Meet Jean Renzen, who at the young age of twenty, has travelled to a long list of faraway places and documented all of them through his videos and photos. The Dutch’s positive mindset and inquisitive attitude have already given him quite a follower base. With the recent Pepe Jeans Custom Studio collaboration in mind, we sat down together to talk about positivity, the importance of customisation and finding your own style.
Can you tell us a little more about yourself, who are you, what do you do and what brings you the most joy in life?
I’m twenty years old, currently living in Amsterdam and I’m passionate about photography and filmmaking. I think that I find joy in having a positive mindset and affecting my surroundings with positivity.
When watching your videos I noticed your stylish home and effortless style. Do you find it important to pay attention to these things, or does it happen more subconsciously?
I have always been busy with finding and creating my own style. I think it’s important to find inspiration in the things that you personally find beautiful and then apply this inspiration in your own unique way. For me, it doesn’t happen subconsciously; I’m very aware of what I like and what I don’t.
Most people know you from your videos and your well-curated Instagram account, so I think it is safe to say you are a visually orientated person. Is this something you want to pursue further in life?
I think that I’m indeed a visually oriented person. I hope to make more creative work that pleases my audience, but I suppose it ultimately all depends on opportunities in the future.
You have travelled all over the world, what is something you have learned while abroad?
I think that travelling teaches you a lot. The most important lesson I learned is that what we consider our way of doing things is certainly not always the right way. By that, I mean that there are a lot of different solutions to a lot of different problems and every culture has its own way of solving them.
If your friends came to visit you in Amsterdam, where would you take them?
I would take my friends to Van Stapele because they sell the best cookies in the city!
What can you tell us about your collaboration with Pepe Jeans and Custom Studio? How's your experience been?
My experience with Pepe Jeans and the custom studio has been great! I’m a big fan of their collection and the Custom Studio allowed me to create truly unique clothes.
Had you ever customised any other garment before?
No, never! But I realised it is actually quite easy and now that I have my custom-made jeans, I would love to customise more of my clothes.
How have you expressed your personality and work in this collaboration with Pepe?
I definitely made something that is truly unique to me. I think it’s important to create quickly and make new content constantly because the right moment to create is now, not tomorrow.
Why would you say customisation is important?
Customisation allows you to express yourself. The freedom of self-expression is something you need in order to enjoy and appreciate life.
Do you have any exciting projects planned for the near future?
I have no projects in the near future. Right now, I’m focusing on continuously improving the content I make.