Pete Davidson on His New Designer Role, Tabloid Scrutiny & Being Done With Celebrity

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, but I’ve been laying low,” Pete Davidson says on a bright December afternoon. He’s speaking on the phone while pacing on a treadmill at a new home outside of New York. (“I just moved up here. It’s the woods!” he notes with a thrill.) The comedian and actor, who spent eight seasons on Saturday Night Live and has since starred in films like Bodies Bodies Bodies and the semi-autobiographical dramedy The King of Staten Island, has indeed taken a step back from the public eye after a string of high-profile romances—most notably with Kim Kardashian—made him a tabloid regular. But now, with a new business venture, he’s eager to chat.

The 31-year-old has been named creative director of Doublesoul, the colorful sock brand known for its collaborations with the likes of Ella Emhoff and the late Gaetano Pesce. Davidson’s stylist, Britt Theodora, is the one who connected him with Doublesoul’s husband-and-wife founders Ben Rosenbaum and Allison Strumeyer. “Within minutes of sitting down, he was sharing a list of ideas that reflected his deep insight about what shapes cultural relevance,” Strumeyer recalls of their first meeting. Here, Davidson discusses his new role and how the appointment arrives at a turning point in his life and career.

Why socks and why Doublesoul?

They’re comfy and sexy, and the name is cool. A lot of people come to me with [partnership requests], and I’m like, this seems interesting, but I don’t really know how to do it. But everyone needs socks. Socks are an afterthought: You get a 20-pack at Foot Locker, or you’re going to the gas station and buying Barbie socks, or socks with burgers on them.

Are you hoping to get deeper into the fashion industry through this role?

I’ve always dressed a little different and people seem to like it. I’m definitely open to doing more stuff, but I like to be behind the scenes. I’m not a big fan of celebs pushing stuff on people. It’s a big turnoff. To be behind any brand, you have to be super delicate and precise. If you put it out in the wrong way, it crushes it.

How so?

Sometimes, brands like Supreme or Bape, they blow up, and then they ruin it. Now, if you wear Bape or Supreme, you’re a fucking dork. Once you give the brand to Twitch people and YouTubers, it makes consumers feel like, This is gross. You have to make sure the people you pick to represent you do it in the right way.

There was this brand, MSCHF, that I really liked. I was going to do something with them when they released these red, Mickey Mouse-looking shoes. The guy I was talking to was like, This is going to be great! I already gave them to four porn stars! And I’m like, You can’t do that! If they just had one person, like a Cristiano Ronaldo or Bad Bunny, they would be crushing it. But instead, they fucked their whole brand up.

What fashion lessons have you learned from being in Hollywood?

When you first get into show business, you see people who are just wearing their money. They go to Louis Vuitton and take the mannequin, with no originality. When you’re around long enough, you end up doing everything you can to go in the opposite direction. Stay away from what other people think is cool, and get what you think is cool, because that’s original.

I actually find it very difficult to be original right now, because of the internet. GQ posts a paparazzi photo of you wearing Salomons or DC shoes, and then the next week, all the models are wearing it and it’s ruined.

It sounds like oversaturation is on your mind at the moment.

You’re 100 percent correct, because I was oversaturated. In The Sopranos, there’s this line from Tony that’s like, ‘You ever feel like you got into something at the end? When the good times were over?’ That’s how I feel about show business and being a celebrity. It’s over.

When you’re first coming up, and getting all these offers, it’s hard to say no, because you’re hungry. I made the mistake of doing literally everything. Now I’m older and wiser, and I’m realizing that less is more. Like Christian Bale. He does one movie every two, three years, but you go fucking see it. Leo[nardo DiCaprio] does one movie every four years, but it’s the biggest thing in the world. It’s because you miss them. People have to miss you.

Right. Kendrick Lamar pops up every couple of years, and fans are stoked.

Yeah! You’re like, where is this guy? Does he even rap anymore? And then he just ruins someone’s career. And he’s doing the Super Bowl. There’s power in that.

What was your style like as a teenager?

It was exactly what I’m trashing now: Supreme, Bape, Supreme ski masks, the most colorful shit you could possibly wear. I got into the public eye when I was really young, like, 19, 20. At that time, you don’t know. You see all these rappers with designer shit, and you think you’re a rapper, but you’re actually a comedian. If you Google any picture of me from ages 20 to 27, it’s purple shirts, fedoras, all these chains, and fucking dumb Rolexes. It doesn’t look cool at all. But I’m very fortunate that I’m 31 now. Looking back. I’m lucky that I finally woke up.

Do you remember your first major fashion purchase?

I was 19 years old. I made $800 or $900 on some MTV show. I didn’t know about taxes or paying your team or anything. I bought $875 Gucci shoes and then had to book so many more things to pay that off. I still have them. They’re sitting in my closet, a reminder of how stupid I was. When I was 19, it was all about the ’fit—that was all that mattered. Now it’s health, family, humility, being a good person, not being a drug addict. Stuff like that.

Your mindset can change so much in just a couple of years.

Yeah. Luckily, I got hit on the face with the Hollywood shovel. It was a long time coming, and I needed it. I’m very happy where I am right now, mentally.

I just want to be known for doing good work. I want to be out there only when it’s movie, stand-up, charity, or business ventures. That’s when I want to be seen. I don’t want to be this fucking loser who just dates people. That’s not who I am. But people hate celebrities now. The media takes a handful of celebs every couple of years, and they just destroy them. For some reason, I’m one of the people they chose to go after. It’s actually, in a way, a blessing, because it allowed me to take a step back and evaluate things. What do you want to be? Who are you? I’m someone who is from Staten Island, wanted to do stand-up, and if I got to do anything else because of stand-up, it was a miracle.

You’re not a loser who just dates people.

Thank you very much! Because that voice was very loud in my head for a while.