THE SHARP LIST
61 GIFT
LOOK BETTER • FEEL BETTER • KNOW MORE WINTER 2014
ideas for the most important person on
S H A R P F O R M E N . C O M
WElcome to the A-List,
MICHAEL
FASSBENDER
your list...
you!
(And a couple for your lady)
Winter Style Solved Topcoats, statement specs & James van Der Beek in a turtleneck
Game on:
John Tavares
Rudy Gay & a good reason to stop hating Kobe Kitchen
party! Entertain like a chef east c o ast e d iti o n
5 0
P A G E
Watch buying guide presents
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t i m e p i e c e s
w w w.t i m e an dstyle . ca
Mad Scientist
DAVID CRONENBERG Makes it weird $5.95 • DISPLAY UNTIL March 30th, 2014
Bonus inside Cover.indd 1
13-10-30 3:42 PM
inTroducing
Skinny & Slim Tapered
SHARP | EDITOR'S LETTER
Call it a Comeback
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In Matt Bubbers’ muscle-car/ travelogue/ruin-porn visit to Detroit he delves into the efforts underway to resurrect the crumbling metropolis—a place now as synonymous with Motown and GM as with the end of the American Century. If ever there was a place in need of a second shot at greatness (or a third), it’s Detroit. Sadly, rays of hope from hipster coffee shops and American-made watches notwithstanding, its prosperity is far from assured. There are uplifting resurrection stories too, though. Our shoots with Raptors forward Rudy Gay and James Van Der Beek, star of Dawson’s Creek and the upcoming Labor Day—both of whom saw major career setbacks and are now back in business in a major way—are proof positive that good guys do come out on top. And of course, there’s Dave Foley. Beloved, beleaguered and indefatigable, the Kids in the Hall star’s career has seen more ups and downs than the BlackBerry’s stock price. Despite everything he’s been through, Foley is determined to keep slogging
16 SHARPFORMEN.COM / DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
his way back to the top, never losing his humility or, more importantly, his sense of humour in the face of life’s frequent absurdity. I wish I could say it was intentional that a disproportionate number of words in this issue are devoted to stories of comebacks. That for our end-of-year issue I decided to focus on tales of rebirth, all the better to inspire and enthuse the Sharp Man for 2014, but it wasn’t so. This issue came together as they all do—with our team seeking out the very best stories we could find and putting them together in a way that makes you want to read them until you’re late for work. Speaking of which, you’d better get a move on.
Jeremy Freed Editor-In-Chief @Mrjeremyfreed letters@contempomedia.ca
P h o t o : D a r r i n K l i m e k ; g r o o m i n g : N ata l i e B lo u i n
Everybody loves a resurrection. There’s something incredibly satisfying about people picking themselves up and succeeding in the face of adversity. Perhaps it reminds us that the challenges we face are surmountable, that with enough faith in our own abilities we can do the things we dream of, that nothing is out of reach. In the abstract that’s a bit trite, sure, but this is the only page that deals in abstractions. The rest of this hefty edition (incidentally, our biggest issue ever) is all action—stories of men doing cool things, succeeding and failing and succeeding again—plus a bunch of stuff about sexy cars, nice clothes and good food, along with that lovely young woman from the new Spike Lee movie. All for your reading pleasure.
Š2013 Cartier
www.cartier.com
Contents
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014 | VOL.6 | ISSUE 6
RUDY GAY
FEATURES
pg. 120
102
Showdown Sochi John Tavares, rising NHL star and captain of Canada’s Olympic hockey team, lays down his plans to defeat Russia in 2014.
104
fassbender hits the big time
108
Notes on Surviving High School Giller Prize shortlisted author Craig Davidson returns to his alma mater and realizes a few things about adolescence, masculinity and skids.
114
A Snake in Motown Automotive editor Matt Bubbers contemplates the future of American cars—and America in general—while driving the $150,000 V10 Viper SRT through the streets of bankrupt Detroit.
120
Rudy Gay’s Got Game Can the Raptor’s newest star lead Canada’s only NBA team out of obscurity and into global basketball relevancy? Maybe, but a little help from Drake won’t hurt either.
124
The Sharp List Our annual list of the greatest stuff in all of the land. And, yes, it does include a remote-controlled flying car.
144
The View from the Top A rakish topcoat will make all the difference between being just another blackcoated shuffler and a stylish urban gentleman.
18 SHARPFORMEN.COM / DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
P h o t o b y M at t B a r n e s
With two marquee films this season, and the attention of the likes of Ridley Scott and Terrence Malick, Michael Fassbender has officially joined the A-list.
Contents
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014 | VOL.6 | ISSUE 6 GUIDE 36
48
56
62
A revolutionary camera with unbeatable style.
Get rid of the phone holster and up your style with these modish tech-cessories.
Yes, it’s possible for a man to decorate his walls with movie posters without looking like a frat boy.
Our annual salute to the best cars of the year includes a hybrid BMW supercar, the new Escalade, and (of course) Walter White’s Aztec.
One
Tech
37
A Man Worth Listening To Dave Foley needs a comeback, but he deserves one even more.
41
A Welcome Introduction
Design
54
Automobiles
Travel
60
The Big Easy had it not so easy for a few years, but it’s ready to welcome you again in all of its hedonistic former glory.
You spend approximately a third of your life sleeping. It’s time to do it right.
Health
Pom Klementieff tells us about the things she did to be in Spike Lee’s Oldboy.
elevated topCOATS
42 TV
pg. 144
This season might be the family friendliest TV has seen in years. It also might be the least diverse.
70
Style James Van Der Beek demonstrates the art of layering. Plus: statement optics.
88
Food and Drink We head east (way east) to discover the secrets of the authentic Newfoundland kitchen party.
96
44
Fatherhood
Film David Cronenberg holds forth on insects, surgery and the definition of horror.
Pretending to be Tom Cruise while trying not to vomit, all in the name of impressing a toddler.
46
100
The most manly of reading lists to take you into the holidays. Plus, David Sedaris on his trip to China.
In the hero stories that feed our obsession with professional sports, good endings are as difficult to come by as anywhere else.
Sports
StandaRds 16
Editor’s Letter
26
Letters
20 SHARPFORMEN.COM / DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
28
the Man About Town
156
Brand directory
158 RANK & FILE
P h o t o B y M at t D o y l e
Books
SHARP | Letters
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Oh Danny Boy At the risk of upsetting my kids should they find out, I’ll confess that I’ve never seen a Harry Potter movie. (I might have slept through one of them. Usually I get bored before the action apparently starts.) So, Daniel Radcliffe was never someone who really intrigued me. Now, though, after reading the interview in November’s Sharp, I’m interested. The guy seems smart, creative, and genuinely passionate about the possibilities ahead of him. But mostly, you’ve got to respect an actor willing to take risks. And that seems to be what he’s all about. I’m glad he’s got some good stuff coming up, because I don’t care to try watching those wizard movies again. Joseph Gilvarry // Edmonton, AB
WOMeN The Best Welcome Introductions There will be many year-end lists this season. This just might be your favourite. A retrospective of all the women we’ve had the pleasure of introducing to you this year, from Suits’s Megan Markle to that girl who was in Skyfall for not nearly long enough.
Innocence Lost
Owen Whitehead // TORONTO, ON
That Penguin I don’t usually write in to magazines to compliment them on their art—hell, I don’t usually write in to magazines at all. But, I caught the joke of the altered Penguin Book logo for the article about Sasha Grey and it was possibly the best thing in an otherwise pretty great magazine. Props to whoever made that thing. Hilarious, even if I hope to never have to explain it to my kids.
TECH
STYLE
Gifts For Your Son We have you covered, no matter how old your kid is, with 18 years worth of yearmaking gifts. Now’s the time to celebrate the smaller version of yourself by getting him some dope stuff. (Are the kids still saying “dope?”)
How to Dress for a Holiday Party Tis the season to bring out the bow ties, peak lapels and velvet slippers. The holidays call for a celebration of style and fun. Get creative and be bold. Our seasonal style guide will help.
Joyce Meyer // OTTAWA, ON
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P h o t o : M e g a n M a r k l e / M at t B a r n e s
When the Leafs fell apart in game seven last year, my son was inconsolable. I don’t think he could be more crushed if he lost a family pet. He’s usually a pretty stoic kid, so it was surprising, to say the least. That’s why I loved Nicholas Hune-Brown’s column “On Losing” so much. Nice to hear that someone else went through what my son did. And nice to know there’s probably a lesson in there somewhere. Thanks!
SHARP | Pre-Ramble
Foley’s Follies
DETROIT BINGO
What ’s Dave Foley been up to all these years? Paying the bills. A quick glance at his imdb proves what he’ll do for a paycheque (Hey, don’t feel bad. He told us to do this.)
Who says despair can’t be fun! Bring this handy playing card with you as you read Auto Editor Matt Bubbers’ account in Motor city.
2012 How t o Be a
WATCHMAKERS
Gentleman
HOOLIGAN
2011 Pound
hope
COMMUNITY GARDENS
Hipster baristas
RICHARD FLORIDA
P u p p i e s, Ag e n t R i c k
REAL ESTATE THAT’S PRICED TO MOVE!
2010 Va m p i r e s
Suck, Pr i n c i p a l Sm i t h
free
DEAD DOG
MOTOWN RECORDS
2007 Nether-
THE GM BUILDING
beast Incorporated
dodgeball
URBAN RENEWAL halftime in bankrupt city, P.114
2003 Gr o u n d e d for Life
The James VanderDrink FIRST, Forty Creek Whiskey.
2002 W h at ’ s
n e w, S c o o b y- d o o ?
THEN, ADD A DASH of tears.
a man worth listening To, P.37
NOW, Finish it off with a table spoon of I DON’T WANT YOUR LIFE.
LASTLY, Drink with a cool dose of selfawareness.
James Van Der Beek, P.70
The Anti-Car of the Year T h i s y e a r s aw t h e c r ow n i n g ac h i ev e m e n t f o r ev e ry p e r s on w h o da r e s t o dr e a m, a n d w h o h a p p e n s t o l ov e c a r s a n d T he S impsons i n e q u a l m e a su r e. D e b u t i n g at t h i s y e a r’ s L e M a n s wa s, at l on g l a s t, T h e H o m e r .
the automotive achievement awards, P.62
WHAT TO DO WITH THE BIGGEST ISSUE OF SHARP MAGAZINE EVER: A Booster seat, A PantomiMed telescope, 5 1/2 months of bird cage liner, A Kettle bell, OR A very, very low pedestal.
24 SHARPFORMEN.COM / DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
pa n e r a i . c o m
Mediterranean Sea. “Gamma� men in training. The diver emerging from the water is wearing a Panerai compass on his wrist.
history a n d heroes. RADIOMIR 1940 3 days - 47mm
SHARP | MAN ABOUT TOWN
Hugo Boss and Sharp’s Winter Trend Preview The menswear department of Toronto’s Bloor Street Holt Renfrew store was transformed into a luxurious event space for this collaboration among BOSS, Sharp, Penny Loafers and BMW to share the season’s key trends with the city’s most fashionable influencers. Sharp Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Freed spoke on the high points of winter style to guests including the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Dion Phaneuf, who presented a signed jersey to one lucky attendee.
