Interview with Jérôme Coste of Ruby

Archive June 2009

studiohomme: How do you dress these days?

Jérôme Coste: In a hurry, with a black Levi’s Sta-Prest, a Hanes “wife-beater”, chosen among my piles of T-shirts sorted by colour, and/or an Edwin shirt, a José Lévy zip-up cardigan in Scottish wool which I’ve had for years, a navy blue Lewis Leather “Super Phantom” jacket, and as a vital road accessory, a Ruby silk scarf.

For footwear, that depends on the mission. On the motorbike I opt for a pair of Lewis Leather “Racing Boots”, mimicking the motorcycle Grand Prix racing boots of the 1960s, otherwise Vans Sk8-Hi or Jack Purcells and for the poshest moments, a pair of Desert Boots by Pierre Hardy.

sh: Which are your favourite brands?

JC: That’s a big question! Ever since I was little I’ve been interested in brands and what sets them apart.

I like authentic brands, those which have had or which take the time to grow and mature over the years, driven on by an all-consuming vision with an eternal ability to surprise us while at the same time guaranteeing continuity in both the quality of the product and the relevance of the design.

I really appreciate being able to forge a link, a bond of trust with the brands through products which accompany and symbolise part of my life and my experiences rather than simply consuming them blindly in the name of constant novelty.

The question is particularly vast because brands also correspond to certain periods in our life.

Today, I would say these: TRIUMPH, NORTON, APPLE, LEWIS LEATHER, VANS, HERMES, IKEPOD, ABSOLUT, JACK DANIELS, POLAROID, SUPREME, MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA, RICHARD MILLE, CONFEDERATE Motorcycles, NINTENDO, AGENT PROVOCATEUR, BROOKS, BELL&ROSS, LACOSTE, LA DURÉE, APC, DAINESE, MICHELIN, COCA-COLA, LUCKY STRIKE, OCB, ROLLS ROYCE, RIVA, MERLIN bicycles, MOONEYES. 

sh: Apart from the helmets do you have any other favourite accessories?

JC: Gloves, biking glasses and masks, T-shirts, and for a time shoes, although I’ve got over that.

I also love skateboards. I really appreciate the beauty of those seven layers of maple, silkscreen printed with a work of art which is unfortunately destined for a rather short life. I was lucky to have been able to put together a number of collections of these around a decade ago for my HOLD-UP brand and I make no secret of the fact that I was looking for the right moment to produce a RUBY® skateboard.

sh: How is the Ruby collection set to change? Are you considering new products?

JC: Let’s just say that there’s certainly no shortage of projects on the go, and we’re going to take the time to make a good job of each of our new products with all the attention we devoted to our first two helmets and our silk scarves.

Over the coming years we can expect to see some new mini-programmes beginning with Karl Lagerfeld (leather gloves, a jacket in partnership with Lewis Leather, plus a visor and a cap as accessories for the Pavillon), and we have chosen to make the development of an integral helmet a priority. A cycle helmet is also on the drawing board and should almost certainly be launched the following season.

sh: Which Ruby helmet goes with which bike?

JC: Hey! That would be a good theme for a game!

With the versions you carry, I would say:

Pavillon HONET + Suzuki VanVan

Pavillon St-Honoré + Triumph Bonneville

Pavillon France + Harley Road King Police

Belvedere Etoile + Ducati sportclassic

Belvedere St-Germain + Confederate Wraith B120

sh: Which artists (whether from the worlds of music, films or art) are you following right now?

JC: Right now I don’t have too much time for all of that as my attention is focused on the fast-paced world of Ruby. In short though I would say: Honet for his image-packed journeys, my friend José Lévy whose self- expression shines through in the form of designer items, the young painter Audrey Kawasaki, Ill Studio, House Industries, the bike maker Falcon, the designer Marc Newson, Daniel Simon the designer/illustrator and disciple of Syd Mead, the Daft Punks who certainly didn’t disappoint me with the announcement that they’ll be handling the soundtrack for TRON 2.  The original film was so huge (a fortunate “one off” for Disney) just like the soundtrack by Wendy Carlos, that the challenge is a tough one although I’m sure they’re more than up to it.

sh: What will you pick up on studiohomme?

JC: The Nolex watch from Natalia Brilli, as this perfectly symbolises my notion of time, and the flashy blue Roi Pierre Hardy/Kitsuné Desert Boots with red laces.