SYLVAIN FISCHMANN, RIVES PARIS CO-FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
1. Why fashion, why man?
Out of passion, need and desire.
Passion, from the wonder of Clint Eastwood’s silhouettes in Sergio Leone and Albator westerns, to the adventurous look of Indiana Jones or the allure of Axel Rose and Slash (the November Rain video!).
Out of need, because I was fed up with not finding what I liked, what I wanted, what I needed. Or when I found it, it was too expensive, or made under dubious conditions.
And finally, because who doesn’t want to make their passion their job?
2. At what point did you say to yourself, “I’m going to make tailor-made suits in Paris?”
When you suggested it. Our readers and friends need to know that you were the driving force behind the project, and that I jumped on the locomotive at the start, for better or for worse!
3. Favorite color?
Shades of Grey for clothing, blue for the ocean, green for the countryside.
4. Favorite record?
- Changesone by David Bowie,
- Parachutes by Coldplay,
- Origin of Symmetry by Muse,
- Random Access Memory by Daft Punk,
- Appetite for destruction by Guns & roses,
- the classical music playlist I’ve created for myself,
- all Barbara,
- Aznavour
- and a good deal of Gainsbourg.
5. Favorite beach?
A wild beach.
6. Cult film?
The Royal Tennenbaums, Wes Anderson.
7. Favorite designer?
No. Or Saint James 😉
8. Cult model?
No, I don’t. I’m not much of a model. I like faces and personalities.
9. Your fashion bible?
The street.
10. A style rule to follow?
Not at all!
11. Do you have a favorite book?
Lord of the Rings.
12. An actor with incredible style?
So… Clint Eastwood, Sergio Leone, all that, all that.
Michael Jackson.
13. THE OSCAR FOR BEST COSTUME DESIGN, OR CÉSAR FOR BEST COSTUMES?
14. Photo or selfie?
Photo grave.
15. Beard or moustache?
Deep beard.
16. Tea or coffee?
Coke zero.
17. BRAD PITT OR LEONARDO DI CAPRIO?
LES DEUX !
18. FW or SS?
I love the change of seasons, the change of color, temperature and atmosphere, and the surge of energy that usually accompanies them.
If we could alternate every 2 months instead of 3, that would be perfect.
19. Do you work better in the morning or in the evening?
I think better in the morning, I create better in the evening.
20. Italian or English?
For style? French, of course!
21. SMS or call?
Calling. I spend hours on the phone every day. I love it. And I walk all the time when I’m online.
I’m going in circles. If I’m at the tel and I sit down, my brain stops.
The neighbor downstairs hates me.
22. YOUR FAVORITE RIVES COLLECTION SINCE THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED?
More like favorite pieces:
- high-waisted wide-leg Trousers,
- bomber jacket,
- cardigan jacket,
- Peignoir jacket,
- kimono jacket,
- Peignoir coat
23. Your favorite tailor-made piece, the one you created for a customer and then wanted to make for yourself?
I think if I had to have just one, it would be the Peignoir jacket.
Your turn… Are you ready? Who are you, Antoine Salmon?
ANTOINE SALMON, CO-FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF RIVES PARIS
Serial entrepreneur trained in finance at Dauphine and a few years as a consultant at KPMG. A great traveller and curious man before the eternal….
1. Shirt or T-shirt?
Both of course, but if it’s a t-shirt then I must wear a piece over it (single-breasted jacket, double-breasted jacket, jacket, coat).
2. Sea or mountains?
Why choose I don’t like to choose. The sea in fact, but the mountains attract me for their more sporting side and more unspoilt nature (okay, not Courchevel).
3. Lake Como or Connemara?
Although I haven’t been there, I feel as if I already know Lake Connemara (after 5 years of student parties at Dauphine), so Lake Como for its beauty and the sumptuous villas and hotels that line it.
4. Street art or museums?
Definitely street art. I don’t like being cooped up. So you could also say an open-air museum.
5. The classiest director?
For his minimalist elegance and film photography: Stanley Kubrick.
6. A fashion faux-pas that doesn’t shock you?
No belt and dare I say white socks. In fact, as long as a so-called “fashion faux pas” is decided and mastered, it can become stylish.
7. Colored or plain socks to match a tailor-made suit?
More sober or invisible for me or but as said above anything is possible even Snoopy socks as long as it blends in well with the rest.
8. Officer or mao?
Personally, I’m still confused by the difference. But I like the idea of a small collar.
9. With or without initials?
It depends where, when, how and with whom. Joker!
10. Your favorite book?
Balzac’s lost illusions.
11. BROWN OR BLACK?
Green, Burgundy, Grey… Nothing scares me when it comes to shoes.
Any style, any color, as long as it’s in harmony with the rest and appropriate to the occasion.
The only thing I don’t like is the overly pronounced, overly shiny patinas that draw the eye more to the shoes than the rest.
12. A fashion brand that inspires you?
Rains and his rain gear, each one cooler than the next.
Nike for its development, growth and communication.
13. A cult perfume?
A fragrance I still wear from time to time 20 years later: Eau sauvage by Dior.
14. Your canteen in Paris?
L’Affable rue Saint Simon in the 7th arrondissement, a gastro bistro founded by my friend Olivier Hélion.
15. What’s your favorite thing about greeting a customer in the store?
When he tells you that before us he didn’t like shopping, or that he has the impression of Anglo-Saxon service.
16. Saint-Exupéry or De Caunes?
Joker. This is the 2nd and last joker I use!
17. Does the Devil really wear Prada?
No idea, but I suggest you ask Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of US Vogue.
18. Ritz or Crillon?
Both! Parisian palaces are the best expression of French savoir faire.
19. How do you eat a burger properly when you’re wearing a suit?
I don’t know. You’ll have to give me the recipe. The only way for me to avoid staining myself was to eat it naked in the shower.
20. The craziest in-store customer request?
A jacket lining with his portrait printed on it, or a personalized fabric with stripes made of his name written in lower case.
21. Burger King or Burger Quiz?
A Burger King in front of Burger Quiz.
22. Rives Paris or Les Dandys?
RIVES: it’s beautiful, it’s simple, it’s timeless.
23. Wayfarer or Aviator?
Aviator for the bad boy factor.
Bonus question: do you prefer initial contact by phone or online booking?
Antoine & Sylvain – Rives Paris