Tetsuya Yamashita is a reader that Lucas is aware of fairly than me. Again within the days when he ran the Drake’s pop-up within the outdated Beige store in Paris, Tetsuya was an everyday customer, and continues to be a buddy of Beige in the present day. In reality we used their store as a base, as we went out to shoot across the streets of St Sulpice.
Tetsuya is completely different from different readers we’ve lined in just a few methods. He’s our first French entry, and he’s a waiter on the intellectually well-known Café de Flore in Paris. It’s a spot more and more in style with vacationers, however nearly hanging onto its distinctive character – as we talk about.
Tetsuya additionally described himself as a French sartorialist, which to me means not only a fondness for Cifonelli, Charvet and Hermès, but in addition an inclination in the direction of the dandy, the additional accent and the brighter shoe. I had nice enjoyable exploring all these matters with him. As ever I hope you get pleasure from it too.
Outfit 1
- Jacket: Lorenzo Cifonelli for The Rake
- Shirt : Bryceland’s
- Pocket sq.: Simonnot-Godard
- Trousers: Rota (made-to-order)
- Socks: Bresciani, by way of Mes Chaussettes Rouges
- Sneakers: John Lobb Paris (made to order)
So, Tetsuya, inform us what you do.
I’m a waiter – a garçon de café – at Café de Flore in Paris. I got here to Paris from Japan to do that career as a métier. I’ve been there 22 years now.
I assume you should be fairly senior by now then?
Sure, I am the third longest-serving garçon in the present day at Flore – you do develop relationships with specific clients, who then need to be served by you once they are available in. I’d say it’s my favorite side of the job, the friendships you determine.
Has that included anybody well-known over time?
Properly, my favorite was Karl Lagerfeld. Karl and I had a pleasant relationship – he would are available in repeatedly and ask the place I used to be serving that day. He preferred the consistency of it.
I keep in mind the final time he got here in earlier than he died – he clearly wasn’t properly, and when he stated goodbye there was one thing completely different about him. I intentionally stated to him, not goodbye, however ‘see you quickly Karl’.
I’ve had breakfast at Café de Flore just a few instances and it does nonetheless have actual character, regardless of the vacationers. Pretty little egg cups, excellent bread and salted butter.
Sure, it has held on to that. There may be what we name the Golden Triangle of institutions in St Germain: Flore, Deux Magots, Brasserie Lipp. They’re nonetheless very real, very attribute of the neighbourhood. But it surely’s been laborious – Emily in Paris was enormous for American guests, and we had been flooded.
Forgive me for asking, however how does a waiter afford garments from Cifonelli and Hermès?
Properly, I don’t spend a lot cash on anything! However I additionally save up rather a lot, usually shopping for only one or two massive gadgets a yr. The velvet jacket from Cifonelli right here is an efficient instance, but it surely was ready-to-wear – they only altered just a few small issues.
How would you describe this model?
For me it’s a blended model, one thing fairly Japanese however clearly very French too. It’s not frequent to put on black velvet throughout the daytime, however I adore it with white pants, in truth I really like white pants basically. Within the winter I put on the jacket with ecru Fox flannel pants that my buddy Kenjiro Suzuki made for me.
Outfit 2
- Blazer: Cifonelli (made-to-measure)
- Shirt: Charvet
- Tie: Drake’s
- Pocket sq.: Hermès
- Trousers: Bernard Zins
- Socks: Bresciani (by way of Mes Chaussettes Rouges)
- Sneakers: John Lobb Paris (made to order)
How about this outfit? Slightly French?
Sure I’d name it L’élégance Parisienne. Plenty of particulars – the pocket sq., the buttons. This blazer was Cifonelli made-to-measure and the buttons are their in-house ones, with their image.
The shirt is Charvet too – by no means something however Charvet! Though I don’t put on Charvet for work, that’s less complicated and really conventional – white shirt, bow tie, vest and apron.
Are these the footwear that L’Etiquette journal did with John Lobb?
