COVER INTERVIEW —— F/W 23
Words Gautier Bensímon Photography Zakaria El Razouki Styling Maryam Farahi, Pieke Hezemans
He's got style, he's got flair and he's ready for his close-up!
For the debut interview, Youri Huijerjans sits down with Gautier Bensímon to talk about keeping
his ultra-private life balanced, the revival of his self-titled creative platform and growing into yourself.
Waiting at the entrance of Bonnie, the brasserie at Paris’ exquisite SO/ Hotel, I see Youri Huijerjans making records in a notebook, surrounded by a stack of editorial magazines and seated by a table overlooking the mesmerizing hues of a casual September matin. I swiftly notice his trademark cheekbones from afar. We're only 10 minutes south from the landmark Notre Dame Cathedral, though you'd never know it from the pleasant quiet of our haute breakfast location. Never breaking tradition of being the first on scene, he greets me with a hearty smile. “Lovely to see you again” he says while guiding me to our seats.
In person, he's looking appropriately unreal. Dressed in a jet-black Saman Amel merino wool blend tee, black tailored suit trousers, white Reebok tennis shoes and his signature blonde gold jewelry. The most subtle hint of Chanel's "Paris-Venise" eau de toilette lingers in the air as I follow him to our spot. We nestle into the luxurious cream velvet bench by our booth as he tucks into his cup of green tea. 'We're bringing the band back together again' he smiles, taking a sip. 'Just like old times, right?' Hinting at our previous writing session get-togethers back in early 2020 and 2021, to collaborate on a teleplay project we were both involved in, which ultimately got stalled. Approximately two years after Huijerjans' unexpected writing hiatus, he's making his highly anticipated comeback. And to say there's been some shifts in his biographical landscape, would be quite a pressing understatement.
The reflection of September's first sun rays are beaming from the panoramic terrace before us on this Tuesday morning. Across from us is an older couple whom are graciously relishing their chocolat chaud, while reading the daily newspaper. We talk through our latest life developments and actualities over the Norah Jones-esque tunes that are swiftly playing in the background. It seems that monumental things happened in a span of just two years. From family expansions, new career directions and relationships, the clock has not stood still for neither of us. And despite his evolving résumé and ever-blossoming schedules, he's remained remarkably true to himself. As we are meeting for breakfast today, Huijerjans is preparing for the reimagination of one of his most intimate projects to date.
'It feels like I'm getting to be myself again, a return to familiarity. I'm in my element, it's very empowering, but at the same time, it also feels particularly new.' he says while discussing the revival of his creative platform, conveniently re-titled YouriHuijerjans.com [formerly Nava Magazine]. Totaling a reported seventeen draft versions, countless content meetings and hefty on-set schedules rapidly turned this passion project into yet another micro-management operation to be taken under his wing. However, this isn't his first time at the rodeo. Huijerjans' writing career started back in 2015 with a Wordpress website covering "trendy" lifestyle content, from celebrity news to recipes. A brief copywriting gig for a major cosmetics conglomerate and a more heavy-weighted personal blog soon followed suit, which was then repackaged and re-released on numerous occasions over the course of several years. It wasn't until the aforementioned Nava Magazine soft launch in 2020, that his vision was headed into the right direction. Therefore, it came as a big revelation when all activities were seized until further notice in early 2022.
Jacket, GIVENCHY. Sweater, ARKET. Ring, GEORG JENSEN.
Hair Pomade, JILLIAN DEMPSEY. Bronzer, LAURA MERCIER.
One of the questions that is going to come up will be; "What is it about an attention-heavy space like this that you need to hold on to for all these years, if you are just going to keep relaunching it over and over again?” It could be said that an empty reinvention of sorts could not even be substantial if conceptually nothing changes [implying his previous nips and tucks over the years]' he says. 'The good thing is, I totally understand the point being made, and even though this very same argument has kept me up for far more nights than I care to remember, it's good to keep this sort of feedback in mind. Better yet, to play into it', he laughs.
This concern can be taken literally when one considers the overflow of cookie-cutter lifestyle websites and blogs that offer zero-to-no added value into today's media environment. One could even argue; 'Wouldn't it be more appropriate to just quote; "Let It Go?" But Huijerjans is nowhere ready to disappear yet. "My vision is crystal clear. It's always been about striving to be the best version of yourself. The urgency for perfectionism was the Achilles' heel of the operation, the first time around, but we learned from our shortcomings and have worked on a better approach altogether." he tells me. That said, being remarkably organized can't hurt. Any project that we have both collaborated on, have seen complete thought-out execution from start to finish. He's also vividly involved; always asking questions, gaining knowledge, coming fully prepared and being a positive team-spirited force in every way imaginable.