2.
1.
1.Jeremy Freed, Lanita Layton, Kimberly Grabel 2.Anthony Luongo, Sean Stewart 3.Kyle Bodnarchuk, Patrick Mazza, Ryan Moleiro 4.J.S Vann, Mike Levine 5.Brooks Thomas, Dion Phaneuf 6.Ashley Applebaum, Devon Soltendieck
3.
4.
6. 28 SHARPFORMEN.COM / DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
P HOTOS : G e o r g e P i m e n t e l
5.
Lincoln savours the city Savour the City, sponsored by the Lincoln Motor Club, offered Canadian VIPs the opportunity to explore the new Lincoln MKZ before sampling eats prepared by some of the top chefs from restaurants like Bymark and Sassafraz in Toronto and Chez L’Epicier and Helena in Montreal. A “Pop-Up Supper Club” was also held in each city, transforming the Glass Factory Warehouse in Toronto and the Parisian Laundry Art Gallery in Montreal into temporary eateries with dishes by Matt Kantor in Toronto and Stephanie Audet in Montreal. 30 SHARPFORMEN.COM / DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
P HOTOS : D e v i n S t i n s o n a n d F r e d T o u g a s
SHARP | MAN ABOUT TOWN
12/01.14
Look Bet ter • Feel bet ter • Know more
Win this
CAM E RA
Don’t Let > Anyone Borrow This Pen
Western Culture is going through a bit of an obsession with photography these days. What will set you apart from the Instagramming masses, of course, is that you won’t be taking pictures with your smartphone. You’ll have something better. (And, no, that doesn’t mean lugging around an SLR with you wherever you go.) You will have this—the Olympus PEN E-P5. A reboot of their classic 1959 model, it retains the midcentury good looks of the original while adding a host of cutting-edge features. A micro four-thirds camera, the PEN has interchangeable lenses, 1/8000s shutter speed, HD video capability, 5-Axis image stabilization and built-in Wi-Fi capability, allowing you to “stream” from the camera’s viewfinder to a computer or iPad. All the better for showing off online. $1,000
Wisdom | GUIDE
>
Dave Foley has held on. It hasn’t always been pretty—there were nights that you’d see him slightly Guy Fieri-fied, hair frosted, age-softened, slumming as a host of Celebrity Poker Showdown; there were a few guest spots on forgettable sitcoms that hearkened back to his News Radio glory days; but there were also bright spots, of course, like whenever he got together with his Kids in the Hall brethren (as he did a couple of years ago for Death Comes to Town). Still, you couldn’t help wondering if Dave Foley—the straight man who always felt a bit dangerous—was working for the money. Turns out, he was. Saddled with enormous debt (the product of a horrendous divorce) and faced with prison time should he return to Canada, Foley spent years doing anything and everything he could to stay above water. As far as reasons to give up artistic integrity goes, survival isn’t a bad one. But now, free of his former legal troubles, he’s back in Canada, on Spun Out, a show that reminds him of News Radio for all the right reasons. Maybe that means we can get our old Dave Foley back. It’s been too long.
A Man W orth Listening T o:
Dave Foley will get you excited By Greg Hudson
You’ve been doing stand-up lately. How were the first few times back? Good. I mostly started doing 10- to 15-minute sets to build up material. Once I had 45 minutes of material up, I started booking road gigs. The first road gigs I booked were gigs that somebody else had cancelled, so I wound up where people didn’t know who the hell I was at all, or care. And sometimes were horribly
offended by just about everything I said. One show in St. Louis had an audience of octogenarian bowling leaguers that had booked that night six months in advance. At one point, this 80-yearold woman shouted out, “Change the subject!” And I’m going, “Sorry ma’am, it’s all worked out, this isn’t improvised. I got another five minutes of blow-job jokes, and then we move on to anal. Strap yourself in.”
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Woman | GUIDE A W elco me INTRO DUCTION
Pom Klementieff is a fighter
By Dennis Ancheta
Where you’ll see her: Unless you’re a devout watcher of modern French television (and who isn’t?), your introduction to Pom will be in Spike Lee’s upcoming “reinterpretation” of the Korean revenge classic Oldboy, with Josh Brolin and Samuel L. Jackson.
P HOTO : M at h i e u B i t t o n
Versatility is the thing: Turns out even getting a small role in a Spike Lee joint is no small feat. It’s a grueling process. “He was testing me. He asked me, ‘Do you want the part?’ And I said, ‘Of course.’ And then he said, ‘Show me,’” she says. If this were another kind of film, things would have gone much differently after that. But Lee just wanted to see the prerequisite athleticism. “I was in front of the camera, doing punches. He told me to give him some kicks, so I did. I was shadow boxing. He was yelling, ‘Stronger, faster.’ And I was giving kicks and punches, losing my balance and breath. It was ridiculous. If he didn’t stay stop, I was going to continue until I died. I didn’t care.” But that’s not all: Out of breath, she then had to leave and come back in a dress. You know, to show the sexy side of the role. “I was walking down the street, my dress was too short. I was pulling it down all the time,” she says. “Spike said, ‘You look like a different person.’ And I said, ‘Thank you, I look like a whore now.’” Spoiler alert.
For more Welcome Introductions, visit Sharpformen.com/category/women
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014 / SHARPFORMEN.COM 41
GUIDE | Culture
Cronenberg’s Mad Science
He seems relaxed and content, with thick sloping eyebrows that suggest he knows something you may not, like a doctor about to impart his prognosis. The Cronenberg Project, which will be on display at Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox until January 19, pays homage to the iconic Canadian director’s way of examining the themes that make us human, with a multiplatform exhibit including behind-the-scenes footage and recreations of some of his most memorable creations. The main attraction is “David Cronenberg: Evolution,” a collection of costumes and props (including the beetle typewriter from Naked Lunch) that takes participants inside the bizarre world of his films. Browsing the exhibit, it becomes clear that his work, though sombre, is not necessarily “body horror,” as it is often described. Consider Cronenberg’s 1986 remake of The Fly: this is a story about a science experiment—and in science experiments, there aren’t any incorrect results, just results. Sure a body mutates beyond recognition, but science is an exploration. It may be creepy, but Cronenberg wouldn’t call it horror. “That was never my description,” he says, between bites. “It’s minimizing. It’s compressing. It’s very easy to jump from ‘body horror’ to the idea of horror of the body, fear of the body. And, on the contrary, it was my fascination with our selves and our bodies that inspired me. Some people are horrified by insects and insect life, and they don’t want to hear about it. I’ve always been fascinated by insect life and found it to be extraordinarily beautiful. I’ve never really thought of what I do as horrific and therefore the whole idea of ‘body horror’ is anathema.” The mind that created Videodrome is not as twisted as one might assume. It’s just curious. A scientific mind. It makes sense: much of his education was dedicated to subjects like biology and lepidopterology (the study of an order of insects that includes moths and butterflies). But he’s a certain kind of scientist. One pictures Cronenberg at work, a white lab coat hanging off a stooped frame, intense and unblinking as he explores the biological workings of some sheet-covered form. He’s certainly got the hair for it.
By Coleman Molnar
>
The line that separates horror and science is pretty subjective. Some spend their entire lives avoiding their own biology, fainting from terror at the mere sight of the sticky contents concealed beneath the skin. Others are fascinated by it, exploring it with the same sense of wonder they would a new world. I’m sitting across the table from David Cronenberg—a man whose early work earned him the nickname “The King of Venereal Horror”—casually discussing the finer points of elective surgery while he nonchalantly eats a granola bar. I’m beginning to understand that, for Cronenberg, this line doesn’t really exist at all. “Some people would be horrified by watching surgery,” he explains. “And to someone else it would be incredible to see the inside of a body if they’ve never seen that the Cultural Equation: David Cronenberg before.” Cronenberg clearly falls into the latter category. Surgical fascination and the director’s standard wardrobe—black on black—aside, there is nothing dark or sinister about this man who has made a career out of putting Lurch Stephen King Nietzsche the weird and macabre on cinematic display.
44 SHARPFORMEN.COM / DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
David Cronenberg
P HOTO : M at t B a r n e s ; RETOUCHING : L i z M a c I n n i s
The Canadian director’s work isn’t scary. It’s natural (except for the exploding heads).
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GUIDE | Tech
High Tech Style Wired accessories for modish technophiles By COLEMAN MOLNAR
In addition to delegating your social life and business interactions, your devices should also reflect your personal style. This season’s most desirable tech accessories are not only functional, they pack a healthy dose of modern design, too.
Zegna Sport Icon Bluetooth Bomber Jacket
Tech Don’ts
Walden can have its woods—we live on the grid. The Zegna Sport Icon has an integrated joystick controller on the sleeve and a Bluetoothenabled microphone on the collar, so you can too. ($1,300)
Smythson Grosvenor Folding Tablet Case
Sure your tablet is a beautiful piece of technology, but that doesn’t make it any less susceptible to life’s dings and dents. Protect your tech with this tablet case made from crocodile leather with a soft lambskin interior. ($625)
It’s a bold new frontier out there— don’t run afoul of these tech etiquette faux pas.
Holsters
It’s a phone, not a sixshooter. Keep it in your pocket.
Sennheiser Momentum On-Ear Headphones
Tablet photography
Sennheiser knows how to balance quality, aesthetics and comfort. These are a bit smaller than their popular predecessor, but they haven’t lost any of that quality of sound or comfort—and have gained a range of modish colour combinations. Progress through minimization.
($250)
You look ridiculous. Plus, the people behind you can’t see now.
Table texting Surely it can wait until after dinner. If not, excuse yourself.
Bluetooth Headsets
Jawbone JamboX
Not much bigger than the device you’ll sync it with, the Jawbone Jambox wireless Bluetooth speaker punches well above its weight. Great sound + minimalist design = another winner from Jawbone. ($150)
48 SHARPFORMEN.COM / DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
Style and convenience rarely go together. This is not an exception.
Careless Emailing
A mobile device is no excuse for poor spelling and grammar.
Advice | GUIDE
How to Make Your Mark A Two-Part Guide for the Modern Pioneer by Matt Currie
Part 2 Trailblazing Traits
P HOTO : M a r k T h i e s s e n / N at i o n a l G e o g r a p h i c
Creativity Banksy: Before this anonymous British rabble-rouser showed up, so-called street art was mostly considered nothing more than vandalism. And while some feel no different about the provocative stenciled images Bansky sprays onto city walls, their impeccable detail and incisive commentary on politics, society and pop culture defy such easy dismissal. In choosing the cityscape as his canvas, he opened up an entirely new medium, redefining how a legitimate artist can communicate with an audience. Banksy didn’t create graffiti or the concept of political commentary through art, but he combined them in a way that was entirely new, changing the art world forever in the process.
