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On Jason Bourne george clooney and Brad pitt
THE STYLE ISSUE
35 pages of the latest in fall fashion
EMILY MORTIMER
waking up with britain’s hottest export
SEPTEMBER 2009
canadian cartel
how we became the DRUG dealer to the world
Display until Oct 23
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THE NEW INFINITI G37 CONVERTIBLE. DESIGNED TO OVERLOAD EACH OF YOUR SENSES EQUALLY.
Building on the heritage of the G line, the new G37 hardtop convertible boasts a 325hp 3.7L V6 engine. Add a Bose速 Open Air Sound System and a Dual Zone air conditioning system that automatically adjust when the top is up or down, and your drive will never be the same. Experience more at Infiniti.ca
G37 Sedan
G37 Coupe
THE NEW INFINITI G37 CONVERTIBLE. DESIGNED TO OVERLOAD EACH OF YOUR SENSES EQUALLY.
Building on the heritage of the G line, the new G37 hardtop convertible boasts a 325hp 3.7L V6 engine. Add a Bose速 Open Air Sound System and a Dual Zone air conditioning system that automatically adjust when the top is up or down, and your drive will never be the same. Experience more at Infiniti.ca
G37 Sedan
G37 Coupe
NEW YORK MONTREAL MILAN PARIS
NEW YORK MONTREAL MILAN PARIS
WWW.PALZILERI.COM
CANADIAN SHOWROOM: AZZARI FASHIONS LTD. 416.736.7508
WWW.PALZILERI.COM
CANADIAN SHOWROOM: AZZARI FASHIONS LTD. 416.736.7508
o n d i s c e r n i n g ta s t e
OYSTERS B e s t o r d e r e d i n m o n t h s that contain the letter ‘R’ and always best when local,
bracingly fresh and shared with the table. Sauces and garnish are a matter of personal preference but are best used sparingly. When accompanied by an icy shot, straight up, oysters are a wildly delicious way to satisfy the cocktail hour.
o n d i s c e r n i n g ta s t e
OYSTERS B e s t o r d e r e d i n m o n t h s that contain the letter ‘R’ and always best when local,
bracingly fresh and shared with the table. Sauces and garnish are a matter of personal preference but are best used sparingly. When accompanied by an icy shot, straight up, oysters are a wildly delicious way to satisfy the cocktail hour.
Letter from the Editor
Style Made Simple There’s no way around it. Being properly attired all the time is work. I should know—I don’t always rise to the occasion. I’m getting the hang of it, but it’s still a challenge to be welldressed every single day. The dapper guy in the photo that accompanies this column? Magazine magic. I like the end product and I aspire to this level of sartorial polish, and not just for vanity, mind you, but because you never know who you’re going to run into and your appearance is just as much a part of your personal brand as your reputation for integrity and dependability. I have made a few good first steps though. Like buying the three basic suits that every man needs: navy, grey and black. The navy and the grey were made to measure. That’s important because I feel good wearing them, and you can only feel confident in your appearance if you are comfortable with the way your clothes fit. The black suit was off the rack, but fits nearly as well, and it has peak lapels for more formal engagements, whereas the others have notch lapels, which are ideal for dressing up jeans or khakis if you’re sporting the jacket alone. I’ve also gone and ordered a bunch of fitted white shirts. Any interview with any top brand designer will reveal that a man should have a closet full of pressed white shirts. Heard and acknowledged. Another big investment was the right shoes. Shoes can completely make or break your presentation. I bought a pair of Dack’s, proper English shoes with leather soles, and because they were fit by a pro they are as comfortable to walk in as any rubber-soled shoes I’ve owned. The catch, however, is that you should only wear a pair of shoes two or three times a week—max—and never two days in a row. So the investment is really in two or three high-quality pairs of shoes. One pair black. Two pairs brown. Driving shoes and loafers for the weekend. Runners for exercise. Simple really. Until you find yourself in an office that’s casual most of the time, that is. Needless to say, the bare minimum is a collared shirt, and polos should be reserved for the summer (and then likely only casual Fridays). For fall I’m going to do my best to keep a jacket on hand every day, which should work fine with all those white shirts I talked about. I’ve put together the basic elements, and with a few tips from our fashion team I think I can cobble together a respectable rotation of work attire. To help you, we’ve distilled their advice into a Fall Style Guide (starting on page 52) to keep it simple.
Editor's Selection “I think they really should have given the Genie to the strap-on.” Kristin Booth, p.28
_______ “Then you sort of take the tail, still covered in fur, and sit it on the coals and the fur chars, and you’re then able to peel off the skin.” Chef Michael Smith, p.42
_______ “Before, when other people would try to show me baby pictures or try to hand me their baby, I was like, ‘Get that thing away from me. I don’t want to touch your kid. Give me a break.” Matt Damon, p.48
_______ “I do fundamentally believe that he [Billy Bob Thornton] and his publicity team underestimated me, underestimated the CBC, underestimated my show and underestimated Canada.” Jian Ghomeshi, p.71
_______ “I was really very shy, which I know is quite hard to believe now that I’m taking off my clothes and running around pretending to be mad all the time.” Emily Mortimer, p.84
_______ MICHAEL LA FAVE Editorial and Creative Director letters@contempomedia.ca
12 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
“Hey, what’re you smokin’?” On the Frontlines of Canada’s Failed Drug War, p.88
photo: Mario miotti Clothing: Ermenegildo zegna, available at kingsport
Letter from the Editor
Style Made Simple There’s no way around it. Being properly attired all the time is work. I should know—I don’t always rise to the occasion. I’m getting the hang of it, but it’s still a challenge to be welldressed every single day. The dapper guy in the photo that accompanies this column? Magazine magic. I like the end product and I aspire to this level of sartorial polish, and not just for vanity, mind you, but because you never know who you’re going to run into and your appearance is just as much a part of your personal brand as your reputation for integrity and dependability. I have made a few good first steps though. Like buying the three basic suits that every man needs: navy, grey and black. The navy and the grey were made to measure. That’s important because I feel good wearing them, and you can only feel confident in your appearance if you are comfortable with the way your clothes fit. The black suit was off the rack, but fits nearly as well, and it has peak lapels for more formal engagements, whereas the others have notch lapels, which are ideal for dressing up jeans or khakis if you’re sporting the jacket alone. I’ve also gone and ordered a bunch of fitted white shirts. Any interview with any top brand designer will reveal that a man should have a closet full of pressed white shirts. Heard and acknowledged. Another big investment was the right shoes. Shoes can completely make or break your presentation. I bought a pair of Dack’s, proper English shoes with leather soles, and because they were fit by a pro they are as comfortable to walk in as any rubber-soled shoes I’ve owned. The catch, however, is that you should only wear a pair of shoes two or three times a week—max—and never two days in a row. So the investment is really in two or three high-quality pairs of shoes. One pair black. Two pairs brown. Driving shoes and loafers for the weekend. Runners for exercise. Simple really. Until you find yourself in an office that’s casual most of the time, that is. Needless to say, the bare minimum is a collared shirt, and polos should be reserved for the summer (and then likely only casual Fridays). For fall I’m going to do my best to keep a jacket on hand every day, which should work fine with all those white shirts I talked about. I’ve put together the basic elements, and with a few tips from our fashion team I think I can cobble together a respectable rotation of work attire. To help you, we’ve distilled their advice into a Fall Style Guide (starting on page 52) to keep it simple.
Editor's Selection “I think they really should have given the Genie to the strap-on.” Kristin Booth, p.28
_______ “Then you sort of take the tail, still covered in fur, and sit it on the coals and the fur chars, and you’re then able to peel off the skin.” Chef Michael Smith, p.42
_______ “Before, when other people would try to show me baby pictures or try to hand me their baby, I was like, ‘Get that thing away from me. I don’t want to touch your kid. Give me a break.” Matt Damon, p.48
_______ “I do fundamentally believe that he [Billy Bob Thornton] and his publicity team underestimated me, underestimated the CBC, underestimated my show and underestimated Canada.” Jian Ghomeshi, p.71
_______ “I was really very shy, which I know is quite hard to believe now that I’m taking off my clothes and running around pretending to be mad all the time.” Emily Mortimer, p.84
_______ MICHAEL LA FAVE Editorial and Creative Director letters@contempomedia.ca
12 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
“Hey, what’re you smokin’?” On the Frontlines of Canada’s Failed Drug War, p.88
photo: Mario miotti Clothing: Ermenegildo zegna, available at kingsport
Contents
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66
74
Features 48
52
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Six leading menswear designers from across Canada talk fall styles, inspiration and the direction of Canadian fashion.
The wrong accessories can make or break an outfit. Here are 13 items to make everything else look better.
Matt Damon
Canadian Stylemakers
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Scott Schuman, John Varvatos and Alessandro Sartori discuss the most important things to consider about dressing well.
Your suits are more versatile than you think. CBC Radio Q host Jian Ghomeshi shows you how to realize their full potential.
Never underestimate the value of a precisely folded pocket square or a distinct shirt collar. Here are some to get you started.
Just because a guy’s at the centre of a half-billion-dollar film franchise doesn’t mean he has to act like it.
14 Style Points
74
Tailored for Speed
This fall’s best suits and the Porsche Panamera have more in common than just good looks. We’re not complaining.
Two-Tone
84
Emily Mortimer
An early morning encounter with our favourite British actress gets us thinking about sexy librarians. And Martin Scorsese.
The Small Stuff
Finishing Touches
88
Drugs in Canada
Veteran drug cops explain how Canada became the world’s leading supplier of ecstasy and methamphetamines.
For authorized dealers in Canada call 1.877.444.0824 14 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Contents
84
48
56
66
74
Features 48
52
56
Six leading menswear designers from across Canada talk fall styles, inspiration and the direction of Canadian fashion.
The wrong accessories can make or break an outfit. Here are 13 items to make everything else look better.
Matt Damon
Canadian Stylemakers
64
66
72
Scott Schuman, John Varvatos and Alessandro Sartori discuss the most important things to consider about dressing well.
Your suits are more versatile than you think. CBC Radio Q host Jian Ghomeshi shows you how to realize their full potential.
Never underestimate the value of a precisely folded pocket square or a distinct shirt collar. Here are some to get you started.
Just because a guy’s at the centre of a half-billion-dollar film franchise doesn’t mean he has to act like it.
14 Style Points
74
Tailored for Speed
This fall’s best suits and the Porsche Panamera have more in common than just good looks. We’re not complaining.
Two-Tone
84
Emily Mortimer
An early morning encounter with our favourite British actress gets us thinking about sexy librarians. And Martin Scorsese.
The Small Stuff
Finishing Touches
88
Drugs in Canada
Veteran drug cops explain how Canada became the world’s leading supplier of ecstasy and methamphetamines.
For authorized dealers in Canada call 1.877.444.0824 14 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Contents
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40
EDITORIAL John McGouran publisher Michael La Fave editorial and creative director
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Jeremy Freed managing editor
The Guide
Leo Petaccia associate editor
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Kristin Booth
48 Hours
It’s sturdy, stylish and perfect for transporting cash, state secrets or your underwear.
Fans of indie films and hot women rejoice: Kristin Booth is back.
The birthplace of jazz is still a great place to eat, drink and live it up.
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36
Music
Grooming
With The Expendables, Sylvester Stallone is bringing back the action movie.
New music from Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and Steve Earle.
Your improved post-workout routine: essential products to keep in your gym bag.
40
41
Books
42
Food
The best way to pack your suitcase. Plus, how to properly fold a suit jacket.
Highlights from a century of men’s fashion: One Hundred Years of Menswear.
Chef Michael Smith discusses the best way to cook a kangaroo tail.
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Something to go with your dessert? Cocktail recipes for after- dinner drinks.
Just because you’re into something unusual doesn’t mean you’re weird.
Do you need Viagra? Sharp’s resident health adviser explains what you need to know.
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From vibrating chair to gun lamp, we build the perfect man den.
Twitter and Facebook have more to offer your business than you may think.
Film
Style
Drink
Home
Sex
30
38
Health
Contributing writers Barry Barnett, Carol Besler, Steven Bochenek, Mel Borins, Rod Cleaver, Todd Coyne, Earl Dittman, Mike Dojc, Carson Edwards, Cliff Ford, Alex Hughes, Paul Johnston, Rick Leswick, Peter Saltsman, Bob Strauss, Mark Teo, Michael Vaughan Contributing photographers Darryl Augustine, Matthew Burditt, Todd Cole, Jimmy Hamelin, Evan Hurd, Paul Koziorowski, Mario Miotti, Richard Phibbs, Robert Watson Letters to the editor Love us, hate us, want to validate us? Write us at letters@contempomedia.ca. ADVERTISING John McGouran sales director 416-258-8538 john.mcgouran@contempomedia.ca Carlos Herranz senior account manager 416-854-3619 carlos@contempomedia.ca
Membership Applied for March 2009
Tech
media inc
Sharp is published six times per year by Contempo Media Inc. No part of this publication may be copied or reprinted without the written consent of the publisher. Annual subscription rate: $20 Canadian.
Regulars
To subscribe, visit www.sharpformen.com.
20
92
Motoring
Informer
We like a good party as much as the next fellow. Maybe more.
Audi’s new S4, BMW’s latest M machines and the versatile Mercedes E-class.
The worst thing about public sector strikes isn’t the garbage smell.
People & Places
Brigitte Foisy style editor Roslyn Costanzo associate style editor Theresa Quick associate style editor William Stodalka editorial intern
16 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
98
Sharp welcomes pitches and submissions from writers: submissions@contempomedia.ca. We have 3-month internship opportunities in editorial and marketing. These are unpaid positions. Please send your resume to resumes@contempomedia.ca. Contempo Media Inc. 370 Queen’s Quay West, Suite 203 Toronto, ON M5V 3J3 416-591-0093 Volume 2, Issue 3, September 2009
www.ysl.com
The Best Luggage
Paul Koziorowski art director
Olivier Martinez by Sam Taylor-Wood
Contents
34
36
40
EDITORIAL John McGouran publisher Michael La Fave editorial and creative director
28
42
44
92
Jeremy Freed managing editor
The Guide
Leo Petaccia associate editor
26
28
Kristin Booth
48 Hours
It’s sturdy, stylish and perfect for transporting cash, state secrets or your underwear.
Fans of indie films and hot women rejoice: Kristin Booth is back.
The birthplace of jazz is still a great place to eat, drink and live it up.
34
36
Music
Grooming
With The Expendables, Sylvester Stallone is bringing back the action movie.
New music from Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and Steve Earle.
Your improved post-workout routine: essential products to keep in your gym bag.
40
41
Books
42
Food
The best way to pack your suitcase. Plus, how to properly fold a suit jacket.
Highlights from a century of men’s fashion: One Hundred Years of Menswear.
Chef Michael Smith discusses the best way to cook a kangaroo tail.
43
44
45
Something to go with your dessert? Cocktail recipes for after- dinner drinks.
Just because you’re into something unusual doesn’t mean you’re weird.
Do you need Viagra? Sharp’s resident health adviser explains what you need to know.
46
47
From vibrating chair to gun lamp, we build the perfect man den.
Twitter and Facebook have more to offer your business than you may think.
Film
Style
Drink
Home
Sex
30
38
Health
Contributing writers Barry Barnett, Carol Besler, Steven Bochenek, Mel Borins, Rod Cleaver, Todd Coyne, Earl Dittman, Mike Dojc, Carson Edwards, Cliff Ford, Alex Hughes, Paul Johnston, Rick Leswick, Peter Saltsman, Bob Strauss, Mark Teo, Michael Vaughan Contributing photographers Darryl Augustine, Matthew Burditt, Todd Cole, Jimmy Hamelin, Evan Hurd, Paul Koziorowski, Mario Miotti, Richard Phibbs, Robert Watson Letters to the editor Love us, hate us, want to validate us? Write us at letters@contempomedia.ca. ADVERTISING John McGouran sales director 416-258-8538 john.mcgouran@contempomedia.ca Carlos Herranz senior account manager 416-854-3619 carlos@contempomedia.ca
Membership Applied for March 2009
Tech
media inc
Sharp is published six times per year by Contempo Media Inc. No part of this publication may be copied or reprinted without the written consent of the publisher. Annual subscription rate: $20 Canadian.
Regulars
To subscribe, visit www.sharpformen.com.
20
92
Motoring
Informer
We like a good party as much as the next fellow. Maybe more.
Audi’s new S4, BMW’s latest M machines and the versatile Mercedes E-class.
The worst thing about public sector strikes isn’t the garbage smell.
People & Places
Brigitte Foisy style editor Roslyn Costanzo associate style editor Theresa Quick associate style editor William Stodalka editorial intern
16 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
98
Sharp welcomes pitches and submissions from writers: submissions@contempomedia.ca. We have 3-month internship opportunities in editorial and marketing. These are unpaid positions. Please send your resume to resumes@contempomedia.ca. Contempo Media Inc. 370 Queen’s Quay West, Suite 203 Toronto, ON M5V 3J3 416-591-0093 Volume 2, Issue 3, September 2009
www.ysl.com
The Best Luggage
Paul Koziorowski art director
Olivier Martinez by Sam Taylor-Wood
Online: Sharpformen.com Sharp Woman: Christine Solomon Amidst the torrent of pretty young things walking the red carpet at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, this Egyptian-born, Montreal-raised actress is bound to catch as many eyes as any Hollywood starlet. Solomon appears at TIFF in Heliopolis, a modern story of restless Egyptian youth. Sharp catches up with Solomon to discuss the film, her career and what we’re all missing from Middle Eastern cinema.
Food: The Best Sandwich You’ve Ever Seen There’s no food more manly than the sandwich. Bread, meat, some kind of fat, maybe a pickle if you’re feeling health conscious. For centuries, man has relied on intuition (and, just as likely, whatever’s in the fridge) to come up with his sandwich ideas, but lately, the Internet has become a go-to source for inspiration. From classic grilled cheese to monstrosities involving slices of pizza and chocolate-covered bacon, we scour the Net for the most magnificent sandwiches and pass on the goodness to you. Photo: Scanwiches
Style: Brooks Brothers Brooks Brothers has been suiting American men in high style since 1818, including the likes of JFK and Abraham Lincoln, but until this year Canadians have had to travel abroad to take advantage of their sartorial know-how. This month, Brooks Brothers opens their second Canadian location, in downtown Toronto. We speak to Chairman and CEO Claudio Del Vecchio about Brooks Brothers, fall fashion, and the fine art of dressing timelessly.
Music: Scarlett Johansson and Pete Yorn Break Up If you’re singer-songwriter Pete Yorn and you get it in your head that you want to make an album with Scarlett Johansson, it’s as easy as picking up the phone. The collection of duets he recorded with the comely actress, however, titled The Break Up Album, makes it difficult to hold this against him. Visit Sharpformen.com for our review of the album (plus some shots of Scarlett looking good, just because).
Autos: Audi R8 V10 Sharp takes Audi’s audacious new R8 V10 to Calabogie Motorsports Park to partake in a DreamFleet track day. It’s hard to imagine that the original R8 could have been improved upon, but with 520 hp and the same pinup-worthy lines as the original, Audi seems to have one-upped themselves. Please be forewarned that opening the video footage of this scintillatingly sexy car rocketing around Calabogie’s endless curves and valleys will pretty much ruin your productivity for the rest of the afternoon.
Sign Up & WIN sharpformen.com
Over $3,000 in Prizes see page 97 for details
Online: Sharpformen.com Sharp Woman: Christine Solomon Amidst the torrent of pretty young things walking the red carpet at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, this Egyptian-born, Montreal-raised actress is bound to catch as many eyes as any Hollywood starlet. Solomon appears at TIFF in Heliopolis, a modern story of restless Egyptian youth. Sharp catches up with Solomon to discuss the film, her career and what we’re all missing from Middle Eastern cinema.
Food: The Best Sandwich You’ve Ever Seen There’s no food more manly than the sandwich. Bread, meat, some kind of fat, maybe a pickle if you’re feeling health conscious. For centuries, man has relied on intuition (and, just as likely, whatever’s in the fridge) to come up with his sandwich ideas, but lately, the Internet has become a go-to source for inspiration. From classic grilled cheese to monstrosities involving slices of pizza and chocolate-covered bacon, we scour the Net for the most magnificent sandwiches and pass on the goodness to you. Photo: Scanwiches
Style: Brooks Brothers Brooks Brothers has been suiting American men in high style since 1818, including the likes of JFK and Abraham Lincoln, but until this year Canadians have had to travel abroad to take advantage of their sartorial know-how. This month, Brooks Brothers opens their second Canadian location, in downtown Toronto. We speak to Chairman and CEO Claudio Del Vecchio about Brooks Brothers, fall fashion, and the fine art of dressing timelessly.
Music: Scarlett Johansson and Pete Yorn Break Up If you’re singer-songwriter Pete Yorn and you get it in your head that you want to make an album with Scarlett Johansson, it’s as easy as picking up the phone. The collection of duets he recorded with the comely actress, however, titled The Break Up Album, makes it difficult to hold this against him. Visit Sharpformen.com for our review of the album (plus some shots of Scarlett looking good, just because).
Autos: Audi R8 V10 Sharp takes Audi’s audacious new R8 V10 to Calabogie Motorsports Park to partake in a DreamFleet track day. It’s hard to imagine that the original R8 could have been improved upon, but with 520 hp and the same pinup-worthy lines as the original, Audi seems to have one-upped themselves. Please be forewarned that opening the video footage of this scintillatingly sexy car rocketing around Calabogie’s endless curves and valleys will pretty much ruin your productivity for the rest of the afternoon.
Sign Up & WIN sharpformen.com
Over $3,000 in Prizes see page 97 for details
People & Places
Concord and Raptors for Kids Toronto Raptor Chris Bosh and team GM Bryan Colangelo continue their mission to help at-risk youth, most recently at a showcase for the Concord C1 Toronto Black WorldTimer watch. Bosh and other Raptors brass were on hand at Classic Creations, the exclusive retailer for the timepiece, to celebrate its initial sale to a handful of lucky collectors. A portion of the proceeds from each of the 21 watches sales went to help the Raptors Foundation for Kids, which supports children’s sports programs.
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Pure Cashmere Coat
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1) From left: Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors), Bryan Colangelo (Toronto Raptors GM), Vincent Perriard (Former CEO—Concord Watches), Jay Triano (Toronto Raptors Head Coach) 2) The Concord C1 Toronto Black WorldTimer watch 3) The party crowd at Classic Creations 4) Hors d’oeuvres at the event 5) Bryan Colangelo 6) Bosh signs some autographs for fans 7) Vincent Perriard 8) Bosh talks with SharpTV 9) Two partygoers examine jewellery 10) A guest tries on the Toronto Black watch 11) Concord 18K Rose Gold Jewellery Chronograph
zegna.com - 1 888 55 ZEGNA 20 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
People & Places
Concord and Raptors for Kids Toronto Raptor Chris Bosh and team GM Bryan Colangelo continue their mission to help at-risk youth, most recently at a showcase for the Concord C1 Toronto Black WorldTimer watch. Bosh and other Raptors brass were on hand at Classic Creations, the exclusive retailer for the timepiece, to celebrate its initial sale to a handful of lucky collectors. A portion of the proceeds from each of the 21 watches sales went to help the Raptors Foundation for Kids, which supports children’s sports programs.
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Pure Cashmere Coat
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1) From left: Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors), Bryan Colangelo (Toronto Raptors GM), Vincent Perriard (Former CEO—Concord Watches), Jay Triano (Toronto Raptors Head Coach) 2) The Concord C1 Toronto Black WorldTimer watch 3) The party crowd at Classic Creations 4) Hors d’oeuvres at the event 5) Bryan Colangelo 6) Bosh signs some autographs for fans 7) Vincent Perriard 8) Bosh talks with SharpTV 9) Two partygoers examine jewellery 10) A guest tries on the Toronto Black watch 11) Concord 18K Rose Gold Jewellery Chronograph
zegna.com - 1 888 55 ZEGNA 20 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
People & Places
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While attendees of the Glenfiddich Taste and Talk series sampled a wide range of finely aged single-malt whiskies, explorer Colin Angus described his man-powered, two-year journey around the world.
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They take their beer seriously in Belgium and we do, too. That’s why Sharp was happy to be on hand to pick the national champion of the Stella Artois Draught Master Competition.
1) Guests at nosing table 2) Colin Angus, world explorer 3) Lindsay Prociw, Senior Brand Manager—William Grant & Sons 4) Guests give pause to admire their cocktails 5) A partygoer takes a tipple from his tumbler 6) A barman demonstrates the perfect pour 7) A crew of satisfied patrons take in the party 8) Guests take a brief rest from the action
17) Brand ambassadors 18) DJ Benji Madden 19) Matte Babel, host for the national competition 20) 1st runner-up, Pascal Pigeon-Rivest (right) from Quebec City, QC, toasts third place finalist Greg Reynolds from Kamloops, BC 21) Stella Artois fans 22) Canadian Draught Master Joe Oppedisano celebrates his win with Stella Artois brand manager John Robinson
When famed fashion blogger Scott Schuman exhibited his photography at Holt Renfrew, he and Canada’s best dressed (including the Sharp team, of course) were there to celebrate.
Partygoers arrived in droves to see the floors of Toronto’s new Freed Developments Fashion House condominiums decorated by Canada’s top fashion designers, including Andy The-Anh and Bustle.
The Sartorialist
9) Exhibit 10) Scott Schuman 11) Adrian Mainella and Stacey Kimel 12) David Hew, Suzanne Boyd and Michael King 13) Liv Judd, LouLou magazine 14) Sarah Nicole Prickett and Graeme Metcalf 15) MuchMusic’s Sarah Taylor with designer Kendra Francis 16) Leesa Butler and Jake Gold, Canadian Idol judge
22 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Fashion House
23) Jenny Bird, Amy Slosky, Jennifer Robinson and Prabha Mattappally 24) Yasmin Warsame, supermodel 25) Natalie Reznik, So You Think You Can Dance 26) Bustle designers Ruth Promislow and Shawn Hewson and baby 27) Peter Freed and Lindsay Collis (fiancée) 28) Heather Ogilvie and Nicole Saunders 29) Ainsley Kerr 30) Trish Wolff, Lili Millbourne and Natalie Hammati 31) Ruth Arboleda and Marcelo Delgado
People & Places
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While attendees of the Glenfiddich Taste and Talk series sampled a wide range of finely aged single-malt whiskies, explorer Colin Angus described his man-powered, two-year journey around the world.
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Stella Artois
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They take their beer seriously in Belgium and we do, too. That’s why Sharp was happy to be on hand to pick the national champion of the Stella Artois Draught Master Competition.
1) Guests at nosing table 2) Colin Angus, world explorer 3) Lindsay Prociw, Senior Brand Manager—William Grant & Sons 4) Guests give pause to admire their cocktails 5) A partygoer takes a tipple from his tumbler 6) A barman demonstrates the perfect pour 7) A crew of satisfied patrons take in the party 8) Guests take a brief rest from the action
17) Brand ambassadors 18) DJ Benji Madden 19) Matte Babel, host for the national competition 20) 1st runner-up, Pascal Pigeon-Rivest (right) from Quebec City, QC, toasts third place finalist Greg Reynolds from Kamloops, BC 21) Stella Artois fans 22) Canadian Draught Master Joe Oppedisano celebrates his win with Stella Artois brand manager John Robinson
When famed fashion blogger Scott Schuman exhibited his photography at Holt Renfrew, he and Canada’s best dressed (including the Sharp team, of course) were there to celebrate.
Partygoers arrived in droves to see the floors of Toronto’s new Freed Developments Fashion House condominiums decorated by Canada’s top fashion designers, including Andy The-Anh and Bustle.
The Sartorialist
9) Exhibit 10) Scott Schuman 11) Adrian Mainella and Stacey Kimel 12) David Hew, Suzanne Boyd and Michael King 13) Liv Judd, LouLou magazine 14) Sarah Nicole Prickett and Graeme Metcalf 15) MuchMusic’s Sarah Taylor with designer Kendra Francis 16) Leesa Butler and Jake Gold, Canadian Idol judge
22 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Fashion House
23) Jenny Bird, Amy Slosky, Jennifer Robinson and Prabha Mattappally 24) Yasmin Warsame, supermodel 25) Natalie Reznik, So You Think You Can Dance 26) Bustle designers Ruth Promislow and Shawn Hewson and baby 27) Peter Freed and Lindsay Collis (fiancée) 28) Heather Ogilvie and Nicole Saunders 29) Ainsley Kerr 30) Trish Wolff, Lili Millbourne and Natalie Hammati 31) Ruth Arboleda and Marcelo Delgado
Letters
© 2009 Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. Porsche recommends seatbelt usage and observance of all traffic laws at all times.
Walking Through the Valley—Canadians in Afghanistan I recently read the interview “Walking Through the Valley” by Rick Leswick. It gave me a glimpse into the minds and hearts of present day soldiers who face death and danger in Afghanistan on a daily basis. I haven’t run across this eye-opening account elsewhere. It seemed extremely relevant at this time. We could do with more such insights. Sincerely, W. Hildebrand I just read the interview of the two Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, written by Rick Leswick, and I was very impressed. I appreciated that Mr. Leswick did not insinuate himself into the interview, whether it was by asking questions, or making editorial comments. He stood back and actually listened to what these men were saying. Then he crafted the information into a deftly written interview. Well done. Give us more. K.A. Serafin
Four, please. In every sense, a true sportscar experience
Very informative. I’d like to read more about what the frontline troops’ perceptions and realities are. The media never talks about individual experiences. Andrew Milligan _____________________________________
– now designed to be shared by four. An uncompromising 500 hp engine combines powerful, yet fuel efficient Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) and the seamless, split-second gearshifts of the Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) with a fuel saving auto start/stop function. Uncompromising acceleration, the exhilaration of Porsche precision handling, and an executive class interior your passengers may never want to leave.
A World Class Men’s Magazine I’ve been a magazine reader for a long time and I love watches, cars, beautiful women, music, bicycles and so on. I used to read: Details, Playboy, Max (France), GQ, Maxim, Maximal, FHM, Stuff, etc., etc.... Some of them are still pretty good, some got cocky, some stole ideas from others (pretty evident when your buy a lot of mags) and some just totally lost their souls. Your magazine seems different. It’s really elegant, has great articles, well-placed ads and it’s a good size. For more information visit www.porsche.ca
I’m really happy to have finally found a great and “chic’’ Canadian magazine. Longue vie à Sharp! Yan Savaria
Four executives. Four seats. _____________________________________
I’m a Car Guy, Too Michael—Just read your editorial—loved it! I am an unabashed car guy and, coincidentally, my love affair with the car also started with the Corvette although I am sorry to say that my father didn’t own one. Let it be said, though, that it was not due to a lack of coaxing on my part. How many times I used to try to convince him that the resale value on a Corvette vastly exceeded that of other vehicles (I was trying to appeal to his practical side—granted it was a bit of a struggle given the fact that I am talking about a Corvette!) I also read with interest your accounts of various trips you have taken in cars and that real satisfaction you realized when that special feeling was shared with others. I have two kids—a girl (19) and a boy (15), and since they were about 4 or 5 years old, we have been in the habit of breaking away in the car and just going for a ride—windows open and tunes playing. There is nothing like it. Anyways—thanks for the read—it was great. Have a good day and happy motoring! Best Regards, Stephen K. McIntyre, CFE, CFI
Your next business lunch may be drive-thru. The new Panamera Turbo. Four, uncompromised.
Letters
© 2009 Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. Porsche recommends seatbelt usage and observance of all traffic laws at all times.
Walking Through the Valley—Canadians in Afghanistan I recently read the interview “Walking Through the Valley” by Rick Leswick. It gave me a glimpse into the minds and hearts of present day soldiers who face death and danger in Afghanistan on a daily basis. I haven’t run across this eye-opening account elsewhere. It seemed extremely relevant at this time. We could do with more such insights. Sincerely, W. Hildebrand I just read the interview of the two Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, written by Rick Leswick, and I was very impressed. I appreciated that Mr. Leswick did not insinuate himself into the interview, whether it was by asking questions, or making editorial comments. He stood back and actually listened to what these men were saying. Then he crafted the information into a deftly written interview. Well done. Give us more. K.A. Serafin
Four, please. In every sense, a true sportscar experience
Very informative. I’d like to read more about what the frontline troops’ perceptions and realities are. The media never talks about individual experiences. Andrew Milligan _____________________________________
– now designed to be shared by four. An uncompromising 500 hp engine combines powerful, yet fuel efficient Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) and the seamless, split-second gearshifts of the Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) with a fuel saving auto start/stop function. Uncompromising acceleration, the exhilaration of Porsche precision handling, and an executive class interior your passengers may never want to leave.
A World Class Men’s Magazine I’ve been a magazine reader for a long time and I love watches, cars, beautiful women, music, bicycles and so on. I used to read: Details, Playboy, Max (France), GQ, Maxim, Maximal, FHM, Stuff, etc., etc.... Some of them are still pretty good, some got cocky, some stole ideas from others (pretty evident when your buy a lot of mags) and some just totally lost their souls. Your magazine seems different. It’s really elegant, has great articles, well-placed ads and it’s a good size. For more information visit www.porsche.ca
I’m really happy to have finally found a great and “chic’’ Canadian magazine. Longue vie à Sharp! Yan Savaria
Four executives. Four seats. _____________________________________
I’m a Car Guy, Too Michael—Just read your editorial—loved it! I am an unabashed car guy and, coincidentally, my love affair with the car also started with the Corvette although I am sorry to say that my father didn’t own one. Let it be said, though, that it was not due to a lack of coaxing on my part. How many times I used to try to convince him that the resale value on a Corvette vastly exceeded that of other vehicles (I was trying to appeal to his practical side—granted it was a bit of a struggle given the fact that I am talking about a Corvette!) I also read with interest your accounts of various trips you have taken in cars and that real satisfaction you realized when that special feeling was shared with others. I have two kids—a girl (19) and a boy (15), and since they were about 4 or 5 years old, we have been in the habit of breaking away in the car and just going for a ride—windows open and tunes playing. There is nothing like it. Anyways—thanks for the read—it was great. Have a good day and happy motoring! Best Regards, Stephen K. McIntyre, CFE, CFI
Your next business lunch may be drive-thru. The new Panamera Turbo. Four, uncompromised.
MAKE THE MOST OF WEARING TIMES.
women • music • film • travel • food • drink • tech • grooming • watches • sex • style • home • health • books
Guide
LOOK BETTER
•
FEEL BETTER
•
KNOW MORE
I need sturdy luggage that looks professional. What should I buy? Without a doubt there is one brand of luggage preferred by serious world travelers, and it’s not Louis Vuitton. Rimowa has been making suitcases in Germany since 1937, and has been producing their iconic grooved aluminum luggage since 1950. Undeniably sexy, Rimowa’s suitcases, cabin trolleys and attaché cases are also nearly indestructible, not to mention lightweight and space efficient. When you do use them a lot, they take on the patina of travel, collecting little dents and dings on their way around the globe. While most of the Rimowa range is made of sturdy aluminum, the top of their line is made from titanium, which is lighter, stronger, and made for bragging about. Opas Titanium Multiwheel – $1,634
Win a set of Rimowa luggage, see page 97 for details.
