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SHARP » CONTENTS
TUXEDOS, INCREDIBLE CARS AND 71 THINGS YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED
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CANADA’S GUIDE TO FINE TIMEPIECES
ENTERTAIN LIKE A CHEF Serve your guests in style with the help of some great Canadian chefs. Plus, tips on getting in shape from a professional gastronomist.
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GERARD BUTLER The star of Machine Gun Preacher and the forthcoming Coriolanus teaches us a thing or two about manliness.
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THE SHARP AUTOMOTIVE AWARDS
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THE INSIDE MEN The truth behind the largest insider trading scandal in Canadian history—involving over 100 crimes, spanning 14 years, and ten million illicit dollars.
S H A R P F O R M E N.C O M | D E C E M B E R / JA N UA RY 2 0 1 2
A story of heroism above the call of duty. How a Canadian serving in the US Special Forces risked his life to save an injured Afghan soldier.
WINTER FASHION
Don’t buy another automobile until you read our list of the year’s best cars.
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WAR HERO
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FORMALWEAR ON ICE Opportunities to wear a tux don’t come up often. All the more reason to look good when they do.
WINTER WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS From bags to gloves to scarves, here are the must-have accessories of the season, and how to wear them.
SHARP » CONTENTS
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STANDARDS 14 Editor’s Letter 22 Letters 24 Man About Town 128 Where to Buy 130 30
SOMETHING TO TALK A’BOOT
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SHARP WOMAN Claire Coffee considered being a nurse. Instead, she’s an actress. We’re happy about that.
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BOOKS
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S H A R P F O R M E N.C O M | D E C E M B E R / JA N UA RY 2 0 1 2
THE TRAVELING MAN: HAVANA There’s more to Cuba than cigars, beaches and waning communism.
STYLE Designer sweatpants that are so nice you could almost wear them outside your home. Almost. Plus, how to stay warm with layers.
There’s still time to read the best books of 2011 before the year is out. Especially the one about zombies.
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GROOMING If there is nothing more manly than a hearty shot of booze, then these are the manliest grooming products around.
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FILM Before Oscar season forces you into seeing the same five films everyone else is, here are some award-worthy movies you haven’t heard of.
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If Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham was a rock god, what does that make his son, Jason? We find out. Plus, this season’s must have discs. Yes, discs.
Put away your galoshes, this is the best casual boot of the season.
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MUSIC
Man Of Style
MEANT TO BE BROKEN When it comes to fashion, rules are more like guidelines. Having true style means knowing when to follow conventional wisdom, and when to throw it out the window.
SHARP GROOMING
ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS
BOTTOMS UP!
Five great ways to incorporate booze into your morning routine. For the most part one should be wary of alcohol as a skincare ingredient. While it’s an effective cleanser, it can also dry out your skin, which in winter can be especially unpleasant. These booze-inspired grooming solutions, however, contain bold, traditional fragrances and botanical ingredients that won’t damage your skin. In terms of grooming, there aren’t many substances more rugged, manly, or superbly old-school than splashing your mug with a dram of whiskey. Take that, tea tree oil. – GREG HUDSON
THE SMOKING SECTION More walk-in humidor than airport smoking lounge, consider these wintery fragrances a sophisticated and unexpected accent to your winter wardrobe.
CAUDALIE
MALIN + GOETZ
CRUSHED
RUM BAR SOAP
PORTLAND GENERAL
CABERNET
Infused with the New York-based apothecary’s own rum eau de toilette, this has been specifically formulated to hydrate any skin type, while leaving just a trace of sweet spicyness. $10
STORE TOBACCO EAU
SCRUB
Decidedly less rugged, but nonetheless intoxicating, this body scrub—inspired by vinotherapy (which harnesses the beneficial properties of grape seeds and skins)—exfoliates, refines, and nourishes your skin. $30
DE TOILETTE
Made from a recipe unearthed from the 1930s, this bold fragrance is softened by notes of flowers and freshly mowed hay. $70 TOM FORD TOBACCO VANILLE
Part of a growing trend of luxury fragrances designed for both men and women, it comes off more sweet than smoky, which isn’t a bad thing at all. $215
PORTLAND GENERAL STORE,
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WHISKEY
WEST THIRD BRAND
AFTERSHAVE
TOBACCO 1812 TONIC
Smoky, unfiltered, complex, and like the best whiskeys, this bold-smelling aftershave is made in small batches. It may or may not put hair on your chest. $16
BODY SPRAY
S H A R P F O R M E N.C O M | D E C E M B E R / JA N UA RY 2 0 1 2
PASHANA BAY RUM HAIR TONIC
With the essences of clove, bay oil and patchouli, this keeps your hair nourished, conditioned and smelling exotic—in a good way. It’s an invigorating addition to your daily hair maintenance. $15 CLUBMAN VIRGIN ISLAND BAY RUM
While it seems like it should be an aftershave, this all-purpose fragrance works as a total-body toner. It packs a cooling, refreshing, exotic punch. Resist the urge to mix it into your mojitos. $14
A sultry, masculine winter scent based on tobacco, and infused with cocoa, honey and dried fruit. $30
SHARP STYLE
BREAKING THE RULES Rules of style generally exist for good reasons: logic (don’t wear socks with sandals), aesthetics (don’t wear a brown belt with a black suit, or vice versa) or general decorum (don’t wear sweatpants out of the house unless you’re jogging). Some rules, however, are more flexible, and with the right amount of aesthetic judgment, can be broken to great benefit. Much like the following.
