WHAT TO WEAR AND HOW TO WEAR IT
ALSO FEATUR ING
MODEL, ENTREPRENEUR, ACTIVIST
HOLLYWOOD’S HOTTEST ACTING TALENT
AND DIOR’S NEW ERA
Kit harington CONSIDERS LIFE AFTER THRONES
B L AC K T I E O R D E E P B LU E
The Seamaster Diver 300M will take you from the bottom of the sea, to the centre of attention and to the top of the world.
SEAMASTER DIVER 300M MASTER CHRONOMETER
OMEGA Boutiques SYDNEY 20 Martin Place • Westfield Bondi Junction MELBOURNE 179 Collins Street • Chadstone • Crown Casino
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The Breitling Surfer Squad Sally Fitzgibbons Kelly Slater Stephanie Gilmore
#SQUADONAMISSION
CONTENTS 8 8 LI FE AF TE R TH RO N ES Kit Harington prepares to leave behind the biggest TV show on earth. 9 8 M I R AC LE AT THAM LUAN G The incredible true story of how an entire soccer team survived 18 days trapped in a Thai cave. 1 0 4 BAC K I N TH E SPOTLIG HT Boy Erased actor Lucas Hedges talks vulnerability and masculinity on the eve of his next big project.
ON THE COVER
1 1 0 D I O R M E N TAKES ITS N EX T STE PS Leading the way is Kim Jones, whose finger is never too far from the pulse.
WHAT TO WEAR AND HOW TO WEAR T
1 1 6 DON’T TOUCH TH E WATC H Jarrod Scott goes full psycho in our round up of the year’s best watches.
MODEL ENTREPRENEUR ACTIVIST
HOLLYWOOD S HOTTEST ACTING TALENT
AND DIOR S NEW ERA
Kit harington CONSIDERS LIFE AFTER THRONES
1 2 2 TH E SEAB I N PROJ ECT How a surfer from Byron is cleaning up our oceans, one ‘bin’ at a time. 1 2 6 EYE CAN DY With accessories this good-looking, the line between fashion and art doesn’t exist.
Jacket and T-shirt, both POA, both by Dolce & Gabbana. THIS PAGE
JAN•FEB
Jacket and sweater, both POA, both by Dolce & Gabbana. Photography Matthew Brookes. Styling Dan May. Fragrance ‘The One Grey’ cologne by Dolce & Gabbana.
CONTENTS 2 3 THE COLUMNIST Dan Rookwood road tests the ‘perfect’ morning routine. 2 5 TH E B R I E F The world’s biggest hip-hop festival comes to Australia; the trauma behind Robert Zemeckis and Steve Carell’s true toy story; everything you need to know about the Oscars; and more.
P30
GQ&A A conversation with model, actress, activist – and GQ’s International Woman of the Year – Emily Ratajkowski.
Eight of the country’s top chefs on Australia’s most exciting new restaurants.
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Jacket, turtleneck and pants, all POA, all by Calvin Klein 205W39NYC; shoes, $130, by Adidas Originals; watch, POA, by Seiko.
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Back-to-work outfit ideas that’ll have you rushing to return to the office; the only shoes you’ll need to stand tall in 2019.
P60
7 2 CARS The GQ Car Awards presents the automotive highlights of 2018, featuring Rolls-Royce, VW and Volvo.
“maybe we should stop with this gender bullshit?” G Q & A : E M I LY R A T A J K O W S K I P A G E 3 4
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1 3 5 GQ FIT
P44
Dubbed the ‘nextbig-thing’ in tennis, Alexander Zverev has one of the game’s biggest serves – and some serious style to match.
LUCAS HEDGES PHOTOGRAPHY: JAKE JONES.
Omega and Bond are a match made in horological heaven; in Beijing with Breitling and Brad Pitt.
The 2019 Maserati Levante. Available from $134,990 Drive Away.*
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EDITOR’S LETTER
idding to dodge the annual ‘New Year, New You’ spiel for this letter, I thought I’d begin with a series of related questions: how often do you think about the ancient Babylonians? And did you consider consulting them while setting any New Year’s resolutions? You know, seeing as they invented them 4000 or so years ago. The original resolutions were conceived for the greater good of humanity. But somewhere along the way people started to gravitate to idealistic resolutions focusing on self-improvement like exercising more, eating healthier or sleeping longer. They were for the good of the individual, not the collective. This might seem a bit heavy for the sunny month of January but there’s an argument to be had that society has long since been stifled by egotism. The world has suffered because people have been too consumed in their own lives – so much so we’ve taken for granted the world we live in, oblivious to the damage we’ve caused to our planet and ourselves. After the many truths that surfaced in 2018, it was encouraging to see how many people stood up to be heard – be it for equal rights, political progress or climate change, there was no shortage of activism. Donald Trump may still be the leader of the free world, but new hope surfaced last year that people were rising above the crowd to enact meaningful change. For the first time in as long as I can remember, there is a real sense of urgency running through people’s veins. There is no time like the present. 2019 is destined to be the year we revert back to taking collective responsibility for our actions. Fuelled by 2018’s momentum and positive talk, 2019 is when society again walks the walk, so to speak. A new era is dawning, and that’s why I’m saying it’s not too late to reset your resolutions for the year. Instead of solo missions, decide on them with your friends, family or colleagues. Or all of them. Ask around, collaborate and find important common ground between a group, so your resolutions can make a difference. 16
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New eras are scary for everyone but they arise out of necessity. Change has been coming for a while; mankind is finally starting to realise the impact of climate change; the fashion world is embracing better ethics; modern slavery is being addressed; even a Brexit outcome is imminent. And speaking of new eras, something of a guilty pleasure compared to the above, we’ve prepped for the void to be left in our lives once the final season of Game of Thrones airs this year. Considering the anxiety it’s caused, imagine how the cast feels – not least the man who will finally be free from Jon Snow, Kit Harington. Having spent close to a decade ensconced in a ridiculously successful role fighting dragons and living in fantasy, turn to p88 to see what is in store for the heartthrob (apart from a haircut and a shave). All I’ll say is, despite the uncertainty and imminent change on the horizon, he is excited about the future. We could all do with following his lead here. Also in this issue, get the lowdown from our Men of the Year awards, presented by Audi. Head to p77 to see how we celebrated 20 years of GQ Australia and read the many inspirational stories from our winners. One of them, Emily Ratajkowski, is adamant we are entering a new era for equality and diversity. Our GQ&A with the model-turned-activist (p34) is both enlightening and thought-provoking. In the style stakes, it’s no longer business as usual, either.
MIKE CHRISTENSEN EDITOR
FOLLOW MIKE @CHRISTENSENMIKE
PHOTOGRAPHY: GIUSEPPE SANTAMARIA.
T H E
CONTRIBUTORS jillian Davison GQ’S N EW C R EATIVE DI R ECTOR There is such great energy around men’s fashion right now – barriers are being broken in terms of diversity and gender fluidity; ‘street style’ is the new norm. There’s been a lot of movement at the big luxury houses and it’s creating a huge push for innovation. There’s never been a more exciting time for a man to get dressed. What did you miss most about Australia while you were in NYC? So many things – but overwhelmingly the unique spirit and positivity of the people. What do you miss about NYC now that you're back? I’ve been too consumed in my work and family life to miss it. But I think about friends and I know when I stop and reflect I will miss the diversity and cultural flow that happens incessantly around you.
Anna Pogossova SHOT OU R ‘EYE CAN DY’ STO RY, P 1 26 What’s the secret to shooting Still Life? Patience and imagination. Any tips for budding photographers (even if Insta is our only outlet!)? Don’t feel disheartened if you don’t have all the expensive gear. Instagram, and even iPhones, are all valid in their own way and have some unique qualities. It’s really about you, your ideas, and your unique standpoint. What or who are some of your inspirations? Too many to mention but some notable ones are: Dutch Masters, sci-fi films, dazzle ships, Ron Nagle and Ken Price, Louise Bourgeois, Yayoi Kusama. Any resolutions for 2019? Get my license. Make more art. Lift from the knees.
Mercedes Rigby AS S I S T E D T H E FAS H I O N T E A M T H I S I S S U E Fave shoot you’ve worked on at GQ? Definitely this issue’s new rules of suiting story. I would love to get my hands on that Dries Van Noten suit! What fashion trends are set to take off this year? Colourful tailoring! Courtesy of Louis Vuitton, Acne and Dior Men, in particular.
Any tips on dressing for the heat this summer? Bring out the linen! It will keep you cool all summer long. How would you describe your own sense of style? Comfortable, with a statement earring! I think practicality is key but I hate to be boring.
