MY STYLE: DESCRIBE WHAT YOU'RE WEARINGThese tracksuit bottoms are Adidas samples. I got them in Paris, at Clignancourt – it's a market that mostly sells furniture.
We were there sourcing some furniture for the restaurant, but they have a huge clothing section, too. My trainers are Nike Air 180s, from eBay – I buy a lot of my clothes online. The cap is Quiksilver, from the store of the same name in the St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre. The rest of my gear – the bib apron and the classic chef’s jacket by Denny’s – I got from O’Connor’s Workwear on Capel Street. They’ve got a great selection in there.
YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE A DISTINCTIVE TAKE ON THE CHEF'S UNIFORMI am mostly going for comfort here. I might not wear these trainers if I was doing a really heavy service, but I do wear trainers in the kitchen. I just haven't really got around to the idea of buying into the clogs yet. That's a step for some time in the future, possibly.
FAVOURITE BRANDS?When I'm not working, I love wearing jeans, and PRPS would be one of my favourite brands. They are a Japanese producer, and they use this amazing cotton from Kenya, and they distress them. I love trainers, so I like a lot of sports brands: Adidas, Nike, and anyone who is making limited-edition streetwear. I pick up on things in magazines like GQ, or online at Theurbangent.com – for things that aren't highly accessible. I love the idea of the limited edition. When you're into streetwear, you've got to really search for it. I'll take elements from all over the place, and put them together in a way that suits me, but it has also got to be really comfortable gear. I'm all about comfort.
ACCESSORIES?I really like old digital watches. I've got a few of them. You can get some great retro reproductions online that are accessible and cheap, so you don't have to worry if you damage them, especially working in a kitchen. Other than that, the only other thing I wear is a gold chain, which was my Dad's.
HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?Workwise, I'm really dressing for comfort, but in general, probably the best way to describe it would be functional streetwear.
WERE YOU ALWAYS INTERESTED IN CLOTHES?Yes, even as a kid. It had a lot to do with the sports I was into. I wasn't necessarily into fashion, I was more into the brands. I was big into tennis – Andre Agassi's trainers, that kind of thing. I would watch out for the next season's trainers and sportswear. And Michael Jordan, the basketball player, had an influence on me.
WHAT IS THE MOST YOU'VE EVER SPENT ON CLOTHING?On a total shop? Man, shopping can last for days, forever. I can't put a figure on it, but sometimes I've spent money on clothes that would have been better spent elsewhere. Sometimes you do the sensible thing, and sometimes you do the thing that's going to make you happy.
DO YOU HOARD CLOTHES?Yes. Well, I keep things that are important to me, but I wouldn't necessarily wear them. Saying that, I would do a spring clean every now and then, and get rid of things that I'm just not interested in any more. But put it this way: it would be a lot to carry if I wanted to get away quickly.
FORMAL WEAR?I don't wear a suit often. Instead, I would buy bits and pieces from time to time, so I would get a good shirt, or a good jacket. I like Gucci shirts.
GROOMING?I always get my hair done at Brown Sugar. They always sort me out. I use Lab Series for Men; that stuff is really good quality. For aftershave, I love Dior Homme.
ANYTHING YOU WOULDN'T WEAR?Yeah, chef's clogs. They are a step too far!
