My Style: Pierre-Jean Manfréo
Photo: Courtesy of Pierre-Jean Manfreo
What are the most treasured items in your wardrobe?
My J.M. Weston Savile shoes, my two Hermès belts, a Prada sports jacket from team Luna Rossa, a Gucci coat and a saharienne by Dior Homme, a purchase approved by Carine Roitfeld herself. She was with her son in the Dior shop when I bought my saharienne and she told me that I was wearing it well. True story.
Please describe your style in three words.
Classic, dapper, and I hope chic or (to put it simpler) 'so black tie'!
What is the biggest mistake one can make when getting dressed?
Having a style that is not suited to you.
Are there any style combinations that you object to?
Please don't mix running trousers with a suit! However, everything that has to do with style is a matter of self expression. I think in fashion the most important thing is to be self-confident and do things with your own style.
Which city has the best-dressed men?
Paris, New York, London, Venice, Milan, Firenze.
Would you say that you are conservative or bold?
Conservative, but sometimes I can be bold.
What are the rules, if any, in the way you dress?
Be yourself, be confident, don't be a fashion sheep and style is better than fashion.
Celebrities and style...
Are fakes. Very often, without a personal or a brand's stylist they are nothing, they don't have style. That being said, American celebrities are the worst!
One garment/accessory that you can never have enough of?
Shoes!
A man should always look like...
Jon Hamm in Mad Men or Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown affair.
Who taught you what you know about style?
My taste is from my mother, cinema, and my passion for fashion magazines, particularly Numéro Magazine.
How do you select your clothing every morning?
It depends on my schedule.
What is your biggest regret?
Not being taller and slim, but I can't fight nature. Therefore, my regret is not finding my own style sooner.
Do you have any shopping rituals?
No, I don't think so.
We will never see you wearing...
I don't know, maybe things I don't like.
The most stylish person you have ever seen...
James Bond in his tuxedo! And Jude Law for Dior Homme.
What is the first thing you notice on a man?
His shoes, his watch.
The one image that defined your approach to style...
A picture from Georges Hoyningen-Huene, or Slim Aarons; both of them are fashion photographers.
Which new designers do you follow and why?
Maxime Simoens because I have discovered him at Festival International des Arts de la Mode in Hyères (south of France) and Bouchra Jarrar.
The only article of clothing that a man needs to pay close attention to is...
His suit.
Is comfort an enemy of style?
No! Comfort is running with confidence, it's the key for style.
Which designer never fails to impress you?
So many! For women I like Balenciaga, Burberry Prorsum, Hermès, Gucci, Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent. I really really love the work of Bouchra Jarrar, her collections are the essence of french style with a little Mediterranean touch. For men, I'm attracted by a tailor's work. In terms of brands, Hermès, Kilgour, Tom Ford, Prada, Gucci, Dior (when Hedi Slimane was the creative director), Louis Vuitton, Burberry Prorsum, Karl Lagerfeld, Zegna, and many others.
Who would you like to see next in My Style?
French shoe maker, Xavier Aubercy.
The best words of advice you have ever heard?
Less is more.