Tom Lamont I N T E R V I E W E D K I T H A R I N G T O N F O R O U R C OV E R S T O RY, P 8 8 How was Kit in person? He seemed relieved to finally have finished a long and difficult final-season Thrones shoot and newlywed-chuffed, having recently gotten married. You also interviewed him back in 2015 for British GQ – has he changed much since then? It was like meeting a different person. When I last met Kit he was in a very different place. He’d just filmed his infamous Jon Snow death scene. He was charming, back then, but seemed exhausted by the growing weight of the show.
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Are you a Thrones fan? Any favourite moments? I thought we all were? Can’t really top Kit’s two big battle episodes – the defence of the wall and then the Battle of the Bastards. Any top tips for who is going to win big this Oscars season? I loved Roma and its cast of unknowns. But let’s go with my compatriot Clare Foy for some quietly brillliant supporting-actress work in First Man. One thing you’re looking forward to this year? Finding out which of the Avengers are actually dead.
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WHAT TO WEAR AND HOW TO WEAR IT
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Kit harington
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EDITOR
MIKE CHRISTENSEN
DEPUTY EDITOR JAKE MILLAR
CREATIVE DIRECTOR JILLIAN DAVISON
ART DIRECTOR SARAH HUGHES
FASHION EDITOR OLIVIA HARDING
CHIEF SUB-EDITOR CHRISTOPHER RILEY
DIGITAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR JACK PHILLIPS
STAFF WRITER AMY CAMPBELL
DIGITAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR JULIA FRANK
ASSOCIATE EDITOR RICHARD CLUNE
ONLINE NEWS EDITOR NIKOLINA SKORIC
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR DAVID SMIEDT
ONLINE CONTENT PRODUCER BRAD NASH
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR EUNICE LAM
SENIOR PRODUCER LAUREN BARGE
OFFICE ENQUIRIES 02 8045 4784
CONTRIBUTORS Nicole Bentley, Matthew Brookes, Jonathan Cami, Sophie Carre, Stephen Corby, Melissa DeZarate, Sean Flynn, Matthew Henson, David Higgs, Jake Jones, Tom Lamont, Jana Langhorst, Jesse Lizotte, Matt Martin, Dan May, Jackie Nickerson, John O’Rourke, Mercedes Rigby, Dan Rookwood, Jaya Saxena, Giuseppe Santamaria, Edward Urrutia, Winter Vandenbrink.
INTERNS Tanisha Angel, Jessica Campbell, Daniel Fremlin, Emily Gordon, Joshua Lee, Yahn Monaghan, Sarah Pisani, Namisha Singh, Norman Tran. NATIONAL SALES & STRATEGY DIRECTOR, STYLE
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AUSTRALIA magazine is published by NewsLifeMedia (ACN 088 923 906), Level 1, 2 Holt Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010. NewsLifeMedia is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Limited (ACN 007 871 178). Copyright 2018 by NewsLifeMedia Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. Address: 2 Holt Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010. Tel: (02) 9288 3000. Email: editorial@gq.com.au Advertising tel: (02) 9353 6666, fax: (02) 9353 6600. Creative Services fax: (02) 9353 6611. Melbourne Office: HWT Tower, Level 5, 40 City Rd, Southbank, Vic 3006. Tel: (03) 9292 3200, fax: (03) 9292 1695. Brisbane Office: 26 Chermside Street, Newstead, Qld 4006. Tel: (07) 3620 2000, fax: (07) 3620 2001. Distributed by Gordon & Gotch Australia Pty Ltd, tel: 1300 650 666. Printed by PMP Limited, Paper fibre is from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources. CONDÉ NAST INTERNATIONAL JONATHAN NEWHOUSE, Chairman and Chief Executive WOLFGANG BLAU, President
G Q . C O M . AU
The comprehensive online guide to eats, drinks and merriments across our great nation.
MOTY
In November we celebrated our incredible GQ Men of the Year awards, presented by Audi. Catch up by watching all the acceptance speeches, from the moving to the downright hilarious, and go backstage to see all of the celebrities in their element.
THE YEAR THAT WAS BACK AT IT Put the pudding down and check out all the crazy new fitness trends that you’ll be hearing about in 2019. Aqua spinning, anyone?
We look back at the past 12 months – ranking the films, fashion faux pas and pivotal moments that shaped another unforgettable year of our lives.
Few things match the opulence of sitting down to a chef taking you on a culinary journey. So we took it upon ourselves to find the best tasting menus in Sydney.
We scream for ice-cream
No disrespect to the Paddle Pop, but it’s time to take your icy-cold treats to another level. We’ve listed Australia’s finest. You’re welcome.
Rooftop vibes
Welcome to summer, where nights never really end and everything is best enjoyed with a view. Australia’s best rooftop bars are where you should be heading this month, and we have a definitive list.
WORDS: NIKOLINA SKORIC. PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES.
In case you missed it...
Taste test
PHOTOGRAPHY: GIUSEPPE SANTAMARIA .
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aving recently moved jobs, I now have a lengthy commute to work. I assumed I’d find it a chore, but actually, I love it. The drive affords me an hour of me-time each day that I’ve never had before. I bookend my working day with podcasts. It started with the learn-by-osmosis chart-toppers like Stuff You Should Know, TED Radio Hour and How I Built This. But those were merely the gateway to my current fix, The Tim Ferriss Show. If you’re not familiar with Ferriss, he’s the author of self-improvement bestsellers such as The 4-Hour Workweek and Tools of Titans. In each podcast, he interviews a high achiever to tease out what can be learned from their routines and applied to daily life. I keep a notebook at the ready. One of Ferriss’s favourite interview questions is, ‘What does your morning routine look like?’ After asking so many of the world’s most productive people, he’s devised the ideal first 60 minutes of the day – a ritual I’m trying to make a daily habit. Because, as Ferriss says, the first hour after you wake will make or break the next 12. What is the red thread that connects the world’s most successful people? Ninety per cent of those Ferriss interviewed for his book Tribe of Mentors do some type of daily mindfulness practice. Not so long ago I’d have dismissed ‘mindfulness’ as woo-woo nonsense. But, while I retain a healthy scepticism – some podcasts really needle my BS barometer – lately I’ve become more open-minded about the practical, positive and scientifically proven aspects of wellness. To deny their benefits is to sound like Trump on climate change. For many people, mindfulness means meditation. My wife and I did
DAN ROOKWOOD
KEEP AN OPEN MIND a Transcendental Meditation course a few years ago. (We were struggling to get pregnant at the time, and our fertility doctor thought we might be over-stressed.) I gave ‘TM’ a good go but I found that the repetition of an inner mantra often sent my mind pinballing with mental chatter that I couldn’t quieten. After hearing Andy Puddicombe – founder of meditation app Headspace – on the podcast circuit, I now start each day with his guided meditations. His easy-listening breathing exercises are like a “gym membership for the mind”. After 15 minutes of Headspace, it’s time to journal (aka Morning Pages). I use ‘The Five Minute Journal,’ filling in the blanks on a new page each day: three things I’m grateful for; three things that would make today great; and one daily affirmation, ie a statement of what I want to do in life. Then before bed I write down three good things that happened that day and one way that could have made the day even better. Sounds hokey, but it’s a surprisingly simple way to reframe your mindset to think more positively, an upbeat way to start and end each day. It encourages
you to appreciate what you already have rather than fixate on what you want. Next, Ferriss recommends some high-intensity exercise – this is where I do ‘The 40’, which I’ve documented in this column previously (40 push-ups, 40 crunches, 40 lunges, 40 tricep dips, a two-minute plank). I’ve since discovered through podcasting that The New York Times sparked a craze (and an app) for The 7-Minute Workout. Such a burst of exercise is as much, if not more, for mental health as physical. Ferriss says even just doing 30 seconds of push-ups improves his mood dramatically. To tick off the above and still get the kids to preschool and myself to work on time, necessitates getting up earlier. Which means going to bed earlier. Arianna Huffington – founder of the Huff Post and another podcast regular – is the modern-day authority on sleep. After collapsing dramatically from exhaustion some years back, she turned her life around and wrote The Sleep Revolution. Her advice includes no caffeine after 2pm, installing blackout blinds in the bedroom, having a nightly bath, wearing proper pyjamas, and reading a book in bed (a real one not a Kindle). But her No.1 tip is: no electronics in the bedroom. My phone now charges in the kitchen. And I’ve set Screen Time in Settings on my iPhone to restrict access to and interruptions from email and social media post-9pm. Of course, there are times when life intervenes to disrupt this ideal routine – when the kids are up through the night, when deadlines have to be hit, or when a hangover has to be gently nursed. Do I achieve all of the above every day? Nope. But as Ferris says, you can always do at least one. And if you can do more than one, you positively increase the likelihood of “winning the morning and winning the day”. JAN UARY/FE B R UARY 20 1 9 G Q .COM . AU
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T H E
B E S T S E L L I N G AU T H O R O F TH E H A N D M A I D ’ S TA LE M A R G A R E T AT W O O D W I L L H O S T A N I G H T O F DYS T O P I A N D I S C U S S I O N AT T H E O P E R A H O U S E O N M A R C H 3 ; SYD N E YO P E R A H O U S E . C O M
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FROM TOP
Zemeckis on the set of Welcome to Marwen; Steve Carell as Hogie.
