the canadian men’s magazine
the Art issue Art Criminal Istvan Kantor Iconic Sculptor and Painter Armand Vaillancourt
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The Art Issue
Cover
Renowned Quebec Sculptor Armand Vaillancourt Canadian Rebel: Istvan Kantor
Watches
Blue Is the New Black Skeleton Watches Are All the Rage this Season
Fast Lane
The McLaren P1: The Era of the Electric Car Travelling Back in Time with Vintage Cars
Travel
The Most Bustling Art Destinations Marfa, Texas: The Capital of Modern Art
Lifestyle
A Fine Cut: The Most Sumptuous Steaks in Canada The Bars You Should Be Hanging Out At Steve DeAngelo: The Angel of Cannabis
Istvan Kantor
Art Direction Sylvain BlaiS. Photography Martin rondeau. Assistant Photographer GuilauMe Pelletier. Fashion Editor Kathia CaMBron. Model Katrina at next. Hair and Makeup anna nenoiu at P1M. Location Special thanks to Standard auto WreCKerS. Tuxedo, shirt, and bow tie WaxMan houSe.
Art
In the Streets: Sino Talks About the World of Graffiti The Most Influential Contemporary Artists
Sports
In the Boxing Ring with Staiv Gentis Subaru Rally Team
Music
The New Music Scene in Western Canada
Style
Look Sharp: The Latest Accessories and Grooming Products Cozy Fragrances for Fall The New Business Uniform Is Casual Chic
Profiles
Sugar Sammy Is the Most Stylish Comedian Around Peter Simons Talks About His Canadian Expansion and the Uniqueness of His Brand
Armand Vaillancourt
Art Director Sylvain BlaiS. Photography Shayne laverdière. Fashion Editor Jay ForeSt. Assistant Fashion Editor alexandra PoldeSKa. Grooming liliane S at Judy inC. Coat Carven at la MaiSon SiMonS. Pants PhilliP liM at la MaiSon SiMonS. Shirt Ch at la MaiSon SiMonS. Shoes ARTIST’S OWN.
L ife can be p e rf e c t
FALL - WINTER 2015 N˚4 President: Kathia Cambron C.E.O.: Shervin Shirvani Editorial Director: Sylvain Blais / DTK MEDIA INC. editeur@dresstokillmagazine.com Editor in Chief: Sylvain Blais / DTK MEDIA INC. Director of Operations and E-marketing: Félix Loiselle Digital Director: Miguel Delgado V.P. Sales: Paul McCallum Fashion & Culture Senior Journalist: Stéphane Le Duc PRODUCTION Project Manager: Félix Loiselle Production Editor: Bianca Taylor WATCHES AND CARS Watches Editor: Shervin Shirvani shervin@dresstokillmagazine.com. Car Editor: Shervin Shirvani FASHION Fashion Editors: Jay Forest, Cary Tauben, Marie-Ève Venne, Kathia Cambron, Mark John Tripp Lifestyle Editor: Marie-Ève Venne GROOmING Grooming Editor: Bianca Taylor bianca@dresstokillmagazine.com ART DEPARTmENT Creative Director: Sylvain Blais creativedirector@dresstokillmagazine.com Art Director: César Ochoa artdirector@dresstokillmagazine.com Graphic Designers: Sébastien Nicolas WRITERS Stéphane Le Duc, Marie-Ève Venne, Bianca Taylor, Riccardo Tucci, Kathia Wendschuh, Félix Loiselle, Valerie Silva, Guy Sioui Durand Translators: Valerie Silva, Véronique Dubé Proofreaders: Valerie Silva PR AND EVENTS event@dresstokillmagazine.com ADVERTISING Paul McCallum - National 514 272-6187 paul@dtkmedia.com Kathia Cambron - US & National 514 272-6187 kathia@dtkmedia.com WEB DEPARTmENT Advertising: Félix Loiselle felix@dtkmedia.com Web Editor: Riccardo Tucci riccardotucci@dresstokillmagazine.com SUBSCRIPTION info@dresstokillmagazine.com / store.dresstokillmagazine.com DISTRIBUTION info@dresstokillmagazine.com Director of Newstands : Craig Sweetman CRS Media DTK MEN Canadian Office: 5555 De Gaspé, Suite 215, Montreal (Quebec) Canada, H2T 2A3, 514-272-6187 Denver Office: 891 14th Street #2608, Denver, CO 80202, 646-643-4053 DTK MEN MAGAZINE is a DTK MEDIA INC Publication PRINTED BY TRANSCONTINENTAL in Canada P.P. : 41883012 - ISSN 1923-0869 KILL - ISSN 1923-0877 Dress to KILL
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Contributors
AnnA nenoiu
Trained in Fine Arts, Anna pursued a career in makeup and hair upon graduation. She has since worked with leading beauty brands Armani, Clairol, L’Oréal, and Garnier. Her advertising work has included campaigns for Holt Renfrew, Winners, Roots, Hudson’s Bay, and Joe Fresh. Anna’s editorial collaborations have been featured in Fashion, ELLE Canada, Harper’s Bazaar Thailand, InStyle, and Vogue. Anna’s talent and engaging personality have also garnered her a celebrity clientele that includes Lady Gaga, the Pussycat Dolls, Carmen Electra, Carly Rae Jepsen, Selma Blair, and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Shayne Laverdière
Don’t stop, don’t stop, can’t stop the beat! I love 2015, and I love my girlfriend. I just wish there was more time for driving! I’ve been a photographer all my life. My first photograph ever was of a church. Now, it’s my job, and I enjoy meeting interesting people in beautiful places. I hope that you enjoy the pictures that I have contributed to this issue of DTK Men.
MARTIN RONDEAU
Guy Sioui Durand
Guy Sioui Durand is a Wendat (Huron) based in Wendake, Quebec. He is a sociologist (PhD), art critic, independent curator, and performer. He specializes in contemporary aboriginal art and contemporary art. He is the president and co-founder of the publishing house, Éditions Intervention, and a member of the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective.
Renowned fashion photographer Martin Rondeau naturally progressed towards art thanks to his vision and creative intuition. His artistic energy is not only that of a fashion photographer, but also of a painter experimenting with colour, and of a sculptor creating works in relief. Martin Rondeau’s work has been exhibited in art galleries and important international art fairs, such as Art Basel, in Miami. His works can be found in private and public collections around the globe. His audacity and talent redefine the limits of photography, making him a true visionary.
Jay Forest
Instead of the standard bio, I made a list of what I try to do everyday. Voilà: breathe, skateboard, be nice, laugh, listen, dance and sing to Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You,” learn something new, listen to a TED talk, compliment someone, and talk to my mom.
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KAthiA CAmbron
Having grown up surrounded by artists—beginning with my father who was a bit of a surrealist—I always liked art; it is something that remains pure and in which I feel good. In this issue of DTK Men, I find myself encircled by friends. I thank Capuano for having introduced me to Monty. DTK MEN | The ArT issue
creative direction & design: boha design photographer: christoph strube models: carmen dell’orefice & paul mason
montrĂŠal new york toronto vancouver calgary chicago miami opening 2016 montauksofa.com letstauk.com info@montauksofa.com facebook twitter pinterest instagram
Editor’s NotE I was almost magnetically pulled to creating an art issue when I got to thinking about the increasingly influential force of art in the world of fashion and luxury.Â
Artists are a rare breed of human. They are extremely sensitive and, without them, society would not be as evolved. They develop their own universe, language, and, naturally, personal style. This greatly inspired me, and I wanted to celebrate it. With their rebellious attitude (you'll learn all about Istvan Kantor's notoriety in the art world) and intense charisma, they have mastered the craft of seduction. For this cover, we looked for artists who could easily seduce the camera and our readers. We fell in love with their personal styles, both of which were natural, timeless, and personal.
Armand Vaillancourt is a renowned Quebec sculptor. I was impressed to see an 86 year old man with as much energy, spunk, and style as him. When we mixed his personal clothes with high-end luxury designs, the result was beyond anything that we could have achieved with a traditionally cool, hip, young model. Istvan Kantor, who also goes by the name Monty Cantsin, is a perfromance artist based in Toronto. We were attracted to his rebellious attitude and unabashed candour. He is someone who breaks the rules and pushes the boundaries for his passions and convictions. We wanted to dress Monty in a suit to create a juxtaposition with his hard-core image.
Sylvain Blais
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DTK MEN | The ArT issue
FAST LANE
The era of The elecTric supercar is here. Through innovaTive Technology and a meTiculous approach To design and qualiTy, mclaren auTomoTive has builT a hybrid beasT capable of compeTing on The raceTrack. iT has performance, beauTy, and efficiency; whoever said, “you can’T have iT all” never drove a mclaren p1. By Riccardo Tucci
Cars
DTK MEN | The genTlemen’s vh
guide
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Cars
McLaren
P1
Engine Twin-Turbocharged 3.8-liter V-8 Petrol + Electric Motor Transmission 7 Speed dual-clutch Horsepower 903 Top Speed 217 mph 0-60 mph 2.7 seconds Torque 722 lb.- ft. Weight 3,300 lb. Height 46.8” Length 180.6” Width 76.6” Wheelbase 105.1” Price $1,150,000
The McLaren P1 is the successor to the legendary McLaren F1, which broke the world record in 1998 for fastest production supercar ever built, reaching a top speed of 231 mph. Since then, McLaren’s automotive offerings have been synonymous with greatness. Starting with P1’s design and build quality, McLaren ensures that the roof and carbon fibre monocoque construction of the P1 delivers unsurpassed safety to drivers and passengers. The two-butterfly door coupe was designed with racing in mind. So, of course, with large carved-out air intake vents, the chassis is aerodynamic and sleek. On the interior is a carbon fibre trim with leather sport seats to match. At the centre is a large touchscreen for all your entertainment and information needs.
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DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Cars
McLaren’s ProActive Chassis Control system gives drivers an incredibly accurate and reactive driving experience without the stiffness. The car’s Drag Reduction System closes the rear spoiler for full throttle racing. The Inconel exhaust pipes can withstand temperatures of up to 982°C, which is essential given the P1’s powerful engine. The P1 boasts a 3.8-liter V8 petrol engine, kicking out 727 hp with an electric motor capable of 176 hp for a combined 903 horsepower. If that’s not enough, the eco-friendly electric motor—powered by lithium ion batteries—reduces CO2 emissions by allowing the supercar to drive 6 miles without fuel. All of these ground-breaking achievements and the brand’s love for racing make the McLaren P1 the supercar to beat.
SpeCS
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Cars
1970
Porsche 911s
Engine 3.0-liter Inline-6 Horsepower 212-222 Top Speed 130 mph 0-60 mph 8.5 seconds
When Mercedes released the 300 SL Roadster back in 1960, it became the fastest production car of that era. The two-door Roadster wasn’t just the fastest car of its day; it was also the most attractive. With its robust chassis built of steel, aluminum hood, and aerodynamic curves for drag reduction, the Mercedes’ design emphasizes its racing heritage. The steering is precise and responsive, and the direct injection inline-6 engine meant that the 300 SL could reach a top speed of 130 mph while still allowing for a smooth ride. Today, the car is recognized as iconic for both its intelligent, stylish design, and impeccable performance.
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Cars
Engine Flat-6 2.2-liter Horsepower 180 Top Speed 124 mph 0-60 mph 7.8 seconds
The Porsche 911S is easily one of the most iconic and well engineered cars ever built. Actor Steve McQueen—nicknamed the King of Cool—raced his Porsche 911S in the opening scene of Le Mans. Considered to be the greatest racing film of all time, McQueen immortalized Porsche’s legacy with his always cool and confident demeanour. At the time, the 911S was one of the fastest cars around, with a top speed of 124 mph—only 93 mph slower than the McLaren P1, and that’s with a 45-year gap. Not bad at all.
1960
Mercedes-Benz 300 sL roadster
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Skeleton
Marvels
Gaze into the world of haute horloGerie with these mesmerizinG mechanical movements and desiGns. By Riccardo Tucci
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Skeleton Double Flying Tourbillon This mesmerizing 45 mm skeleton watch is encased in rose gold and features an automatic movement. The satin-brushed dial, sapphire crystal glass, and water resistance of 50 metres are signs of the manufacturer’s excellent craftsmanship. The plates and bridges of the watch’s movement have been refined in a display of extreme technicality. A brown alligator leather strap finishes this watch perfectly, making it the ideal buy for any man looking for something spectacular.
Watches
Maurice Lacroix
Hublot
This avant-garde design is housed in a 45 mm polished steel case that is water resistant up to 100 metres. A black hand-stitched crocodile-skin strap, with large scales and black calfskin lining, keeps the timepiece stylish and comfortable. Protected by sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating, the manually wound movement is proudly on display. The design of this metallic sculpture is an appropriate icon for a brand that has dared to create an elegant yet edgy collection anchored in the 21st century.
Only 99 of this limited-edition timepiece were ever produced. The 45mm polished and satin-finished black ceramic case and bezel are protected by sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective treatment. Six H-shaped titanium screws and black composite resin lateral inserts secure the skeleton tourbillion with the Hublot logo printed on the front. With approximately 120 hours of power reserve, a black alligator strap, and water resistance up to 50 metres, Hublot has truly outdone itself again.
MasterPiece le chronograPhe sqUelette
Ultra-thin skeleton toUrbillion all black
Frank Muller
Piaget
Jaeger-Lecoultre
The uniqueness of this skeletonized collection is the calibre 1740 that features a generous seven-day power reserve. Powered by two barrels, this mechanical movement is precisely designed, manufactured, and decorated in-house. The bridges are hand-chamfered, an essential element of decoration in haute horlogerie that requires long and meticulous work.
The 38 mm 900P Altiplano is the world's thinnest mechanical watch at just 3.65 mm. Housing both the calibre and the case, the case back was itself machinetooled to accommodate the mechanical components. Offering an elegant contrast to the white gold of the case, the sunburst chamfered bridges are black. The watch is mounted on a black alligator strap with an Ardillion buckle for superior durability and security. The Altiplano is a true testament to the art of watchmaking.
The Master Ultra Thin Squelette is one of the thinnest mechanical watches ever made. The 38 mm masterpiece is covered in white gold and is ornamented with 19 jewels and 119 moving parts. This exceptional timepiece is outfitted with an alligator leather strap held by a pin buckle and is water resistant for up to 20 metres. Each watch represents a perfectly balanced combination of exceptional design, watchmaking expertise, and craftsmanship.
7 Days PoWer reserve skeleton
altiPlano
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Master Ultra thin sqUelette
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Top Gun An Interview with Fighter Pilot Bernard Charbonnel By Riccardo Tucci
The BreiTling JeT Team is an eliTe group of air-force piloTs wiTh Thousands of hours of flighT and over TwenTy years of experience under Their BelTs. during my visiT To ToronTo, BreiTling was kind enough To offer me The experience of a lifeTime. i arrived aT The ToronTo airporT and was ready To fly in an l-39c alBaTros wiTh BreiTling Team memBer Bernard charBonnel, or as everyone on The Team calls him, charBo.
After a safety briefing and getting on my helmet and flight suit, we headed to the runway. What came next was simply breathtaking. We flew over Toronto and circled over Niagara Falls in flight formation. Next, Charbo performed some aerobatic manoeuvres in sync with the rest of the team. We flew upside down, twirling and whirling through the sky; it was incredible. The next day, The Breitling Jet Team was set to perform at the Canadian National Exhibition Air Show in Toronto, and they did not disappoint. After an exceptional
performance, I sat down to speak with Charbo about what he’s most passionate about: flight. At what age did you realize that you wanted to become a pilot? How did this passion develop? I developed my dream to fly after watching a French TV show called Les Chevaliers du Ciel when I was 13 years old. It was a story about two French fighter pilots in the air force. I was so young, but when I saw the show I said to myself, “I will do this job.” I got my passion for aviation from watching this television series.
Watches
How did the opportunity to join the Breitling Jet Team arise? Fourteen years ago, when I left the French air force as a fighter pilot, I met Jacques—the team leader—at an air show. I was performing with my vintage biplane and he was as well. He asked me, “Charbo, I have to build a new jet team. I know you just left the army, but would you be willing to join this team?” He told me to take my time and to get back to him in 40 hours, but I waited 40 seconds and said yes! It was such an amazing opportunity. I was at the right place at the right moment. Sometimes in life you have to have luck, and I was fortunate to have luck that day. Have you learned anything new from your teammates? Team spirit. Work together and have confidence in one another. The first thing I learned was real, hard team spirit. Without it, you cannot do this job. How hard do you train to keep your body and mind sharp for performances? [Laughs] To be honest, I don’t do anything! I do not practice sports, but I do love to ride my motorcycle and fly my planes. I love food. I love wine. And I’m lucky that I’m in such good shape. I’m 55!
