Interview With Justin Bratton, Host of Asia’s Got Talent 2019

Justin Bratton is a prominent international TV host, actor, and filmmaker based in Singapore and Bangkok, Thailand. The Texan of mixed Burmese heritage has been displaying his talents in front of and behind the camera for over a decade across Asia. From travel shows, documentary series, to talent shows, Justin’s diverse TV hosting skills have been exhibited on HBO, Channel News Asia, Discovery World and AXN’s Asia’s Got Talent .While Justin is not busy speaking to the camera, he focuses on acting and filmmaking. His award winning sci-fi short film Screaming At Stars which he wrote, produced, co-edited, and starred in has been shown in film festivals across the world.

We often see you in shirts and suits in Asia’s Got Talent, but what do you usually wear on your days off?
I’m normally a T-shirt and jeans kinda guy with a baseball cap on my head. But in the evening I’ll throw on a jacket of some kind or get super fancy with a shirt that has buttons! Throw some hairspray in the hair and I’m ready to rock.

Could you describe your style? What kinds of brands do you favour?
My style is pretty much “Would a girl date me if I wore this in public?”. As far as brands go, I’m super into my Avantist watch. Aside from that, I just want the clothes to fit me properly!

Can you describe the experience of getting clothes tailored?
It was definitely educational and I dare say a creative experience. It was fun getting to design different aspects of the suit and shirt and making it your own. It was also interesting to see all the thought that goes into just measuring the suit. CYC has it down to a science.

In your experience, is there a difference in tailored clothing and off-the-rack clothing?
Soooooo much difference! I’ve got a small waist and wide shoulders so getting a jacket or shirt off the rack can be a nightmare. Normally the sleeves end up being too long and the shirt is baggy around the mid section. When I get something tailored it just fits and feels right.

I understand you’ve lived in quite a few places, and you are now based in Singapore. Is Singapore’s street style different from where you grew up?
I’ve lived in Austin, Madrid, Monterrey, KL, Bangkok, and grew up in Dallas. I’ll assume we’re talking about Dallas. Dallas street style… hmmmm… It’s across the board. It’s definitely not up to par with more stylish major cities in the world. Lots of sweat pants! But in the more stylish areas you’ll see lots of cowboy boots and jeans, other areas can be more classic street like you see in rap videos! Soooo it’s different than Singapore.

Has your style changed over time?
Definitely!!! I used to not really care. But as I became a part of the entertainment scene I began to understand the value in just wearing clothes that worked! And now I even enjoy putting certain outfits together on occasion. Overall, I wear way more blazers, swaggy shoes, and watches these days.

In addition to hosting and acting, I understand you’re a film writer/director. Do clothes tell stories in your films?
Clothes play a huge role in films! They say a lot about a character and also can reflect the mood and tone of scenes. Clothes also reflect people’s personalities in a lot of ways. So to have a well thought out multi-dimensional character a lot of thought has to be given to what they wear. I probably put more thought into what my characters wear on their fictional nights out than what I wear on my real nights out.

Justin wrote and starred in ‘Screaming At Stars’, a short film that has screened in international film festivals. It has also won awards for its original horror sci-fi elements.