Robin Bery is a man who wears many hats. Today, his new hat is the current Style feature on Essential Style for Men.
For today’s installment of Style, we’re fortunate to feature the multi-faceted and talented Robin Bery.
Robin has parlayed his graphic design career into marketing, photography, blogging and business development.
Moreover – and the primary reason why we are featuring Robin in the first place – Robin has an amazing sense of style which turned us on to him in the first place.
We talked to Robin to hear about his career, how he has gotten to where he is today and as always, what type of style advice he can give our readers.
It seems you wear many hats in your career – fashion photographer, lifestyle blogger, creative person, business man. Tell us a little bit about your journey starting as a graphic designer and how it has taken you into the world of men’s fashion.
That’s true, right?
I’m the kind of man who needs to be busy all the time – I do not rest a lot – and that’s probably why I’m into a lot of different activities. But at the end of the day, if you look into everything I do more closely, it’s all connected.
It all started in high school where I began working on some graphic designs for small local companies – posters, flyers, web-designs, graphics company identities etc. At the same time, I also started my hobby of creating designs for printed t-shirts and sweatshirts. In fact, I’ve created a lot of tees and sweatshirts for my friends and people close to me and had so much fun doing it!
Beyond those projects, I also worked on canvases, using mostly spray cans & stencils. Additionally, as I progressed in my artistry, I wanted to capture and catch specific moments so I started to get into photography.
Over time, I found photography to be the type of creative process I enjoyed the most, so it became one of my favorite hobbies.
Although I loved to do photography, I wasn’t good enough to be my main source of work. So after I finished school, I started to work for a company who specialized in same areas I had focused on (graphics publications, brochures, guides – for printing or interactive multimedia guides, e-learning courses etc.).
I started as a Graphic Designer and eventually worked my way up to become a Production Director. The Production Director is the person who runs and directs the production of projects as well as leads the teams responsible for these projects. Throughout my time with the company, I learned a lot (and I really mean a lot), had great business trips and worked/negotiated with well renowned companies worldwide.
From a style perspective, I quickly realized it was very important for me dress well so I could properly represent myself and the company I worked for.
After a few years I decided it was time to move on and start my own business. My first goal was to give more time to photography and I’m very happy I did it that way. I do still keep part of my business focused on the other aspects of graphic design as well.
Because it is important for me to represent the things I do in a positive way, I became more and more interested in fashion photography. In turn, fashion photography impacted the way I dressed.
Blogging was an activity that just happened to pop up throughout the entire process.
One of Robin’s favorite pieces in his wardrobe? His camel overcoat.
We’re big fans of http://weandfashion.blogspot.com/. How long has this site been running and what inspired you to start your foray into the world of men’s fashion blogging? Do you think your other careers strongly influence your blog?
It’s always good to hear that!
As I mentioned previously, everything I do has an influence on me, my blog and how I blog.
I think it has been more than 2 years since the blog started and I’m very happy with everything going on this year because my style seems more settled and I can see my blog entries have started to improve and make more sense to me stylistically.
I am also starting to see more potential in social media outlets such as Instagram and Facebook, so I started focusing much more on those social media outlets nowadays.
Additionally, I’m preparing and planning something new with both my blog and website.
Do you have a favorite look or looks on your blog right now? What are they?
I really love any looks combined with a trench coat.
I always look forward to seasons like autumn or spring so I could wear my beige trench coat with various gray or blue-colored suits.
Plus – winter is coming, which means I can wear my camel/beige winter overcoat for many occasions with many different combinations… so classy.
ESM is all about style. If you could describe your personal style in one sentence, what would it be?
I like to say: Italian style with a French twist (smile).
Or I can just call it “modern man”?
Robin describes his style as Italian with a French twist.
What advice would you give readers who are trying to develop their style? What about those who are trying to develop their style on a budget?
First – keep it simple and well fitted.
Secondly, make sure you feel good in the things you wear and be comfortable with your own style. You can wear nice suits or good pieces from high-fashion designers, but if you don’t feel good in it, you won’t look good. I see it all the time in the streets.
I will not lie: bespoke suits or at least made-to-measure suits, made-to-measure shirts and other made-to-measure items are the best, but ready-to-wear pieces in regular sizes can be good too.
All you have to do is bring those items to your tailor so the pieces will look like they were made-to-measure. Tailoring helps tremendously with your final look.
What are some of your favorite brands/designers? Are there any affordable brands or designers you would recommend to our readers who are inspired by your style?
It’s not easy to say and can vary.
From a personal point of view (and from the way I dress), it has less to do with designers and brands, but is more about materials and how each piece looks.
Burberry for example is one of my favorite brands because I like to use their products for my personal style as well as for my work – for fashion shoots and when I style people.
There are definitely some affordable brands or designers I would recommend:
I really like what Mango Men has been doing recently. Their collections are nice and are perfect for those on a budget.
Suitsupply is the second one. It’s a little more expensive than Mango, but they use very good fabrics.
From time to time you can also find interesting pieces in Topman (if you are more into British style) or at ASOS.
What is your definition of “style” and how does that differ from “fashion”?
Fashion is all about trends and the current season.
Fashion is good for research, is good for inspiration and is good to work with in people in the industry.
Style is about how you represent yourself and your understanding of what looks good on you.
One of Robin Bery’s “style essentials”? Persol sunglasses.
Has your style developed as your blog and social media properties have developed? If so, how has your style changed?
Sure my style has developed and my style has changed a lot.
I followed trends and various styles in the beginning, wore iconic pieces from current collections and I was very interested in high-fashion brands. I combined those styles and pieces into my personal wardrobe as well.
Over time, I realized the best styles for me are the ones that represent who I am as a person. I also think the combination of classy street style and high fashion works well.
Nowadays, I’m feeling my best when I am in a good suit and shirt…
We’ll see what I’ll say after another few years!
Has your blogging changed you on a personal level? If so, in what way?
It would be tough to say blogging by itself has affected me personally, because all my activities have impacted me.
Nowadays I act a bit differently and put some forethought into a lot of things first.
Additionally, these kinds of things move with your ego and character – and then it’s up to you how you take and hold it.
Do you have any style icons? Who are they and why?
Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, James Dean, Sean Connery. They knew how to dress and how to represent themselves…
Which leads me to ask you a question: what has happened to men and their style nowadays?
Robin Bery embodies old-school style with new school thinking.
At ESM, we have a list of “Style Essentials” or pieces that every man should have in his wardrobe. Do you have your own list of style essentials? What are they?
A well fitted blue and grey suit
If you are more into casual style, definitely a few pairs of chinos and some blazers
For autumn or colder spring days – a beige trench coat (so essential, so classy)
For winter – a beige or camel coat, a navy or checked pattern coat, for casual guys, a duffel coat
A pair of tan and dark brown shoes
Tassel loafers for spring and summer
…and one more thing: Ray-Ban or Persol sunglasses.
What does the future hold for Robin Bery?
We will see, we will see…
I’m trying to focus more and more on fashion editorial photo shoots and I am also planning to run a new project at the beginning of next year.
To be honest, I’m the kind of person who plans a lot for both the immediate and far future, so there are a lot of things to come.
All I can say is – it will be always interesting to be around and watch/follow my future plans…
To keep up with Robin Bery, you can check out his Instagram account at www.instagram.com/robinbery, his official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wefashionblog, and his website at http://weandfashion.blogspot.com.