Foresight
Sean Parker: With file-sharing platform Napster, Sean Parker forced the music industry into the digital age. His latest project, Spotify—which is set to shift the paradigm again—sees Parker working alongside the very same record labels that once tried to bury Napster. By implementing this revolutionary free streaming service he again fundamentally changed how millions listen to music. And, if that’s not enough, in the intervening years he was also the first president of Facebook. Indeed, for all of his technological know-how, Sean Parker’s billion-dollar fortune is owed largely to keeping his eye trained not on where we are, but where we’re going.
pr e s e nt e d by
Exploration
James Cameron: This Canadian-born director is a modern-day Renaissance man, with the imagination of an artist and the technological genius of a top engineer. For more than two decades, he’s been employing this rare combination of attributes to push the boundaries of CGI and motion-capture technology to delve into unparalleled, stunningly original new worlds in films like Terminator 2, Titanic and, most recently, Avatar. In life and on screen, James Cameron is a man who charges headlong into uncharted territories, creating the tools he needs to explore them along the way, and dragging the rest of the world into the future along with him.
GUIDE | Advice
Compassion
At just 15 years old, Jack Andraka created a quicker, less expensive and more effective method of detecting early-stage pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer. He did this without any medical training, with information gleaned from Google and Wikipedia. Johns Hopkins professor Anirban Maitra, who Andraka worked with on developing his procedure, has compared the boy to Thomas Edison. Most strikingly, Andraka chose not to design a million-dollar smartphone app, but to help save others from the fate that befell a family friend. Often the legacies that last the longest belong to the men who seek to make the world a better place rather than pursuing fame and fortune.
Innovating a Better World Blake Mycoskie
Many companies engage in philanthropy but few put the concept at the heart of their business model. But that’s what Blake Mycoskie did in 2006 when he established TOMS. His goals were simple: introducing North America to Argentinian espadrille-style shoes while, at the same time, providing children in developing countries with footwear they desperately needed. For every pair of TOMS that’s purchased, another pair is donated. In 2012, he expanded into eyewear, with a similar one-for-one approach—providing the needy with both eyeglasses and, if necessary, surgery. To date, the donations number in the millions; a stat that, naturally, also speaks well of the financial viability of TOMS. Mycoskie made his mark by changing both our understanding of how business can be done and the lives of millions of people across the globe.
Tools of the Modern Pioneer
FEARLESSNESS
Many trailblazers have had to contend with opposition to their revolutionary ideas. Relatively few have had to do so with a gun pointed at their heads; still fewer had to do so when they were just 12 years old. But such is the case for Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani girl who defied the Taliban to advocate for a woman’s right to education. In 2012, at age 15, her defiance earned her a bullet through the head. The failed assassination sparked a global outcry and ultimately led to the ratification of Pakistan’s first Right to Education Bill. Yousafzai fully recovered and has kept fighting, now on the world stage, bending the ear of leaders like Barack Obama. Pitting words against bombs and bullets, one teenager has managed to reshape her entire country.
Glenfiddich and Wounded Warriors: A Partnership of Pioneers
The Standing Desk From Thomas Jefferson to the genius wonks at Google, men throughout the ages have sworn by the power of the standing workstation. The theory goes that doing away with the chair increases blood flow, improves posture, and in general keeps you in a much more alert, energetic and mentally engaged state. Most of the evidence is anecdotal, but science has been able to tell us that, if nothing else, standing burns upwards of 20 per cent more calories during the day. Moreover, according to one study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, workers who sit at work are 54 per cent more likely to die of a heart attack.
A Better Alarm Clock For thousands of years mankind was awoken by the morning sun, and you can’t just replace several centuries of conditioning without expecting a physiological price to be paid. Sleep science pioneers at Philips have figured out how to replicate those natural visual and auditory cues with new technology: an advanced alarm that gradually increases light to replicate the sunrise and replace that that jarring buzzer with gentle chirping.
Glenfiddich, which has been family owned and operated for over 125 years, is no stranger to the Pioneering Spirit, having pioneered the Single Malt category, remaining family owned and innovating with unique variants such as Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix and Cask of Dreams. Glenfiddich shares values with Wounded Warriors Canada, a non-profit organization that is pioneering support programs for Canadian Forces members—be they full-time or reservists—who have been wounded in their service to Canada, placing primary focus
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GUIDE | Design LA DOLCE VITA
LIVE
Chinatown (1974) THE ARTIST: Richard Amsel CONVERSATION FODDER: From The Sting to Indiana Jones, Amsel captured adventure and, somehow, nostalgia, even in the present. Like a Hollywood Norman Rockwell.
Metropolis (1927)
Movie House
THE ARTIST: Werner Graul CONVERSATION FODDER: How many
other movie posters have been hung in the MoMA?
COOL HAND LUKE (1967) THE ARTIST: Bill Gold CONVERSATION FODDER: Although he’s done posters for some truly iconic films (think Clockwork Orange), Gold wasn’t above making Michael Jackson’s weird Moonwalker seem legit.
BLOW-UP (1966)
How to decorate like a cinephile without looking like an ass. (First step: don’t use the word cinephile.)
THE ARTIST:
Ercole Brini
CONVERSATION FODDER: A per-
fect distillation of the 1960s aesthetic and Italian flare.
By GREG HUDSON
Yes, it’s possible for a man to use movie posters as wall art. But, to pull it off, you’ll need to do it right. After all, you’re not decorating your childhood room or your first apartment— you’re a man who knows how to live* in style.
First, some rules: 1. No new releases
Your home is not a Blockbuster (see, you know you’re an adult because you know what a Blockbuster is). Unless you happen to have directed the film, or starred in it, you should never hang a poster from a film that opened fewer than 30 years ago. And even if you did direct the thing, it’s still not in great taste.
3. Avoid Pretention
You need to be familiar with the film you’re hanging on your wall. The art of the poster will surely hold aesthetic appeal independent of whatever film it represents, if you hang a movie poster on your wall that you haven’t seen, you’re an asshole on par with someone who wears a Yankees hat but thinks A-Rod is an adult-film performer. 4. Choose one from the Masters
2. Frame job
Treat it like the work of art it is. No sticky tack, no tape. This is something that requires a proper mat and frame.
Vertigo (1958) THE ARTIST: Saul Bass
CONVERSATION FODDER: You know all those people making “updated” posters for contemporary movies? They’re all ripping off Bass.
For reference here are five classic posters that would do well in any man’s living room. They’re all from pioneers of the genre, who made posters in the days before Photoshop.
56 SHARPFORMEN.COM 2014 LIVE LOVE TASTE/ DECEMBER/JANUARY TOGETHER INVITE YOU
TO EXPERIENCE THE SWEET LIFE – LA DOLCE VITA
A Sharp Promotion
Becoming a Connoisseur of
Architecture Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles
I
n the early 1920s, at the beginning of the modern era in architecture, things were simpler and the so-called International Style ruled. Propagated by top designers like Le Corbusier, Alvar Aalto and Philip Johnson, the movement eclipsed more decorative aesthetics like art deco and art nouveau. These styles’ curly, curvy, flowery lines were replaced by ultra-sleek steel and glass, wall-to-wall windows and lots of black and grey. The International Style’s influence lasted for over 50 years and can be seen in financial districts around the world, including the Toronto Dominion Centre, designed by Mies van der Rohe, and Place Ville Marie in Montreal, designed by I.M. Pei. But by the 1970s, architects were getting sick of putting up the same old, ultra-simple boxes. So, designers like Michael Graves started playing around with domes, silos and pyramids, and postmodernism was born. It’s not the most attractive style—if a structure looks like it was assembled from a kindergartner’s blocks, its postmodern. The church-like National Gallery of Canada in
ADRIAN SMITH The King of the Skyscraper
The 3D Printed House 3D printers are upending manufacturing—spewing out everything from table lamps to evening gowns—and changing architecture, too. Designers Michael Hansmeyer and Benjamin Dillenburger recently completed the first 3D printed room out of simulated sandstone, while Dutch-based architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars has plans for the first 3D printed house. It looks like a fluttering glass and stone ribbon and will be fabricated all at once with a giant printer called the D-Shape.
Adrian Smith is the most famous architect you’ve never heard of. He started his career in the late ’60s at the famed office of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the firm that built the Sears Tower. Over his 39 years
58 SHARPFORMEN.COM / November 2013
Ottawa, by Moshe Safdie, is a good example. While its vogue was relatively short-lived— about a decade or two—postmodernism did encourage a group of emerging designers to go wild with new shapes and forms. Thus began the epoch of the starchitect, with each designer developing, promoting and refining a unique, idiosyncratic sense of style. You can spot a project by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid because it will invariably look like a Photoshop experiment, with no right angles and almost violently swooping curves (her MAXXI art gallery in Rome is made of concrete but has a liquid fluidity). Conversely, Spanish designer Santiago Calatrava crafts masterful airports, bridges and opera houses inspired by natural forms— birds, palm trees, even spinal cords—and crafts them out of crisp white steel. Possibly the most famous of these celebrity architects, whose gracefully folding forms—the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain, or the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles—are truly iconic is Canadian-born Frank Gehry.
at SOM, the Illinois native pushed every limit imaginable, culminating in his design for the tallest building in the world, the 830-metre Burj Khalifa in Dubai. In 2006, he opened his own eponymous firm, Adrian
Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, and is now more ambitious than ever. When his $1.2-billion Kingdom Tower is completed in Saudi Arabia, it will be the first piece of architecture to ever pass 1,000 metres in height.
GUIDE | Health
Sleep Like You’re Dead. Feel Alive.
Natural Sleep Aids Do they work? Science says: maybe. There are plenty of experts on either side, suggesting that some may indeed work for you. These are some options.
How to get the most out of your nights By Coleman Molnar
Melatonin
In terms of natural remedies, this is probably the most studied. Melatonin is a hormone produced in your brain that is largely responsible for your circadian rhythms—levels amp up in the dark of evening and fall again in the morning. Again, some call it a hero, others call it a villain, but Dr. Atul Khullar, a sleep specialist for MedSleep, believes a 1mg supplement may be useful for certain people. Valerian Root
Aside from the obvious benefits of sleeping well, like, you know, being a functional, alert adult who doesn’t weep like a child during a matinée screening of Gravity, it apparently cleans your brain, too. A recent study funded by the National Institute of Health suggests that the act of sleeping is akin to hiring a plumber to clear your brain’s pipes of toxic molecules. By injecting dye into the cerebral spinal fluid (a liquid that buffers the brain and spinal cord) of mice, researchers discovered that the space between brain cells expands during unconsciousness, allowing the liquid to flow more freely and flush out potentially harmful toxins, indicating that sleep may play an important role in fighting Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative disorders. We already knew sleep was crucial to our well-being and then…Boom! Yet another science bomb! So, sleep well, or else. Here’s how:
Leonardo Da Vinci 1.5 hrs in 15 min intervals every 4 hrs
Marijuana
Yup.