RULE #1 PLEATS AREN’T FASHIONABLE Pleats have long been recognized as an effective a way to help streamline the more portly man’s physique, but this has caused younger, slimmer men to shy away from the style, in favour of the more casual flat front pant. Recently, however, many designers have showcased more tailored slim-fitting pleated pants that can look good on anyone. One thing to bear in mind: fit. The pants don’t need to be skin tight—or even slim—to streamline your physique. Just make sure they sit properly at your waist and don’t bunch around your shoes. A.P.C. WOOL DOUBLE PLEAT FRONT PANTS, $280; BRIONI SHIRT, $595; POLO RALPH LAUREN TIE, $115; CANALI SUEDE BELT, $195; LOUIS VUITTON “INSIDE-OUT” SHOES, $990; PS BY PAUL SMITH OVERCOAT, $910.
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Manliness TTEE O O XXTT NKK N BBYY IIEE R R A JJO OSS WA SSW HU H UA TT II AN R R U NE U K EU UM YK BY MA AN SB N •• P OS TO OT PH HO
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Gerard Gerald Butler’ s tough guy persona takes a morally complex turn
THE ART OF
before: define him to a generation as the classic warrior ideal. Since then, Butler has done a couple of thrillers (Shattered, Law Abiding Citizen), romantic comedies (The Ugly Truth, The Bounty Hunter) and even family fare (Nim’s Island, How to Train Your Dragon), but more often than not these roles have left Butler competing with his own abs for critical attention. With the morally complex roles he’s taken on in Machine Gun Preacher and Coriolanus, Butler is showing that there’s more to him than rugged charm.
erard Butler is exhausted. After spending nearly the entire morning and afternoon training for an upcoming role, he finds himself wandering around the back nine of a country club in Half Moon Bay, California—as if in a daze. His body aches, his muscles are sore and he’s on his cellphone, so focused on the conversation he’s having that he doesn’t notice the three elderly men about to tee off in his direction. I know this because I’m the one on the phone with him talking about his two latest films. The spectacle of three men aiming their projectiles in Butler’s general direction is an apt metaphor for Butler’s career at the moment. After 30 some-odd films that have regularly generated impressive box-office numbers, Butler’s recent turn towards more complex roles has left him vulnerable to critics lining up like the golfers waiting to tee off at him. In Machine Gun Preacher he portrays Sam Childers, a former drug-dealing criminal who finds his unexpected calling as the protector of hundreds of kidnapped and orphaned children in war-torn Sudan. In Coriolanus, he plays Tullus Aufidius, the opportunistic guerilla leader with whom the title character joins forces in Shakespeare’s story of vengeance. But the reviews have been kind. As Scottish countryman Craig Ferguson recently joked with the 42-year-old actor: “I knew you were hunky, but I didn’t know you were this good.” The “hunky” label has tailed Butler throughout his career. His breakthrough role as Leonidas in 2006’s Zach Snyderhelmed 300 did for Butler what Spartacus did for Kirk Douglas almost a half-century
Not many people know that you had a brief stint as a litigator before you became an actor. Yet, you seem to have a knack for portraying battlers even when it is the battle of the sexes. Do you ever wonder whether your law degree prepared you for your acting career?
Obviously, everything that I’ve done, dealing with people along the way, has shaped me to become the actor I’ve become. It was at law school where I really became a man—where I learned to have fun and, at the same time, to reach my true ambition. I don’t know if law school taught me “battling,” however. It taught me how to work, how to focus and how to strategize. In a sense, it made me less warrior-like and more cerebral—less Sam Childers than Tullus Aufidius. It’s where I first developed my mental muscles. You broke up law school with some time in America—cross-country road trips, partying and trouble with the law. What did you learn about America during that period?
