Michaël - 7LMen March 2024
The 7LMen are the emblematics clients of Septieme Largeur, This first portrait is of Michaël, a client who has become a friend
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The 7Lmen are the emblematics clients of Septième Largeur. We see them in our stores , and for some, even outside. They are stylish people who lives their lives passionately.
Today, we wanted you to meet them too.
This first portrait is of Michaël, a client who became a friend. Besides his job at Scavini, he creates content on Instagram, via his account @maninwave.
To capture these portraits, we asked Jordan, @menswearplease, a former collaborator, content creator, and friend of the brand, to portray them. It's his turn to play now.
Michaël lives in the 15th arrondissement in Paris. I get off at Dupleix station and take refuge under the elevated railway tracks to wait for him. For a few minutes, I let myself be captivated by the sight, mundane for those who see it every day, of this suspended bridge winding between the buildings. When you no longer live here, Paris becomes Paris again.
Suddenly, I see him coming out of the subway. I've seen him so many times, smiling on my instagram feed. And again, he's smiling.
Almost immediately, he compliments me on my parka. He likes the volume. We started walking, and if I had my dictaphone ready to go, we would have started the interview right there on the sidewalk. What you need to know is that Michaël likes to talk. He'll say it himself later on.
How does a day in the life of Michaël, aka man in wave, begin?
“The real version? (laughs) It's going to sound very "no pain, no gain," but in the morning, I wake up around 5:30-6 am. Before starting the day, I like to either go for a run or do some exercise with my partner.”
“So typically, I have breakfast at 6 am, then exercise for an hour with Hayeon. When we get back, Hayeon gets ready, and I start planning my day in my bullet journal. I love it, I have lots of them.. Then, I eat again. I have two breakfasts in the morning.
Then, I prepare my outfit. It's pretty quick. I don’t take it too seriously. I'm moving towards more of a uniform style. I put on an Oxford shirt and a Shetland sweater, playing around with colors. And then, I grab my backpack and walk to work at La Tour Maubourg, not far from here.”
What do these two breakfasts consist of?
“The first one is simple to avoid spending too much time: yogurt, cereal with fruits. This way, I can fuel up before exercising. And when I come back, I eat eggs, bread, peanut butter, coffee... everything.” (laughs)
And how does your day end?
“Generally good. Around 8 p.m. I slowly make my way back home. I usually think about grabbing some food beforehand. My girlfriend and I cook together. Since I'm going to Seoul in August and my in-laws are Korean and don't speak English, I spend about half an hour each evening studying 'Korean for Dummies'. After that, we watch a movie or a series together.”
Which pair of shoes is right for a trip?
“So right now, I'm wearing Sanders, the Playboy model. Because they're super comfortable, they're like sneakers. I know that every time I have to walk and I have limited outfit options, I take these because they'll go with all my outfits too and they're very, very comfortable. Brown ones.”
What do you do for a living?
“I'm the General Manager of Scavini (ready-to-wear) and so I'm in charge of everything related to ready-to-wear: collection development, store management, e-shop management, communication, and all that it entails.”
Do you have any hobbies or interests?
“My first passion is clothing. I used to spend many hours looking at lookbooks.
And also, I'm passionate about Formula 1 because I'm from Monaco. I have the poster from the year I was born that my father gave me, but I haven't put it up on the wall yet. I love Formula 1 as well because my father works at the Automobile Club, so naturally I've been influenced by that.
And I find that formula 1 and clothing come together. There are photos from the 90s of pilots with a great style.
Otherwise, aside from that, I also like skateboarding, as a hobby.
Skateboarding is kind of the same for me. I really enjoy everything surrounding skateboarding: the clothing, the culture, the music…
I love music too, which is why in my interviews (editor's note: on his blog maninwave.com) I always ask for the playlists, because I love listening to music all the time and listening to lots of different things.
I find that it all ties in with the idea of having beauty, having style...”
What's your favorite band? Favorite music artist?
“I have many.
This is going to sound pretentious, but Miles Davis. I only buy jazz vinyl, even though I listen to lots of different styles. But I love this style of music, and Miles Davis was the first one I listened to. And besides that, in terms of bands, I was an Arctic Monkeys fan.”
Your favorite movie?
“Some Like it Hot.”
Favorite food?
“A Korean dish, kimchi jjigae.”
Favorite TV show ?
