Our Favorite Instagrammers – @yonagrinberg
Name: Jonathan Grinberg
Instagram: @yonagrinberg
Amount of followers: 4342
Age: 43
Residence: Tel Aviv, Israel
Occupation: Owner of three cafes in Tel Aviv named ‘the streets’
Well, I’m Jonathan, from Tel Aviv, family man, two little children ages 1 and 4 which are quite a handful of joy and tiredness. I’ve been surfing for the past 30 years and try to go on a surf trip at least once a year. I am proud of my business which consist of three cafes in Tel Aviv, two of them are open 24/7. I am also a partner in a bar called Denim. I’m a huge movie buf and rock music fan.
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Why do you share your outfits? And why Instagram?
I am not on Facebook and Instagram influenced me a lot. It really helped me find my true style. I always liked clothes and denim much more than my friends around me. Suddenly I saw certain accounts and bang : I just knew that was for me. As for the reason I devoted my account to this style of ours, well it just felt right, plus my wife was a huge encourager. She said that it would make me feel good and she was right. Sometimes you love something and have to tell the world, especially because there aren’t many real denim heads in Israel.
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What makes your Instagram feed so special?
Difficult one. At the moment I feel like the most special thing is the streets of Tel Aviv. That’s were all the shots are taken by my good friend and amazing photographer Ran.
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Where does your inspiration come from?
Other guys obviously, but also from the streets, mags, and so on.
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Where does your love for denim come from? When did it start?
Well it started as a kid with all the amazing 501’s commercials. Nick Camen and the bath tub shrink to fit. That’s when I noticed that jeans were much more than trousers. Later in life I bought a pair of nudies and the guy who sold them said I could customise them by not washing and fading them. We don’t have all these special brands in Israel, rarely do you see selvedge denim. I knew this was something special. It took me a few years to reach heavier denim with more potential. But here I am.
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Your top 3 favorite (denim)brands?
Benzak denim developers- a one man enterprise I admire. I started out with Benzak, it has a sort of American cowboy style that I love.
Tulp jeans- again a one-man show. He made me my most faded denim. Twice I had to send it back. I buy everything online. My tulps are my pride.
One culture- again a one man show. I bought a pair of green cast denim. He thinks I should have bought a size down. But even when a raw pair is a bit big, after a while it suddenly fits better. I know, it’s supposed to be the opposite.
6. What is your favorite accessory?
Indigo died quick release belt by @pigeontreecrafting , he’s a great guy with amazing craft.
7. What items do you wear the most at the moment?
Well, I can’t wear heavy weight denim in the Israeli summer so at the moment I’m working on my @rgt 16.75 slubs and my 14.5 @houseofonecultureMy winter jackets were @risingsunjeans duck ranch jacket (amazing brand), and a @lee101 double selvedge jacket.
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What is your favorite shop? And what is your favorite webstore?
Well I have to shop online. Nowhere special really, just all over the place and trying to find some sales. I am really afraid to go to Europe or America, because I’ll probably go crazy. Anyway, it keeps me sane and I truly believe that our style means ‘own less and wear more’. I really want a small rotation to get results.
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Do you care about the production process?
I do and I think its part of this story. Its not just style, its knowledge and interest. When you go specific you dig deeper. Its natural. I know too much about shapes and production of surfboards. In my opinion it fills you up and satisfies you when your energy goes deep.
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What are your dreams for the future?
Well I wouldn’t mind opening a men’s shop in Tel Aviv, just have selvedge denim and stuff. But it really feels like we’re not ready. And then again the climate here doesn’t favour our thing. So, for now I’ll just dream of taking my kids surfing. Should be soon enough.