26 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
KENNETHCOLE.COM
MAKE THE MOST OF WEARING TIMES.
women • music • film • travel • food • drink • tech • grooming • watches • sex • style • home • health • books
Guide
LOOK BETTER
•
FEEL BETTER
•
KNOW MORE
I need sturdy luggage that looks professional. What should I buy? Without a doubt there is one brand of luggage preferred by serious world travelers, and it’s not Louis Vuitton. Rimowa has been making suitcases in Germany since 1937, and has been producing their iconic grooved aluminum luggage since 1950. Undeniably sexy, Rimowa’s suitcases, cabin trolleys and attaché cases are also nearly indestructible, not to mention lightweight and space efficient. When you do use them a lot, they take on the patina of travel, collecting little dents and dings on their way around the globe. While most of the Rimowa range is made of sturdy aluminum, the top of their line is made from titanium, which is lighter, stronger, and made for bragging about. Opas Titanium Multiwheel – $1,634
Win a set of Rimowa luggage, see page 97 for details.
26 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
KENNETHCOLE.COM
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
With her upcoming films, as well as a recurring role on the new season of CBC’s The Border, Booth is becoming increasingly easy to pick out among the crowd of young Canadian actors. For us, though (and, we suspect, others as well), it will be a while before she outruns the image of herself as the chick with the dildo. For her part, she’s more than okay with that. “When I decided to do the movie, I knew I had to embrace that because that’s the thing that makes that scene as memorable and hilarious as it is,” she says, adding, “I think they really should have given the Genie to the strap-on…,” then bursting out in laughter. “Just kidding. I’m so proud of that film. I totally embrace anything that comes out of it.” JEREMY FREED
View more photos from the shoot at Sharpformen.com
28 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
photo: Mario Miotti Makeup & Hair: Sheri Stroh for TRESemmé Hair Care / Plutino Group
The latest evolution of the CTS family with 1643 litres of cargo storage and available All-Wheel Drive.
2010 CTS SPORT WAGON 2010 CTS -V
Booth will be at TIFF again this year, this time for two films. In Defendor, where she appears alongside Woody Harrelson, Sandra Oh and Kat Dennings, and in the Newfoundlandmade independent film Crackie.
The world’s fastest V8 production sedan which goes from 0–60 mph (0–96 km/h) in 3.9 seconds.
Booth won Best Supporting Actress at the Genies for her work on the film (there’s a picture of her posing with her statuette in a very…um…unladlylike way) and since has had no shortage of projects on the go.
2010 CTS SEDAN
Young People Fucking was a collection of vignettes about the delicate politics of sex in the 21st century, including a surprisingly tender (but still hilarious) love scene involving a sexually repressed young couple and a strapon dildo. That scene was our introduction to this month’s Sharp Woman, the wielder of said prosthesis, and needless to say, we were impressed. And a little emasculated.
Award-winning combination of luxury and performance with available All-Wheel Drive and 3.6L Direct Injection V6.
Two years ago at the Toronto International Film Festival, amid the talk of Brangelina sightings and Viggo Mortensen’s steam room fight scene, there was one Canadian film in particular that stood out. It was a genuinely funny and unsentimental romantic comedy, in no way what you’d call a chick flick, starring an ensemble cast of promising young domestic talent. You may recall the title.
WORKING HARD AND PLAYING HARD SHOULDN’T REQUIRE A DIFFERENT SET OF KEYS.
Kristin Booth
cadillac.gm.ca
Guide Sharp Woman
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
With her upcoming films, as well as a recurring role on the new season of CBC’s The Border, Booth is becoming increasingly easy to pick out among the crowd of young Canadian actors. For us, though (and, we suspect, others as well), it will be a while before she outruns the image of herself as the chick with the dildo. For her part, she’s more than okay with that. “When I decided to do the movie, I knew I had to embrace that because that’s the thing that makes that scene as memorable and hilarious as it is,” she says, adding, “I think they really should have given the Genie to the strap-on…,” then bursting out in laughter. “Just kidding. I’m so proud of that film. I totally embrace anything that comes out of it.” JEREMY FREED
View more photos from the shoot at Sharpformen.com
28 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
photo: Mario Miotti Makeup & Hair: Sheri Stroh for TRESemmé Hair Care / Plutino Group
The latest evolution of the CTS family with 1643 litres of cargo storage and available All-Wheel Drive.
2010 CTS SPORT WAGON 2010 CTS -V
Booth will be at TIFF again this year, this time for two films. In Defendor, where she appears alongside Woody Harrelson, Sandra Oh and Kat Dennings, and in the Newfoundlandmade independent film Crackie.
The world’s fastest V8 production sedan which goes from 0–60 mph (0–96 km/h) in 3.9 seconds.
Booth won Best Supporting Actress at the Genies for her work on the film (there’s a picture of her posing with her statuette in a very…um…unladlylike way) and since has had no shortage of projects on the go.
2010 CTS SEDAN
Young People Fucking was a collection of vignettes about the delicate politics of sex in the 21st century, including a surprisingly tender (but still hilarious) love scene involving a sexually repressed young couple and a strapon dildo. That scene was our introduction to this month’s Sharp Woman, the wielder of said prosthesis, and needless to say, we were impressed. And a little emasculated.
Award-winning combination of luxury and performance with available All-Wheel Drive and 3.6L Direct Injection V6.
Two years ago at the Toronto International Film Festival, amid the talk of Brangelina sightings and Viggo Mortensen’s steam room fight scene, there was one Canadian film in particular that stood out. It was a genuinely funny and unsentimental romantic comedy, in no way what you’d call a chick flick, starring an ensemble cast of promising young domestic talent. You may recall the title.
WORKING HARD AND PLAYING HARD SHOULDN’T REQUIRE A DIFFERENT SET OF KEYS.
Kristin Booth
cadillac.gm.ca
Guide Sharp Woman
Guide Travel
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
48 Hours: New Orleans
Way down at the bottom of the Mighty Mississippi there lays a town built on sin and crawfish. While the post-Katrina New Orleans of the news still lingers in our minds, after a couple of days there, you’ll understand why it’s still the Big Easy at heart. This burg on the bayou is a place where you drink in the streets, where jazz plays at funerals, and where the only tough question you’ll ever have to answer is where you’ll be eating your next meal (and we’ve taken some of the pressure off you for that one, too). PETER SALTSMAN 2pm – Midday: New Orleans Museum of Art You’ll need a bit of a stroll after lunch, so to make it worth your while, add art to the digestive equation. The New Orleans Museum of Art is one of the best art galleries in the southern United States, and their sculpture garden is a great place to check out some highlights of the collection. 1 Colins Diboll Crescent (504) 658-4100 www.noma.org
7pm – Dinner: GW Fins GW Fins is a place where you can wear that new blazer you bought this morning. It’s more seafood, but this time accompanied by an award-winning wine list and reams of laudatory press by the world’s foremost food critics. 808 Bienville Street (504) 581-3467 www.gwfins.com
Saturday 9:30am – Check In: Soniat House Home to traveling gentlemen for generations, the Soniat House may be in the French Quarter but it’s miles away from Bourbon Street in every other way. A boutique hotel created from three 19th-century townhouses, Soniat House is set in a relatively quiet residential corner of The Quarter, making it a perfect place to get your rest at the end of a long day of indulgence. 1133 Chartres Street (504) 522-0570 www.soniathouse.com
10:00am – Shopping: Rubensteins Founded in 1924 and still run by the Rubenstein family, this menswear institution is a true shop of the old school, the kind where the quality of service equals the quality of the merchandise they sell. Aside from their carefully curated menswear, Rubensteins’ Apothecary has a unique selection of men’s grooming products and fragrances. 102 St. Charles Street (504) 581-6666 www.rubensteinsneworleans.com
11am – Stop for Coffee No amount of physical exertion goes unrewarded in New Orleans, even shopping. In this morning’s nod to longevity, you’ve earned a trip to Cafe du Monde, which has been perched on Decatur Street for well over 100 years, serving coffee (two ways: with milk and without) and their signature beignets (like doughnuts, but better) 24 hours a day, every day. Don’t go just once. 800 Decatur Street (504) 525-4544 www.cafedumonde.com
10:00pm – Jazz: Snug Harbor Described as a “musical landmark” by Rolling Stone, this jazz club is one of the most popular on Frenchman Street, with live shows every night. You’ll hear the music well before you see the bars. 626 Frenchman Street (504) 949-0696 www.snugjazz.com
Sunday 10am – Shave: Aidan Gill for Men It’s true that you could probably shave in your hotel room, but this is the kind of decadence New Orleans is all about. Mr. Gill’s shop is dedicated to preserving the Southern Gentleman, which means he’s perfected the art of shaving. It takes about half an hour, and when you’re through, the shop is full of cool gentlemanly things to take home with you. 550 Fulton Street (504) 566-4903 www.aidangillformen.com
12pm – Lunch: Commander’s Palace Here’s the thing about this place: it’s big and gaudy and touristy— but that’s what it’s supposed to be. And that’s why the locals love it, too. Good old-fashioned food served in a big southern mansion right in the heart of the Garden District. 1403 Washington Avenue (504) 899-8221 www.commanderspalace.com
2pm – Walk it Off After lunch, walk a few blocks to Magazine Street where you’ll find great little shops and plenty of cafés to sit and rest. Follow it far enough and you’ll end up at Audubon Park, which you can meander through all the way to Tulane and Loyola universities and the mansions (and streetcars) of St. Charles Street.
12pm – Lunch: Acme Oyster House The Acme Oyster House is New Orleans cuisine hyperbolized. It’s po’ boy sandwiches and hush puppies and gumbo—also, some of the biggest, best oysters you’ve ever had, either raw or chargrilled with butter and grated cheese on top. Just remember what the locals say: salads stay up north.
7pm – Dinner: Galatoire’s Since 1905 Galatoire’s has been the destination for senators and celebrities looking to “indulge in the tradition,” as their tagline reads. Tuxedoed waiters serve classic French Creole cuisine in an atmosphere that defines the city: civilized, but relaxed.
724 Iberville Street (504) 522-5973 www.acmeoyster.com
209 Bourbon Street (504) 525-2021 www.galatoires.com
30 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
PHoto: Michael Terranova/NewOrleansOnline.com
Guide Travel
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
48 Hours: New Orleans
Way down at the bottom of the Mighty Mississippi there lays a town built on sin and crawfish. While the post-Katrina New Orleans of the news still lingers in our minds, after a couple of days there, you’ll understand why it’s still the Big Easy at heart. This burg on the bayou is a place where you drink in the streets, where jazz plays at funerals, and where the only tough question you’ll ever have to answer is where you’ll be eating your next meal (and we’ve taken some of the pressure off you for that one, too). PETER SALTSMAN 2pm – Midday: New Orleans Museum of Art You’ll need a bit of a stroll after lunch, so to make it worth your while, add art to the digestive equation. The New Orleans Museum of Art is one of the best art galleries in the southern United States, and their sculpture garden is a great place to check out some highlights of the collection. 1 Colins Diboll Crescent (504) 658-4100 www.noma.org
7pm – Dinner: GW Fins GW Fins is a place where you can wear that new blazer you bought this morning. It’s more seafood, but this time accompanied by an award-winning wine list and reams of laudatory press by the world’s foremost food critics. 808 Bienville Street (504) 581-3467 www.gwfins.com
Saturday 9:30am – Check In: Soniat House Home to traveling gentlemen for generations, the Soniat House may be in the French Quarter but it’s miles away from Bourbon Street in every other way. A boutique hotel created from three 19th-century townhouses, Soniat House is set in a relatively quiet residential corner of The Quarter, making it a perfect place to get your rest at the end of a long day of indulgence. 1133 Chartres Street (504) 522-0570 www.soniathouse.com
10:00am – Shopping: Rubensteins Founded in 1924 and still run by the Rubenstein family, this menswear institution is a true shop of the old school, the kind where the quality of service equals the quality of the merchandise they sell. Aside from their carefully curated menswear, Rubensteins’ Apothecary has a unique selection of men’s grooming products and fragrances. 102 St. Charles Street (504) 581-6666 www.rubensteinsneworleans.com
11am – Stop for Coffee No amount of physical exertion goes unrewarded in New Orleans, even shopping. In this morning’s nod to longevity, you’ve earned a trip to Cafe du Monde, which has been perched on Decatur Street for well over 100 years, serving coffee (two ways: with milk and without) and their signature beignets (like doughnuts, but better) 24 hours a day, every day. Don’t go just once. 800 Decatur Street (504) 525-4544 www.cafedumonde.com
10:00pm – Jazz: Snug Harbor Described as a “musical landmark” by Rolling Stone, this jazz club is one of the most popular on Frenchman Street, with live shows every night. You’ll hear the music well before you see the bars. 626 Frenchman Street (504) 949-0696 www.snugjazz.com
Sunday 10am – Shave: Aidan Gill for Men It’s true that you could probably shave in your hotel room, but this is the kind of decadence New Orleans is all about. Mr. Gill’s shop is dedicated to preserving the Southern Gentleman, which means he’s perfected the art of shaving. It takes about half an hour, and when you’re through, the shop is full of cool gentlemanly things to take home with you. 550 Fulton Street (504) 566-4903 www.aidangillformen.com
12pm – Lunch: Commander’s Palace Here’s the thing about this place: it’s big and gaudy and touristy— but that’s what it’s supposed to be. And that’s why the locals love it, too. Good old-fashioned food served in a big southern mansion right in the heart of the Garden District. 1403 Washington Avenue (504) 899-8221 www.commanderspalace.com
2pm – Walk it Off After lunch, walk a few blocks to Magazine Street where you’ll find great little shops and plenty of cafés to sit and rest. Follow it far enough and you’ll end up at Audubon Park, which you can meander through all the way to Tulane and Loyola universities and the mansions (and streetcars) of St. Charles Street.
12pm – Lunch: Acme Oyster House The Acme Oyster House is New Orleans cuisine hyperbolized. It’s po’ boy sandwiches and hush puppies and gumbo—also, some of the biggest, best oysters you’ve ever had, either raw or chargrilled with butter and grated cheese on top. Just remember what the locals say: salads stay up north.
7pm – Dinner: Galatoire’s Since 1905 Galatoire’s has been the destination for senators and celebrities looking to “indulge in the tradition,” as their tagline reads. Tuxedoed waiters serve classic French Creole cuisine in an atmosphere that defines the city: civilized, but relaxed.
724 Iberville Street (504) 522-5973 www.acmeoyster.com
209 Bourbon Street (504) 525-2021 www.galatoires.com
30 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
PHoto: Michael Terranova/NewOrleansOnline.com
Guide Networking
promotion LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
10 Conversation Starters
You cruise into a business mixer, fashionably late, of course. These conversation starters should help you command some respect.
Ask someone about themselves Most people are happy to talk about themselves. Some ad nauseam. The real skill is to be able to ask someone about themselves and then just sit back, listen, drink your drink and let them think they’re having the best conversation ever. Because they are.
2
Wear something distinctive Pick an accessory that begs to be discussed. Whether it’s a big watch, a flashy tie and pocket square, neat socks, crazy cufflinks or eye-catching belt, you can spruce up the required navy or charcoal suit with a bit of pop. Some of the conversation will be light ribbing from the guys, but you can handle that.
3
Delve into international intrigue Nothing gets things going like recounting tales of far-flung destinations and the things you found there. Take for instance the all-new 2010 Subaru Legacy. It’s engineered in Japan. Not everyone knows this. Probably explains all the useful gadgets like navigation, MP3 compatibility and Bluetooth integration.
4
Show off your knowledge of the latest technologies For example, the fully integrated Bluetooth hands-free system in the 2010 Subaru Legacy. This system streams audio from a Bluetooth audio device without any wires or cables connecting the device to the vehicle or getting tangled around your arms and feet. The iPhone, for example, is equipped with this technology. Once paired with the vehicle, you can leave the device in your pocket or in the back seat. It doesn’t matter and will sound just as sweet.
5
Explain the difference between All-Wheel Drive systems There’s a good thirty minutes worth of conversation right here. Firstly, Subaru has been making AWD for over 35 years and doesn’t build a vehicle without it. But more importantly, and something anyone can understand, is that the Subaru Symmetrical full-time AllWheel Drive system in the 2010 Legacy provides superior balance, control, handling, safety and performance.
32 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
6
Talk about going horizontal No, not like that. Laid out flat with three pistons on each side the SUBARU BOXER engine sits close to the ground for a low centre-of gravity giving it road-hugging grip. It also packs a heckuva punch with the range of four- and six-cylinder engines in the new 2010 Subaru Legacy line-up peaking at 265-hp. Why do you think Ferrari and Porsche have used boxer engines in their legendary sports cars for decades?
7
Start first Seriously, just start first. “You’ll never believe what happened to me today…” works for comedians and cocktail parties alike. Don’t tell your story for too long though. After a maximum of two minutes turn it over to the other person with “Has that ever happened to you?” or simply ask them what they think of your little misadventure.
8
Talk about the planet PZEV stands for Partial Zero Emission Vehicle and it means that the 2010 Subaru Legacy emits 90% less smog-forming emissions. You know, those nasty little things that created a hole in the ozone. This one will be especially effective with women, but for the guys it’s worth mentioning that PZEV also means zero compromise in performance, unlike those ever-popular hybrids.
2O1O Legacy 2.5GT model shown.††
1
9
Tell a self-deprecating story Taking yourself down a notch isn’t easy for everyone but an embarrassing story is a great way to break the ice and let everyone know what an easygoing, good-natured guy you are. Given it’s the age of social networking, it will help if you can pull up a Facebook pic on your iPhone as a visual aid.
10
Be fashionably late It might be a bit counterintuitive but it’s easier to get into a conversation or start a new one when you arrive to a full room. It also puts you in control of who you’re speaking with. Scan the crowd, find your mark and unleash what you have learned.
Get the sedan that commands respect. INTRODUCING THE DYNAMIC JAPANESE ENGINEERED SUBARU LEGACY.
Even wildlife knows there is something different about the new Legacy. It’s a family sedan, but unlike others, it combines style and performance. Its bold new design, powerful SUBARU BOXER engine and symmetrical full-time All-Wheel Drive make it a car you can be proud to own. Your passengers will love the roominess, while you’ll love the excellent fuel economy. It’s easy to see why every man, woman and pigeon will appreciate the new Subaru Legacy.
2O1O LEGACY.
Well equipped from
$23,995
subaru.ca
†
†MSRP of $23,995 on 2010 Legacy 2.5i (AA125). ††Model shown is 2010 Legacy 2.5GT (AA1GTN), MSRP of $38,395. Freight, PDI, license, insurance, registration and taxes are extra. Vehicle shown solely for purposes of illustration and may not be equipped exactly as shown.
Guide Networking
promotion LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
10 Conversation Starters
You cruise into a business mixer, fashionably late, of course. These conversation starters should help you command some respect.
Ask someone about themselves Most people are happy to talk about themselves. Some ad nauseam. The real skill is to be able to ask someone about themselves and then just sit back, listen, drink your drink and let them think they’re having the best conversation ever. Because they are.
2
Wear something distinctive Pick an accessory that begs to be discussed. Whether it’s a big watch, a flashy tie and pocket square, neat socks, crazy cufflinks or eye-catching belt, you can spruce up the required navy or charcoal suit with a bit of pop. Some of the conversation will be light ribbing from the guys, but you can handle that.
3
Delve into international intrigue Nothing gets things going like recounting tales of far-flung destinations and the things you found there. Take for instance the all-new 2010 Subaru Legacy. It’s engineered in Japan. Not everyone knows this. Probably explains all the useful gadgets like navigation, MP3 compatibility and Bluetooth integration.
4
Show off your knowledge of the latest technologies For example, the fully integrated Bluetooth hands-free system in the 2010 Subaru Legacy. This system streams audio from a Bluetooth audio device without any wires or cables connecting the device to the vehicle or getting tangled around your arms and feet. The iPhone, for example, is equipped with this technology. Once paired with the vehicle, you can leave the device in your pocket or in the back seat. It doesn’t matter and will sound just as sweet.
5
Explain the difference between All-Wheel Drive systems There’s a good thirty minutes worth of conversation right here. Firstly, Subaru has been making AWD for over 35 years and doesn’t build a vehicle without it. But more importantly, and something anyone can understand, is that the Subaru Symmetrical full-time AllWheel Drive system in the 2010 Legacy provides superior balance, control, handling, safety and performance.
32 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
6
Talk about going horizontal No, not like that. Laid out flat with three pistons on each side the SUBARU BOXER engine sits close to the ground for a low centre-of gravity giving it road-hugging grip. It also packs a heckuva punch with the range of four- and six-cylinder engines in the new 2010 Subaru Legacy line-up peaking at 265-hp. Why do you think Ferrari and Porsche have used boxer engines in their legendary sports cars for decades?
7
Start first Seriously, just start first. “You’ll never believe what happened to me today…” works for comedians and cocktail parties alike. Don’t tell your story for too long though. After a maximum of two minutes turn it over to the other person with “Has that ever happened to you?” or simply ask them what they think of your little misadventure.
8
Talk about the planet PZEV stands for Partial Zero Emission Vehicle and it means that the 2010 Subaru Legacy emits 90% less smog-forming emissions. You know, those nasty little things that created a hole in the ozone. This one will be especially effective with women, but for the guys it’s worth mentioning that PZEV also means zero compromise in performance, unlike those ever-popular hybrids.
2O1O Legacy 2.5GT model shown.††
1
9
Tell a self-deprecating story Taking yourself down a notch isn’t easy for everyone but an embarrassing story is a great way to break the ice and let everyone know what an easygoing, good-natured guy you are. Given it’s the age of social networking, it will help if you can pull up a Facebook pic on your iPhone as a visual aid.
10
Be fashionably late It might be a bit counterintuitive but it’s easier to get into a conversation or start a new one when you arrive to a full room. It also puts you in control of who you’re speaking with. Scan the crowd, find your mark and unleash what you have learned.
Get the sedan that commands respect. INTRODUCING THE DYNAMIC JAPANESE ENGINEERED SUBARU LEGACY.
Even wildlife knows there is something different about the new Legacy. It’s a family sedan, but unlike others, it combines style and performance. Its bold new design, powerful SUBARU BOXER engine and symmetrical full-time All-Wheel Drive make it a car you can be proud to own. Your passengers will love the roominess, while you’ll love the excellent fuel economy. It’s easy to see why every man, woman and pigeon will appreciate the new Subaru Legacy.
2O1O LEGACY.
Well equipped from
$23,995
subaru.ca
†
†MSRP of $23,995 on 2010 Legacy 2.5i (AA125). ††Model shown is 2010 Legacy 2.5GT (AA1GTN), MSRP of $38,395. Freight, PDI, license, insurance, registration and taxes are extra. Vehicle shown solely for purposes of illustration and may not be equipped exactly as shown.
Guide Film
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
The Expendables: The Return of the Action Man
Stallone. Lundgren. Rourke. Statham. Li. In one movie. Together. This is not a joke. LEO PETACCIA Remember action movies? We sure as hell do. Never mind plot twists and international intrigue. We’re talking Gatling guns that never run out and high-speed shootouts between speedboats. War paint. Sweaty biceps. And the kind of explosions men walk, not run, away from. Seems like the last decade has seen the death of a certain kind of action hero. The kind who would stab you in the eye with an icicle or impale you on a steam pipe, then make a pun about it. This guy, staple of the best action flicks of the ’80s and ’90s, has all but vanished, forced to make way for the slyer, nimbler Jason Bournes of today. Not that there’s anything wrong with Matt Damon (see page 48), but sometimes when you’re facing an army of ruthless bad guys, kung fu and high-tech gadgetry just won’t cut it. Sometimes, you need a neverending stream of bullets and a few pithy one-liners to get ’er done. The Expendables is a triumphant return to form for not just Sly Stallone, who wrote and directed the film, but also Dolph Lundgren and Mickey Rourke. Throw in Jet Li and Jason Statham—no strangers to cinematic ass-kicking themselves—and you have what could be the first real action movie of the 21st century. The Gist: For reasons that are likely insignificant to the larger plot, the White House puts together a team of mercenaries to take out General Garza, the head of a brutal South American regime. Enter the “Expendables,” a heavily armed task force with only one goal: kill the Generalissimo, and blow up anything that gets in their way. Why It’s Worth It: All talk of body counts and gallows punnery aside, with this fiveheaded beast of a cast and millions of dollars worth of special effects at their disposal, this can’t be anything short of epic. That, and it may be the start of something even bigger. Stallone and producer Avi Lerner have already guaranteed that if The Expendables kills it at the box office, we can expect not one, but two sequels. When: Sources point to April 2010.
Three Essential DVDs for September Homicide (The Criterion Collection Edition): Veteran detective Bobby Gold (Joe Mantegna) is having a busy week: not only does he have to catch the FBI’s most wanted drug dealer, he has to figure out who snuffed an old Jewish lady in a candy shop, too. Gold wants no part of the latter, considering he’s got a bigger fish to fry, but when he spots a link between and the two, it leads him through a maze of strange encounters and murky clues to a Zionist group with an even deadlier secret. If you like your cop dramas rough and raw, David Mamet’s twist-filled, remastered classic is essential viewing. Fringe, Season One: If The X-Files and Lost had a lovechild, this would be it. Co-created by J.J. Abrams, Fringe explores all that lies on the “fringe” of scientific explanation (teleportation, invisibility, mind control—you get the picture). The show follows a scientist who’s spent the last 17 years in a loony bin, his mordant son and their quest to solve a string of bizarre crimes known ominously as “the Pattern.” Like Abrams’ other show, Lost, this one piles mystery upon mystery, which is occasionally frustrating, but no less addictive.
The Hangover: Before their pal Doug gets married, his best friends and brother-in-law to be (Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis) take him to Vegas for the mother of all stags. After a night of debauchery, Doug is MIA, Stu has lost a tooth, there’s a newborn baby in the closet, a tiger in the bathroom, and no one can remember a thing. Their frantic search for Doug leads to run-ins with a pint-sized Asian mobster, Mike Tyson, and a stripper named Jade (Heather Graham in her triumphant return from the straight-to-DVD rack). A faithful return to form for Old School director Todd Phillips, The Hangover is no less hilarious and profane.
34 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Guide Film
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
The Expendables: The Return of the Action Man
Stallone. Lundgren. Rourke. Statham. Li. In one movie. Together. This is not a joke. LEO PETACCIA Remember action movies? We sure as hell do. Never mind plot twists and international intrigue. We’re talking Gatling guns that never run out and high-speed shootouts between speedboats. War paint. Sweaty biceps. And the kind of explosions men walk, not run, away from. Seems like the last decade has seen the death of a certain kind of action hero. The kind who would stab you in the eye with an icicle or impale you on a steam pipe, then make a pun about it. This guy, staple of the best action flicks of the ’80s and ’90s, has all but vanished, forced to make way for the slyer, nimbler Jason Bournes of today. Not that there’s anything wrong with Matt Damon (see page 48), but sometimes when you’re facing an army of ruthless bad guys, kung fu and high-tech gadgetry just won’t cut it. Sometimes, you need a neverending stream of bullets and a few pithy one-liners to get ’er done. The Expendables is a triumphant return to form for not just Sly Stallone, who wrote and directed the film, but also Dolph Lundgren and Mickey Rourke. Throw in Jet Li and Jason Statham—no strangers to cinematic ass-kicking themselves—and you have what could be the first real action movie of the 21st century. The Gist: For reasons that are likely insignificant to the larger plot, the White House puts together a team of mercenaries to take out General Garza, the head of a brutal South American regime. Enter the “Expendables,” a heavily armed task force with only one goal: kill the Generalissimo, and blow up anything that gets in their way. Why It’s Worth It: All talk of body counts and gallows punnery aside, with this fiveheaded beast of a cast and millions of dollars worth of special effects at their disposal, this can’t be anything short of epic. That, and it may be the start of something even bigger. Stallone and producer Avi Lerner have already guaranteed that if The Expendables kills it at the box office, we can expect not one, but two sequels. When: Sources point to April 2010.
Three Essential DVDs for September Homicide (The Criterion Collection Edition): Veteran detective Bobby Gold (Joe Mantegna) is having a busy week: not only does he have to catch the FBI’s most wanted drug dealer, he has to figure out who snuffed an old Jewish lady in a candy shop, too. Gold wants no part of the latter, considering he’s got a bigger fish to fry, but when he spots a link between and the two, it leads him through a maze of strange encounters and murky clues to a Zionist group with an even deadlier secret. If you like your cop dramas rough and raw, David Mamet’s twist-filled, remastered classic is essential viewing. Fringe, Season One: If The X-Files and Lost had a lovechild, this would be it. Co-created by J.J. Abrams, Fringe explores all that lies on the “fringe” of scientific explanation (teleportation, invisibility, mind control—you get the picture). The show follows a scientist who’s spent the last 17 years in a loony bin, his mordant son and their quest to solve a string of bizarre crimes known ominously as “the Pattern.” Like Abrams’ other show, Lost, this one piles mystery upon mystery, which is occasionally frustrating, but no less addictive.
The Hangover: Before their pal Doug gets married, his best friends and brother-in-law to be (Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis) take him to Vegas for the mother of all stags. After a night of debauchery, Doug is MIA, Stu has lost a tooth, there’s a newborn baby in the closet, a tiger in the bathroom, and no one can remember a thing. Their frantic search for Doug leads to run-ins with a pint-sized Asian mobster, Mike Tyson, and a stripper named Jade (Heather Graham in her triumphant return from the straight-to-DVD rack). A faithful return to form for Old School director Todd Phillips, The Hangover is no less hilarious and profane.
34 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Guide Music
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
Don’t Fear the Reaper While most maturing musicians either burn out or fade away, some have what it takes to endure. Here are five time-tested artists who have managed to avoid the amusement park and casino circuit—or worse yet—the retirement home. MARK TEO Bruce Springsteen – Working on a Dream Sure, the Poet Laureate of the heartland might have garnered critical acclaim for his contribution to The Wrestler, but unlike Mickey Rourke, his career needed no resuscitation. Having reunited with the E-Street Band, his newest work is as exuberant as ever: 2007’s Magic shakes as effortlessly as Born to Run (sax solos and all), and 2009’s Working on a Dream finds the band surrounding Bruce’s heartfelt musings with lush, cinematic instrumentation. While he might fancy himself an everyman savant, his well-deserved status amongst rock ’n’ roll’s royalty—and his ticket prices—beg to differ.
Steve Earle – Townes Lately, the chatter at the Earle family reunions has been directed towards his son, Justin Townes, but Steve’s still been doing what he’s always done best—being roots rock’s raspy answer to Stephen Colbert. Long exiled by Nashville, country’s most revered, and reviled, gadfly has undergone a late-career renaissance. Along with the newly pressed Townes, a tribute to his friend-mentor Townes Van Zandt, his other recent recordings—specifically The Revolution Starts… Now and Jerusalem—have Earle penning facetious love songs to the sexless Condoleezza Rice (“Condi Condi”), crooning ballads from the perspective of American Taliban members (“John Walker’s Blues”), and snarling down-south critiques of America’s military-industrial complex (“Home to Houston”). As his gut swells in his Carlsberg years, so, too, apparently, do his cojones.
Elvis Costello – Secret, Profane & Sugarcane To us, Costello will always be the nasally voiced, wiry, bespectacled pub-rock hooligan from My Aim is True. But while he hasn’t duplicated a track on par with “Pump It Up” or even “Oliver’s Army,” Costello has been the model of consistency. Buoyed by his uncanny ability to write unforgettable vocal hooks, his latest albums, 2008’s Momofuku and 2009’s Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, are both solid additions to the contemporary pop canon, a testament to Costello’s longevity and jaw-dropping talent. At this point, it’s irrelevant if he’s performing with The Attractions, The Imposters, or guests on his television show, Spectacle. We’ll be listening.
Neil Young – Fork in the Road Cattle and grain might be considered Manitoba’s most notable exports, but we’d like to add one more to the list: Neil Young. Need proof? He has four multi-platinum, seven platinum, and a whopping ten gold albums to his name. And he’s not finished. His latest opus, the freshly minted Fork in the Road, finds him laying off the amphetamines and concentrating on… electric hybrids? You read that correctly: Fork targets gas guzzlers to the tune of his loudest, and most urgent, songs in recent memory.
Bob Dylan – Together Through Life We’ll be honest – Bob Dylan has made numerous missteps throughout his half-century-long catalogue. Going electric, the born-again period, and the entire decade of the 1980s weren’t always memorable, to say the least. However, his songwriting has been parabolic in quality and, true to the title of his 2000 award-winning single “Things Have Changed,” he’s gotten himself back on track. While not as risqué as he has been in the past, 2009’s Together Through Life has Dylan doing what he does best: irreverent, literate Americana. Thankfully.
New Singer, Old Songs
through these eyes songbird the very thought of you willow weep for me my romance days of wine and roses I love Paris 7) how high the moon 8) but beautiful 9) little girl blue 10) dinji 11) wee small hours/dream 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
(duet with mark masri)
12) 13)
moonlight in vt I'm glad there is you
t h ro u g h t h e s e eye s
KAR I NA ZORN
Karina Zorn – Through These Eyes While the lives of jazz legends are cut short as often as their rock counterparts, their songs live on to be reinterpreted by contemporary artists. An elegant, distinctive vocalist, Karina Zorn’s Through These Eyes is a soothing slice of jazz belying her age and era. Accompanied by celebrated performers such as Guido Bassel, Terry Clarke, and Mike Murley, Zorn’s debut proves that not only is she willing to play with the best, she’s more than worthy of their songs. www.karinazorn.com For an interview with Karina Zorn visit Sharpformen.com.
36 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Guide Music
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
Don’t Fear the Reaper While most maturing musicians either burn out or fade away, some have what it takes to endure. Here are five time-tested artists who have managed to avoid the amusement park and casino circuit—or worse yet—the retirement home. MARK TEO Bruce Springsteen – Working on a Dream Sure, the Poet Laureate of the heartland might have garnered critical acclaim for his contribution to The Wrestler, but unlike Mickey Rourke, his career needed no resuscitation. Having reunited with the E-Street Band, his newest work is as exuberant as ever: 2007’s Magic shakes as effortlessly as Born to Run (sax solos and all), and 2009’s Working on a Dream finds the band surrounding Bruce’s heartfelt musings with lush, cinematic instrumentation. While he might fancy himself an everyman savant, his well-deserved status amongst rock ’n’ roll’s royalty—and his ticket prices—beg to differ.