ROBERT’S REEL A FEW OF THE DIRECTOR’S VARIED, AND OSCARSVERIFIED, OUTPUT OVER THE YEARS.
1985 Back to the Future 1994 Forrest Gump 1997 Contact 2000 Cast Away 2012 Flight TBA The King
E N G L I S H S TA N D - U P C O M E D I A N E D D I E I Z Z A R D W I L L B R I N G H I S AC C L A I M E D W U N D E R B A R WORLD TOUR TO AUSTRALIA FROM FEBRUARY 16 -MARCH 10; ABPRESENTS.COM. AU
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BOOKS
When Ben met Henry
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BACKSTAGE AT BALENCIAGA If your ‘fashion’ friends seem more strapped for cash than usual (yikes!) it’s likely because they’ve splashed out on some new Balenciaga of late – and we’re not talking about the brand’s coveted ‘Triple S’ sneakers. Haven’t you heard? Demna Gvasalia’s latest flex is a coffee-table book. Titled Balenciaga: Winter 2018, the 300-page tome is as dense as the heavily layered outerwear the brand’s AW18 show – which the book is hinged on – was feted for. Shot by Pierre-Ange Carlotti and Johnny Dufort, two of the only photographers the notoriously private Gvasalia has given BTS access to, it’s destined to be the next big status symbol among fashion’s new elite. $125, OUT FE B RUARY 5; R I Z ZOLI USA .COM
RADIO BROADCASTER TRIPLE J WILL HOLD ITS HOTTEST 100 COUNTDOWN ON JANUARY 27 A G A I N T H I S Y E A R , O N E D AY A F T E R I T S T R A D I T I O N A L A U S T R A L I A D AY T I M E S L O T.
MUSIC
The American influence
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WORDS: CHRISTOPHER RILEY. IN AUSTRALIA, ROLLING LOUD WILL BE STAGED BY HARDER STYLES UNITED; HSUEVENTS.COM
Playboi Carti, who blew up in 2017 with his hit song ‘Magnolia’ is one of the acts headlining Australia’s first-ever Rolling Loud festival.
REPPING THE HOME TEAM
Syndey rhymer Manu Crook$ is putting Aussie hip-hop on the map: “Australia doesn’t have its own distinctive sound. I feel like I can be one of the guys to do that.” And he’s doing it in a big way with standout tune ‘Everyday’ earning praise from Apple Music DJ Zane Lowe. In other words, if you don’t know him now, you soon will.
M O R E T H A N 2 0 0 O F T H E W O R L D ’ S T O P - R A N K E D T E N N I S P L AY E R S W I L L T O U C H D O W N I N M E L B O U R N E T O B AT T L E I T O U T F O R T H E 2 0 1 9 AU S T R A L I A N O P E N U N T I L JA N U A RY 2 7; A U S O P E N . C O M
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C U LT U R E
The GQ summer content gameplan Want
A Crowd pleaser
Want
Something political (that’s not Trump)
CAT P O W E R W I L L T U G AT T H E H E A R T S T R I N G S O F FA N S A L L OV E R T H E C O U N T RY W H E N T H E S I N G E R S O N G W R I T E R B R I N G S H E R WA N D E R E R TO U R TO AU S T R A L I A F R O M F E B R UA RY 9 -1 2 .
Want
all the feels
Want
a culture hit Want
to feel inspired
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F R O M S O C I A L I T E T O C E O, B O R N - A G A I N ‘ E N T R E P R E N E U R ’ L I N D S AY L O H A N I S S TA R R I N G I N H E R V E R Y O W N M T V R E A L I T Y S E R I E S , L I N D S AY LO H A N ’ S B E A C H C LU B ; O U T N O W .
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Sydney beaches meets French Riviera - don’t mind if we do. Alexander Wang and Gigi Hadid for Pirelli.
Pirelli Calendar 2019
FASHION
A capsule of Commas E
In recent years the Pirelli calendar aesthetic has shifted from the bikiniclad models of yesteryear to take on a more fashion-focused approach, and for the 46th edition titled ‘Dreaming’, lauded photographer Albert Watson was tasked with its creation. With over 100 Vogue and Rolling Stone covers to his name, Watson invited models Gigi Hadid and Laetitia Casta, designer Alexander Wang, actor Julia Garner and dancers Misty Copeland, Calvin Royal III and Sergei Polunin to take on starring roles. The photographs are inspired by Watson’s passion for film. “I wanted to create something that was more than just a portrait of somebody – I wanted it to look like a film still,” he says. “I wanted people looking at the Calendar to see that my aim was photography in its purest form… creating a situation that would convey a positive vision of women today.”
T H I S M O N T H I S S E T T O B E A G O O D O N E F O R C I N E M A , W I T H M N I G H T S H YA M A L A N ’ S G L A S S PREMIERING ON JANUARY 17 AND CLINT EASTWOOD’S THE MULE HITTING CINEMAS ON JANUARY 24 .
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91
st
AWARD SEASON
Oscars by the numbers
G R A B T H E P O P C O R N A N D P R E PA R E TO C R I N G E B E CAU S E H O L LY W O O D ’ S N I G H T O F N I G H T S I S NEAR. WE BREAK DOWN SOME OF THE KEY F I G U R E S S U R R O U N D I N G T H I S Y E A R ’ S C E R E M O N Y.
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1 New ‘best popular film’ category announced
Academy Awards ceremony in 2019
28 days Before it was scrapped
25 FEBRUARY
The date the ceremony will air in Australia
3.8kg Oscars statuette weighs
(Sorry, Dwayne)
26,500,000 viewers watched the 2018 Oscars broadcast
1 At least
20%
Unconvincing hairpiece
Down on previous year
3 Number of Oscar-contending films starring Steve Carell
0
303
Aussie actresses to watch
Foreign language films that have won Best Picture
254 For The Destroyer
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For Mary Queen of Scots
For Widows
Hours Kevin Hart lasted as host
Minutes of films starring our fave young actors
$20K Jimmy Kimmel was reportedly paid to host last year
$45 What you stand to win if you put $10 on Roma being the first*
$480m A Star is Born made at the box office
10x what it cost to make For Hereditary
56 Times Trump has tweeted @ the Oscars (and counting)
Earrings, POA, by Supriya Lele, worn throughout.
EMILY RATAJKOWSKI SHE’S ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST IN-DEMAND MODELS W I T H M I L L I O N S O F FO L LO W E R S A R O U N D T H E G LO B E . B U T AT A T I M E W H E N T H E W O R D ‘ I N F LU E N C E R ’ I S T H R O W N A R O U N D S O O F T E N , S H E H AS U S E D H E R P L AT FO R M TO S P E A K O U T A N D AC T UA L LY C R E AT E R E A L C H A N G E . W O R D S M I KE C H R I STE N SE N P H OTO G R A P H Y N ICO LE B E NTLEY
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here is a presumption that we already know everything about Emily Ratajkowski. Those cameo film roles, that lusted-after pout and figure, those bikini shots, that music video. And, sure, it’s all true. But if there is one thing we can thank the current US president for, it’s the lesson that it’s best not to believe everything you read – to instead seek out the full story. For Ratajkowski, the story took a turn on October 4, last year, when the 27-year-old was arrested in Washington DC. She was charged not with being too beautiful – illegally attractive, as some news outlets might have had you believe – but for making a stand. Alongside Amy Schumer and thousands more, Ratajkowski was protesting the impending appointment of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, a man accused of sexually assaulting a number of women, including Christine Blasey Ford while the two were in high school. At a time when it felt the tide was turning against men who had abused their status,
power and fame to victimise others, Kavanaugh’s rise to the highest court in the United States of America, felt like a rare setback. And yet, so much of the subsequent coverage of the group’s protest centred not on questions of guilt or innocence or even on Kavanaugh at all, but on whether or not Ratajkowski had been wearing a bra at the time. Clearly, it seems, there is still progress to be made. Today, the sun is setting on a spring day in Sydney. The time has just passed seven in the evening and we’re in a precarious position beneath a blossoming jacaranda tree. “It’s my first time in Australia and we’re fully off-roading,” smiles Ratajkowski as the car reverses up a 45o angle, our driver’s mild panic reflected in her aviators. “I feel like I have a connection here,” she says, reeling off a few close ties she has to the country, unphased by our predicament. Some of said ties will be present the following night to see her announced as GQ’s International Woman of the Year. That is, if we make it there.
