner, and CEO of Bartholomew’s Gold (BGoldNYC). I grew up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, where creativity, survival, and ambition coexist. I earned an accelerated architecture degree from Howard University, but once I entered the professional world, I realized the industry was built on limitation—cost efficiency over imagination, and credit flowing upward, not to the creator.
Architecture gave me discipline and vision, but I wanted ownership. Inspired by designers like Virgil, Coco Chanel and Tom Ford, who also began in architecture, I took a risk and taught myself pattern making, garment construction, and production. I built my own factory in New York City’s Garment District so I could design without constraint and retain 100% equity in my work.
I founded Bartholomew’s Gold in 2003 to challenge fast fashion and restore real value to clothing. Each top-tier piece carries my trademarked 24K gold bee insignia, a symbol of investment, authenticity, and legacy. My work has been worn by cultural leaders including Snoop Dogg, Lauryn Hill, 50 Cent, Future, Machine Gun Kelly, and Mobb Deep—but my greatest inspiration has always been my community.
Most recently, I won Season 2 of HBO’s The Hype, further validating BGoldNYC’s position at the intersection of luxury, culture, and innovation. I also launched a new collaboration with Andy Hilfiger, expanding the brand’s global reach while maintaining its core values.
BGoldNYC is hand-sewn in New York City, built on sustainability, an attention to detail, and reinvestment in ones self. I’m not just selling clothing—I’m building a vertically integrated luxury brand rooted in culture, ownership, and long-term value. This is my way of selling gold back to the hood and setting a new gold standard in American fashion.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Early on, one of my biggest struggles was access—being one of very few people who looked like me in fashion, dealing with gatekeeping, and limited resources. That landscape has changed. With direct-to-consumer platforms and social media, many of those barriers no longer exist.
Today, the challenge isn’t access—it’s visibility. The market is crowded, and everyone with a logo thinks they’re a brand. My focus has shifted to cutting through the noise by building real community and delivering substance to a smarter, more discerning consumer.
I don’t spend time looking back. The future is bright, and there’s more to build. Right now, our priority is strengthening our team—specifically expanding our PR, publicity, and sales efforts to better reach our core audience and scale intentionally.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m known for challenging fast fashion and redefining what luxury means by creating garments that are meant to retain—and increase—value over time. My signature trademarked 24K gold bee insignia represents investment, authenticity, and legacy. My work has been worn by artists and cultural leaders including Snoop Dogg, Lauryn Hill, 50 Cent, Future, Machine Gun Kelly, and Mobb Deep.
What I’m most proud of is building this brand from the ground up—teaching myself pattern making and construction, building my own factory in NYC’s Garment District, and proving that ownership and creativity don’t have to be separate. Most recently, I won Season 2 of HBO’s The Hype and launched a new collaboration with Andy Hilfiger, both of which validated the vision and expanded our global reach.
What sets me apart is perspective and control. I come from architecture, which gives my work structure and intention, and I come from Brownsville, Brooklyn, which gives it honesty and soul. BGoldNYC is vertically integrated, culturally rooted, and community-driven. I’m not just creating clothing—I’m building a legacy brand, selling gold back to the hood, and setting a new gold standard in American fashion.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I was born and raised in New York City to Guyanese immigrant parents who divorced when I was six. I remained in NYC with my single mother, while spending every summer with my father in Decatur, Georgia—a routine that began in 1986 and continues today. Experiencing both environments gave me a deep, firsthand understanding of the duality of American culture.
Moving between Brooklyn and Atlanta exposed me to different communities, styles, and ways of living. That contrast expanded my perspective and shaped my design sensibility at an early age—fueling my curiosity about the world beyond my immediate surroundings, especially at a time when many of my peers never left their block.
This constant exposure to new ideas led me to absorb information relentlessly, ultimately earning me a full scholarship to Howard University’s School of Architecture. Atlanta’s food, weather, skate culture, and overall lifestyle were a stark contrast to Brownsville, Brooklyn—and filled in gaps that my neighborhood simply couldn’t offer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bgoldnyc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bgoldnyc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BGOLDNYC/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/winstonbartholomewholderiii
- Twitter: https://x.com/BGOLDNYC
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BGOLDNYC
- Other: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGjgGN8R2Y/Gmn238dbTSREXrEQGT797A/edit?utm_content=DAGjgGN8R2Y&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton
Image Credits
all credits belong to Bgoldnyc.com