Steve Earle – Townes Lately, the chatter at the Earle family reunions has been directed towards his son, Justin Townes, but Steve’s still been doing what he’s always done best—being roots rock’s raspy answer to Stephen Colbert. Long exiled by Nashville, country’s most revered, and reviled, gadfly has undergone a late-career renaissance. Along with the newly pressed Townes, a tribute to his friend-mentor Townes Van Zandt, his other recent recordings—specifically The Revolution Starts… Now and Jerusalem—have Earle penning facetious love songs to the sexless Condoleezza Rice (“Condi Condi”), crooning ballads from the perspective of American Taliban members (“John Walker’s Blues”), and snarling down-south critiques of America’s military-industrial complex (“Home to Houston”). As his gut swells in his Carlsberg years, so, too, apparently, do his cojones.
Elvis Costello – Secret, Profane & Sugarcane To us, Costello will always be the nasally voiced, wiry, bespectacled pub-rock hooligan from My Aim is True. But while he hasn’t duplicated a track on par with “Pump It Up” or even “Oliver’s Army,” Costello has been the model of consistency. Buoyed by his uncanny ability to write unforgettable vocal hooks, his latest albums, 2008’s Momofuku and 2009’s Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, are both solid additions to the contemporary pop canon, a testament to Costello’s longevity and jaw-dropping talent. At this point, it’s irrelevant if he’s performing with The Attractions, The Imposters, or guests on his television show, Spectacle. We’ll be listening.
Neil Young – Fork in the Road Cattle and grain might be considered Manitoba’s most notable exports, but we’d like to add one more to the list: Neil Young. Need proof? He has four multi-platinum, seven platinum, and a whopping ten gold albums to his name. And he’s not finished. His latest opus, the freshly minted Fork in the Road, finds him laying off the amphetamines and concentrating on… electric hybrids? You read that correctly: Fork targets gas guzzlers to the tune of his loudest, and most urgent, songs in recent memory.
Bob Dylan – Together Through Life We’ll be honest – Bob Dylan has made numerous missteps throughout his half-century-long catalogue. Going electric, the born-again period, and the entire decade of the 1980s weren’t always memorable, to say the least. However, his songwriting has been parabolic in quality and, true to the title of his 2000 award-winning single “Things Have Changed,” he’s gotten himself back on track. While not as risqué as he has been in the past, 2009’s Together Through Life has Dylan doing what he does best: irreverent, literate Americana. Thankfully.
New Singer, Old Songs
through these eyes songbird the very thought of you willow weep for me my romance days of wine and roses I love Paris 7) how high the moon 8) but beautiful 9) little girl blue 10) dinji 11) wee small hours/dream 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
(duet with mark masri)
12) 13)
moonlight in vt I'm glad there is you
t h ro u g h t h e s e eye s
KAR I NA ZORN
Karina Zorn – Through These Eyes While the lives of jazz legends are cut short as often as their rock counterparts, their songs live on to be reinterpreted by contemporary artists. An elegant, distinctive vocalist, Karina Zorn’s Through These Eyes is a soothing slice of jazz belying her age and era. Accompanied by celebrated performers such as Guido Bassel, Terry Clarke, and Mike Murley, Zorn’s debut proves that not only is she willing to play with the best, she’s more than worthy of their songs. www.karinazorn.com For an interview with Karina Zorn visit Sharpformen.com.
36 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Guide Grooming
L O O K B E T T E R • F E E L B E T T E R Safety: • K N O0.50" W MORE
Your Locker Room Essentials Taking care of your skin is as important as anything you do in your workout. Eight essential products for a well-stocked gym bag.
The benefits of regular exercise are widely catalogued, as are the advantages of having a ripped set of guns. And, yet, it’s easy to miss the collateral damage your skin suffers during a hard workout. Excessive sweating clogs pores. Oily skin can make for acne. Microscopically, it can get nasty. No matter the size of your quads, these products are as vital to your well-being as that bench press. Gillette Style Sculpting Paste – Your scalp produces enough sebum—a natural oil our skin secretes to stave off bacteria—as it is. When you add sweating to the picture, you double the sebum (not a good thing). Ditch the greasy waxes and oily gels for something with light control and a clean, tidy look. $8 Terre d’Hermes Parfum – This is a scent for all seasons. Top notes of fresh orange will remind you of summer. As it settles, subtle hints of vetiver come through, making for a slightly spicier base. Besides a towel, it should be the first thing that touches your skin postshower. $115 (75 ml) Man Space Facial Cleansing Equalizer – Cardio machines can do wonders for your health, but quite the opposite for your pores. Use this mild cleanser—enriched with hydrating qualities like wheat protein and Swiss glacier water—to keep a clean, smooth complexion. $30 Clinique for Men Electric Shave Primer – Made with the most sensitive of skin types in mind, it’s designed specifically for the
closest electric shave possible, softening and lifting your coarsest hairs in the process. Pour a bit into your hands, work it into your scruff, wait 10 seconds, then start clipping. $20 Clarins Men Total Shampoo – To avoid gym bag clutter, be creative and look for products that can multitask. Try a body wash, shampoo and conditioner in one, like this one. It’ll leave your skin feeling refreshed while your hair receives its necessary vitamins and conditioning. $30 The Art of Shaving After Shave Balm – Even if shaving at the gym isn’t your thing, it’s never a bad idea to rub a bit of this on your mug after you wash. Made with vitamin C, grapeseed and shea extracts, it makes for an ideal recovery lotion, softening and replenishing your skin just like a regular moisturizer would. $60 Braun Series 7 Shaver – It is to shaving what Dyson is to vacuuming: the best for the job. The built-in Smart Foil technology captures hairs growing in different directions and its Flip-Out Trimmer is perfect for cleaning up your sideburns, armpits and other zones in need of a little manscaping. $340 Zegna Colonia Deodorant – It’s quick-drying, long lasting, alcohol-free and, best of all, it won’t leave any of those nasty white clumps behind like those other deodorants. Consider it a staple for your gym bag. $20. Safety: 0.50"
38 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
photo: Robert watson
Trim: 10.75"
Guide Grooming
L O O K B E T T E R • F E E L B E T T E R Safety: • K N O0.50" W MORE
Your Locker Room Essentials Taking care of your skin is as important as anything you do in your workout. Eight essential products for a well-stocked gym bag.
The benefits of regular exercise are widely catalogued, as are the advantages of having a ripped set of guns. And, yet, it’s easy to miss the collateral damage your skin suffers during a hard workout. Excessive sweating clogs pores. Oily skin can make for acne. Microscopically, it can get nasty. No matter the size of your quads, these products are as vital to your well-being as that bench press. Gillette Style Sculpting Paste – Your scalp produces enough sebum—a natural oil our skin secretes to stave off bacteria—as it is. When you add sweating to the picture, you double the sebum (not a good thing). Ditch the greasy waxes and oily gels for something with light control and a clean, tidy look. $8 Terre d’Hermes Parfum – This is a scent for all seasons. Top notes of fresh orange will remind you of summer. As it settles, subtle hints of vetiver come through, making for a slightly spicier base. Besides a towel, it should be the first thing that touches your skin postshower. $115 (75 ml) Man Space Facial Cleansing Equalizer – Cardio machines can do wonders for your health, but quite the opposite for your pores. Use this mild cleanser—enriched with hydrating qualities like wheat protein and Swiss glacier water—to keep a clean, smooth complexion. $30 Clinique for Men Electric Shave Primer – Made with the most sensitive of skin types in mind, it’s designed specifically for the
closest electric shave possible, softening and lifting your coarsest hairs in the process. Pour a bit into your hands, work it into your scruff, wait 10 seconds, then start clipping. $20 Clarins Men Total Shampoo – To avoid gym bag clutter, be creative and look for products that can multitask. Try a body wash, shampoo and conditioner in one, like this one. It’ll leave your skin feeling refreshed while your hair receives its necessary vitamins and conditioning. $30 The Art of Shaving After Shave Balm – Even if shaving at the gym isn’t your thing, it’s never a bad idea to rub a bit of this on your mug after you wash. Made with vitamin C, grapeseed and shea extracts, it makes for an ideal recovery lotion, softening and replenishing your skin just like a regular moisturizer would. $60 Braun Series 7 Shaver – It is to shaving what Dyson is to vacuuming: the best for the job. The built-in Smart Foil technology captures hairs growing in different directions and its Flip-Out Trimmer is perfect for cleaning up your sideburns, armpits and other zones in need of a little manscaping. $340 Zegna Colonia Deodorant – It’s quick-drying, long lasting, alcohol-free and, best of all, it won’t leave any of those nasty white clumps behind like those other deodorants. Consider it a staple for your gym bag. $20. Safety: 0.50"
38 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
photo: Robert watson
Trim: 10.75"
Guide Style & Books
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
Tips from a Butler
One Hundred Years of Menswear
Lesson 1: Packing the perfect suitcase
The best way to know where fashion’s going? Take a look at where it’s been.
The Rare Book: Take Ivy
1.
We’re guessing you probably don’t have access to a butler. If you did you’d have no reason to read this—you could just ask him. A good butler can fold a fitted sheet, set a table for a state dinner and remove every kind of stain imaginable from a wide variety of surfaces. Even if you’re not having Jeb Bush over for dinner, any man can appreciate the merits of a flawlessly packed a suitcase. We consulted master butler Charles MacPherson on the subject, and here’s what he had to say. • To ensure wrinkle-free trousers, lay them flat with seams facing vertically, and roll them lengthwise. • The true bottom of your suitcase is the end where the hinges are—put the heaviest things there to avoid crushing the rest. • Shoe bags will not only keep your clothes from getting shoe dirt on them, but protect your footwear from scuffing on errant zippers and buttons. • To keep shirts crease-free, insert sheets of folded tissue paper into the body and rolled sheets of tissue into the sleeves before folding them. Concentrate the paper anywhere the shirt is
1.
2.
3.
folded—the more volume an item of clothing has in these areas when it’s packed, the less likely it is to wrinkle. Folding a suit jacket: 1. Place your hands directly under the shoulders of the jacket, so the sleeves are facing away from you at a 90-degree angle. 2. Push the shoulders together, and then flip one inside out, so that one shoulder of the jacket is nestled inside the other and the lining of the jacket is facing outwards. 3. Make sure the collar is still folded correctly, and the two halves of the jacket are aligned. 4. Fold the jacket once lengthwise over your arm. 5. Smooth out any creases, and pack towards the top of your suitcase.
4.
5.
2.
3.
4.
There’s a picture on page 15 of One Hundred Years of Menswear. It’s of two men in black overcoats, taken from a 1910 advertisement. But the first thought you have isn’t about the age of the photograph, or that the clothing is outdated. The first thing you think is, “Damn, that suit looks sharp.” Some fashion is timeless, and this book shows us why. Cally Blackman’s new encyclopædic tome chronicles the very best things to happen in men’s fashion in the last century through artfully selected photography and illustrations, from Belle Époque to punk and beyond. The usual suspects are all there, Bogie looking debonair with his trenchcoat and dangling cigarette, James Dean looking angsty with his cuffed Levis and Johnny Rotten looking, well, rotten (but also very stylish) in leather and safety pins. Alongside these style icons, the book also touches on the more obscure (and sometimes regrettable) fashion moments of the century, which, unintentionally amusing as they may be, are no less important to the picture as a whole. While the book’s collected photographs would be worthwhile by themselves, Blackman pairs them with choice anecdotes to illustrate how society at large was changed by these fashions and by the men who pioneered them. Taken together, it makes for a comprehensive look at not just how menswear evolved over the last century, but also why. Not that fashion ever really makes sense, but if one thing is certain, it’s that what’s old will eventually be new again. Hence, an understanding of how things got to where they are is essential for anyone with an interest in predicting where they are going next. And if you’re reading this, that probably means you. WILLIAM STODALKA
It must have been a sight. Three Japanese men roaming around Ivy League campuses in 1968, taking photos of students on their way to class. Now, of course, prep style is everywhere from Urban Outfitters to Holt Renfrew, but in the late sixties, at the height of Flower Power, this was not the case. In fact, for photographer Teruyoshi Hayashida to be paying attention to a handful of WASPy guys in boat shoes and no socks, when everyone else was trying to see how many strings of love beads they could incorporate into an outfit, was nothing short of brilliant. With the resurgence of Ivy League style, the book itself, long out of print, has become a collector’s piece, with first editions snapped up for over a grand on eBay. Reprints go for slightly less, but are still hard to find. For anyone with an appreciation for Ivy League style and a yen for collectible books, this one’s worth tracking down. Take Ivy by Teruyoshi Hayashida.
Charles MacPherson is the chairman and CEO of Charles MacPherson Associates Inc., North America’s only permanent academy for butlers and household managers. In addition to training staff for the stately homes, hotels and ocean liners of the world, MacPherson is the author of The Butler & Househould Manager’s Compendium, due out this fall, the most comprehensive guide of its kind. www.charlesmacpherson.com
40 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
photos: Paul koziorowski
One Hundred Years of Menswear by Cally Blackman, Laurence King Publishing. $52 at Indigo and Chapters. photos: 1. W. G. Philips/Phillips/Getty Images, 2. Peter Turnley/Corbis 3. Stephen Jones courtesy of Iain McKell, 4. Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 41
Guide Style & Books
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
Tips from a Butler
One Hundred Years of Menswear
Lesson 1: Packing the perfect suitcase
The best way to know where fashion’s going? Take a look at where it’s been.
The Rare Book: Take Ivy
1.
We’re guessing you probably don’t have access to a butler. If you did you’d have no reason to read this—you could just ask him. A good butler can fold a fitted sheet, set a table for a state dinner and remove every kind of stain imaginable from a wide variety of surfaces. Even if you’re not having Jeb Bush over for dinner, any man can appreciate the merits of a flawlessly packed a suitcase. We consulted master butler Charles MacPherson on the subject, and here’s what he had to say. • To ensure wrinkle-free trousers, lay them flat with seams facing vertically, and roll them lengthwise. • The true bottom of your suitcase is the end where the hinges are—put the heaviest things there to avoid crushing the rest. • Shoe bags will not only keep your clothes from getting shoe dirt on them, but protect your footwear from scuffing on errant zippers and buttons. • To keep shirts crease-free, insert sheets of folded tissue paper into the body and rolled sheets of tissue into the sleeves before folding them. Concentrate the paper anywhere the shirt is
1.
2.
3.
folded—the more volume an item of clothing has in these areas when it’s packed, the less likely it is to wrinkle. Folding a suit jacket: 1. Place your hands directly under the shoulders of the jacket, so the sleeves are facing away from you at a 90-degree angle. 2. Push the shoulders together, and then flip one inside out, so that one shoulder of the jacket is nestled inside the other and the lining of the jacket is facing outwards. 3. Make sure the collar is still folded correctly, and the two halves of the jacket are aligned. 4. Fold the jacket once lengthwise over your arm. 5. Smooth out any creases, and pack towards the top of your suitcase.
4.
5.
2.
3.
4.
There’s a picture on page 15 of One Hundred Years of Menswear. It’s of two men in black overcoats, taken from a 1910 advertisement. But the first thought you have isn’t about the age of the photograph, or that the clothing is outdated. The first thing you think is, “Damn, that suit looks sharp.” Some fashion is timeless, and this book shows us why. Cally Blackman’s new encyclopædic tome chronicles the very best things to happen in men’s fashion in the last century through artfully selected photography and illustrations, from Belle Époque to punk and beyond. The usual suspects are all there, Bogie looking debonair with his trenchcoat and dangling cigarette, James Dean looking angsty with his cuffed Levis and Johnny Rotten looking, well, rotten (but also very stylish) in leather and safety pins. Alongside these style icons, the book also touches on the more obscure (and sometimes regrettable) fashion moments of the century, which, unintentionally amusing as they may be, are no less important to the picture as a whole. While the book’s collected photographs would be worthwhile by themselves, Blackman pairs them with choice anecdotes to illustrate how society at large was changed by these fashions and by the men who pioneered them. Taken together, it makes for a comprehensive look at not just how menswear evolved over the last century, but also why. Not that fashion ever really makes sense, but if one thing is certain, it’s that what’s old will eventually be new again. Hence, an understanding of how things got to where they are is essential for anyone with an interest in predicting where they are going next. And if you’re reading this, that probably means you. WILLIAM STODALKA
It must have been a sight. Three Japanese men roaming around Ivy League campuses in 1968, taking photos of students on their way to class. Now, of course, prep style is everywhere from Urban Outfitters to Holt Renfrew, but in the late sixties, at the height of Flower Power, this was not the case. In fact, for photographer Teruyoshi Hayashida to be paying attention to a handful of WASPy guys in boat shoes and no socks, when everyone else was trying to see how many strings of love beads they could incorporate into an outfit, was nothing short of brilliant. With the resurgence of Ivy League style, the book itself, long out of print, has become a collector’s piece, with first editions snapped up for over a grand on eBay. Reprints go for slightly less, but are still hard to find. For anyone with an appreciation for Ivy League style and a yen for collectible books, this one’s worth tracking down. Take Ivy by Teruyoshi Hayashida.
Charles MacPherson is the chairman and CEO of Charles MacPherson Associates Inc., North America’s only permanent academy for butlers and household managers. In addition to training staff for the stately homes, hotels and ocean liners of the world, MacPherson is the author of The Butler & Househould Manager’s Compendium, due out this fall, the most comprehensive guide of its kind. www.charlesmacpherson.com
40 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
photos: Paul koziorowski
One Hundred Years of Menswear by Cally Blackman, Laurence King Publishing. $52 at Indigo and Chapters. photos: 1. W. G. Philips/Phillips/Getty Images, 2. Peter Turnley/Corbis 3. Stephen Jones courtesy of Iain McKell, 4. Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 41
Guide Food & Drink
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
Chef Michael Smith
The host of Chef Abroad discusses cooking with saliva and the best way to grill a kangaroo.
The After-Dinner Drink When dessert meets cocktails, everybody wins.
It’s a ritual almost as old as the meal itself: retiring to the library for after-dinner drinks, maybe with a cigar as you sink into an armchair in the dark-paneled room. The crystal decanters come out, and the talk turns to manly things late into the night. Okay, so maybe you don’t have a library. Or even an armchair. You can still be the perfect host when dinner is finished, and that’s more than just another round of brewskies. This is when you sit down and really pay attention to what you’re drinking. You don’t want a sharp or icy drink—they’re meant to whet the appetite. Instead, you want rich, full-bodied flavours, served at room temperature or even warm. As the coffee’s handed out, be sure there are bottles of Baileys, sambuca or grappa on the table, so guests can doctor their java as they please. While PEI chef Michael Smith’s name may be somewhat nondescript, his face will be immediately familiar to anyone who watches the Food Network. Which is pretty much everybody these days. His shows, The Inn Chef, Chef at Large, Chef at Home and Chef Abroad are in constant rotation here in Smith’s homeland, as well as in more than 65 other countries around the world. In addition to these, he’s got cookbooks, a line of cookware and a contract to orchestrate meals for hundreds of Canadian athletes and personnel at the Vancouver Olympics. In TV chef terms, he’s a pretty big deal. In the new season of Chef Abroad, Smith continues to travel the globe in search of hitherto unknown culinary delights. We chatted with him about some of the high points. We heard you had the opportunity to cook kangaroo recently in Australia…how does one do that? We dug a big hole in the ground and filled it up with fire and burned it down to coals. Then you sort of take the tail, still covered in fur, and sit it on the coals and the fur chars, and you’re then able to peel off the skin. Then we season it with some wild spices and wrap it in tinfoil, put it in the coals and cover it with more coals and roast it right in the coals. It tasted like venison. Like good, non-gamey deer. The best meat, apparently, is in the tail, and there’s some backstrap, which would be the loin as I understand it. But the tail is considered to be the best part. Who knew? Yeah…and that’s just a great example of the sort of things that we’ve found around the world, sort of letting go of our western perspective on what food is and what it should be and what it shouldn’t be, and trying to immerse yourself in a culture and learn more about that culture through our common ground of food.
The new season of Chef Abroad is now airing on Food Network. The Best of Chef at Home is now available from Whitecap Books.
42 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
With all of this adventurous eating, you must occasionally run into things that aren’t quite so tasty. Any good stories there? We were deep in the rainforest in northeastern Peru, with a tribe of indigenous people, spending a week with them doing all kinds of different things. It’s the matriarch that’s doing all of the cooking and I’m helping her out, and at one point we’ve got this pot of boiled cassava root and water. So she dumps it into this trough and mashes it all up, then she draws a line through the middle and goes into her half, takes a big mouthful and starts chewing it. So I take a big mouthful and start chewing it. But she doesn’t swallow it, she keeps chewing it and spits it back into the mixture and I’m expected to do the same on my side. We all have odd aversions to food. I have a particular aversion to thick white food. I don’t like cream cheese, I don’t like yogurt, I don’t like sour cream, I don’t like mayonnaise, and here we are chewing all this white cassava root and spitting it in and I’m trying to be respectful; this is their culture and it’s not my place to form a judgment about it and all these things. And then she spits into my side. And that’s when it sort of went off the rails, and I had to excuse myself. Because there’s no way I was going to get any of her stuff into my mouth and chew it and all this. What was she making? It turns out that what we were making was called masato, and it’s a jungle hooch, basically. The enzymes in our saliva get fermenting in this carbohydrate-rich environment and it’s an extraordinarily efficient way of concentrating nutrients in a given volume of cassava root. So you didn’t try any? Later that day we sit down for dinner, we’ve long forgotten the whole “incident,” and wouldn’t you know it, last week’s masato is now being passed around the table. Now, part of the challenge for all of us in all forms of travel is you’ve got to sort of let go of those preconceptions and be in the moment and be respectful and intellectualize it. I sucked it down, it was actually kind of fruity and didn’t taste bad at all. But I didn’t take seconds on it. So, yeah, it’s not all good, but it’s always an interesting experience.
Brandy and cognac are traditional, of course, and given a choice, we’ll happily sip a glass of Hennessy Paradis Extra Rare (about $450). Otherwise, cognacs such as Hennessy VSOP or Courvoisier VSOP (each about $85) will gently ease us into after-dinner conversation. In place of a traditional dessert, arrange sliced apples and pears (dip them in water heavily spiked with lemon juice, so they don’t turn brown), grapes, and fresh or dried figs on a large platter. Add two or three types of cheeses, such as aged cheddar, Stilton or Morbier, a rich cheese with a thin layer of ash through the middle. Finally, add a handful of roasted nuts, and a mound of rough-cut chocolate chunks, the darkest and richest you can find—say, a chili-spiced version from Toronto’s Soma, if you can. Now, open two or three types of port. It’ll last for weeks in the bottle, so you can store what’s left. Despite the romance of dusty bottles brought up from the cellar, most ports are sold ready to drink, including late bottled vintage and aged tawny port. We’re quite fond of those from Taylor Fladgate, which range from about $35 for a ten-year-old to about $220 for a rich, chewy 40-year veteran.
Tom & Jerry As with many older recipes, there are several ways to make this drink. Separating the egg makes it foamier, although it can also be beaten whole. Water makes a light drink, milk a thicker one. Stir continuously
Did you think we’d forget cocktails? You know us better than that. True, most concoctions are best pre- rather than postdinner, but we’ll gladly trade coffee for a mug of hot grog. Hot buttered rum is a snap to put together—two ounces dark rum, a squeeze of lemon, a teaspoon of brown sugar, fill with boiling water and float a spoonful of butter on top—but we feel it’s time to bring back the Tom & Jerry, a 160-year-old recipe for a warm, boozy nog.
when adding the hot liquid, so the egg blends smoothly.
And don’t overlook an after-dinner beer, which should be hearty and served cool, rather than cold, to bring out the flavour. We like Innis & Gunn, made in Scotland and matured in whiskey barrels, giving it a spirited edge that’s a fine end to a good meal. CARSON EDWARDS
Beat the egg white and yolk separately until thick, and then combine in
1 egg, separated 1 tsp sugar 1 oz dark rum 1 oz brandy ½ tsp vanilla ¾ cup boiling water or very hot milk
a heatproof mug. Add the sugar, spirits and vanilla. Stir in water or milk; if desired, top with a pinch of ground cloves or nutmeg.
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 43
Guide Food & Drink
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
Chef Michael Smith
The host of Chef Abroad discusses cooking with saliva and the best way to grill a kangaroo.
The After-Dinner Drink When dessert meets cocktails, everybody wins.
It’s a ritual almost as old as the meal itself: retiring to the library for after-dinner drinks, maybe with a cigar as you sink into an armchair in the dark-paneled room. The crystal decanters come out, and the talk turns to manly things late into the night. Okay, so maybe you don’t have a library. Or even an armchair. You can still be the perfect host when dinner is finished, and that’s more than just another round of brewskies. This is when you sit down and really pay attention to what you’re drinking. You don’t want a sharp or icy drink—they’re meant to whet the appetite. Instead, you want rich, full-bodied flavours, served at room temperature or even warm. As the coffee’s handed out, be sure there are bottles of Baileys, sambuca or grappa on the table, so guests can doctor their java as they please. While PEI chef Michael Smith’s name may be somewhat nondescript, his face will be immediately familiar to anyone who watches the Food Network. Which is pretty much everybody these days. His shows, The Inn Chef, Chef at Large, Chef at Home and Chef Abroad are in constant rotation here in Smith’s homeland, as well as in more than 65 other countries around the world. In addition to these, he’s got cookbooks, a line of cookware and a contract to orchestrate meals for hundreds of Canadian athletes and personnel at the Vancouver Olympics. In TV chef terms, he’s a pretty big deal. In the new season of Chef Abroad, Smith continues to travel the globe in search of hitherto unknown culinary delights. We chatted with him about some of the high points. We heard you had the opportunity to cook kangaroo recently in Australia…how does one do that? We dug a big hole in the ground and filled it up with fire and burned it down to coals. Then you sort of take the tail, still covered in fur, and sit it on the coals and the fur chars, and you’re then able to peel off the skin. Then we season it with some wild spices and wrap it in tinfoil, put it in the coals and cover it with more coals and roast it right in the coals. It tasted like venison. Like good, non-gamey deer. The best meat, apparently, is in the tail, and there’s some backstrap, which would be the loin as I understand it. But the tail is considered to be the best part. Who knew? Yeah…and that’s just a great example of the sort of things that we’ve found around the world, sort of letting go of our western perspective on what food is and what it should be and what it shouldn’t be, and trying to immerse yourself in a culture and learn more about that culture through our common ground of food.
The new season of Chef Abroad is now airing on Food Network. The Best of Chef at Home is now available from Whitecap Books.
42 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
With all of this adventurous eating, you must occasionally run into things that aren’t quite so tasty. Any good stories there? We were deep in the rainforest in northeastern Peru, with a tribe of indigenous people, spending a week with them doing all kinds of different things. It’s the matriarch that’s doing all of the cooking and I’m helping her out, and at one point we’ve got this pot of boiled cassava root and water. So she dumps it into this trough and mashes it all up, then she draws a line through the middle and goes into her half, takes a big mouthful and starts chewing it. So I take a big mouthful and start chewing it. But she doesn’t swallow it, she keeps chewing it and spits it back into the mixture and I’m expected to do the same on my side. We all have odd aversions to food. I have a particular aversion to thick white food. I don’t like cream cheese, I don’t like yogurt, I don’t like sour cream, I don’t like mayonnaise, and here we are chewing all this white cassava root and spitting it in and I’m trying to be respectful; this is their culture and it’s not my place to form a judgment about it and all these things. And then she spits into my side. And that’s when it sort of went off the rails, and I had to excuse myself. Because there’s no way I was going to get any of her stuff into my mouth and chew it and all this. What was she making? It turns out that what we were making was called masato, and it’s a jungle hooch, basically. The enzymes in our saliva get fermenting in this carbohydrate-rich environment and it’s an extraordinarily efficient way of concentrating nutrients in a given volume of cassava root. So you didn’t try any? Later that day we sit down for dinner, we’ve long forgotten the whole “incident,” and wouldn’t you know it, last week’s masato is now being passed around the table. Now, part of the challenge for all of us in all forms of travel is you’ve got to sort of let go of those preconceptions and be in the moment and be respectful and intellectualize it. I sucked it down, it was actually kind of fruity and didn’t taste bad at all. But I didn’t take seconds on it. So, yeah, it’s not all good, but it’s always an interesting experience.
Brandy and cognac are traditional, of course, and given a choice, we’ll happily sip a glass of Hennessy Paradis Extra Rare (about $450). Otherwise, cognacs such as Hennessy VSOP or Courvoisier VSOP (each about $85) will gently ease us into after-dinner conversation. In place of a traditional dessert, arrange sliced apples and pears (dip them in water heavily spiked with lemon juice, so they don’t turn brown), grapes, and fresh or dried figs on a large platter. Add two or three types of cheeses, such as aged cheddar, Stilton or Morbier, a rich cheese with a thin layer of ash through the middle. Finally, add a handful of roasted nuts, and a mound of rough-cut chocolate chunks, the darkest and richest you can find—say, a chili-spiced version from Toronto’s Soma, if you can. Now, open two or three types of port. It’ll last for weeks in the bottle, so you can store what’s left. Despite the romance of dusty bottles brought up from the cellar, most ports are sold ready to drink, including late bottled vintage and aged tawny port. We’re quite fond of those from Taylor Fladgate, which range from about $35 for a ten-year-old to about $220 for a rich, chewy 40-year veteran.
Tom & Jerry As with many older recipes, there are several ways to make this drink. Separating the egg makes it foamier, although it can also be beaten whole. Water makes a light drink, milk a thicker one. Stir continuously
Did you think we’d forget cocktails? You know us better than that. True, most concoctions are best pre- rather than postdinner, but we’ll gladly trade coffee for a mug of hot grog. Hot buttered rum is a snap to put together—two ounces dark rum, a squeeze of lemon, a teaspoon of brown sugar, fill with boiling water and float a spoonful of butter on top—but we feel it’s time to bring back the Tom & Jerry, a 160-year-old recipe for a warm, boozy nog.
when adding the hot liquid, so the egg blends smoothly.
And don’t overlook an after-dinner beer, which should be hearty and served cool, rather than cold, to bring out the flavour. We like Innis & Gunn, made in Scotland and matured in whiskey barrels, giving it a spirited edge that’s a fine end to a good meal. CARSON EDWARDS
Beat the egg white and yolk separately until thick, and then combine in
1 egg, separated 1 tsp sugar 1 oz dark rum 1 oz brandy ½ tsp vanilla ¾ cup boiling water or very hot milk
a heatproof mug. Add the sugar, spirits and vanilla. Stir in water or milk; if desired, top with a pinch of ground cloves or nutmeg.
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 43
Guide Sex & Health
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
Is My Fetish Normal?
A reader writes: Help me out. Recently, I visited a fetish sex site, just out of curiosity. I couldn’t believe it, but some of the stuff was starting to turn me on. What’s wrong with me?
Do You Need Mr Blue?
It never happens to us, we swear. But if it did, we’d have some questions. Sharp consults Dr. Mel Borins, MD on the delicate issues surrounding the little blue pill. Patients often come to me seeking help with their sex lives, and more often than not that involves erectile dysfunction. The truth is, not being able to get or maintain an erection is quite common, especially as we get older. Studies say that up to 50% of men between the ages of 40 and 70 experience erectile dysfunction. Furthermore, up to 75% of men with sexual problems may not go to their physicians for help, which is unfortunate, because some of these problems are treated quite successfully.
Relax. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. And unless your pleasure involves non-consenting participants—human, animal or otherwise—then there’s nothing that needs to be “fixed.” Some see fetishes as abnormal, and they usually blame the Internet for it. People who think like that have problems even I can’t solve. If you don’t have the inclination in the first place, then seeing someone doing it isn’t going to change your mind. But if you are programmed for a fetish, then bless the Internet! Lots of us are very happy, or relieved, to discover we’re not the only ones out there— and we’re certainly not sick or twisted for whatever turns us on. Others might even have wondered what was lacking in their sex lives, only to find out what it was they craved by seeing it on their computer screens. No matter what it is, there’s someone out there who likes it. That ranges from things even the mainstream considers “normal”— stiletto heels, corsets, Uma Thurman sucking a milkshake through a straw—to stuff not normally considered sexual, including balloons, bandages, sneezing, crushing, and possibly the most misunderstood one of the moment, furry animal costumes. There are many terms out there: preference, deviant desire, variation, fetish and so on. But whatever you call it, there are levels. For some people, it’s just icing on the cake—sex can be more fun with it, but it’s not absolutely necessary. For others, the fetish is everything, and they can’t achieve sexual arousal or satisfaction without
it. That’s not sick or wrong, not by any stretch, but it can make it tougher to find a partner who’s equally involved. For that matter, let’s be brutally honest—it isn’t always easy to hook up even on simple preferences. There’s no foolproof method for enticing your partner to try sex in a bathtub of baked beans or while wearing a horse harness. No matter what, remember this: you have to treat it sincerely, and, more importantly, she has to know that she’s more important than the preference. You don’t want to be loved for your money or your car, and likewise, your partner wants to be more than just a pair of thigh-high leather boots or a latex body suit. So sit her down with a glass of wine, and tell her there’s something you’ve always wanted to do. Be straightforward, but don’t press the issue—in my books, the person who says “No, I don’t wanna” is the one who calls the shots. But there’s a good chance that after you’ve agonized for days over how to ask her, she’ll say, “That’s it? Well, let’s go to it!” If, on the other hand, her response is, “You need to see a shrink/counselor/ the police,” then run the other way. Now, what about her? Women have preferences, too. Even if you’re happy with vanilla, ask if there’s something out of the ordinary that turns her on. I once had a partner with a preference. It wasn’t something I’d do for myself, but he was so turned on that it was hot for me to do it for him. And whether it’s fetish or not, that’s what sex is all about. SHANNA
Finding your particular fancy on the Internet is as simple as a Google search. Look for sites that treat preferences respectfully and give you an opportunity to look around before (or instead of) asking for your credit card number. I like the UK-based Skin Two, which is both a print and online magazine, at www.skintwo.co.uk. Most adult stores carry fetish videos, along with gear. If you pay a lot, make sure you’re getting quality. Check out Toronto’s North Bound Leather at www.northbound.com, which also sells hard-to-find items for serious play. And visit www.everythingtodowithsex.com to see if there’s an event near you.