"I think young men and women can relate to the stories. For me, this platform will always be indicative of growth, understanding and coming to terms with yourself. There's a raw honesty in all aspects that we cover; acquiring friendships that matter, building a fulfilling career and pursuing love, even when life seems to be working against you." he adds. He is aware, however, that a series of engaging content in which luxury and liberalism go hand in hand with daily life stories could stir up a descent dose of criticism. With a suffocating inflation, crippling housing market and a substantially myopic political climate on our communities' shoulders, a space where value is also, but not solely stated in thousands of euros/dollar’s worth of Upper East Side-esque materialism could be deemed as irreflective of where we are right now as a society. Suffice it to say, a healthy consciousness of the latter is rather recommended.
For someone who is notoriously uber-reserved about his private life, the seemingly new direction his platform is heading is rather refreshing and adds a lighthearted touch to the often authoritarian feel of his previous work. However, limits know its bounds, and he states that isn't an intentional strategy, but rather an individual philosophy. “I’m not the overly edited, pretentious, media-trained character people love to think I am”, he adds. 'It is true that I'm very selective of things that make sense to myself or my brand and there will always be topics that are off limits. To some people that might be 'taking myself too seriously' but for me, it's about protecting the relationship with myself and my loved ones. I cannot afford to put any energy into something that does not inspire or motivate me.' he adds. "Part of understanding yourself is becoming comfortable with setting personal boundaries, whether or not people agree with it is beyond my care or control. I am consciously making a decision to choose for myself. And I think that's okay." he adds.
Our follow-up meeting is over a Zoom call, about a week after our breakfast date. In a total different setting and mood, Huijerjans is at his Maastricht home recovering from COVID-19 Omikron XBB, the most recent variant of the infamous virus. While not experiencing any severe issues and the regulation in regard to a positive (self)test in the Netherlands having been eradicated to zero, he’s made the decision to preemptively quarantine for 5 days. “It is what it is. Fortunately, I am actually doing pretty well.” he says. As we’re catching up, he shows me around his home base; a lovely, minimalist one-bedroom apartment close to the Maastricht city center. Meticulously decorated in demure shades of neutrals throughout, reminiscent of the farmhouse interior color palettes that frequently show up on his Instagram explore page. He lights a candle as we pour ourselves a cup of tea.
Tee, MASSIMO DUTTI. Trousers, PAIGE DENIM. Jewelry, HIS OWN.
Complexion, CHANEL. Blush, KKW BEAUTY. Eyebrows, HOURGLASS.
“The website's message and vision are truly his, and truly a reflection of where he is in life and what his vision represents today. It's the combination of the marketing savvy, business approach and creative take on customer-based approaches what makes him so unique and easy to work with,” says Salima Ayad, makeup artist and friend of Huijerjans. “I think he’s very underrated as a creative director. I don’t think people understand who he truly is, as there’s usually a stark contrast in expectations and reality there. He's very multifaceted, and his work proves that.” After years spent feeling like an outsider, now it’s him who’s taken full control of his narrative and not the other way around. “I always think, what can we improve, how can we grow?” he reflects. He finishes his tea and checks the messages on his Blackberry. And yes, you read that right — the throwback cellphone, recognizable by its once-popular QWERTY keyboard, was brought back by Huijerjans in an effort to become more streamlined in his command of time management and spend less time on social media.
Living his life means rising daily at 06:00 a.m. The morning ritual usually consists of checking e-mails, editing content, [sometimes] having a clean plant-based breakfast [a tall glass of water, vitamin supplements, low-fat plant based Greek yogurt and fresh fruits] and keeping up with an extensive skincare routine. All of this before cycling to the office and being at his desk by 07:45 a.m. His office day concludes at 5 (or 6), but upon arrival back to his downtown apartment, there's another list of tasks awaiting for him, which comprehends keeping up and exploring new ways to his diet, exercise regimen, cleaning and organizing, content meetings, running errands, meeting with his friends and family and the occasional dates when time allows it. To that extent, Youri doesn't like to get too deep into details about his love life or rumored new beaus. "It's nice to keep some type of privacy isn't it? It always makes me laugh when I post a picture of my friends online and people immediately jump to the DM's to ask if I'm dating any of them." he adds.
Finding the calms within the storms and allowing himself the patience to learn from the lessons that are presented in his life are what's really helped him become more strengthened in his writing again. As one of the promising voices of his generation, the eagerness to develop and to learn, even if that entails falling flat on your face first, is refreshing to see. People have previously noted that Huijerjans seemed to be in a better place and happier after a period of uncertainty. “Because I always had a sense of requirement, I felt the need to rush everything and please others. I am just now learning to let the reins go a bit more. Maybe everything is not that serious.” he says. 'Perhaps this comes with aging. I think these years are to figure out where your priorities are, so you no longer will waste time on things that don't matter later in life. And I'm looking forward to that.'
On that note, the Youri that I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know over the years is more determined than ever to explore every part of this newly welcomed chapter of his life. And perhaps that is something we can all take a cue from.
YouriHuijerjans.com pledges to donate 1% of all collective advertising revenue to the Mental Health Condition, which commits to providing better access to mental health resources for everyone. To learn more about their efforts, click here and get involved today.