“I am very instinctive. When I dress, I'm not cerebral at all ." It's difficult to steal from Paul Binam the secret recipe for his very personal looks : he doesn't know it himself. We still tried (and succeeded) on him extracting valuable stylistic advice during an impromptu meeting in his Parisian apartment, sunk into a velvet sofa, a homemade matcha in hand.
In Paul Binam's Parisian apartment.
The man who describes himself as a “Brestois lost in the capital” has signed a capsule collection of five pieces in his image for BonneGueule, to be discovered on November 25 on the e-shop and in our stores . So obviously, we wanted to question him about his relationship with clothing, his inspirations, his tastes or even the method, if he has one, for putting together outfits with character.
Followed by more than 100,000 people on social networks, Paul Binam has gathered in just four years a community of followers with whom he shares his passion for fashion. A passion born through his childhood when his father, “the fashionista of the house”, went to work wearing impeccable suits . “It all started from him,” the thirty-year-old told us. “Fashion started by chance, then it stayed with me. I followed my heart."
It's your turn to follow yours.
1 - “Experiment, test, evolve”
“My tastes, my style and my interest in fashion are constantly evolving. I went through several style phases - and like everyone else, I followed the trend. Tecktonik is a style I went through - and I'm not proud of it! But that’s also how we learn. This time allowed me to experiment with strong and eccentric colors. I had fun mixing them and strangely, it worked. This is what led me to have a slightly different eye ."
“It’s good to try things. We are here to learn.”
“In London, I had my rock phase. I was listening to the Strokes, the Velvet Underground, hanging out in Camden Town. I had a style-wise click: I felt that I had the freedom to try everything . Gothic, piercings, leather, my first tattoos… I also began to cultivate a more minimalist and dark side. Then, back in Paris, my looks became calmer: I cultivated a more classic silhouette ."
“Today, it’s impossible to describe my style.”
“However, I have two guidelines: the first is vintage from the 70s to 90s, from disco to hip-hop. The second is contemporary fashion, for cuts and materials. I take several elements from several different decades and mix them to make my own style . A beret and suspenders from one era, bell-bottom pants from another…”
Paul Binam and a rack of jackets, his favorite pieces
2 - “Dare to detach yourself from the gaze of others”
“Sometimes people try way too hard to be stylish - but the truth is, it's pointless . My problem before was that I cared too much about what people thought. Dressing for others is really the last thing you should do . I really started loving fashion when I started dressing for myself. And since then, I've had fun every day ."
“My credo: live your life, do your look, dress how you feel. And as long as you feel good, that’s the main thing.”
“Dare. You have to not care about what other people think. If you pass people and they look at you strangely, tell yourself that they have crossed your path… two seconds! They don't know who you are and you don't know who they are ."
3 - “Be constantly looking for inspiration (and not just on social networks)”
“People often ask where I get my inspiration. Music inspires me . That of the 70s, 80s, 90s, with old-fashioned clips. Joey Badass, 2PAC, The Notorious BIG… Cinema too. The Devil Wears Prada is my favorite movie. My madeleine by Proust . I also like 90s shows like Friends , The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Sex And The City ."
“Don’t look for your style on Instagram. Watch movies, listen to sounds you like, and analyze the looks of artists who inspire you."
“I also get inspiration from looking through photo books. I discovered an American photographer called William Eggleston: I'm a fan. He shoots on film. In his images, I sometimes spot retro colors that I find magnificent , and which are less common today in clothing. When I see a shade I like, I go to the thrift store to find a cardigan or blazer that matches it."
Paul Binam leafing through a book by photographer William Eggleston.
“What is also very important is to know what you have in your wardrobe, and to have pieces that you like, that you know well and that you know how to wear. Never be afraid to carry over your pieces and looks. You have to make your clothes profitable, and wear them again and again ."
4 - “Play with colors”
“I haven't worn color for a long time. When you're stuck in a box, especially on social media, it's hard to get out . They called me "Mr. Beige", because I wore a lot of beige, brown, neutral colors. It was very monotonous. I was afraid to leave this very minimalist side even though I dreamed of color. During the confinements, I started wearing them, but alone at home. And I loved it. Over time, I wanted to wear them outside , because it fun and it made me super happy. It clicked ."
“Colors suit everyone. You just have to dare."
“People are afraid to wear colors because they are afraid to dress up. But I start from the principle that color is for everyone . To get started, you just need to know your skin tone, the different shades of color that suit you, and have fun with it."
5 - “Think about practicality before focusing on details”
“The first thing I do before getting dressed is check the weather forecast . She is the one who will decide on my outfit for the day. If it's less than 10°, I do a big layering, or I take out a big piece . Depending on whether I'm on a bike or not, I'll choose shoes that don't slip, a coat that's not too long or it might get caught on my bike... If it's raining and I take my bike, I get out a parka. Do I have rain boots? I'll wear them. They're not necessarily the most stylish products, but I'll make sure to make them stylish."
“My style is above all 100% practical.”
“Sometimes I wear outfits that are downright boring. But it's raining, it's cold, and I'm lazy. So I'm thinking about how to make the whole thing less unpleasant , and it just happens with details. The details change everything, everything, everything .”
© Good mouth
“I add vintage earrings, a watch, rings, a hat, a scarf, a bag… It’s with accessories that I really start to create my style: they bring another dimension to an outfit, and personality . Then, this is the way I think about my layering: I can have fun putting a coat inside out or a sweater on top. How do you put on a shirt? How do you tie a scarf? How do you turn up pants, how do you roll up your sleeves, how do you turn up the collar of a blazer? Once again: you have to have fun."
“I stand in front of my mirror and ask myself: “What new can I do today? This is how I manage to nourish and reinvent my style."
“You have to start little by little, try things out, see what you like or not, and incorporate what you like into your outfits as you go.”