44 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Causes Erectile dysfunction can have many causes. I have had patients who lose their erections because of emotional difficulties, stress or from using alcohol excessively. Occasionally, some antidepressants and anti-hypertension drugs can aggravate the problem, as can cocaine, heroin and other illicit drugs. Depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, sexual abuse and even performance anxiety can also affect a man’s ability to get an erection. Whatever the cause, the inability to perform sexually can cause some men to lose confidence and become overly worried and fearful about it happening again. Focusing and worrying about the erection during sex can aggravate the whole problem. Sometimes, simple reassurance will stop the disorder from becoming chronic; sometimes these sexual health problems can be solved with couples counseling or psychotherapy. Erectile dysfunction can also be the first indication of underlying medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, thyroid problems, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Weight can also be an issue. A research study followed 110 obese men with erection problems, and about onethird of them were able to cure their problem with weight loss and lifestyle changes. Using the Drugs Pills aren’t your only option (injections into the penis, medication that is put into the urethra, vacuum erection devices and surgically placed penile prosthesis can also be used if medications fail), but they do work well for a lot of men. Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, which produce an erection with sexual stimulation, have revolutionized the treatment of erectile dysfunction and have made it much more
acceptable for men to look to their doctors for treatment. I treat an 80-year-old patient who can barely walk, yet visits my office monthly requesting his “entertainment pills.” Viagra, which has been on the market the longest, should be used about an hour before having sex, but can be taken up to four hours prior to sexual activity. Levitra, which is similar to Viagra, is typically taken 25 to 60 minutes before intimacy. A high-fat meal will delay the absorption of both Viagra and Levitra. Cialis is more long acting and its benefits can last 24 hours or longer, which makes it good for a weekend. These drugs should never be taken with nitroglycerin. Nitroglycerin is used to treat angina, but sometimes it is used as a recreational drug (amyl nitrate “poppers”) to enhance sexual pleasure. Viagra used with nitroglycerin can dramatically drop your blood pressure with serious consequences. Side Effects Although very safe, headache, flushing, stuffy nose and stomach upset can occur, as can increased brightness of light, blurred vision or seeing a colour tinge, on occasion. The most serious side effect is the possibility of sudden permanent loss of vision. It occurs extremely rarely but is still a concern. If you are experiencing problems with erections, while it may be a bit embarrassing to talk about, it’s certainly not unusual, and a visit to your family doctor is a good first step. Mel Borins is a family physician and freelance writer. He is the author of a new book, Photos and Songs of a Pronoic Physician. For more information, visit www.melborins.com.
Just Say Delete Despite what the senders of all those unsolicited emails may have you believe, the best way to address erectile problems is with a visit to your doctor. What it lacks in anonymity it makes up for in not ending up with a “revolutionary miracle supplement” that makes your eyelashes fall out. Or worse.
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 45
Guide Sex & Health
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
Is My Fetish Normal?
A reader writes: Help me out. Recently, I visited a fetish sex site, just out of curiosity. I couldn’t believe it, but some of the stuff was starting to turn me on. What’s wrong with me?
Do You Need Mr Blue?
It never happens to us, we swear. But if it did, we’d have some questions. Sharp consults Dr. Mel Borins, MD on the delicate issues surrounding the little blue pill. Patients often come to me seeking help with their sex lives, and more often than not that involves erectile dysfunction. The truth is, not being able to get or maintain an erection is quite common, especially as we get older. Studies say that up to 50% of men between the ages of 40 and 70 experience erectile dysfunction. Furthermore, up to 75% of men with sexual problems may not go to their physicians for help, which is unfortunate, because some of these problems are treated quite successfully.
Relax. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. And unless your pleasure involves non-consenting participants—human, animal or otherwise—then there’s nothing that needs to be “fixed.” Some see fetishes as abnormal, and they usually blame the Internet for it. People who think like that have problems even I can’t solve. If you don’t have the inclination in the first place, then seeing someone doing it isn’t going to change your mind. But if you are programmed for a fetish, then bless the Internet! Lots of us are very happy, or relieved, to discover we’re not the only ones out there— and we’re certainly not sick or twisted for whatever turns us on. Others might even have wondered what was lacking in their sex lives, only to find out what it was they craved by seeing it on their computer screens. No matter what it is, there’s someone out there who likes it. That ranges from things even the mainstream considers “normal”— stiletto heels, corsets, Uma Thurman sucking a milkshake through a straw—to stuff not normally considered sexual, including balloons, bandages, sneezing, crushing, and possibly the most misunderstood one of the moment, furry animal costumes. There are many terms out there: preference, deviant desire, variation, fetish and so on. But whatever you call it, there are levels. For some people, it’s just icing on the cake—sex can be more fun with it, but it’s not absolutely necessary. For others, the fetish is everything, and they can’t achieve sexual arousal or satisfaction without
it. That’s not sick or wrong, not by any stretch, but it can make it tougher to find a partner who’s equally involved. For that matter, let’s be brutally honest—it isn’t always easy to hook up even on simple preferences. There’s no foolproof method for enticing your partner to try sex in a bathtub of baked beans or while wearing a horse harness. No matter what, remember this: you have to treat it sincerely, and, more importantly, she has to know that she’s more important than the preference. You don’t want to be loved for your money or your car, and likewise, your partner wants to be more than just a pair of thigh-high leather boots or a latex body suit. So sit her down with a glass of wine, and tell her there’s something you’ve always wanted to do. Be straightforward, but don’t press the issue—in my books, the person who says “No, I don’t wanna” is the one who calls the shots. But there’s a good chance that after you’ve agonized for days over how to ask her, she’ll say, “That’s it? Well, let’s go to it!” If, on the other hand, her response is, “You need to see a shrink/counselor/ the police,” then run the other way. Now, what about her? Women have preferences, too. Even if you’re happy with vanilla, ask if there’s something out of the ordinary that turns her on. I once had a partner with a preference. It wasn’t something I’d do for myself, but he was so turned on that it was hot for me to do it for him. And whether it’s fetish or not, that’s what sex is all about. SHANNA
Finding your particular fancy on the Internet is as simple as a Google search. Look for sites that treat preferences respectfully and give you an opportunity to look around before (or instead of) asking for your credit card number. I like the UK-based Skin Two, which is both a print and online magazine, at www.skintwo.co.uk. Most adult stores carry fetish videos, along with gear. If you pay a lot, make sure you’re getting quality. Check out Toronto’s North Bound Leather at www.northbound.com, which also sells hard-to-find items for serious play. And visit www.everythingtodowithsex.com to see if there’s an event near you.
44 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Causes Erectile dysfunction can have many causes. I have had patients who lose their erections because of emotional difficulties, stress or from using alcohol excessively. Occasionally, some antidepressants and anti-hypertension drugs can aggravate the problem, as can cocaine, heroin and other illicit drugs. Depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, sexual abuse and even performance anxiety can also affect a man’s ability to get an erection. Whatever the cause, the inability to perform sexually can cause some men to lose confidence and become overly worried and fearful about it happening again. Focusing and worrying about the erection during sex can aggravate the whole problem. Sometimes, simple reassurance will stop the disorder from becoming chronic; sometimes these sexual health problems can be solved with couples counseling or psychotherapy. Erectile dysfunction can also be the first indication of underlying medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, thyroid problems, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Weight can also be an issue. A research study followed 110 obese men with erection problems, and about onethird of them were able to cure their problem with weight loss and lifestyle changes. Using the Drugs Pills aren’t your only option (injections into the penis, medication that is put into the urethra, vacuum erection devices and surgically placed penile prosthesis can also be used if medications fail), but they do work well for a lot of men. Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, which produce an erection with sexual stimulation, have revolutionized the treatment of erectile dysfunction and have made it much more
acceptable for men to look to their doctors for treatment. I treat an 80-year-old patient who can barely walk, yet visits my office monthly requesting his “entertainment pills.” Viagra, which has been on the market the longest, should be used about an hour before having sex, but can be taken up to four hours prior to sexual activity. Levitra, which is similar to Viagra, is typically taken 25 to 60 minutes before intimacy. A high-fat meal will delay the absorption of both Viagra and Levitra. Cialis is more long acting and its benefits can last 24 hours or longer, which makes it good for a weekend. These drugs should never be taken with nitroglycerin. Nitroglycerin is used to treat angina, but sometimes it is used as a recreational drug (amyl nitrate “poppers”) to enhance sexual pleasure. Viagra used with nitroglycerin can dramatically drop your blood pressure with serious consequences. Side Effects Although very safe, headache, flushing, stuffy nose and stomach upset can occur, as can increased brightness of light, blurred vision or seeing a colour tinge, on occasion. The most serious side effect is the possibility of sudden permanent loss of vision. It occurs extremely rarely but is still a concern. If you are experiencing problems with erections, while it may be a bit embarrassing to talk about, it’s certainly not unusual, and a visit to your family doctor is a good first step. Mel Borins is a family physician and freelance writer. He is the author of a new book, Photos and Songs of a Pronoic Physician. For more information, visit www.melborins.com.
Just Say Delete Despite what the senders of all those unsolicited emails may have you believe, the best way to address erectile problems is with a visit to your doctor. What it lacks in anonymity it makes up for in not ending up with a “revolutionary miracle supplement” that makes your eyelashes fall out. Or worse.
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 45
Guide Home & Tech
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
The 21st Century Man Den
You’ve worked too hard to hide in the garage. Let us help you build a getaway that’s not a cave.
Human Touch HT-1650 AcuTouch Massage Chair King Midas himself has nothing on this throne. Unlike his golden seat (which was doubtless lacking in lumbar support) this one’s upholstered in fine leather, and scans the entire length of your back, creating a map of key pressure points, then goes to work on them. After this, regular chairs just won’t cut it. $4,800, available at intertemp.ca
Sony VPL-VW200 Ever since projectors went fully HD, none have been able to top this one, which displays a gorgeous 15,000:1 contrast ratio in 1080p. With every input you could possibly need (SVideo, PC, dual HDMI) and the ability to project video on an 80-inch screen, this is the perfect device for that Miami Vice marathon you’ve been planning. $15,000, available at sonystyle.ca.
Harman/Kardon HKTS 15 With a booming 10-inch, 100-watt bass reflex-powered subwoofer and four identical mid-range satellite speakers, this system creates a stunning range of sound. Paired with a 5.1 channel Harmon/Kardon receiver and some Led Zeppelin remasters, you’ll swear Robert Plant was screeching right in your ear. Awesome. $750, available at harmankardon.com.
Your Entree to Social Networking Or Why You Must Suck It Up and Learn to Tweet.
They used to be small-time. Nothing but glorified chat rooms where collegians could flaunt their frosh week party shots. For others, it was a quick online escape from the nine-to-five grind, if only to see which hotties from HR were hitting up Jim’s sangria party this weekend. Then Rupert Murdoch shelled out half a billion and bought one. That’s when things changed. Like the dot-com boom of yesteryear, social networking sites exploded and multiplied—spawning one niche site after another for folks of all walks. Today, they are the new Internet, packing everything—from up-to-date news bits to video blogs to your own personal stock reports—into one, user-friendly medium. Even the business world has joined in, turning what was once a platform to make friends into a viral marketing phenomenon. Think you missed the boat? Think again. Everyone’s doing it (not just teenagers). Plus, if Jay Leno can manage one, so can you. Here are a few reasons why you should hunker down and sign up already. 1. Because All Your Work Pals Are Using Them – Most people use sites like Facebook for things like making plans and keeping up with old friends. Now, however, sites like LinkedIn can do for your business what Facebook does for your social life. “Having a profile and a network on our site is like having a conference room full of trusted friends and colleagues in your back pocket, 24/7,” says Krista Canfield, Career Expert at LinkedIn.com, a website that allows professionals to connect, talk shop and share business tips with one another. “The people we’ve spoken with are using LinkedIn in a myriad of ways,” says Canfield. “Some of our members use it to find new clients, some to get in touch with an expert in their field to solve a problem, do research on a partner or competitor, or even to score that dream job overseas. One consultant in Ottawa recently told us that 80% of his business actually comes to him via LinkedIn. The sky’s the limit, really.” It’s safe, too, meaning no one gets to snoop around your profile unless you let them in.
this very second people are talking about your brand. If you’re not part of that conversation, you’re losing out.” Keep your tweets tactful—as in, don’t post a play by play of your day, or you’ll risk losing your “tweet cred.” 3. Because They’ve Gone Mobile – The makers of smartphones have joined forces with wireless providers to bring social networking to your fingertips, anytime, anywhere. Being able to carry a bible’s worth of contacts and resources with you wherever you go, whether that be the grocery store or China, is the future of communication. LEO PETACCIA
Your Social Media Dictionary “Microblog” (mahy-kroh blŏg) n 1. A service that allows anyone to instantly put up a web post of about 25 or 30 words, from any Internet capable device. 2. The reason we can know, thanks to his Twitter account, what Shaq had for breakfast—in real time. “Web 2.0” (web too point oh) n 1. The term used to describe the era when the Internet started encouraging visitors to create the videos, articles and user interaction that make up websites. 2. The force that made sure that every site has to have a comments section, even Tony’s Pizza in Moose Jaw. “Digg” (dig) v. 1. To vote favourably for an Internet news story, or “digg” it, so that it can grow in popularity on the Digg website. 2. The action that makes a small news story an Internet sensation or a Missouri news broadcaster’s gaffe into laughs for a Brazilian housewife. “Wiki” (wĭk’ē) n. 1. A website that allows all users with access to col-
Apple TV It’s the smallest component you’ll need, but by far the coolest. And you don’t even need a computer to enjoy it. Just link the box to your wireless Internet and it downloads HD movies, TV, music, podcasts and photos from iTunes, stores them in its 160 GB hard drive, and plays them on your TV and sound system. Beat that, regular TV. $330, available at apple.ca.
46 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Tommy Gun Floor Lamp While there’s certainly nothing manlier, decorating your man den with an actual machine gun may be taking it a bit too far. Especially if you’ve got young children. Or teenagers, for that matter. This replica of John Dillinger’s weapon of choice is handmade to order, and makes a very masculine statement, while not posing a danger to anyone. $625, available at wetanz.com.
Fatman iTube 452 with ValveDock You could go with one of those generic transistor docks. But ask any audiophile and they’ll tell you—tube amps sound best. Fatman’s latest is a fully integrated push-pull amp with nine valves and four line input stages, pumping 45 watts per channel of the cleanest, tautest audio you’ve ever heard. $3,500, available at fat-man.co.uk.
2. Because Twitter’s Got Your Company’s Back – While it’s good for checking out bikini pictures of Demi Moore posted by Ashton Kutcher and sending out RIP condolences to recently deceased celebrities, Twitter is also becoming valuable as a business tool. With up to 140 characters at your disposal, you can whip up an intriguing caption (or “tweet”) to post on your profile page. It then gets delivered across the world, reaching potential clients in your market. These folks can subscribe to your feed, and thus “follow” you and all of your updates, all the time. Kind of like word of mouth on speed. “A message can spread like wildfire in minutes. If you think about it, that’s incredibly powerful for business,” says Gary Vaynerchuk, a 33 year-old New Yorker who transformed his video blog about fine wines—winelibrarytv.com—into a 90,000 hit-a-day web empire. He also happens to be one of Manhattan’s most followed Twitterers. “More than anything, it’s about listening. Right
laborate and edit pages on certain topics, usually for informative purposes. 2. Helped create Wikipedia, which according to the JoBlo99’s recent Wikipedia edit, was invented in 1832 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. “Podcast” (pod-kahst) v. 1. To release an episodic audio or video presentation so that a special podcatcher program, like iTunes, can download it automatically, allowing listeners to hear or view it when they’re offline. 2. The way you ensure that someone, somewhere will hear your weekly audio tribute to Danny Trejo. “Troll” (trohl) n. 1. Internet users who intentionally make disrupting or inflammatory comments on Internet forums or comments section. 2. The phenomenon that makes all of the above an exercise in frustration and hurt feelings.
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 47
Guide Home & Tech
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE
The 21st Century Man Den
You’ve worked too hard to hide in the garage. Let us help you build a getaway that’s not a cave.
Human Touch HT-1650 AcuTouch Massage Chair King Midas himself has nothing on this throne. Unlike his golden seat (which was doubtless lacking in lumbar support) this one’s upholstered in fine leather, and scans the entire length of your back, creating a map of key pressure points, then goes to work on them. After this, regular chairs just won’t cut it. $4,800, available at intertemp.ca
Sony VPL-VW200 Ever since projectors went fully HD, none have been able to top this one, which displays a gorgeous 15,000:1 contrast ratio in 1080p. With every input you could possibly need (SVideo, PC, dual HDMI) and the ability to project video on an 80-inch screen, this is the perfect device for that Miami Vice marathon you’ve been planning. $15,000, available at sonystyle.ca.
Harman/Kardon HKTS 15 With a booming 10-inch, 100-watt bass reflex-powered subwoofer and four identical mid-range satellite speakers, this system creates a stunning range of sound. Paired with a 5.1 channel Harmon/Kardon receiver and some Led Zeppelin remasters, you’ll swear Robert Plant was screeching right in your ear. Awesome. $750, available at harmankardon.com.
Your Entree to Social Networking Or Why You Must Suck It Up and Learn to Tweet.
They used to be small-time. Nothing but glorified chat rooms where collegians could flaunt their frosh week party shots. For others, it was a quick online escape from the nine-to-five grind, if only to see which hotties from HR were hitting up Jim’s sangria party this weekend. Then Rupert Murdoch shelled out half a billion and bought one. That’s when things changed. Like the dot-com boom of yesteryear, social networking sites exploded and multiplied—spawning one niche site after another for folks of all walks. Today, they are the new Internet, packing everything—from up-to-date news bits to video blogs to your own personal stock reports—into one, user-friendly medium. Even the business world has joined in, turning what was once a platform to make friends into a viral marketing phenomenon. Think you missed the boat? Think again. Everyone’s doing it (not just teenagers). Plus, if Jay Leno can manage one, so can you. Here are a few reasons why you should hunker down and sign up already. 1. Because All Your Work Pals Are Using Them – Most people use sites like Facebook for things like making plans and keeping up with old friends. Now, however, sites like LinkedIn can do for your business what Facebook does for your social life. “Having a profile and a network on our site is like having a conference room full of trusted friends and colleagues in your back pocket, 24/7,” says Krista Canfield, Career Expert at LinkedIn.com, a website that allows professionals to connect, talk shop and share business tips with one another. “The people we’ve spoken with are using LinkedIn in a myriad of ways,” says Canfield. “Some of our members use it to find new clients, some to get in touch with an expert in their field to solve a problem, do research on a partner or competitor, or even to score that dream job overseas. One consultant in Ottawa recently told us that 80% of his business actually comes to him via LinkedIn. The sky’s the limit, really.” It’s safe, too, meaning no one gets to snoop around your profile unless you let them in.
this very second people are talking about your brand. If you’re not part of that conversation, you’re losing out.” Keep your tweets tactful—as in, don’t post a play by play of your day, or you’ll risk losing your “tweet cred.” 3. Because They’ve Gone Mobile – The makers of smartphones have joined forces with wireless providers to bring social networking to your fingertips, anytime, anywhere. Being able to carry a bible’s worth of contacts and resources with you wherever you go, whether that be the grocery store or China, is the future of communication. LEO PETACCIA
Your Social Media Dictionary “Microblog” (mahy-kroh blŏg) n 1. A service that allows anyone to instantly put up a web post of about 25 or 30 words, from any Internet capable device. 2. The reason we can know, thanks to his Twitter account, what Shaq had for breakfast—in real time. “Web 2.0” (web too point oh) n 1. The term used to describe the era when the Internet started encouraging visitors to create the videos, articles and user interaction that make up websites. 2. The force that made sure that every site has to have a comments section, even Tony’s Pizza in Moose Jaw. “Digg” (dig) v. 1. To vote favourably for an Internet news story, or “digg” it, so that it can grow in popularity on the Digg website. 2. The action that makes a small news story an Internet sensation or a Missouri news broadcaster’s gaffe into laughs for a Brazilian housewife. “Wiki” (wĭk’ē) n. 1. A website that allows all users with access to col-
Apple TV It’s the smallest component you’ll need, but by far the coolest. And you don’t even need a computer to enjoy it. Just link the box to your wireless Internet and it downloads HD movies, TV, music, podcasts and photos from iTunes, stores them in its 160 GB hard drive, and plays them on your TV and sound system. Beat that, regular TV. $330, available at apple.ca.
46 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Tommy Gun Floor Lamp While there’s certainly nothing manlier, decorating your man den with an actual machine gun may be taking it a bit too far. Especially if you’ve got young children. Or teenagers, for that matter. This replica of John Dillinger’s weapon of choice is handmade to order, and makes a very masculine statement, while not posing a danger to anyone. $625, available at wetanz.com.
Fatman iTube 452 with ValveDock You could go with one of those generic transistor docks. But ask any audiophile and they’ll tell you—tube amps sound best. Fatman’s latest is a fully integrated push-pull amp with nine valves and four line input stages, pumping 45 watts per channel of the cleanest, tautest audio you’ve ever heard. $3,500, available at fat-man.co.uk.
2. Because Twitter’s Got Your Company’s Back – While it’s good for checking out bikini pictures of Demi Moore posted by Ashton Kutcher and sending out RIP condolences to recently deceased celebrities, Twitter is also becoming valuable as a business tool. With up to 140 characters at your disposal, you can whip up an intriguing caption (or “tweet”) to post on your profile page. It then gets delivered across the world, reaching potential clients in your market. These folks can subscribe to your feed, and thus “follow” you and all of your updates, all the time. Kind of like word of mouth on speed. “A message can spread like wildfire in minutes. If you think about it, that’s incredibly powerful for business,” says Gary Vaynerchuk, a 33 year-old New Yorker who transformed his video blog about fine wines—winelibrarytv.com—into a 90,000 hit-a-day web empire. He also happens to be one of Manhattan’s most followed Twitterers. “More than anything, it’s about listening. Right
laborate and edit pages on certain topics, usually for informative purposes. 2. Helped create Wikipedia, which according to the JoBlo99’s recent Wikipedia edit, was invented in 1832 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. “Podcast” (pod-kahst) v. 1. To release an episodic audio or video presentation so that a special podcatcher program, like iTunes, can download it automatically, allowing listeners to hear or view it when they’re offline. 2. The way you ensure that someone, somewhere will hear your weekly audio tribute to Danny Trejo. “Troll” (trohl) n. 1. Internet users who intentionally make disrupting or inflammatory comments on Internet forums or comments section. 2. The phenomenon that makes all of the above an exercise in frustration and hurt feelings.
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 47
Matt Damon is a nice
guy.
Deal with it.
He’s got the wife, the kids, the mansion in Florida, what more could a guy want? Maybe another Bourne movie, but that’s just us.
Matt Damon’s first line in a movie was, “Mom, do you want my green stuff?” The movie was 1988’s Mystic Pizza, starring Julia Roberts and Lili Taylor, and the line was Damon’s only one in the film. Now, 38 years old, and in the 21st year of a film career marked by movies like Good Will Hunting, The Departed and several others you may have seen with “Ocean’s” and a number in the title, Matt Damon has come a long way. Even without taking into account the Jason Bourne movies, which have grossed over half a billion dollars worldwide, Damon is what you’d call a grade A celebrity. The kind of guy whose likeness gets reproduced in action figures, video games and as a hilariously monosyllabic puppet in Team America: World Police. But that doesn’t mean he’s gone all Hollywood. In fact, listening to him tell it, Matt Damon’s life is pretty similar to most guys’. Except for the being Jason Bourne part, of course. The movie star/regular guy hybrid has its perks. Unlike his pal Brad Pitt, for instance, Damon and his family don’t have to worry about being chased by the paparazzi. All it takes, he says, is a little restraint. “I don’t have a very hard time keeping my private life private,” he says. “There isn’t that much interest in what we do. You decide if your private life is yours or belongs to the world. I don’t ever want to hate this job I have, so I’m just careful with what I say or do. If there is a hard part with what I do, it’s not all the long hours or the traveling, it’s learning how to deal with being a celebrity. It’s the tough part, because even the best can fail at it.”
He’s seen this side of things, too, through his friends. “I wouldn’t wish that upon anybody, what Brad and Angie have to go through,” Damon confesses. “She and Brad both have this unbelievable ability to not let it bother them. I’ve talked to Clooney about it and Clooney’s like, ‘I could never do this. It would just eat away at me.’ But they just leave it behind them. I definitely just couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t be able to do it. But as George always says, in terms of Brad, he says, ‘That’s why he’s Brad Pitt.’” It’s a good story, and made that much better by the way Damon tells it. He’s not name-dropping, he’s not bragging, he’s just talking about a chat he had with his buddy Clooney, no big deal. It is, of course, a big deal. It’s something that might lead a less seasoned, more starstruck interviewer to blurt out something along the lines of, “You know George Clooney! That’s awesome!” We don’t say that, thankfully, but if we had, one gets the feeling Damon would just nod, grin his bigtoothed grin and say something like, “Yeah, you know what? It is awesome. How about that?” As one might expect, Matt Damon has only good things to say about Canada. For once, however, the words “friendly,” “nice” and “clean” don’t enter into it. Damon may well find us just as deferential as so many of his fellow celebrities do, and our cities to be tidy as Main Street USA, but when he talks about Canada, it’s the Toronto International Film Festival that really gets him going. “I love movies,” he says, “and it’s just
48 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
By Earl Dittman
photos: Evan Hurd/Corbis
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 49
Matt Damon is a nice
guy.
Deal with it.
He’s got the wife, the kids, the mansion in Florida, what more could a guy want? Maybe another Bourne movie, but that’s just us.
Matt Damon’s first line in a movie was, “Mom, do you want my green stuff?” The movie was 1988’s Mystic Pizza, starring Julia Roberts and Lili Taylor, and the line was Damon’s only one in the film. Now, 38 years old, and in the 21st year of a film career marked by movies like Good Will Hunting, The Departed and several others you may have seen with “Ocean’s” and a number in the title, Matt Damon has come a long way. Even without taking into account the Jason Bourne movies, which have grossed over half a billion dollars worldwide, Damon is what you’d call a grade A celebrity. The kind of guy whose likeness gets reproduced in action figures, video games and as a hilariously monosyllabic puppet in Team America: World Police. But that doesn’t mean he’s gone all Hollywood. In fact, listening to him tell it, Matt Damon’s life is pretty similar to most guys’. Except for the being Jason Bourne part, of course. The movie star/regular guy hybrid has its perks. Unlike his pal Brad Pitt, for instance, Damon and his family don’t have to worry about being chased by the paparazzi. All it takes, he says, is a little restraint. “I don’t have a very hard time keeping my private life private,” he says. “There isn’t that much interest in what we do. You decide if your private life is yours or belongs to the world. I don’t ever want to hate this job I have, so I’m just careful with what I say or do. If there is a hard part with what I do, it’s not all the long hours or the traveling, it’s learning how to deal with being a celebrity. It’s the tough part, because even the best can fail at it.”
He’s seen this side of things, too, through his friends. “I wouldn’t wish that upon anybody, what Brad and Angie have to go through,” Damon confesses. “She and Brad both have this unbelievable ability to not let it bother them. I’ve talked to Clooney about it and Clooney’s like, ‘I could never do this. It would just eat away at me.’ But they just leave it behind them. I definitely just couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t be able to do it. But as George always says, in terms of Brad, he says, ‘That’s why he’s Brad Pitt.’” It’s a good story, and made that much better by the way Damon tells it. He’s not name-dropping, he’s not bragging, he’s just talking about a chat he had with his buddy Clooney, no big deal. It is, of course, a big deal. It’s something that might lead a less seasoned, more starstruck interviewer to blurt out something along the lines of, “You know George Clooney! That’s awesome!” We don’t say that, thankfully, but if we had, one gets the feeling Damon would just nod, grin his bigtoothed grin and say something like, “Yeah, you know what? It is awesome. How about that?” As one might expect, Matt Damon has only good things to say about Canada. For once, however, the words “friendly,” “nice” and “clean” don’t enter into it. Damon may well find us just as deferential as so many of his fellow celebrities do, and our cities to be tidy as Main Street USA, but when he talks about Canada, it’s the Toronto International Film Festival that really gets him going. “I love movies,” he says, “and it’s just
48 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
By Earl Dittman
photos: Evan Hurd/Corbis
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 49
assortment of loud, patterned ties. He packed on 30 pounds to play the well-fed, middle-aged executive, and while the film looks to be short in the hand-to-hand combat department, it shows a refreshing departure for Damon from the kicking-assin-picturesque-European-cities we’ve come to expect. The reason it’s been two years since Damon was last seen in your neighbourhood multiplex (save a small role in Soderbergh’s sprawling biopic Che) is that he’s been spending a lot of time with his family, a family that has grown to include a wife and three young daughters. After a lengthy relationship with Winona Ryder, and a stint as a bachelor that gained him a reputation as something of a ladies’ man, Damon finally decided to “grow up” by marrying Argentina-born bartender Luciana Bozan in 2005. “I knew she was The One from the moment we met, and I knew it was about time for me to settle down,” Damon says of his decision to take the plunge. “It was kind of a foregone conclusion… in a way, it didn’t come as a shock to either of us.” Since adopting his wife’s daughter from a previous marriage, and having two more girls of their own, Damon has taken to fatherhood in a way he never expected. “Being a dad is great, it’s amazing, it defies description,” he says, beaming. “I felt like I was made a member of a club I didn’t know existed. It’s just wonderful. Before, when other people would try to show me baby pictures or try to hand me their baby, I was like, ‘Get that thing away from me. I don’t want to touch your kid. Give me a break.’ But I’m totally into it now. I was scared at first, but then I was excited for her to start talking and walking and toddling around and hanging out. I didn’t realize how much personality little people have right off the bat. It’s just been fun.” Now, when he travels for work, his family joins him. “I’ve been traveling a lot for all the films I’ve been doing, so we decided to always travel together,” he explains. “I think it was for The Bourne Ultimatum, where I spent three weeks in Tangiers without them, and it was just horrible. So we just said, ‘Alright, that’s it. From now on, we’re all going together everywhere.’ When we are not running around the world, for the holidays, we’re just gonna go home to Miami. And all of us are just going to sit there and enjoy being home.” Whether at home or on the road, Damon, a loyal Bostonian, is rarely seen without his trusty Red Sox cap, and takes in baseball games whenever he has the chance. When he flies to New York City next month to begin work on another film, he plans on visiting the new Yankee Stadium, and, when baseball season starts, he’s determined to go back proudly wearing his Beantown badge of honour. “I really want to see the new Yankee Stadium, but I’ve always known that if I go to Yankee Stadium, I always wear my Red Sox hat,” he says definitively. Of course, being a Red Sox fan at Yankee Stadium isn’t what it used to be. “Well, in the old days, before we started dominating them, people would actually be nice,” he recalls. “In 2004, I went to Game Two and people were patting me on the back in such a patronizing way and wishing me luck. Literally, they were patting me on the back, and I was like, ‘This is the most patronizing thing…you still don’t take us seriously that you’re going, ‘Good luck?’ So we beat them and you don’t get ‘Good luck’ anymore. Now, people scream at you when you wear your hat.” Damon’s passion for baseball runs so deep, in fact, that
if he hadn’t landed the lead role in the high school play that convinced him acting was his true calling, he might be on the field somewhere instead of sitting in the stands. “Before I got into acting, I really wanted to be a baseball player,” he says. “I went to my first baseball game when I was about eight years old, and it was like the thrill of my lifetime. My father and I even got to go on the field after the game, and it was such an adrenaline rush for me. I still think that there is a chance that I’m going to pitch for the Red Sox one day. Maybe in the Yankee Stadium… you never know,” he says, grinning. While watching Damon throw fastballs at Derek Jeter would doubtless be entertaining, we’re not holding our breath on that. Rather, we’re happy to hold out for the next Bourne
“Before I did the first Bourne film, no one had offered me a movie in six months. Then, The Bourne Identity opened and, by that Monday, I had 20 offers.”
one of the few really great places left to see a lot of wonderful movies all at one time.” “There’s no doubt that it’s a really important festival for filmmakers,” he continues, “but it’s also audience- and peoplefriendly, because there seems to be a real focus on the creativity of filmmaking and less about the business side. It’s like pure heaven for movie lovers.” Damon has regularly shown up at TIFF to lend support to films starring his friends or made by his favourite directors. This month he’s back in Toronto for the special presentation of The Informant!, his most recent collaboration with director Steven Soderbergh. “It’s a real honour when one of your movies 50 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
is selected to be a part of the festival,” he says, with absolute sincerity. “All of the other festivals are important, too, but there’s something really special about having your movie at Toronto… it’s just cool.” Based on former New York Times journalist Kurt Eichenwald’s non-fiction book of the same name, The Informant! features Damon as former Archer Daniels Midland executive Mark Whitacre, and chronicles his collaboration with the FBI to blow the whistle on the agricultural giant’s illegal price-fixing schemes. Equal parts spy thriller and dark comedy, somewhere between The Insider and The Big Lebowski, the film sees Damon sporting a bushy mustache, big glasses and an
movie, which rumour has it is in the very early stages of development. “None of us have seen a script yet,” responds Damon to the prospect of a fourth installment in the series, “and Paul [Greengrass, who directed the last two] is still cutting a movie that we worked on, so we’ll get together after that. I’ve talked with Paul quite a bit, but we won’t do it unless it’s good. I promise.” Damon admits he harbours mixed feelings about a Bourne 4. He doesn’t want a rehash of the first three just to make a quick buck; he’s hoping for a whole new approach. “I think in terms of another one, the story of this guy’s search for his identity is over, because he’s got all the answers, so there’s no way we can trot out the same character,” he says. “So if there was to be another one then it would have to be a complete reconfiguration—where do you go from there? For me, I kind of feel like the story that we set out to tell has now been told. If we came out with a fourth one, I don’t want to suddenly get bonked on the head and forget everything, because everyone would be like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ Indeed. Then there’s the option of a Stallone-style return to Bourne in 20 years if the new script doesn’t pass muster. “I would love that,” he says, smiling. “If I’m like a hundred pounds heavier, I could go, ‘They pulled me back in! They won’t let me go!’ They’re like, ‘No, we don’t give a crap about you. What are you talking about?’ Yeah, I think that’s actually probably the only way to do another Bourne movie would be to do it 20 years down the road.” Either way it pans out, Damon is well aware of the importance the Bourne films have had in his career. “There hasn’t been a role that has had a bigger impact on me except for maybe Good Will Hunting, which pulled Ben and I out of total obscurity,” he confesses. “Before I did the first Bourne film, no one had offered me a movie in six months. Then The Bourne Identity opened and, by that Monday, I had 20 offers. But the rose-coloured lenses about this business had come off. I learned that if you’re in a hit, you have a career. If you’re not, then… well, they might just think you’re a real nice guy. But they’re not hanging a movie on you.” Lucky for him, he’s both a nice guy and a movie star, and we’d call that a pretty good deal. sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 51
assortment of loud, patterned ties. He packed on 30 pounds to play the well-fed, middle-aged executive, and while the film looks to be short in the hand-to-hand combat department, it shows a refreshing departure for Damon from the kicking-assin-picturesque-European-cities we’ve come to expect. The reason it’s been two years since Damon was last seen in your neighbourhood multiplex (save a small role in Soderbergh’s sprawling biopic Che) is that he’s been spending a lot of time with his family, a family that has grown to include a wife and three young daughters. After a lengthy relationship with Winona Ryder, and a stint as a bachelor that gained him a reputation as something of a ladies’ man, Damon finally decided to “grow up” by marrying Argentina-born bartender Luciana Bozan in 2005. “I knew she was The One from the moment we met, and I knew it was about time for me to settle down,” Damon says of his decision to take the plunge. “It was kind of a foregone conclusion… in a way, it didn’t come as a shock to either of us.” Since adopting his wife’s daughter from a previous marriage, and having two more girls of their own, Damon has taken to fatherhood in a way he never expected. “Being a dad is great, it’s amazing, it defies description,” he says, beaming. “I felt like I was made a member of a club I didn’t know existed. It’s just wonderful. Before, when other people would try to show me baby pictures or try to hand me their baby, I was like, ‘Get that thing away from me. I don’t want to touch your kid. Give me a break.’ But I’m totally into it now. I was scared at first, but then I was excited for her to start talking and walking and toddling around and hanging out. I didn’t realize how much personality little people have right off the bat. It’s just been fun.” Now, when he travels for work, his family joins him. “I’ve been traveling a lot for all the films I’ve been doing, so we decided to always travel together,” he explains. “I think it was for The Bourne Ultimatum, where I spent three weeks in Tangiers without them, and it was just horrible. So we just said, ‘Alright, that’s it. From now on, we’re all going together everywhere.’ When we are not running around the world, for the holidays, we’re just gonna go home to Miami. And all of us are just going to sit there and enjoy being home.” Whether at home or on the road, Damon, a loyal Bostonian, is rarely seen without his trusty Red Sox cap, and takes in baseball games whenever he has the chance. When he flies to New York City next month to begin work on another film, he plans on visiting the new Yankee Stadium, and, when baseball season starts, he’s determined to go back proudly wearing his Beantown badge of honour. “I really want to see the new Yankee Stadium, but I’ve always known that if I go to Yankee Stadium, I always wear my Red Sox hat,” he says definitively. Of course, being a Red Sox fan at Yankee Stadium isn’t what it used to be. “Well, in the old days, before we started dominating them, people would actually be nice,” he recalls. “In 2004, I went to Game Two and people were patting me on the back in such a patronizing way and wishing me luck. Literally, they were patting me on the back, and I was like, ‘This is the most patronizing thing…you still don’t take us seriously that you’re going, ‘Good luck?’ So we beat them and you don’t get ‘Good luck’ anymore. Now, people scream at you when you wear your hat.” Damon’s passion for baseball runs so deep, in fact, that
if he hadn’t landed the lead role in the high school play that convinced him acting was his true calling, he might be on the field somewhere instead of sitting in the stands. “Before I got into acting, I really wanted to be a baseball player,” he says. “I went to my first baseball game when I was about eight years old, and it was like the thrill of my lifetime. My father and I even got to go on the field after the game, and it was such an adrenaline rush for me. I still think that there is a chance that I’m going to pitch for the Red Sox one day. Maybe in the Yankee Stadium… you never know,” he says, grinning. While watching Damon throw fastballs at Derek Jeter would doubtless be entertaining, we’re not holding our breath on that. Rather, we’re happy to hold out for the next Bourne
“Before I did the first Bourne film, no one had offered me a movie in six months. Then, The Bourne Identity opened and, by that Monday, I had 20 offers.”