Time for a reality check According to Dr. Khullar, insomnia is more often than not a sign of imbalance in our lives. “Looking at one’s general
Technology makes everything easier Bedditt Sleep Tracking Device
If sleeping with a wristband isn’t your cup of Sleepytime, the Bedditt Sleep Tracker is a discreet strip under your sheet that works with your Smartphone to track your heart rate, breathing, snoring, movement and changes to the environment like noise and light. ($100) Fitbit Force
Fitbit’s newest piece of wellness-promoting tech will track your activity (steps taken, floors climbed, etc.), but can also track your moments of inactivity. The Force observes your sleeping habits, like how often you toss and turn, and links that info to your smartphone so you can analyze your sleep patterns. It also has an alarm feature that vibrates lightly, for a gentle wake-up call that won’t disturb your bedmate’s slumber. ($130)
Yes, the average person sleeps 8 hours a night. But, who said you wanted to be average. Here’s some living (and dead) proof that not everyone needs eight hours a night.
Nikola Tesla: 3 hrs
Martha Stewart: 4 hrs
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Donald Trump: 5 hrs
Barack Obama: 6 hrs
Matthew McConaughey: 8.5 hrs
Heidi Klum:
10 hrs
Dracula:
A solid 12 hrs/day (depending on his latitudinal location)
VAMPIRE
Insomniac
Hey! Wake Up
The herb valerian is one of the most common treatments for insomnia. It is said to reduce stress and anxiety—which may be the root causes of the insomnia to begin with—and aid in falling and staying asleep, without any serious side effects. One quality experts can agree on: it smells like ripe feet.
physical and mental health and lifestyle would be the first step,” he says. “Common root causes of insomnia are depression, anxiety, stress, poor nutrition, low testosterone and poor pre-bedtime behaviours like too many screens on, too much caffeine or over-napping. And the real harm comes with not addressing these core issues in the first place.”
A A A
The Sharp
AUTOMOTIVE achievement AWARDS 2013
BMW
Paradigm Shifter Award
2013/
An excellent vintage for performance. The year that proved sports cars have a bright future in a greener world.
WRITTEN BY : Matt Bubbers, George Zicarelli AND coleman molnar 62 SHARPFORMEN.COM / DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
Boring...quirky...ugly...slow...niche. One or more of these words all too often gets thrown around in conversations about the current selection of gas-electric hybrids, and with good reason. With all due respect, to take the wheel of one is to compromise, in some form, the unfettered excitement that comes from driving a finely engineered automobile. But all of that is about to change. Leave it to BMW’s engineering geniuses to not only shatter the hybrid stereotype, but to rewrite it. Enter the i8, BMW’s first hybrid sports car. A 1.5-litre, twin-turbo engine drives the rear wheels, while an electric motor powers the front. All told, this dynamic power duo provides a noteworthy 362 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque, propelling the i8 from 0 to 100 km/h in only 4.5 seconds. It can also cruise for 35 km solely on electric power. If you thought power would compromise efficiency, think again. Carbon fibre-reinforced plastic, aluminum and recycled materials throughout the stylishly outfitted 2+2 cabin, help to keep curb weight down to just 1,490 kg and assist in establishing a ridiculously low average fuel consumption rating of 2.6 L/100 km. The 2015 BMW i8 arrives later in 2014, giving us plenty of time to think of new words to describe it.
BMW M3
In memoriam
Mercedes CLA 45 AMG
Engine of the year
There was a time, really not so long ago, when owning a four-cylinder meant you couldn’t afford anything more. Thanks to AMG, those days are officially over. Their first four-cylinder is the most powerful currently available in any car: making an insane 355 horsepower from just 2.0 turbocharged litres. This kind of power was once reserved for motors two or three times its size. AMG, we salute you.
Tesla Model S The Most dangerous way to update your Facebook
Back in 2007 when you were new, it seemed like this day would never come. You were so strong and unbeatable when it came to laying down monster powerslides that we thought you’d be with us forever. When your race-bred V8 revved to 8,400 rpm it reminded us of everything right and good in the world. Well, BMW is putting you out to pasture, replacing you with the first-ever turbocharged M3 next year. But, you’ll live on in our hearts, old M3. You’re already a classic.
Infiniti Q50
Best Automotive Fashion Accessory
status Award
It’s the only accessory too big to fit in your closet. Infiniti and Gilt.com teamed up with fashion designers Thom Browne and Zac Posen to create two one-off auto/fashion mash-up vehicles to be sold online in December 2013. The exterior of Browne’s version shines with a reflective chrome finish, and the interior carries his trademark tri-coloured pattern on the seats. As for Posen’s, his high-fashion background is on display with the ombré effect on the exterior and lavish materials like velvet, shagreen and leather on the inside.
The Automotive equation
-
+
“Check it out! Driving the electric Tesla Model S!!!” Twenty-nine people have liked your status. Yes, the Tesla’s huge central touchscreen can be used like a laptop, Internet connection and all. Surf over to Facebook or Twitter and let the world know you’re driving a battery-powered sedan that’s as fast as your average AMG. Just be sure to do it when you’re parked.
F-16 Jet
Kid Rock
= America
2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28*
*The Z/28 clocked a 7:37 lap at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, beating the Porsche 911 Carrera S on its home turf. 68 SHARPFORMEN.COM / DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
AMERICAN CREW INTRODUCES NEW FRAGRANCE FOR MEN
DEVELOPED AND TESTED TO BE
LIKED BY 9 OF 10 WOMEN OUT
For inquiries please call 1.800.387.7980 © 2013 aMerican creW. all riGHTs reserVeD. FolloW us on TWiTTer @aMericancreW like us on Facebook aT Facebook.coM/aMericancreW
12/01.14
Look Bet ter • Feel bet ter • Know more
How To Layer Now:
The Definitive Sharp Guide
Hey, isn’t that James Van Der Beek? That smarmy, bottle-blond bastard your high school sweetheart used to pine over on Dawson’s Creek? Why, yes, yes it is. But what is he doing here? And how come he looks so much less, well, punchable? Mostly, it’s because, while you weren’t looking, Van Der Beek became a man. Now 36, the former teen idol has evolved into a very respectable character actor with a knack for selfparody and offbeat comedy. Both sides of his skill set will be on full display this winter: first up, he’s appearing in the Jason Reitman-directed drama Labor Day, alongside heavy-hitters Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin; then, in early 2014, he’s returning to the small screen as the star of a new CBS sitcom called Friends With Better Lives. But his dramatic rise of late is also, in our opinion, at least partly due to the fact that the guy happens to be a damn sharp dresser. Van Der Beek has mastered the art of layering, and it’s a skill he’s graciously agreed to demonstrate here. Over the next few pages, you’ll find all the sweaters, vests, jackets and coats you need to survive the season, as well as essential advice for wearing them in style. Wool two-button suit ($995) by Circle of Gentlemen; merino wool sweater ($225), quilted vest ($195) and cotton shirt ($150) by J.Lindeberg.
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F o r Add i t i o n a l c r e d i t s s e e pa g e 1 5 6
By Yang-Yi Goh Photography By Matthew Lyn Styling By Randy Smith
OPEN FOR JOY
bananarepublic.ca 1 888 BRSTYLE
STYLE | Layering The PARKA There aren’t many things we love more than a great topcoat. (For proof, flip over to page 144.) But sometimes—especially in this uncharitably glacial country we live in—your usual business-ready overcoat just isn’t enough. On the most frightful days of winter, a cheery-hued parka will give your dressy clothes a modish technical pop while keeping you snug and cozy. The only rule to keep in mind: make sure the parka is long enough to cover your sportcoat or suit jacket; having tails peeking out is the furthest thing from elegant. wool blazer ($495) by J.Lindeberg; cotton-and-wool cardigan ($225), cotton shirt ($195), wool-and-silk bow tie ($115) by BOSS; corduroy trousers ($795) and leather boots ($1,095) by Brunello Cucinelli, at Harry Rosen; Carrera 1887 SLR 300 Limited Edition watch ($5,600) by TAG Heuer.
parka ($550) by J.Lindeberg
turtleneck ($225) by Sand
The TURTLENECK Much like James here, the turtleneck has returned to the spotlight in a big way. And when it looks this good, it’s tough to remember why it fell out of favour in the first place—when employed correctly, very few garments are even remotely as flattering or chic. While both chunky and slim turtlenecks have their place in a man’s wardrobe, a medium-weight version is an absolute necessity. It’ll lend your outfit an air of Miles Davis cool whether you’re sporting it under a statement blazer or layering it beneath your favourite flannel button-down. Wool-blend coat ($500) by Ben Sherman; wool blazer ($725) by Sand; cotton pants ($295) by BOSS; Carrera Heritage watch ($2,900) by TAG Heuer.
FRENCHCONNECTION.COM
VANCOUVER
EDMONTON
TORONTO
MONTREAL
STYLE | Heroes of Menswear HEROES OF MENS WEAR
arr Kevin C
igan
t iv l Crea G lo b a o r D ir e c t
e
The Architect
As Calvin Klein’s global creative director, Kevin Carrigan oversees four of the iconic house’s distinctive lines: Platinum Label, White Label, Jeans and Underwear. The multitasking maven lets us in on his secrets to art collecting, staying relevant and rotating underwear. By Yang-Yi Goh
Fast Fashion “In the beginning, fashion was never my plan—it was, at most, a peripheral interest. Growing up, I loved art, architecture, industrial design. I was drawn to fields that could change things on a larger scale. In design school, I fell in love with how much faster-paced the fashion industry was. Working for a global design house, your clothing can still affect and resonate with the cultural shifts that happen in industrial design and architecture, but your designs go from two-dimensional to three-dimensional in six to eight months instead of several years. That’s just more in tune with who I am as a person.” 80 SHARPFORMEN.COM / DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
Upgrade Your Undies “There’s been a huge shift in menswear toward streamlined, slim-fit, closer-to-the-body clothes, and that’s translating to more athletic-driven, aerodynamic underwear. Guys are beginning to understand that it’s not just one underwear fits all anymore—they’ll wear something classic to the office, performance-driven briefs at the gym, and a bold, sexy pair for a night out with friends or a date. It’s a concept that women have understood for a long time, and it’s nice to see men finally catching up. They’re well-educated in clothes now, and part of that means learning to embrace proper undergarments.”
Fearless Inspiration “I cherish having art around me at all times. I love when there’s a greater story, emotion or thought process behind something that is physically quite simple. I collect British artists, and I’m definitely drawn to more conceptual art at the moment—my Cornelia Parkers and Ed Ruschas. They tell me to be fearless.”
