A day in the life of Ronan Teissèdre

Ronan’s interview starts in the street, where he’s waiting for us with Sucette, his adorable dachshund, which we’re taking for a walk through his neighbourhood, just off Paris’ famous Place des Vosges. As we make it back to his bright and spacious flat, Lulu, his cat, welcomes us while Ronan sits down to talk Kundalini yoga, supermarket colognes, and running a marathon for the first time in his life.

Hello Ronan, can you introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Ronan, I’m 43. I grew up on the seaside in Brittany, but I’ve lived in Paris for the past 20-or-so years.

Would you mind telling us about your professional background?

After studying design and architecture in Rennes, I moved to Paris where I started working for art galleries, designers, and set designers. All of these jobs lead me to start working for the Sonia Rykiel fashion house, where I stayed for 12 years. I was in charge of the brand’s visual identity, and window display design. Four years ago, I was fortunate enough to meet one of Bon Parfumeur’s co-founders who was looking for someone to assist him in building the brand’s image. I immediately accepted, and this experience ultimately prompted me to start working as a freelance art director. Since then, I’ve worked with agencies or brands directly on topics such as cosmetics, jewellery, and fragrances. With all this going on, I try to still find time to work on personal art projects too.

Tell us more about these personal projects!

I love meeting people, and decided it would be fun to create works where, instead of people, different materials meet. For example, I created a series of pieces built from mirrors, minerals, and other rather raw materials.

Do you work from home a lot?

I spend a lot of time at my clients’ offices, but whenever I work from home, I really enjoy it. It feels super comfortable. I love my flat, the way it’s set out, how silent it is, getting to watch the light make its way through the rooms as the day goes on. I usually sit at my dining room table, in the middle of my books and magazines, it feels right.

Walk us through one of your typical work-from-home days.

I started getting up quite early 2 or 3 years ago. I open my eyes at 6am-ish, and don’t even need an alarm clock anymore! I make myself a coffee and go back to bed with books or magazines for inspiration, my phone to browse Instagram or read my emails, or simply just to think for a while before starting my day. I get out of bed at 8am, I’ll have a yoghurt, some fruit and cereal for breakfast, in my kitchen, while listening to the radio. Once to twice a week, I attend the 8:30am Kundalini yoga class taught by Lili Barbery. I only started recently, but it really opened my eyes to something I didn’t even know existed! It’s dynamic yoga with breathing and concentration exercises. Basically, it’s a mix of yoga, meditation, and personal development. It’s good for the body, of course, but also for the mind: it’s given me tools to strengthen my self-confidence, learn to push myself harder, and more than anything, it’s taught me how to make pain my ally. Believe me, that lesson came in particularly handy when I ran my first marathon!

While we’re on the topic, tell me where your love for running comes from.

I caught the running bug rather recently, it really started three years ago. I’m not one to do things half-heartedly, so I went all in. I joined a club and took part in races. First a 10K, then a half-marathon, and I ran my first marathon in Paris last April. I trained an entire year for it, with the last four months being particularly intense. It was an amazing albeit rather draining experience. After injuring myself during the half-marathon, I was quite scared. In the end, everything went well, not a cramp, no pain, all in all, a very enjoyable experience that I shared with my friends who ran with me for the entire marathon or supported me on the last few miles!

Any other races planned?

Yes! I’d love to run the North Pole Marathon. Everyone is talking about the London and New York marathons, but I want to go for something crazier. I can really see myself running in Moon Boots!

Do you follow a specific diet?

Pre-marathon, yes. The rest of the time, not really. I like simple things, such as the fresh produce I get from the market twice a week. I’m far from being a chef, but I always manage to cook up something with whatever’s in my fridge. I’d say I’m probably as attached to the way my dishes look as the way they taste!

When it comes to the way you dress, how would you define your style?

My entire winter was monochromatic. A hoody and a pair of jeans, in different colours, which I choose based on my mood. When I like an item of clothing, I’ll buy it in various colours. Nothing too flashy of course, but white, navy blue, black, etc.

On to your grooming routine now…

I discovered Horace a year ago, when I decided it was time to overhaul my skincare routine. I was looking for products that were simpler. What first drew me to Horace was the brand’s visual identity. I use the mattifying face moisturiser on a daily basis. It’s perfect because it’s light, unscented, and perfectly suited to my skin, which is neither dry nor oily. When I shower, I alternately use the Horace cannabis shower gel and a regular bar of soap. Before I go to bed, I wash my face with the Horace purifying face cleanser. I love the fact that it’s black, it looks great! I exfoliate with the Horace face scrub once a week, it really leaves my skin feeling fresh!

You have rather short hair. Does it require a lot of maintenance?

I go to the hairdresser’s once a month. I always get it cut by my friend Olivier who works at the Edge salon, in Paris’ 1st arrondissement. I like to keep my hair short, and I style it with the Horace wax pomade. It leaves no residue, and I like its matte finish.

What about perfumes?

I’ve always been a fan of colognes. I used to spend shameful amounts of money on Comme des Garçons fragrances until I discovered cologne by a brand called Bien Être, a year ago. It’s sold in all supermarkets, it’s very light and fresh, and I love the bottle! I get a ton of compliments on my perfume, and I’ve got to admit it makes me laugh. If only they knew!