GQ: Your mother is a professor of English and your father’s a painter. Have you always been creative? Emily Ratajkowski: Yeah it’s in my DNA for sure. I know there are people who aren’t that way, but I can’t even imagine what that would be like. To me, I feel like everyone’s trying to be creative all the time. Whether it’s in their business or their job. GQ: How did you channel your creativity? ER: When I started out it was a struggle because I was going to school for visual art at UCLA and then I left. It was 2009, the market had crashed and all my friends were moving home. I was just like, why would I be going to school for art right now? So, I left and was just really focused on making money. I always loved acting but modelling was the thing that was paying the bills. Things expanded really quickly and I was lucky. In fashion, you have moments where you work with people who are extremely creative and it feels like a collaboration – like you’re being a dancer in a lot of ways. GQ: And can you still be yourself? ER: You have to factor in the image you’re emoting but there was definitely a point where I was like, OK I’m not completely fulfilled by this. That’s when Instagram came into my life. I loved collage when I was at school and it felt like I was building a little book. That was like an online visual journal. I’ve obviously grown up a lot since and also realised how much being creative is important to me as well as being in control. GQ: What about acting? ER: Acting’s amazing but you are a small piece in a much larger vision and you’re not controlling it. So, I’ve started to really work on developing my own projects and being the director. And definitely, having my own swimwear company has been an incredible way to do that. You’re designing but you’re also building a brand, which is supercreative. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found more avenues to be creative. GQ: Is it possible to be embody sexual power through creativity? ER: The selfie and making images of yourself is a really interesting thing for a woman to do because there haven’t been that many opportunities to do that in our history. That’s why there were incredible female artists from the ’60s changing the way they looked and taking portraits. That was a part of the sexual revolution. Now it’s so easy to point taking self portraits towards narcissism. But as women, it’s amazing to be able to control and dictate your own image. It’s actually kind of liberating. JAN UARY/FE B R UARY 20 1 9 G Q .COM . AU
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GQ: How does social media play into being a role model? ER: Good question. There’s a weird thing where, if I started thinking about what anyone could interpret from anything I post, what I share would stop being interesting. So instead, I just try to stay true to who I am and lead by example. It’s about trusting my own filter. GQ: On social media, we follow who we want to follow, to the point there’s a danger we find ourselves in a bit of a bubble. ER: Totally. I mean, yeah, all the people I follow are left or moderately left people. So, my political circle is small. But there’s that saying of the people you spend time with, you end up imitating. I don’t think it’s necessarily bad to curate what your intake is. That being said, I’d hate to throw my parents under the bus but my mum will share an article on Facebook and I have to call her and be like, that article’s not true. And she’s like, really? It’s one of those things where I know it’s not but how do I even prove that anymore? Because there’s 20 other offshoot articles about that article that reference it and there’s no checking. GQ: Hence how fake news spreads. ER: True, but honestly, as much as fake news is a scary thing, we used to have to rely on very, very specific sources. The internet is so democratic in that way and I love that – what an amazing tool for us. I’m really grateful to live in an era where that kind of voting system is going on. When I think about how my parents are getting information or how I’m getting information, or how my kids will get information, I’m blown away. Power of the people basically, is how I feel. GQ: On that note, will 2018 go down as a seminal year for the fight towards gender equality? ER: I mean, after Trump got elected, there were a lot of US people who just gave up. And that was totally fair. I felt that way too. Now, there’s anger and in response to that, there’s organisation. And that is exciting, we’re at the tip of what needs to happen. I’m happy to see my friends are not feeling as disenfranchised as they did when Trump got elected. Or even, honestly, when Hilary was the nominee – no one was really engaged or excited. So, it’s really changed. GQ: Following the mid-term election, is there a renewed belief in US politics? ER: Yes, I think so. Beyond voting day, there’s so much work that can be done. There’s this thing about calling your senator and I really hate that. Why should I call a white man in an office who’s not going to listen to me. Even going down to DC, I’ve been a couple times
relatively recently and there’s a lot of things that are happening behind closed doors. It’s good for the American people to be aware of that – that’s not part of the American dream, but it’s the reality of our government. So, anger’s good and not trusting the system is good. I’d like to see more of that. GQ: On that note, the march you were a part of and your arrest – was that anger? ER: Yeah, I mean it was a weird one. I’m figuring it all out. I don’t know what’s radical and what’s anger. I got so much heat for posting about it. But what the fuck would have been the point of me being there if I wasn’t going to share it with people? A lot of people that maybe didn’t know about Brett Kavanaugh or would never think of showing up at a protest – maybe they’ll consider it now. And that’s
“like every revolution, there has to be someone who makes it look cool.” cool because like the ’60s revolution, they were rock stars. There were activists who were sexy. That’s the least important thing about them, but like every revolution, there has to be someone who makes it look cool. When I started going to these things way back when, it was like some punk kids and a lot of old people. There needs to be an invigoration, this stuff affects everyone so it’s cool to be engaged. GQ: Why is the younger generation so much more engaged these days? ER: It’s when the internet came into their lives. I always think back to when I got MySpace aged 14. I didn’t have it in elementary school but I had it in adolescence. That was a specific experience and I feel like these kids, they’ve mastered those tools. GQ: It’s been a decade since Obama came into power.
ER: Yeah, that’s crazy. God, that makes me feel old. It was my first election I voted in. GQ: How has the past 10 years shaped you? ER: I could go in so many directions with this question because there’s so many things I’ve seen change. But, thinking about it, I go back to my grandfather because his life felt insane. He was born before World War I in 1912. He lived through World War II and then the Cold War and saw insane change in his children’s culture from what he was experiencing with his parents. Everyone acts like things are so crazy right now and I’m like, I don’t know man, he lived to be 103. Things have been pretty crazy for a long time. Yes they’re accelerating, but maybe that’s not a bad thing. GQ: Do you know much about your family heritage? ER: Yeah, it’s kind of an amazing story. My mum’s finishing a book about it all. My grandfather was never going to return to Poland but then she decided to do her thesis there and learn the language. She taught there for three years. And he actually came back to see her. So it’s sort of like this weird memoir but memoir isn’t the right word. It’s all these pieces of his life and her time there, which was really specific, right before the Wall fell. Teaching English literature and teaching the US’s dark history there, kids reacted when there were parallels drawn to Judaism and the plight of Jews in Poland. It’s definitely a part of who I am. My dad on the other hand, couldn’t care less about his roots. I don’t really get that but it’s funny to have those two sides. GQ: How’s married life been the past year? ER: It’s great. I mean, I’m in love, but I don’t think life really changes until you have kids. Sebastian’s parents were never married. My parents got married when my mom was pregnant with me. She wore a brown dress, in the backyard of a chapel. Marriage, for us, was maybe not how the general population thinks of marriage. But, it’s fun, it’s a really amazing way to commit yourself to someone. GQ: Your husband is a film producer. ER: Yes, his mum is also a filmmaker and writer and his dad is a painter. And he’s an only child. So, clearly we’re a type. GQ: Do you discuss the pros and cons of being an only child? ER: Yes, I mean the pros are forming amazing relationships with your parents. We started being friends from very young. Cons, as you get older it’s all on you to be responsible for your parents, which is also why it’s helpful to be together in it. GQ: Western cultures are quite bad at prioritising parents as they get old.
