The man behind the Man & Woman salons reveals the secrets to a successful trip.
Constantly between Paris and New York, stopping by Tokyo and London, Antoine Floch spends one half of the year travelling. In January 2012, he and two associates created the ready-to-wear salons MAN & WOMAN. Today, the show hosts brands like Levi's Vintage Clothing or Nanamica in its different spaces. Its founder explains how he manages his travels, as he must always be in shape when he arrives.
Who are you?
My name is Antoine Floch, I'm 33 years old. I manage the Man and Woman lounges between Paris and New York. I take 25 long-haul flights a year, mainly to the United States and Japan.
How do you prepare for a flight?
I arrive at the airport dressed as usual, in a shirt. I always take a suit jacket with me that I wear, so it doesn't get wrinkled. That's my technique for being dressed up. Being dressed up works every time.
What do you take into the cabin with you?
I always have a bag with me that contains more comfortable clothes and other essentials: sweatpants, a sweatshirt, a night mask, earplugs and sleeping pills that I buy at the airport in Japan. I swear by this brand of sleeping pills. All the others are too strong, making my mornings too complicated. These are perfect. As soon as the plane takes off, I go to the bathroom to change, put on my mask and earplugs. I swallow a pill with a glass of wine and sleep all the way. That way I always arrive fresh, even though waking up is never easy.
What is your routine when the landing approaches?
I go back to the bathroom, brush my teeth and put on moisturizer and eye drops to avoid getting red eyes. I change into my original clothes. I never arrive at the airport in a tracksuit.
Once you arrive at your destination, do you go straight to appointments or do you leave yourself some time to relax?
I always go to the hotel, even if it's just for a short time. I put my suitcase down and take a shower. This is necessary to get me back on track before a work appointment or a dinner. I can't just get off a plane and go straight to something else.
Do you prepare differently depending on the time zone you're heading to?
The only thing I do differently is choose flights with good schedules, the ones that will allow me to adapt quickly. I never choose a flight for its price. I don't want to be out of sync for 4 days because I didn't get the right one. I realized that running helped me fight jet lag. So from now on, I take shorts and a pair of running shoes with me. I run every other day for thirty minutes. It really helps me.