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What is the most challenging aerobatic manoeuvre to perform? It would have to be the landing. No, I’m just joking. It’s not landing! For me, there is no particular manoeuvre more challenging than the next. The entire performance and display are a challenge because you have different factors like wind and temperature affecting your flying. Today it was very hot out there, and it was difficult. Each performance is different, so there is no one manoeuvre; it’s really the whole package that is challenging. How many different manoeuvres have you learned, and which is your favourite to per-
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Watches
form? I have learned a lot! My favourite manoeuvre is the first. It’s called the loop. You loop the plane and then you go right. It’s very graphic when you see it in the sky. There’s a lot of smoke, and it’s a great presentation. I love it. As the first manoeuvre, it sets the tempo for the rest of the show. I get a feel for how I will be and how I will perform. You have performed all over the world with Breitling. Do you have a favourite country or place to fly over? Ah, that is a difficult question because we have visited so many beautiful places and countries. Just performing today in Toronto with all the skyscrapers, the shoreline, and Niagara Falls was beautiful. Then, there’s China and flying over the great wall, and we’ve done flights over New York, with so many iconic buildings and places. This is why it’s difficult to choose one. However, maybe I can answer. I remember a performance that we did, and it was not for marketing or for money; we did it only for the people of Fukushima, Japan. Breitling sent us over to Japan to provide entertainment for people who had suffered from the earthquake and the tsunami. It was such a great feeling. When we landed at the airport, almost 300 children and their parents were there to welcome us. This was a great memory and souvenir. It wasn’t necessarily the place, but it was the atmosphere and whom we were flying for.
When you’re not flying planes, what are some of your hobbies? My hobbies are flying! I’m actually the lucky owner of three vintage biplanes. I have Bückers, which are German biplanes built between 1935 and 1937, and a French one from 1946. I love to do maintenance on these old airplanes, and I love to drive all my motorcycles. I have a big hangar with all my planes and bikes; it’s like my toy box, and I really enjoy it. Even with 8000 hours of flight time, do you still get nervous before a show? No, I am not nervous; we are not nervous. We have only the right and the good kind of stress, which allows us to have concentration and stay focused. To do this job, we all have to be relaxed, and we are. Do you have any pre-flight rituals before getting into your jet and performing? I like to be alone next to my plane for 15 minutes. There is no one near me and no one is talking. I really try to focus and stay concentrated for the performance. Which model of Breitling watch do you wear when flying? I wear the Chronomat 44, which is the official limited edition watch for the Breitling Jet Team. It has the team logo in the middle. It’s an all black watch, and I really love it. It’s sporty, and it works great.
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Watches
Blue is the new black
From the deepest oceans to the bluest skies, we explore some oF the most exceptionally craFted and reliable timepieces ever produced.
Breitling
By Riccardo Tucci
Superocean II The rubber-moulded unidirectional rotating bezel displays clearly visible numerals, a countdown of the last 15 dive-time minutes, and a triangle with a luminescent marker at 12 o’clock. Dial visibility is accentuated by large Arabic numerals, a luminescent coating, and oversized hands that also shine in the dark. The ultra-sturdy steel case with screw-locked crown guarantees water resistance at depths of up to 3,300 ft. This model comes in a 44 mm satin-steel case and is fitted with a blue dial matching the bezel and strap.
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Audemars Piguet
Chanel
Louis Vuitton
IWC
Panerai
Rolex
Royal oak offshoRe With its sizeable 42 mm diameter, this watch sets a new standard for future trends. Beyond its octagonal bezel with eight screws, its trademark dial, which features a “tapisserie” pattern, makes it stand out from the crowd. Push pieceguards fitted to the case increase the sturdiness and powerful lines of this supremely technical, high-performance model.
INGeNIeuR IWC’s Ingenieur has a rugged brushed finish and is housed in a 46 mm stainless steel case and bezel, bounded by a blue rubber strap. This limited-edition timepiece has a blue dial, a fine interlaced 'I' design texture, as well as orange and white details and a date display at the 3 o'clock position. It is water resistant up to 120 metres and has a scratch resistant sapphire crystal glass on the watch face.
j12-G10 It features a self-winding mechanical movement with a unidirectional rotating bezel. The 38 mm watch is water resistant up to 200 metres and has a blue vertical satin-finish dial at the centre and a circular guilloché on the outer dial. It features blue alligator and nylon straps for comfort, along with a steel ardillon buckle and loops. Its unique colour and sparkle are obtained by adding titanium to the ceramic and then polishing with diamond powder.
RaDIomIR Gmt oRo Rosso The 47 mm Radiomir Oro Rosso is housed in an 18-carat polished red gold case and bezel fastened by an alligator leather strap. Luminescent hands and markers enhance the blue analog dial with Arabic numerals. The watch face is scratch resistant and protected by sapphire crystal, and it also has a skeleton transparent back. It is water resistant up to 50 metres.
tambouR ReGatta Navy With its essential regatta functions, sporty rubber strap, and deep blue dial, whose bold V motif was inspired by Louis Vuitton's historic Steamer Bag logo, the Tambour Regatta Navy represents the ideal combination of sport and style for keen sailors. It is encased in 44 mm of steel and fitted with a quartz movement. The watch hands are luminescent for greater visibility, and the timepiece is waterproof up to 100 metres.
Datejust II Introduced in 1945, the Datejust II is the ultimate Rolex classic. It is enclosed in a 41 mm stainless steel case and secured by an oyster clasp. The blue dial has an automatic movement and is equipped with a distinctive Cyclops lens for easy reading of the date. It is water resistant up to 100 metres and is protected with a sapphire crystal, a solid case back, and a screwed down crown. The Rolex Datejust II is an archetype of style, precision, and reliability.
Profile
Sugar Sammy of
A MAn Style
Since hiS debut aS a comedian, Sugar Sammy haSyet to leave anyone feeling indifferent. hiS allure iS aS Striking aS hiS cauStic humour. hiS indian originS, childhood in a multiethnic montreal neighbourhood, and hiS education in francophone SchoolS have contributed to hiS unique appreciation for canadian culture. he doeS not heSitate to draw from thiS poSition to paint an irreverent, albeit alwayS fair, portrait of our behaviour and our many contradictionS. on the eve of hiS departure for pariS, he let uS in on hiS paSSion for Style and elegance.there iS no doubt that hiS ironic humour will win over the heartS of the french, aS well. By Stéphane Le Duc Sugar Sammy made his mark in Canada and in the international scene before gaining any success in Quebec. Sammy became known on European, Asian, African, and even Middle Eastern stages for his traditional American stand-up style. It was only a matter of time until he captured the hearts of the people of Quebec. In 2013, he became the first Anglophone artist to bring home that year’s Best Show and Comedian of the Year awards at Quebec’s prestigious Olivier comedy awards. “I’m touched to know that Montrealers and Quebecers identify with my humour. I didn’t think that I’d be in this position, because, only four years ago, I was doing my shows in English abroad; I wasn’t sure that my humour would be pertinent in Quebec. It’s proof that they appreciate my point of view and my vision of Quebec society. The producers didn’t believe in creating a bilingual show, but I felt that people would understand and appreciate this type of show.” Sugar Sammy is also a man who cares about his image. He belongs to a generation of men concerned with their appearance and the image they project. Very active on social media, he is always aware of the comments he posts and the clothes he wears. Red carpet events don’t scare him. The fact that he wore a different suit to each Canadian award ceremony is proof of his elegance. He wore a low-key business suit to the afternoon ceremony and a more refined Zegna suit to the evening one. “I adapt to each gala. For example, for the Gala Artis, which is a major event, I was in an old Hollywood spirit. I wore a Zegna tuxedo that was fitted, with a bow tie, and an Eton shirt with buttons that were hidden by the lapel of the shirt; I thought it was very chic. For the Olivier, I wore a three-piece suit, because not many people wear them anymore, and I find it funny to make it less formal by putting a silk handkerchief in the pocket instead of wearing a tie. It’s important that I pay attention to detail, because the
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people who organize these events, with the red carpet and the superb decor, put in a lot of effort, too. We don’t have the opportunity to dress like this everyday, so we should take advantage of it.” Over the years, Sugar Sammy’s fashion sense has developed, as has his understanding of clothing. Although he tries to be classic, he continues to be more and more daring. “It’s something I learned little by little. When I was at McGill University, I was subscribed to several fashion magazines: GQ, Esquire, Details; there were great rebates for students at the time. Little by little, I absorbed the information, and it became second nature to me. I know enough of the basics to be able to play around with it and to push the boundaries a little further by trying different things. It’s important to have fun with it and take risks.” In addition to his imposing six foot two stature, Sugar Sammy captures his audiences’ attention with his charisma and fashion choices, which are always elegant but never conservative. Even though men are rarely asked about their clothes in interviews, fashion is a still a mode of seduction for them. Sugar Sammy elaborates, “In fact, in my every day life I am reserved and timid. It’s only on stage or in front of a camera that it explodes. I find that the most interesting artists are those that give it their all on stage, while retaining a certain anonymity in their daily lives. I am more of an observer, and I am a loyal man. I have a woman in my life. I am happy to no longer have to search for my soul mate, because bar life can be crazy.” What’s certain is that even if Sugar Sammy’s heart belongs to a beautiful young woman, he will continue breaking the hearts of many more women—or at least keep making them laugh.
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Profile
Photography Sylvain Blais
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just shoot Want to rise to the top? We knoW you Want to, but you have to fight your Way to get there. Do it in style. bolD colours, striking patterns, anD killer shoes are the neW uniform for the urban chic man. Photography: Geneviève Charbonneau Fashion Editor: Jay Forest
Turtleneck LE 31 at LaMaison Simons ($50). Jacket PENFIELD ($285). Jacket SCOTCH AND SODA ($299) at La Maison Simons. Pants BOSS ($450). Shoes BOSS ($675). Suit TIGER OF SWEDEN ($959). Shirt THEORY at La Maison Simons ($235). Tie TOMMY HILFIGER ($65). Shoes BOSS ($695). Pocket square LA MAISON SIMONS ($38). Socks LE 31 at La Maison Simons ($15). Clip PROFUMO ($28) at La Maison Simons. Watch 42mm Space Black Stainless Steel Case with Space Black Link Bracelet APPLE WATCH ($1,459).
Profile
oPPosite Page: turtleneck BOSS($205). Blazer RAF SIMONS ($1,400). Pants RAF SIMONS ($550).Pocket square LA MAISON SIMONS ($38). Belt ANDERSON’S ($175). shoes BOSS ($675). coat: BOSS ($1150). shirt CIRCLE OF GENTLEMEN ($110). tie FRANCO BASSI ($98) at La Maison Simons. Blazer PAUL SMITH ($1,500) at La Maison Simons. Pocket square LA MAISON SIMONS ($38). Pants PAuL smitH ($800) at La Maison Simons. Belt VintAge at Club Monaco. shoes HUGO ($595). clip ProFumo ($28) at La Maison Simons. this page : Pocket square LA MAISON SIMONS ($38). suit CIRCLE OF GENTLEMEN ($440). shirt SCOTCH AND SODA ($119) at La Maison Simons. tie LE 31 at La Maison Simons.
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This page: Shirt THEORY ($225) at La Maison Simons. Jacket TIGER OF SWEDEN ($599). Vest SHADES OF GREY BY MICAH COHEN ($150) at La Maison Simons. Pants YOHJI YAMAMOTO ($550). Shoes RED WING ($255) at Off The Hook. Pocket square LA MAISON SIMONS ($38). Watch 42mm Space Black Stainless Steel Case with Space Black Link Bracelet APPLE WATCH ($1,459). Opposite page: Shirt PAUL SMITH ($500) at La Maison Simons. Suit TIGER OF SWEDEN ($959) at La Maison Simons. Pocket square LA MAISON SIMONS ($38). Shoes BOSS ($725). Denim Jacket MSGM MILANO ($650) at La Maison Simons. Socks LE 31 at La Maison Simons ($15).
Denim jacket J CREW ($155). Shirt DIESEL at La Maison Simons ($275). Tie J CREW. Coat TIGER OF SWEDEN at TIGER OF SWEDEN MONTREaL ($799). Pants G STaR ($180). Belt aNDERSON’S ($195). Shoes NIKE aIR TRaINER at OFF ThE hOOK ($190).
Profile
on emmanuel (left): suit PHILIPPE DUBUC ($1,300). Jacket COS ($390). turtleneck LE 31 at La Maison Simons ($50). Belt ANDERSON’S at La Maison Simons ($95). socks LE 31 at La Maison Simons ($15). shoes NIKE AIR TRAINER at Off The Hook ($190). on carlton (right): Pants cos ($175). coat COS ($390). tie THE KOOPLES ($95). shoes HUGO ($595). socks LE 31 at La Maison Simons ($15). shirt TIGER OF SWEDEN ($249). clip PROFUMO at La Maison Simons ($28). Photography genevieve chArBonneAu. Assistant Photographer neAl hArdie. Fashion editor JAy Forest. Assistant stylist vivi torres. model emmAnuel at dulcedo / cArlton ruth at elmer olsen. hair & makeup: AnnA nenoiu at P1m.
DTK MEN | A guide to modern success
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Art
The Future of Contemporary Art There are some arTisTs ThaT we can’T help buT be fascinaTed by. from Their one-of-a-kind arTworks To Their eccenTric personaliTies, These creaTors are The ones we need To keep an eye on.
Patrick Bernatchez, Age: 34 MontreAl
Born and raised in Montreal, Patrick Bernatchez creates his beautiful installations using various forms of media. He incorporates photography, film, drawing, and sculpting into his artistic projects, which take years of work and dedication. His work has been praised and enjoyed around the world, but now Canadians will have the chance to visit his exhibition at the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal from October 17 to January 10. The exhibition presents a significant body of works taken from two major projects: Chrysalides and Lost in Time.