ER: They really are. Trust me, this conversation stresses me out because I really don’t know the answer. Part of me is like, of course all they’d want is for me to do the most. And then the other part of me is like, what else is life for if I’m not going to spend time with them, all the time. It’s difficult, that balance. GQ: You starred in Amy Schumer’s film I Feel Pretty. It was about female confidence and insecurities. Why aren’t there films about men’s insecurities? ER: I always say for all the things that women have that confine them culturally and with gender roles, men have just as many. Historically, women have had a much harder time. That being said, it’s important to remember that this stuff is constricting for everyone. And I would love to see more stuff that talks about straight men being very unable to share feelings. Toxic masculinity is a real thing. Out of every guy I’ve ever been close to, he has had issues with communication and emotion. That seems pretty bad. So maybe we should stop with this gender bullshit? GQ: Who’s doing a good job at pushing such agendas? ER: I like people who defy stereotypes. Frank Ocean’s obviously amazing, because he’s so in his feelings and he’s openly queer. That’s really important because he’s also a sexy rapper, which is cool. As far as women go, I wish there was even more of it. But there are a good amount of actresses like Amy [Schumer] who are working to really show that they’re multifaceted and show that they can also be a little punk. GQ: Aside from your own label, are you interested in fashion? ER: I did Milan and Paris fashion week [last September] for Paco Rabanne, which was amazing. On the flight home, I watched the Alexander McQueen documentary and I was so emotional – it made me think about performance and clothes, and clothes for women, and a designer’s relationship’s to women. One thing that I love about Paco Rabanne is they make clothes for women that are cool and they always have. They’re smart because they’re still doing their signature stuff. They’re not afraid of that, but they’ve updated it. There’s a Neil Young quote about when you write a song, it’s like you’re a radio station picking up a signal. I felt like McQueen did that. He was emulating something. There’s not enough of that in fashion. GQ: What about in men’s fashion? ER: I love a guy in a suit but now I feel like it’s so street wear. I remember six years ago when Rick Owens was everything for everyone. And you’d wear avant-garde interesting suiting like Issey Miyake. That kind of stuff was cool and
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Dress, POA, by Valentino. Styling Jillian Davison. Hair Koh. Make-Up Kellie Stratton. Nails Joselyn Petroni. Fragrance ‘Pure XS For Her’ EDP, by Paco Rabanne.
it was dope to dress that way. But now in New York there’s Kitsuné and Supreme and I see those guys outside and I’m like, whoa man. This is a look. You guys have it rough. GQ: Can you see you and Sebastian working together on a project? ER: We’re already collaborating because every single thing that we’re going through, we’re talking about and working it out. Being able to trust each other’s opinions and bounce off each other is so valuable. GQ: Sense of humour – how can we live without one? ER: Oh my god. I mean, my sense of humour’s very dark. I love a good laugh and it’s usually not a funny one. The joke is that my husband loved [Instagram sensation] The Fat Jew so
much that he found the supermodel version of him and that we’re the same exact person, in different bodies. We are all really close friends now and keep joking that we’re going to start a company together, so watch out. GQ: What’s on the horizon for 2019? ER: 2018 was an amazing year and I hope 2019 will be just as amazing. You can be a multifaceted entertainer, businessperson, creator and I’ve really started to capitalise on that in both my emotional and business senses. I have more entrepreneurial things coming up, but also making my own projects, as far as acting goes. You know, it’s so cool when I do a shoot now, they want me to be me. That’s true of models that no one knows as well. I love that and I hope that continues. JAN UARY/FE B R UARY 20 1 9 G Q .COM . AU
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A place past the horizon, over the reef. Where clownďŹ sh hide, mermaids dive and tequila sunrises are more than just a drink. Daydream Island, reopening April 2019. Book your stay at daydreamisland.com.
reservations@daydreamisland.com | daydreamisland.com
TASTE TRAVEL
“A S K N O T W H A T YO U C A N D O F O R YO U R C O U N T R Y, A S K W H A T ’ S F O R L U N C H .”
ORSON WELLES
TAB LE SNACKS AT FRAN KLI N IN HOBART.
fresh crop W E AS K E D E I G H T O F AU S T R A L I A’ S M O S T H I G H - P R O F I L E C H E F S TO S E L E C T T H E I R P I C K O F T H E M E N , W O M E N A N D R E S TAU R A N T S S E T TO R E D E F I N E T H E N AT I O N ’ S C U L I N A RY L A N D S CA P E I N T H E Y E A R S TO C O M E . WO R DS DAVI D SM I E DT
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e’re a nation good for more than just avocado on toast, with a culinary landscape that rivals some of the world’s best. And it’s no longer just a handful of big names leading the charge – there is also a new breed of emerging culinary stars who are adding depth to the country’s food scene, and who are hungry to prove themselves on the world stage. These eight current luminaries share their picks of the talent set to smoke the competition in the coming years. In other words, we have any upcoming date nights well and truly covered.
Recommended by
Guillaume Brahimi
CHEF: Danielle Alvarez
“The warm atmosphere at Fred’s is like you’re dining at someone’s home. Chef Danielle is renowned for her work with sustainable produce, working closely with the producers, farmers and suppliers to create her menus. Her food is seasonal and honest – quite simply it is just delicious! It’s the food you leave home to eat but still feel like you are at home.” WHY WE LOVE IT All the eco-cred without a hint of sanctimony and traditional Tuscan grills to boot. You get the feeling that this is how your grandparents ate back in the day when everything was fresh and what was on your plate reflected what was going on outside the window in terms of seasonality. DISH Clair de lune oysters, coriander and white pepper mignonette. 3 80 OXFOR D ST PADDI NGTON NSW; M E R IVALE .COM/VE N U ES/FR E DS
lankan filling station Recommended by
Neil Perry
CHEF: O Tama Carey
“I love that O Tama is following her Sri Lankan heritage, creating wonderful curries, sambols and hoppers. It’s simply delicious food and a really fun dining experience.” WHY WE LOVE IT No, it’s not just like Indian. Sri Lankan food, in its own light, zingy, playful way, nods as much to the subcontinent as it does across the Andaman sea to Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar. After two years of pop-up restaurants and market stalls, chef Carey finally has a fixed address for her mix of endlessly complex and entertaining flavours. Trust us when we say it was well worth the wait. DISH Mixed sambol plate - that way, there’s no risk of missing out.
58 RILEY ST, EAST SYDN EY NSW; LAN K AN FILLI NGSTATION.COM . AU
ADDITIONAL WORDS: CHRISTOPHER RILEY.
Fred’s
Amaru Recommended by
Matt Moran
CHEF: Clinton McIver
“It’s a really innovative restaurant in a beautiful setting and the menu is very well crafted. One of the best meals I’ve had this year.” WHY WE LOVE IT To offer one menu as stellar as McIver’s ‘Insight’ degustation would be an achievement. To back it up with the entirely separate, yet equally alluring, ‘Sensory’ path is nothing short of astounding. It’s a feast for both the eyes and the mouth and one you won’t forget in a hurry. DISH Smoked duck ham on fermented carrot (pictured, top left). 1121 H IG H ST, ARMADALE VIC; AMARUM E LBOU R N E .COM . AU
Yagiz Recommended by
Colin Fassnidge CHEF: Murat Ovaz
AMARU PHOTOGRAPHY : JOHN O’ROURKE.
“After working and knowing Murat for many years, it’s heartwarming to see his progress and the drive that’s taken him to not only where he is but where he’s set to go. Yagiz offers a stunning modicum of Turkish food without the loss of any traditions. Watch this space.” WHY WE LOVE IT Street food with a unique high-end twist - there’s not a doner in sight at this ode to mod Turkish. Housed in a former office and named after Chef Ovaz’s grandfather, Yagiz offers a six-course chef’s selection for a smidge under $80 that will have you reevaluating a cuisine you probably thought you knew. DISH Though the menu changes daily, the pan-seared duck was a recent favourite of ours.
22 TOORAK R D, SOUTH YAR RA VIC; YAG IZ .COM . AU
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fleet Recommended by
Shannon Bennett CHEF: Josh Lewis
“Josh Lewis has a way with produce that makes him nature’s narrator. I don’t know any other chef in the country that has a better knowledge of the ocean and connection to the land than Josh. If you haven’t eaten at Fleet then this is a must especially when it’s only Josh in the kitchen cooking his arse off four days a week. He lives every minute of it; this is not his job but his life.” WHY WE LOVE IT At $85 for a staggering eight dishes, Lewis’ degustation marries some of the country’s best dining value with a reverence of produce that is unmatched on the east coast. For those not willing to take the risk, there’s also an a la carte option at lunch. But really, that’s no way to live. DISH The menu changes too regularly to have a standout but rest assured, in Lewis’ hands the journey is always guaranteed. 2/1 6 TH E TCE, B RU NSWICK H EADS NSW; FLE ET-R ESTAU RANT.COM . AU
arthur Recommended by
Josh Niland
CHEF: Tristan Rosier
“I worked with Tristan at Est. years ago and was so impressed with him. He has a sound business acumen, which has now put him in good stead to pursue his own venue with his partner. Tristan’s style is to nourish and give a true sense of generosity to those who are dining; the food is simple and considered.” WHY WE LOVE IT Nothing against wait staff – we’ve all been one – but there’s something special about a chef bringing what they just created to the diners. It’s standard procedure at this bistro which is everything a neighbourhood eatery should be: warm, cosy and banging out plates the locals would prefer to keep to themselves. DISH Another menu that’s everchanging but the Swordfish, brown butter, asparagus and cavolo nero deserves special mention.
5 4 4 BOU R KE ST, SU R RY H I LLS N SW; ARTH U R R ESTAU R ANT.COM
ramblr Recommended by
Ben Shewry
RAMBLR PHOTOGRAPHY: JANA LANGHORST.