one of the few really great places left to see a lot of wonderful movies all at one time.” “There’s no doubt that it’s a really important festival for filmmakers,” he continues, “but it’s also audience- and peoplefriendly, because there seems to be a real focus on the creativity of filmmaking and less about the business side. It’s like pure heaven for movie lovers.” Damon has regularly shown up at TIFF to lend support to films starring his friends or made by his favourite directors. This month he’s back in Toronto for the special presentation of The Informant!, his most recent collaboration with director Steven Soderbergh. “It’s a real honour when one of your movies 50 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
is selected to be a part of the festival,” he says, with absolute sincerity. “All of the other festivals are important, too, but there’s something really special about having your movie at Toronto… it’s just cool.” Based on former New York Times journalist Kurt Eichenwald’s non-fiction book of the same name, The Informant! features Damon as former Archer Daniels Midland executive Mark Whitacre, and chronicles his collaboration with the FBI to blow the whistle on the agricultural giant’s illegal price-fixing schemes. Equal parts spy thriller and dark comedy, somewhere between The Insider and The Big Lebowski, the film sees Damon sporting a bushy mustache, big glasses and an
movie, which rumour has it is in the very early stages of development. “None of us have seen a script yet,” responds Damon to the prospect of a fourth installment in the series, “and Paul [Greengrass, who directed the last two] is still cutting a movie that we worked on, so we’ll get together after that. I’ve talked with Paul quite a bit, but we won’t do it unless it’s good. I promise.” Damon admits he harbours mixed feelings about a Bourne 4. He doesn’t want a rehash of the first three just to make a quick buck; he’s hoping for a whole new approach. “I think in terms of another one, the story of this guy’s search for his identity is over, because he’s got all the answers, so there’s no way we can trot out the same character,” he says. “So if there was to be another one then it would have to be a complete reconfiguration—where do you go from there? For me, I kind of feel like the story that we set out to tell has now been told. If we came out with a fourth one, I don’t want to suddenly get bonked on the head and forget everything, because everyone would be like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ Indeed. Then there’s the option of a Stallone-style return to Bourne in 20 years if the new script doesn’t pass muster. “I would love that,” he says, smiling. “If I’m like a hundred pounds heavier, I could go, ‘They pulled me back in! They won’t let me go!’ They’re like, ‘No, we don’t give a crap about you. What are you talking about?’ Yeah, I think that’s actually probably the only way to do another Bourne movie would be to do it 20 years down the road.” Either way it pans out, Damon is well aware of the importance the Bourne films have had in his career. “There hasn’t been a role that has had a bigger impact on me except for maybe Good Will Hunting, which pulled Ben and I out of total obscurity,” he confesses. “Before I did the first Bourne film, no one had offered me a movie in six months. Then The Bourne Identity opened and, by that Monday, I had 20 offers. But the rose-coloured lenses about this business had come off. I learned that if you’re in a hit, you have a career. If you’re not, then… well, they might just think you’re a real nice guy. But they’re not hanging a movie on you.” Lucky for him, he’s both a nice guy and a movie star, and we’d call that a pretty good deal. sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 51
Fall Style
CANADIAN
Stylemakers Like so many things, Canadian fashion design has developed in the shadow of the long-ruling dynasties of New York, Paris and Milan. And yet, as with Canadian music, film, cuisine and art, we have managed to carve out a small but significant niche in the design of menswear, and the world is starting to take notice. While menswear has traditionally taken a backseat to women’s clothing, whose sexier runway history is punctuated by celebrity designers, Amazonian supermodels and the perpetual rise and fall of hemlines, the last decade has witnessed a revolution in men’s clothing. Canadian men are breaking out from their khakis and button-downs on casual Fridays and are demanding variety in their wardrobes. In response, Canada’s homegrown talent have begun to make a name for themselves on the international stage with their expert tailoring, innovative shapes and a characteristically Canadian cheekiness. Sharp gathered six of the country’s most important menswear designers: Philippe Dubuc, K.Maro, Farley Chatto, Shawn Hewson, Philip Sparks and Christopher Bates to discuss aesthetics, inspiration and being at the forefront of a new era in men’s fashion. ROSLYN COSTANZO
52 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 53
Fall Style
CANADIAN
Stylemakers Like so many things, Canadian fashion design has developed in the shadow of the long-ruling dynasties of New York, Paris and Milan. And yet, as with Canadian music, film, cuisine and art, we have managed to carve out a small but significant niche in the design of menswear, and the world is starting to take notice. While menswear has traditionally taken a backseat to women’s clothing, whose sexier runway history is punctuated by celebrity designers, Amazonian supermodels and the perpetual rise and fall of hemlines, the last decade has witnessed a revolution in men’s clothing. Canadian men are breaking out from their khakis and button-downs on casual Fridays and are demanding variety in their wardrobes. In response, Canada’s homegrown talent have begun to make a name for themselves on the international stage with their expert tailoring, innovative shapes and a characteristically Canadian cheekiness. Sharp gathered six of the country’s most important menswear designers: Philippe Dubuc, K.Maro, Farley Chatto, Shawn Hewson, Philip Sparks and Christopher Bates to discuss aesthetics, inspiration and being at the forefront of a new era in men’s fashion. ROSLYN COSTANZO
52 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 53
Fall Style
CANADIAN
Stylemakers
Farley Chatto
Philip Sparks
Shawn Hewson
Philippe Dubuc
K.Maro
Christopher Bates
Farley Chatto
Philip Sparks Menswear
Bustle Clothing
Philippe Dubuc
Balbec Collection
Christopher Bates for ULTRA
Farley Chatto began designing his eponymous line while still a student at Ryerson University. Farley’s aesthetic has its roots in classic European bespoke tailoring, with a distinct nod to rock ’n’ roll.
Philip Sparks’ three-year-old label, recognized for its tailored pieces with a utilitarian edge, has already garnered the young Toronto designer a spot in Forbes’ “Ten Undiscovered Designers on the Rise.” A proud Canuck, Sparks strives to create a uniquely Canadian feeling in all of his clothing.
Founded in 2002 by Toronto lawyers Shawn Hewson and Ruth Promislow, Bustle has come to be defined by its tailored sportswear with a cheeky edge.
Since launching his label in 1993, Montreal-based designer Philippe Dubuc has refined a look based on clean lines, graphic shapes and attitude.
Inspired by the Vancouver designer’s time spent living and studying in Europe, ULTRA is defined by its fine fabrics, sleek tailoring and a clean, minimalist aesthetic.
On what to buy this fall: “I’m a big fan of the brighter plaid shirts, as well as the blazers with the plaid trim and linings (like on the mannequin). Plaid may be a trend right now, but wearing it in unusual shades and applications shows that you aren’t just blindly following trends, you’re processing them and making them your own.”
On inspiration: “The fall collection is called The Hybrid Man and is based on the image of an urban hunter who has evolved and adapted to the modern environment. The Hybrid Man is manifest in the collection’s lean silhouettes, cut from high-quality Italian textiles. The collection is based on a clashing of cuts, whereby a vest, for instance, fits straight on the body, but features rounded pockets that soften the overall look.”
Named after his hometown, Baalbek, in Lebanon, K.Maro’s clothing line is one manifestation of this entrepreneurial musician’s creative output. While K.Maro made his name as a bilingual Canadian rapper and R&B singer, his foray into fashion reveals just as much inspiration and diversity. The look is urban with an avant-garde twist, gleaned from diverse sources and defined by the designer’s use of vibrant colours and appliqués.
On inspiration: “The fall collection was inspired by the sportiness of race cars driving in the Scottish moors—we put plaid into high octane speed!” On what to buy this fall: “I have always believed in the idea of investment dressing. Spend a bit more on great pieces and they will last a lifetime. This fall I would have to say invest in a great grey twobutton, fitted suit and have fun with shirts and ties. My wool and neoprene city duffel coat is also great as a layering piece or on its own.” On Farley: “FC20” Anniversary shawl-collared tux jacket ($2,500) and grey cashmere pants ($795), by Farley Chatto. Club Monaco pinstriped shirt ($89), and Etro tie ($150). Louis Vuitton loafers ($1,000) and Gianfranco Ferre vintage eyeglasses.
On inspiration: “This fall I was inspired by Peter and the Wolf, but instead of telling a Russian story I wanted the collection to be about Canada, so a lot of research went into period costume and vintage Canadian clothing.” On what to buy this fall: “I would invest in a chunky sweater. A favourite from my collection is the whimsical, intarsia knit curling sweater.” On the direction of menswear design in Canada: “People are really starting to put meaning and tradition back into clothing, and with traditional men’s pieces like the curling sweater and cufflinks and tie bars, menswear design in Canada is starting to pick up steam.”
On mannequin: White cotton and silk fitted dress shirt ($225), cotton and viscose zippered
On Philip: Checked flannel shirt ($358) and
sailor’s ribbed turtleneck ($175), rust two-tone
jeans ($195).
On the direction of menswear design in Canada: “I think more and more guys are looking for something that’s not only fashionable, but something different as well, and if it’s Made in Canada, that’s even better. Canadian guys are really starting to process trends and make them our own, as opposed to merely following them, and we’re looking to our own design talent for cues.”
On what to buy this fall: “My favourite piece from the collection is the sweatshirt fabric duffel coat.” On the direction of menswear design in Canada: “I would like to see a more personal approach to fashion on behalf of menswear designers, along with more innovation. It’s 2010 after all...”
On inspiration: “The ’80s were a huge influence behind the latest collection.” On what to buy this fall: “For fall we really focused on elevating the hoodie— with a slimmer cut and interesting prints.” On the direction of menswear design in Canada: “There’s a lot of interesting work happening in Canadian design right now. I think that because we have to deal with such long winters, Canadian designers are kind of getting away from the dark tones and embracing more originality and exoticism in their designs as a sort of respite.”
On Shawn: Double-layer shirt ($185), lambskin
On Philippe: Deconstructed vest with tails in
jacket with collar buckle and zip pockets
cotton linen with polyurethane inserts ($595),
($1,625), low-rise Italian denim jeans ($195).
crinkled cotton shirt ($190), and cotton
On K.Maro: Balbec Couture Tomahawk t-shirt
pants ($260).
($69) and Balbec jeans ($135).
On what to buy this fall: “I would invest in a good quality topcoat or jacket. The Dorian topcoat in Italian wool from my fall collection as an exciting alternative to the traditional overcoat. Or my favourite piece is the Renegade bomber in midnight blue New England leather.” On Christopher: Highlander Bomber version 2.0 ($1,419), ULTRA logo V-neck shirt ($139), Techno trousers ($389), ULTRA logo belt ($249) and Cobra boots, price available on request. On mannequin: Dorian topcoat ($1,135),
On mannequin: French cuff plaid shirt ($175)
Duppioni silk tie ($150), by Farley Chatto.
On inspiration: “The fall collection is called Rock Bottom: a New Low. The theme is dark and it tells the hedonistic tale of the ULTRA man going down in flames—or out in style. I drew inspiration from a variety of sources, including Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey and the music of Depeche Mode, resulting in a sombre colour palette punctuated with bursts of blood red, hazard yellow and glacier white. It’s an ironic tribute to today’s widespread, amoral party culture.”
“Racer” wool jacket (part of a two-piece suit) by
On mannequin: Flannel shirt ($358), bow tie
and lapel-piping blazer with plaid piping and
On mannequin: Sweatshirt cotton duffel coat
On mannequin: Balbec Black label fitted shirt
Blue Steel dress shirt ($275) and Techno
Farley Chatto for Adidas (price upon request).
($125) and grey wool jacket ($950).
lining ($450).
with rib knitting and fox fur trim ($1,195).
($70) and brown pinstripe suit ($695).
skinny tie ($159).
54 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
photos: paul koziorowski
photos: Jimmy Hamelin, matthew burditt
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 55
Fall Style
CANADIAN
Stylemakers
Farley Chatto
Philip Sparks
Shawn Hewson
Philippe Dubuc
K.Maro
Christopher Bates
Farley Chatto
Philip Sparks Menswear
Bustle Clothing
Philippe Dubuc
Balbec Collection
Christopher Bates for ULTRA
Farley Chatto began designing his eponymous line while still a student at Ryerson University. Farley’s aesthetic has its roots in classic European bespoke tailoring, with a distinct nod to rock ’n’ roll.
Philip Sparks’ three-year-old label, recognized for its tailored pieces with a utilitarian edge, has already garnered the young Toronto designer a spot in Forbes’ “Ten Undiscovered Designers on the Rise.” A proud Canuck, Sparks strives to create a uniquely Canadian feeling in all of his clothing.
Founded in 2002 by Toronto lawyers Shawn Hewson and Ruth Promislow, Bustle has come to be defined by its tailored sportswear with a cheeky edge.
Since launching his label in 1993, Montreal-based designer Philippe Dubuc has refined a look based on clean lines, graphic shapes and attitude.
Inspired by the Vancouver designer’s time spent living and studying in Europe, ULTRA is defined by its fine fabrics, sleek tailoring and a clean, minimalist aesthetic.
On what to buy this fall: “I’m a big fan of the brighter plaid shirts, as well as the blazers with the plaid trim and linings (like on the mannequin). Plaid may be a trend right now, but wearing it in unusual shades and applications shows that you aren’t just blindly following trends, you’re processing them and making them your own.”
On inspiration: “The fall collection is called The Hybrid Man and is based on the image of an urban hunter who has evolved and adapted to the modern environment. The Hybrid Man is manifest in the collection’s lean silhouettes, cut from high-quality Italian textiles. The collection is based on a clashing of cuts, whereby a vest, for instance, fits straight on the body, but features rounded pockets that soften the overall look.”
Named after his hometown, Baalbek, in Lebanon, K.Maro’s clothing line is one manifestation of this entrepreneurial musician’s creative output. While K.Maro made his name as a bilingual Canadian rapper and R&B singer, his foray into fashion reveals just as much inspiration and diversity. The look is urban with an avant-garde twist, gleaned from diverse sources and defined by the designer’s use of vibrant colours and appliqués.
On inspiration: “The fall collection was inspired by the sportiness of race cars driving in the Scottish moors—we put plaid into high octane speed!” On what to buy this fall: “I have always believed in the idea of investment dressing. Spend a bit more on great pieces and they will last a lifetime. This fall I would have to say invest in a great grey twobutton, fitted suit and have fun with shirts and ties. My wool and neoprene city duffel coat is also great as a layering piece or on its own.” On Farley: “FC20” Anniversary shawl-collared tux jacket ($2,500) and grey cashmere pants ($795), by Farley Chatto. Club Monaco pinstriped shirt ($89), and Etro tie ($150). Louis Vuitton loafers ($1,000) and Gianfranco Ferre vintage eyeglasses.
On inspiration: “This fall I was inspired by Peter and the Wolf, but instead of telling a Russian story I wanted the collection to be about Canada, so a lot of research went into period costume and vintage Canadian clothing.” On what to buy this fall: “I would invest in a chunky sweater. A favourite from my collection is the whimsical, intarsia knit curling sweater.” On the direction of menswear design in Canada: “People are really starting to put meaning and tradition back into clothing, and with traditional men’s pieces like the curling sweater and cufflinks and tie bars, menswear design in Canada is starting to pick up steam.”
On mannequin: White cotton and silk fitted dress shirt ($225), cotton and viscose zippered
On Philip: Checked flannel shirt ($358) and
sailor’s ribbed turtleneck ($175), rust two-tone
jeans ($195).
On the direction of menswear design in Canada: “I think more and more guys are looking for something that’s not only fashionable, but something different as well, and if it’s Made in Canada, that’s even better. Canadian guys are really starting to process trends and make them our own, as opposed to merely following them, and we’re looking to our own design talent for cues.”
On what to buy this fall: “My favourite piece from the collection is the sweatshirt fabric duffel coat.” On the direction of menswear design in Canada: “I would like to see a more personal approach to fashion on behalf of menswear designers, along with more innovation. It’s 2010 after all...”
On inspiration: “The ’80s were a huge influence behind the latest collection.” On what to buy this fall: “For fall we really focused on elevating the hoodie— with a slimmer cut and interesting prints.” On the direction of menswear design in Canada: “There’s a lot of interesting work happening in Canadian design right now. I think that because we have to deal with such long winters, Canadian designers are kind of getting away from the dark tones and embracing more originality and exoticism in their designs as a sort of respite.”
On Shawn: Double-layer shirt ($185), lambskin
On Philippe: Deconstructed vest with tails in
jacket with collar buckle and zip pockets
cotton linen with polyurethane inserts ($595),
($1,625), low-rise Italian denim jeans ($195).
crinkled cotton shirt ($190), and cotton
On K.Maro: Balbec Couture Tomahawk t-shirt
pants ($260).
($69) and Balbec jeans ($135).
On what to buy this fall: “I would invest in a good quality topcoat or jacket. The Dorian topcoat in Italian wool from my fall collection as an exciting alternative to the traditional overcoat. Or my favourite piece is the Renegade bomber in midnight blue New England leather.” On Christopher: Highlander Bomber version 2.0 ($1,419), ULTRA logo V-neck shirt ($139), Techno trousers ($389), ULTRA logo belt ($249) and Cobra boots, price available on request. On mannequin: Dorian topcoat ($1,135),
On mannequin: French cuff plaid shirt ($175)
Duppioni silk tie ($150), by Farley Chatto.
On inspiration: “The fall collection is called Rock Bottom: a New Low. The theme is dark and it tells the hedonistic tale of the ULTRA man going down in flames—or out in style. I drew inspiration from a variety of sources, including Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey and the music of Depeche Mode, resulting in a sombre colour palette punctuated with bursts of blood red, hazard yellow and glacier white. It’s an ironic tribute to today’s widespread, amoral party culture.”
“Racer” wool jacket (part of a two-piece suit) by
On mannequin: Flannel shirt ($358), bow tie
and lapel-piping blazer with plaid piping and
On mannequin: Sweatshirt cotton duffel coat
On mannequin: Balbec Black label fitted shirt
Blue Steel dress shirt ($275) and Techno
Farley Chatto for Adidas (price upon request).
($125) and grey wool jacket ($950).
lining ($450).
with rib knitting and fox fur trim ($1,195).
($70) and brown pinstripe suit ($695).
skinny tie ($159).
54 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
photos: paul koziorowski
photos: Jimmy Hamelin, matthew burditt
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 55
Fall Style
Sweat the Small Stuff photography by Paul koziorowski styling by Theresa quick Few things can make a man look or feel as good as a new, perfectly fitting suit. Likewise, few things will sabotage this look faster than the wrong pair of shoes, a shoddy briefcase, or a belt that looks like it came from Bargain Fred’s House of Discounts (sorry, Fred). Just as a pair of saggy trousers can ruin an otherwise perfect suit, accessories that aren’t up to snuff will derail any outfit, no matter how well put-together it may otherwise be. By the same token, a fine belt or a pair of nicely weathered shoes can kick a less exciting ensemble up a notch. In dressing, as in life, it’s the little things that matter most, so don’t be afraid to sweat the small stuff.
As binders and folders give way to laptops and PDAs, softer, more versatile business bags like this one are becoming indispensable for daily use. Signs of a well-made bag are heavy-duty zippers, clean stitching (no loose threads) and a lining that is securely attached to the inside of the bag. When choosing the material, look for a thick and durable leather with a solid finish. This will be more likely to last through daily wear and tear than softer kid leather or cloth. Louis Vuitton leather briefcase ($2,440). 56 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 57
Fall Style
Sweat the Small Stuff photography by Paul koziorowski styling by Theresa quick Few things can make a man look or feel as good as a new, perfectly fitting suit. Likewise, few things will sabotage this look faster than the wrong pair of shoes, a shoddy briefcase, or a belt that looks like it came from Bargain Fred’s House of Discounts (sorry, Fred). Just as a pair of saggy trousers can ruin an otherwise perfect suit, accessories that aren’t up to snuff will derail any outfit, no matter how well put-together it may otherwise be. By the same token, a fine belt or a pair of nicely weathered shoes can kick a less exciting ensemble up a notch. In dressing, as in life, it’s the little things that matter most, so don’t be afraid to sweat the small stuff.
As binders and folders give way to laptops and PDAs, softer, more versatile business bags like this one are becoming indispensable for daily use. Signs of a well-made bag are heavy-duty zippers, clean stitching (no loose threads) and a lining that is securely attached to the inside of the bag. When choosing the material, look for a thick and durable leather with a solid finish. This will be more likely to last through daily wear and tear than softer kid leather or cloth. Louis Vuitton leather briefcase ($2,440). 56 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 57
Fall Style
Look for unusual finishes and textures in footwear this fall. Laser-cut details, like the grid on these shoes by Boss, as well as buckles and ombre finishes, will add character and versatility to your fall wardrobe. Hugo Boss laser-cut shoe ($475). 58 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Glasses offer an easy way to change your look, and the right eyewear can make a world of difference in your overall appearance. This fall, look for retro-inspired black frames with a modern twist, clear acrylic frames or semi-round academic-style glasses (think Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird). The general rule to finding the perfect pair is to choose a frame that counterbalances your face shape (i.e. a round face = rectangular frames). Glasses from top: Paul Smith ($325), Philippe Starck ($490), and LA Eyeworks ($420), all at Josephson Opticians. sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 59
Fall Style
Look for unusual finishes and textures in footwear this fall. Laser-cut details, like the grid on these shoes by Boss, as well as buckles and ombre finishes, will add character and versatility to your fall wardrobe. Hugo Boss laser-cut shoe ($475). 58 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Glasses offer an easy way to change your look, and the right eyewear can make a world of difference in your overall appearance. This fall, look for retro-inspired black frames with a modern twist, clear acrylic frames or semi-round academic-style glasses (think Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird). The general rule to finding the perfect pair is to choose a frame that counterbalances your face shape (i.e. a round face = rectangular frames). Glasses from top: Paul Smith ($325), Philippe Starck ($490), and LA Eyeworks ($420), all at Josephson Opticians. sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 59
Fall Style
If you’re going to dress softly, you’ll need a big watch. So, you’ve bought into the new culture of restraint. Leaner, slimmer suits, a dapper gray flannel perhaps, cutaway collar and maybe a tie bar—the full pansy. Before you know it, you’re thinking, “What was I thinking?” You can’t logically punch up the Basil Rathbone look with tasseled loafers or a baseball cap, but you can bring it all back to life with one of these big, black, wuss-proof sports watches. Carol Besler
60 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Ebel Brasilia Chronograph
TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 17RS
A Roman numeral 12, tapered rubber strap and geometric art deco-style case give this sports watch a dress watch look. Alas, it is a classic, three-dial chronograph, with hour and minute totalizers and small seconds. The pushers are elegantly angled to harmonize with the lines of the case. The movement is Swiss automatic and the deployant clasp is a nice touch. $4,850
Linear subdial readouts give this chrono a high-tech, unique look. As usual for a sports watch, the crown screws down into the locked position, but here, so do the pushers, which means they can be safety locked (chronographs are power draining so you want to avoid inadvertent timing). The watch is named after the famed Carrera Panamericana Mexico Road Race. $6,600
Longines Grande Vitesse
Movado Vizio Chronograph
This is a racing watch with street cred. The tachymeter, graduated in km/h or mph, can measure a ground speed of up to Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound). On the dial, a big 12 is inspired by the numbers used to mark racing cars. Special grips on the crown and pushers keep everything steady as you hurtle through space. The second time zone at 6 o’clock is a bonus. $3,400
Movado’s famous Museum dial, with dot at 12 o’clock, gets a souped-up makeover here, with racy carbon-fibre dial and jaunty rubber strap and, true to Movado’s postmodern design aesthetic, subdial chrono counters in irregular sizes. A tiny date window off the seconds counter mirrors the famous dot. Swiss quartz movement is housed in an elegantly polished case. $1,995
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 61
Fall Style
If you’re going to dress softly, you’ll need a big watch. So, you’ve bought into the new culture of restraint. Leaner, slimmer suits, a dapper gray flannel perhaps, cutaway collar and maybe a tie bar—the full pansy. Before you know it, you’re thinking, “What was I thinking?” You can’t logically punch up the Basil Rathbone look with tasseled loafers or a baseball cap, but you can bring it all back to life with one of these big, black, wuss-proof sports watches. Carol Besler
60 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Ebel Brasilia Chronograph
TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 17RS
A Roman numeral 12, tapered rubber strap and geometric art deco-style case give this sports watch a dress watch look. Alas, it is a classic, three-dial chronograph, with hour and minute totalizers and small seconds. The pushers are elegantly angled to harmonize with the lines of the case. The movement is Swiss automatic and the deployant clasp is a nice touch. $4,850
Linear subdial readouts give this chrono a high-tech, unique look. As usual for a sports watch, the crown screws down into the locked position, but here, so do the pushers, which means they can be safety locked (chronographs are power draining so you want to avoid inadvertent timing). The watch is named after the famed Carrera Panamericana Mexico Road Race. $6,600
Longines Grande Vitesse
Movado Vizio Chronograph
This is a racing watch with street cred. The tachymeter, graduated in km/h or mph, can measure a ground speed of up to Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound). On the dial, a big 12 is inspired by the numbers used to mark racing cars. Special grips on the crown and pushers keep everything steady as you hurtle through space. The second time zone at 6 o’clock is a bonus. $3,400
Movado’s famous Museum dial, with dot at 12 o’clock, gets a souped-up makeover here, with racy carbon-fibre dial and jaunty rubber strap and, true to Movado’s postmodern design aesthetic, subdial chrono counters in irregular sizes. A tiny date window off the seconds counter mirrors the famous dot. Swiss quartz movement is housed in an elegantly polished case. $1,995
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 61
Fall Style
A supple brown belt is an essential accessory as it pairs well with both suits and jeans, and complements the season’s tweeds, plaids and wools. Look for a belt that is soft and flexible with no visible creases in the leather. For added versatility, make sure the buckle is simple and detailing is kept to a minimum. Ermenegildo Zegna Couture leather belt ($450). 62 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
While most wallets look more or less the same, little details can make all the difference. Ostrich skin is a great option as it’s supple, scuff resistant and the strongest of all commercial leathers. A shiny patent crocodile finish offers a more formal look and goes well with your more conservative suits. Whatever style and material you choose, make sure that the stitching is clean and the finish will withstand a light scratch. Wallets from top: Betty Hemmings ($629), Tumi ($250), Betty Hemmings ($415), all at Betty Hemmings Leathergoods. sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 63
Fall Style
A supple brown belt is an essential accessory as it pairs well with both suits and jeans, and complements the season’s tweeds, plaids and wools. Look for a belt that is soft and flexible with no visible creases in the leather. For added versatility, make sure the buckle is simple and detailing is kept to a minimum. Ermenegildo Zegna Couture leather belt ($450). 62 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
While most wallets look more or less the same, little details can make all the difference. Ostrich skin is a great option as it’s supple, scuff resistant and the strongest of all commercial leathers. A shiny patent crocodile finish offers a more formal look and goes well with your more conservative suits. Whatever style and material you choose, make sure that the stitching is clean and the finish will withstand a light scratch. Wallets from top: Betty Hemmings ($629), Tumi ($250), Betty Hemmings ($415), all at Betty Hemmings Leathergoods. sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 63
Fall Style
Alessandro Sartori, Creative Director Z Zegna.
14
Key Points on Style. .from Three Men Who Would Know
For all of our talk and advice and good intentions in the realm of men’s fashion, at the end of the day, we don’t really decide anything. And we’re okay with that. These three men, however, do. And the man who heeds their advice will be a well-dressed man indeed.
Scott Schuman, a.k.a. The Sartorialist A veteran of the business side of the fashion industry, Scott Schuman’s second career began when he started taking pictures of well-dressed people on the streets of New York and posting them on his blog, The Sartorialist. Now, Schuman’s perfectly composed photos of perfectly styled regular people attract hundreds of thousands of hits every day, and his eye for fashion is sought by magazines and fashion houses around the world. Schuman’s first book of photography, The Sartorialist, is now available from Penguin.
Scott Schuman
The three suit philosophy I’m getting ready to go on my book tour for the fall, so I’m going to Ralph Lauren to get three suits made to measure. I want a solid navy suit, perfect fit; I want a grey suit; perfect fit, and I want a black suit, perfect fit. Black’s going to be evening, grey and navy I’ll switch between the two in the daytime. White shirts, blue shirts, different ties. I’m not really worried about stripes or fabric weight, I want a grey suit, navy suit, black suit. The other stuff will work itself out. Fashion vs. style Fashion is the thing that moves style forward. “Preppy” is a style, it’s a particular kind of look, “Goth” is a particular style, it’s a particular kind of look, but they both move forward through fashion. I think fashion helps move style along—they’re interrelated. I think style is the constant and fashion is the thing that keeps it turning. The Don Draper look If Mad Men has had a particular influence, it’s a little more pocket square, a little more cuff, maybe a little more part in the hair. Buy a point of view, not a brand name I wear a lot of no-name Italian brands from Al Bazar, my favourite store in Milan. Lino Loluzzi owns the store and it’s all very much his taste. So Lino could go spread collar, he could go point collar, he could go moderately spread collar, but he has such a point of view that he buys it in his way. So what I’m buying is the Al Bazar point of view, not the brand’s point of view. And it’s an individual who runs the store, so it’s a very subtle change, but it’s very important. And I really like his point of view, so I buy a lot from him and not the guy down the street because I don’t like that guy’s point of view.
Lino Loluzzi
The most important thing The most important item in a man’s wardrobe is a good, well-fitting suit. It doesn’t have to be expensive—but a suit that fits really well. Make the sleeve length the right length, make the pant length the right length. If your suit doesn’t fit right, with enough cuff length, enough height on the collar, enough suppression at the waist, everything else won’t look as good. Make it fit. If it fits, people notice.
64 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
For the past 14 years, Alessandro Sartori has been designing menswear, sportswear and accessories for one of Italy’s oldest and most storied fashion houses—Ermenegildo Zegna. Since 2002, Sartori, who hails from Biella, the same region in Italy where Zegna was born, has been overseeing the creative endeavours of Z Zegna, the brand’s younger, more fashionconscious line. What’s old will be new again I love vintage clothes. By adding a touch of timeless, old-world class to your wardrobe, you can balance out your progressive style beautifully, adding charm and sophistication to any outfit. Things like long, belted trench coats and slim flannel shirts. They will never age. Never fear the army boot I have too many pairs to count. A high-cut, leather army boot is perfect for the fall. It does make a statement, but there’s never anything
wrong with that. A derby boot looks great, too. And the more worn-in the better. I wear them with more formal suits. A staple outfit Start with a dark, fitted, two-button blazer. Throw that over a cotton V-neck tee. Add a pair of fitted chinos, a thin, vintage belt and a pair of dark, distressed shoes with laces. You can wear this anywhere at anytime and always look good. The fashion faux-pas Basketball shorts. Seriously. If today isn’t game day, then keep them at home. The same goes for soccer shorts. Just, no.
Alessandro Sartori
The best influence for gentlemanly style Noir movies of the 1940s. No one will ever match the attitude of those times. It was about hats, slim ties and thick glasses then, and it still is now. If you’re ever confused about what to wear, either to a work event or a special occasion, watch any one of those movies.
John Varvatos Born in Detroit, Varvatos’ Rock City upbringing inspired a lifelong love of music and a sensibility for the eclecticism and avant-gardist tendencies in the personal styles of rock icons like Led Zeppelin, The Stooges and Alice Cooper. Now the designer’s eponymous label is sold at boutiques across North America (including Varvatos’ 315 Bowery store in New York—the former site of legendary punk bar CBGB), offering luxurious tailored pieces that combine the traditional hallmarks of fine menswear with a more modern, edgy sensibility. You’ve got to be you The key to personal style is comfort—if you’re not going to feel comfortable in something, don’t wear it. An easy transition The key to transitioning your look from the workday to a night out is to start with pieces in your wardrobe that allow for flexibility—pieces that can be mixed and matched. Put a tailored jacket for instance, with a dressier jean. Obviously, lose the tie. Change your white, blue,
or pinstriped dress shirt for something more casual. Now, it is really easy to dress a suit up and down because guys have options when it comes to clothing. Masculinity The clothing is about being masculine. A lot of designer brands are not that masculine and, no matter what—if the guy is gay or straight— all guys ultimately want clothing that is masculine. Three items for fall 2009 Number one is the topcoat. It’s the season of the topcoat and Canadian cities like Toronto and Montreal are the right environment for them. You can wear them with a suit or a pair of jeans. It’s very cool to wear a topcoat with jeans. Number two is a great fitting pair of jeans. They can make your outfit. A proper fitting, sleeker pair of jeans—doesn’t have to be super skinny—can be flattering on any body. Number three is a pair of boots. I don’t mean cowboy boots, but boots that can be worn with a suit or under a pair of jeans.