“Boardwalk Empire was really cool as a series about the prohibition era. You find Al Capone, all those characters, and the show was starring Steve Buscemi, I think. The clothing was also great.”
You are known on Instagram under the username @ManInWave. Can you tell us more?
“I started taking photos on Instagram because I enjoyed sharing outfits that I put together. I was getting tired of just watching. I wanted to share too, to show a little bit of what I could put together. That's how I've been posting for the past 2 years. I don't really have a common thread.”
“My photos, it's thanks to my partner who kindly takes pictures of me when we go for walks on the weekends.”
“I share things that I really like. And I also share a bit of my work, in the sense that when we're creating collections, I'll show fabrics, give a glimpse into the process of creating clothing.
And the blog came about because I enjoy talking. I'm a very talkative person. Right now, I'm trying to publish more and more. So that's why I wake up early in the morning: to write and talk a bit about my passion.
It's not a blog for recommendations; it's more about showing what is possible with clothing.”
I see that you appreciate beauty. How does that manifest in your life?
“I really appreciate everything that is beautiful.
What I like about clothing is that it's a way to express yourself, and I believe that we shouldn't limit ourselves just to clothing or shoes; it can go further, like in interior decoration.
Someone I work with, Pierre-Antoine, once said, I like having a beautiful coffee machine because it brings me joy in the morning to have my coffee.” That's just what I like about objects and clothes in general. It's about having beautiful objects that bring you joy. I love pens. I collect Kaweco Sport pens. And I always write in my Leuchtturm1917 notebooks because I like the cover; it's a beautiful cover. So, I appreciate beauty in general because it brings daily pleasure.”
What made you step into a Septième Largeur store for the first time?
“I'm a big fan of blog; I started following Bonne Gueule in 2009. At that time, I was also reading Modissimo, Redingote, and Jim's Wardrobe…
7L regularly appeared among the recommended brands if you wanted a quality pair of shoes. That's why I decided to step into the shop located on the Left Bank. I wasn't disappointed; the pairs I saw were all very beautiful.
For my first pair, I chose a pair of loafers for a change (laughs). I've been wearing them a lot for 5 years now, I must admit. I adore them; they're still as comfortable, even more so. Over time, a beautiful patina has developed.
One could say that just like good wine, this pair only gets better with time. »
Are there any rules to follow when wearing shoes?
“Well, to wear them on your feet, for starters! (laughs)
In the shop, and sometimes in my work, the thing that surprises me a lot is when people ask me, 'Is this really okay?' I confess that what I often reply to them is, 'Does it please you or not?' For me, there are no rules. In the past, there were rules, but I think today there are no more rules.”
So, can you wear Oxfords with jeans?
“Personally, I don't do it, but not because it's wrong. It's just that aesthetically, it doesn't resonate with me. But everyone can do as they please.”
Do you have any clothing obsessions?
“Purple socks, I love them. I have some from Mes Chaussettes Rouges, but otherwise, I have a lot from Uniqlo. I must have around 7 pairs of purple socks.
On Instagram, you often see me wearing purple socks. It's not the same pair; I have several. Just to clarify.
It’s a gimmick that I like, which I saw in in L’Étiquette magazine. I believe it was Monsieur Barnes (editor's note: Michel Barnes, creator of Arthur & Fox) who wore them, and I was completely taken with it. And now, I often wear purple socks. And then tartan-patterned scarves in winter, that's it”
What advice would you give to someone looking for their first pair of quality shoes?
“It all depends on the context. If it's more or less formal. I have quite a few people coming to the shop where I work because they want work pants, and so they want formal wear. In those cases, I would tend to say a pair of black Oxfords. That's what I did. And it goes with almost everything in that context. Otherwise, personally, I would tend to say a loafer. I find it much more versatile.”
What is the easiest color to wear on shoes ?
“Eggplant obviously ! Often people say 'black is tricky to match”. People say the same about brown. Whereas aubergine, it's the in-between color.
I wear my eggplant shade 7L loafers a lot, maybe even too much. I know I shouldn't say it, but I wear them several times a week, and I don't necessarily space out the wears because they are incredibly easy to match with every outfit.”
Photographs taken and interviews conducted by Jordan Maurin (@menswearplease)
I would like to thank Michaël for his extreme kindness and availability. To be interested in beauty is very good, but to be a beautiful person oneself is even better.
JM