Always In Style “Calvin has been able to remain relevant in every decade since the ’60s. That’s an amazing feat for anybody. Calvin’s perspective has always been to connect to the decade. I learned that from Calvin himself: yes, you stand by your brand DNA. Repetition is reputation—you don’t walk away from all of that historical and iconic imagery. But you have to constantly work to connect with the new generation. You have to challenge and question everything. If you don’t, you get left behind.”
Style | Eyewear
OffKilter Optics You already now what the right pair of glasses can do for you: toss on a classic tortoiseshell frame and you instantly look and feel more intelligent, focused and professional. But what about the wrong pair of glasses? The professorial specs you’ve been sporting are all well and good for the office, but there are times when you want your glasses to be more Mr. Hyde than Dr. Jekyll. It’s high time you invested in a pair with a heap of attitude—the kind of frames you wear after hours, when you’ve got a bottle of mezcal and a couple of cigars, and you’re feeling a little devilish. Take some risks with unusual shapes, colours and textures, and then take some risks while wearing them.
1. “The Monty” acetate glasses ($480) by RAPP Optical; 2. Wyler acetate glasses ($300) by Oliver Peoples, at Karir Eyewear; 3. acetate glasses ($250) by BOSS; 4. Altra 3 acetate and wood glasses ($480) by ÖGA, at gafas optical shop; 5. Maske K8 glasses ($320) by KUBORAUM, at Spectacle.
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P h o t o : Ad r i a n A r m s t r o n g
By Yang-Yi Goh
5
RÉmy Martin presents
Cognac DECODED Handcrafted in france, meticulously aged in oak and enjoyed by the world’s most discerning palates since 1724, your love of Cognac begins here.
The number of cellar masters Rémy Martin has had in place over the past century. As the current cellar master, Pierette Trichet is in charge of watching and regularly tasting the individual eaux-de-vie and selecting them for complementary aromas and tastes.
VSOP (Very Special Old Pale)
Fifty-five per cent Grande Champagne, 45 per cent Petite Champagne. Smooth and silky. Gold in colour. Notes: ripe summer fruit, wild violets, vanilla and liquorice.
The number of minutes it takes to prepare the classic Cognac cocktail, the Sidecar. A prohibitionera cocktail composed of 1.5 oz Rémy Martin Cognac, 1 oz Cointreau and ½ oz of lemon juice. Shake well. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with lemon zest.
80% Rémy Martin accounts for 80 per cent of all Cognac produced from grapes sourced from the heart of the Grand Champagne and Petite Champagne areas of the Cognac region.
2
115 years XO Excellence (Extra Old)
Eighty-five per cent Grande Champagne, 15 per cent Petite Champagne. Velvety and lingering. Fiery mahogany in colour. Notes: plum, fig, candied orange and oak.
The number of varieties of grapes (all grown in the rich, chalky soil of the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne regions) used in Rémy Martin Cognac. Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Folle Blanche
1724
The year in which the House of Rémy Martin began producing exceptional content.
1929 The year in which Rémy Martin was served aboard the OrientExpress.
Coeur de Cognac
& SHARP
100
The range in age of Rémy Martin’s many eaux-de-vie.
Fine Champagne, Grande and Petite Champagne. Soft and round. Amber in colour. Notes: distinct apricot.
RÉMY MARTIN
The average age of a Limousin oak tree—the wood used to make the barrels in which Rémy Martin ages its Cognac—at the time of harvest.
Louis XIII
An exceptional blend of 1,200 eaux-devie from Grande Champagne, aged up to 100 years in Limousin oak casks. Warm mahogany colour, intense complexity, incredible finish. The unrivalled King of Cognacs.
ENTERTAIN LIKE A CHEF
EN “Somehow, winter came. And with it, the season H C T I wherein people come over and eat your food. Best to be pre- K TY R A P pared. And what better way to do that than to get some N O I T I D E advice from the experts? This year, professional gourmand Chris Johns traveled to Newfoundland to gain down-home knowledge on how to throw that über-Canadian (well, über-Maritime anyway) tradition, the kitchen party. It’s a culmination of music, kin and some of the best food of the season—and, of course, booze. Don’t worry, it’s no Jiggs Dinner. Welcome to the kitchen party, Sharp style. Photography by Farah Kahn
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HEF
EAC
IK AIN L TERT
What to do if Screech is on offer:
EN
“
You may be offered screech—Newfie moonshine—at some point. Often in conjunction with the kissing of a cod. First thing you should do is smile. Then, instead of subjecting yourself to the alcoholic equivalent of punching yourself in the face, do your best to steer yourself towards one of these:
Clams for all!
When it comes to bivalve molluscs, oysters get all the glory. While there’s no denying the charms of a perfectly shucked, ice-cold kumamoto, chefs and gourmands know that the real queen of the seashore is the clam. Cockles, quahogs, littlenecks or steamers; baked, fried, steamed, smoked or shucked, the charms of a fresh clam are nuanced and sublime. Here’s where to find the best clams across Canada.
Campagnolo Vancouver
Chef Robert Belcham serves the kind of hearty, comforting dishes that you normally only find in the kitchens of Italian nonnas. To that end, he takes Manila clams (one of BC’s most abundant varieties), freezes them until their shells pop open, then bakes the raw nubbins with butter that he’s mixed with chili and anise. Pork belly (cooked in white wine until all of the liquid evaporates and the meat is crisp and sticky) is chopped up and sprinkled on top of the whole delicious, bubbling mess. campagnolotoronto.com
Charcut Calgary
Although it’s primarily known for its bold and abundant take on all manner of meats, chefs John Jackson and Connie DeSousa are both huge fans of the clam. Their big-flavoured take on steamed clams involves a white winebased broth that’s bursting with thick chunks of house-cured bacon and contains a sinusclearing kick from a potent dose of Portuguese pepper sauce. charcut.com
The Chase Fish and Oyster Toronto
The raw clams Toronto’s newest seafood emporium offers are served with sauces that range from the classic mignonette to more outré offerings like Bloody Mary salsa and a fiery blend of yuzu and wasabi. Not ready to
embrace raw clams? Start with the smoked clam toast. Savoury smoked clams are piled on buttery slices of toast with shavings of fennel, red onion and a sweet, creamy clam aioli. thechasetoronto.com
Rodney’s Toronto
Clams are delivered daily to the kitchen at Toronto’s most well-known bivalve purveyor. To highlight their freshness, they are served simply shucked on the half shell with the normal complement of sauces, or steamed. The soft-shell steamers from New London Bay in PEI are served with a side of their own cooking juices that have been augmented with a little butter, while the quahogs from Cornwall, PEI, are steamed with white wine and shallots. rodneysoysterhouse.com
Joe Beef
1/ George Street S p i c e d Rum Made in Newfoundland, and named after the street that has more bars per square foot than any other street in North America, this spiced rum has sweet aromas of caramel, butterscotch, toffee and notes of subtle spice and vanilla that come from the rum’s extra maturation. 2 / Z a c a p a Rum It’s not Canadian—in fact, it comes from a region in Guatamala known more for cigars, but we’ve heard similar things about Cuba. Nonetheless it’s a perfect way to add a dash of international class to the Down-Home vibe of a kitchen party. 3 / L a mb ’ s N a v y Rum A fine dark rum with hints of vanilla, maple and brown sugar. Though it’s roots are clearly colonial, so are Canada’s. Plus, it had an infamous advertising campaign in the ’70s that consisted of attractive women. And that’s it. Drink to wherever those Navy Rum models are now.
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Montreal
“Clam is my favourite food,” says Joe Beef’s David McMillan. Consequently, there’s almost always at least one clam dish on the chalkboard menu at his restaurants. The classic clam chowder has rarely been surpassed, except perhaps by a kind of “clamastrone” that the restaurant occasionally serves with a simple clear broth of carrot, onion and celery. Casino (with breadcrumbs and bacon), Presley (lightly fried on the half shell) or steamed with corn and garnished with caviar, the clams are never to be missed at Joe Beef. joebeef.ca
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2
GUIDE | Fatherhood
Photo Op in the Danger Zone How to not feel like Tom Cruise
By Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall • Illustration by Paul Blow
I’m stuck in the Nevada desert—semihungover in an airplane hangar that’s like all the scenes in Top Gun rolled into one: banners, biplanes, a bar, a shuffleboard and a jukebox that plays Kenny Loggins and the Everly Brothers (not Europe, thank god). And I’m pissed off at everyone. Well not everyone, but a lot of the guys I usually like: my three-year-old son, my dad, Tom Cruise, Kingsley Amis and, of course, my stupid self. I’ll go through them in order. Firstly, I wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for my little boy and his core beliefs. One of them is that fighter pilots are really cool—strongly bolstered by his current obsession with Star Wars and the character of Zev Senesca in particular. In case you don’t know, Zev Senesca is a pilot with the rebel alliance who once saved Luke Skywalker. He’s the only X-wing fighter who carries a blaster. And, oh yeah, he’s got 96 SHARPFORMEN.COM / DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
the same name as my son. Zev is going to be Zev Senesca for Halloween. Zev’s other core belief is that his dad can do just about anything. This is not really bolstered by anything, and is, of course, the reason I write this column about learning how to do cool things before my boy is old enough to realize I don’t really know how to do anything. Today, for example, I will learn to fly a fighter plane. Granted, I won’t be taking off or landing, but I will be piloting the thing in a mock dogfight. And I will send him a video of me doing it. Sometimes that’s what fatherhood is about: putting aside, for a moment, the more important job of imparting knowledge to your child and instead doing the far more difficult thing— impressing him. Of course, if it weren’t for my dad I wouldn’t be here either—I wouldn’t be anywhere. But along with the gift of life, he also gave me a weak stomach. Our bellies can take surf, turf and wine for breakfast, lunch and dinner, then a bottle of whisky for dessert. We can go to bed feeling just
GUIDE | The Reluctant Fanatic
Happy Endings
Finding the perfect conclusion to a hero story is just as difficult in the sports world as it is in our own lives By Nicholas Hune-Brown • Illustration by DAN RAFTIS
On a Sunday evening in October, in the midst of an otherwise unmemorable early season hockey game, a moment of well-earned sentimentality burst into the proceedings. Teemu Selänne was in town, and Winnipeg wanted to say goodbye. A few months earlier, the 43-year-old winger had announced that this would be his final season in the NHL. As of the start of this season, Selänne was the 15th leading all-time goal scorer. He’s a hockey legend who has been 100 SHARPFORMEN.COM / DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
dazzling the league since before some of his teammates were walking. If you’re a hockey fan of a certain age, however, you probably remember him most fondly for his rookie year with the Winnipeg Jets. Back then the speedster from Finland wheeled around helpless defencemen, sniping away at opposing goalies, a rookie breaking Mike Bossy’s record for goals with that iconic celebration—flinging a glove to the rafters and using his hockey stick to machine-gun it down. It was the cocky showmanship of a preternaturally talented kid who seemed to have an endless supply of joyful celebrations before him, stretched out to the distant horizon.