John Varvatos
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 65
Fall Style
Alessandro Sartori, Creative Director Z Zegna.
14
Key Points on Style. .from Three Men Who Would Know
For all of our talk and advice and good intentions in the realm of men’s fashion, at the end of the day, we don’t really decide anything. And we’re okay with that. These three men, however, do. And the man who heeds their advice will be a well-dressed man indeed.
Scott Schuman, a.k.a. The Sartorialist A veteran of the business side of the fashion industry, Scott Schuman’s second career began when he started taking pictures of well-dressed people on the streets of New York and posting them on his blog, The Sartorialist. Now, Schuman’s perfectly composed photos of perfectly styled regular people attract hundreds of thousands of hits every day, and his eye for fashion is sought by magazines and fashion houses around the world. Schuman’s first book of photography, The Sartorialist, is now available from Penguin.
Scott Schuman
The three suit philosophy I’m getting ready to go on my book tour for the fall, so I’m going to Ralph Lauren to get three suits made to measure. I want a solid navy suit, perfect fit; I want a grey suit; perfect fit, and I want a black suit, perfect fit. Black’s going to be evening, grey and navy I’ll switch between the two in the daytime. White shirts, blue shirts, different ties. I’m not really worried about stripes or fabric weight, I want a grey suit, navy suit, black suit. The other stuff will work itself out. Fashion vs. style Fashion is the thing that moves style forward. “Preppy” is a style, it’s a particular kind of look, “Goth” is a particular style, it’s a particular kind of look, but they both move forward through fashion. I think fashion helps move style along—they’re interrelated. I think style is the constant and fashion is the thing that keeps it turning. The Don Draper look If Mad Men has had a particular influence, it’s a little more pocket square, a little more cuff, maybe a little more part in the hair. Buy a point of view, not a brand name I wear a lot of no-name Italian brands from Al Bazar, my favourite store in Milan. Lino Loluzzi owns the store and it’s all very much his taste. So Lino could go spread collar, he could go point collar, he could go moderately spread collar, but he has such a point of view that he buys it in his way. So what I’m buying is the Al Bazar point of view, not the brand’s point of view. And it’s an individual who runs the store, so it’s a very subtle change, but it’s very important. And I really like his point of view, so I buy a lot from him and not the guy down the street because I don’t like that guy’s point of view.
Lino Loluzzi
The most important thing The most important item in a man’s wardrobe is a good, well-fitting suit. It doesn’t have to be expensive—but a suit that fits really well. Make the sleeve length the right length, make the pant length the right length. If your suit doesn’t fit right, with enough cuff length, enough height on the collar, enough suppression at the waist, everything else won’t look as good. Make it fit. If it fits, people notice.
64 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
For the past 14 years, Alessandro Sartori has been designing menswear, sportswear and accessories for one of Italy’s oldest and most storied fashion houses—Ermenegildo Zegna. Since 2002, Sartori, who hails from Biella, the same region in Italy where Zegna was born, has been overseeing the creative endeavours of Z Zegna, the brand’s younger, more fashionconscious line. What’s old will be new again I love vintage clothes. By adding a touch of timeless, old-world class to your wardrobe, you can balance out your progressive style beautifully, adding charm and sophistication to any outfit. Things like long, belted trench coats and slim flannel shirts. They will never age. Never fear the army boot I have too many pairs to count. A high-cut, leather army boot is perfect for the fall. It does make a statement, but there’s never anything
wrong with that. A derby boot looks great, too. And the more worn-in the better. I wear them with more formal suits. A staple outfit Start with a dark, fitted, two-button blazer. Throw that over a cotton V-neck tee. Add a pair of fitted chinos, a thin, vintage belt and a pair of dark, distressed shoes with laces. You can wear this anywhere at anytime and always look good. The fashion faux-pas Basketball shorts. Seriously. If today isn’t game day, then keep them at home. The same goes for soccer shorts. Just, no.
Alessandro Sartori
The best influence for gentlemanly style Noir movies of the 1940s. No one will ever match the attitude of those times. It was about hats, slim ties and thick glasses then, and it still is now. If you’re ever confused about what to wear, either to a work event or a special occasion, watch any one of those movies.
John Varvatos Born in Detroit, Varvatos’ Rock City upbringing inspired a lifelong love of music and a sensibility for the eclecticism and avant-gardist tendencies in the personal styles of rock icons like Led Zeppelin, The Stooges and Alice Cooper. Now the designer’s eponymous label is sold at boutiques across North America (including Varvatos’ 315 Bowery store in New York—the former site of legendary punk bar CBGB), offering luxurious tailored pieces that combine the traditional hallmarks of fine menswear with a more modern, edgy sensibility. You’ve got to be you The key to personal style is comfort—if you’re not going to feel comfortable in something, don’t wear it. An easy transition The key to transitioning your look from the workday to a night out is to start with pieces in your wardrobe that allow for flexibility—pieces that can be mixed and matched. Put a tailored jacket for instance, with a dressier jean. Obviously, lose the tie. Change your white, blue,
or pinstriped dress shirt for something more casual. Now, it is really easy to dress a suit up and down because guys have options when it comes to clothing. Masculinity The clothing is about being masculine. A lot of designer brands are not that masculine and, no matter what—if the guy is gay or straight— all guys ultimately want clothing that is masculine. Three items for fall 2009 Number one is the topcoat. It’s the season of the topcoat and Canadian cities like Toronto and Montreal are the right environment for them. You can wear them with a suit or a pair of jeans. It’s very cool to wear a topcoat with jeans. Number two is a great fitting pair of jeans. They can make your outfit. A proper fitting, sleeker pair of jeans—doesn’t have to be super skinny—can be flattering on any body. Number three is a pair of boots. I don’t mean cowboy boots, but boots that can be worn with a suit or under a pair of jeans.
John Varvatos
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 65
Fall Style
D ressed U p r e s s e d
D o w n
Give your suits some credit, they’re more versatile than you think. Sure, worn straight off the hanger they’ll do the trick for work, weddings, or the occasional bat mitzvah. But what about the myriad other occasions in a man’s life? With the right accessories, a good suit can be adapted to fit any situation, any day of the week. CBC Radio Q host Jian Ghomeshi demonstrates what to add, what to lose and how to make it look good.
photography by Paul koziorowski fashion direction by Brigitte Foisy
Strellson suit ($695), Harry Rosen shirt ($75), Prada tie ($210) and squeaky patent shoes ($298) by Luca del Forte at Browns.
66 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Swapping your office shoes for a pair of classic Converse Jack Purcells and your button-down shirt for a cool graphic tee is just the way to push a dark suit into weekend territory. Burberry T-shirt ($325), available at Holt Renfrew. Converse running shoes ($80), at Browns.
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 67
Fall Style
D ressed U p r e s s e d
D o w n
Give your suits some credit, they’re more versatile than you think. Sure, worn straight off the hanger they’ll do the trick for work, weddings, or the occasional bat mitzvah. But what about the myriad other occasions in a man’s life? With the right accessories, a good suit can be adapted to fit any situation, any day of the week. CBC Radio Q host Jian Ghomeshi demonstrates what to add, what to lose and how to make it look good.
photography by Paul koziorowski fashion direction by Brigitte Foisy
Strellson suit ($695), Harry Rosen shirt ($75), Prada tie ($210) and squeaky patent shoes ($298) by Luca del Forte at Browns.
66 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Swapping your office shoes for a pair of classic Converse Jack Purcells and your button-down shirt for a cool graphic tee is just the way to push a dark suit into weekend territory. Burberry T-shirt ($325), available at Holt Renfrew. Converse running shoes ($80), at Browns.
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 67
Fall Style
Three-piece suit by Etro ($2,250), Z Zegna shirt ($195), available at Holt Renfrew. Strellson tie ($85) and Geox shoes ($230).
68 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Is there anything dark selvedge jeans don’t look good with? Add a crisp plaid shirt and a pair of well-worn brown oxfords and you’re the best-dressed man in the room. A.P.C. shirt ($200) and Simon Miller jeans ($260), available at Holt Renfrew.
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 69
Fall Style
Three-piece suit by Etro ($2,250), Z Zegna shirt ($195), available at Holt Renfrew. Strellson tie ($85) and Geox shoes ($230).
68 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Is there anything dark selvedge jeans don’t look good with? Add a crisp plaid shirt and a pair of well-worn brown oxfords and you’re the best-dressed man in the room. A.P.C. shirt ($200) and Simon Miller jeans ($260), available at Holt Renfrew.
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 69
Fall Style
If
you didn’t know who Jian Ghomeshi was prior to April of this year, you probably did afterwards. He first made his name as a member of the folk-rock group Moxy Früvous, before making the jump to journalism on shows like Play and The Hour. However, when actor/ director/diva Billy Bob Thorton infamously blew up on Q, the daily arts and culture show Ghomeshi hosts on CBC Radio One, a video of the interview quickly went viral, racking up two million YouTube hits in a matter of days. Suddenly, our favourite CBC Radio host wasn’t just ours anymore. We knew this day would come. You’ve been a long-time booster of Canadian content, both on Q and prior to it. What’s new and exciting in the Canadian arts scene? It’s a pretty broad-ranging question. Everything from Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the amazing Montreal conductor who just made his debut in New York, to someone like the writer David Bezmozgis to David Altmejd as a visual artist to a band like The Most Serene Republic, or Lights, who’s just a 22-year-old girl, born in Timmins, Ontario, who writes the songs, plays all the instruments, produces it herself, and is going to become a global force. Anyone in particular you want to interview but haven’t yet had the chance? My idol is David Bowie, and I know I could send my team to really make the interview happen, but part of me just doesn’t want it to. It’s like, where would I go from there? It’s like sleeping with the person that you consider the hottest in the world. I think when I do it I want it to be special. I wouldn’t want it to be a 10-minute interview at the side of a stage or something. I want it to be a Life and Times special or something.
This page: Grey pinstripe Isaia suit ($3,495), shirt ($250), tie ($150) and pocket square ($98) by Etro, all available at Holt Renfrew. Opposite page: A gray v-neck sweater is indispensable for changing the look of a nice suit. As can a jean jacket, if you’re feeling particularly fashionable. Ermenegildo Zegna sweater ($550), Levi’s jean jacket ($90), and Geox ankle boots ($230).
70 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
What did you take from the whole Billy Bob experience? It was certainly fascinating to be at the epicentre of a global viral sensation. I was joking over the last couple of months that I could become prime minister and the next day I’d be getting calls from the Mumbai Times asking me for a perspective on what just happened with Billy Bob. I do fundamentally believe that he and his publicity team underestimated me, underestimated the CBC, underestimated my show and underestimated Canada. I think he came up here and walked into my studio and thought he was doing some punk-ass thing that nobody was going to see…and Canadians showed that we don’t necessarily take kindly to being called “bland.”
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 71
Fall Style
If
you didn’t know who Jian Ghomeshi was prior to April of this year, you probably did afterwards. He first made his name as a member of the folk-rock group Moxy Früvous, before making the jump to journalism on shows like Play and The Hour. However, when actor/ director/diva Billy Bob Thorton infamously blew up on Q, the daily arts and culture show Ghomeshi hosts on CBC Radio One, a video of the interview quickly went viral, racking up two million YouTube hits in a matter of days. Suddenly, our favourite CBC Radio host wasn’t just ours anymore. We knew this day would come. You’ve been a long-time booster of Canadian content, both on Q and prior to it. What’s new and exciting in the Canadian arts scene? It’s a pretty broad-ranging question. Everything from Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the amazing Montreal conductor who just made his debut in New York, to someone like the writer David Bezmozgis to David Altmejd as a visual artist to a band like The Most Serene Republic, or Lights, who’s just a 22-year-old girl, born in Timmins, Ontario, who writes the songs, plays all the instruments, produces it herself, and is going to become a global force. Anyone in particular you want to interview but haven’t yet had the chance? My idol is David Bowie, and I know I could send my team to really make the interview happen, but part of me just doesn’t want it to. It’s like, where would I go from there? It’s like sleeping with the person that you consider the hottest in the world. I think when I do it I want it to be special. I wouldn’t want it to be a 10-minute interview at the side of a stage or something. I want it to be a Life and Times special or something.
This page: Grey pinstripe Isaia suit ($3,495), shirt ($250), tie ($150) and pocket square ($98) by Etro, all available at Holt Renfrew. Opposite page: A gray v-neck sweater is indispensable for changing the look of a nice suit. As can a jean jacket, if you’re feeling particularly fashionable. Ermenegildo Zegna sweater ($550), Levi’s jean jacket ($90), and Geox ankle boots ($230).
70 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
What did you take from the whole Billy Bob experience? It was certainly fascinating to be at the epicentre of a global viral sensation. I was joking over the last couple of months that I could become prime minister and the next day I’d be getting calls from the Mumbai Times asking me for a perspective on what just happened with Billy Bob. I do fundamentally believe that he and his publicity team underestimated me, underestimated the CBC, underestimated my show and underestimated Canada. I think he came up here and walked into my studio and thought he was doing some punk-ass thing that nobody was going to see…and Canadians showed that we don’t necessarily take kindly to being called “bland.”
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 71
Fall Style
Choosing the right collar for your face
Finishing Touches Men’s formalwear hasn’t changed all that much in the last 100 years, but that doesn’t mean there still aren’t plenty of ways to make yourself stand out from the guy in the next office over. Different kinds of collars, ties and pocket squares, when used in the right combinations, can add just the right amount personality to any suit.
Classic Point
Shirt collars should be chosen to counterbalance the face shape and frame of the wearer, with the aim of creating proportion. A narrower opening between collar points, as found on the Classic Point collar, for instance, works well at balancing a wider face. Likewise, if your face is long and thin, a Wide Spread collar paired with a thick Full-Windsor knot will give the illusion of a more substantial neck. A Spread collar is generally a safe bet for everyone else. The stand—that is the height of the collar—is also something to consider. Men with shorter, thicker necks should opt for a short stand to avoid looking as if they’re being choked by a collar that’s too tall. Men with longer, leaner necks, however, should choose a higher stand in combination with a wider spread.
Classic Point What it is: The collar style most widely used in the manufacture of men’s dress shirts. If you buy a shirt without paying particular attention to the style of the collar, odds are it’s a Classic Point.
Spread or Classic Spread
Pair it with: The narrower opening of this collar lends itself to a skinny tie. However, if you are a bigger gent, and skinny ties aren’t your thing, opt instead for a wider tie with a smaller knot like the Four-in-Hand. The Classic Point is also the only collar—aside from a button-down style— that that can be worn without a tie. Dolce & Gabbana shirt ($350) and BOSS Black tie ($110), available at Harry Rosen.
Spread or Classic Spread What it is: This collar has a wider opening between collar points than the Classic Point style and is slightly more formal.
Wide Spread or English Spread
Pair it with: A tie in a finer fabric that can handle a thick knot to fill in the extra space at your neck (like the Half-Windsor pictured here.) Hudson Room shirt ($35), tie ($75) by justwhiteshirts.com.
Wide Spread or English Spread What it is: An even wider version of the Spread. It was famously worn by the Duke of Windsor, who paired the collar with a thick tie knot, later referred to as the Windsor knot. Pair it with: This collar was made for the formality and girth of a FullWindsor knot.
The Pocket Square Originally used as a high-end tissue, the pocket square has gained increasing popularity over the last several years as a way to add colour to an ensemble. While style aficionados have long debated pocket square etiquette, most people agree that there are no hard and fast rules that govern this accessory. Here’s what you need to know: A pocket square should provide a contrast to your tie while complementing its colour and texture. Avoid flat-out matching your tie and pocket square and have fun instead with complementary colours. Patterned pocket squares contrast well with solid-coloured ties, and make it easy for you to coordinate with at least one colour in your outfit, whether it’s the striping on your shirt or a fleck in the weave of your jacket.
72 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Silk is the material of choice for the pocket square because it can be worn with a variety of suit fabrics all year round. The soft and unstructured character of a silk square lends itself more easily to the “poof” rather than a crisp fold. To achieve this look, start by laying the square flat on a surface; pinch the middle between your thumb and forefinger, letting the fabric fall naturally. Fold the pinched base of the pocket square up towards the tip and slide it into the pocket so that the tips poke out the top. Arrange the tips as desired. For a cleaner, classic look, use a stiffer woven linen or cotton square that can be neatly folded and placed in your pocket with only one to two centimetres visible at the top. Pocket squares: Robert Talbott Carmel and Dion ($45-$85), available at Harry Rosen.
Photos: Paul koziorowski, stylist: Theresa quick
Ermenegildo Zegna shirt ($325) and tie ($175), available at Harry Rosen.
Contrast
Contrast What it is: The traditional Contrast collar is an attention-grabbing bright white against a blue shirt that signifies to everyone else that the wearer is either high-powered, highly fashionable, or both. Michael Douglas wore these throughout Wall Street, so you get the picture. Pair it with: A slick suit that can hold its own against the eye-catching collar. Because of their more formal nature, contrast collars are usually Spread styles and look best with a thick knot like the Windsor. Shirt ($95) and tie ($85) by The Shirt Store.
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 73
Fall Style
Choosing the right collar for your face
Finishing Touches Men’s formalwear hasn’t changed all that much in the last 100 years, but that doesn’t mean there still aren’t plenty of ways to make yourself stand out from the guy in the next office over. Different kinds of collars, ties and pocket squares, when used in the right combinations, can add just the right amount personality to any suit.
Classic Point
Shirt collars should be chosen to counterbalance the face shape and frame of the wearer, with the aim of creating proportion. A narrower opening between collar points, as found on the Classic Point collar, for instance, works well at balancing a wider face. Likewise, if your face is long and thin, a Wide Spread collar paired with a thick Full-Windsor knot will give the illusion of a more substantial neck. A Spread collar is generally a safe bet for everyone else. The stand—that is the height of the collar—is also something to consider. Men with shorter, thicker necks should opt for a short stand to avoid looking as if they’re being choked by a collar that’s too tall. Men with longer, leaner necks, however, should choose a higher stand in combination with a wider spread.
Classic Point What it is: The collar style most widely used in the manufacture of men’s dress shirts. If you buy a shirt without paying particular attention to the style of the collar, odds are it’s a Classic Point.
Spread or Classic Spread
Pair it with: The narrower opening of this collar lends itself to a skinny tie. However, if you are a bigger gent, and skinny ties aren’t your thing, opt instead for a wider tie with a smaller knot like the Four-in-Hand. The Classic Point is also the only collar—aside from a button-down style— that that can be worn without a tie. Dolce & Gabbana shirt ($350) and BOSS Black tie ($110), available at Harry Rosen.
Spread or Classic Spread What it is: This collar has a wider opening between collar points than the Classic Point style and is slightly more formal.
Wide Spread or English Spread
Pair it with: A tie in a finer fabric that can handle a thick knot to fill in the extra space at your neck (like the Half-Windsor pictured here.) Hudson Room shirt ($35), tie ($75) by justwhiteshirts.com.
Wide Spread or English Spread What it is: An even wider version of the Spread. It was famously worn by the Duke of Windsor, who paired the collar with a thick tie knot, later referred to as the Windsor knot. Pair it with: This collar was made for the formality and girth of a FullWindsor knot.
The Pocket Square Originally used as a high-end tissue, the pocket square has gained increasing popularity over the last several years as a way to add colour to an ensemble. While style aficionados have long debated pocket square etiquette, most people agree that there are no hard and fast rules that govern this accessory. Here’s what you need to know: A pocket square should provide a contrast to your tie while complementing its colour and texture. Avoid flat-out matching your tie and pocket square and have fun instead with complementary colours. Patterned pocket squares contrast well with solid-coloured ties, and make it easy for you to coordinate with at least one colour in your outfit, whether it’s the striping on your shirt or a fleck in the weave of your jacket.
72 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Silk is the material of choice for the pocket square because it can be worn with a variety of suit fabrics all year round. The soft and unstructured character of a silk square lends itself more easily to the “poof” rather than a crisp fold. To achieve this look, start by laying the square flat on a surface; pinch the middle between your thumb and forefinger, letting the fabric fall naturally. Fold the pinched base of the pocket square up towards the tip and slide it into the pocket so that the tips poke out the top. Arrange the tips as desired. For a cleaner, classic look, use a stiffer woven linen or cotton square that can be neatly folded and placed in your pocket with only one to two centimetres visible at the top. Pocket squares: Robert Talbott Carmel and Dion ($45-$85), available at Harry Rosen.
Photos: Paul koziorowski, stylist: Theresa quick
Ermenegildo Zegna shirt ($325) and tie ($175), available at Harry Rosen.
Contrast
Contrast What it is: The traditional Contrast collar is an attention-grabbing bright white against a blue shirt that signifies to everyone else that the wearer is either high-powered, highly fashionable, or both. Michael Douglas wore these throughout Wall Street, so you get the picture. Pair it with: A slick suit that can hold its own against the eye-catching collar. Because of their more formal nature, contrast collars are usually Spread styles and look best with a thick knot like the Windsor. Shirt ($95) and tie ($85) by The Shirt Store.
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 73
Tailored for Speed photography by Mario Miotti fashion direction by Brigitte Foisy
With summer’s balmy days (or rainy ones, as the case may be) slipping behind us, and the night air taking on the crispness of fall, it’s time to put away lighter fabrics and brighter tones in favour of something a little more serious. Sure, it may not have been much of a summer, but luxurious knits and classic fabrics like tweed and herringbone, trimmed into sleek silhouettes, make the onset of cool weather something to look forward to. And while it may not have been the best summer for convertibles, we have the antidote for that, too, by way of Porsche: the new Panamera.
74 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 75
Tailored for Speed photography by Mario Miotti fashion direction by Brigitte Foisy
With summer’s balmy days (or rainy ones, as the case may be) slipping behind us, and the night air taking on the crispness of fall, it’s time to put away lighter fabrics and brighter tones in favour of something a little more serious. Sure, it may not have been much of a summer, but luxurious knits and classic fabrics like tweed and herringbone, trimmed into sleek silhouettes, make the onset of cool weather something to look forward to. And while it may not have been the best summer for convertibles, we have the antidote for that, too, by way of Porsche: the new Panamera.
74 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 75
Opening spread: Joeffer Caoc wool cashmere dress ($785), bracelet by Anne-Marie Chagnon ($115), and stylist’s own gloves. This page: Z Zegna shirt ($295), belt ($265), and wool pants (part of a two-piece suit $1,095). Opposite top: Strellson sweater vest ($125) and tie ($85). Caliban shirt ($225). Opposite bottom: on him: Strellson sweater vest ($125) and tie ($85). Caliban shirt ($225) and Z Zegna pants (part of a two-piece suit $1,095). on her:
Cinque dress ($465), stylist’s own scarf.
76 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 77
Opening spread: Joeffer Caoc wool cashmere dress ($785), bracelet by Anne-Marie Chagnon ($115), and stylist’s own gloves. This page: Z Zegna shirt ($295), belt ($265), and wool pants (part of a two-piece suit $1,095). Opposite top: Strellson sweater vest ($125) and tie ($85). Caliban shirt ($225). Opposite bottom: on him: Strellson sweater vest ($125) and tie ($85). Caliban shirt ($225) and Z Zegna pants (part of a two-piece suit $1,095). on her:
Cinque dress ($465), stylist’s own scarf.
76 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 77
on him: Ermenegildo Zegna cashmere coat ($4,525), cardigan ($675) and scarf ($175). Caliban shirt ($225). Cinque pinstripe pants (part of a three-piece suit, $685). on her:
Cinque charcoal suit ($425).
78 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 79
on him: Ermenegildo Zegna cashmere coat ($4,525), cardigan ($675) and scarf ($175). Caliban shirt ($225). Cinque pinstripe pants (part of a three-piece suit, $685). on her:
Cinque charcoal suit ($425).
78 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 79
Cinque three-piece suit ($685), Strellson shirt ($155) and tie ($85), and Z Zegna shoes ($525).
80 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Cinque dress ($295) and jacket ($795). Stylist’s own belt, boots, glasses and bag.
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 81
Cinque three-piece suit ($685), Strellson shirt ($155) and tie ($85), and Z Zegna shoes ($525).
80 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Cinque dress ($295) and jacket ($795). Stylist’s own belt, boots, glasses and bag.
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 81
on him: Strellson double-breasted sweater ($250) and driving cap ($150), Phil Petter turtleneck sweater ($395), and Cinque houndstooth pants ($175). on her:
Joeffer Caoc jacket ($654), and Liquid leggings ($265). AnneMarie Chagnon necklace ($249). Stylist’s own shoes and glasses.
Make-up/Hair: Erika Lipah (Louisa Models) Models: Jennifer (Louisa Models) Keith (Sutherland)
82 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 83
on him: Strellson double-breasted sweater ($250) and driving cap ($150), Phil Petter turtleneck sweater ($395), and Cinque houndstooth pants ($175). on her:
Joeffer Caoc jacket ($654), and Liquid leggings ($265). AnneMarie Chagnon necklace ($249). Stylist’s own shoes and glasses.
Make-up/Hair: Erika Lipah (Louisa Models) Models: Jennifer (Louisa Models) Keith (Sutherland)
82 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 83
The Barrister‘s
Daughter Say what you will about Robbie Williams and Marmite, the Brits get it right every now and then. In fact, in the case of Emily Mortimer, the 37-year-old star of Martin Scorsese’s upcoming Shutter Island, we’d go so far as to say we owe them one.
By Bob Strauss
Photography by Todd Cole
84 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 85
The Barrister‘s
Daughter Say what you will about Robbie Williams and Marmite, the Brits get it right every now and then. In fact, in the case of Emily Mortimer, the 37-year-old star of Martin Scorsese’s upcoming Shutter Island, we’d go so far as to say we owe them one.
By Bob Strauss
Photography by Todd Cole
84 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 85
There are worse ways to be awakened than by Emily Mortimer whispering in your ear. Her voice, smart and slightly mousy, coming from a woman who can work a red carpet gown like a five-alarm fire, is straight out of the sexy librarian fantasy we may or may not have had. Her laugh catches us off guard, easy, spontaneous, and maybe a little bit naughty. No schoolgirl titter, this. This is a laugh of a woman of the world. Yes, there are worse ways to wake up. But there are also better ones. She could, for instance, be beside us, rather than calling from the New York home she shares with her actor husband, Alessandro Nivola, and their young son, Sam. But who are we to complain? Even if it wakes us up at an ungodly hour of the morning, it’s a phone call from Emily Mortimer. And we’re wide awake now, giving our undivided attention to the woman who let Ewan McGregor have his way with her in Young Adam’s rowboat, asked Dermot Mulroney to critique her every exposed, Lovely & Amazing imperfection (for the record, there were none) and clubbed that Transsiberian drug smuggler to death, deep in a Russian forest. It doesn’t seem possible, but not long ago Emily was a sheltered British bookworm. “I was really very shy, which I know is quite hard to believe now that I’m taking off my clothes and running around pretending to be mad all the time,” the properly raised daughter of barrister and Rumpole of the Bailey author Sir John Mortimer says of her teenage years. “I just stayed at home, did my homework and watched television. I had this overdeveloped fantasy life about all of these adventures I was going to have when I grew up, but I was way too scared to go to a party or deal with boys.” That all changed when Mortimer spontaneously decided to spend her gap year between high school and university in the collapsing Soviet Union. “I went from never having kissed a boy to falling madly in love with this Russian poet with the unlikely name of Dennis,” she explains. “I came of age, the Berlin Wall came down, I had this total adventure and had the most wonderful time!” We never imagined we’d be envious of a Russian poet named Dennis, but there it is. Shutter Island will be something of a departure for an actress who tends to play slightly naïve, neurotic young women. In it, Mortimer plays a homicidal maniac on the run from Leonardo DiCaprio’s tenacious federal agent on a spooky, gothic island. Ever self-deprecating, she has her doubts about how it came off. “If you’re giving birth or going mad onscreen, you can’t ever get away with it, really,” she reckons. “It’s always embarrassing. I have no idea what I did in those scenes. I can’t remember anything about it apart from thinking, ‘God, this is just about the most terrifying thing that’s ever happened to me.’ But there’s something about overcoming terror...” It was her handlers who were scared by Mortimer’s Toronto International Film Festival entry, Harry Brown, in which she’s a policewoman on the trail of Michael Caine’s vigilante pensioner. “It’s kind of like a modern-day Western, and I play the dowdy English sheriff,” she chuckles. “My agent said ‘Your manager’s going to hate it because you’ve got such depressing hair.’ I know, I don’t look glamorous, but that’s not the point of it.” Something tells us that Emily Mortimer will be just as alluring doing Brit Columbo as she is at anything else. Part of the reason for this, of course, is that no matter who she’s playing, she’ll retain that essential quality, whatever it is, that makes her so alluring to begin with. Ask her what she thinks that quality is, and she’s politely evasive. “Everybody is more than one thing,” she offers. “We are each a million different people and that often gets overlooked in life as well as in art. People aren’t just good or bad or sexy. I like being able to do all of the different things that I do. That’s the thing about life; it’s confusing and exciting because we’re complicated, you know?” “Anyway, that’s my lecture for the day,” she concludes, laughing. And there it is again. That laugh, throaty and girlish at the same time, with something mysterious running underneath. Mysterious and very, very sexy. Good morning, Emily.
86 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 87
There are worse ways to be awakened than by Emily Mortimer whispering in your ear. Her voice, smart and slightly mousy, coming from a woman who can work a red carpet gown like a five-alarm fire, is straight out of the sexy librarian fantasy we may or may not have had. Her laugh catches us off guard, easy, spontaneous, and maybe a little bit naughty. No schoolgirl titter, this. This is a laugh of a woman of the world. Yes, there are worse ways to wake up. But there are also better ones. She could, for instance, be beside us, rather than calling from the New York home she shares with her actor husband, Alessandro Nivola, and their young son, Sam. But who are we to complain? Even if it wakes us up at an ungodly hour of the morning, it’s a phone call from Emily Mortimer. And we’re wide awake now, giving our undivided attention to the woman who let Ewan McGregor have his way with her in Young Adam’s rowboat, asked Dermot Mulroney to critique her every exposed, Lovely & Amazing imperfection (for the record, there were none) and clubbed that Transsiberian drug smuggler to death, deep in a Russian forest. It doesn’t seem possible, but not long ago Emily was a sheltered British bookworm. “I was really very shy, which I know is quite hard to believe now that I’m taking off my clothes and running around pretending to be mad all the time,” the properly raised daughter of barrister and Rumpole of the Bailey author Sir John Mortimer says of her teenage years. “I just stayed at home, did my homework and watched television. I had this overdeveloped fantasy life about all of these adventures I was going to have when I grew up, but I was way too scared to go to a party or deal with boys.” That all changed when Mortimer spontaneously decided to spend her gap year between high school and university in the collapsing Soviet Union. “I went from never having kissed a boy to falling madly in love with this Russian poet with the unlikely name of Dennis,” she explains. “I came of age, the Berlin Wall came down, I had this total adventure and had the most wonderful time!” We never imagined we’d be envious of a Russian poet named Dennis, but there it is. Shutter Island will be something of a departure for an actress who tends to play slightly naïve, neurotic young women. In it, Mortimer plays a homicidal maniac on the run from Leonardo DiCaprio’s tenacious federal agent on a spooky, gothic island. Ever self-deprecating, she has her doubts about how it came off. “If you’re giving birth or going mad onscreen, you can’t ever get away with it, really,” she reckons. “It’s always embarrassing. I have no idea what I did in those scenes. I can’t remember anything about it apart from thinking, ‘God, this is just about the most terrifying thing that’s ever happened to me.’ But there’s something about overcoming terror...” It was her handlers who were scared by Mortimer’s Toronto International Film Festival entry, Harry Brown, in which she’s a policewoman on the trail of Michael Caine’s vigilante pensioner. “It’s kind of like a modern-day Western, and I play the dowdy English sheriff,” she chuckles. “My agent said ‘Your manager’s going to hate it because you’ve got such depressing hair.’ I know, I don’t look glamorous, but that’s not the point of it.” Something tells us that Emily Mortimer will be just as alluring doing Brit Columbo as she is at anything else. Part of the reason for this, of course, is that no matter who she’s playing, she’ll retain that essential quality, whatever it is, that makes her so alluring to begin with. Ask her what she thinks that quality is, and she’s politely evasive. “Everybody is more than one thing,” she offers. “We are each a million different people and that often gets overlooked in life as well as in art. People aren’t just good or bad or sexy. I like being able to do all of the different things that I do. That’s the thing about life; it’s confusing and exciting because we’re complicated, you know?” “Anyway, that’s my lecture for the day,” she concludes, laughing. And there it is again. That laugh, throaty and girlish at the same time, with something mysterious running underneath. Mysterious and very, very sexy. Good morning, Emily.
86 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 87
On The Frontlines of
Canada’s Failed
Drug War Being a narcotics officer north of the border isn’t what it used to be. From Asian gangs to meth labs to a booming ecstasy industry, Canada’s drug cops have more to contend with than ever before. Sharp talked with four NARC-squad veterans about the new breed of criminals, ineffectual legislation and how Canada became a drug dealer to the world.
Interviews by Rick Leswick
T
here was a time when fields of pot guarded by hippie kids with shotguns or pharmacology students mixing up LSD in university basements for extra cash were considered largescale drug operations in Canada. But those days are long gone. Just ask a Canadian narcotics officer. And if you really want to make them laugh, ask them about the war on drugs. As in most places, the drug problem in Canada has changed a lot in the last few decades. In the Vancouver area alone, up to 130 gangs are currently known to be operating. When they’re not supplying the city’s denizens with any kind of illegal drug you can think of, they are murdering each other with alarming regularity, to the tune of 30 shootings in the first half of this year. Scenarios like this are unnervingly common in Canada’s major cities, but that’s just the beginning. Increasingly, it is becoming clear that we are no longer a nation of occasional backyard tokers and rec-room party tooters, modest consumers of modest amounts of narcotics, barely a blip on the international radar. According to the United Nations World Drug Report, Canada is now the world’s primary producer and supplier of ecstasy and methamphetamines. The reasons as to how and why this happened are complicated and, unless you’re a narco-policy wonk, not really that interesting (lax regulation on the importation of these drugs’ pharmaceutical precursors is a big part of it.) What is remarkable, however, is the effect this boom has had on the scale of criminal activity in Canada. Gone are the long-haired kids with their shotguns guarding a few thousand dollars worth of plants, or if they are still there, nobody cares about them. Instead, Canada’s drug cops now spend their time raiding increasingly sophisticated multimillion dollar drug-producing operations, who launder their money on three continents and arm themselves with automatic weapons. We asked four long-time narcotics officers to describe their work, past and present, and the new direction drug enforcement has taken in Canada.
