“Back in the days when I would DJ in several cities or even several countries in a row, I always took the same T-shirts and pants with me. Now it’s a pleasure to think about what I wear. It’s not about being fashionable or looking stylish. My aim is to have a style that suits me.”
The Breuer family has been making ties since 1892. We started out in Vienna, Austria, and moved the business to Nice in 1951. I’ve been developing the brand’s ready-to-wear for about 20 years now, so naturally I wear a lot of Breuer clothes. Everything is made in Italy, in a 1950s French Riviera style. That’s what we’re aiming for, anyway (laughs).
“I’ve been in fashion for 12 years, working for Dior, Louis Vuitton and now Maison Margiela. In the early days, I used to show up at work in a suit, before I realized I was the only one who did. No one expects you to be formally dressed in this business. I have a lot more fun now.”
“At my private high school in Evreux, I had a little circle of friends who all dressed the same way. During the week, we wore Levi’s 501s and Weston loafers. On weekends, at the tennis club, it was a flight jacket over the shoulders and a pair of Sebagos on our feet. We were influenced by American movies like West Side Story and Easy Rider. That’s where my taste for style originated, and I’ve been cultivating it zealously ever since.”
An Hermès anchor chain, also from my girlfriend. She gave it to me when our daughter was born. I think of her when I wear it.
An Edwin military jacket. It looks like a jacket I bought in Poland once, in an old army surplus store full of Soviet gear. My mother is from Poland, and I can tell you that the Poles dress very much like the stereotypes we have of them. They wear a lot of green, very military stuff. If I’m in the street and walk past a guy from there, I can tell straight away that he’s Polish.
This is a brand collaboration between SPA and the English designer Simon Alfred, with my label’s logo on it. The logo was designed by Dimitri Erhard, a Swiss friend. He sent me 20 design ideas, and I chose the funniest one. I’ve only got one T-shirt like this, so I look after it.
Also from Edwin. I like trousers with a pattern. They’re my big thing at the moment – mainly to keep me from wearing print tees all the time…
These are Paraboots. Up until a few minutes ago, they were covered in a white deposit [the bloom famously seen on the leather used by Paraboot; they don’t treat it, so it’s more breathable], but we dried them out with a hair dryer, and now they’re immaculate.
Cashmere. I wear a lot of cashmere. Today, even my socks are made of cashmere (laughs.)
A revisited classic by Breuer, made of wool velvet and ribbed cashmere. It’s extremely supple and easy to wear. It’s a wintertime favorite of mine.
I had two Rolex Daytonas for a long time. One had an eggshell dial, the other a black dial. I bought them for myself because I’m a motor-racing fan. I actually took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1992, driving a Peugeot Spider 905… But here, I’m wearing a Rolex Submariner I bought from the Paris watchmaker Antoine de Macedo. I should really take up diving.
Men often feel like they’re choking because of the knot in their tie, but the problem is usually that their shirt collar’s too stiff. The interlining [the material between the collar fabric and the lining] on this collar is very soft, so I’m comfortable. I can’t feel it at all.
I’ve worn white five-pocket pants ever since my teens. Even when I’m up in the mountains on a skiing trip, I wear them. I don’t think about it much. As far as I’m concerned, white brings light into menswear. And conversely, I don’t like black. We never have black in the Breuer collections – it’s a policy.
I don’t like Italian shoes that are too slight. I prefer American ones. I bought this pair of Aldens in America the last time I was in New York. They’re suede calfskin, with a commando sole – my kind of shoes.
This fleece vest was a North Face x Margiela collaboration in 2020. It’s so easy to wear – it goes with anything. I think it adds style to whatever I’ve got on.
A vintage Adidas tracksuit top that doesn’t look like much. I bought it online from a secondhand site – that’s where I get most of my clothes now.
Just a good old Carhartt. I shave my head every summer and beginning in October, I wear a hat all the time, giving my hair a chance to grow back by the following spring.
It looks like a knuckleduster, but it’s actually a crocodile card holder from Mir Paris, the brand I launched with a friend. The concept is that we upgrade certain iconic pieces from French rap looks. We make clothes, leather goods and jewelry. Under my T-shirt, I’m wearing a gold pendant shaped like a Coca-Cola can.
These are by Sacaï. I bought them in Tokyo just before the first lockdown. They’re quite formal, but that’s the thing, I like wearing them with streetwear.
My approach to sneakers is pretty simple. I buy a pair, wear them for six months, until they’re falling to pieces, then buy a new pair. These are New Balance, 992s designed in collaboration with my friend Younès Bendjima’s Studio FY7. They’re my very first pair of New Balance. Usually it’s Nike all the way for me.
This 1960s Lee work coat is a cherished gift from a friend of mine. It’s more than just a piece of clothing, it’s a marker of our friendship. It also speaks of a bygone era – of things well made, of authenticity. I love wearing it. I often alternate between this and an old Harrington jacket from Baracuta.
A classic winter coat from Cifonelli. It’s made of vicuna, obviously an incredible material; it’s much, much lighter than cashmere but just as warm. You can’t not look stylish in this coat.
The belt is from Filson, the Seattle brand that made clothing for the miners in the Gold Rush. I bought this belt in one of their stores over there. It’s one of the few products that Filson still makes on the premises.
For the longest time, I swore by Weston and Alden loafers. I thought they were the best shoes in the world, and no one could convince me otherwise. Then I discovered this Lopez model by John Lobb, and I was converted. In terms of proportions and design, these are the perfect loafers.
At one time, I’d only wear dressy shirts in cotton poplin. Now I’m rediscovering the joys of dressing more casually, as with this chambray shirt – it’s a U.S.-made Red Kap.
The fact that we’re always trying to bring down the price of clothes is something that scares me because of all the social and environmental consequences it can have. I understand that not everyone has unlimited means, but a €2 T-shirt that loses its shape after a single wash isn’t really the way forward. This one’s a Camber, made in America. It keeps its shape beautifully and is sure to last a long time.
They’re not made of denim, but Bedford, a very fine cotton with a weave that gives a ribbed texture. And it’s not white, but cream – to be absolutely accurate (laughs).