CHEF: Nick Stanton
“Nick is doing his own thing. He is on the path to creating his own cuisine and isn’t paying any attention to trends or what other people are doing. I really enjoy watching a young chef take the harder path and create something for themselves. And the food is absolutely delicious!” WHY WE LOVE IT Imagine you had a mate who was born a demon on the barbecue; a conjurer of smoke and coals. Then imagine that mate disappeared to Asia, steeped himself in its flavours and techniques then announced his homecoming by opening a restaurant. This is that restaurant. The ambience may be relaxed but Stanton’s dedication to creating truly delicious flavours borders on the obsessive. Not to be missed. DISH Marron loaded fries (left; available when produce allows). 3 63 CHAPE L ST, SOUTH YAR RA VIC; RAMBLR.COM . AU
franklin Recommended by
Nikki Friedli
CHEF: Analiese Gregory
“Gregory has taken over this uberchic space and revitalised it. It’s been around a few years, but Analiese has made it a new restaurant. Focused on local produce and coupled with a stomping wine list, it’s hard to look past Franklin for quality and dedication to deliciousness. Plus, Analiese is a bad-ass who dives every day for abalone, and somehow manages to make a wet-suit look like fashion.” WHY WE LOVE IT Six words: 10-tonne, wood-fired Scotch oven. From this beast Gregory cajoles everything from the most gentle steam to the crispest chars at a location that is fast becoming Tassie’s second most appealing attraction after the Mona. DISH Whey-brined Lamb belly with salted turnips and rhubarb barbecue sauce. 30 ARGYLE ST, HOBART TAS; FRAN KLI N HOBART.COM . AU
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A NIGHT AT ... THE MIDDLE HOUSE, SHANGHAI
A Upon entering the Middle House, guests are wowed by a chandelier which took Italian glass master Fabiano Zanchi six months to create . OPPOSITE
Designed by Italian architect Piero Lissoni, the sleek Middle House exterior stands out among the surrounding highrisers in Dazhongli.
ABOVE
Ranging from 50m2 to a palatial 660m2 for the Penthouse, there's a total of 111 rooms and 102 serviced apartments.
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G Q .COM . AU JAN UARY/FE B R UARY 20 1 9
HOW TO GET THERE FLY VIA HONG KONG WITH CATHAY PACIFIC AND ITS AWARD-WINNING BUSINESS-CLASS SEATS THAT OFFER TRAVELLERS PRIORITY CHECK -IN AND BOARDING, PREMIUM LOUNGE ACCESS, AND AN EXCLUSIVE CABIN FEATURING FINE DINING AND COMFORTABLE SEATS.
WORDS: NIKOLINA SKORIC.
ABOVE
sea of connected red-brick rooftops, Dazhongli is one of the oldest and best-preserved clusters of Shikumen, or lane houses, in Shanghai. A maze of narrow alleys and courtyards murmuring with neighbourhood gossip, it’s a throwback to a time when this residential quarter was still an enigma, closed off from the world. The Chinese communist leader Deng Xiaoping’s decision to re-open China’s doors to the influence of the West in the late-’70s led to a period of rapid modernisation in Shanghai. Economic growth was followed by the development of the Jing’an financial district (Dazhongli’s immediate neighbour), introducing the towering skyscrapers that now surround what’s left of the historic quarter. From this rich history arrives one of the area’s newest highrisers, the recently opened Middle House Shanghai. A seductive addition to Swire Hotels’ House Collective family, The Middle House draws on the philosophy of its Beijing, Chengdu and Hong Kong counterparts, while adding touches of Italian influence courtesy of architect Piero Lissoni. Best known for his work with brands Illy, Audi and Kartell, Lissoni brought together classical Shanghainese architecture with his signature style of clean minimalist details. The experience begins with a dramatic entrance: a stunning six-metre-high chandelier consisting of 3760 pieces of glass sits above dark floors, with rugged pieces of furniture and walls filled with art by Caroline Cheng and Lindy Lee. Donned with custom reinterpretations of traditional furnishings, the rooms are sheathed in a palette of bronze mesh brightened by floor-to-ceiling windows that highlight Shanghai’s Blade Runner-like landscape. Chinese design elements abound in the form of slender pendant lights and hand-made ceramic tiles that float off those same dark-stained floors, while subtle notes like mismatched lamps and pull-down light cords offer a sense of unique charm. Like the interior, the food on offer is a thoughtful balance of old and new. New York-based chef Gray Kunz has brought his renowned Café Gray Deluxe to the third floor of the hotel with dishes inspired by the hotel’s Hong Kong location. In addition to Café Gray, the hotel has two other restaurants located in the residential tower: Frasca, a modern Italian eatery where passionate Australian-born chef Stefano Pace plates up authentic dishes made with ingredients sourced fresh from local family farms (the prosciutto pizza is a must-try); and Sui Tang Li, which offers an extraordinary selection of Chinese delicacies that put every dumpling we’ve ever eaten to shame. If you find the strength to actually leave the hotel, bike tours are the way to go for a truly eye-opening experience of the city. From tackling the narrow lanes in the peaceful Former French Concession to discovering hidden villas from the ’20s, it’s as close to time travel as you’ll get. Rooms from approx. $500 per night; themiddlehousehotel.com
GQ PROMOTION
THE BA SE-ICS Place 1½ cups (225g) flour, ½ tsp salt and 1½ tbs sugar into a mixing bowl. Combine 1 tsp dried yeast and 160ml warm water in a small bowl, mix until dissolved. Make a well in the centre of flour mixture, place yeast mixture and 20g soft butter into the well and gradually work the flour in from the sides. Remove dough from bowl and knead by hand for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
HEART BAKER
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume (about 1 hour). Preheat oven to 220°C conventional/ 200°C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Move aside, pepperoni and mozzarella, this dessert pizza is a slice of fruity heaven.
When it comes to pizza, the dessert variety doesn’t get nearly enough love. But present this bad boy on a platter to someone special this Valentine’s Day (even if it’s just yourself) and eyes will pop, moans of pure delight will ensue and your name will figure prominently in good books for at least a week. Lighthouse, the leading light in baking, offers the easiest and best way to make the crispy, doughy base for this fruitiest of pizzas. Just follow the simple basemaking method (far right) using Lighthouse Bread & Pizza Plain Flour, then layer with mascarpone cheese, berries and mint. Oh, and serve with love.
Lighthouse Bread & Pizza Plain Flour is strong and high in protein and will help you achieve expert pizza bases every time. Find it at Woolworths, Coles and selected independent stockists.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, creating desired shape. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool before adding toppings. Makes 3 small pizzas.
Visit lighthousebaking.com.au
TI CK ETS ON SAL E N OW VAMFF.COM.AU
STYLE
L OOK YOU R SH A R PE ST W I T H OU R EXCLUSI V E EDI T OF T H E BE ST I N M E NSW E A R A N D GROOM I NG T R E N D S
E D I T E D BY OLIVIA HARDING
Sam (on left) wears jacket, $3990, knit, $1310, and pants, $1310, all by Prada. Nic wears jacket, $3420, turtleneck, $660, and pants, $1880, all by Prada; glasses, POA, by Moscot, worn throughout.
Back to work B U T FO R G E T B U S I N E S S A S U S UA L – C O R P O R AT E J U S T G OT C O O L . P H OTO G R A P H Y DA N I E L G O O D E
LEFT
Jacket, shirt, and shorts, all POA, all by Ex Infinitas. RIGHT
Jacket, $1757, pants, $859, and sandals, POA, all by Dries Van Noten; necklace, $303, by Tom Wood at Matches Fashion, worn throughout; suitcase, vintage Prada.
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Sam (left) wears coat, $2430, and pants, $995, both by Bally; shirt, POA, by Ex Infinitas; shoes, $1105, by Gucci. Nic wears coat, POA, by Hermès; pants, and sandals, both POA, both by Ermenegildo Zegna.
F I N A L C OAT Tartan has received a second wind in the way of this season’s coolest outerwear.
T H E N E W P R I N T- O N - P R I N T Instead of clashing, aim for different crops of the same print. It’s a great way to create intrigue – without looking like you couldn’t decide which one to wear.
CHECK PLEASE Further proof that patterns and prints are back, and a case for wearing it head-to-toe. Add variation to the parallel lines via a tie with stripes travelling in alternate directions.
OPPOSITE
Jacket, shirt, and pants, all POA, all by Ermenegildo Zegna; shoes, POA, by Hermès. THIS PAGE
Jacket, shirt, tie, pants, and shoes, all POA, all by Tom Ford at Harrolds.
