Interviews

Favourite Fives: Christophe Brumby

 

Hailing from the gastronomic capital of France, our bon ami Christophe has more je ne sais quoi about him than a brace of bustling Lyonnais Bouchons. As well as being a skating and photography enthusiast he’s also something of a garms expert too, becoming head of marketing at Penfield at around the exact same time that we all started going proper mad for their old school US outdoor steez. Coincidence? Je pense pas. Anyway, he took time out from being effortlessly cool and shrugging whilst philosophizing over Gitanes/la vie en rose to tell us about his cinq préférées et voila!

Item of Clothing

Some may find it pretty naff… but I really can’t get over this old Naf Naf shirt. I found it in a vintage shop in Lyon, my hometown, a few years ago and although the fit is quite boxy, that is kind of what makes its charm too. And who does not like a bit of paisley? I like to consider it a French homage to the psychedelic 1960’s.

1-Naf Naf Shirt

 

Book

An absolute classic and probably a literary landmark of French cynicism. As nihilistic as Ferdinand Bardamu – Céline’s fictitious and self-inspired antihero – is, you cannot help but like him. Written in the early 1930s, after Céline’s traumatic experience with WW1, the novel takes you around the world, from France to Africa to the US, in a fluid style like no other that arguably paved the way for the Bukowskis, Kerouacs and other Burroughs.

2-Voyage Au Bout De La Nuit

 

Music

Jacques Dutronc is always a sure shot when it comes to boosting up your Saturday or Sunday morning and his “Les Gens Sont Fous, Les Temps Sont Flous” (People are crazy, Times are hazy) is no exception. Never without an ounce of cynicism again, his lyrics are always pretty playful and his melodies tend to be also very catchy. I would probably avoid some of the tracks he released later in his career and would rather focus on his early work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIvR-i5F69c

3-Jacques Dutronc

 

Art

I have developped a strong passion for photography over the years, street photography more specifically, and I literally carry my compact Olympus Mju II with me everyday, everywhere. I am really into the work of American contemporary photographers like Joel Meyerowitz, Jeff Mermelstein, Melanie Einzig, Saul Leiter and of course William Eggleston to name a few. In a similar approach, “La France de Raymond Depardon” is an incredible body of work. A self-taught photographer, Depardon embarked on a journey in his van through the French countryside for months, armed with his camera obscura, with the ambition to deliver his very own portrait of rural France.

4-La France de Raymond Depardon

 

Something else

My skates. As paradoxical as it may sound, the older I am getting, the more I am having fun and enjoying myself on these. They will have to sit in the closet for the next few weeks though as I have recently sprained my ankle on a handrail…

5-Skates

 

www.penfield.com

 http://monkismymoniker.tumblr.com

 

3 Comments

  1. Maybe in the class room but on the streets thats what French cats say

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