As an unashamed francophile and also someone who thinks that the Edwin Overworks jeans are without a doubt the best I have ever owned, I could be accused of being ‘un peu’ biased when I say that this is quite possibly my favourite, favourite five so far. Rey Gautier is the creative director of Edwin and he certainly knows his oignons when it comes to a nice bit of quality denim. Clearly this good taste also translates over to the rest of his life as on his list is his vintage St James jumper, some Black Flag artwork and a tale of skateboarding with Le Corbusier (kind of). Take it away Rey..
Item of Clothing
a. I could not decide which item between two items was my favourite, so I have ignored the rules and included both. The first is my jumper generously given to me by the French Military during my service. This jumper is indestructible, made by Saint James, suppliers of such indestructible jumpers to the armed forces at that time. It still has my grade on the epaulettes, but somewhere over the years I have lost my name plate which used to Velcro on the front and was to be transferred on to other items depending on which garment was to be worn for whatever activity you had to undertake. Odd memories, not bad, but now it seems like a different life.
b. This jacket I found in a second hand store some years ago and is part of my collection of denim pieces. I really like it in that someone has once altered its appearance and given it new life. A cross between a denim western jacket and hunting jacket, with a suede collar and printed lining, all lovingly hand sewn. This type of garment inspires me as it holds its own story and I wonder who actually took the time to make this and why.
Book
The Old Man And The Sea by Ernest Hemingway. I Love this tale.
Music
Music For 18 Musicians by Steve Reich. I first came across this when studying at art-college. A friend of mine’s father was a huge music collector and used to play this amongst other. We used to work together a lot on completing projects at his house and often through the night in order to complete briefs. This was the piece, which helped us get through the nights. Nowadays, when I listen to it, it helps me to clear my mind.
Art
Raymond Petibon. I came across his artwork first as I was listening to Black Flag a lot at a certain point of my life. I really liked the artwork on the record sleeves and found out who the artist was. I still listen to Black Flag and still love Raymond Petibon’s illustrations. Especially some of the flyers he’s worked on for gigs across the years.
Something Else
When I was a kid in the 1970’s, my father moved into a high rise in Reze, which is a part of Nantes, France. The building we lived in was designed by Le Corbusier and was to us called ‘Le Corbusier’. One of the key features of the building where in internal corridors leading to all the apartments, which where very wide and referred to as ‘RUE’ due to their width and somewhat resembling internal streets. I think he intended for the residents to treat them as such and socialise in passing. For me, this was the beginning of my interest in skateboarding. These corridors where wide, silent, dimly lit and smooth…. Which was perfect for skateboarding. We lived on the 4eme Rue (fourth floor), so I bought my first skateboard and spent many hours riding the corridors of this building. I still have the deck as a reminder.