On the “War on Drugs”... There is no “war on drugs” (laughs). That was Nancy and Ronald Reagan. It was a great thing to say, “We have a war on drugs.” I’ve never used that phrase. Right now, Canada is on the world watch list as a producer of MDMA, or ecstasy as it’s called in the clubs. We ship more MDMA around the world than any other country, and that’s not something to be proud of. I hate to say this but you can actually set a company up, bring these precursors in and be the middle-man, and unless we can prove that you are conspiring with the illegal labs to produce MDMA, you are almost running a legitimate business. You can probably get a permit to import precursors directly out of pharmaceutical companies in India. What happens is the importers bring them in, and instead of the precursors being used in the manufacture of things like cold medicines, they are diverted to the illegal labs to make MDMA. These are people who set up companies and get permits. It is scary. There are just as many investigations that we do today with people exporting drugs and manufacturing drugs as people who are bringing drugs into Canada. We did a case with the Aussies last fall, and we were amazed at the amount of cocaine and amphetamine and MDMA that we’re shipping. You know, we’re talking about thousands of kilos. We’ve seen this trend for the last four or five years.
“We ship more MDMA around the world than any other country, and that’s not something to be proud of.”
Superintendent Ron Allen, 54, has been the top RCMP drug enforcement officer in the Greater Toronto Area for the past 11 years. In his 35-year career with the Mounties, he has spent 25 of them on drug investigations. On the start of the drug age... It really came into focus in the ’60s. You had the cocaine use in the upper classes of Hollywood in the ’20s and ’30s but drugs did not become a criminal problem until the ’60s. That was when the police departments started forming drug sections. Then you go back to the ’70s and the early ’80s and the motorcycle gangs started getting their nose into the movement of drugs. On the gangs… I’ll tell you right now, if you could speak to some Colombians they’d probably tell you that they’re scared shitless of the Mexicans. We thought the Colombians were crazy. You know you’ve
88 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
heard of the “Colombian necktie,” where they slit your throat and pull your tongue through the hole. Well, some of the stuff you’ve heard out of Mexico with them beheading police officers and putting their heads up on stakes outside the courthouse, these are pretty violent statements.
Frank Besenthal, 54, retired from the Toronto Police Service in 2009 after 31 years on the job. He left as a Staff Sergeant in charge of the 14-Division Community Response Unit. From 1986 to 1996 he was assigned to the Morality bureau, where he made street-level drug buys and worked on large-scale anti-drug operations. Rick Chase spent 24 of his 32 years with the Toronto Police Service as a narcotics enforcement officer and worked alongside Besenthal for many of them. His assignments took him across Canada, the US and Europe. One of his final cases was the takedown of an MDMA lab in Mississauga, Ontario, earlier this year, which at the time was the biggest ever found in Canada. On the old way of doing things… Besenthal: 5 District had done a wiretap on a mid-level trafficker who was involved with the Yorkville scene, and as a result of that, they tripped over a person who was substantially much higher than they thought. There were a whole number of aspects to this investigation that were groundbreaking at the time. Like, we put cameras in lawyers’ offices, which had never been done before because of the sanctity of the lawyer-client privilege. Technology was there, and with the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police), we put the camera in this lawyer’s office and we saw him do a multi-kilo transaction on film. We see him counting the money with gloves on his hands, piecing the money off, putsharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 89
On The Frontlines of
Canada’s Failed
Drug War Being a narcotics officer north of the border isn’t what it used to be. From Asian gangs to meth labs to a booming ecstasy industry, Canada’s drug cops have more to contend with than ever before. Sharp talked with four NARC-squad veterans about the new breed of criminals, ineffectual legislation and how Canada became a drug dealer to the world.
Interviews by Rick Leswick
T
here was a time when fields of pot guarded by hippie kids with shotguns or pharmacology students mixing up LSD in university basements for extra cash were considered largescale drug operations in Canada. But those days are long gone. Just ask a Canadian narcotics officer. And if you really want to make them laugh, ask them about the war on drugs. As in most places, the drug problem in Canada has changed a lot in the last few decades. In the Vancouver area alone, up to 130 gangs are currently known to be operating. When they’re not supplying the city’s denizens with any kind of illegal drug you can think of, they are murdering each other with alarming regularity, to the tune of 30 shootings in the first half of this year. Scenarios like this are unnervingly common in Canada’s major cities, but that’s just the beginning. Increasingly, it is becoming clear that we are no longer a nation of occasional backyard tokers and rec-room party tooters, modest consumers of modest amounts of narcotics, barely a blip on the international radar. According to the United Nations World Drug Report, Canada is now the world’s primary producer and supplier of ecstasy and methamphetamines. The reasons as to how and why this happened are complicated and, unless you’re a narco-policy wonk, not really that interesting (lax regulation on the importation of these drugs’ pharmaceutical precursors is a big part of it.) What is remarkable, however, is the effect this boom has had on the scale of criminal activity in Canada. Gone are the long-haired kids with their shotguns guarding a few thousand dollars worth of plants, or if they are still there, nobody cares about them. Instead, Canada’s drug cops now spend their time raiding increasingly sophisticated multimillion dollar drug-producing operations, who launder their money on three continents and arm themselves with automatic weapons. We asked four long-time narcotics officers to describe their work, past and present, and the new direction drug enforcement has taken in Canada.
On the “War on Drugs”... There is no “war on drugs” (laughs). That was Nancy and Ronald Reagan. It was a great thing to say, “We have a war on drugs.” I’ve never used that phrase. Right now, Canada is on the world watch list as a producer of MDMA, or ecstasy as it’s called in the clubs. We ship more MDMA around the world than any other country, and that’s not something to be proud of. I hate to say this but you can actually set a company up, bring these precursors in and be the middle-man, and unless we can prove that you are conspiring with the illegal labs to produce MDMA, you are almost running a legitimate business. You can probably get a permit to import precursors directly out of pharmaceutical companies in India. What happens is the importers bring them in, and instead of the precursors being used in the manufacture of things like cold medicines, they are diverted to the illegal labs to make MDMA. These are people who set up companies and get permits. It is scary. There are just as many investigations that we do today with people exporting drugs and manufacturing drugs as people who are bringing drugs into Canada. We did a case with the Aussies last fall, and we were amazed at the amount of cocaine and amphetamine and MDMA that we’re shipping. You know, we’re talking about thousands of kilos. We’ve seen this trend for the last four or five years.
“We ship more MDMA around the world than any other country, and that’s not something to be proud of.”
Superintendent Ron Allen, 54, has been the top RCMP drug enforcement officer in the Greater Toronto Area for the past 11 years. In his 35-year career with the Mounties, he has spent 25 of them on drug investigations. On the start of the drug age... It really came into focus in the ’60s. You had the cocaine use in the upper classes of Hollywood in the ’20s and ’30s but drugs did not become a criminal problem until the ’60s. That was when the police departments started forming drug sections. Then you go back to the ’70s and the early ’80s and the motorcycle gangs started getting their nose into the movement of drugs. On the gangs… I’ll tell you right now, if you could speak to some Colombians they’d probably tell you that they’re scared shitless of the Mexicans. We thought the Colombians were crazy. You know you’ve
88 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
heard of the “Colombian necktie,” where they slit your throat and pull your tongue through the hole. Well, some of the stuff you’ve heard out of Mexico with them beheading police officers and putting their heads up on stakes outside the courthouse, these are pretty violent statements.
Frank Besenthal, 54, retired from the Toronto Police Service in 2009 after 31 years on the job. He left as a Staff Sergeant in charge of the 14-Division Community Response Unit. From 1986 to 1996 he was assigned to the Morality bureau, where he made street-level drug buys and worked on large-scale anti-drug operations. Rick Chase spent 24 of his 32 years with the Toronto Police Service as a narcotics enforcement officer and worked alongside Besenthal for many of them. His assignments took him across Canada, the US and Europe. One of his final cases was the takedown of an MDMA lab in Mississauga, Ontario, earlier this year, which at the time was the biggest ever found in Canada. On the old way of doing things… Besenthal: 5 District had done a wiretap on a mid-level trafficker who was involved with the Yorkville scene, and as a result of that, they tripped over a person who was substantially much higher than they thought. There were a whole number of aspects to this investigation that were groundbreaking at the time. Like, we put cameras in lawyers’ offices, which had never been done before because of the sanctity of the lawyer-client privilege. Technology was there, and with the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police), we put the camera in this lawyer’s office and we saw him do a multi-kilo transaction on film. We see him counting the money with gloves on his hands, piecing the money off, putsharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 89
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frontlines oF Canada’s Failed Drug War prepared to become an agent. Sometimes you have situations where a person has got themselves too deep. These gangsters, when they use someone, well they use them to the ultimate and put them in a corner and they know that their life is kind of finished. I’ve seen this over many, many years, they put them in a corner where if you do something and it’s not really your fault, someone else’s doing, well it’s still, ‘You owe me fifty thousand dollars, you owe me a hundred thousand, you owe me a million dollars.’ They know you don’t have it so you’re working for me for free, basically for the rest of your life to pay off the debt. The word is, ‘If you don’t, I’ll kill you,’ and they know that. From Left: Disposing of chemicals used to make ecstasy at an illegal drug lab in Markham, ON., Alberta Hell’s Angels outside a gang compound in Langley, B.C. Pseudoephedrine, ecstasy and Viagra pills valued at up to $144 million on display after being seized in Montreal.
ting the main stash of the money away and keeping the rest that was his cut. That technology wasn’t as advanced as it is today, and we were sitting in the surveillance van, watching this on television, and somebody who lived in the area called up. Chase: It was near the Downsview airport… Besenthal: Yeah, they called because it was on the same frequency as the cable TV! They had the wherewithal to see what was going on and they called the police. We got the call and we told our guys, “Get what you can, pull the plug and then get out of there because people are eating popcorn and watching this.” Chase: With the advancement in technology today, you don’t have that problem anymore, but then it was so new that we ran into these things quite frequently. Besenthal: You have to remember that this was 20 years ago. We did a lot of things back then that you’d never think about doing now, especially if you’re using a U/C (undercover officer) or an agent. Today, safety is paramount. We’d go in and the plan would be, ‘Okay, Rick, you make the buy, you go in and if you’re not out in half an hour, we might go in and get you…if we feel like it.’ A lot of times Rick would be working in an undercover capacity and we were strapped for resources. Sometimes I would be the guy who would be his backup and he would be meeting some high-profile guys from motorcycle gangs and buying multi-kilos and I would be sitting in the Omni, you know, keeping an eye on the place and I can see that there are three or four bikers in the place and I can’t communicate with him. You look back on that now and there’s a fine line between courage and stupidity, (Chase laughs). I would never send anyone into that situation now, but then, Rick and I never asked for permission when we did this stuff anyways. On the biggest Canadian meth and ecstasy bust to date… Chase: It was a Guns & Gangs (a special police task force) investigation. They were following a couple of guys who they thought were coke dealers but it turns out that the guys were stopped coming out of an industrial unit with pails of powder that the Guns and Gangs guys knew nothing about, so they called my crew in and we ended up doing two search warrants in the industrial units. There were thousands of pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of pounds of ecstasy both in finished product and with the capability of making hundreds of thousands of pounds more. 90 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Has the “War on Drugs” been successful? Besenthal: Well, what’s successful? Chase: (laughs) Yeah, I’ve got a three-quarter-million-dollar house and I’m retired…so it’s been successful. Besenthal: (joking) Yeah, Rick working for all those 21 years and all of a sudden he paid for his house in cash. I think it’s successful for him. How do you measure success? It’s a problem that will always be there. I think that drugs is up there with the other two constants: taxes and death. You’ll always have drugs. People need that escape mechanism for whatever’s ailing them at the time. Do we have a control of it? I think that we have a better control than most people think. Chase: Well, unfortunately I’m the opposite of Frank. I spent a lot of time locking people up and, to me, we’re not winning the battle. We’re not winning because when the files go to court, especially in Ontario, very little happens. RCMP Superintendent Pat Fogarty, 51, was born in Montreal but has spent his entire 25-year police career on the west coast of Canada. He started working with the Vancouver Police, “walking the skid row beat” and then he was seconded to the Mounties. He now oversees all organized crime matters in British Columbia. On the new kind of criminal enterprise… In Project Paragon we executed over a hundred search warrants worldwide. It involved mainly Asian gangs operating in Vancouver, importing precursors and having them turned into methamphetamines through the superlabs here. Then they were sent in various forms, covertly in containers, through the mail, via hidden compartments in luggage, to Australia, New Zealand and worldwide. The money went to Australia, then to Hong Kong, where they set up 39 accounts to bring it back into Canada in smaller denominations. Then they were bringing in cocaine up through Toronto and distributing it there, flying the money back to Vancouver and starting the whole process over again. The end result was the main guy pled to 20 years and forfeited seven properties. Others have pled, some to four or five years and some are still before the courts. In Australia, everyone’s done, all 11 got 20 years. How does a project like that start? It can be with an informant. It can come from someone that’s
CP PHOTO/Toronto Star-Vince Talotta, THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck, CP PHOTO/Ryan Remior
On informants… Some are reliable, some I walk away from. They have to voluntarily come. We don’t want to put a proverbial gun to their head because that doesn’t work. They’re usually facing a life-altering decision that they have to make. Sometimes they’re trying to get back at somebody and you have to assess that. Is the information they’re going to give credible if they’re just out to get somebody? Sometimes they’re out to eliminate the competition; we call that agent provocateur. When you deal with people who aren’t the pillars of the community, you have to really assess them. Do you ever get to like any of them? Well, um, you know, one has to understand, and this may be cold, but they are a tool. You can never, never…some of these people are very, very crafty, right? You may have a two-year police officer starting with them and who’s the dog and who’s the tail? Who’s running who? I’ve had situations when I was handling informants where they were trying to set up a scenario where a large shipment of heroin was coming in and they knew about it and they wanted to protect themselves. They said to me, “Well, how would you take this down, how would you operate?” Of course, all the flags go up, and you say, “No, no, your job is to tell me. My job is not to tell you police techniques.” But a lot of young guys may fall into that trap. On ambiguous threats… There’s no war on drugs. There never has been. If I ever write a book about this I’m going to call it “The Ambiguous Threat.” An ambiguous threat is if Pat Fogarty looks at his tires and they’re bald and he keeps driving on them. Then I blow up on the highway and end up in the ditch and kill the whole family. Yeah, that’s an ambiguous threat. It’s something you know that’s a problem but you avoid it. We do it all the time. Let’s look at Mexico 20 years ago. The cartels were developing and got more money, and now we’re at the point where they run that country. It’s at a stage where it is war and the cartels are actually putting out banners telling the military, “Join us, we’ll give you fringe benefits, pensions, packages, because [the cartels] are the powerful force in Mexico.” Well, what I see in Canada is the
gang style. A gang is just like a little army and they can just do anything they want. That’s where the ambiguous threat is: where the gang culture grows, there’s less people who are willing to come to the authorities. As this grows, they slowly take over and they get richer, more powerful, and more influential and do what they want. Perhaps one day they may influence parliament or take runs at the courts. I’m not suggesting that we’re getting to this point yet, but we’ve seen this in other countries before. Everyone who uses cocaine, because we have such a huge appetite for cocaine, is part of the problem. All these deaths are all over this drug trade. On the rise of ecstasy… Chase: It’s right off the scale. The problem that we’re running into in Canada is because of our precursor laws, or the lack thereof. Because of the amount of precursors that are coming into the country, both undetected and legally, a number of labs are not being found. The reason they’re not being found is because these guys are going to school to avoid detection and looking at the trials that have happened. Just the amount coming, if half of it stays in Canada and half of it goes elsewhere, the numbers are just astronomical. I was looking at an investigation down in the States. A cargo container off a ship was seized in Seattle that was just full of a couple of the chemicals used in the manufacture of methamphetamine that is also used in the manufacture of ecstasy. Like ephedrine, you’re not allowed to bring it into the States anymore. So the guy lost his whole load and he calls and complains, “If I’d brought it to Vancouver, it would be legal.” The US authorities said, “Yeah, but you didn’t, you brought it to Seattle, and we’re putting things together to bring you before a Grand Jury.” That’s how bad it is. robably the worst part about all of this is that Canada’s involvement in illegal drug manufacture seems to be only getting more serious, and our government seems unable to do anything about it. When Antonio Maria Costa, the United Nations’ drug czar, requested that Canada become as proactive as Mexico and the United States in the control of precursor substances used to manufacture ecstasy, Canadian federal Minister of Justice, Rob Nicholson, had little to offer. Rather, he blamed the opposition parties for stalling 2007 legislation that would boost jail terms for drug traffickers. The opposition, of course, blames the government. When asked for his take, Liberal Justice Critic Dominic LeBlanc threw back, “They only focus on the back end of the problem, locking people up. Stiffer sentences are not as effective as restricting the importation of the elements used in ecstasy manufacture.” To make things worse, most of the precursors are controlled by the limited resources of Health Canada, rather than law enforcement. While the US passes this duty on to the DEA, we leave the control of dangerous substances that are used in the production of deadly drugs to the same guys who make sure that cheese is the right colour. The drug scene has changed. It is unlikely that bandits will turn border towns into war zones in the next ten years. But if ten years ago you would have asked any of the cops we interviewed if the land known for “peace, order and good government” would become the number one exporter of some very dangerous drugs, they likely would have looked at you and said, “Hey, what’re you smokin’?”
P
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 91
on the
frontlines oF Canada’s Failed Drug War prepared to become an agent. Sometimes you have situations where a person has got themselves too deep. These gangsters, when they use someone, well they use them to the ultimate and put them in a corner and they know that their life is kind of finished. I’ve seen this over many, many years, they put them in a corner where if you do something and it’s not really your fault, someone else’s doing, well it’s still, ‘You owe me fifty thousand dollars, you owe me a hundred thousand, you owe me a million dollars.’ They know you don’t have it so you’re working for me for free, basically for the rest of your life to pay off the debt. The word is, ‘If you don’t, I’ll kill you,’ and they know that. From Left: Disposing of chemicals used to make ecstasy at an illegal drug lab in Markham, ON., Alberta Hell’s Angels outside a gang compound in Langley, B.C. Pseudoephedrine, ecstasy and Viagra pills valued at up to $144 million on display after being seized in Montreal.
ting the main stash of the money away and keeping the rest that was his cut. That technology wasn’t as advanced as it is today, and we were sitting in the surveillance van, watching this on television, and somebody who lived in the area called up. Chase: It was near the Downsview airport… Besenthal: Yeah, they called because it was on the same frequency as the cable TV! They had the wherewithal to see what was going on and they called the police. We got the call and we told our guys, “Get what you can, pull the plug and then get out of there because people are eating popcorn and watching this.” Chase: With the advancement in technology today, you don’t have that problem anymore, but then it was so new that we ran into these things quite frequently. Besenthal: You have to remember that this was 20 years ago. We did a lot of things back then that you’d never think about doing now, especially if you’re using a U/C (undercover officer) or an agent. Today, safety is paramount. We’d go in and the plan would be, ‘Okay, Rick, you make the buy, you go in and if you’re not out in half an hour, we might go in and get you…if we feel like it.’ A lot of times Rick would be working in an undercover capacity and we were strapped for resources. Sometimes I would be the guy who would be his backup and he would be meeting some high-profile guys from motorcycle gangs and buying multi-kilos and I would be sitting in the Omni, you know, keeping an eye on the place and I can see that there are three or four bikers in the place and I can’t communicate with him. You look back on that now and there’s a fine line between courage and stupidity, (Chase laughs). I would never send anyone into that situation now, but then, Rick and I never asked for permission when we did this stuff anyways. On the biggest Canadian meth and ecstasy bust to date… Chase: It was a Guns & Gangs (a special police task force) investigation. They were following a couple of guys who they thought were coke dealers but it turns out that the guys were stopped coming out of an industrial unit with pails of powder that the Guns and Gangs guys knew nothing about, so they called my crew in and we ended up doing two search warrants in the industrial units. There were thousands of pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of pounds of ecstasy both in finished product and with the capability of making hundreds of thousands of pounds more. 90 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Has the “War on Drugs” been successful? Besenthal: Well, what’s successful? Chase: (laughs) Yeah, I’ve got a three-quarter-million-dollar house and I’m retired…so it’s been successful. Besenthal: (joking) Yeah, Rick working for all those 21 years and all of a sudden he paid for his house in cash. I think it’s successful for him. How do you measure success? It’s a problem that will always be there. I think that drugs is up there with the other two constants: taxes and death. You’ll always have drugs. People need that escape mechanism for whatever’s ailing them at the time. Do we have a control of it? I think that we have a better control than most people think. Chase: Well, unfortunately I’m the opposite of Frank. I spent a lot of time locking people up and, to me, we’re not winning the battle. We’re not winning because when the files go to court, especially in Ontario, very little happens. RCMP Superintendent Pat Fogarty, 51, was born in Montreal but has spent his entire 25-year police career on the west coast of Canada. He started working with the Vancouver Police, “walking the skid row beat” and then he was seconded to the Mounties. He now oversees all organized crime matters in British Columbia. On the new kind of criminal enterprise… In Project Paragon we executed over a hundred search warrants worldwide. It involved mainly Asian gangs operating in Vancouver, importing precursors and having them turned into methamphetamines through the superlabs here. Then they were sent in various forms, covertly in containers, through the mail, via hidden compartments in luggage, to Australia, New Zealand and worldwide. The money went to Australia, then to Hong Kong, where they set up 39 accounts to bring it back into Canada in smaller denominations. Then they were bringing in cocaine up through Toronto and distributing it there, flying the money back to Vancouver and starting the whole process over again. The end result was the main guy pled to 20 years and forfeited seven properties. Others have pled, some to four or five years and some are still before the courts. In Australia, everyone’s done, all 11 got 20 years. How does a project like that start? It can be with an informant. It can come from someone that’s
CP PHOTO/Toronto Star-Vince Talotta, THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck, CP PHOTO/Ryan Remior
On informants… Some are reliable, some I walk away from. They have to voluntarily come. We don’t want to put a proverbial gun to their head because that doesn’t work. They’re usually facing a life-altering decision that they have to make. Sometimes they’re trying to get back at somebody and you have to assess that. Is the information they’re going to give credible if they’re just out to get somebody? Sometimes they’re out to eliminate the competition; we call that agent provocateur. When you deal with people who aren’t the pillars of the community, you have to really assess them. Do you ever get to like any of them? Well, um, you know, one has to understand, and this may be cold, but they are a tool. You can never, never…some of these people are very, very crafty, right? You may have a two-year police officer starting with them and who’s the dog and who’s the tail? Who’s running who? I’ve had situations when I was handling informants where they were trying to set up a scenario where a large shipment of heroin was coming in and they knew about it and they wanted to protect themselves. They said to me, “Well, how would you take this down, how would you operate?” Of course, all the flags go up, and you say, “No, no, your job is to tell me. My job is not to tell you police techniques.” But a lot of young guys may fall into that trap. On ambiguous threats… There’s no war on drugs. There never has been. If I ever write a book about this I’m going to call it “The Ambiguous Threat.” An ambiguous threat is if Pat Fogarty looks at his tires and they’re bald and he keeps driving on them. Then I blow up on the highway and end up in the ditch and kill the whole family. Yeah, that’s an ambiguous threat. It’s something you know that’s a problem but you avoid it. We do it all the time. Let’s look at Mexico 20 years ago. The cartels were developing and got more money, and now we’re at the point where they run that country. It’s at a stage where it is war and the cartels are actually putting out banners telling the military, “Join us, we’ll give you fringe benefits, pensions, packages, because [the cartels] are the powerful force in Mexico.” Well, what I see in Canada is the
gang style. A gang is just like a little army and they can just do anything they want. That’s where the ambiguous threat is: where the gang culture grows, there’s less people who are willing to come to the authorities. As this grows, they slowly take over and they get richer, more powerful, and more influential and do what they want. Perhaps one day they may influence parliament or take runs at the courts. I’m not suggesting that we’re getting to this point yet, but we’ve seen this in other countries before. Everyone who uses cocaine, because we have such a huge appetite for cocaine, is part of the problem. All these deaths are all over this drug trade. On the rise of ecstasy… Chase: It’s right off the scale. The problem that we’re running into in Canada is because of our precursor laws, or the lack thereof. Because of the amount of precursors that are coming into the country, both undetected and legally, a number of labs are not being found. The reason they’re not being found is because these guys are going to school to avoid detection and looking at the trials that have happened. Just the amount coming, if half of it stays in Canada and half of it goes elsewhere, the numbers are just astronomical. I was looking at an investigation down in the States. A cargo container off a ship was seized in Seattle that was just full of a couple of the chemicals used in the manufacture of methamphetamine that is also used in the manufacture of ecstasy. Like ephedrine, you’re not allowed to bring it into the States anymore. So the guy lost his whole load and he calls and complains, “If I’d brought it to Vancouver, it would be legal.” The US authorities said, “Yeah, but you didn’t, you brought it to Seattle, and we’re putting things together to bring you before a Grand Jury.” That’s how bad it is. robably the worst part about all of this is that Canada’s involvement in illegal drug manufacture seems to be only getting more serious, and our government seems unable to do anything about it. When Antonio Maria Costa, the United Nations’ drug czar, requested that Canada become as proactive as Mexico and the United States in the control of precursor substances used to manufacture ecstasy, Canadian federal Minister of Justice, Rob Nicholson, had little to offer. Rather, he blamed the opposition parties for stalling 2007 legislation that would boost jail terms for drug traffickers. The opposition, of course, blames the government. When asked for his take, Liberal Justice Critic Dominic LeBlanc threw back, “They only focus on the back end of the problem, locking people up. Stiffer sentences are not as effective as restricting the importation of the elements used in ecstasy manufacture.” To make things worse, most of the precursors are controlled by the limited resources of Health Canada, rather than law enforcement. While the US passes this duty on to the DEA, we leave the control of dangerous substances that are used in the production of deadly drugs to the same guys who make sure that cheese is the right colour. The drug scene has changed. It is unlikely that bandits will turn border towns into war zones in the next ten years. But if ten years ago you would have asked any of the cops we interviewed if the land known for “peace, order and good government” would become the number one exporter of some very dangerous drugs, they likely would have looked at you and said, “Hey, what’re you smokin’?”
P
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 91
Motoring supercharged six over its V8 rivals is significantly reduced fuel consumption. Though a sweet-shifting 6-speed manual comes standard, the better choice is the 7-speed, dual-clutch S-Tronic gearbox. It simply changes the character of the car making, the S4 fire down the road, cracking off shifts like lighting strikes. With each new ratio, a distinctively racy blat erupts from the quad exhaust tips. Fantastic. If you do opt for the manual, it’s one of the nicest shifters ever offered in an Audi. Short, precise throws and it’s topped by a gorgeous leather and aluminum knob. While on the subject of gorgeous fittings, the interior is, as you would expect from Audi, very nicely done. Materials are all first rate and the optional carbon fibre “Atlas” dashboard inserts are works of art. There’s stitching on the shift boot, seats to rival the finest leathersmiths, and the S4’s contrasting interior trim options can spice things up if you opt for something other than the all-black of our test car. You’ll find more than enough room up front for even the tallest drivers, and the S4’s sport seats hold everyone firmly in place during, um, spirited driving. The back seat offers the most space in this class and the trunk holds lots of stuff. If your tastes run as much toward luxury as they do performance, there’s no need to worry. Despite the S4’s handling prowess, scintillating acceleration and exhaust note, it’s also one of the smoothest four-doors on the market. Ride quality is exceptional. It’s taut, as it should be, but it soaks up rough pavement and delivers a very comfortable environment when you aren’t trying to be Michael Schumacher. There are also plenty of luxury options to amuse you, like the Bang &
Olufsen stereo or the new 3D navigation system. There are performance options to consider as well. In addition to the wickedly entertaining S-Tronic gearbox, Audi offers “Drive Select” which allows you to tailor the steering, throttle and gearbox for sportier or more relaxed driving. Eighteen-inch wheels with high-performance tires are standard, but you’ll want the racy 19-inchers as they fill out
Simply turn the wheel, balance with the throttle, wait for the apex, floor it and the S4 explodes out of corners.
Audi S4
Since its very first generation the S4 has always done things a little differently. The latest version seems designed to upset, yet again, the German sport sedan establishment. There are certain universal constants in the world of sport sedans. There’s the ubiquitous BMW M3 and then there’s the inevitable AMG variant of Mercedes’ C-Class. Since 2000, however, Audi has been upsetting this age-old rivalry with their own contender, the S4. When we first saw the S4, almost a decade ago, it was pretty much a tuner-special-style sport sedan hopped-up by Quattro GMBH, Audi’s in-house tuning arm. With its twin turbo-charged V6 and AWD, it was hard to get off the line either bogging down or threatening to grenade the clutch. Once you did get it going, it had blistering acceleration but its handling wasn’t very neutral, yielding to unremitting understeer at the limit. When Audi launched the second North American generation (third for the rest of the world) they went in a decidedly different direction to their first effort. At the time, BMW had a high-winding straight-six and Mercedes was packing a supercharged V6. Audi decided to bring out the big guns with a 4.2-litre V8. It sounded like a muscle car and pulled like a freight train, but with that big lump of an engine hanging over the front axle, it still couldn’t handle with its lithe RWD competitors. Now, there’s a new S4, and you can bet it’s left the 92 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
the flared wheel arches with 255/35 super-sticky tires. There’s also an upgraded sport differential that gives the S4 even more of a RWD character while still preserving its all-weather capabilities. Through some kind of electronic and mechanical alchemy, it effectively eliminates understeer altogether. Amazing. Discreet yet sporty in appearance, the S4 is the perfect conveyance for true driving enthusiasts who also demand comfort, quality, day-to-day practicality and performance. Its dual character is seamlessly integrated into one of the finest sport sedans ever built, and it even undercuts the M3 and C63 by thousands of dollars. The S4 is the logical evolution of the breed, eschewing a monster V8 for a more efficient engine that simultaneously manages to return better performance. If this is the future of sporty cars, then the future looks bright indeed. ARTHUR PRICHARD
competition scratching their heads once again. Now that the M3 and C63 are both packing V8s, Audi has gone and done the unexpected. They’re now the ones with a supercharged 333 hp V6. Riding on an all-new platform that moves the engine backward and, benefiting from a relatively light engine, the S4 moves into the lead as the handling champ. Sure you can balance the M3 on a knife’s edge with the power of its V8 and poise of its RWD chassis, but the S4 can also be balanced with the throttle, thanks to the rear wheel bias of its AWD system. The C63, on the other hand, is a lost cause in the handling department. Its big V8 places too much weight at the front and its massive torque makes it all too easy to break the rear loose. It’s plenty of fun, for sure, but when the chips are down, it can’t keep up with the nimble and composed S4 on a tight winding road or track. Some enthusiasts will no doubt bemoan the loss of two cylinders and that seductive V8 soundtrack, but driving enthusiasts and even day-to-day commuters are getting a much better car. The new S4 turns in with a level of alacrity that its V8 competitors can’t hope to match as long as they have those massive lumps under their hoods. Once set into a corner, the S4 is glued to the road. There’s so much grip that there’s no way to safely explore this car’s limit on the street. Simply turn the wheel, balance with the throttle, wait for the apex, floor it and the S4 explodes out of corners. Credit for the immense grip goes to the AWD system, but it’s only as good as the broad torque curve that ensures 90% of peak torque is available from 2,200–5,900 rpm, making the car lunge from low-speed corners. Naturally, another benefit of the sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 93
Motoring supercharged six over its V8 rivals is significantly reduced fuel consumption. Though a sweet-shifting 6-speed manual comes standard, the better choice is the 7-speed, dual-clutch S-Tronic gearbox. It simply changes the character of the car making, the S4 fire down the road, cracking off shifts like lighting strikes. With each new ratio, a distinctively racy blat erupts from the quad exhaust tips. Fantastic. If you do opt for the manual, it’s one of the nicest shifters ever offered in an Audi. Short, precise throws and it’s topped by a gorgeous leather and aluminum knob. While on the subject of gorgeous fittings, the interior is, as you would expect from Audi, very nicely done. Materials are all first rate and the optional carbon fibre “Atlas” dashboard inserts are works of art. There’s stitching on the shift boot, seats to rival the finest leathersmiths, and the S4’s contrasting interior trim options can spice things up if you opt for something other than the all-black of our test car. You’ll find more than enough room up front for even the tallest drivers, and the S4’s sport seats hold everyone firmly in place during, um, spirited driving. The back seat offers the most space in this class and the trunk holds lots of stuff. If your tastes run as much toward luxury as they do performance, there’s no need to worry. Despite the S4’s handling prowess, scintillating acceleration and exhaust note, it’s also one of the smoothest four-doors on the market. Ride quality is exceptional. It’s taut, as it should be, but it soaks up rough pavement and delivers a very comfortable environment when you aren’t trying to be Michael Schumacher. There are also plenty of luxury options to amuse you, like the Bang &
Olufsen stereo or the new 3D navigation system. There are performance options to consider as well. In addition to the wickedly entertaining S-Tronic gearbox, Audi offers “Drive Select” which allows you to tailor the steering, throttle and gearbox for sportier or more relaxed driving. Eighteen-inch wheels with high-performance tires are standard, but you’ll want the racy 19-inchers as they fill out
Simply turn the wheel, balance with the throttle, wait for the apex, floor it and the S4 explodes out of corners.
