Just named two of “The 100 Most Creative People in Business 2015” by Fast Company, WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie co-founders Byron and Dexter Peart are on the cusp of becoming major global designers. Already stocked at influential retail outlets like Opening Ceremony, Maison Kitsuné, Colette and Bergdorf Goodman, the Canadian twin brothers are steadily growing their accessories business and collaborating with major fashion players like Barneys and J.Crew on special design projects. We spoke with the dynamic duo, best known for designing well-crafted “essentials” at reasonable price points, and asked them our quickfire questions.
- I usually wake up around… 7:30 a.m. (Byron)
- My morning routine entails… getting the kids up and ready for school, we then go to the gym and into work afterward. (Dexter)
- When it comes to Paris versus New York… New York. (Dexter)
- When I’m stressed I… go for a massage. (Byron)
- If you looked at my desktop you’d find… images of our family vacations and lots of inspiration photostream albums. (Dexter)
- The most treasured item in my closet is… Tomorrowland knitted blazer (Dexter); the tuxedo I wore to my wedding (Byron).
- I’m dying to splurge on… artwork from Richard Serra’s “Reversal” series. (Byron)
- If my days had one extra hour I’d… spend it with loved ones. (Dexter)
- My favorite place to travel is… Round Hill, Jamaica. (Both)
- The essentials for Summer 2015 are… the Sangster open tote. (Byron)
- What keeps me excited about working in fashion is… the ability to travel to new places and the endless opportunities. (Both)
- My biggest fashion pet peeve is… none. There are no rules when it comes to fashion. But to me, true elements of style matter much more. (Byron)
- My beauty essentials include… Aesop face wash and Byredo Bal d’Afrique parfum. (Dexter)
- My guilty pleasure is… dark chocolate. (Byron)
- My biggest style regret is… a man should project style, not his clothes. Great style comes from within. (Dexter)
- You’d never catch me wearing… a T-shirt with a novelty saying. (Byron)
- On a typical Saturday night I’m… either at home with my family, or at an event. (Byron)
- The best gift I ever received… my children. (Dexter)
- The words of wisdom I try to remember… the one rule that we always abide by is to always be consistent and essential. (Both)
- Every man should own… a tuxedo and invest in nice shoes — and an even nicer watch. (Byron)
- If I could have dinner with anyone dead or alive… Sidney Poitier (Dexter); Dieter Rams (Byron).
