The 7LMen are the emblematic clients of Septième Largeur. This first portrait is that of Michaël, a customer who became a friend
Who are the 7L MEN?
The 7LMen are the emblematic clients of Septième Largeur. We see them in our stores and some even outside them. They are quality people who live their lives passionately.
Today we wanted you to meet them too.
This first portrait is that of Michaël, a customer who became a friend. Outside of his job at Scavini, he creates content on Instagram, via his account @maninwave.
To take these portraits, we asked Jordan @menswearplease, former collaborator, content creator and friend of the brand, to take their portrait. It's his turn now.
Michaël lives in the 15th arrondissement in Paris. I get out at Dupleix station and take refuge under the overhead rails to wait for him. For a few minutes, I let myself be captivated by the spectacle, banal for those who see it every day, of this suspension bridge which winds between the buildings. When you no longer live there, Paris becomes Paris again.
I suddenly see this silhouette emerge from the stone that I have seen time and time again, frozen all smiles on my feed. There again he smiles.
Almost immediately, he compliments me on my parka. He likes volume. We start walking and if I had had my dictaphone ready, we would have started the interview on the sidewalk. What you need to know is that Michaël is talkative. He will say it himself later.
We arrive at his house. A new building but “with the problems of the old one” as he told me, showing me a water leak in the ceiling.
He then offers me a Kombucha, a drink from Korea. I will understand later that Korea holds a special place in his life.
We start the interview gently.
How does a day begin in the life of Michaël, the man in wave?
“The real version? (laughs) It’s going to be very no pain no gain but in the morning, I wake up around 5:30-6 a.m. Because with my partner, before starting the day, I like to either go running or go do sports.
“So usually I have breakfast at 6 a.m., then exercise for an hour with Hayeon. On the way back, Hayeon gets ready and I start planning my day in my bullet journal. I love it, I have lots of them. Afterwards, I eat again. I have two breakfasts in the morning.
Then I prepare my outfit. It's done quite quickly. I don't worry. I'm moving towards a uniform more and more. I wear an Oxford shirt and a Shetland sweater, I have fun with the colors. And then, I take my backpack and I go to work on foot at La Tour Maubourg not very far from here.”
What do these two breakfasts consist of?
“The first is simple to avoid wasting too much time: cottage cheese, cereals with fruit. This way, it allows me to calm down before going to exercise. And when I come back, I eat eggs, bread, peanut butter, coffee... the whole thing.” (laughs)
And how does your day end?
“Generally good. Not bad after 8 p.m. I'm coming home slowly. I'm thinking about getting something to eat first. We're making food with my girlfriend. As I'm going to Seoul in August and my in-laws are Korean and don't speak English, in the evening I have half an hour of “Korean for Dummies”. And then we watch a film or a series quietly.”
Which pair of shoes to go on a trip?
“So here, I'm wearing Sanders, the Playboy model. Because it's super comfortable, it's like sneakers. I know that every time I have to walk and I have a limited outfit, I grab this because it will go with all my outfits too and it's very, very comfortable. Brown ones.”
You work in what ?
“I am General Manager of Scavini (ready-to-wear) and therefore I manage all ready-to-wear: collection development, monitoring of the store, the e-shop, communication and all that entails.”
You have passions ?
“First passion: clothing. I spent a lot of hours looking at lookbooks.
And also, I am passionate about Formula 1 because I come from Monaco. I have the poster of my birth that my father gave me but I haven't put it on the wall yet. I also love Formula 1 because my father works at the Automobile Club, so obviously I was influenced by that.
And then I find that it comes together with clothing. There are photos from the 1990s of drivers with great style.
Otherwise, besides that, I like skateboarding, in the amateur version I would like to point out.
With skateboarding, it's a bit the same. I like everything about skateboarding. Clothing, culture, music…
I love music too, that's why in my interviews (editor's note on his blog maninwave.com ) I always ask for playlists because I love listening to music all the time and listening to lots of different things.
I find that it still ties in with this idea of having beauty, of having style…”
Your group? Favorite music artist?
“I have lots of ideas in mind.
This is going to sound pretentious but Miles Davis. I only buy jazz vinyls, 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 otherwise, after in the groups, I was a fan of the Arctic Monkeys.”
Your favorite film ?
“Some Like it Hot.”