I ended up there twice, earlier in my life: once, when I was 17, when I worked at Sea World and then the second time, which was more troublesome and out of control when I went all over the country. America was the land of adventure where I could be irresponsible, where I could climb mountains or jump off ships. I was free. You grow up and every movie is American, the world is American. It was before I knew I was going to be an actor and before I knew I’d ever have to grow up. I felt like I was getting a lot of it out of my system. I found it to be warm and welcoming, and I was coming with a fun-loving attitude so it was a good match. I feel very much at home in America. I have the same energy as the Americans. P. 78
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADRIAN ARMSTRONG
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A WARM BLANKET HBC BLANKET
This represents a collaboration between Hudson’s Bay and Caroline Fur. Combining coyote pelt and the classic striped Hudson’s Bay blanket, it’s the perfect thing to accent your new brown leather sofa. It’s also a good way to keep a woman warm. $2,185
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A MINI-BAR THAT'S A WORK OF ART THE AEROPOD
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Designed and custom-built by Toronto master craftsman Dean Jackson, the Aeropod was inspired by classic automobiles, and is guaranteed to elicit envy from all who see it. Make sure you fill it with something nice. $9,500 at Aeropod.ca
LUXURIOUS LIBATIONS
Opposite page, left to right: MAKER’S MARK 46
An extra-special bourbon with subtle notes of spice and woody caramel. $50 GLENLIVET XXV
This carefully aged 25-year reserve is as balanced and nuanced as they come. $350 STOLICHNAYA ELIT
Smoother than typical Stoli, Elit is a sipping vodka designed to be savoured neat or over ice. $70 MOUNT GAY 1703 CASK RUM
A luxurious blend of 10–to 30-year-old rums that brings out flavours of orange, tamarind and brown sugar. $125 COURVOISIER 21 COGNAC
The only cognac to definitively give its age, it has a subtle fruit beginning and a luscious finish. $350 BACCARAT SPIN TUMBLERS, $125 AND DECANTER $715 at Williams-Sonoma
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Stylist: Alicia Simpson (Plutino Group); Model: Kelly Bradshaw (Ford); Hair and Makeup: Nicole Harrison.
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TO HAVE A DRINK WHENEVER HE DAMN WELL PLEASES
There is a disturbing trend in our society towards not drinking surreptitiously in public. That trend needs to stop. A good flask will help. DUNHILL CHASSIS LEATHER HIP FLASK $180
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A $20,000 BOTTLE OF SCOTCH
This limited-edition Lalique decanter is filled with 60-year-old Macallan small batch, single malt Scotch, which is some of the finest they’ve ever made. Compared to the most expensive bottle of Scotch sold in the world last year, also by Macallan (and at a price of almost half a million dollars), this bottle is practically a steal.
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A (REALLY) GOOD CIGAR AND ASHTRAY RAMON ALLONES SUPER RAMON $45 S.T. DUPONT DIAMONDHEAD ASHTRAY $450 Both at La Casa Del Habano
THINGS EVERY MAN NEEDS (THAT MONEY CAN’T BUY): 13 One good—mostly harmless—vice.
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DRESS WELL FOR ANY WINTER OCCASION WITH T H E S E C H I L L- B LO C K I N G S C A R V E S , G L O V E S , H AT S A N D C O AT S .
VINCENT LIONS PHOTOS:
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S T Y L I S T: D O N O VA N W H Y T E ( J U D Y I N C ) ; M A K E U P A N D H A I R : D E E D A LY ( J U D Y I N C ) ; M O D E L : A L E X L O O M A N S ( E L M E R O L S E N M O D E L M A N A G E M E N T ) .
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KENNETH COLE JACKET, $325; BELSTAFF GLOVES, $200; HUGO PANTS, $265; GUCCI BAG, $1,670 AT HOLT RENFREW; BULGARI ALL BLACKS WATCH, $18,800 AT BANDIERA JEWELLERS.
S H A R P F O R M E N.C O M | NOV E M B E R . 2 0 1 1
BELSTAFF JACKET, $990; PAUL SMITH SCARF, $160 AT HOLT RENFREW; DENTS ENGLAND GLOVES, $350; ZENITH CHRONOMASTER OPEN WATCH, $8,000 AT BANDIERA JEWELLERS.