Lost in Time examines the multiple facets of time such as space-time, time travel, imaginary time, and many others. Chrysalides revolves around questions of life and death, decomposition and entropy, as well
as the cycle of the seasons, and the passing of time over days, months, and years. The artist’s films, sculptures, and photographs enter into dialogue with each other, creating a conceptually coherent and meaningful whole. —Riccardo Tucci
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DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Art
Carlito Dalceggio, Age : 35 MontreAl
Self-proclaimed gypsy Carlito Dalceggio has been traveling since he left the remote fisherman village in Quebec where he was born. Stints in Mauritania, Bali, and Thailand—to name a few—have informed his creative practice and led to hundreds of paintings and murals. His works are characterized by an interest in myth, legend, iconography, and the artist’s free-spirited revolutionary consciousness. And, while he has travelled the world for inspiration, it has never been for answers; Carlito insists that he creates art to introduce more nuances into the mysteries of life, rather than to answer them. He has developed large-scale projects for Cirque du Soleil and L’Oréal Canada, as well as for MU, a nonprofit organization that promotes the creation of public art in the greater Montreal region. He is perhaps best known as the first contemporary Canadian artist to design a coin for the Royal Canadian Mint. Whether in your change pocket or in a downtown alleyway, Carlito’s strikingly intricate work is everywhere—and for good reason. —Valérie Silva
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
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Art
Rad Hourani, Age: 33
MontreAl (born in JordAn) This multitasking artist is well known by the fashion crowd as a prolific and talented designer with an international reputation. Little did we know that he is also a photographer who has shot many of his own campaigns, like that featuring French it girl Caroline de Maigret. His work presents the human body in a totally neutral way. For him, fashion should be without gender, and clothing should be timeless. This is one of the reasons why the items of his clothing lines are identified by numbers instead of names referring to a specific trend; it is an act of rebellion against an industry in which everything is “out of fashion” in the blink of an eye. For his exposition at the Arsenal in Montreal, Hourani presents an artwork that focuses on his beliefs regarding the purity of the spirit in a naive state. He believes that nothing is more pure than the open mind of a child before society corrupts it. The exposition introduces viewers to eight pastel paintings that symbolize light, six darker paintings of a human head getting bigger from canvas to canvas, and a metallic structure that represents the complexity of the mind. —Marie-Ève Venne
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DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Art
Stikki Peaches MontreAl
You might walk the streets of downtown Montreal and find yourself staring at some incredibly eye catching and multi-layered paste-up art featuring Batman, James Bond, and even Darth Vader. These colourful collages of pop culture personas are the work of a mystery man known only as Stikki Peaches. He has chosen to keep his true identity a secret, following in the steps of one of his favorite heroes and artistic subjects, Batman. For over five years, Stikki Peaches has plastered public spaces in Montreal, Paris, London, Berlin, and Stockholm with his unique brand of street art. Most of his pieces feature iconic characters and media personalities, often times mixed and matched with different bodies and heads and signed off with the tagline “What if Art Ruled the World.” Stikki Peaches maintains that his works don't contain any secrets to decode; instead he wants to entertain and encourage a dialogue between his audiences. Stikki Peaches recently had his collection of prints featured at the Galerie LeRoyer in Montreal—a gallery dedicated to representing some of the most talented up and coming artists the city has to offer. —Riccardo Tucci
Adham Faramawy, Age: 32
Born in DuBAi, BAseD in lonDon
Adham Faramawy sees in liquid. Whether it be a slime spa or a Vichy shower, the sculptural-come-digital artist is intent on using liquid materials to animate the fluid sliminess that is life. While Jean-Paul Sartre certainly could not have imagined the psychedelic slime-fest that is Faramawy’s video “SXC N00DZ,” the artist insists that the philosopher’s “problematic” gendering of the viscous material led him to use it in his exploration of embodiment. If he rejects Sartre, it’s only to more fully embrace the likes of Yayoi Kusama, who’s 1960s video “Self-Obliteration” is “one of the things that informed the ways [he] deal[s] with the body.” His most recent project, a perfume entitled Hyperreal Flower Blossom, was launched with an installation at VITRINE Gallery. The project was commission by Studio Leigh, an online platform commissioning artists to create functional projects. The scent, bottle, and packaging are described by the artist as, “a translation of a video of vocaloid pop star Hatsune Miku dancing in a garden.” If anyone can traverse the sensory boundary of sight and smell, it’s Adham Faramawy. —Valérie Silva
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
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Art
Ryder Ripps, Age: 29 From: New York
This cool kid doesn’t hesitate to make use of the new generation’s obsession with social media to create his art. His controversial artworks have won him the title of “most offensive” amongst critics. His most talked about art project, ART WHORE, involved two sex workers—one male, one female—hired from Craigslist to create an “art piece.” Ripps filmed them as they drew and made the whole process public on Instagram during a branded artist-in-residence program for the Ace Hotel. Shocked by it, some even went to the extreme of calling the artist a “cynical hateful creep.” And, his most recent artwork is not going to pacify his critics. Entitled Ho, it is a series of large-scale paintings of manipulated photos of model Adrianne Ho, which were obtained from her Instagram. For Ripps, she is the quintessence of everything normcore on the popular platform. As if he hasn’t gotten enough people talking, he is running a very profitable creative design agency named OKFocus that has created campaigns for Nike, Phillips, and fashion line Kenzo. —Marie-Ève Venne
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DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Art
Chris Levine, Age: 56
From ontArio. BAsed in London (UK) This Canadian artist doesn’t hesitate to explore many media in his art, including music, design, and performance. Throughout his career, he has worked with many big names, such as Grace Jones, Philip Treacy, and music group Massive Attack. Levine’s work is all about giving life to inanimate objects, like photographs, by using processes as diverse as holography and light installations. He doesn’t care if the subject of his art is famous—he shot Kate Moss—because he is more interested in the person rather than the ideas surrounding them. It might be this casual approach that had him selected to shoot a portrait of Queen Elizabeth, in 2004, for the cover of Time magazine. Wanting to capture the monarch in a truly modern way, he set up a high-resolution digital camera, which moved along a rail taking 200 images over eight seconds, and a 3-D data scanner to obtain a holographic portrait. For his first solo exhibition named Edge of Time, presented at Izzy Gallery in Toronto, he has decided to focus on his reputation as a pioneer in the field of light art. —Marie-Ève Venne
Dean Levin, Age: 26
From JohAnnesBUrg, soUth AFricA. BAsed in new YorK citY He is the new kid on the block that everyone is talking about. Some call him a “future art star,” and many of his painting were sold on the primary market for around $10,000. With his background in architecture and influences from his costal life, you can almost feel the beach behind each of Levin’s abstract works, which explore three-dimensionality. The graduate of the Pratt Institute of Architecture doesn’t hesitate to mix organic materials with aluminium structures and pair them with canvases of oil and pigment. Coming from an artistic family—his mom was a fashion designer—it is no surprise that he rose so quickly into the spotlight of contemporary art. At a recent show at Marianne Boesky Gallery, his works sold for up to $24,000, and there is already a waiting list for his future pieces. Counting many a-list names, like Leonardo DiCaprio, as clients, the artist is definitely one to watch. —Marie-Ève Venne
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
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Day
Dreaming Some thingS are better left to the imagination.
Photography: Donat Fashion Editor: Jenn Finkelstein at Folio
Bodysuit LOU LINGERIE.
This page : Top BALMAIN. Opposite page : Panties LA PERLA.
Her
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
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This page: Bodysuit LOU LINGERIE. Top NOUR HammOUR. Opposite page: Bodysuit LOU LINGERIE.
Photography: DONat. Fashion Editor: JENN FINkELstEIN at Folio. model: aLEx stERG at Folio.
Her
All Article photos Are © copyright 2015 rocket rAlly rAcing - by phil ericksen.
The World of rally Cars
An Interview with Champion Antoine L’Estage Rally caR Racing is a high-stakes, fast-paced spoRt. dRiveRs and co-dRiveRs must navigate thRough some of the most difficult obstacles and teRRains imaginable—sometimes in the fReezing cold and snow, otheR times in the blisteRing heat. dtk had a chance to speak with antoine l’estage, a seven-time canadian Rally champion and dRiveR foR the subaRu Rally team,to find out moRe about this exciting motoRspoRt. By Riccardo Tucci
Antoine recently earned his 50th national win, a huge milestone for any athlete. He told DTK that this win was, “Something special. I’ve been doing rallies for a long time because my dad was doing them. I was just a kid, but back then, winning a national event was something special, let alone winning a championship.” While he’s proud of how far he has come, Antoine maintains that this is still just the beginning of his career: “When I look back and I think about what I’ve done so far, it’s pretty cool! Maybe it’s something I’ll look back at when I’m old and in my rocking chair, but for now I’m just trying to keep winning and keep going.” Moving on to this year’s competition, Antoine and his co-driver Alan Ockwell, who is responsible for navigating Antoine through the gruelling obstacle courses, claimed first place at the Rally Perce-Neige. We asked Antoine how he likes driving with all that
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snow and ice. He replied, “It’s always fun! We do this rally every year because it’s the first round of the Canadian Rally Championships. We expect these conditions. It gets very snowy, icy, and cold, but it’s a rally that I really like. I’ve won it seven times now.” Being a Quebec native, Antoine is no stranger to the harsh conditions of winter driving: “I’ve always been very comfortable on snow and ice, maybe it’s because I’m from Quebec. Five months a year, we have to drive on snow and ice, and that’s where I first learned to drive a car side-ways and to manage the balance and the breaking.” All that hard work has paid off in the end, earning Antoine his first win as a member of Subaru’s team: “It was a great win because it was my first event with the Subaru Rally Team Canada. It was
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Cars
“It’s just such a great car, very well balanced. The 4-wheel drive system works really well, so you don’t have to worry about certain things, and it has great traction. I can really concentrate on driving as hard as I can without the worry.” And, although Subaru builds robust cars, Antoine’s Subaru is specifically designed for rally racing and tough terrains. “It’s a very reliable car; since I’ve joined the team we never had any problems during an event. The whole car is a very good package, and even though the car is modified to compete in rallies, we start with such a good base model. Japanese engineers designed the STI with racing in mind, and it really shows in the performance. There are a bunch of standard parts on the car that are all really solid; they take a beating and they just don’t give up.” a bit of a last minute thing for everybody involved because they needed to prep a new car after what happened to it at the end of the previous season. I had very little testing in it, but it was great to drive the car, get the feel for it right away, and win the rally. It was a very good start to the season.”
A couple of days before speaking with me, Antoine competed at the Rally Défi, but his performance was cut short due to some fuel difficulties. Unable to continue the race, he told me, “We had a very good push and we were in the lead with 1 minute and 18 seconds, until we started having some fuel pressure problems.”
After winning their first rally of the year, Antoine and Alan prepared for the next challenge at Rally Baie Des Chaleurs. This time around, the terrain and temperature were quite different from the snow and ice of Perce-Neige. It was not an easy win says Antoine. “It was the first time I was really competing at a rally on gravel with this new car. It was still a big learning process. We had some testing prior to the event, so I was better prepared than I was for Perce-Neige. We pushed hard and it was a great win, but it was very tough and hot, and the rally conditions were tricky. The car performed amazingly, and it was amazing to take the lead in a championship.”
Despite this unfortunate event, he was a good sport about it; “These things do happen. It’s a motorsport, and we’re playing with a lot of mechanical parts. It’s just disappointing because it’s out of my control, and I really felt that a big part of the job was done. We just needed to cruise to the finish, but hey, we’ll regroup and look forward to the next two events out west in B.C.”
Given that rally car racing is such a challenging and demanding sport, I asked Antoine if he has any pre-race rituals to keep him sharp and prepared for the competition. “Yes, I do,” he said. “People don’t often see it but there is a lot of preparation before an event. Once we know where the course and the stages will be, we look at previous years’ schedules because a good percentage of the roads that they’ll be using this year would have been used in previous ones.” I was beginning to understand just how much work Antoine and Alan put into their craft. Rally racing is as much about preparation and planning as it is about skill and perseverance. It doesn’t stop there though, Antoine analyzes everything he can; “We look at the in-car footage from those events, and I’ll spend a lot of time in front of the computer watching these videos to familiarize myself with the roads and each of the rallies. When I get to the rally, I have a sense of where I’m going. It’s like I’m already in it, and it pays off.” While preparation is vital to Antoine’s victories, I was curious about the car that makes it all possible: the Subaru WRX STI. He was more than happy to speak about his favourite features.
Like all true champions, this loss would not stop Antoine and his co-driver Alan from competing and winning their upcoming rally races. “These are two rallies that I really like and that I have won many times before, so we’re looking forward to trying to win them again. The Subaru Rally Team is still leading the championships in multiple divisions: the drivers, co-drivers, and manufactures championship. So, we’re still in a very good position.” I wondered if Antoine, as a seven-time Canadian Rally Racing champion, had any hidden secrets or tips that helped him reach this level of success. He laughed and humbly replied, “I’m fortunate enough to have good talent to start with, and I understand the sport really well. I have a lot of experience now, but I also work hard. I’m not the kind of guy that just sits on his skill. I think it’s a combination of hard work, skill, and a good team around me.” Antoine understands that part of his success lies in the hands of the people he has surrounded himself with. He said, “I really like the team I’m working with. They’re a good group of guys, and Subaru’s cars are just fantastic.” As for his career, Antoine promises that this is only the beginning: “I’m really looking forward to some great years in the near future. My motivation is still very high. I like to win because there’s no other option for me. When I go to a rally, I’m there to win championships, and that’s what I’ll try to do for Subaru.”
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
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Fitness
The noble arT according to Staiv gentiS
In recent years, boxIng regaIned Its prestIge. Far beyond the vIolence to whIch It Is assocIated, boxIng Is a truly hIgh-level sport that requIres dIscIplIne and rIgour. For staIv gentIs, personal traIner oF several FashIon personalItIes In parIs—IncludIng rIccardo tIscI, the creatIve dIrector oF gIvenchy; Marc Jacobs; and MIchele laMy, rIck owens’wIFe and Muse—boxIng Is alMost By Stéphane Le Duc a spIrItual act. “Thanks to sports, I got to know myself better and understand who I am. My teenage years were troubled, and I rejected authority and education. What drew me to boxing is its philosophical aspect: all the fears and doubts that can be faced in combat. Regular practice of boxing has contributed to my personal growth.” Training has certainly helped him gain the trust of fashion designers. "Marc Jacobs' expectations are primarily aesthetic, as he uses his body in his work, as seen in the representation of his fragrance. On a more intimate and profound note, we realize that it’s also about his search for balance and well-being. Hence, the importance of training before he goes to the office, as a way of getting things settled and well organized. For people who work in the fashion industry, like Riccardo Tisci, it is, naturall,y a search for aesthetics. But, over time, you realize that it's much deeper than that." If sports are essential in Staiv Gentis’ life, acting and cinema became his passions. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris and is currently completing training in Los Angeles at the legendary Actors Studio. "Boxing brings me the power and presence I need when I’m facing physical challenges while acting. My state of mind before a boxing match, or when I go on stage or am facing the camera, requires concentration. I’ve learned through selflessness, determination, and perseverance that it can take months and thousands of repetitions before getting the right punch. As an actor, I will use everything I've learned as a trainer, because training is a magnificent study of the human."
Staiv gentiS' Workout routine PisTol squaT TracTion PronaTion handsTand Push-uPs
Each exercise should be repeated in sets of 6 repetitions, to a maximum number of repetitions that can be practiced and maintained optimally, knowing that recovery time is only 25 seconds between each
set. The goal is not to be “drained” after each session, but to get basic weight training and a steady increase of performance. I recommend this routine 4 to 6 times a week as a complement to another sport practice. My
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
dear friend Jules Davio, who is also an athlete and personal trainer, developed this technique. I combine it every day with my boxing or dance sessions, because it’s at most a twenty-minute routine.
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Hot Spots
A Cut Above the Rest:
Best steakhouses in Canada
Enjoying a dElicious stEak with a glass of winE is onE of thE simplEst plEasurEs lifE can offEr.to hElp you Enjoy this palatablE ExpEriEncE, dtk looks at somE of thE most rEnownEd stEakhousEs in canada that offEr only thE finEst cuts of mEat. By Riccardo Tucci
Moishes
3961 Boulevard S aint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec Founded in 1938, Moishes is a Montreal landmark and one of the most reputable steakhouses in the country and the world. Moishes is located in Montreal’s Plateau area, and has a classy ambience with its dark brick walls, chandeliers, and celebrity photos, which are elegantly displayed throughout the dining space. A family owned business to this day, Moishes takes pride in serving the finest 45-day dry-aged beef—from rib-eye to sirloin to porterhouse. Their wine selection is also superb and full of variety, serving up both new world and old world flavours.
Must-Try Dishes: The most tender of all cuts, Moishes' filet mignon, will melt in your mouth. Enjoy the filet mignon with a stuffed Monte-Carlo baked potato and vegetables.
CHARCUT Roast House
101 899th Centre Street SW, Calgary, Alberta
Must-Try Dishes: The 7 oz. Chimichurri Butcher Steak, with wild arugula and pesto sauce, is tender and full of flavour. And, the Duck Fat Fried poutine with Truffle Oil is sure to please lovers of this classic Québécois dish.
CHARCUT is a charming rustic-chic steakhouse in downtown Calgary. Since opening its doors in 2010, the restaurant has enjoyed critical acclaim from the community and food critics alike. Chefs and co-owners John Jackson and Connie Desousa (Top Chef Canada finalist) share an array of accolades, including the top Canadian independent restaurateurs award by FoodService and Hospitality magazine. CHARCUT’s menu consists of, “local chef-driven cuisine, with Italian and Country French accents.”
Hy’s Steakhouse Encore
637 Hornby, Vancouver, British Columbia As one of Vancouver’s oldest steakhouses, Hy’s Encore has been delivering exceptional cuisine and service for over 50 years. From the outside, Hy’s looks out of place with all the sprawling skyscrapers surrounding it, but on the inside, it’s elegant and timeless. The dining room is dim-lit, surrounded by dark wood panels and with an ornate bar serving up the finest drinks. There are no windows; instead, the walls are lined with portraits of historical figures. On the menu are classic cuts like New York strip and filet mignon, among others; all are made from prime grade beef aged no less than 28 days.
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Must-Try Dishes: Start off with a French Onion Soup and follow up with the Smoked Atlantic Salmon. For the main course, try the 22 oz. porterhouse Steak. It is the finest cut of meat Hy’s has to offer and will satisfy even the most die-hard carnivores.