Your favorite dish ?
“A Korean dish, kimchi jjigae.”
We know you on Instagram as @ManInWave. Can you say more?
“I started taking photos on Instagram because I liked sharing outfits that I could make. I was a little tired of consuming, if I may say so. I wanted to share too, to show a little bit of what I could manage to put together. This is how I have been posting for 2 years. I don’t really have a common thread.”
“My photos are thanks to my partner who kindly takes my photos when we go for a walk on the weekend.
I share the things I like. And I share a little of my work, in the sense that when we make collections, I will show fabrics, show a little how it also happens when we create clothes.
And the blog came about because I liked talking. I am very talkative. At the moment I'm trying to publish more and more, to write. So that's why I get up so early in the morning: to write and talk a little about my passion.
It's not a blog of recommendations, it's more about showing what it is possible to make a piece of clothing.
And what I like about your approach too is that side where you can actually have fun with the clothes. I even like the technical side, talking a little about a fabric for example, but I don't pretend to teach people how to do anything. It’s more about saying here’s a proposal and if it inspires you, do it.”
I see that you like beauty. How does this manifest in your life?
“I like everything that is beautiful.
What I like about clothing is that it is a way of expressing yourself and I find that we are not going to limit ourselves only with clothing or shoes and it can go further whether in the interior decoration.
A person I work with, Pierre-Antoine, said “I like having a nice coffee machine because it makes me happy in the morning to have my coffee” and that’s just what I like about them. objects in general, clothing is about having beautiful objects that make you happy. I love pens. I collect Kaweco sport pens. And I always write in my Leuchtturm1917 notebooks, because I like the cover, it's a nice cover, I like the pen, it's a bit colorful. And so I like beauty in general, because it gives pleasure in everyday life.”
What made you cross the threshold of a Septième Largeur boutique for the first time?
“I am a big blog reader, I started following BonneGueule in 2009. At the time, I also read Modissimo, Redingote, Jim's Vestiaire…
7L came back very regularly in the recommended brands if you wanted a pair of quality shoes. This is how I took the plunge and passed through the door of the shop located on the left bank. I was not disappointed, the pairs I saw were all very beautiful.
For my first pair, I chose a pair of moccasins for a change (laughs). I have been wearing them intensively for 5 years now, I must admit. I love them, they are still just as comfortable and even more so. Over time, a nice patina has developed.
We can say that like good wine, this pair improves with time. »
Are there any rules to follow when wearing shoes?
“Well, to wear them on your feet already. (laughs)
In stores, in my work sometimes, the thing that shocks me a lot is people who say to me “oh yes, but is that good?” I admit that the thing I often answer them is: “do you like it or not?” And for me, there are no rules. At the time, there were rules, etiquette, but I think today there are more rules.”
So can you wear brogues with jeans?
“Personally, I don't do it but not because it's bad, it's because aesthetically, it doesn't speak to me. In the end everyone does what they want."
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 about 7 pairs of purple socks.
On Insta, you often see that I have purple socks, it's not the same pair, I have several. I specify.
It's a gimmick that I like, that I saw in L'Étiquette magazine. I think it was Mr. Barnes (editor's note Michel Barnes, creator of Arthur & Fox) who wore this and I had a complete crush on it. And now I often wear purple socks. And after tartan pattern scarves in winter there you go.”
What is the most versatile color for a pair of shoes?
“It all depends in what context he wants to evolve. If it's more or less formal.
I have a lot of people who come to the store because they want work pants and therefore they want a dressy outfit. In these cases, I would tend to say a pair of black brogues. That's what I did. And then it goes with everything, almost, in this context.
Otherwise, personally, I would tend to say a moccasin. I find it much more versatile.”
What advice would you give to someone looking for their first serious pair of shoes?
“Eggplant obviously! People often say “black is complicated to combine” sometimes the same is said about brown. Whereas eggplant is the color in between.
I wear my 7L eggplant moccasins, I “overwear” them. I know I shouldn't say it, but I wear these several times a week and I don't necessarily space out the ports, because they are super versatile because of their color.”
Photographs taken and comments collected by Jordan Maurin (@menswearplease)
I would like to thank Michaël for his extreme kindness and availability. Being interested in beauty is very good, being a beautiful person yourself is even better.
J.M.