D E L I CAT E CYC L E Laundry day is now a vibe; a bare chest was, after all, the styling trick of the season. Only you need to know it’s because everything else is in the wash, right?
Nic (on left) wears shirt, $670, shorts, $730, and bag, $930, all by Gucci; socks, approx. $18, by Viyella. Sam wears shirt, $1410, and shorts, $800, both by Gucci; socks, approx. $18, by Viyella.
BELOW
Jacket, $1495, and pants, $870, both by Paul Smith; shoes, POA, by Saint Laurent.
RIGHT
Jacket, $4800, tank, $1150, and pants, $1250, all by Dior Men. Hair Pete Lennon at Company1 Agency using David Mallett haircare. Skin Kristen Brett at Work Agency using Go-To skincare. Talent Nic Borrott at IMG Models and Sam Armstrong at Chic Management.
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THE ICON THE SLIDE
$45, by Adidas at The Iconic. $450, by Salvatore Ferragamo.
$59.95, by Vans at The Iconic.
$285, by Bally.
$150, by G-Star.
T H I N K O F T H E M AS T H E SA N DA L 2 .0. B E CAU S E N OT H I N G SAYS O U T- O F- O F F I C E L I K E A PA I R O F P O O L S L I D E S A N D A N O N C H A L A N T AT T I T U D E TO M ATC H .
OUR INSPO: THE DUDE
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$69.95, by Lacoste at The Iconic.
$44.95, by Nautica.
$50, by Adidas at The Iconic.
The fictional-human embodiment of IDGAF-style, The Big Lebowski’s sartorial choices ushered stonergrunge into the new millennium – slides withstanding.
GROOMING
E D I T E D BY
DAVI D SM I E DT
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A Style is Born
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HOW DO YOU BRIEF YOUR STYLIST
“Bradley’s look obviously requires length, so you need to be prepared to grow your hair out over several months. If you are growing it out, focus on getting length and fullness on top first, while keeping the sides shorter. The top will take the longest to grow out so throughout those early stages of growth make sure you’re booking in for regular trims to keep the back and sides well groomed. The idea is to still look like you have a style during the growingout phase, like it’s intentional and not like you have just forgotten to get a haircut.” says Murphy. Johns-Alcock adds, “Ask for an increased layered haircut that just grazes your collar - the length must come under the tip of your ears. This will avoid a mullet shape and helps ensure you can tuck your hair behind your ears.”
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WHAT SORT OF HAIR TYPE DOES IT SUIT?
“Ideally your hair would be not too curly, but not dead straight,” says Murphy. “Hair that is thicker with a bit of weight, and which isn’t too fine or wispy, is also perfect for this cut.”
WHAT SORT OF MAINTENANCE IS REQUIRED?
Murphy stresses it’s important to have regular trims, “Especially during the early growing-out phase but once you’ve reached a length that you’re happy with you can stretch it out to every 8-10 weeks.”
HOW DO YOU RECREATE THE LOOK AT HOME?
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“Go for a product that isn’t too strong or has too much hold, but will still groom the hair and give it some shape. I’d go for a cream with flexible hold such as my Kevin. Murphy ‘Un.Dressed’ paste, $39.95
(100g), or Kevin.Murphy ‘Hair. Resort.Spray’, $39.95 (150ml), for a more lived-in look.” 1800 104 204
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“When you jump out of the shower put three pumps of ghd ‘Total Volume Foam’, $28 (200ml), into your hair and blast your fringe back off your face with the ghd ‘Air’ hairdryer. After applying your favourite pomade, keep your style in place with ghd ‘Final Fix Hairspray’, $17.50 (400ml),” says Johns-Alcock. lookfantastic.com.au
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“This look works better with second-day hair,” according to Holmes. “To achieve this use KMS ‘Moist Repair Cleansing Conditioner’, $28.95 (300ml). This is in replacement of your shampoo. Towel dry and rake with wide fingers off your face, never comb or brush the hair. Then add KMS ‘Hair Play Messing Creme’, $33.95 (125ml).” kmshair.com.au
PHOTOGRAPHY: EDWARD URRUTIA; GETTY IMAGES.
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ho cares if it’s a remake of a remake? B Coops’ music-driven film with Lady Gaga will certainly feature come awards time and reaffirms his place as one of the most effortlessly stylish men of his generation. This haircut is ideal for the summer holidays, finding the middle ground between rock arena and local beach. For advice on how to make it work for you, we enlisted the help of hair guru Kevin Murphy as well as Ali Holmes of the KMS Style Council and ghd’s Nadine Johns-Alcock.
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GENUINE FAKES
It’s one of the great furphies that your scent contains purely natural ingredients. In the majority of cases, this just ain’t so. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, despite what the marketing department might fear the minute one goes off script. Wild sandalwood, for example, is now cited as a vulnerable species in its native India (where there is a thriving black market) and only the most dedicated of noses can tell the difference between it and chemical versions like sanjinol. Then, there are the aldehydes which form the basis of scents smelling like everything from green herbs to clean soapy skin – in fact the most famous perfume of all time Chanel ‘No 5’ was built on one. To bring this dark art out of the shadows, several brands are now gloriously celebrating some of the best molecules ever created lab-side. Nomenclature is one of the best. It’s ‘Holy_Wood’ EDP, $183 (50ml) is built around Clearwood, a 21st Century form of patchouli derived from the fermentation of sugar cane. redolent and has a powdery warmth. What it lacks in the rom hand-picked sourcery, it makes up for in dimension. mecca.com.au
HOT TIP
Keep it cool
T H E P R O D U C T S YO U S H O U L D B E S TO R I N G I N T H E F R I D G E .
F R A GR A NCE
T ONE R
A no-brainer as light and humidity degrades scent. The chilled temps are also more refreshing when applied. Clive Christian ‘Original Collection 1872 Masculine’ EDP, $399 (50ml), is our pick for summer.
The immediate benefit is how it feels, but refrigeration will extend the life of your gear, especially if it’s organic or probiotic. Which means fewer preservatives. Try Thayers ‘Witch Hazel Organic Astringent, $29.95 (355ml).
LIBERTINEPARFUMERIE.COM.AU
MENSBIZ.COM.AU
E Y E CR E A M
Because the skin is thinnest here, it is most likely to appear puffy. In much the same way that ice can take down a swelling elsewhere, a chilled eye cream will be more effective at constricting blood vessels and debloating. Try Ella Baché ‘Special Eye Cream’, $79 (30ml). E LL ABAC H E .COM . AU
BE A R D OIL
The best are high in emollients like argan oil, which can degrade on exposure to UV rays. High temps can also make them runny but the fridge retains consistency. Try Percy Nobleman ‘Beard Conditioning Oil’, $35.99 (100ml). B EAR DAN DB L ADE .COM . AU
A NEED FOR CREED Few can boast a legacy like it. Creed fragrances began in 1760 as a supplier of clothing, gloves and scent to the English court. Fast forward to Australia in late-2018 and the launch of a stand-alone flagship store in Sydney’s Double Bay – via a catalogue of smash hits such as ‘Aventus’ and new disruptors like ‘Viking’. Creed has been available here for some time but the department store/ duty-free experience is markedly different from the expertise, focus and opulence on offer at this little jewel box of an emporium. Go, explore, spray then wander away for a coffee and see which scent calls you back. 34 CROSS ST, SYDNEY; CREEDPERFUME.COM.AU
The beach kit refresh
S U RV I V E A DAY O R T W O I N T H E SA N D WITH THESE SUMMER ESSENTIALS.
BLISTEX ‘LIP CONDITIONER’ SPF 15, $4.99 (7g)
SUN & FUN
Because lips matter too.
PRICELINE.COM.AU
YSL ‘Y’ EDP, $120 (60ML) A crisper punched-up version of the EDT with bergamot, ginger and green apple. YSLBEAUTY.COM.AU
“Stick a fork in me, Jerry!” We are all a few careless hours away from sunburn – don’t be that guy.
TOM FORD ‘NEROLI PORTOFINO ALL OVER BODY SPRAY’, $110 (150ML)
Post sun-care
A quintessentially Mediterranean shot of freshness if you’re heading straight from beach to bar.
