Playful touches spark fun
Print Edition
YASMINA Benazzou was trained in Paris as a fashion designer in haute couture. She joined Tai Ping Carpets and moved to New York City in 2006 as design director. She grew up in Morocco, but has also lived in Jakarta, Indonesia and Paris.
My personal style is wearing luxury in a casual way. Nothing should be too loud or pretentious. I like mixing new pieces with vintage, expensive items with simple ones, real jewelry with humble materials but at the end everything should be crafted beautifully.
I usually shop at Barnes in New York but also love small boutiques as well as flea markets and antique shops for accessories. I think it is the mix of all that makes style pertinent.
I have no limit myself to changing the decor of the place I live in. I’m not comfortable with permanency… I like to switch artworks on the wall, add a lamp or change a rug.
All time favorite designers are the modernists from the Art Deco to the Bauhaus period who radically changed our life style. The likes of Jean Michel Franck and Coco Chanel are my all time inspiration.
My last wardrobe addition is a vintage Chanel suit. Some luxury brands are like great wines and their couture pieces get more esthetical value with time.
The next fashion purchase is a pair of bright-colored shoes. It is a way to introduce colors to an outfit without feeling overwhelmed.
My grooming staple is staying healthy with yoga and meditation practice and vegetarian diet. The body and mind are more important than any great outfit.
I wanted to visit Namibia after I saw a documentary showing extraordinary landscapes. This country is on top of my list but I also would love to visit India and Brazil.
My most memorable destination is Patagonia in South America. The beauty and variety of the landscapes are breathtaking and hiking in the wild for a few days was just an unforgettable experience.
My favorite fashion designer is Veronique Leroy, who is a French designer with amazing talent but still quite confidential. The brand has a classic French esthetic mixed with edgy Belgium style and crafted in a couture way.
The last book I read was “Histoire d’une Femme Libre” from Francoise Giroud, a French intellectual. It is a beautiful testimony on liberty and self-determination.
American Chris Dixon has lived in Shanghai for nearly six years. His sense of fashion strikes a delicate balance between work and play, which is indicative of a career in advertising. He prefers classic patterns, fabrics and cuts supplemented with unique and interesting accents.
My personal style strikes a balance between work and play. I work in a industry in which I’m afforded the flexibility to be professional and put together from an appearance standpoint but at the same time, express my creativity and individuality. I choose to be creative when it comes to striking that balance between work and play and that is what defines my personal style.
I usually shop for “quiet” and “loud” clothing/accessories because they both work to compliment my personal style. I gravitate toward the more reserved and classic, but enjoy contrasting that with colorful or unique pieces and breaking some of the traditional men’s fashion rules. The classic pieces are “quiet” and the colorful/bold pieces are “loud.” I really like when they work together.
If I have to limit my Shanghai shopping to one place, it would probably be Julu Road between Fumin Road and Maoming Road. That stretch is full of hidden gems and on my way home from work.
The designer I most admire is Tom Ford because of his philosophy of impeccable style and the importance of seemingly unimportant details. He sets a very high bar for men’s style. I find that admirable in this day and age.
The most interesting outfit involves my pairing of scotch-and-soda floral print pants, solid color cotton button up or Tee accompanied by a solid linen blazer complete with handkerchief and loafers. People tend to have strong feelings one way or the other about guys wearing floral pants. I find the debate to be pretty funny. It’s only clothes.
My best recent purchase was a pair of black crocodile Armani loafers. They’re very comfortable and versatile.
The next fashion purchase will be colorful paisley print swim trunks. Don’t you just love pool-side summers in Shanghai?
My grooming staple is a pair of electric shaver outliners. They’re great for a quick razor-less close shave and trim.
My signature perfume is Hermes Rocabar Cologne for Men.
The best things about living in Shanghai are the ridiculous nights out that normally don’t happen anywhere else in the world, but seem to be so common in this amazingly crazy city.
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