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ZEGNA COAT, $4,695 AT HARRY ROSEN; BOSS SELECTION SWEATER, $345; LOUIS VUITTON BAG, $1,370; BELSTAFF PANTS, $350; MONTBLANC RIUSSEC WATCH, $10,120 AT BANDIERA JEWELLERS.
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Canadians have shaken the dust of Kandahar off their boots. The last combat unit came home in July, while the men and women packing up the leftover war materiel were due to complete their job this month (December). Kandahar has— for most Canadians—been consigned to the history books. The roadside bombs, the blood and the horror of five years of guerrilla war are a mere echo in the public consciousness, something regarded with the hazy consistency of a bad dream. Yet, the truth is: Afghanistan is not over. Canada has 950 troops in Kabul who are training the Afghan National Army. And there are Canadians, such as Ottawa native Grant Derrick, who’ve chosen to serve in relative anonymity with U.S. forces. Derrick, who received both a Silver Star and a Bronze Star for valour, spoke with Sharp about the unfinished war on the other side of the border.
Grant Derrick was lying prone in the open, shielding a wounded Afghan platoon sergeant on a stretcher, as machine gun fire showered both of them from a series of razor-topped ridges. “It was literally coming down like raindrops,” the retired Special Forces staff sergeant recalled. “I’d never seen anything like it.” It was May 4, 2010. The Taliban and a group of foreign fighters controlled the high ground around them in the isolated village of Hendor, way up in the folded mountains of Laghman province, east of Kabul. “They were in caves and spiderholes. We had basically walked into people waiting for us,” Derrick said. It was a pre-dawn raid with 70 American and Afghan commandos blowing in out of the
darkness in three CH-47 Chinook helicopters. But from the moment they stepped off the ramp, they knew something was wrong. “The whole town; there was nobody there. They knew before we actually arrived there.” How they knew was anybody’s guess. Early in the assault, an Afghan platoon leader—Sgt. Sami Ullah—had been shot in the face and, to treat him, his body armour was stripped off, leaving him vulnerable but lighter to carry. That’s what Derrick and several other commandos had been trying to do when they crossed an open space amid the jumble of ancient mud walls and huts. They’d called for a medevac helicopter and had been trying to reach the landing zone. A furious barrage of fire saw his Afghan stretcher-bearers scatter for cover, leaving the medic and the wounded platoon sergeant exposed. “He was just this guy wrapped up in this litter and he’s got no protection at all,” said Derrick, who’d long had a love of both soldiering and medicine. Alone, he had dragged the litter towards the only cover, a dilapidated one-metrehigh wall that was no more than a pile of rocks. But the Taliban snipers were good. They had already killed two Afghan commandos. They were agonizingly cool and precise, and determined to pick off the wounded man. A bullet smashed into Ullah’s left hip. “I knew that he got hit. I could feel the jolt in the litter,” Derrick said with a trace of disbelief in his voice. “I thought to myself, at first, there’s no way this guy got shot again. Poor bastard. He already got shot in the face, now he gets shot again.” There was blood everywhere. Bursts of machine gun fire kicked up spouts of dust around them and a bullet grazed Derrick’s ankle. “It wasn’t painful. It was just like fifty bee stings in one part of your body,” he said. “It was more my nerves being rattled than pain.” As the staccato rush of fire reached a feverish height, he focused, hunkered down and treated Ullah’s hip wound, all the while keeping the young Afghan breathing, and shooting back at his tormentors. They were cut off from the main assault force and pinned down with nowhere to move. The dusty, remote, Bronze Age village, high in the mountains of eastern AfghaniSHARP
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stan is about as far as you can get from the red brick, leafy, suburbs of staid, old Ottawa while still remaining on the same planet. How a guy who considers himself a Canadian kid—born in Florida of a U.S. father and a Canadian mother—journeyed the distance between the two says much about the relaxed, easy-flowing nature of the Canadian-American experience. Ottawa in the 1990s was Jean Chretien’s town, and the capital was still effused in the sunset of the liberalism of the 1960s, with all the subtle, smug anti-Americanism that came with it. For the generation still in high school, the one that would fight the coming war, politics was the least of their concerns. It mattered little that the Canadian military had been disgraced and gutted in the wake of the Somalia torture scandal and Paul Martin’s drive to dismantle big government. The military as an institution almost disappeared from public view, to the point where Derrick had no idea that the country had elite special forces. It was only after he joined the U.S. military that he found out units like JTF-2 existed. The events of Sept. 11, 2001 propelled both countries into the Afghan war.
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