- Benjamin Roth, chef

Instagram username: @benjaminvroth

Benjamin is a chef at a restaurant in Oslo, and he is a drummer. We met him for some jamming and a talk about his life and style.

 

Describe a day in your everyday life

 

–      I wake up, get some breakfast and then rush down to work at around two o'clock, meeting my coworkers at the restaurant and then we start prepping for service. The service is almost like a concert because you are entertaining someone. But not with music, with food. You got the audience, which are the guests. The music is the cooking. We have a team with a lot of different chefs with different qualities, just like different band members with different instruments. And we all have to work together to bring the show.

 

What does cooking bring to your life?

 

–      Cooking brings a lot of things to my life. Not only joy, but also excitement and curiosity. It keeps me going. I never get full, I’m always hungry for new experiences and new interactions. Not only with coworkers, but with journeys and meals that are yet to come.

 

Where do you find inspiration?

 

–      I’ve said since I was four years old that I wanted to become a chef because I watched Jamie Oliver on television. He has definitely inspired me a lot through the years. Now, it’s more the things that surrounds me in my everyday life. Like nature, and the people I meet. And the cultures that surrounds us.

 

Tell us about the first piece of clothing you bought for yourself

 

-          I remember buying my first Levi’s trucker jacket. That was a big moment for me, because then I started moving towards quality garments that were a bit over my price range at the time. Now I think of it as an investment in a piece of clothing that I can reuse and that’s timeless.

 

In what way do you use style to portray your personality?

 

–      I don’t necessarily listen to everyone else when they try to tell me how to dress or what to do. I like to think out of the box. I’m quite provocative in my personal style. A lot of special items that may not be for everyone. But I think my style kind of reflects who I am. There’s a lot of stuff going on and there is a lot of stuff going on in my life as well. And I can’t sit still, so I can’t describe my style as one style. It’s all over the place. I just do what makes me feel good, and that’s what I tend to do, or what I want to do, in life as well.

In what way is denim a part of your everyday life, and what’s your favorite piece of denim?

 

–      Denim has always been a big part of my life. From my first trucker jacket to when I became a teenager and started listening to Nirvana and stressing my jeans and going full out in blue jeans every day. Now my taste in denim is a bit more refined. My favorite piece of denim is actually an old, vintage, denim suit that I inherited from my father. It’s crazy raw denim, western fit smoking. It’s completely insane, but I love it.

 

What is the key item of your wardrobe?

 

–      The key item of my wardrobe must be a good leather jacket. It never goes wrong. It goes with so much and it’s so mysterious and sexy and cool. You never look at a guy in a good fitting leather jacket and think that “wow, he dresses like a dork”.

 

Is there anything you would like to add?

 

–      Don’t waste your money on fast fashion. Invest in quality garments that you can use over and over again and that never goes out of style. Also, don’t let people put you in a box when it comes to style. Do whatever you want and just be creative, have fun. That’s what fashion is all about.