Even if he wouldn’t agree himself, I’d call Jérémie Rozan a jack-of-all-trades. He’s the man behind the Parisian luxury fashion label Surface to Air, which thrives as a creative studio specialising in fashion, graphic design and film. Remember the ‘We Are Your Friends‘ Justice video? That was Jérémie. Remember Kid Cudi’s Mr. Rager leather jacket? That was Surface to Air. When you google Jérémie’s name, you don’t find much. We thought that wasn’t good enough so we had a quick chat to Jérémie because we thought you should know him.
It seems the trend for guys starting successful fashion labels is a background in hip-hop, skate and a motivation to impress girls. Tell us your own story.
It was never really my intention to create a fashion label. I was working as a graphic designer and a few years in I started designing t-shirts for fun. I teamed up with Aldric [friend and Creative Director of Surface to Air] and we started creating collections and somehow we just grew really big.
Surface to Air is now a ready-to-wear label, a creative studio and a communication agency – a whole lot of good rolled into one! Describe the ethos behind it.
To create and be free and independent. Bring life to ideas. Basically, we’re a family here and we do whatever we want without being limited by any boundaries.
In ten years, how have things changed?
We’ve grown. Internally things are bigger, more complex. It all requires a lot of attention. Externally, a lot of people have created a similar type of model.
You’re a filmmaker by trade and do a lot of music videos within the S2A studio. Does what you do in film translate to the clothing aesthetic?
I don’t design the Surface to Air collections myself. Aldric, Sol our Art Director and Stine are in charge of that. Cinema and filmmaking are my passion and it’s great to share that with others inside Surface to Air.
You’ve always expressed a love for New York and now have a store there. With the studio being based in Paris, do the two cities have equal influence?
Totally. In my mind the two cities are the exact opposite but are closely linked. Two sides of the same thing. We are really well received in Paris and New York equally because of our aesthetic and our friends.
S2A are known for their collaborations, in particular Kid Cudi, Allison Mosshart and Pharrell. How do your collabs usually come about?
We try to invite people to play with our brand. As with any artistic approach to the things we do, the relationships with those artists come naturally. We share a common lifestyle, the same attraction to experience the unknown.
Who’s next in line?
We are working on things with Brodinski, Gesaffelstein and Theophilus London.
How did you initially get involved with Justice and the Ed Banger crew?
We were hanging out together even before they were ‘Justice’. Pedro had just started Ed Banger when I met him and he actually asked me to design their first logo. I gave it a try but I was so so bad! But they still proposed me to direct their video, We Are Your Friends. As friends though, we all still hang out like once a week.
What inspires you?
Broken characters, surprising stories, visual music and very often by amazing locations.
Is this the job you always thought you’d be doing?
When I was 18 I remember telling friends that my dream was to have a big building where all kinds of creative people could live and create products and content. So it’s not too far off that I guess – but I never expected I’ve have to run it!
Best part of the job?
It’s not a job.
And worst?
Being a boss.
What turns you on creatively?
Everything if I take more than one minute to look at it or think about it. Today it’s a book I just finished called Anima.
How would you describe your own style?
I’d call it an ‘Einsteinish look’: I wear the same thing every day. Surface to Air black denim, a pair of Alasdairs, a Surface to Air classic shirt and of course, leather jacket.
Denim and leather – better together?
What else do you need to wear?
If ‘The Future is Winning’, what can we expect in the year ahead from Surface to Air?
Let’s just say the future is longer than one year!