Audi S4
Since its very first generation the S4 has always done things a little differently. The latest version seems designed to upset, yet again, the German sport sedan establishment. There are certain universal constants in the world of sport sedans. There’s the ubiquitous BMW M3 and then there’s the inevitable AMG variant of Mercedes’ C-Class. Since 2000, however, Audi has been upsetting this age-old rivalry with their own contender, the S4. When we first saw the S4, almost a decade ago, it was pretty much a tuner-special-style sport sedan hopped-up by Quattro GMBH, Audi’s in-house tuning arm. With its twin turbo-charged V6 and AWD, it was hard to get off the line either bogging down or threatening to grenade the clutch. Once you did get it going, it had blistering acceleration but its handling wasn’t very neutral, yielding to unremitting understeer at the limit. When Audi launched the second North American generation (third for the rest of the world) they went in a decidedly different direction to their first effort. At the time, BMW had a high-winding straight-six and Mercedes was packing a supercharged V6. Audi decided to bring out the big guns with a 4.2-litre V8. It sounded like a muscle car and pulled like a freight train, but with that big lump of an engine hanging over the front axle, it still couldn’t handle with its lithe RWD competitors. Now, there’s a new S4, and you can bet it’s left the 92 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
the flared wheel arches with 255/35 super-sticky tires. There’s also an upgraded sport differential that gives the S4 even more of a RWD character while still preserving its all-weather capabilities. Through some kind of electronic and mechanical alchemy, it effectively eliminates understeer altogether. Amazing. Discreet yet sporty in appearance, the S4 is the perfect conveyance for true driving enthusiasts who also demand comfort, quality, day-to-day practicality and performance. Its dual character is seamlessly integrated into one of the finest sport sedans ever built, and it even undercuts the M3 and C63 by thousands of dollars. The S4 is the logical evolution of the breed, eschewing a monster V8 for a more efficient engine that simultaneously manages to return better performance. If this is the future of sporty cars, then the future looks bright indeed. ARTHUR PRICHARD
competition scratching their heads once again. Now that the M3 and C63 are both packing V8s, Audi has gone and done the unexpected. They’re now the ones with a supercharged 333 hp V6. Riding on an all-new platform that moves the engine backward and, benefiting from a relatively light engine, the S4 moves into the lead as the handling champ. Sure you can balance the M3 on a knife’s edge with the power of its V8 and poise of its RWD chassis, but the S4 can also be balanced with the throttle, thanks to the rear wheel bias of its AWD system. The C63, on the other hand, is a lost cause in the handling department. Its big V8 places too much weight at the front and its massive torque makes it all too easy to break the rear loose. It’s plenty of fun, for sure, but when the chips are down, it can’t keep up with the nimble and composed S4 on a tight winding road or track. Some enthusiasts will no doubt bemoan the loss of two cylinders and that seductive V8 soundtrack, but driving enthusiasts and even day-to-day commuters are getting a much better car. The new S4 turns in with a level of alacrity that its V8 competitors can’t hope to match as long as they have those massive lumps under their hoods. Once set into a corner, the S4 is glued to the road. There’s so much grip that there’s no way to safely explore this car’s limit on the street. Simply turn the wheel, balance with the throttle, wait for the apex, floor it and the S4 explodes out of corners. Credit for the immense grip goes to the AWD system, but it’s only as good as the broad torque curve that ensures 90% of peak torque is available from 2,200–5,900 rpm, making the car lunge from low-speed corners. Naturally, another benefit of the sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 93
Motoring
BMW X5M and X6M The growth of the SUV and crossover segment is reaching into new and unexpected categories. But is the world really ready for M versions of the X5 and X6? Why shouldn’t there be high-performance SUVs and crossovers? Porsche enthusiasts howled at the prospect of the Cayenne, but its success has been monumental. Unlike most luxury SUVs, however, the Cayenne tries to do it all…and does. It goes faster than just about anything, on road or off. BMW, on the other hand, has a different take on adding some zip to their X5 and X6. Tuned by BMW’s M division, these vehicles will be carving up the street and the track, but not pounding around in the mud. Makes sense to us, considering no one in their right mind should take a $100,000 luxury SUV off road anyway.
94 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
So, how exactly do you turn a two-and-a-half-ton, pavement-busting SUV into a lithe and agile sports-car-like machine? Power. Power can overcome just about anything, and given that the biggest rush most people get out of a sports car is from acceleration, it’s power that makes the biggest difference in the feel of the X6M and X5M (heretofore XMs). BMW decided not to mess around with any half measures and fired the big guns right across Porsche’s bow with their new 5.5-litre 555 hp V8. That’s five more hp than the Cayenne Turbo S. Torque is delivered more like the plains than a peak, with 501-lb.ft. available from 1,500–5,650 rpm. The monster mill even spins to a lofty 7,000 rpm, and though the bark of its exhaust will petrify children and old people alike, it’s quite subdued from inside the cabin with but a distant growl to remind the driver of the beast under the hood. Backed up by an M-specific xDrive all-wheel-drive system and Dynamic Performance Control, the XMs handle unlike any other vehicle of their kind. The masses of turbo torque and the trick AWD system force the XMs to turn and handle exceptionally well. The computer-controlled dampers have effectively eliminated body roll altogether. BMW says that the X6M is for “self-confident extroverts” and we can’t argue with that. Its relatively compact, though opulently trimmed, interior and hefty exterior mean it’s not the most practical ute on the road. The X5M packs all the fun of the X6M but with the practicality most people expect of an SUV. Whichever you choose, you’re getting what is likely the fastest and best handling SUV on the market. ARTHUR PRICHARD
of standard features that run its competitors’ prices up thousands upon thousands of dollars. Right from the base E350 4MATIC you get as standard an AMG appearance package and 18-inch rims, a 7-speed gearbox, Bluetooth integration, Sirius satellite radio, 14-way power memory driver’s seat and, last but not least, a panoramic sunroof. If you opt for the 382 hp E550 4MATIC, Mercedes even throws in the navigation system. A similarly equipped BMW 550i? About ten grand more! More space, more features, better performance and greater refinement all wrapped in the prestige and provenance of a Mercedes-Benz and now at a lower price? Sounds like progress to us, but will the target buyer agree? Only time will tell. Until then you’ll find us embarrassing Porsches in the E63 AMG. ARTHUR PRICHARD
Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan The E-Class is Mercedes’ bread-and-butter car. It’s virtually the default choice for mid-size luxury buyers, but can the latest version keep Mercedes on the mantle? There aren’t a lot of choices you can make that someone, somewhere won’t try to debate. Should you buy a Rolex or an Omega? A Canali or a Zegna suit? Mac or PC? Well, we all know the answer to that one… The E-Class, however, is a mid-size luxury sedan choice that just about everyone will agree with and respect. That’s partly due to the numerous variations to satisfy any need or budget, the range of power options (210–518 hp), diesel or gas, RWD or AWD, etc., etc. There’s literally something for everyone. There’s the supercar-destroying E63 AMG, the frugal E320 BlueTEC diesel, the benign E350 4MATIC sedan and the ubiquitous E550 4MATIC luxury-sport sedan. Any way you slice it, however, the all-new for 2010 E-Class sedan offers more space, comfort, safety and economy than its already well-regarded predecessor. Special attention was paid to refinement, and now the E-Class rivals the S-Class for comfort and composure. Unexpectedly, however, where the new E-Class really gives the competition a run for its money is value. You read that right. The 2010 E-Class is chock full
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 95
Motoring
BMW X5M and X6M The growth of the SUV and crossover segment is reaching into new and unexpected categories. But is the world really ready for M versions of the X5 and X6? Why shouldn’t there be high-performance SUVs and crossovers? Porsche enthusiasts howled at the prospect of the Cayenne, but its success has been monumental. Unlike most luxury SUVs, however, the Cayenne tries to do it all…and does. It goes faster than just about anything, on road or off. BMW, on the other hand, has a different take on adding some zip to their X5 and X6. Tuned by BMW’s M division, these vehicles will be carving up the street and the track, but not pounding around in the mud. Makes sense to us, considering no one in their right mind should take a $100,000 luxury SUV off road anyway.
94 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
So, how exactly do you turn a two-and-a-half-ton, pavement-busting SUV into a lithe and agile sports-car-like machine? Power. Power can overcome just about anything, and given that the biggest rush most people get out of a sports car is from acceleration, it’s power that makes the biggest difference in the feel of the X6M and X5M (heretofore XMs). BMW decided not to mess around with any half measures and fired the big guns right across Porsche’s bow with their new 5.5-litre 555 hp V8. That’s five more hp than the Cayenne Turbo S. Torque is delivered more like the plains than a peak, with 501-lb.ft. available from 1,500–5,650 rpm. The monster mill even spins to a lofty 7,000 rpm, and though the bark of its exhaust will petrify children and old people alike, it’s quite subdued from inside the cabin with but a distant growl to remind the driver of the beast under the hood. Backed up by an M-specific xDrive all-wheel-drive system and Dynamic Performance Control, the XMs handle unlike any other vehicle of their kind. The masses of turbo torque and the trick AWD system force the XMs to turn and handle exceptionally well. The computer-controlled dampers have effectively eliminated body roll altogether. BMW says that the X6M is for “self-confident extroverts” and we can’t argue with that. Its relatively compact, though opulently trimmed, interior and hefty exterior mean it’s not the most practical ute on the road. The X5M packs all the fun of the X6M but with the practicality most people expect of an SUV. Whichever you choose, you’re getting what is likely the fastest and best handling SUV on the market. ARTHUR PRICHARD
of standard features that run its competitors’ prices up thousands upon thousands of dollars. Right from the base E350 4MATIC you get as standard an AMG appearance package and 18-inch rims, a 7-speed gearbox, Bluetooth integration, Sirius satellite radio, 14-way power memory driver’s seat and, last but not least, a panoramic sunroof. If you opt for the 382 hp E550 4MATIC, Mercedes even throws in the navigation system. A similarly equipped BMW 550i? About ten grand more! More space, more features, better performance and greater refinement all wrapped in the prestige and provenance of a Mercedes-Benz and now at a lower price? Sounds like progress to us, but will the target buyer agree? Only time will tell. Until then you’ll find us embarrassing Porsches in the E63 AMG. ARTHUR PRICHARD
Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan The E-Class is Mercedes’ bread-and-butter car. It’s virtually the default choice for mid-size luxury buyers, but can the latest version keep Mercedes on the mantle? There aren’t a lot of choices you can make that someone, somewhere won’t try to debate. Should you buy a Rolex or an Omega? A Canali or a Zegna suit? Mac or PC? Well, we all know the answer to that one… The E-Class, however, is a mid-size luxury sedan choice that just about everyone will agree with and respect. That’s partly due to the numerous variations to satisfy any need or budget, the range of power options (210–518 hp), diesel or gas, RWD or AWD, etc., etc. There’s literally something for everyone. There’s the supercar-destroying E63 AMG, the frugal E320 BlueTEC diesel, the benign E350 4MATIC sedan and the ubiquitous E550 4MATIC luxury-sport sedan. Any way you slice it, however, the all-new for 2010 E-Class sedan offers more space, comfort, safety and economy than its already well-regarded predecessor. Special attention was paid to refinement, and now the E-Class rivals the S-Class for comfort and composure. Unexpectedly, however, where the new E-Class really gives the competition a run for its money is value. You read that right. The 2010 E-Class is chock full
sharpformen.com Sharp September 2009 95
Where to Buy CLOTHING Bustle www.bustleclothing.com Toronto GOTSTYLE Menswear, 489 King West; Anti-Hero, 113 Yorkville Ave; Bustle Clothing, 1 Power Street Montreal Aritmetik, Les Cours Mont-Royal, 3688 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Calgary Smyth and Kang, 1020 17th Avenue SW Vancouver Vasanji, 1012 Mainland Street Caliban Toronto Radix, 624 King West
Christopher Bates for ULTRA Toronto GOTSTYLE Menswear, 489 King West Vancouver Seventy Three East, 73 East Cordova Street; Extension Seventy Three, 554 Yates Street
Cinque Toronto Radix, 624 King West
Cumberland; Yorkdale Montreal 1455 rue Peel Ogiluy Calgary 360 Bankers Hall Vancouver Oakridge Centre; 429 Howe Street; Pacific Centre
Levi’s www.levi.ca Toronto 322 Yonge; Eaton Centre; Yorkdale Montreal 705 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest Calgary Available at The Bay Vancouver 1068 Robson Street
Phil Petter Toronto Radix, 624 King West
Philippe Dubuc Montreal 4451 rue-St. Denis
Phillip Sparks Toronto Balisi, 711 Queen West, 439 Danforth Avenue; Covet + Crave, 789 King West; Delphic, 706 Queen West; Holt Renfrew; MADE, 867 Dundas West; TNT Blu, 55 Avenue Road Montreal Simon’s, 977 rue SteCatherine Ouest Vancouver Holt Renfrew
Ermenegildo Zegna www.zegna.com 1888 55 ZEGNA Available at Harry Rosen/Holt Renfrew nationwide.
www.justwhiteshirts.com Toronto 1991 Leslie Street, Scotia Plaza
Farley Chatto
Strellson
Toronto 495 Queen West
Green Shag www.greenshag.com Toronto 670 Queen West
Harry Rosen www.harryrosen.com Toronto 82 Bloor Street West; First Canadian Place; Sherway Gardens; Eaton Centre; Yorkdale Montreal Les Cours Mont-Royal, Rockland Centre Calgary TD Square, West Edminton Mall Vancouver Pacific Centre, Oakridge Shopping Centre
Holt Renfrew www.holtrenfrew.com Toronto 50 Bloor West; Yorkdale; Sherway Gardens Montreal 1300 Sherbrooke O Calgary 751 3 Street SW Vancouver 737 Dunsmuir
Hugo Boss www.hugoboss.com Toronto 82 Bloor West; 138
The Shirt Store
www.strellson.ca Toronto The Bay, 44 Bloor East, 37 Richmond; Lamanna Fashion Ltd., 2223 Queen East; The Coop Encore, 3287 Yonge Street; Tom’s, 190 Baldwin; Stonehouse, Yorkdale; Acappella, 752 St Clair West Montreal The Bay, 1510 City Councillors Street; Boutique Mens Inc, 2021 rue Peel Calgary Formans Fashion Group, 1202 First Street SW; Grafton and Co, Chinook Mall, 751 3 Street SW; The Bay, 200-8th Avenue SW Vancouver Dunn’s Tailors, 480 Granville Street; The Bay, 674 Granville Street; Staccato Men’s Fashion, 1842 West First
TECH Apple www.apple.ca Toronto Eaton Centre; Yorkdale; Fairview Mall, Sherway Gardens Montreal 1321 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest Calgary Market Mall
96 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Vancouver Pacific Centre
Fatman www.fat-man.co.uk Toronto Bay Bloor Radio, 55 Bloor West Montreal Audioville, 977 Clark; Codell Leisure Products, 5339 Ferrier Calgary Base Electronics Depot, 3944 Edmonton Trail NE; Certified Automation and Alarm, 2824A Calgary Trail; DBI Systems, 4036 7th St E; Enhance Home Systems, 21 Highfield Circle SE; Soundsaround Inc, 7403 Macleod Trail SW; 4916-130th SE #100; 850 Crowfoot Cres NW; 2234 30th Ave NE; 2219 32nd Ave NE; 2234 30th Ave SE; Trumpet, 4040 44th Ave NE Vancouver Digital Smart Homes, 1396 Richards Street
Harman/Kardon www.harmankardon.com Available at Future Shops nationwide Toronto 2001 Audio Video, 1032 Bloor West; 953 Eglington East Montreal Centre Hi-Fi, 7140 rue St-Hubert; 1563 Ave Mont-Royal Est; 385 Ste-Catherine Ouest Calgary Visions, 46 Crowfoot Circle NW; 2930 32 Avenue NE; 9950 Macleod Trail S; Bay 60, 3915 51 Street SW Vancouver Visions, 1672 Marine Drive SE Human Touch www.intertemp.ca Toronto Nirvana Home Collection, 55 Bloor West; Ambiance Home Essentials, 1923 Avenue Road; Workspace Group Inc. 248 Bridgeland Avenue Montreal Sommeil Davantage Inc., 3830 Bi Henri-Bourassa Est Calgary Jacques Home Furnishings, 7300 Railway Street SE; Osim, 3625 Shaganappi Trail NW; Rossini’s Leather 711-46 Ave SE Vancouver Industrial Revolution Holdings, 2306 Granville Street
Sony www.sonystyle.ca Toronto Eaton Centre; Yorkdale; Smart Centres Leaside Calgary 1405 4th, Westhills Town Centre; Chinook Centre; Market Mall; South Centre Mall; Deerfoot Meadows; Sunridge Mall Montreal Le Centre Eaton de Montreal; Marche Central
Vancouver Pacific Centre, 1128 West Broadway; 929 Granville Street
GROOMING The Art of Shaving www.theartofshaving.com Toronto Available at Holt Renfrew (see Clothing). Montreal Jas O’Gilvy Inc., Calgary Available at Harry Rosen; Holt Renfrew (see Clothing); O’Connors Menswear 1415 1st Street Vancouver Available at Holt Renfrew (see Clothing); The Beauty Bar, 2142 West 4th SW; Beautymark, 4120 Hamilton Street
Braun www.braun.com/ca Available at Shoppers Drug Mart nationwide
Browns www.brownsshoes.com, 1-866-520-SHOE Toronto Eaton Centre; Browns Don Mills; The Bay, 55 Avenue Rd.; 110 Bloor West; 399 Queen Street West; Yorkdale. Montreal 1191 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest; 4 Place Ville-marie, 585 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest Calgary West Edmonton Mall; Market Mall; The Bay; South Center Vancouver Pacific Centre; Oakridge; The Bay, 1112 Robson Ebel www.ebel.com See www.ebel.com for your nearest dealer
Geox
www.clinique.ca Available at Holt Renfrew, The Bay nationwide (see Clothing).
www.geox.com 1 866 454 GEOX Toronto Bayview Village; Yorkdale; Eaton Centre; Sherway Gardens Montreal Rockland Shopping Centre; 716 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest Calgary Market Mall Vancouver Pacific Centre, 980 Robson Street
Clarins
Hermes
Clinique
ca.clarins.com Toronto 87 Yorkville Avenue, Sears; London Drugs; The Bay; Eaton Centre Montreal The Bay Centre-ville; Jean-Coutu; Pharmaprix Calgary Sears; London Drugs; The Bay; Shoppers Drug Mart Vancouver Sears; The Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart
www.hermes.com Toronto 130 Bloor West Montreal Holt Renfrew Vancouver 755 Burrard Street #107
Man Space www.comfortzone.it Toronto Intercontinental Centre; 220 Bloor West Montreal The W Hotel, 901 Square Victoria; Spa Savanna, 4032 Notre Dame West Calgary Riverside Spa, 110 Point Mckay Cres. NW; Mr. Wellness, 102 7th St. SW Vancouver Cabello Salon and Spa, 3518 West 41 Ave
Longines
Tiffany
Sign Up & Win! Grand prize:
Longines HydroConquest Automatic Courtesy of
(value: $1,750)
PLUS
Josephson Opticians www.josephson.ca Toronto 60 Bloor West, 101 Richmond West; BCE Place, 466 Eglinton West
www.longines.com See www.longines.com for your nearest dealer
Louis Vuitton www.louisvuitton.com 1 866 VUITTON Toronto 111 Bloor West, Holt Renfrew Montreal 1307 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest Calgary Holt Renfrew Vancouver 730 Burrard Street, Holt Renfrew
www.tiffany.ca Available at Holt Renfrew nationwide (see Clothing).
Movado
ACCESSORIES
www.movado.com See www.movado.com for your nearest dealer
Betty Hemmings www.bettyhemmingsleather goods.com Toronto 162 Cumberland Street
Sharp Insiders.
Tag Heuer www.tagheuer.com See www.tagheuer.com for your nearest dealer
Second prize: Set of RIMOWA Salsa cases
Courtesy of
(value: $1,432)
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*Exclusive access to contests and product offers *Sharpformen.com’s hottest stories sent directly to your inbox and exclusive issue previews
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Where to Buy CLOTHING Bustle www.bustleclothing.com Toronto GOTSTYLE Menswear, 489 King West; Anti-Hero, 113 Yorkville Ave; Bustle Clothing, 1 Power Street Montreal Aritmetik, Les Cours Mont-Royal, 3688 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Calgary Smyth and Kang, 1020 17th Avenue SW Vancouver Vasanji, 1012 Mainland Street Caliban Toronto Radix, 624 King West
Christopher Bates for ULTRA Toronto GOTSTYLE Menswear, 489 King West Vancouver Seventy Three East, 73 East Cordova Street; Extension Seventy Three, 554 Yates Street
Cinque Toronto Radix, 624 King West
Cumberland; Yorkdale Montreal 1455 rue Peel Ogiluy Calgary 360 Bankers Hall Vancouver Oakridge Centre; 429 Howe Street; Pacific Centre
Levi’s www.levi.ca Toronto 322 Yonge; Eaton Centre; Yorkdale Montreal 705 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest Calgary Available at The Bay Vancouver 1068 Robson Street
Phil Petter Toronto Radix, 624 King West
Philippe Dubuc Montreal 4451 rue-St. Denis
Phillip Sparks Toronto Balisi, 711 Queen West, 439 Danforth Avenue; Covet + Crave, 789 King West; Delphic, 706 Queen West; Holt Renfrew; MADE, 867 Dundas West; TNT Blu, 55 Avenue Road Montreal Simon’s, 977 rue SteCatherine Ouest Vancouver Holt Renfrew
Ermenegildo Zegna www.zegna.com 1888 55 ZEGNA Available at Harry Rosen/Holt Renfrew nationwide.
www.justwhiteshirts.com Toronto 1991 Leslie Street, Scotia Plaza
Farley Chatto
Strellson
Toronto 495 Queen West
Green Shag www.greenshag.com Toronto 670 Queen West
Harry Rosen www.harryrosen.com Toronto 82 Bloor Street West; First Canadian Place; Sherway Gardens; Eaton Centre; Yorkdale Montreal Les Cours Mont-Royal, Rockland Centre Calgary TD Square, West Edminton Mall Vancouver Pacific Centre, Oakridge Shopping Centre
Holt Renfrew www.holtrenfrew.com Toronto 50 Bloor West; Yorkdale; Sherway Gardens Montreal 1300 Sherbrooke O Calgary 751 3 Street SW Vancouver 737 Dunsmuir
Hugo Boss www.hugoboss.com Toronto 82 Bloor West; 138
The Shirt Store
www.strellson.ca Toronto The Bay, 44 Bloor East, 37 Richmond; Lamanna Fashion Ltd., 2223 Queen East; The Coop Encore, 3287 Yonge Street; Tom’s, 190 Baldwin; Stonehouse, Yorkdale; Acappella, 752 St Clair West Montreal The Bay, 1510 City Councillors Street; Boutique Mens Inc, 2021 rue Peel Calgary Formans Fashion Group, 1202 First Street SW; Grafton and Co, Chinook Mall, 751 3 Street SW; The Bay, 200-8th Avenue SW Vancouver Dunn’s Tailors, 480 Granville Street; The Bay, 674 Granville Street; Staccato Men’s Fashion, 1842 West First
TECH Apple www.apple.ca Toronto Eaton Centre; Yorkdale; Fairview Mall, Sherway Gardens Montreal 1321 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest Calgary Market Mall
96 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com
Vancouver Pacific Centre
Fatman www.fat-man.co.uk Toronto Bay Bloor Radio, 55 Bloor West Montreal Audioville, 977 Clark; Codell Leisure Products, 5339 Ferrier Calgary Base Electronics Depot, 3944 Edmonton Trail NE; Certified Automation and Alarm, 2824A Calgary Trail; DBI Systems, 4036 7th St E; Enhance Home Systems, 21 Highfield Circle SE; Soundsaround Inc, 7403 Macleod Trail SW; 4916-130th SE #100; 850 Crowfoot Cres NW; 2234 30th Ave NE; 2219 32nd Ave NE; 2234 30th Ave SE; Trumpet, 4040 44th Ave NE Vancouver Digital Smart Homes, 1396 Richards Street
Harman/Kardon www.harmankardon.com Available at Future Shops nationwide Toronto 2001 Audio Video, 1032 Bloor West; 953 Eglington East Montreal Centre Hi-Fi, 7140 rue St-Hubert; 1563 Ave Mont-Royal Est; 385 Ste-Catherine Ouest Calgary Visions, 46 Crowfoot Circle NW; 2930 32 Avenue NE; 9950 Macleod Trail S; Bay 60, 3915 51 Street SW Vancouver Visions, 1672 Marine Drive SE Human Touch www.intertemp.ca Toronto Nirvana Home Collection, 55 Bloor West; Ambiance Home Essentials, 1923 Avenue Road; Workspace Group Inc. 248 Bridgeland Avenue Montreal Sommeil Davantage Inc., 3830 Bi Henri-Bourassa Est Calgary Jacques Home Furnishings, 7300 Railway Street SE; Osim, 3625 Shaganappi Trail NW; Rossini’s Leather 711-46 Ave SE Vancouver Industrial Revolution Holdings, 2306 Granville Street
Sony www.sonystyle.ca Toronto Eaton Centre; Yorkdale; Smart Centres Leaside Calgary 1405 4th, Westhills Town Centre; Chinook Centre; Market Mall; South Centre Mall; Deerfoot Meadows; Sunridge Mall Montreal Le Centre Eaton de Montreal; Marche Central
Vancouver Pacific Centre, 1128 West Broadway; 929 Granville Street
GROOMING The Art of Shaving www.theartofshaving.com Toronto Available at Holt Renfrew (see Clothing). Montreal Jas O’Gilvy Inc., Calgary Available at Harry Rosen; Holt Renfrew (see Clothing); O’Connors Menswear 1415 1st Street Vancouver Available at Holt Renfrew (see Clothing); The Beauty Bar, 2142 West 4th SW; Beautymark, 4120 Hamilton Street
Braun www.braun.com/ca Available at Shoppers Drug Mart nationwide
Browns www.brownsshoes.com, 1-866-520-SHOE Toronto Eaton Centre; Browns Don Mills; The Bay, 55 Avenue Rd.; 110 Bloor West; 399 Queen Street West; Yorkdale. Montreal 1191 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest; 4 Place Ville-marie, 585 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest Calgary West Edmonton Mall; Market Mall; The Bay; South Center Vancouver Pacific Centre; Oakridge; The Bay, 1112 Robson Ebel www.ebel.com See www.ebel.com for your nearest dealer
Geox
www.clinique.ca Available at Holt Renfrew, The Bay nationwide (see Clothing).
www.geox.com 1 866 454 GEOX Toronto Bayview Village; Yorkdale; Eaton Centre; Sherway Gardens Montreal Rockland Shopping Centre; 716 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest Calgary Market Mall Vancouver Pacific Centre, 980 Robson Street
Clarins
Hermes
Clinique
ca.clarins.com Toronto 87 Yorkville Avenue, Sears; London Drugs; The Bay; Eaton Centre Montreal The Bay Centre-ville; Jean-Coutu; Pharmaprix Calgary Sears; London Drugs; The Bay; Shoppers Drug Mart Vancouver Sears; The Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart
www.hermes.com Toronto 130 Bloor West Montreal Holt Renfrew Vancouver 755 Burrard Street #107
Man Space www.comfortzone.it Toronto Intercontinental Centre; 220 Bloor West Montreal The W Hotel, 901 Square Victoria; Spa Savanna, 4032 Notre Dame West Calgary Riverside Spa, 110 Point Mckay Cres. NW; Mr. Wellness, 102 7th St. SW Vancouver Cabello Salon and Spa, 3518 West 41 Ave
Longines
Tiffany
Sign Up & Win! Grand prize:
Longines HydroConquest Automatic Courtesy of
(value: $1,750)
PLUS
Josephson Opticians www.josephson.ca Toronto 60 Bloor West, 101 Richmond West; BCE Place, 466 Eglinton West
www.longines.com See www.longines.com for your nearest dealer
Louis Vuitton www.louisvuitton.com 1 866 VUITTON Toronto 111 Bloor West, Holt Renfrew Montreal 1307 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest Calgary Holt Renfrew Vancouver 730 Burrard Street, Holt Renfrew
www.tiffany.ca Available at Holt Renfrew nationwide (see Clothing).
Movado
ACCESSORIES
www.movado.com See www.movado.com for your nearest dealer
Betty Hemmings www.bettyhemmingsleather goods.com Toronto 162 Cumberland Street
Sharp Insiders.
Tag Heuer www.tagheuer.com See www.tagheuer.com for your nearest dealer
Second prize: Set of RIMOWA Salsa cases
Courtesy of
(value: $1,432)
SIGN UP FOR OUR EXCLUSIVE E-NEWSLETTER AND RECEIVE:
*Exclusive access to contests and product offers *Sharpformen.com’s hottest stories sent directly to your inbox and exclusive issue previews
PLUS VIP Event Invitations; *Wine and fine spirit tastings *Style and fashion previews *Celebrity meet and greets *Pre-launch test drives *much, much, more...
www.sharpformen.com Contest rules and regulations online
Informer
BIG IDEAS FOR A RICHER LIFE
Non-compete
The Canadian government goes to great lengths to make sure private sector monopolies are kept in check. But who’s watching the watchdog?
Read these words, which I am afraid you will never hear spoken by a Canadian politician: “I respect the right of workers in the private sector to strike. Indeed, as president of my own union, I led the first strike ever called by that union. But we cannot compare labourmanagement relations in the private sector with government.” How realistic to hear a former union leader recognizing that the differences between the employer-employee relationship in the public and private sectors are so significant that they can’t be compared. Little wonder. Governments have laws and regulations that make private sector monopolies illegal and have the means to break them up if they are formed. But when it comes to necessary public services, governments are monopoly suppliers operating under little if any regulation to prevent abuse. I don’t have to go on about the transit strikes, the garbage strikes, the teacher strikes, the emergency services strikes and so on that have been successfully waged by public sector unions recently to perpetuate salaries, benefits, vacations and pensions that are well, well beyond the compensation paid to comparable workers in the private sector. Abusing monopoly power is creating a health hazard from rotting uncollected garbage in the summer heat or paralyzing a city through a transit strike during an international event or closing down a university or school system (but never during summer vacation). The greater the pain, the larger the threat to public safety, the more rewarding is the monopoly power. In the United States the union in one public sector monopoly—the air traffic controllers—promised “aluminum showers” (i.e. mid-air collisions) when they walked off the job demanding more pay. A former American union leader responded this way. “It is for this reason that I must tell those who fail to report for duty this morning they are in violation of the law, and if they do not report for work within 48 hours, they have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated.” The speaker, of course, was President Ronald Reagan. It was August 3, 1981. With management and some military controllers filling in, before long, 80 per cent of airline flights were operating on schedule. More than 45,000 people applied to take the air traffic controllers course to become qualified for the vacant jobs and there has been no strike in that public monopoly since. Where competition exists, union power is limited. In the private
sector, union membership is steadily falling. The union of the Detroit Three automakers—the UAW—is today less than one third the size it was in the early ’70s before foreign competition arrived. The UAW recognizes that strikes at this point would be suicidal. Today, it is only in the public sector where big labour has monopoly clout. As a result, public sector workers have huge wage and benefits advantages over private sector workers—particularly in Canada. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business, an organization that is no fan of the unions, has put out a study that shows all-in across Canada, the total compensation advantage (wages, benefits, vacations, sick leaves, pensions) for municipal workers is 35.9 per cent, for provincial workers it’s 24.9 per cent and for federal workers it’s a staggering 41.7 per cent over their private sector counterparts. Such is the power of monopolies. Additionally, the public sector unions have used their monopoly situation to secure two major concessions which will perpetuate their power: 1. the requirement that anyone doing work which could be done by union members must join the union, even if they don’t want to, and 2. “no contracting out” clauses. It’s madness, as even Ronald Reagan, the former union president, came to recognize. Where is there a significant Canadian politician who has the courage to end public sector unions’ monopoly power? It requires nothing more than simply moving ahead with private sector contracting of government services under terms which provide private sector compensation packages and complete transparency to the public. There is no sell-out of the public interest here. On the contrary, the public can call for new bids each time the contracts expire. In fact, union organizations can also bid in an open and fair competitive process. Governments across the country have lost control of their employees and the cost of keeping them. The taxpayers realize this but so far have been completely powerless to do anything about it. There is outrage, yet resignation. The voter turnout in the 2008 federal election dropped to the lowest percentage of registered voters ever recorded for a national election in Canada. Voter turnouts in strike-ravaged cities are often around 30 percent. Who organizes? Who gets the vote out? Who elects the politicians who toe the union line? Guess. MICHAEL VAUGHAN
98 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com Untitled-1 1
9/29/08 1:11:53 PM
Informer
BIG IDEAS FOR A RICHER LIFE
Non-compete
The Canadian government goes to great lengths to make sure private sector monopolies are kept in check. But who’s watching the watchdog?
Read these words, which I am afraid you will never hear spoken by a Canadian politician: “I respect the right of workers in the private sector to strike. Indeed, as president of my own union, I led the first strike ever called by that union. But we cannot compare labourmanagement relations in the private sector with government.” How realistic to hear a former union leader recognizing that the differences between the employer-employee relationship in the public and private sectors are so significant that they can’t be compared. Little wonder. Governments have laws and regulations that make private sector monopolies illegal and have the means to break them up if they are formed. But when it comes to necessary public services, governments are monopoly suppliers operating under little if any regulation to prevent abuse. I don’t have to go on about the transit strikes, the garbage strikes, the teacher strikes, the emergency services strikes and so on that have been successfully waged by public sector unions recently to perpetuate salaries, benefits, vacations and pensions that are well, well beyond the compensation paid to comparable workers in the private sector. Abusing monopoly power is creating a health hazard from rotting uncollected garbage in the summer heat or paralyzing a city through a transit strike during an international event or closing down a university or school system (but never during summer vacation). The greater the pain, the larger the threat to public safety, the more rewarding is the monopoly power. In the United States the union in one public sector monopoly—the air traffic controllers—promised “aluminum showers” (i.e. mid-air collisions) when they walked off the job demanding more pay. A former American union leader responded this way. “It is for this reason that I must tell those who fail to report for duty this morning they are in violation of the law, and if they do not report for work within 48 hours, they have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated.” The speaker, of course, was President Ronald Reagan. It was August 3, 1981. With management and some military controllers filling in, before long, 80 per cent of airline flights were operating on schedule. More than 45,000 people applied to take the air traffic controllers course to become qualified for the vacant jobs and there has been no strike in that public monopoly since. Where competition exists, union power is limited. In the private
sector, union membership is steadily falling. The union of the Detroit Three automakers—the UAW—is today less than one third the size it was in the early ’70s before foreign competition arrived. The UAW recognizes that strikes at this point would be suicidal. Today, it is only in the public sector where big labour has monopoly clout. As a result, public sector workers have huge wage and benefits advantages over private sector workers—particularly in Canada. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business, an organization that is no fan of the unions, has put out a study that shows all-in across Canada, the total compensation advantage (wages, benefits, vacations, sick leaves, pensions) for municipal workers is 35.9 per cent, for provincial workers it’s 24.9 per cent and for federal workers it’s a staggering 41.7 per cent over their private sector counterparts. Such is the power of monopolies. Additionally, the public sector unions have used their monopoly situation to secure two major concessions which will perpetuate their power: 1. the requirement that anyone doing work which could be done by union members must join the union, even if they don’t want to, and 2. “no contracting out” clauses. It’s madness, as even Ronald Reagan, the former union president, came to recognize. Where is there a significant Canadian politician who has the courage to end public sector unions’ monopoly power? It requires nothing more than simply moving ahead with private sector contracting of government services under terms which provide private sector compensation packages and complete transparency to the public. There is no sell-out of the public interest here. On the contrary, the public can call for new bids each time the contracts expire. In fact, union organizations can also bid in an open and fair competitive process. Governments across the country have lost control of their employees and the cost of keeping them. The taxpayers realize this but so far have been completely powerless to do anything about it. There is outrage, yet resignation. The voter turnout in the 2008 federal election dropped to the lowest percentage of registered voters ever recorded for a national election in Canada. Voter turnouts in strike-ravaged cities are often around 30 percent. Who organizes? Who gets the vote out? Who elects the politicians who toe the union line? Guess. MICHAEL VAUGHAN
98 Sharp September 2009 sharpformen.com Untitled-1 1
9/29/08 1:11:53 PM