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
L IFE CAN BE P E RF E C T
Style
Look sharp Looking sharp doesn't have to be compLicated.We Want you to Look good at aLL times With these must have faLL essentiaLs. minimaL effort required. Photography: Riley Stewart Fashion Editor: Mark John Tripp
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DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Style
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Left page : Parka MICHAEL KORS. Suit BRIONI. Shirt and tie CANALI. Belt ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA. Right page : Turtleneck and pant HERMÈS. Topcoat and shoes HUGO BOSS.
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DIESEL Boots
($325)
WANT LES ESSENTIELS Gloves ($330)
COMME DES GARÇONS Wallet ($165)
ALEXANDER WANG Backpack ($1,150)
RAYBAN
Sunglasses ($215)
JIMMY CHOO Bag ($1750)
HAIDER ACKERMANN Gloves ($1490)
H BY HUDSON Boots ($315)
Style
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Coat and bag MICHAEL KORS. Sweater, shirt and tie BRUNELLO CUCINELLI. Denim RALPH LAUREN.
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Style
Coat HERMÈS. Sweater ETRO. p.62
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Grooming
Grooming steps
hair
step 1 wash
These soothing cleanser wipes effortlessly wipe away impurities and leave you feeling fresh. CLINIQUE FOR MEN Sonic System Deep Cleansing Brush ($95).
skin
step 1 wash This energizing minty shampoo will leave your hair looking squeaky-clean. L'ORÉAL PROFESSIONNEL HOMME Energic Shampoo ($16).
This is the easiest and quickest way to say goodbye to dirt, oil, and any type of skin impurities. Moisten skin, apply cleanser, and gently massage the brush in circular motions on your face. JACK BLACK Pure Clean Daily Facial Cleanser ($23).
step 2 style
step 2 shave
This long lasting clay leaves you with the perfect hold and matte finish. L'ORÉAL PROFESSIONNEL HOMME Clay ($18).
When aesthetics and functionality come together, we are very happy campers. This razor is as efficient as it is beautiful. BOLIN WEBB r1 argent razor ($80)
step 3 Moisturize For those days when you’re feeling extra tired, this eye cream will conceal all of your sins. MÈREADESSO All-In-One Moisturizer
Apply a dollop of this product to your hair for an ultra defined, sleek look. KÉRASTASE Ultra Fixing Densifying Gel ($36).
($120)
This hardworking moisturizer does everything in one step. It is a serum, primer, eye cream, and moisturizer. OLE HENRIKSEN Fresh Start Eye Cream ($48)
Perfume
2
3
1
5 6 4
Final Touch
Seduce through the power of Scent. An exploSion of pASSion And deSire reveAlS itSelf upon eAch Spritz of thiS SeASon’S greAteSt perfumeS. By Bianca Taylor
1. MUGLER Les Exceptions Cuir Impertinent, Eau de Parfum ($185 for 80 mL). 2. HUGO BOSS Boss The Scent, Eau de Toilette ($78 for 50 mL). 3. VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Collection Extraordinaire Precious Oud ($205 for 75 mL). 4. AZZARO POUR HOMME Intense, Eau de Parfum ($93 for 100 mL). 5. CALVIN KLEIN Eternity Now, Eau de Parfum ($98 for 100 mL). 6. GIORGIO ARMANI Acqua di Gio Profumo ($109 for 75 mL). 7. YVES SAINT LAURENT La Nuit de L’Homme Intense ($85 for 60 mL).
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Perfume Jacket MICHAEL KORS. Turtleneck and pant TOM FORD. Shoes HUGO BOSS. Photography: RILEy STEwART. Fashion Editor: MARK JOHn TRIpp. Grooming: RICHARD J using MAC CosmEtiCs. Hair Care: KEvIn MURpHy. model: MICHAEL R at ELMER OLSEn MODEL MAnAGEMEnT. Assistant: JAMES REIGER.
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Style
Photography Robin Westfield Grooming Alexia Baillargeon
all for one
and one for all How could tHree young men from a small city in Quebec—lovers of ski and novices in fasHion—find tHemselves creating gloves for an international market? tHat is tHe story of laurent veilleux, alex lesage, and francis rudman, creators of bretHren. it is witH determination, creativity, and audacity tHat tHey conQuer tHe fasHion world—one client at a time. By Stéphane Le Duc p.66
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Style
“Brethren” is an archaic word that signifies fraternity, a communal spirit, and religion; this is what defines these three creators, for whom ambition seems to have no limits. Friends since adolescence, they share the same hobbies, sports, and artistic tastes. It was very early on that they decided to create a joint project that would give them the opportunity to explore new horizons and push the boundaries of fashion. With smiles across their faces, the trio remembers the birth of Brethren: “It was in 2012, after several exploratory projects, that we finally arrived at the idea of creating gloves—models that would be dream-worthy. It was a project that allowed us to move forward and preserve the synergy that is our strength. We knew that with hard work we would arrive.” It was only two years later that the project materialized; there is a big step to be taken between an idea and its delivery. Laurent Veuilleux explains, “We realized that if we really wanted to develop our ideas, we had to call upon the best artisans. We had to do a lot of research on suppliers, on the luxury market, and on designers.” Through such research, they found one of the last glovemakers around: Mary Beyer. Found in the centre of France, more specifically in Millau, Beyer heads the historical house of Lavabre Cadet, which specializes in tailoring handmade gloves. Despite their young age and lack of experience, they succeeded in convincing Beyer to collaborate on the design of their gloves. “She liked our passion and our respect for artisanal work. She also liked our idea of creating gloves for the men’s market that were high-end, but that could also attract a streetwear clientele.”
Brethren’s creations resemble works of art. It is for this reason that they find themselves at galleries, jewellers, and places as exclusive as Some/ things in Paris, a conceptual space that oscillates between boutique and art gallery. “At the moment, our goal is to gain visibility, to make our brand known, and to work on collaborative projects. We want to have creations that set us apart, that are visually interesting, that are being talked about. Getting established in fashion requires time.” It is with this audacious approach that they think through each aspect of a glove’s cut and form. Brethren faces these challenges with the confidence needed to carve out a space for themselves in the international scene. “When we released the project into the world the goal wasn’t to stop after two years—even if it was difficult. Our strength is being able to look far into the future and to overcome the most difficult steps in order to one day attain the goal that we set for ourselves. We won’t stop until we achieve a certain amount of recognition and, above all, harness our maximum creativity.” www.brethrenofficial.com
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
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Looking to the Future An IntervIew wIth Peter SImonS By Riccardo Tucci
Business
For over 175 years, La Maison siMons has been a stapLe in Canadian and QuebeC Fashion and CuLture. as a FaMiLy owned business, siMons vaLues its CustoMers and Lineage by designing visuaLLy striking spaCes that house CountLess QuaLity brands, inCLuding their own.to Learn More about the CoMpany’s uniQue tie to Canadian and QuebeC CuLture, i spoke to president and Ceo peter siMons about his visions, his vaLues, and what it Means to Create soMething beautiFuL.
2-week voyages and a major commitment. Having partners in Europe who were responsible for things like purchasing gave us an outward looking perspective; we had broad horizons. That sort of history has defined us and allowed us to see beyond our smaller community and really try to set our standards against a global backdrop. I consider Simons a small organization. In Quebec, you might not say that we’re small, but on a global scale we are a tiny company battling against giants. It affects the value of our organization and how my brother Richard and I approach the project of the company; we want to have something we’re proud of. As a family business with this sort of longevity, you do have a deeper sense of your role in the community. I have an appreciation for what I like to call “social licence.” When operating in a place that has supported you for so long, you’re not just anyone coming here to do business; you’re a member of the community. That really makes you question your decisions and how you participate. It adds a whole new dimension to the business.
Simons has been a family business since it was founded in 1840. How has this shaped the culture and the development of the company? Being a family business means your name is on the door; I think that brings a longer-term perspective to the company. It makes us think more profoundly about the values of the organization and on building a company that we’re proud of, as opposed to one that’s simply based on the next quarter of financial results. Five generations of operating within the family and company lore installs a certain DNA into Simons. From our start in 1840, I would say, in all modesty, that we are a very outward looking company. My great-great-grandfather travelled across the Atlantic by ship 72 times in his life to do buying in Europe. I’m not saying he’s Samuel De Champlain, but these were
Simons is in the midst of a major expansion across Canada. What prompted this decision to branch out of Quebec? It’s always been about customer service and our ability to do the projects we want to do. I felt we had to be a little bit bigger to do some of the projects that we were getting excited about, and that often meant collaborating with different designers on special capsules and working with new creative resources. We have a huge team of buyers who travel all over the world and they’re coming back with a lot of great ideas that are fun and interesting, but we just needed to be a little bigger to be able to execute them. I thought we needed to branch out to be able to work on the projects we wanted to, and also to make our assortment unique and to work with the right people. I’m hoping that there will be more and more of appreciation for a Canadian organization that has Canadian values in the national landscape. There aren't many left. There’s Roots, and there’s a lot of good companies out there. I’m not denying it. But, a lot of them have thrown themselves into the public sphere or have sold themselves to Americans and become American companies. I thought there was a place for a Canadian company that understands Canadian values—when I say Canadian I also include Quebec values—a little more authentically.
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Business
Simons carries the biggest names in luxury, but it also has in-house brands like Le 31, Djab, and Twik. What inspired their creation and how have they contributed to the company’s identity? Our brand architecture has evolved over the years. Our organization resides between the need for continuous change in fashion and creativity and, as a family business, the need to hold on to what’s constant, what we’re not ready to sacrifice to creativity. These are more fundamental and philosophical values that I believe are timeless. It’s never fashionable to treat someone with disrespect, so we’ve created these fashion sub brands—be it Djab, Twik, or Contemporaine—that allow us to really focus on specific customers within our stores. We try to define the Simons brand on values that don’t change. It might sound institutional or like an old way of thinking, but respect, class, and refinement are never out of fashion. The idea evolved back in the 50s and 60s, but we’ve really refined the sub brands to allow us to address this tension between what’s constantly changing in our lives and what shouldn’t be changing. That has really been the raison d’être of our sub brands. Simons’ retail spaces are beautifully designed; they’re modern and artistic, and each location is unique. How important is this philosophy of great art and design to Simons’ success? It’s been a part of our DNA for a little while now. We’ve all followed the democratization of design and its importance over the last 40 years. It has been in our corporate culture since the 60s really. We have always believed in the role of interior design and architecture, not only in its ability to create an experience, but also in its social value for creating beauty and in its responsibility in the urban space. Customers have always been much more open and responsive to design than we thought, but today we live in an era where there is a tax on beauty. Cities are financially strained, and they haven’t really addressed the new economy and the implications of it. This stress and transition period has regrettably led to a massive tax on creating beautiful things. We remain committed to beautiful spaces and to creating unique environments. I’m hoping customers appreciate them because we could have rolled out the same store across the country like many companies still do. We’re going to watch the evolution of our social environment with technology and the pressure it’s putting on cities. I’m hoping we’re going to address this issue of what I call the tax on beauty, because cities are on the road to creating a lot of dense and ugly low-cost buildings. It’s funny how stuff can affect you subconsciously. Over the years, I’ve been in search of the perfect store. I’m 50 now, and I have built quite a few of them, so I don’t know if I will ever build one that I think is perfect. Sometimes people don’t say it, but I realize that they’re comfortable in the space, and they don’t know why exactly, but it’s an ensemble of factors. I’m an optimist. I believe that people are sensitive to beautiful spaces and will become even more appreciative of our commitment to creating these environments.
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How does Simons stay ahead in such a competitive market? What is the company doing to appeal to the 21st century shopper? We’re pouring a huge amount of resources into our technological developments, from our website to our mobile applications. We’re at a point where we’ve built an infrastructure that we can transplant into the store. I think that the combination of a beautiful environment with this layer of technology will refine our ability to deliver outstanding service in the coming years. I’m not as excited about web-based technology as a sales channel as much as I am about its ability to service, inform, and entertain our customers in a new way. The future for us is there. This new platform allows us to not only provide great service, but also to educate and communicate about the things that we’re doing or that other creative people are doing. I’m really excited about getting this new generation of tools into the hands of all the teams that work in our stores. I want customers to see the web as a tool that they have on their phones and that our staff members have in their hands at every moment, giving them access to the right information and the best service. Technology has to be useful to people. I’m still a very big believer in two people meeting in a quality space—one requiring help and the other, with a genuine heart, having the pleasure of helping him or her. It’s a social reality that you just can’t drift away from too much. You’re a proud Canadian who’s given back to Canadians. In 2007, you donated the Tourny fountain to Quebec for its 400th birthday. In what other ways is Simons giving back to the community? There’s always so much to do. We have a set of values in Canada, and we are working to define and build a society around these values. It’s a country with a long history of trying to accommodate very rich cultures; it’s a beautiful, messy country we live in. We have our spats, but it’s a good marriage, and I think we’re working at it. There’s a lot of need out there, today more than ever. So, you have to choose where to place yourself. We’ve been working with the symphony orchestra in Quebec, and we have done some projects with the Art Gallery of Alberta. We try to do as much as we can. My regret, as a private company in expansion, is that we are under a lot of pressure financially. Right now, I’m hoping we can get ourselves through this expansion, so we could do more for the community, but we continue to support the arts. Just this week in Quebec City we teamed up with the Lise Watier foundation for an event, which I think was a big success; all proceeds went to women’s shelters and to the YWCA. We’re looking around for things we think are meaningful, and we’re trying to do the most we can. We tend not to focus on what we’ve done, but on what we could do. We’re going to continue to support the arts and different causes in the community where our stores are located. It’s a dream to think that we will live in a utopian society, but if you lose the dream you lose your heart. You got to keep dreaming and striving to make the world a better place.
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MARCHING TO A DIFFERENT BEAT Didier Guillon & La Maison Valmont
The ValmonT Group rooTs all The way back To 1905. IT orIGInally beGan as a clInIc dedIcaTed To healTh and wellness and expanded InTo The world of cosmeTIcs In The 1980s. In 1996, a parTnershIp ThaT was obVIously bound for success (we lIke To ThInk of IT as some sorT of majesTIc sTellar collIsIon) occurred when dIdIer GuIllon became sole owner of The brand. hIs wIfe sophIe Vann-GuIllon laTer joIned hIm In 2000. By Bianca Taylor Today, La Maison Valmont—which includes skincare brand Valmont, Elixir de Glacier, Il Provfomo and Art Edition—is a brand that stands at the apex of passion and innovation. What makes the house so interesting is that each of its projects (ranging from skincare to perfume to curating art exhibitions) does not stand alone; they morph, expand, and interact with each other. The brand is a living, growing, and pulsing organism that is extremely sensitive to external stimuli. Didier and Sophie Guillon abide by the following motto: “Brands can no longer be self-centered. They must build bridges toward other universes, draw connections with other types of influential trends, and become one with the spirit of their time.”
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Mr. Guillon holds the reigns of visual identity, packaging, website formation, and concept and design for La Maison Valmont’s spas. On a picturesque September afternoon in a palazzo in Venice, I got the chance to chat with the man who firmly supports a multidisciplinary business approach. I began to understand the reasons behind his alternative point of view. “My initial dream was to be an artist but my parents said, ‘An artist? Are you dreaming? You have to work!’ All I wanted was to be an artist but they pushed me to study law,” he says as a smirk spreads across his face. He laughs and continues, “So, I said to myself that at a certain age, I would use what I wanted to do when I was younger to make me happy. I said I would start by doing the communication for Valmont on my own. My first objective when I decided not to work with an advertising agency was to do something very different from the competitors. I took the advertisements of the biggest cosmetic brands and I put them side-by-side. I saw that there was absolutely no difference between them. My initial idea was to not connect the image with the product.” This has resulted in a handful of interesting and engaging visuals for La Maison Valmont. You can see the influence from a variety of influential artists—from Gaudi to Roy Lichtenstein to Sol LeWitt—in the brand’s communications. In 2005, an Andy Warhol inspired image for their Renewing Pack was the image of choice. The visual features four framed images including four different coloured Swarovski crystals with a diamond encrusted “Glow” written out in each frame. It playfully calls to mind some of the most famous and renowned pop art images of the 21st century. “We are not going to use aggressive images. I have to find an image that connects with the notion of beauty without being the product itself. The idea is always to be a little bit offbeat. How can we create a brand’s DNA if we don’t do anything different?” says Guillon.