Sure, truly I noticed these once they had been first launched again within the nineties, however couldn’t afford them. So when L’Etiquette introduced the mannequin again I didn’t miss the prospect, and now I’ve a second pair – the suede ones proven above.
The model was initially referred to as Delano, however L’Etiquette referred to as it ‘Paris’. It was solely on sale on their web site initially, however now it’s obtainable made-to-order from Lobb.
Have you ever at all times been into garments?
Ever since I used to be an adolescent. It wasn’t uncommon to be into garments again then, however most of my pals had been into American clothes – informal clothes, what we name Amecaji. I used to be extra into tailoring and English model.
I began going into Beams, then into United Arrows had been I met [designer Yasuto] Kamoshita who taught me easy methods to costume. And we’ve been pals ever since. Now each time he involves Paris we exit – he’s like my older brother.
Was your father a very good dresser?
Probably not, he didn’t care about garments. However he was a banker and wore a swimsuit every single day, so maybe that was an affect. Additionally my household was very conservative, which meant English model. I nonetheless dream about having a bespoke swimsuit made at Anderson & Sheppard.
I additionally put on fairly just a few English manufacturers – I’ve been carrying Smedley knitwear since I used to be 20 years outdated.
Outfit 3
- Coat : Hermès
- Scarf: Charvet
- Knit: John Smedley
- Denims: Levi’s 501
- Socks: DoreDore
- Sneakers: John Lobb Paris (made to order)
OK, if we had names for the earlier two appears to be like, what would you name this one?
I might say it’s my model of BCBG – Bon Stylish Bon Style.
That actually means good model and good sort of individual, proper? The style of the French higher lessons, like the concept of Outdated Cash or the English Nation Home Look.
Sure precisely, it’s very basic, very French. The knit is the Dorset model from Smedley that I stated I’ve been carrying for a few years. In the summertime I put on Isis, the identical mannequin in Sea Island cotton. I’ve so many colors.
The footwear are uncommon – is that the Lopez idler?
It’s the Lopez, sure, however in a colourway I specifically requested. Mr Kamoshita used to put on a pair of derby footwear from Lobb referred to as the Barros, in a bi-colour design like this. He used to say it was very ‘French Ivy’.
You may’t get the Barros today, even by request, so I made a pair of Lopez in the identical colors.
How lengthy have you ever had the coat? It appears to be like pleasingly pale.
I’ve had it for 28 years – it’s significantly helpful in Paris throughout the mid-seasons, in spring and in autumn. In Japan these seasons are very brief – it goes from scorching to chilly too rapidly to want one thing like this.
Truly there’s a little bit of a narrative behind this coat. Hermès made it with Waterproof coat, of their bonded cotton, however apparently there was a problem with one pocket in order that they needed to recall them. The store promised to exchange mine however the unique wasn’t obtainable once more, in order that they gave me this one. I feel it’s distinctive – I haven’t seen it anyplace.
These outdated Hermès items are so lovely – I’ve picked up just a few myself second hand. It’s such a disgrace they don’t do basic types in the present day.
I agree, it’s an actual disgrace.
The place do you want to buy in Paris?
There isn’t a lot. Beige is clearly nice, and there are the makers I’ve worn right here – Cifonelli, Lobb, Charvet. However there isn’t rather a lot past that – I purchase extra once I return to Japan twice a yr.
I like your Charvet scarf. How do you tie it?
All the time quite simple – both twice spherical my neck after which in a knot, or making it right into a loop after which placing the ends via.
I’ve at all times considered scarves as a really Parisian factor – is that truthful?
As a Japanese individual I at all times thought the identical, and I do suppose it’s true. I’m at all times watching what different persons are carrying and also you definitely see much more scarves right here than in Japan.
Good to know one cliché holds up. Thanks for taking the time to speak to us Tetsuya, goodbye on the guide launch.
See you there Simon.
Tetsuya is @yamashitatetsuya on Instagram
