In the shadow of the Paris Stock Exchange, in the heart of the city, there is a building without any particular air in which the offices of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry are established. An official institution thanks to which many entrepreneurial adventures are launched and live. The “CCI”, as business jargon named it a long time ago, is today chaired by Dominique Restino. A man with cheerful gestures, with the pedigree of a commercial engineer, a true autodidact, “ I did lots of small jobs, and then one day I became a temporary consultant. I sold people's work. That's how it all started. ” And so, that's how Dominique Restino started wearing suits.
Today you hold official positions and you were also a business leader for a long time, positions that require wearing a suit. What is your relationship with this garment?
The suit is not something that is simply a representation. It is more a question of respect for others. Since the age of 20, I have worn suit jackets . When I was younger, it allowed me to look serious, especially when it came to hiring people or being in contact with a certain clientele. And then, over the course of my life, it is a base that I have embellished with different elements. I have worn flannel pants with a suit jacket. I have also worn three-piece suits, I found them chic. At another time, I had double-breasted suits. I was not yet 47 years old, I had not yet stopped smoking. This is not really the case today, so it is better to avoid this version of the suit, a little too prominent. In addition to suits, I now have a tuxedo in my wardrobe. I bought this for the time I went to the Cannes Film Festival!
Do you consider wearing a suit to be a norm?
I am well aware that times have changed. In some professional environments, if you arrive in a suit, you quickly look stupid. It is better to wear jeans and sneakers, like in start-ups, for example. As an entrepreneur, I have noticed that, yes. On the other hand, among old-fashioned business leaders, things do not change: the tradition of wearing a suit is well established. For my part, I sometimes do not always wear a tie . Ties are less requested, it is less conventional. That said, I always wear a suit. Because I am comfortable like that, but also and above all because it is my work clothes.
Costume is not something that is simply a representation. It is more a question of respect for others.
Is clothing something that has been important in your family?
I come from a family of immigrants, and I grew up in Aisne, in a small town, even though there is a castle there. My father did all the jobs in the world, from mason to tailor. For a while, he ran a small textile company, a clothing workshop where a dozen seamstresses worked. When I was a kid, I folded clothes there to earn a little pocket money. Dresses, undershirts, shirts … Let's just say that clothes played a role in my life.
What do you look like when you're not in costume?
I like wearing sneakers and jeans. I've always been a Kenzo fan, I like soft, light materials. When I was 16, I saved up for seven months to buy my first pair of Teddy Smith pants. It was in 1978 and they were red. In the 80s, I started wearing leather pants. I know it's pretty old-fashioned these days, and I sincerely hope it's a fashion that will come back. I still have one in my stuff, in brown leather, a kind of nubuck.