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Different, indeed. Mr. Guillon’s alternative view is driven by his passion for the arts. He is enthralled by art and feverishly supports artists every chance he gets. His passion is apparent in every single aspect of the brand—from communication visuals to in-store counters, to spas and treatment rooms, to special projects funded by the house through their “When Art Meets Beauty” program. The house presented an intriguing exhibition, called “The Dialogue of Fire” at this year’s Venice Bienniale. The exhibition, which Didier jointly curated, explores and celebrates artistic mediums constructed through fire: ceramic and glass. The exhibition explores the challenges of using traditional materials in the modern world—at one of the biggest contemporary art fairs in the world. In two rooms, visitors view alternative ways of using glass as a fresh, contemporary material. Judi Harvest’s lifelike, colourful Murano pillows make a strong case for the revival of this historical craft.
exhibition of nine artworks by nine contemporary artists—Joan Gardi Artigas, Yves Belorgey, Quentin Garel, Didier himself, and more—to be showcased throughout the V35 network (selected luxury spa partners). The collection featured a range of different mediums: sculpture, painting, drawing, glasswork, metalwork, ceramics, and photography. Additionally, five pieces of art have traveled the world to prestigious Valmont spas since 2008. I try to place all these projects in my mind and ask Didier what’s next for the brand. He thinks, and says, “We will continue to renew ourselves and be sure to not use the classic way of communication.”
La Maison Valmont directly participates in the elevation of the art of Murnao by designing a limited edition glass bottle for their prestigious perfume brand, Il Profvmo, every year. With the Murano Edition, Didier Guillon celebrates the art of Venetian glassmaking and helps spread the word about this struggling art form. This year’s bottle is cube-shaped with a round stopper decorated with organic blobs of red, yellow, blue, white, and black hues. Only thirty pieces were created (they sold out quickly) and one is on display at this year’s Venice Bienniale. While the house immerses itself in art through their modes of communication, visual packaging, and funding of the arts, their commercials are also filled to the brim with art. The Guillons use their spas as a stage to present artworks that they love. For their thirtieth anniversary, La Maison Valmont curated an
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NEOIST INSURGENT
Istvan Kantor aka Monty Cantsin Interviewed by Daniel Baird
When I first met Hungarian born, New York and Toronto based artist Istvan Kantor aka Monty Cantsin over a decade ago, he was embroiled in the elaborately produced videos and theatrical performances of his now legendary Machine Sex Action Group. These works, which at once proposed an aggressive critique of the alienation created by a hyper-consumerist, corporate surveillance culture and the liberating potential of sexuality, involved scores of performers, often ensnared in wires, writhing and convulsing, as well as robotic filing cabinets and jarring sound environments. When Kantor won the Governor General’s Award in 2004, I wrote the catalogue for his show at the National
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Gallery of Canada, as well as a profile in Canadian Art and an extensive interview in The Brooklyn Rail, a New York based magazine of art, politics, and culture. In the ensuing years Kantor toured Japan, had residencies in Indonesia and Berlin, and mounted major exhibitions in Estonia, Poland, and New York, not to mention his constant stream of performances, installations, interventions, music, and a variety of art objects produced in Toronto. Kantor himself looks like a work of art. He wears revolutionary style outfits, a red armband, military hats, and dark glasses. As a young student and insurgent, Kantor defected from Budapest to Paris in 1976 where he got political refugee status. About
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About a year later, he immigrated to Montreal. There, in a completely new environment, he initiated the Neoist Conspiracy in 1979. He is best known as Monty Cantsin, the open-pop-star icon of Neoism. Last year, Kantor/Cantsin found himself teaching and making art in China and Inner Mongolia. I caught up with him recently in his studio in Toronto, where he is preparing for another trip to China. Your trip to China and Inner Mongolia seemed especially productive for you, in part because your Hungarian ancestors probably originated from that part of the world. How did that trip come about? I had met the Chinese-German performance artist Cai Qing on a previous trip to Asia, and he interviewed me for a book he published on performance art. Performance art is relatively new to China, but it is becoming increasingly popular and important there, so the book did extremely well in universities. Cai Qing arranged for me to come to China and participate in perfor-
mance art events in both China and Inner Mongolia, to teach at the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts in Wuhan, and to meet many of the local artists, including Ai Weiwei in Beijing. I met with Ai Weiwei for an afternoon, and it turned out we had mutual friends, since we both lived in New York in the 1980s. I wanted to undertake a project I called Blood China in which I mixed my blood in the Yangtse and Yellow Rivers, the cradle of Chinese civilization. But one of the students in the academy misunderstood what I was doing and reported me to the authorities, so I had to meet with the authorities and promise not to carry out the action in the Yangtse River. I ended up just flushing my blood down the toilet in the hope that it would make it to the rivers, and I carried out the performance itself in secret. Also, in collaboration with Cai Qing, I started a new project called Roots, in which I left my blood in vials at the 99 Museum in Beijing for them to disperse drop by drop across China; my blood is now literally becoming part of the land. The big idea
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On Katrina: Necklace BIRKS. Coat CHANEL. On Monty: Tuxedo WAXMAN. p.78
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istvan’s world
Edward Gajdel
the "Year of sex 1986", mixed media painting with blood-x mark, 1985, produced during a live painting show at Foufoune, in Montreal © istvan Kantor
Edward Gajdel
Edward Gajdel
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Police arrest © Antoine S Lutens, Aug 20, 2014
Jeff Koons intervention piece "Supreme Gift" at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City
White Water Gallery in North Bay, Ontario, oct, 2013, during the installation of "Rebel" exhibition © Clayton Windatt
During exhibition "Inventory" at The Theater Centre's Pop Up Gallery in Toronto © Melissa Eluik, aug/2013
De Leon White Gallery, 2007, Toronto © Dean Goodwin With Nina Arsenault, transgender actor/ muse/model © Dean Goodwin
Lexi Sanfino, at Bovine Sexclub, sep/2012, in Toronto, during a party by filmmaker Bruce Labruce © Dean Goodwin
Party by filmmaker Bruce Labruce © Dean Goodwin
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here is that the dispersion of the whole body—DNA, identity, everything—is a way of reclaiming history. The Chinese experience was really inspiring to me, and now that I am going back, I hope to be able to pursue other projects and collaborate with local artists. The symbolic blood X you did at the Jeff Koons retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art got an enormous amount of attention in the press—you were in The New York Times, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, and numerous other publications— and in a way it reminded people of your long history in the New York art world, dating back to the Lower East Side scene of the 1980s. On August 20, 2014, early in the afternoon, I did an intervention at the Jeff Koons retrospective at the Whitney Museum. I’ve done interventions of this kind in which I put a blood X on the museum wall. I’ve done it many times over the years, since 1979. The Jeff Koons show was a big retrospective at an institution that has helped turn artists’ works into amazing amounts of money. I thought this was a good statement, and a way of raising questions, because it exposes the way that the corporate art mafia alienates art from people. Today museums are prisons. The supreme measure of art is money. Personally, I have nothing against Jeff Koons; he has a sense of humour and I like his early work, but what I object to is the corporate takeover of the art world. I put the X behind one of his most famous works, his silver bunny sculpture, and I had photographers and video people document the action—fortunately they were not arrested. Since I did not cause any damage to the art, the museum just had the police take me to a mental asylum. I went in an ambulance with a police escort passing through red lights! The nurse who came with me kept asking things like, “Do you want to kill Jeff Koons?” and “Do you want to blow up the Whitney?” I said I only want to brainwash Jeff Koons and turn him into Monty Cantsin. And, no, I don’t want to blow up the Whitney, I would like to burn it down; I prefer fire. At the hospital, I explained who I was and what I was doing, but, at first, the doctors did not believe me. I told them that I went to medical university and that I was a paramedic nurse; I know how to take blood from my arm. The more I told them about my life, my activities, and myself, the more they believed that I was a lunatic. But, then they looked me up on
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the Internet and called my ex-wife and one of my grown up children. The doctors ended up giving me a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder and told me I could stay if I wanted to. I laughed the entire walk back to the Lower East Side; what artist doesn’t have a narcissistic personality? I spent a lot of time this summer wandering around Toronto, and I kept finding mattresses with “Monty Cantsin” scrawled on them. Could you tell me about this project? If you would have wandered in New York, you could have seen the same landscape. I call it “The Mattress Crime Project.” It actually started when I defaced a mattress in a gallery in New York. I was at an opening and, as I was leaving, I saw a mattress at the door with the names of artists scribbled all over it. I assumed it was some kind of guest book object, so I took out the black felt marker I always carry with me and signed it “Monty Cantsin.” I was surprised when the
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police arrived, and I ended up spending the night in jail. This time I was arrested for vandalism, graffiti, and for carrying a black marker. I never knew that black markers are considered such dangerous items, almost like weapons. It was completely ridiculous because, since bedbugs started to be common, you can find old mattresses on the street all the time. In fact, it turned out that the artist himself had found the mattress the day before! In a way, I’m glad he turned my interest to the mattress, even though I might have to go to prison if the judge at the Criminal Court of New York City finds me guilty of vandalism. This project is definitely related to graffiti, but I also think of it as a way of turning a common, household furniture object—a mattress—into a hyper-Duchampian work of art signed by Monty Cantsin. It’s actually the Monty Cantsin signature that does the job and turns the mattress into an iconic object of Neoism. The beauty is that anyone can do it. Anyone can be Monty Cantsin.
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Wild and Free A strong ArmAnd Vaillancourt! Interviewed by Guy Sioui Durand
As a photographic subject, his poses are a mix of beauty, elegance, and audacity. His legendary figure, upright body, and long white hair blowing in the wind proudly carry his sculptural signage across North America, while having Quebec as his anchor. Behind the lens, Armand Vaillancourt is invigorated. His independent “cry” for creativity and his commitment to “doing what he wants to do and must do,” as a cultural worker and sculptural artist, make him today’s most famous artist in Quebec. On the eve of his 86th birthday, Armand Vaillancourt remains wild and free, like automatist poetry, and just as spiritually and physically strong. Life outweighs art. Through his avantgarde vision, this messenger ties artistic creation to the social movements that drive our era. His huge sculptures, made of steel and concrete, his participation in symposiums, his performances, his live murals and paintings as well as his attempts at transmitting an awareness of art to children through the school system, and his political interventions reflect his willingness for social change. He portrays society as a lively, organic material. His vivid and sensitive memories melt with the collective memory of Quebec. We had an evening that could have lasted all night. The fabulous energy behind the innumerable and relentless stories he tells with ease and precision can be overwhelming. Inspired by his
exuberant statements, this article seeks to understand the imaginary world in the mind of the artist. Three recent projects are explored in this interview: the public sculpture La force ouvrière – Hommage à Michel Chartrand, the poetic metamorphosis of his gestural paintings performed at his recent Série noir et blanc, and Sculpture de la honte, which recycles ancient machinery into a participatory piece of art, a claim for greater justice for First Nations women. In doing so, Armand Vaillancourt brings us back to his youth. Growing up on a farm and living his young adult years as a bohemian dictated his life as a “sculptor” of urban, industrial, and machinist society, searching for justice in humanity.
La force ouvrière.
To SCulpT SoCieTy Fall has a distinct energy in Quebec; colours make the leaves magnificent. 2015 was the year of the construction and revealing of one of the most impressive monumental sculptures in the country. Among the big trees in this Longueuil park stands La force ouvrière – Hommage à Michel Chartrand, an hommage to a great syndicalist who dedicated his life to workers' rights and to social justice for the less fortunate. The artist walks through workers carrying tons of metal rods, using machinery to precisely
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“But, where does the energy of this demiurge sculptor, disciple of steel and forge, machinery, and massive constructions come from?” I asked him. His eyes were alight; so were his words. A succession of inexhaustible stories followed. They invariably bring us back to his family childhood on a farm—the communal incubator of his imagination.
Vaillancourt Fountain © Alex Primo
pour concrete, and huge cranes to place twenty enormous steel slabs. He smiles. Who else could have led this project for the past four years? About their affinity, he says: “Michel Chartrand, the syndicalist, and I, Armand Vaillancourt the sculptor, are contemporary. We have a common stance: solidarity. My sculpture refers to labour. When I design, I work in harmony with the construction workers, planning and service facilities, and the union representatives, who ensure social justice for the working class." Vaillancourt describes: "From above, it looks like a flock of large migratory birds. From far, it looks like locked gates that allow the water from the river to pass, controlling the basin level. Erected in a park next to the river, the masterpiece evokes a dock and port equipment. Upon closer look, the space looks surprisingly clear, despite its intense elevation and the strength of its twenty steel slabs. Each slab is 32 feet-long and weighs 24 tons, and is vertically planted into a concrete base, framed by 72,000 kilos of steel metal bars! They look like giant guardians. People will walk through the nooks and crannies of the sculpture, as they did in the ideas advanced by Michel Chartrand. Workers are the strength of it.” From the collision of these two sources of societal energy, comes this monumental piece of art, a signage of individual trajectories—of “labour force,” the battle of all workers—styled into raw material. We clearly understand why this timeless event attracted media, inflamed social networks with articles and videos, and brought back vibrancy to the career of this great syndicalist, and to the evolution of labour struggles in the political context of Quebec society.
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Born in 1929, in Black Lake, a small mining town in the Eastern Townships, Armand Vaillancourt is the 16th child—out of 17!—of a very poor workingclass family. In the turmoil of economic crisis, while mines were closing, the family moved to a farm in 1932. This communal socialisation in the family clan, almost tribe-like, on a farm was determining. This humble environment forged his sense of community life and his values. His everyday life was made up of warm and loving relations with his brothers and sisters, father and mother. From morning to evening, routine labour was filled with events that happened on the land or in the woods. In his fertile imagination, they became magnificent adventures. The seasonal rhythms of this rural life, surrounded by cattle and horses, rural machinery, farm architecture and dirt roads, shape his childhood knowledge, as well as his agile body and physical fitness, which he maintained all his life. These episodes from his rural childhood feed Vaillancourt's imagination and never cease to inspire him. Colourful aCtS, turning anger into love The artist's wild and free expression is not only sculptural. “For the great master of expressionism of raw construction materials, the act of collective creation is more important than the finished product on the “public-stage.” As the reputed historian and art critic Yves Robillard stated, the spirit of his art originates between Armand the abstract painter and Armand the performer. Armand Vaillancourt maintained the spirit of live art that he started with other poets and artists in the sixties with live happenings. This same attitude would then divide itself: on one side, the indomitable creator would contribute to the good reputation of impromptu evenings of painting, performance, and live poetry at bar Les Foufounes Électriques in the
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© Ann Boisvert
« La Force ouvrière » in Construction © Joanne Beaulieu
Tableau gestuel noir sur blanc © Joanne Beaulieu.
« Sculpture de la Honte », is an instillation from The Gatineau Recycl'Art Festival. It is a critique of the government’s lack of action in relation to issues of missing and murdered aboriginal women. © Joanne Beaulieu
Bronze © Joanne Beaulieu
“MiChel Chartrand, the SyndiCaliSt, and i, arMand VaillanCourt the SCulptor, are ConteMporary. We haVe a CoMMon StanCe: Solidarity. " DTK MEN | The ArT issue
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Cover Story
eighties and the nineties. He would also host “festive happenings” in his house/workshop organized by the Université de Foulosophie. On the other side, with his hundreds of interventions at schools helping kids create illustrations and objects, he maintains the vivacious aspect of automatist and performative pictorial production. In particular, through several exhibitions, like On n’a pas de printemps à perdre, at the Galerie Lounge – TD, on Sainte-Catherine Street in 2011. His series of black and white paintings, including big formats that were created in situ in front of audiences, are his true expressions. How can I communicate the emotion as confessed by the long-haired rebel? “I feel the plastic power of those entire black and white painted canvas every time I bring all the tubes of colour paint. The decision comes as a strong act. A great American who once observed me, once said: 'Mister Vaillancourt, you have the gift of channelling anger into abstract forms, creating bursts of love!' I was intrigued.”