es, e r a Tav eat On n . h r , Jo The G ing it 1 9 # r s ’s e d t o t h e a r e r o d a l a n c o m p H e ’s n s I . The been e life h as w h o l his
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B y VIC K Y D EAR D EN AN D MATT B ERG / HOT F EATURES . P h o t o g r a p h y b y S a r a h D u n n / G e t t y
You Will Remember His Name Can MICHAEL FASSBENDER be a household name already? Yes, he can. And will.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014 / SHARPFORMEN.COM 105
magine a continuum of leading men. On one end the Actor’s Actors—the men who, while famous, are known more for their chops than their populist appeal: your Sean Penns, your Daniel Day-Lewises and—up until the ’90s, anyhow—your DeNiros and Pacinos. On the other end of this gamut you have your Franchise Players—they can act, but their main strengths are their charisma and recognizability. Will Smith, Tom Cruise, those guys. The truth is, to some degree every actor wants to occupy space at both ends of the spectrum. It’s why a guy like Brad Pitt will interrupt his stream of small pictures to run around shooting zombies on a global scale. Then, you have actors who are more inscrutable. It’s like they genuinely don’t care where you’d place them. Like they don’t care about Hollywood’s restless need to categorize them. Like, at all. Michael Fassbender just might be the poster boy for these impossible-to-pin-down actors. He’s charismatic as hell, and attractive to boot. He’s currently starring in one of the biggest superhero franchises in recent memory (he’ll be reprising his role as Magneto, the all-too-sympathetic villain, in this spring’s X-Men: Days of Future Past); meanwhile, he’s getting Oscar buzz for his disturbing turn as a ruthless slave owner in 12 Years a Slave. Then, there’s The Counselor, penned by Cormac McCarthy and directed by Ridley Scott, which falls somewhere in the middle. His whole career has been like that. You want a “for instance?” When he teamed up with Scott the first time for the sci-fi behemoth Prometheus, everyone was sure he’d be the Next Big Thing. Then, the film came out and… It wasn’t that he wasn’t good. His performance as a morally ambiguous android was nuanced and, actually, kind of amazing. It’s that it was too nuanced. Actors looking to be Franchise Players don’t go in for roles that cold and, well, actorly. So, where does that leave Mr. Fassbender? It’s funny because, with a lot of actors, you hear talk about whether or not they’re ready for stardom—can they pull off marquis status. In Fassbender’s case, it’s almost as if the opposite is true. You can’t help but wonder if we’re ready for him. – Greg Hudson Why did you say yes to The Counselor? I started to read the script and I was engaged immediately. Then I got to page 30 and I was like, “When’s it going to fall apart?” And obviously working with Ridley. We had a great experience on Prometheus—he’s amazing, and I want to try and learn as much as I can from him. And then, the cast—I’m a fan of all of the cast members. Including Brad Pitt… You’ve been working with him a lot lately. Yeah, I’m kind of his stalker now. He’s amazing—he’s one of those guys that we really need in the industry in terms of his generosity to other actors and also his generosity to filmmakers—he was integral in getting 12 Years a Slave made.
to Javier. I’m sure he’s very comfortable with his marriage. Your character in The Counselor cries a fair amount. Do you have some sort of trick for that or is it just a product of being deeply in character? It wasn’t really intentional in the car scene. I knew that the end scene requires a breakdown of sorts—the information that he gets is pretty intense—but the car stuff just sort of happened. Your character, The Counselor, doesn’t have an actual name in the film. Why do you think that was? And were you tempted to give him a name yourself? I did, yeah, but that’s a secret. But yeah, I think it’s just Cormac [McCarthy] enjoying himself. I always felt like there was something kind of old-school about it, like the man with no name or something, you know, The Samurai, the film with Alain Delon. I think there’s something about that central character, people always calling him “The Counselor” and never having a name…it gives him a sort of everyman quality. But I never asked Cormac why. I didn’t actually ask him any questions to do with the script. I figured that he’s one of those guys that writes the story and then he’s like, “Well, it’s up to you to take what you will from it.”
He’s a bit of a mystery—I mean your character, not Cormac McCarthy— he’s both very savvy and very naïve. Was that difficult to reconcile? Looking through the story and his actions and the way he talks, I said to myself he can’t be that naïve being a lawyer and being in this situation. So that was the main thing that I had to grapple with. I put it down to arrogance. He basically thinks he’s smarter than he is. I always thought of it kind of like a poker game—like he’s spent too much time looking at his own hand and not trying to read the other players, and he goes through quite blind. So, when things start to really go wrong, he’s totally unprepared for it. It blindsides him.
Penelope Cruz plays your love interest... and her husband Javier Bardem is also in the film. Was that awkward at all? You know, she’s just an amazing actor and I’ve been a fan of her work for so long, but those scenes are always kind of awkward to be honest—and more awkward because Javier was right there beside the bed…reading a book [laughs]. No, I’m just kidding.
What do you think motivates him? He makes several very bad decisions… This need that he has to have expensive things in his life, I think there was something relevant about that. I thought in the present day, the way we live in a capitalist Western society, that we’re told that we should have all these expensive things around us, it’s going to bring us happiness, respect from others, acceptability, whatever it is, and because of that, really, he’s put himself in a dangerous position—just because he has this insecurity about himself.
Was he on set for any of the love scenes? No, he was cool; he just sort of like came in on a few rehearsals and pretended he’d left something in the room… But those guys are both consummate professionals so it’s not a threat
That’s some serious morality—is that an important factor for you in this film? I never really want to be in any way a moral dictator or give moral lessons to anybody. I don’t think it’s cool and I don’t
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Manhood Explored: Pa r t 2
Skid By C RA I G D AV I D SON
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014 / SHARPFORMEN.COM 109
Manhood Explored: Pa r t 2
Not long ago, they closed my old high school. While it’ll be repurposed as some kind of support services hub, it turns out there were just enough fond memories left of it to merit a reunion/wake this past June. Anybody who’d attended during the school’s 40-year history was welcome. I went, not sure if it was to celebrate or mourn—did I want to look back, or look forward? Nostalgia can be ambivalent like that. 110 SHARPFORMEN.COM / DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
halftime in bankrupt city ==================================== It would be a great drive. The Viper in Detroit. America's supercar in Motor City. Taking it back to where America's love affair with the car began. It would be palate cleansing for me, with all the Aston Martins and AMGs starting to blend together at the French Riviera or the Pyrenees or wherever it was I went to drive them. It'd be like Eat, Pray, Love but with a car. We'd rumble along Woodward Avenue to the soundtrack of a good ol' 8.4-litre V10, and it would be perfect. Chrysler had given us two days with the Viper, two days in which to find a Great American Comeback story: the automaker, its flagship product and the city of Detroit, emerging together from the brink of disaster, triumphant and better than ever. But then Detroit declared bankruptcy. The city was broke and we were going there to test-drive a $140,000 sports car. =================================== By Matt Bubbers
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And
Rudy
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Gay Seven years ago, The Raptors passed on him in the draft. Now, Rudy Gay is here to show Toronto what they missed. By Rohan Joseph Photography by Matt Barnes
mplausibly, a man nearly 7 feet tall, worth tens of millions of dollars, is standing shirtless in a Toronto warehouse in the western neighbourhood called The Junction. He’s never been to this part of the city before. But then, he hasn’t been a Raptor for very long. In fact, if sports pundits are right, he might not stay one for much longer, either—so, he may not have many more chances to visit new parts of the city. The suits he had been wearing just moments ago seemed to fit fine, but the many pairs of eyes on him decide they want to try something edgier, and why not, when Rudy Gay has spent long summer hours adding 30 pounds of muscle? Gay had been cautious when he arrived at the studio space, full of lights and strangers, but now he’s showing his oncourt confidence: the knowing smirk that comes with being a star athlete and near-perfect human specimen. He flips a basketball for the camera and between snaps he raps along to Kanye West, which is blasting from a soundsystem up above, “I wear my heart on the sleeve/I know that we the new slaves.” When the shoot is finished, Rudy looks refreshed—like the attention fed him—and passes the ball to a stylist while walking out the door, “I’ve got enough of these.”
