Eric Nam and the Art of Taking It (Sort of) Easy
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The hardest part of Paris Fashion Week isn’t actually getting into the shows. It’s getting to the shows. From the backseat of his Uber to the Wales Bonner show, Eric Nam apologizes to me over the phone while he attempts to tell the French driver where he is headed. “If I knew my way around, this would be a lot easier, but I have no idea,” he says. “Sorry, hold on one second.”
A moment later, Nam is pulling up in style. "I 'm wearing a very summery outfit," he explains. "It's like a shirt jacket. We're giving very holiday island vibes. It's blue stripes with some beige, and then we have very thin, cotton, wavy pinstripe pants. And then these cool sandals that—I don't know how to describe them—are like interesting straps with leather. I’ve never put shoes on like this.”
While he looks front row-ready tonight, the singer isn’t in his typical fit. “I could definitely see myself wearing this if I were on vacation or at the beach. But I think Wales Bonner in general has a lot of elements that in my general style—kind of athleisure and sporty but also well-tailored that can fit into a lot of different social occasions,” Nam says. “So that’s why I’m always drawn to the brand.”
He’s got more than fashion shows on the horizon. With a highly anticipated single, album, and world tour, Nam is about to step into the spotlight as a global sensation. But before he does, he takes some time to tell me about his personal style, multi-step skincare routine, fear of rodents, and source of happiness. The man is as down to earth as it gets, while being in a world of his own.
On Wales Bonner
I've just been a longtime fan of Grace [Wales Bonner]. I think she blends things that are wearable everyday with things that are also very elevated and well-tailored. She's not afraid to be very fun and experiment with the colors and the patterns and designs that she brings to life. That's always why I look forward to seeing what she's doing. And she is also very much about supporting minorities and people of color, which is something that I also really respect and love.
His Fashion Favorites
Wow, you really came swinging with that one. Let's see. Okay, I like two things. I just got new Margiela Tabi slip-on loafers that have a collapsible heel, and they're just very, very comfortable. And I also got this suit from a Korean designer, Kim Seo Ryong. He does these crazy, crazy high-end suits, and I got this cream satiny-silk suit that I just bought to put into my music video and short film. It's so well-tailored and so shiny that I wore it once, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to wear it again. But it is my newest and latest most prized possession.
On/Off Stage Style
I would definitely say it's a very different style. I think onstage it's a lot more showy. It's a lot more playful, I’d say a lot more experimental. And then offstage, I 'm very casual, like sweats, sneakers, flip flops. Then, if we're going for a nice night out, I'll pull some stage clothes and wear it out to a fun dinner or party. But I'd say my everyday is pretty casual and simple. When I do put on really interesting or fun clothes, it puts me into a different place mentally. I think I walk different, I present myself different. It’s like “Hey, we're going out or we're having fun or we're on stage,” and I think that’s what clothes really bring out in people. So I fully try to embrace that.
The Beauty Routines
For a fashion show, I feel like hair is incredibly important for men. And getting the hair right is a very arduous, long process. So do the full skincare routine, do the makeup, and then we go and spend a lot of time on hair. But Fashion Week is a little different because we’re sprinting through events, so we don't have that thing of like, “Hey, we're gonna do like a face pack or we're gonna have a cup of tea or just kind of chill out.” It’s like a full-on sprint of just getting ready in that sense. I do the full multi-step skincare thing, but that’s every day, morning and night. That’s like a non-negotiable for me. But I do it fresh anytime I do makeup. Then for hair, my most recent find is this brand Oribe, and they have this curling conditioning gel that’s been interesting to play with and style. And then my hair and makeup artist Mira Chai just put out this new product that’s really great.
Some Peeves
I hate rats. Like rats and rodents just freak me out. I want to scream anytime I see a rat. Whenever I’m in the subway [in New York], I don’t look at the tracks at all. There’s streets where, if nobody’s on it, I’m not going down that street. And I hate when people eat, and they're really loud eaters. Sorry, I hate trying to hate, but it really bothers me.
And Gum Chewing?
I find it to be very annoying. I 'm just like, "Okay, you can enjoy your gum, but I don't want to enjoy your gum with you.” Yeah, it's not the vibe.
So, What's Next?
We have a new album coming in September with a big, massive world tour. But leading up to that we have a bunch of singles. So the first one is called “House on a Hill” which releases June 28. This album is very, I guess, existential crisis. And it really makes me think about and wonder and question what makes us happy? The first song is that I wanted to buy this house I saw in L.A., and I was like this is the house for me, this is amazing. And I ended up not getting it, but it started making me think, “Why do I want to buy things? Why do I want to buy a house? Is that going to make me happier? Is it going to give me some sort of identity or security or stability?” It opened up this can of worms in terms of answering these questions that I think we all have as we live life, and so that's kind of like a lot of the themes of the album. You know, there are love songs and breakup songs and all that kind of stuff, but when I take a step back and look at it, that's kind of the overarching theme.
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