In the Washroom with Jonathan Evans, Sam Ben-Avraham, and Tom Kalenderian
In the Washroom is a series of short interviews with interesting men in the fashion industry about everything appearance-wise except clothes. From overall grooming advice to wish list products, we sat down with Jonathan Evans of East Dane, Sam Ben-Avraham of Atrium, and Tom Kalenderian of Barneys New York to get a little insight into what goes into each man’s grooming routine.
Image: Jonathan Evans.
For the past year, Jonathan Evans has been outfitting men of the world online with the brother website to Amazon’s ShopBop, East Dane. As fashion director, the Gilt and Park & Bond alum oversees a stable of brands that range from Public School to Marc by Marc Jacobs and 3.1 Phillip Lim—in fact, to celebrate its anniversary, the e-tailer dropped an exclusive capsule collection featuring designs from everyone from Patrick Ervell to Miansai and Mackintosh.
Essential Homme: What would you say is one piece of grooming advice that has always stuck with you?
Jonathan Evans: My barber once told me that trimming my beard should be like trimming a topiary: just get in there with clippers and cut away what you don’t need until you have the right shape.
EH: Do you work-out? What is one of your favorite ways to exercise in the dead of winter?
JE: Nowhere near as often as I should, though I used to be pretty good about getting to the gym regularly—need to start that again—in the meantime, does picking up a glass of whiskey count as some sort of lift?
Image: D.S. & Durga.
EH: Is there a product that you use personally that you’d be interested in seeing on the site?
JE: D.S. & Durga cologne is a personal favorite, and I certainly wouldn’t object to having some of their scents on East Dane at some point in the future.
ESSENTIAL PRODUCT: If you could have gotten any grooming/fitness related product you wanted for the holidays, but could only have one, what would it have been?
JE: Considering all those whiskey-lifts I’ve been doing, let’s stick to grooming. Baxter of California makes some really great hair products, and even though it’s tough to choose between them all, I think I could get by quite happily with their clay pomade and not a whole lot else. Luckily, we’re already selling that on East Dane, so I have a supply at the ready.
Image: Sam Ben-Avraham.
Sam Ben-Avraham has been an arbiter of men’s style for years. He’s founded two trade shows, invested in of-the-moment brands like KITH, and runs a growing men’s retail business that you may have heard of: Atrium. With so much success to his name, it’s pretty clear that Ben-Avraham has his finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the market.
Essential Homme: What would you say is one piece of grooming advice that has always stuck with you?
Sam Ben-Avraham: The best grooming advice I’ve ever received was from my barber. He told me about Andis‘ beard trimmer and I’ve used it ever since.
EH: Do you work-out? What is one of your favorite ways to exercise in the dead of winter?
SBA: Yes, absolutely. I enjoy yoga and I box with Eldan Ker at Work Train Fight.
Image: Malin + Goetz.
EH: Is there a product that you use personally that you’d be interested in seeing at your store?
SBA: I’m a fan of Malin + Goetz products, the sage styling cream in particular.
EH: ESSENTIAL PRODUCT: If you could have gotten any grooming/fitness related product you wanted for the holidays, but could only have one, what would it have been?
SBA: If I can only have one grooming/fitness item… I would want to move into the Great Jones Spa for a week! Hah, is that possible?
Image: Tom Kalenderian.
Barneys is undoubtedly synonymous with a certain type of downtown New York style. With a history that stretches back nearly a century, the multi-location department store stocks the likes of Balenciaga, Rick Owens, and Saint Laurent Paris. As a Executive Vice President and General Merchandise Manager, Tom Kalenderian has a pretty innate knowledge of style.
Essential Homme: What would you say is one piece of grooming advice that has always stuck with you?
Tom Kalenderian: Never use a bar of soap on your face; find a facial cleanser that does not dry out your skin. I favor Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash. People tell me I look refreshed and maybe that’s why?
EH: Do you work-out? What is one of your favorite ways to exercise in the dead of winter?
TK: I prefer to get up at 5am and get an early start for the gym—with a brisk walk before a workout, especially in the winter. I find that the cooler weather is a good wake up call and helps to get my engine running.
Image: Penhaligon.
EH: Is there a product that you use personally that you’d be interested in seeing at your store?
TK: When I travel I try to pick up Penhaligon’s Bayolea Hair Pomade whenever I see it. I am excited that Barneys will now be stocking it!
EH: ESSENTIAL PRODUCT: If you could have gotten any grooming/fitness related product you wanted for the holidays, but could only have one, what would it have been?
TK: I’d want the Molton Brown 4-In-1 Sportwash; it takes care of four birds with one stone. It works for your face, hair, body, and even shaving. It’s the perfect grab-and-go grooming product to always keep tucked in your gym bag.