Resistance:
unfailing generoSity “Strong,” we said. To his inspiring childhood on a farm we must add an unwavering generosity! His courageous passion for life is filled with political fights. To his implication in the Quebec Sculptor’s Association (Association des sculpteurs du Québec) and the Common Front of Quebec’s Creators (le Front commun des créateurs du Québec), his language bias, and live poetry, we must add his fight to help political prisoners, his commitment to the sovereignty of the people, and his search for social justice in all of its forms. Armand Vaillancourt has been involved with media, art, and donation since the beginning of his career. Regarding his public positions, participation in events, and passionate harangues against oppressors, he says, laughing: “I should have kept my big mouth shut!” His consistent ethical position comes from his “American” teenage years, which were full of travel, living to the “beat generation” rhythm à la Jack Kerouac. When he left the farm, as a young adult after the Second World War, Armand Vaillancourt travelled in North America: “By the time I had arrived in Montreal, I had counteracted my ignorance and accumulated knowledge in social and cultural fields. I went through America and visited factories in each city, as well as museums. I was shocked, amongst other things, to see the unfair treatment of Black
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Americans and Natives by white people.” From valiant knight who defended the Jordi Bonet’s mural, he became a fierce warrior; think of his famous sculpture made of burnt wood, Justice aux Indiens d’Amérique (1957), which caused an uproar, his series of destroyed sculptures/installations Hommage aux Amérindiens (1991), or his various appearances, wearing a bone mask and painted cloth given to him by American Indians during the Montreal First Peoples' Festival. Even during his most demanding jobs, which would eventually reach the construction of La force ouvrière, Armand Vaillancourt found time, material, and a nomadic strategy to bring First Nations issues to the foreground. In parallel to the project in Longueuil, the sculptor was invited to the 2015 summer edition of a unique event in Canada called Recycl’Art in Gatineau/Ottawa. Following his nomadic intuition, Vaillancourt found, at an industrial company, a huge rusted framework from a venerated crane and its separated cabin. Thanks to his formal passion for these heavy industrial machines, he recycled it into a visual and original sculpture. Even if this “thing” weighs hundreds of tons, the large-scale sculptural artist undertakes to have the colossus frame moved from Montreal to Le ruisseau de la Brasserie, Hull District, to become a politically engaged participatory artwork. By naming it Sculpture de la honte, the artist politically—and socially—“recycles” his piece of art. He criticizes the Harper Government's inertia in the cases of thousands of First Nations women missing or violently killed, and supports the recommendations proposed in the recent report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada that regards residential schools as measures of “cultural genocide.” At the end of the event, Vaillancourt produced a collective performance named Paroles de femmes. It was an act of resistance and sincere tribute to the First Nations women of Canada. All of this is Armand Vaillancourt—an unfettered visionary in the landscape of Canadian art.
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Coat CARVEN at LA MAisoN siMoNs. Pants PHiLLiP LiM at LA MAisoN siMoNs. shirt CH at LA MAisoN siMoNs. shoes ARTisT’s oWN. Art Director sylvain Blais. Photography: shayne Laverdière. Fashion Editor Jay Forest. Assistant Fashion Editor Alexandra Poldeska. Grooming Liliane s at Judy iNC. P.97 DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Art
Art Around
The world
Travelling around The world can be abouT more Than lying on The beach while sipping overly sweeT cockTails. For your nexT Trip, we suggesT you Take The arTisTic road and go discover one oF These unique exhibiTions in europe and norTh america. By Marie-Ève Venne
Galerie leroyer
60 Saint Paul West and 2170 de la Montagne, Montreal
Located in the heart of Montreal’s Old Port, Galerie LeRoyer’s mission is to focus on the work of contemporary Canadian and international artists. Founded in 2000 by Brian Brisson, it has been under the direction of Alexandra Conners since 2009. Introducing cutting-edge modern art, this art gallery is the place to visit if you are all about one-of-a-kind artworks that scream authenticity. They are currently featuring the work of renowned Canadian photographer Martin Rondeau and other prestigious names in the industry. Last summer, they hosted an exhibit for Kai McCall, a critically acclaimed figurative painter. Galerie LeRoyer is also showcasing the work of new kid on the block Stikki Peaches, an anonymous satirical artist that is quickly taking over the city, as well as the landscape of Berlin and New York.
New York MoMA
Picasso Sculpture, September 14, 2015- February 7, 2016
This retrospective showcases 140 artworks created by the famous artist over a period of 60 years. It is only the third retrospective ever dedicated to Picasso’s sculptures and is a unique occasion to discover a new side of the painter. During his life, Picasso was very attached to his sculptures, treating them almost like family members. This art medium allowed him to be more adventurous; he was able to approach it with the freedom of a self-taught artist. The MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) is an important destination for every contemporary art enthusiast and is a place you have to visit at least once in your life. The museum is proud to declare that they now own “the most complete collection of Picasso’s sculptures after the museum in Paris.”
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Berlin Berlinische Galerie
Max Beckmann and Berlin, September 20, 2015 – February 15, 2016
In 1924, art historian Julius Meier-Graefe made a statement that perfectly summed up the relationship between Max Beckmann and Berlin: “Max Beckmann is the new Berlin.” This declaration continues to make sense many years later. The exhibition presents the work of the artist through his relation to the city over a period of 30 years. Great admirer of Cézanne and van Gogh, he took figurative painting to a new level by creating a new version of modernism. Hosting this exhibit, the Berlinische Galerie proves, once more, the importance of modern art, photography and architecture originating in Berlin, all while establishing themselves as a must stop for every avant-garde admirer.
San Francisco Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Won Ju Lim: Raycraft is dead, until December 6, 2015
This Los Angeles based artist is fascinated by the relationship between the human being and the territory surrounding him or her on a day-to-day basis. Using the term “psychological aspects of space,” Won Ju Lim works with a variety of media and mixes real and fantastic components. Through her art, she forces the public to rethink their everyday experience of space. She does so by deconstructing the space of her own home. The result is a one of kind exhibition that challenges viewers to recognize what they take for granted. The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts is devoted to making contemporary art accessible. It is a big source of San Francisco cultural pride and a destination of choice for anyone visiting the city of wind.
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Music
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A New Wave From Western Canada
It’s your loss If you only thInk of Western Canada for Its WIde range of rare bIrds and provInCIal parks. WIth a musICal Culture that brought to the forefront names lIke nelly furtado—We knoW you stIll have her Cd someWhere—kId koala, and the neW pornographers,thIs part of the Country Is noW gettIng even more attentIon for Its reCent surge of alternatIve musIC. By Marie-Ève Venne British Columbia born Mac DeMarco is the perfect poster boy for this new wave of rock, which is at the foreground of his musical universe. He is to music what the kitsch movement is to art: an alien that has just the right amount of genius to make it big. With a good old school hippie vibe, the singer plays with his goofy character and delivers funky baselines and relaxed melodies. His lyrics could almost pass for naive, if it weren’t for his more mature songs, like “Without Me” from his new album Another One. What makes DeMarco’s music so distinct is its unique mix of sensitive elements and manic pop accents. You don’t really know what you are listening to; you simply know that you can’t stop listening. In this same strange universe, Edmonton native Calvin Love can pass for DeMarco’s more introverted musical brother. But the comparison ends there. Both may play hip baselines, but Love pays tribute to his name with crooneresque vocals and a more polished studio sound. He has an awkward way of singing, as though in a permanent state of sickly shyness, but he delivers his experimental pop with such honesty that you’ll want to forgive him for the few weakness in his songs. The overall imperfection of Love’s music is what makes it so charming.
Flirting with indie-pop, you will find—also from Edmonton—the duo behind Purity Ring. Many have commented on the “singularity” of their music, but this does not do justice to their particular brand of electro, which is distinguished by vocal loops and a strong intensity in their compositions. Their sound has even been described as “creepy and alluring” by Rolling Stone magazine; this is only strengthened by their dazzling synthesizer effects and sensual lyrics. The formula has worked so well for them that many have tried to copy their style over the past two years. Luckily for them—and for us—Purity Ring’s magnetic music cannot be duplicated. Western Canada’s many summer music festivals are evidence of the location’s importance in the music scene. This year, Pemberton Festival headliners were pretty impressive, with big names such as Kendrick Lamar, Beirut, and Weezer. For its part, Squamish Valley Festival brought to its festivalgoers thrilling performances by Drake, The Kills, and other big players. In fact, many die-hard music fans prefer going to these festivals instead of attending the overcrowded—and overly hipsterish—Coachella and Lollapalooza. With its thriving musical culture, Western Canada is no longer a place to snub.
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Travel
MARFA: The Heart of Modern Art Marfa is a sMall, reMote art town located deep in the chihuahuan desert of western texas. it is nestled 2,000 Miles froM the nearest airport and 60 kM froM the Mexican border. it has a population of under 2,000 people and attracts flocks of Modern art aficionados throughout the year. upon first glance,the picturesque town (think clear blue skies and desert trails) seeMs deceivingly sMall and desolate. abandoned buildings and run down vintage dodge buicks spread across the city, and defunct retailers seeM to fill the space.yet, even this starkness felt staged, even artsy. upon further inspection, i found dozens of art galleries, quirky shops, and quaint restaurants; it becaMe clear that Marfa is one of the Most unique and interesting cities in north aMerica. By Bianca Taylor
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What to see
Ballroom Marfa Located in Marfa’s old ballroom, which dates back to 1927, this restored contemporary art gallery features an array of artistic media: visual art, film, music, and performances. This nonprofit gallery aims to support both emerging and renowned artists by housing projects that have cultural impact. In partnership with Art Production Fund, Ballroom financed Prada Marfa, a permanent sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset that mimics a Prada boutique. It is located off the highway in the middle of the desert and carries pieces (shoes and handbags) from Prada’s 2005 collection. Although it looks like a functioning boutique, its doors do not open. This is a must see in Marfa.
108 E San Antonio St, Marfa, TX 79843, United States.
Chinati Foundation
Judd Foundation
Founded by Donald Judd, this contemporary art museum is located in an old military installation. Many of its large-scale modern art pieces can be found outdoors, resulting in a seamless union of art and nature. The permanent collection holds works by Carl Andre, Roni Horn, Richard Long, Ilya Kabakov, Claes Oldenburg, Choosje van Bruggen, David Rabinowitch and John Wesley. Each artist’s work from the permanent collection is housed in a separate building or outdoor area. Because the grounds are so big the tour is rather lengthy and a lot of time is spent outdoors. Bring a hat and some water.
Some say that American minimalist Donald Judd built the Marfa we know. Judd moved from New York City to Marfa in 1971 to build his large-scale artworks in an area without spatial limitation. Visitors can get tours of Judd’s working spaces and residence in Marfa.
104 Highland St, Marfa, TX 79843, United States.
1 Cavalry Row, Marfa, TX, 79843, United States.
Marfa Lights Just outside of Marfa on Highway 90 lies a roadside Marfa Lights viewing area. Grab a bottle of wine and watch as mysterious orbs (they supposedly come in many different colours: blue, white, yellow, red, etc.) bizarrely dart across the sky. The Marfa Lights have been a mystery since the 19th century. Although some people have created theories to explain the origin of these lights, there exists no scientific explanation (except UFOs, of course). They remain one of the most interesting “unresolved mysteries” to date.
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Travel
where to stay
El Cosmico
El Cosmicos is unlike any other accommodation I’ve ever experienced. In fact, it’s most likely the coolest campground you’ll ever visit. It’s the perfect mix of outdoorsy with a cool, contemporary, urban touch. It’s a communal campground comprised of restored vintage trailers, safari and scout tents, tepees, yurts, and a campsite. It also has an outdoor kitchen and communal bathhouse. My favourite spot was the ultra-relaxing, pictureworthy hammock grove.
Thunderbird Hotel This is the type of place where Sofia Coppola would film a movie. It’s modern, sleek, and cool. The minimalist decorations make this the best motel you’ve ever dreamed of visiting.
601 W San Antonio St, Marfa, TX 79843, United States.
802 S Highland Ave, Marfa, TX 79843, United States.
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where to eat
Food Shark and Late Night Grilled Cheese Parlour & Museum of Electronic Wonders Adam Bork’s Food Shark is a must stop for anyone travelling to Marfa. The fun atmosphere paired with delicious food makes it the ultimate eating experience. You can eat your food in a vintage school bus during the colder months or eat outside in a shared eating spot during the summertime. The marfalafels are a must try. Bork also owns Late Night Grilled Cheese Parlour & Museum of Electronic Wonders, a weekend only spot filled to the brim with vintage electronics.
222 West San Antonio Street / Highway 90, Marfa, TX 79843, United States.
Cochineal Founded by two New Yorkers, this eatery is the space to have a quaint and fancy dinner in Marfa. They grow their own vegetables and use mostly locally sourced ingredients to create their everchanging menu. The outdoor eating area is absolutely charming (think red chairs and tables surrounded by trees adorned in Christmas lights).
107 W San Antonio St, Marfa, TX 79843, United States.
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Business
Steve Deangelo The Angel of Cannabis
We met With the most important figure of the cannabis reform movement;this is the man Who pushed the boundaries of laW to permit the use of medicinal cannabis in the u.s. he is the founder and ceo of harborside health center, a medical cannabis dispensary With branches in oakland and san Jose. When he entered the room at the arcvieW conference held in los angeles, it Was With his tv creW and entourage.this man is highly charismatic, knoWledgeable, and dedicated to seeking Justice for those Who have been severely punished for their cannabis use. he recently published a neW book, the cannabis manifesto, in Which he shares his passion. By KW What are some of the benefits of cannabis use? It’s an incredible plant. It can provide food, fuel, fibre, medicine, and a spiritual connection—all from one plant. Anything that we make out of petroleum, cotton, and timber, can instead be made out of cannabis. Thousands of different consumer products can be made out of cannabis; that is the industrial hemp side of it. On the medicinal side, cannabis is probably the single most important source of medicine on planet earth. It’s effective for a wide range of illnesses and grave illnesses like cancer, Alzheimer, epilepsy, and chronic conditions like anxiety, depression, and insomnia. It’s also effective for what I call “overlooked wellness benefits”: things like extending your sense of patience, waking up your creativity, making you more playful, enhancing the sounds of music or the taste of food or the touch of your lover, opening you to a fuller spiritual experience, or putting you more closely in touch with nature. All of these things are very important to human experience, and cannabis enhances them. It’s really a remarkable substance because it can heal you when you are out of balance and, when you are in balance, it can enhance what’s going on in your life. It has been proven that cannabis can enhance creativity. What role does cannabis play in the art that surrounds us today? You can go back to the earliest document in human history and find an artist using cannabis, because it’s such a great springboard for creativity. Through the ages, poets, musicians, storytellers, actors, painters, and designers have always enjoyed cannabis. Take a look at one of the most important artistic movements in American history: Jazz. The jazz movement was closely associ-
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ated with cannabis. If you take a look at rock music, same story; if you take a look at hip hop, same story. So you start taking a look at some of the most artistic creative trends and you see that there is a close association, and it’s not only in the modern era. There is a very interesting era around the turn of the last century until the mid 20s in Greece when there was a whole hash-smoking scene. People would hang out in cafes and play a kind of music called “rebetiko.” Rebetiko was very much like cannabis music—similar to the way that reggae or jazz is cannabis music. Even Shakespeare is reported to have been a cannabis consumer. Why do you think the authorities are fighting the plant so hard? You could go back in history for thousands of years and find that the powerful elite—whether they are the economic elite, religious elite, or cultural elite—have always feared cannabis. It’s never been about the plant itself or what the plant does; it’s been about the kind of people who use it. Who uses cannabis? Artists, seekers, poets, writers, people who question what’s going on, people who have new perspectives, people who have new ideas, people who were poor! Cannabis can give you a lot very easily. You can plant it almost anywhere and it will give you a house, will give you clothing, will give you food. So, it’s always been a plant that was favoured by marginalized people, people who didn’t have that much money, people who had new and different kinds of idea, seekers of different types. It’s that association with these kinds of people that has always made cannabis the enemy of power, the enemy of the elite.