Shall Lead US R
udy Gay grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, as part of a real family, he says. The kind of family that has grandparents who pick up the slack when one’s parents’ marriage starts to dissolve. Gay spent most of his time with his grandparents. When his grandfather died, Rudy was a freshman in high school. It hit him hard. “I failed off the varsity team,” he says. “You’d think that as a freshman who made varsity that I would take that accomplishment seriously, but I messed up. I realized that I needed more structure academically and that I needed to grow up.” He started over at a private school called Archbishop Spalding. It transformed Gay from a raw, lanky athlete who played baseball as a kid into one of the top high-school basketball players in the United States. Letters from top colleges all over the country began pouring in. The right call came from a hardened Irish American named Jim Calhoun, the legendary coach at the University of Connecticut. “It was his body of work, putting all those guys in the league,” says Rudy. “You can say that the players did that, but when you bring a DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014 / SHARPFORMEN.COM 121
The Sharp List It’s not really your fault. We blame society. Real original, right? But hear You’re in a rut. us out: technology has leveled the playing field—everything is niche,
tailor-made for a fragmented culture. That’s mostly great. We get Netflix and Amazon recommendations, and only people we like on our Twitter streams and Facebook news feeds. But, with everything curated Just For You, it’s easy for things to slip under the radar. Cool things. Things you never knew you couldn’t live without. Consider the Sharp List an awakening. There are many amazing things out there that you’ve missed. And they are pretty much all here. Pity the men who don’t read Sharp. They’ll be missing out. sharpformen.com
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Schott
Band of
Shearling
Outsiders
Bomber
Sweater
mrporter.com
mrporter.com
A jacket that has been worn by pilots since the 1920s, this bomber—complete with detachable shearling collar and dual-access front pockets—is more than just outerwear, it is a piece of iconography. ($975)
A lot is said about wearing colour in the winter. Consider this sweater a one-item master class. ($350)
Derek Rose London Otis Sleepwear derek-rose.com
03 Feit Hand-sewn Italian leather shoes feitdirect.com Entirely handmade by one master craftsperson from beginning to end, the quintessential high-top sneaker is revamped with the finest Italian leathers while using minimal chemicals to ensure the hide remains closest to its natural state. What this means is that when these shoes wear out, they are entirely biodegradable. Never would have guessed that from looking at them, would you? ($530)
Made from the finest pure silk to ensure a balance between opulence and practicality, the Derek Rose silk robe and pajamas is the Tom Ford suit of sleepwear. The robe is cut from silk that is patterned in a vibrant paisley, with details like a houndstooth shawl collar, tasseled belt, and dark royal-blue piping. Isn’t it time you took bedtime more seriously? ($1,200)
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05 Berg and Berg Laptop Portfolio bergbergstore.com Your laptop deserves more than a neoprene sleeve. House it, and other notes and documents, in a full-grain buttero vachetta leather portfolio instead. It’s the best combination of luxury and function. ($470)
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nike Air Max 90 SneakerBoot nike.ca Technical running shoes are having a moment fashion-wise. But they aren’t exactly conducive to slushy, salt-covered sidewalks. That’s why the Swoosh, in its infinite wisdom, has winterized its iconic Air Max 90 silhouette, decking it out with a neoprene collar for extra warmth and protection and a tougher outsole for improved traction. ($160)
Dolce & Gabbana
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14
The One Limited
Sharp: The
Edition
Book For Men
dolcegabbana.com
sharpformen.com
Consider this the finishing touch to your best outfit. Opening with a combination of citrus and spicy notes, followed by a blend of cardamom, ginger and neroli, then finishing with masculine traces of cedar, tobacco and ambergris. Manly and elegant. ($100)
If a wardrobe upgrade is in your future (and it should be), you’ll find everything you need in the Style Manual, included in the Fall/Winter edition of Sharp: The Book for Men. You’ll also find incredible timepieces, beautiful automobiles and a MANual section full of advice for doing everyday things better. Natrually it also makes a great gift. ($16.95)
15 G-LAB Cosmo Overcoat g-lab.com Leave it to the technically minded, detailobsessed German engineers at G-LAB to concoct the perfect two-way winter jacket: it has the polished styling of your favorite trench, coupled with the functionality and prodigious warmth of a down parka. ($795)
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Double Cross
Inniskillin 2012
Vodka
Sparkling
doublecrossvodka.com
Cabernet Franc
Consider this the terroir of Slovakia, bottled. And, yes, that’s a good thing. Seven times distilled from spring water and winter wheat sourced near the distillery’s estate in the Tatra Mountains in northeast Slovakia, this vodka is smooth, versatile and easily one of the besttasting vodkas on the top shelf. ($60)
Icewine
Sipsmith
inniskillin.com
With only 1,300 cases produced, this bubbly take on the Canadian standby will make an unexpected finish to any good meal. Notes of cherry and strawberry complement the acidity and make it a suitable pairing with cheese, chocolate and fresh fruit. ($120)
London Dry Gin
Pernod
sipsmith.com
Original Recipe
While it’s undeniably what’s on the inside that counts, good presentation never hurts. Sipsmith London Dry Gin has a bottle you can proudly display at the front of your collection. Their copper still named Prudence (represented by the swan on the bottle) is the first of its kind to be installed in the UK in over 200 years. The resulting gin is refreshingly simple, with spicy juniper notes and a citrus finish. ($50)
Absinthe
Glenfiddich 15 Year Old glenfiddich.com
This carefully aged nectar is one of the most popular single-malts in the world for a reason: mellow notes of honey, spice and dried fruit (the product of ageing in virgin casks, Solera vats and Portuguese oak) make for a truly smooth-sipping whisky. Additionally, a portion of proceeds will be donated to Wounded Warriors, a charity benefiting the Canadian Forces. ($72)
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pernodabsinthe.com
Pernod had to reach back a couple of centuries to bring us this bottle. Three main changes mark its return to tradition and distinguish this absinthe from what’s been recently available: instead of grain (the norm), now (again) it’s made from grapes picked from the Languedoc region in France; its key ingredient, grande wormwood, is cultivated in Pontarlier, France, as was tradition; and the green colour is a result of the maceration of green nettles, not artificial dyes. ($70)
Tequila Don Julio Real donjulio.com
Tequila is no longer considered the evil stepsister of the spirit world. Don Julio REAL is aged for five years in new white-oak casks, earning it the designation of “extra anejo.” A nose of citrus and cooked agave opens for sweet flavours of vanilla and almond beneath. ($400)
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28 Bentley – The Book teneues.com With a rich history of motorsport prowess, graceful design and resplendent luxury, Bentley is one of the world's great automotive marques. Bentley – The Book highlights the success of the Crewebased manufacturer, featuring flawless photographs of classic and modern models as well as racecars and special one-offs. ($130)
29 Norquay paddle norquayco.com
To be Canadian is to be confident in a canoe. Look the part with these artisan painted paddles by Norquay—or just hang them on your wall for a modern rustic vibe. Inspired by the natural beauty of Lake Huron’s Northern Channel, each paddle is handcrafted from 100 per cent cherry wood in Northern Ontario and individually painted and finished in Montreal. ($225)
The Sharp List
31 Papafoxtrot Cargo Ship papafoxtrot.com It’s not a toy! It’s a model. And that’s completely different. These wooden model cargo ships are replicas of three of the largest water vessels on earth: the TI Asia oil tanker, the Arctic Princess natural gas carrier and the Emma Maersk container ship. Mostly, they make great desk ornaments to anchor the design of your office. ($160)
Marshall Stanmore Gerber Gear Impromptu Tactical Pen gerbergear.com The pen just got mightier. With its heavy-duty, machined steel case, housing a “Rite in the Rain” ballpoint cartridge (effective in wet weather) and a tempered tip capable of breaking glass, you can think of this writing tool as the demolitions expert in your pen collection. ($65)
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Bluetooth
30
Speaker marshallheadphones.com
Rally Car Illustrations by Ricardo Santos ricardo-car-artwork.com
Good news, gentlemen: so long as you frame them, these posters are totally adult-wall appropriate. Speed meets art with Portuguese artist Ricardo Santos’s unique and colourful representations of classic rally and Formula One cars. ($25)
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From the iconic amp makers comes this Bluetooth speaker for your home. It’s a good way to feel like you’re at a concert, even if you’re only in your kitchen. Aside from its aesthetics—which are perfect, right down to the classic analog dials—the wireless connectivity and sound are as good as you’d expect from the people who know the way music should sound. ($400)
Martin Jetpack martinjetpack.com It’s a freaking jetpack. Need we say more? With a cruising speed of 56 km/h at 152 metres it will make all of your boyhood sci-fi fantasies come true. And it’s safe. Well, safeish: it includes a ballistic parachute and crumple undercarriage in case things go south (so to speak). Available for personal use in 2015—just make sure you read the owner’s manual for once, okay? ($150,000 (est.))
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The Sharper List But, you may ask,price is no object? You want what is truly, empirically, the what if your tastes run more toward the opulent? What if
very finest life has to offer. Those rare, wonderful things that only a precious few will appreciate and even fewer will ever experience. Welcome, then, on this small Sharp List detour; where things get even better.
➔
Johnnie Walker Diamond
06 Chris Craft Carina 21 chriscraft.com
World renowned for their long lineage of aesthetically pure vessels, Chris Craft is revisiting their glory days with the new Carina 21, whose hull design hearkens back to the 1920s. Simple retro styling (available in a variety of colours) makes for a truly striking boat, while the swim deck, seating for seven, and available engine packages from Volvo Penta and Mercury make it practical. Practically irresistible. ($68,000)
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Jubilee johnniewalker.com
Last year, Johnnie Walker decided to mark Queen Elizabeth’s 60 years of reign with an ultrapremium bottle of whisky. Only 60 bottles of Diamond Jubilee were made, with master blender Jim Beveridge rooting deep into the JW cellars to find the best nectars for the blend. And though the price may be steep, the intentions are noble—profits are used for the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, which honours and helps to conserve fine craftsmanship. Available from Johnnie Walker UK upon request. ($166,000)
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Samsung S9 TV samsung.com An 85-inch display, ultra-HD picture quality and hidden, 120-watt panel speakers are the standout features of Samsung’s stellar home entertainment unit. Housed in a minimalist metal frame, the S9 resembles a piece of modern art, drawing attention whether the screen is on or off. Of course, with four times the resolution of full HD and a slew of Smart TV apps, you may never want to turn it off. ($40,000)
Š 2013 Porsche Cars Canada Ltd. Porsche recommends seatbelt usage and observance of all traffic laws at all times.
porsche.ca
What tales will your Turbo tell? Dramatic turns should fill every chapter. Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA) adjusts front and rear spoiler positions to balance downforce and drag for high-speed performance. Rear axle steering improves agility and driving dynamics while enhancing stability. Increased horsepower and lower fuel consumption nourish your heart and your soul. Porsche. There is no substitute.
The new 911 Turbo.
Some men disappear in the vacuum of winter. A dauntless, statement-making topcoat will guarantee you don’t become one of them. Photography By: Matt Doyle • Styling By: Alvaro Salazar
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Wool-and-cashmere double-breasted topcoat with sheepskin fur collar ($2,450) by Canali; wool suit ($995) and cotton dress shirt by BOSS; wool-and-cashmere tie ($175) by Syd Jerome; Heritage Chronograph black dial watch ($1,825) by Longines.
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c a n a d a ’ s
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f i n e
t i m e p i e c e s
w w w.tim ea nds t y l e. ca
Modern Marvel
Richard Mille’s Olympic Tourbillon Goes for Gold
Plus:
Pick the Right Watch Right Now: 6 Key Trends The Year’s Most Beautiful Timepieces from Louis Vuitton, Rado, Omega, Panerai and More Smartwatches • Cigar Accessories • Gifts for Her
TIME & ST YLE
contents 04 08 10
editor's letter
12
technology
14
Trends
29
The Better Half
32
Game Changers
News Accessories
Honour your fine cigars with these elegant complements.
While they not carry the same prestige as a fine timepiece, these watches will take pictures and dial your phone.
Six key timepiece trends to inform your next purchase and style tips to help you wear them right.
Take a break from ogling all of the watches you want for yourself and pick one out for her already—you’ll thank us later.
Chronographs are the most popular timepiece complication of the modern era—here’s how they got to be that way.
COVER STORY
36
PiÈces Uniques in Monaco
The most spectacular timepieces ever created. The world’s top brands. One auction.
6 T IME & ST Y LE
40
Secret Windows
47
Brand Directory
48
Anatomy
50
Jet Set
Some of the year’s best new watches as you’ve never seen them before.
Learn your lugs from your crown, and your balance wheel from your power reserve.
Tissot’s latest reboot channels the golden age of aviation.
NEWS
Dispatches from the world of Timepieces
Rolex Honours Michael Ondaatje ——
E
ach year Rolex’s Mentors and Protégés program selects master artists from seven fields (literature, film, visual arts, dance, theatre, architecture and music) and pairs them with promising young artists from around the world for an exclusive mentorship program. This year’s literature mentor is Canadian author Michael Ondaatje, who joins the ranks of such past mentors as Margaret Atwood, Wole Soyinka and Toni Morrison.
Jaeger LeCoultre x Bono ——
T
photo: Jeff Nolte
his fall Apple’s Sir Jonathan Ive and industrial design titan Marc Newson partnered with Bono on an exclusive design-focused auction for the Irish singer’s (RED) charity. Among the items on the block was a custom Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos 561 clock with unique red accents, specially created for the event.
