For Madison Bailey, good things come in fours. She’s heading into the fourth season of Outer Banks, which she calls “a big one.” And she’ll be celebrating her four-year anniversary with girlfriend Mariah Linney just as filming wraps in Charleston, a place Bailey tells NYLON she wasn’t expecting to win her over. (Her first Pride in the Holy City, she says, “was beautiful and [had] so many more people than I thought.”)
Maybe that’s why the energy captured in the latest Tommy Hilfiger campaign, in which Bailey stars, feels so light and infectious. Shot in Charleston, the brand’s Summer Essentials images feature more members of the Tommy Family, including TikTok’s Noah Beck and Power Book II: Ghost’s Michael Rainey Jr., along with Bailey’s Outer Banks co-star Madelyn Cline. Below, NYLON caught up with Bailey to talk about working with Linney —who shot the exclusive behind-the-scenes photos seen here — life as a Tommy Girl, and what’s next for Outer Banks.
Tell me about your day on set —you shot on location at a beach in Charleston.
Charleston has become a second home to me since filming Outer Banks. And it was nice to do something for work here other than the show. Me and Maddie joked that it’s a lot more glamorous ... taking pictures versus us running around with our heads cut off most of the time [on the set of Outer Banks].
And your girlfriend Mariah Linney was also on set taking behind-the-scenes shots. What was it like to work together?
Having my partner there felt like a weekend hangout versus work. It was really fun to have her on set. She says I make her job very easy. They reached out to her, and of course she told me. And I was like, “That's amazing. I was going to ask you to come anyway.” Easy sell. And I love the film pictures she takes of me when it's not for work. And so it was really, really exciting to see it in a campaign style.
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You were also on set with friends and collaborators. What was that like having your professional and personal lives collide for a day?
I feel like the Tommy team has become like a little family. Every event you recognize the same people, and everyone's so friendly. And I've gotten to meet a lot of people [through] this specific campaign: Maddie, whom I've known for five years; Noah, who I met on one of his first shoots in LA; and Michael, a new friend [who’s] the best. They always put together a great group of people.
Representation is a huge responsibility. How do you think about your role in representing queer women of color?
I think it's hugely important for me to just be 100% myself. I think I do that by not being apologetic. This is my girlfriend. This is my life. I'm queer. I've never really delved into apologizing for that or minimizing any part of myself. If that's all you see me as, I think that's one of those instances where your perception of me is none of my business. I know I'm so much more, and I share far more [with] my thoughts, my talents, my family, and my hobbies.
It’s been a year since you became a Tommy Girl. Who are the Tommy Girls that inspire you, and what do you see yourself contributing to that legacy?
I would be remiss to not mention Miss Aaliyah, who is the pinnacle of Tommy Girl. Yara [Shahidi] was an incredible Tommy Girl. So smart and just incredible. Zendaya, I adored her collection with Tommy. I thought the vibe was amazing. I think Tommy being an American brand, I feel like my role as a Tommy Girl is to show what that looks like, and for me, it's being Black and queer. The modern Tommy Girl is what America is. This is what it looks like. This is who we are.
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How do these behind-the-scenes shots taken by Mariah represent the kind of Tommy Girl you aspire to be?
They're not posed, they're just life. I was genuinely having the best time that day. And I think it just reflects a different spirit than a campaign [usually] brings.
What about Outer Banks? What can you tease about what viewers can expect for this new season?
We are still in the process of filming Season 4. We'll be wrapping up super shortly, and I'm excited for this season to come out. I'm actively looking at other projects for something in between. But it's always some form of chaos. It's a big one. I mean ... we only go up, you know?
