Olivier and his dear Cameraman, from Nigel Cabourn

 

Hi Olivier, can you tell us what is your jacket ?

It’s my Nigel Cabourn Parka, the toughest thing I’ve ever worn. With this I have the feeling that I can go in the Scottish country, even if it’s raining heavily and the wind is blowing like crazy.

Where does it come from ? is there a personal story attached to it ?

I bought it at FrenchTrotters in Paris after I had put some serious thought into selling a kidney to buy it in New York not long before that. I saved up a bit and carefully thought about buying it and I must say that I love the idea of seeing a garment as an investment for which I have to take care. That is exactly the same thing when you buy a pair of Alden: you know that you’ll want to take really good care of it in order to keep it in a good shape as long as it’s possible. It’s funny how you can somehow develop a kind of affective link with some pieces and nowadays it feels very good.

And you, did you live a particular story with it ?

I like to think about all the places I’ve been with this jacket as well as those I’ll go with it. I love to take it to the field, in the forest, by the sea or on my motorcycle, to fight against the rain. This kind of jacket must live, breath a bit. To tell the truth I prefer to be into the wild rather than confined places: when I go out I’m not to confortable leaving it at the cloakroom, I always fear it might get into troubles.

Mackintosh aging in process: it might be beautiful soon enough.

 

Why do you like it so much ?

There is nothing more annoying that an outerwear garment that you have to be precious about, it’s like when you buy an umbrella which isn’t rainproof. That’s why this jacket is the perfect bridge between a fancy clothing and a rough one (and I don’t say that because workwear is everywhere since several seasons).

What is funny about this jacket is that it’s a rare product but when you scroll the internet a bit you can see it on a lot of fashion blogs. I know that you read the same websites than me when it comes to garments, doesn’t it bother you to see your jacket everywhere ?

It’s true that lately, the Cameraman is one of the biggest common denominator between fashion bloggers, I often cross people in the street that will say to me that they know and like the jacket. And yet, I never saw it on anyone’s shoulders. It could be fun: we could just high five between beautiful things lovers.

Why did you choose this particular model ?

If I’m not mistaken, Nigel Cabourn started to make the Cameraman in some sort of boiled wool. Back in the time I already loved the jacket but I wasn’t a big fan of the material. When I saw this mix between Harris Tweed and Mackintosh twill in those colours, I fell for it instantly. To wear the classical “Mac” at less than 25 years old can be a bit difficult but this jacket makes a kind of a rupture. It will get only better looking with the aging of time.

Do not miss the fun shirt underneath the jacket…nice touch !

What do you love or are you looking for when it comes to garments ?

I’m attached to the clothing culture, what does it say about its time, what it’s attached to. My wardrobe is a kind of mindmapping where I can draw lines between this piece or another. I also love for a garment to last because I want it to be a part of me, as well as films I watch or music I listen to. Of course it can’t be true for all my clothing (yes I still buy t-shirts from American Apparel) but I need to have imperishable clothes. When you asked me to choose one of my favorites piece I hesitated to bring an old Vans Era from the time where it was still made in the USA. I have them since 6 or  7 years and it’s still the shoes I wear the most. It’s still looking good but above all it reminds me of my last cultural commitments, when I started to be a part of a community (back in the days, hardcore from Dischord). If I had to throw them out after two years I wouldn’t have been able to think of it this way.

What do you think of fashion as a general topic ?

Let’s say that I grow an affective relationship with fashion and a much more “cerebral” one to fashion industry. For now I’m trying to learn a bit about clothing sociology and it’s like to lean on some kind of litterature movement or a cinematographic one. I’m trying to built a critical mind, to see this in an epistemological way, it helps me to get out of the crazy seasons circle: spring/summer, autumn/winter, spring/summer and so on… it’s a bit tiring for me. I just want to know why I’m wearing this or that cloth, and not only because of the aesthetic aspect.

In the back we can have an idea of how the cut is also really good.

 

Which brands did you noticed lately ?

Since 2 or 3 years, in total disorder and forgetting some I’d tell Our Legacy, Mark Mc Nairy, SNS, Engineered Garments and Nanamica. And Nigel Cabourn of course.

For you is the brand notion important ? what are you looking for in a brand’s work ?

I don’t really pay attention to it, even if I love old brands with an important history and a strong identity. In the other hand I try to identify what I like the most in a brand or another to get what I’m looking for: I love Our Legacy’s and Gitman’s shirt cuts, Barena’s chinos are perfect and my feet never hurts in my Paraboot.

In your mind, are the fashion or clothing blogs a good way to influence wardrobes nowadays ?

I’ll classify blogs in two categories: those which are all about trends and broadcasts lookbooks and those which tries to go a little deeper by explaining why a piece is really interesting. It’s a good thing to make a bit of pedagogy around fashion, which is really often seen as a very normed religion by the one doing it and as completely trivial hobby by 95% of people. Clothing is a social strain since man decided to not go out in the nude, but there is nothing wrong about enjoying it.

Olivier is media journalist for Télérama and chronicler on Le Mouv Radio. He also writes in Snatch Magazine from time to time.

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