Panerai Celebrates “P-Day” ——
H
Gc Hits the Slopes
undreds of Panerai enthusiasts from all over the world (known as “Paneristi”) descended on Montreal for their annual meet-up, which included a gala dinner attended by North American president Rafael Alvarez and a reveal of the new Radiomir 1940 3 Days – 47 mm “Paneristi Forever”.
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P
anama has a bobsled team? Indeed they do, and under the tutelage of Swiss-born Panamanian Chris Zollinger, they plan to vie for Olympic gold in Sochi. In addition to Zollinger’s expertise, the team will have help from Swiss made watch brand Gc, who has backed the team’s efforts with a brand partnership. 8 T IME & ST Y LE
ACCESSORIES
Cigar Accoutrements
Light ‘Em Up By coleman molnar
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U
nlike their more pedestrian cousins, cigars are meant to be savoured and consumed with a sense of occasion. Mark these occasions even more memorably with accessories suitable for whatever you’re celebrating.
Tejus Cigar Case from Prometheus Because occasion may take you far from your humidor, you’ll need a case. This Spanish-made leather case will protect your cigars (three of them, as large as 60 ring gauge) from the loose balls in your golf bag. $125
Cartier Losange Décor Lighter Lighters have a way of escaping your pocket and finding their way into somebody else’s. Deco-inspired and palladium-finished, you’ll be sure to keep a close leash on this one. $670
Partido No. 214 Leather Humidor by Ghurka This hardwood humidor wrapped in full-grain leather is simple, elegant and functional. With a Spanish cedar interior and a crystal humidity device, it will keep up to 35 of your best cigars in prime condition. $3,500
Veritas Large Cigar Ashtray A good luxury item doesn’t just look great; it feels great too. Weighing in at 5 lbs, this glass ashtray is as substantial as those coveted stogies you’ll rest in it. $345 from hangerproject.com
The Double Guillotine by Brizard & Co. Cigar cutters are easily one of the coolest accessories a man can own. There’s something about the blade, the metal, the mechanism; a small guillotine you keep in your pocket. Plus, an improperly cut cigar is hardly worth smoking at all. $60
10 T IME & ST Y LE
TRENDS
World TimerS —— Travelers and those doing international business know that being aware of the time in multiple places around the world is essential to bridging the distance between coasts and continents. The horological tool invented for this purpose is a world time watch that offers the wearer the quick ability to know what time it is anywhere across 24 time zones.
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1. Montblanc Timewalker Hemispheres $4,900 30m
42mm
The look: Comfort should always be the top priority for the man on the move, but that doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice your style when travelling. A soft, long-sleeved polo shirt, cotton chinos, and slip-on loafers will keep you looking and feeling your best regardless of the time zone.
2. Movado Series 800 $1,695 50m
42mm
3. Frederique Constant World Timer $3,826 42m
42mm
4. Citizen Eco-Drive World Time Chrono $825 200m
43mm
5. Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionelle World Time $48,900 30m
42.5mm
18 T IME & ST Y LE
TRENDS
Skeletonized Dials —— Watch movements have always been beautiful. In fact, watchmakers began decorating mechanical movements long before they were even very accurate. Watches with skeletonized dials have some or all of their dials removed as hands merely move over the surface of the mechanism inside. Open watch dials are often paired with skeletonized movements. These have been artistically cut away and decorated for your viewing pleasure.
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1. Bulova Mechanical $475 50m
37.5mm
2. Tissot T-Complications Squelette $2,150 50m
The look: There’s a fearless quality to a skeletonized watch. It’s bold—unabashedly so—and that devil-may-care attitude should be reflected in your wardrobe choices, too. Seek out unusual colours, mash together disparate patterns with Pollock-like flair, and carry yourself with the supreme confidence of a man who’s unafraid to be the center of attention wherever he goes.
43mm
3. Hermès Arceau Skeleton $30,455 50m
41mm
4. Oris Artelier Skeleton $2,600 40mm
5. Kenneth Cole KC1921 $245 30m
46mm
20 T IME & ST Y LE
Women
A Labour of Love
Chanel J12 Moonphase Chromatic The tough ceramic case on this elegant piece will resist scuffs and scratches, but the real showstopper is the artful moonphase complication. At 38mm, the case is relatively large for a women’s watch, all the better to show off the ceramic’s eyecatching lustre. Price on request
How to buy jewelry for a woman ——
J
ust the thought of it is enough to give you a nervous twitch, but hear us out: buying a watch or jewelry for your better half isn’t nearly as insurmountable as it seems. The key is to strike that ideal balance between timeless and trendy—too fashionable and she’ll never wear it again after this season; too staid and she’ll accuse you of lacking in any kind of imagination. Find a piece with a single uncommon element—a detail or gem that’s slightly out of the norm, that speaks to your lady’s vibrant personality—while remaining classic enough for her to cherish it forever.
Gc Diver Chic A Swiss-made piece marrying functionality and style, the classic diver’s chronograph is reinterpreted here with the additions of 42 diamonds ringing the face and bezel. A sapphire crystal protects the case, which—in the spirit of true dive watches—is water resistant to 100m. $2,395
OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean The Swiss watchmaker’s Seamaster Planet Ocean is an undeniable classic, and this version ups the ante with a rose gold accented black ceramic bezel—made possible through Omega’s proprietary Ceragold technology. Most impressive, however, is this Seamaster’s 600m water resistance. $22,400
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date
Ebel X-1 A polished bright white ceramic case is complemented by 18K rose gold accents and 48 diamonds around the bezel with 14 more around the crown. Diamond markers on the face accompany Arabic numerals and a simple date window for a clean and sophisticated aesthetic. $7,900
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There’s nothing inherently flashy about the Day-Date, a simple, functional timepiece that’s been in the Rolex roster since the 1950s. This one’s combination of bright 18 ct. yellow gold and bold green, however, is unlike anything else out there. Sure, it won’t go with everything in her wardrobe, but it's the kind of piece you dress around. $22,400
REALIZE YOUR DREAM 5:28pm WHEN FOOD BECOMES ART Alexandria Pellegrino, Pastry Artist - Canada
Gc Diver Chic 34mm Gc Mini Chic 28mm Swiss Made Gcwatches.com
LIMITED EDITIONS
Pièces Uniques in Monaco
Zenith Felix Baumgartner Stratos Prototype 1 The world watched Felix Baumgartner jumped from the precipice of space back down to earth— hitting speeds of over 843 mph during his descent. Creating a sonic boom, Baumgartner set a new record for a free-fall jump (an unbeatable one, as anyone trying to leap from higher would have to begin in orbit). He wore a Zenith watch on his wrist, and a prototype of that piece went home with the highest bidder. Final price: €45,000
Corum Ti-Bridge 3-Day Power Reserve Only Watch From the front this unique Corum model appears to be its Ti-Bridge 3-Day Power Reserve in titanium with some gold trim on the dial. However, looking at the watch from the side reveals an impressive engraving in gold. Depicted is the image of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, complete with snake and staff—fitting for the event’s medical charity beneficiary. Final price: €55,000
Christophe Claret X-Treme-1 Pinball Easily the most unique and (fittingly) “extreme” watch of the auction is the candy-coloured orange and blue “Pinball” version of ultra-high-end watch maker Christophe Claret’s X-Treme-1 creation. The tourbillon-based movement uses magnets to move small ball bearings in cages up and down to indicate the hours and minutes. Final price: €100,000
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Casebacks
Secret Windows ——
S
ure, the face of your watch gets all of the attention, but the real magic takes place beneath, where whirring gears and tightly wound springs perform miraculous feats of precision. Through clear casebacks, some of this year's finest timepieces offer a glimpse to the wonders within.
Photos by Adrian Armstrong
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Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic Titanio-44 mm ($9,800) by Panerai
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WATCH 101
The Anatomy of a Watch
Lugs
Sometimes called “horns,” lugs are often short bars that extend out from the case and are meant to attach to a strap or bracelet. Their design can greatly impact how a watch wears on your wrist.
By Ariel Adams
—— Dial
Crown
The term “dial” and “face” are often used synonymously to discuss the same thing. A watch has just one face but can have several dials. The dial encompasses an area that includes hands and all information indicators— it is what you are mostly looking at when you look at your watch.
This is your horological joystick. Crowns are used to set the time, wind mechanical watches, and sometimes adjust other features. Watches typically have just one crown, but some have more. Quality crowns on sport watches tend to screw down for better protection of the movement.
Subdial
Dials within other dials are known as “subdials.” They have their own hand(s) and information scales. Most of the time subdials are used for features such as a chronograph or calendar information.
Bezel
That part surrounding the crystal is called the bezel, and watch sizes are typically determined by measuring its diameter. Dive-style watches have bezels that turn in one direction around the dial (traditionally used to time a diver’s air supply), though most bezels are purely decorative. It is increasingly common for good watchmakers to produce bezels from scratch-resistant materials such as ceramic.
Crystal
This is the term for the “glass” over the face of the watch. Most crystals on decent watches these days are produced from synthetic sapphire, but can also be made from plastic, acrylic or mineral glass.
Case
Complication
Typically made of steel, gold, or another metal or material (but occasionally made of ultra-tough ceramic), the case is the body of a watch that contains the movement and is sandwiched between a strap or bracelet. Though typically not functional, you want these to look attractive and keep the elements out and your movement safe.
Watch lovers prefer to call timepiece functions “complications.” This quite literal term refers to movements that do the most, contain the most parts, and are thus the most complicated. Complications are, more or less, any feature that offers a piece of information. Indicating the date, for example, is considered a complication.
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Last Second
Original Jet Set Tissot’s Heritage Navigator celebrates a milestone anniversary in mile-high style ——
I
n 1953, Tissot presented the original version of this watch to celebrate the brand’s 100th anniversary. In that era, only the most elite were important enough to travel and engage in international business, hence the appeal of a timepiece that allowed you to know the time anywhere in the world at a glance. Flash forward to 2013 and Tissot is celebrating its 160th anniversary of making watches. To honour this occasion, they have reproduced the original Navigator in a modernized version that’s true to the original, complete with Tissot’s historic logo and a slick vintage style. As a world time watch the Heritage Navigator has a disc on the dial, printed with the names of reference cities, that rotates once each 24 hours, clearly indicating the time in each of the major time zones. While the style of the piece adheres closely to the original,
Tissot has updated the reference city list ring on the dial as times (literally) have changed. So long, Buenos Aires, hello, Santiago. Set in a 43 mm case, most versions of the Heritage Navigator will come in steel, but a flashier, 18k rose-gold version is also available. The local time is shown using perennially cool dauphine-style hands, while thin strips of lume allow for low-light readability. Easily the most appealing case detail, however, is the unique hour indicator scale on the bezel. Inside, the Heritage Navigator Tissot uses an ETA 2893 automatic movement, which lends itself well for use in a world timer as it contains a GMT complication. Unlike the original, which had an extra pusher, all functions are now controlled via the crown. For the man who wants to look like a big-shot jetsetter from 1953, there is perhaps no better watch this year. – Ariel Adams 50
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