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I sell aBout two thousand CannaBIs plants every day, and I have for the last nIne years. DTK MEN | The ArT issue
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to get things done. One of the main reasons that the cannabis reform is moving as rapidly at it is now, is because the smartest generation is getting involved in the movement. That is really what inspired me. Knowing that behind us is a generation probably a lot more capable than we are of taking on the world’s problems. What does a day in the life of Steve DeAngelo look like? It looks like a lot of different things. You might see me going up to Sacramento to the Californian legislator and meeting with lawmakers, talking about new regulations, discussing how to improve old legislation. You might see me going to a sales meeting at Harborside and talking to my manager and hearing reports from them on what’s going on in the business and me giving them a certain amount of guidance. You might see me in meetings with the parents of children who are severely ill and talking to them about ways we can get more help for their children. I might be in an airplane going to a conference, like the ArcView conference or a marijuana conference. I wear a lot of different hats. I’m an activist; I’m a business owner; I’m a public figure; I have been on TV shows...
What is the worldwide opinion of cannabis? The cannabis reform movement is global; it’s happening everywhere around the world. I have received tweets from people who were on a small little island in the middle of the Pacific, in China, in Japan, from Iceland, from every part of the world that you can imagine. The reform movement is a global phenomenon. In a large part of Europe, personal possession of cannabis is not quite legal, but it’s not terribly harshly punished either. When you get to the Middle East, you see some of the harshest punishment in the world including the death penalty. Other parts of Asia, like Malaysia, also use the death penalty, and China, too. The United States has “on the books” a death penalty for cannabis. I qualify for the death penalty, many, many times over, because if you grow or sell more than sixty thousand cannabis plants, you’re eligible for the death penalty under federal law. I sell about two thousand cannabis plants every day, and I have for the last nine years; they will have to execute me many times over to get even. What inspires you? Mostly, it is what I call the smartest generation, your generation, the generation of people that grew up with computers. Your generation has this unparalleled ability to seek out new information, to synthesize that information into new concepts, and then to share that information with each other and act on this new concept
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You are the face and the force that made this industry possible. What has been your most fulfilling achievement? Well, we haven’t gotten there yet. I like to say that my job won’t be done until the last cannabis prisoner is set free and that really is the way I feel about this. There have been so many incredibly fulfilling moments. One of the most recent was when we won a court ruling against the federal government that allows Harborside to remain open. The federal prosecutors were certain that they would be able to close us down and almost everybody else thought that was going to happen, too. We prevailed against them and won; that was a really fabulous moment. The passage of the first legal adult use law in Colorado and Washington State was also an incredible moment. I have been working my whole life to see laws like that pass. The recent passage of state-wide regulation by California was also amazing. To go back to my earlier comment, I think what’s most fulfilling is knowing that my words are heard and appreciated by young people. As long as my message still resonates with people who are coming along behind me, then I feel like I have value in the world and meaning in my purpose. You are a really stylish man. Would you say that a great style has helped you? I grew up in Washington, D.C., and my father worked in the federal government. I had the opportunity to be around a lot of political functions and
my joB won't Be done until the last CannaBis prisoner is set free.
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politicians, and I will always read the Washington Post. One of the things that I learned in my political education is that certain politicians have distinctive looks; they have an image that makes them very memorable. We had a very colourful congresswoman from New York. Her name was Bella Abzug, and Bella Abzug would always wear these fabulous hats. She was immediately recognizable at every event. If you couldn’t see Bella, you would see her hat and know that it was Bella. So, Bella was one inspiration. Another inspiration for my look is a guy name Quanah Parker. He was a Native American, son of an Indian chief and a white woman. The natives had captured the woman, but she decided that she wanted to stay with them. So, she stayed with them and had children with this Indian Chief. One of those children was Quanah Parker. He was the very last chief of the Comanche Native American tribe, which was the last Indian tribe to stop fighting. He fought very fiercely but when the time came to recognize that it was time to end the war, he came off the warpath, took off his feather, took off his robe and put on a suit and tie. He put on a hat but he never cut his braids. He always had his braids. This image of a really dignified Native American man in a hat, suit, tie, and braids is something that I have always carried around with me. Who do you admire? One of the people I admire most is a man whose name is Jack Herer. He is not with us anymore, but he wrote a book called The Emperor Wears No Clothes. It was the first book to reveal to my generation the truth about cannabis: that it was a medicine and an industrial raw material. Jack was also a really passionate activist. I had the opportunity to travel around the country with him and help spread the word about the book. I was pretty inspired by Jack’s example while writing The Cannabis Manifesto. A guy named Tom Forcade, the founder of High Times magazine and a member of the Yippie organization that I was a part of, also inspired me. The remarkable thing about Tom is that in addition to being the publisher of the magazine, he was also a political activist. What is not commonly known is that he was also one of the biggest cannabis smugglers that the Unites State
had ever seen—all while putting out a magazine with this big centrefold with cannabis on it. He was bringing ships into the New York harbour with twenty and thirty tonnes of cannabis from Colombia; that is how he financed High Times. He was a bold, courageous, and completely uncompromising social entrepreneur. He was the first to make me understand how powerful social entrepreneurship could be. In your opinion, are there any other types of drugs that should be legalized? What the whole struggle for cannabis taught us is that there are many substances that people use, and the rules for using them change from culture to culture. In some Native American tribes, the peyote cactus and psilocybin mushrooms are considered to be sacramental. In early American culture, the same substances were considered to be poison or agents of the devil. Now that we live in a modern era, we are no longer bond by ignorance and superstition; we actually have information at our disposal. We need to take a second look at the way society has classified a whole range of substances. Do we have alcohol classified properly? Do we have tobacco classified properly? Do we have psilocybin mushrooms, peyote, and these kinds of substances classified properly? That is a whole conversation that we need to start having in a more intelligent way.
The Cannabis Manifesto can be bought online on Amazon. We will follow up on the evolution of this industry at dtkmen.com.
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Business
Photography Sylvain Blais p.110
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At the ForeFront oF FAshion the Brains Behind Ben & Boule trading
Ben SchuBert iS a man on a miSSion. Since hiS humBle Beginning eight yearS ago, he haS travelled the country and the world in Search of the BeSt BrandS to Bring to hiS company Ben & Boule trading. Ben’S hard work, keen SenSe of faShion, and love for hiS career are juSt a couple of the factorS that have allowed Ben & Boule trading to grow into a company that now repreSentS 14 BrandS on the cutting edge of faShion and functionality, and the liSt iS only growing. i had the opportunity to Speak with Ben, exchange laughS and ideaS, and gain a deeper underStanding of who he iS and what makeS Ben & Boule trading a truly Special company. By Riccardo Tucci You were born in New York City. How did your family end up in Montreal? Well, my father was a professor of music at Columbia University, which he also attended. McGill University, in Montreal, offered him a tenure position, so the family moved here, and he became the head of McGill’s music department. Both of your parents are musicians, and you were an avid athlete and basketball player. What led you to pursue a career in business and fashion? I always loved being entrepreneurial. Whether it was the lemonade stand or something else, I had a passion for it from a young age. I was very good at basketball and at soccer, and I probably could have taken it somewhere, but I really felt my talents would be better used entrepreneurially rather than on a basketball court. How would you describe your style? What do you love to wear? I’m definitely a big supporter of my own brands and not just because they’re in our roster; I have actually sought them out. I travel the world and look for brands to bring to Canada, and I typically bring in what I think will fill a hole in the market. What I wear and like for myself is high-end contemporary fashion. The most important things to me are silhouettes, layers, and textures. What about your support system? Tell me about the people who’ve helped you build Ben & Boule Trading. Boule was a long-time friend. We started the business together after he went on a trip to Vietnam and brought back some re-
ally cool clothing lines. Realizing these brands were not sold in Canada, we decided to get together and give this distribution idea a shot. Over the past few years, as the business has grown, Boule decided to pursue his passion for music and leave the company. I took on his role, alongside mine. I am so grateful and fortunate for my parents, two hardworking people who I respect and look up to. They have really helped me see this dream through. My partner Linda, who has been in the industry for 35+ years, has not only been a major support but also my mentor for many years. She has helped me understand the ins and outs of the distribution business. My staff is incredible as well; I can honestly say that they run a large part of my business today. The administration and the back office are handled really well. If you would ask our retailers what they love most about Ben & Boule Trading, I think they would say our customer service. We are always available, and my main team—Mike, Josh, and Steve—make working with us easy. They, in turn, make it possible for me to be out of the office and doing what I love to do: scouting great brands to bring into the Canadian market. Tell me about the brands you represent. How do you find them, and how do you decide which ones you want to work with? A lot of the time, it’s about industry research: from checking out every blog to social media account, looking into all the marketing reviews, all the way to my personal taste. I also spend time attending trade shows around the world. How do I actually decide to bring a brand over to Canada? Well,
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Ben's Pick
VOID WATCHES V02-GO/MG $280.
DANIEL WELLINGTON Dapper Sheffield Silver $295 at A2Zane.
DEFEND CAP $85 at Hudson’s Bay.
DEFEND Box Tee $95 at La Maison Simons.
PUBLISH Legacy $115 at Nordstrom.
PUBLISH Harvin $85 at Hudson’s Bay
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TRIWA Sort of Black Chrono $480 at Holt Renfrew.
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Business
there’s a business aspect to it, of course. I need to make sure the deal is good enough and is sensible for the Canadian market. If we believe after doing our market research that there’s a gap and a demand for said collection, we work closely with the supplier to bring it over to Canada. You’ve been doing this for over eight years, and it’s still the beginning. What important lessons have you learned this far in? I’ve obviously made a lot of mistakes. I started the business with a cardboard box of samples and a bus pass, and I still have a long way to go. I’d say I learned many lessons, most importantly, not getting too attached to anything. I think one of the strongest aspects of my company is the relationship my team and I share with our suppliers. We work together to develop, sell, and become the brand in Canada. We treat each supplier like it is our own. We try to be as hands-on and easy to work with as possible. We have learned that it’s most important to take care of your accounts and of the people that you’re working with; it’s paramount for us. Where do you see Ben & Boule in five years? Right now, we’re a Canadian distributor, although we have dabbled in the American, Russian, and Japanese markets. We were actually doing distribution for that as well, but once the economy kind of tanked, we pulled back and brought more brands into Canada and increased our portfolio here. But, I do believe the company will be back internationally before you know it! I heard that you have some exciting news regarding Nike? A bit less than a year ago, I was named one of sixty Nike ambassadors in Canada. I get a lot of product from Nike, and I
get to represent them on a pretty big scale. Being one of sixty people in the entire country, I think it reflects my reputation and the trends that I’ve been setting within Canada. My job is to bring brands into Canada, but even more than that, it is to choose styles and silhouettes. So, I do feel responsible for helping set the trend and the tone for the future of fashion in Canada. I think Nike recognized that and wanted to offer me this position. It’s one of the best things to have happened to me. Are you currently working on any new projects? I am! I think there is a big opportunity for Ben & Boule Trading to get back into the American market because, about a year and a half ago, my partner and I invested in a business based in Los Angeles. We have since opened an office here for that as well. It’s a wearable technology brand that we will run globally. It’s launching in three to four weeks, so we are very, very excited. We’ve merged technology with fashion. Wearable technology is something you are going to hear a lot about in the future, and it’s already underway. We believe that the reason wearable technology hasn’t worked out yet is because it’s always tech first—fashion is not really a main component. We think the most important thing for the future of wearable technology is putting fashion first. That’s why we’re designing a full collection of clothes and accessories. There’s going to be a vast array of products that will really focus on fashion. Even if the tech didn’t exist, it’s a beautiful product that you will want to wear, but it has the added bonus of incorporating some great technology. You will learn all about it in the coming weeks!
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Art
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DTK MEN | The ArT issue
When the streets
talk
Interview with Graffiti artist SINO Graffiti is a hiGhly criticized art movement that leaves few feelinG indifferent;you either love it or you hate it. the reason beinG: it’s hard to travel throuGh a city without encounterinG it. the art of Graffiti is GrowinG year after year, reachinG new heiGhts with the GrowinG interest in mural festivals, street art activists, and Gallery artists. By Félix Loiselle
People tend to forget that behind every piece of street art lies an artistic soul. Not everyone agrees with the movement; this is especially understandable for people living behind vandalized walls. But, for many young people facing difficult times, graffiti is a way of escaping and discovering their inner talents. When did you start painting and how did this all come to you? I did my first graffiti in 1987. It was a lettering of RUN DMC in two colours (yellow and black). It was horrible! It was leaking everywhere, but my friends told me that it was very nice. Before 1987, I am not sure where it came from. I would copy from rap albums onto K7 audios, and I would graffiti the jackets of my K7s. But, in reality, I didn’t know that I was doing graffiti…I must
have seen it in a magazine or in a video clip. It is only in 1987 that I really began drawing with the intention of doing graffiti, and it was my cousin who showed me graffiti on the walls of train stations. Since he took the train to school, he would see a lot of it, and, at his technical college, he would see a lot of tags. He is the one who introduced me to graffiti. What brought you to Montreal and what did you expect to discover here? It was love that brought me to Montreal. I was working in a hotel in the Bahamas where I met a woman from Quebec who worked there, too. At the end of my contract, I followed her to Quebec. I didn’t know what I would discover, but I was confident.
Art
How did you segue from being a simple paint supplier in a flea market to being the Canadian distributor of Montana paints? When I arrived in Montreal, I immediately started looking for graffiti artists and I fell upon a shop called Cell Block (owned by graffiti artist C. Lock); it was here that I encountered the small Montreal graffiti scene. One day, when I was painting with a friend who cam from France to see me, we started complaining about the quality of paint. He gave me the idea of importing quality supplies from Europe. So, I rented a small 10 by 10 kiosk in a flea market and I started selling. Graffiti artists from Montreal and even Toronto would come visit me. Every year, I would import more and more, until I was importing the top quality products on the aerosol market: Spanish paint brand Montana Colors. After a certain amount of time, the director of Montana proposed that I be Canada’s exclusive distributor. Your shop, Le Sino, is a pillar in the Montreal graffiti scene. Did you think that Le Sino would become this popular when you started? No, in fact, I didn’t even think I could make a living from it. It was more for the love of it than it was for anything else. For many years, I didn’t make any money from it. I neglected my relationship; I would work seven days a week. I think it is the case for many entrepreneurs. How did graffiti influence your youth? And, despite whatever negative we can say about it, how do you think it affects the youth today? For several young artists from my time, graffiti had a great influence. Because of graffiti, I was able to find work in set design when I would have a bad run. When you grow up in the suburbs of a city like Paris, and you are young, you are bound to get into trouble…a lot of trouble. This was the case for me, but graffiti changed the direction of my life. I am not saying that I’d become a criminal, but I probably would have continued causing trouble for a long time. When I talk about this with other older graffiti artists, I realize that I was not alone in this regard. Today, it’s a little different; the motivation is no longer the same because of social media, but I still think that graffiti can change lives. What type of audience does your art address? Of course, graffiti art speaks to the young because it is always around them, but it isn’t only for them. People who are in their forties today also grew up with graffiti, but the “hard-line, cut-and-dry” kind—the illegal graffiti that we would only see on
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the streets, not on television or in galleries. Seeing the names that they would see on the street on their way to school now in a gallery space reminds them of their youth, and, I think, it must be touching. I regularly meet people who were observers or even activists from the era when I was doing a lot of graffiti vandalism. They are pleased with the emotions that seeing my work incites. What motivates you to dedicating yourself to canvas art? When we do graffiti we do everything—and, even, occasionally canvases. But, it was in 2010 that I dedicated myself to it seriously. We get older and more mature, we start a family, we have new responsibilities; engaging in illegal graffiti no longer appeals to me, and giving up on painting was not an option. I needed a new challenge. By doing canvas work, I am able to relive what I experienced nearly 30 years ago now; I need to re-establish my name! It is a completely other world; it is no longer city walls that I am after, but gallery walls. It is also about discovering new techniques: the creative possibilities are no longer limited to letters and cans. I can now use tape, stencils, etc. It’s really invigorating to have no limitation—especially after having been restricted to one technique for years. How did you transition from graffiti to canvas? Is this transition common amongst other street graffiti artists? It is true that there are many graffiti artists that move on to canvas. I am a good example! Personally, I saw friends working on canvas
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Art
collections. Such recognition surely comes with a certain amount of responsibility. You are a model to many young artists in the field. Do you believe that pursuing canvas painting instead of street art will provide new meaning and a renewed sense of purpose to these artists? I had the opportunity to start doing graffiti a long time ago in Paris and to open a shop in Montreal; I invested myself 100% in each country. Montana Colors asked that I create a design for a limited edition can, and I take that as recognition of my work, accomplishment, and commitment over the past 30 years. My goal isn’t to influence the youth; they have their own path to forge. Some will stop, some will continue, and others will go towards canvases or other mediums. I do what I feel like doing, and if that motivates other graffiti artists to explore new horizons then all the better. It is important not to lower the status of graffiti in favour of canvas. If I am doing canvas work today, it is all thanks to graffiti. If I am able to live off what I love doing, than that is also thanks to graffiti.
and that is what inspired me. Having a workshop, being able to work calmly, taking the time to think through a project, working during daylight, being able to return to a canvas the next day or even later…I appreciate all of that very much today. Over the years, you have succeeded in creating a name for yourself in the world of graffiti; you even collaborated with Montana on one of their
Where can we see your work, and what do you have in store for the future? The easiest way to see my work is to go on my website: www.sinoduc.com or on my Facebook page: Sino DUC. Otherwise, an exhibition is currently being held at the Saint-Germain.
saint-Germain 1, Place Ville Marie, Main Floor Montreal, Quebec, H3B 3Y1 (514) 875-8754 lesaintgermain.ca
Tales of The Trade
You’ve been doing graffiti since 1987, giving you nearly 30 years of experience in the milieu. In all these years, what is the craziest story that you’ve heard or experienced first hand? Each piece of illegal graffiti has its story, but I have one that no one else in graffiti has been through. One night, my friends Wys, Kade, Apel and I went to Paris to do some illegal graffiti on the banks of the Seine. We completed a wall and then decided to find another one in Paris to continue our night. We passed under a tunnel and heard the sound of screeching tires. We looked around and saw a car smashed right in front of us! We got out of the tunnel, and as I was stopping the traffic so as not to block the ambulance, my friends went back into the tunnel to see what had happened. At that moment, they realized that it was someone important because there were paparazzi taking pictures. The paparazzi even opened the car door to get a better shot. My friends couldn’t tell that it was Lady Diana because her head was bent down. But, the next day, we saw on TV that it was Lady Diana Spencer in the car.
