Oct 28, 2013 8 Questions With: Jay Smith BKRW
Jay Smith’s background is in journalism, having worked for WAD and been Editor-in-Chief at WARE (international sports magazine) for several years. If you follow Jay on Instagram you’ll have a reasonably good idea as to his mind-boggling international jet-setting schedule these days, not to mention his many shifting responsibilities as Art Director, Writer, Editor, Publisher, in-demand party DJ and more. His role in well-respected Parisian brand BLACKRAINBOW (BKRW) is largely undefined, and if you read on, you’ll see the job changes on a daily basis. The important thing is that he and co-founder Greg Hervieux work incredibly well together – sharing almost all the company’s responsibilities since they launched it 7 years ago. Together they run the BLACKRAINBOW blog, manage the BLACKRAINBOW retail shop in Paris, as well as an online store, publish the BLACKRAINBOW magazine (the best-looking sports magazine you’ll ever see, if you ask me), and now they run the BLACKRAINBOW creative agency too. Jay was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to deal with our questions in English, proof of his successful get-out-in-the-streets-and-connect mindset.
Mathieu Erneg ©
What are you currently working on?
Right now I’m traveling from east to west and west to east to do fashion shoots for our clients. In less than 2 weeks, we’ve been to London then Paris then NYC and Tokyo. And we gonna be in London again next week to finish it. This project is really interesting because it is mixing our main DNA : print / fashion / sport and photography. And I’m typing all this from the AIRFRANCE plane. Best place to write something so far around the clouds top off the sky.
How would you describe your job?
Our job is so 360. It’s a new kind of job as much we are a new race of agency. Back in the days people were doing either marketing, or communication, or web, or consulting etc etc… But now markets have changed so much, and evolved, that we need to have 360 answers. So my job is basically never the same. One day we are elaborating strategies, another day we are doing fashion shoots, and creating packaging and new design for other brands. We are solution maker. Brands came up with problems and we try to help them to fit perfectly with the market.
What is the best thing about living & working in Paris?
Since a couple of years, Paris is so full of energy and creativity. Music is good again. Fashion and high fashion is at their top. Night life is amazing. A whole new generation of artists, entrepreneurs, chefs, and digital genius is stepping up. Paris has never been so good and so inspirational. We’ve got some of the best art exhibition and some of the most crazy street artists. There are no cities like Paris right now. Even if we all know it’s gonna fade away at some point. So far so good.
Where do you find inspiration?
Paris is my main inspiration. Living in France is a big inspiration. Still living in the suburbs [of Paris] is a big inspiration too. I’ve always lived in the suburbs. Not in the ghetto. Never pretending to be a bad boy, but this suburban mentality is fundamental when it’s about inspiration. Because you learn to be curious and to be self made. Find solutions instead of crying because of problems. My friends never got wealthy life and I’ve tried to learn from them. Find my own money and get a job instead of asking my parents for some. To grow up in the middle of a big melting pot of culture and ethnicity make grew my curiosity and open my eyes on so many levels. After that nobody on earth will tell you where inspiration comes from because it just pops out. The key is to keep feeding your brain with good food and keep staying curious.
Agreed! As a kid, what did you want to be when you grow up?
So far I can remember, Ive never dreamt to be what I am now. My first wish was to be a professional surfer, then a professional basketball player. But honestly my body is not really adapted for sport. As I’ve previously mentioned, our kind of job is pretty new and based on so much different things. There is no school in the world who can prepare you for what we do. It’s so much about culture and connection, about your own experience through sport and sport industry, fashion and fashion industry, art and art industry and daily unexpected good things. And that’s also why there are so few to do it. Probably in the future more and more agencies and people like us will appear, but so far I can only mention a few names. All the other ones are still doing the classic job. But without disrespect for the other agencies there is something they did forget: that is the notion of culture and reality. It’s funny how all the guys from big agencies and big brands are now cut off from reality. Powerpoint is the new truth teller. But at the end of the day Powerpoints are more a tool to save everybody ass and position more than a real cultural tool or reality check. I mean all those guys should go out in the streets or in the shops more. It’s not that complicated. Sometimes you may need a translator to understand some details, but at the end of the day it’s easy. Bring your ass into the streets. Get in the metro. Get in your own shop. Talk with customers.
What are you reading at the moment?
INSTAGRAM. TWITTER. FACEBOOK. Sh*t. I’m not reading anymore. That’s a shame. I use to read that much. But this f*cking digital world and all these social networks and my work is such a time eater that I’m not reading anymore. I would have loved to pick some cool book I’ve heard about but I’m not a liar.
What’s your favorite post-work destination?
Home. I’m going everywhere with my bike. A single CINELLI VIGORELLI 2011. I’ve pimped it in purple. It’s amazing. It’s probably my best post-work moment. To ride back home (10km), it’s like meditation, cooling me down, or just a way to talk on the phone with people I could not reach during the day. I just love it. Could not imagine doing it another way. Whether it is raining or snowing or anything I will take it. It’s just vital.
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