Interview with Rodolphe MacKeene

June 10

studiohomme: What is your current look?

Rodolphe MacKeene: I don’t like talking too much about “look” as for me it’s more about personality and dressing style. On the Anglo-Norman island I would go for a sailor look; on the beach where I go for my other job as kite-surfer, I would opt for the Gentleman Surfer look. In short, I am like a chameleon that adapts to its surroundings. I think there is a tendency to mix looks, fashion and styles too often.

sh: What are your favourite brands?

RMcK: Personally, I like Kenzo and French Church but on the whole I don’t pay so much attention to brands, but rather to the quality and the originality of the details.

sh: What is the story of your brand?

RMcK: It’s quite simple, the fact of growing up in a family that was scattered around paradise-like islands, made us have some rather surprising encounters. Everything started in Corsica in the restaurant of our aunt. One beautiful summer evening we met Tara who was making luxury bikinis, embroidered in India. She tells us that her clients keep requesting chic bathing costumes for men. From there, with my brother who had just returned from Shanghai, we started imagining them. Now it’s been three years that we live and dream daily about bathing costumes. We even managed to contaminate the whole family.

sh: How do you define the Mac Keene style?

RMcK: Sober, chic and technical.

sh: How do your see your collection evolving?

RMcK: Colours are our most important factor. In any case, at any cost, we want to favour production that is respectful of the environment as well as ethically correct. There will always be detailing and we are planning on working with young artists, in order to diversify our products, while always remaining around the beach theme.

sh: Which people do you find inspiring?

RMcK: I don’t really have a physical person who inspires me; I spent the last 12 years on the ocean pursing my passion; now I find I’m more in touch with the planet on which we live, than inspired by one or more people.

sh: Which are the artists you keep an eye out for at the moment?

RMcK: I’m not really gifted with my hands; hence anyone whom I might meet in my travels who is capable of playing music, painting… always fascinates me.

sh: What will you be picking from studiohomme?

RMcK: A sky blue Chino pants by Acne and a navy Balzac cachemire tie by Flouzen.