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Art
The eye of the tiger
AdAm KAtz Sinding didn’t know he was going to establish himself as one of the most influential photojournalists on social media when he created “le 21ème,” in 2007. his tenacity and constant search for excellence were quickly rewarded with thousands of followers and undeniable success. By Stéphane Le Duc
He recently won the "Best Street Style Blog Award" at the 2015 Bloglovin' Awards, and Vogue Magazine included him in its "Street Style Stars to Watch" list of photographers to follow during the flood of Fall Fashion Weeks. Planted right in the middle of the action of all international fashion shows—snapping editors, celebrities, and supermodels through his trained eye—he can instinctively recognize the next top model. How did you become a photographer? My dad was a hobby photographer and when he passed away I got his camera. I tried using it, but I didn’t know how. Then, I was dating this girl at a University in Seattle and she wanted to become a model. She asked me to take some pictures with her camera and the photos looked OK. So, I bought my first digital camera, a Nikon D70. I don’t really know how I got into taking pictures of people because I thought it was stupid at the time. I thought that buildings and architecture were so much more unique and interesting. It’s probably when I took some pictures of my best friend for some light tests that I saw it could be interesting. It was also a good way to interact with people. I am very shy, and the camera provided a good opportunity to connect with people. At that time, were you interested in fashion? Yes, absolutely! My mom is a fashion designer and she always had Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Women’s Wear Daily sitting around. I used to look at them to find the girls with sheer tops—I was a little perverted kid (laughing)! I eventually got interested in fashion magazines because they are so engaging; there is so much colour, so much to look at on every page. I liked buying
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clothes, being part of it in that way. It is exciting; every season, all the novelty, always something new from all the brands… Nowadays, I am more focused on people and their personalities. The clothes become complementary to what they are. It is always more fun to take a picture of a cool person who is well dressed. Why do you think people like your work? I don’t know why. I learn from my mistakes, but I am also very obsessive and impulsive. I have very specific rules when it comes to my photos, and I will not compromise them, no matter what. If I had the best photo in the world, something that could be worth a million dollars, and I had to cut just the bottom of your shoe by one pixel, I would think that it was garbage! I would delete it, and I would never show it. I would consider even the best photo of someone walking to be "garbage" if the heel of the shoe was only one millimetre from hitting the ground! I will not break the rules. I never thought this could be my career and now that I am making money doing it, I don’t think I should change my trajectory. The day I shoot to impress people or my peers, I will have lost my integrity. Do you realize that you live in a very special era? This type of job did not exist even just a few years ago. Yes, of course! I am just old enough to remember what life was before the Internet and cell phones. I value my career very much and if I had been born just a few years earlier, I might not have been doing this. www.le21eme.com
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Art
All pictures © AdAm KAtz sinding
AdAm KAtz Sinding
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Lifestyle
Going out hitting the bar is all about pleasure; so we know you don't want to waste your time in places that don't meet your standards. here goes a list of the best bars in canada for a night of fun and good drinks! By Marie-Ève Venne
Mme Lee
MONTREAL
151 Ontario Street East This is the place to go if you are hip, trendy, and in need of a great cocktail. The crowd is a mix of gorgeous ladies—usually models—and your regular hipsters. We suggest you order their tasty sushi, like the Wakame Bomb (mango salad, cucumber, wakame, and ponzu sauce) before trying their cucumber gin or pear tequila to avoid the downside of drinking on an empty stomach. Don’t sit on your chair all night; everybody will need to see the dance moves that you have secretly been practicing in your bedroom. Luckily for you, the music at Mme Lee is especially good, ranging from old school hip-hop to R&B and the newest hits.
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DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Lifestyle
École Privée MONTREAL 1 Milton Street
This new nightclub, which opened this summer, is all about delivering the best in great music and that old-school nightclub vibe. The team behind the place is the same that owns renowned bars Apt. 200 and Suwu. Artistic director Vince Tsang (the guy behind the look of the praised Dime skate line) conceptualized the overall look of the club. At École Privée, you will find cool kids from the fashion and music industries who are ready for a never-ending night of celebration!
Cocktail Bar TORONTO
923 Dundas Street West If you decide to name your bar “Cocktail Bar,” you better deliver a top quality drink menu. Lucky for them—and especially for their clients—this tiny place offers strong cocktails with a creative twist. Try their amazing absinthe-based drink with pistachio and coconut, which is served by friendly bartenders who know their stuff. Jazz music from the 40s plays in the background, which sets a cool atmosphere while you eat cheese platters or try their famous duck wings. This is the perfect place for the foodie looking for a different experience while visiting Toronto.
The Keefer Bar VANCOUVER
135 Keefer Street The exterior is low key and easy to walk by, but once you are inside you can only be impressed by the Chinatown-inspired redand-black décor, great ambiance, and lighting. There is even a small stage near the front for some live music at night. Their drink menu is apothecary themed, offering the best prescriptions for your wild night, including cocktails that are double and even triple! Go for the Buffalo Soldier (bourbon, tamarind, ginger, and lemon) or the Bloody Ming (vodka, guava, lemon, and Tabasco), and make sure you don’t leave without eating the Chinese churros with dulce de leche.
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Her
Night After Night In the mIdst of the nIght, she decIdes to slIp out of her dress and wander the cIty streets. onlookers welcomed. Photography Max Abadian. Fashion Editor Cary Tauben at Folio. p.122
DTK MEN | The ArT issue
THIS PAGE Coat LYSA LASH. Dress and eye mask AGENT PROVOCATEUR Jewelry VINTAGE CAROLE TANENBAUM COLLECTION. OPPOSITIE PAGE: Coat LYSA LASH. Bra, panties and garter belt AGENT PROVOCATEUR.
fENdI Embellished cat-eye sunglasses $525.
VALENTINO Black and Gold Check Box Clutch $3,045.
MARC JACOBS Decadence $115 for 50 mL
MAISON MARGIELA Gold Hybrid Choker $470.
CHARLOTTE TILBURY Matte Revolution Lipstick in Glastonberry $38.
AGENT PROVOCATEUR Gloria embroidered tulle and satin basque $790 AGENT PROVOCATEUR Gloria embroidered tulle and satin thong $196
TOM fORd Patent lather pumps $1,145.
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Coat LYSA LASH. Bra, panties and garter belt AGENT PROVOCATEUR. Stay Ups WOLFORD. Shoes CHANEL. Jewelry OSCAR DE LA RENTA at HOLT RENFREW. Photography MAX ABADIAN. Fashion Editor CARY TAUBEN at FolIo. Model FREDERIQUE JUNEAU at FolIo. Hair & Makeup SABRINA RINAlDI at P1M. Hair & Makeup Assistant MoRGAN CHINX at FolIo. Nails TAMARA DI lUllo at FolIo.
Her
THE ART OF MODERN DATING
Dating can be a nightmare, but with new apps anD websites being releaseD on the fly, connecting with people with similar interests anD tastes has never been easier. we put together a list of the most innovative moDern Dating tools; so, get out your phone (we know it’s alreaDy in your hanD) anD get reaDy to meet likeminDeD inDiviDuals. By Bianca Taylor
TASTEBUDS
BUMBLE
For music freaks… Do you live and breathe music? If so, Tastebuds should be your new go to dating resource. It’s a website/app that matches single music lovers based on their taste in music. Once you sign up, the app scans your music library and adds your favourites to your profile account. People can view your playlists and decide if they want to chat with you based on your musical inclinations. Finally found a cute girl who shares your love for that indie rock band you discovered in Belize last summer? Send her a message and never look back. Also, keep Nickelback off your profile—it’s rumoured to be the number one musical turn off in the dating world.
For those who want to upgrade from Tinder… Founded by an ex Tinder employee, Bumble is like Tinder’s wiser older cousin who has changed the rules of the dating game. Run by a predominantly female team, the app resembles Tinder, but with a twist. If two people mutually swipe right, they’re added to a “hive” of connections that lasts 24 hours. If the woman does not reach out to the man within this time frame, the match disappears. There’s one caveat: men can extend one match per day for an additional 24 hours. The app also has options for same sex relationships, but either party can send the first message.
TINDOG
HAPPN
For anyone obsessed with their dog… We all have that one friend that everyone makes fun of for being obsessed with his or her dog. They go on and on for hours about their pet’s diet, exercise regime, and the new tricks they’ve learned. Now single dog lovers can finally get together to discuss their pets for hours on end without judgment or eye rolls. Upload a picture of you and your dog. If you swipe left (which means “yes, I like”) to a dog owner and they do the same, it’s a match! This gives a whole new meaning to the term doggy style.
For the urban flâneur… Remember that good-looking girl you made eye contact with? You kicked yourself for not chatting with her because you’ll probably never see her again. HAPPN’s philosophy is, “why should we go on dating websites when we encounter dozens of people every day, in real life?” HAPPN helps you connect with people who you’ve crossed paths with. Every time you cross paths with a user, their profile automatically appears. If you like each other, you can begin a conversation and see where it takes you.
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DTK MEN | The ArT issue
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Travel
The aRT of
escape
A journey in one of Canada's wildest areas We set out on a tWo-Week trip to one of Canada’s Wildest areas: James Bay in northern QueBeC. Being surrounded By nothing But taiga forest and frosty Waters Was an experienCe of pure esCape Written and Photographed By Félix Loiselle
When I was a kid I went fishing with my family every summer. We would travel for nine hours to Lac Berthelot (Abitibi, Quebec) to fish walleyes and pikes. These were always exciting adventures, but nothing compared to what I was about to experience this summer. My father, Michel Loiselle—who has been featured in many fishing articles and been touted as one Montreal’s “urban fishermen” in Métro, a Montreal newspaper—crafted a plan for us to cross the Trans-Taiga Road to fish lake trout near LG-3. Our mission was to drive down without any guides or place to stay, build a camp, and escape into the wilderness (and, of course, catch some big fish!).
The Road Trip Leaving for a two-week trip into the wild takes some major preparation. You have to be ready for anything while respecting the weight and space limitations of your mode of transport. At James Bay, the temperature changes by the hour and, at night, it can drop to below zero. You also have to be prepared for any accidents that may occur. If you are using a service such as Airmedic and if you have a satellite phone, it’s important to remember that rescue teams are located hours away. If you don't have any of these services, an accident can become fatal.
two weeks. We left early the next day, because, at that point, every hour counted to make sure that we would have shelter that night. The Trans Taiga is where the fun really began! It is one of the longest roads in Canada (745 km) and is the property of Hydro Quebec. The road is composed of rocks, which are extremely likely to perforate your tires due to their sharp edges. The speed limit on the road is not always respected since the government does not regulate it. You’re likely to encounter Natives and fishermen on this dirt road while driving way over 130 km/h. Luckily, the 4Runner is the perfect car for this kind of road. It is so stable and strong that we never really felt like we were on a dirt road; we had full control whenever we had to brake to dodge speeding cars next to curves. For the last part of the trip, we drove on a small 5 km trail to travel down to La Grande Rivière. The Toyota’s four-wheel drive took us across this trail without any difficulty (even with a 2000 pound boat attached to it).
On the day of departure, we left Montreal at 4 a.m., driving two Toyota 4Runners and hauling a 16-foot Crestliner Fish Hawk and a Zodiac. The plan was pretty simple; we would drive for eighteen hours until we arrived at the last gas checkpoint before venturing onto the Trans Taiga Road. We drove through the Laurentian Forest and then crossed the Boreal forest. We encountered an incredible sunset, as well as a major thunderstorm that left us driving under reduced visibility. But, we finally managed to arrive at Radisson. We took a six-hour break to sleep and enjoy what would be our last hot shower for the next
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DTK MEN | The ArT issue
Sport
The Campsite After the drive, we were finally ready to leave shore and reach the island we had decided to set up camp on. We chose an island to avoid any unwanted guests from the forest. Bear tooth marks found on our cooler from previous trips taught us that an island is always the safest option. We built our shelter with wild trees and Film-Gard.
find comfort, and you have to be willing to give up your highly hygienic lifestyle. I don’t think this kind of trip is for everyone, but if you are looking to discover your true nature, it is surely a one of a kind experience that I would highly recommend. Before leaving on a trip of this sort, make sure you have the proper equipment and knowledge to conquer all the elements of the wild.
FISH ON! On our second day—after successfully setting up our shelter— we were finally ready to catch notorious lake trout. In a period of four hours, we were lucky enough to catch three lake trout that weighed between 6 and 12 pounds. Catching my first lake trout was a great experience, but it did not prepare me for the fight I was going to partake in the next day. On our third day in the wild, we set out to discover new fishing spots. In between two river junctions, we found a sand bar with a fast drop from 20 to 80 feet and a water temperature of 48°F. We weren't completely sold on the spot, but we all agreed that it seemed like the perfect habitat for fish. When I got a massive bite and my line bent to the point of almost breaking, I knew that we had found an awesome spot. After a fierce fight with the fish at the end of the line, I finally caught a 20.6 pound lake trout. We quickly took a picture before releasing the beast.
20.6 pound lac trout
The Wild One of the great things about being in the wild is the peace you find there. All the stress and pressures of city life don’t seem to matter anymore. You can't depend on technology to meet your needs like you do in your daily life. You have to be creative to
6.8 pound Brook trout
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Her
Instagram gIrls Models, professional athletes, and trendsetters, these are the hottest girls to follow on instagraM right now. Consider this your daily dose of eye Candy.
@aldensteimle
apalvin r a b r a b @
@zoebelleelyse
@corrielej
oseth @kristine_fr
@melwitharosee p.130
@kristina
DTK MEN | The genTlemen’s guide
_bazan
EN COLLABORATION AVEC
L’autre grande passion de M. Raymond Weil était sans aucun doute l’aviation. Pilote chevronné, il aimait particulièrement voler au-dessus du Cervin avec son avion Piper. En son honneur, une édition spéciale freelancer a été créée en partenariat avec le constructeur aéronautique légendaire Piper Aircraft Inc.
Édition Spéciale
Rejoignez la discussion #RWPiperAircraft
422, avenue Mont-Royal Est, Montréal (Québec) H2J 1W1 514-844-4886 www.assaleh.ca
ENGINE ON. RADIO OFF. The best music in a WRX STI doesn’t come from its radio. It comes from the 305 horsepower, direct-injection 2.5L SUBARU BOXER® engine, with 290 lb-ft of torque. It comes from the throttle response. And it comes from the quad exhaust. And it might just become your new favourite song. Learn more at subaru.ca/WRX.
® Subaru, WRX STI, and SUBARU BOXER are registered trademarks.