Face feeling tighter than a clam with lockjaw? The shower a barrage of pin pricks? You’ve overdone the sun. The first remedy is water – lots of it, to rehydrate the complexion. Make it iced to lower your core temperature while you’re at it. Once you’ve washed away the sunscreen - you used sunscreen, right? – with warm water and a face wash, it’s time to moisturise with a product that will counteract the redness you will soon be displaying like an undergraduate reading Marx for the first time. Before you reach for the moisturiser, try placing a cloth soaked in cold milk over the area. Yup, your nanna was right, it’s a proven anti-inflammatory. If blisters do arise, resist the urge to buff them away – it’ll only make you more susceptible to infection. Instead, reach for a max hydrator like Dermalogica ‘Skin Smoothing Cream’, $96 (100ml). Then go to your room and think about what you’ve done. DERMALOGICA.COM.AU
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DAVIDJONES.COM.AU
EVO ‘ROY’ WIDE TOOTH COMB, $18 Ideal for fixing sea hair, unsnarling and distributing product. EVOHAIR.COM
BUMBLE AND BUMBLE ‘SURF SPRAY’, $39 (125ML) Windswept, salty, sexy hair – you get the picture. MECCA.COM.AU
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CARROTEN ‘AQUAVELVET MOISTURISING SUNCARE MILK 50+’, $17.99 (200ML) Australia, hole in the ozone, skin cancer – you know the score. CHEMISTWAREHOUSE.COM.AU
For local stockist enquiries | Australia 1300 764 437 | New Zealand 0800 456 426 | info@sabre-group.com
SIGNATURE STYLE
Your own sense of style should dictate the approach to your home’s interiors, but some expert advice never goes astray. Interior designer Darren Palmer reveals what’s trending for 2019, including his favourite home appliances.
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old styling choices are the way forward for the home in 2019. Think cool blues and greens, dark accents, sustainable materials and dashes of luxurious metal. LG SIGNATURE products fit this aesthetic to a tee – you can make any of these striking appliances the style focus of a room, or integrate
more subtly. And, as ever, function is as critical as form to get the most out of your spaces. The LG SIGNATURE OLED Wallpaper TV is amazing. It’s almost as thin as a $2 coin, has incredible 4K picture and its Dolby Atmos™ sound fills the room from a stylish soundbar with upwards-facing speakers.
GQ PROMOTION
The TWINWash® washing machine, meanwhile, is extremely energy efficient and does two loads at once, including a smaller one in the TWINWash Mini® that’s cold wash only. It also has a heat-pump dryer, making it a combined machine that allows you to free up space in your laundry for extra storage. Then there’s the InstaView Door-in-Door® fridge. In titaniumcoloured stainless steel, both inside and out, it’s a thing of beauty.
I particularly love the feature where you can double tap the glass door to see what’s inside – it’s such a cool and convenient solution. Elegant, multifaceted appliances and inspiring design trends are making it easier than ever to create rooms with signature style.
To view the full range, visit LGSIGNATURE.com
WATCH
YOU R E S SE N T I A L GU I DE TO T H E BE ST W R IST W E A R
OMEGA ‘SEAMASTER DIVER 300M MASTER CHRONOMETER’ $13,050; omegawatches.com Omega’s head of product management, Gregory Kissling.
A requited bond T H E LOV E A F FA I R B E T W E E N O M E G A A N D JA M E S B O N D I S AS S T R O N G AS E V E R .
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t is among the country’s best-known landmarks, but a place perhaps more readily associated with boardies and thongs than tuxedos. Yet Bondi Beach proved a fitting spot for an exclusive black-tie watch launch. After all, the venue was the worldfamous Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, overlooking the ocean below, and the watch was Omega’s new ‘Seamaster Diver 300m’ – a timepiece celebrating 25 years made for the waves. It’s also a watch that’s been synonymous with Bond ever since 1995’s Goldeneye – trust Omega to put the Bond in Bondi Beach. Given the next instalment of the world’s favourite secret agent is set for 2019, we felt it apt to speak with Omega’s real life ‘Q’, Gregory Kissling, the head of product management about the ‘Seamaster Diver 300m’ and what’s in store for Bond, as well as Omega fans.
GQ: What sets the new ‘Seamaster Diver 300m’ apart? Gregory Kissling: In Australia, the ‘Seamaster’ is the most iconic model for us. In 2018, we’ve had a full makeover of the collection. We’ve introduced a lot of new technologies and improvements not only for the case but also for the inside with a new Caliber 8800 movement that’s magneticresistant to 15,000Gs. GQ: How important has the relationship with Bond been for Omega? GK: We’re very lucky because Daniel Craig is the face of this new collection. The ‘Divers 300m’ was chosen by the artistic director of costume design for Goldeneye. She wanted to find a diver’s watch with a blue face because of Bond’s navy suit. The challenge has been to maintain the identity of the piece while still giving it a facelift. GQ: There are 14 new pieces here. How hard is it to evolve while keeping with tradition?
GK: It’s always a balance. We produce many prototypes, so for this collection we made a minimum of three iterations to get the perfect balance. After that, every new technology must pass certain tests, so we need a minimum of two years before launching a new collection. GQ: Tell us about some of Bond’s Q-esque processes behind these new technologies? GK: We had to use a 1200oC furnace in order to obtain the mechanical properties of the ceramic, which is six times harder than steel. The only way to shape the ceramic is to use diamond tools. And for engraving the diving skin, we use a laser with five axes. GQ: Why is 42mm the new 41mm? GK: The new movement is a bit thicker so we wanted to respect the proportion of the watch. Another reason is the Chinese market is asking for bigger watches. Thanks to the ceramic dial, it’s a sporty watch that, at the same time, is a very classic piece. GQ: How do you ensure people use their watch to its full potential? GK: Well, it’s funny – only 0.01 per cent of customers use the helium valve gauge on the ‘Seamaster Diver 300m’. It’s a special chamber designed for divers, so it’s not really a useful function for everyday life but still it’s a cool design feature.
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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT
Breitling CEO Georges Kern and Brad Pitt; Breitling’s Gala Night in the Beijing Pheonix Center saw the brand’s entry into China.
T STA R P O W E R
Breitling Takes Beijing T H E S W I S S WATC H M A K E R H AS TAC K L E D T H E I D E A O F C E L E B R I T Y A M B AS SA D O R S I N T H E O N LY WAY I T K N O W S H O W: BY G O I N G N OT JUST BIGGER AND BETTER, B U T M O R E AU T H E N T I C .
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ridiculously good looking. It all helps, of course, but for Breitling CEO Georges Kern, there was just one quality he had in mind when it came to picking the stars of his latest campaign. “They are all No.1 in their field,” he said simply, when we met in Beijing for a star-studded black-tie dinner to celebrate the brand’s entry into the Chinese market. As well as marking Breitling’s arrival in the country, the gala dinner was also an opportunity to see the brand’s latest campaign in the flesh: the Breitling Squad concept, which was first introduced in March. In actual fact, it’s based not on a single squad but four different ones covering key pillars of the brand’s focus. There is the Jet Squad, drawing on Breitling’s aviation roots and featuring some of the most accomplished pilots on the planet. There is the Explorer Squad, with the trio of Bertrand Piccard, the first person to fly non-stop around the world in a balloon; Inge Solheim, who has guided wounded veterans to the North and South Poles; and David de Rothschild, the youngest Briton to reach both poles. There is the Surfer Squad, featuring American champ and environmentalist Kelly Slater, as well as Aussies Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons. And then there is the
Cinema Squad, starring Charlize Theron, Adam Driver, Daniel Wu and Brad Pitt. “You have many actors out there in Hollywood with huge followings, but with zero credibility,” Kern tells GQ, on the topic of his most famous campaign star. “I prefer having the credibility to the following because we generate the following – and trust me, there will be enough people talking about Brad Pitt.” It’s true, of course. For all the discussions of influencers, reality TV stars and Next Big Things, it might be easy enough to buy yourself a few Instagram followers, but there is no amount of money that can buy someone that most valuable of traits: authenticity. “In any of these squads, all their members are the best in their field,” Kern reaffirmed. “For us, what was important was that all of these people are high profile, but they’re not models – these are real people. This is what makes it so interesting – and so authentic.” With that, it was time for Breitilng’s Gala Night to kick off in the city’s incredible Phoenix Center. While dinner was served to the sound of a live orchestra, Kern was joined on stage by Pitt, Wu and photographer Peter Lindbergh, who shot the campaign – and, of course, then joined Kern, Pitt and his fellow Cinema Squad stars on stage for a requisite selfie. Because, Breitling might be one of the world’s most celebrated watchmakers, dating back over 130 years, but it’s still 2018. And Brad Pitt is Brad Pitt. breitling.com
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CAIPIRINHA. KAI-PEE-REEN-YA. IF YOU CAN’T PRONOUNCE IT, YOU CAN’T ORDER IT.
The Perfect Double Old Fashioned Glass
We can all be a little classier. Dress better. Drink better. Raise the bar. So we asked the world’s leading barman to create the perfect cocktail glasses. Ladies and gentlemen, we present the Perfect Serve Collection. You’re welcome. spiegelau.com.au/perfectserve
Ultimate faux wheel drive R O L L S - R OYC E WAS N E V E R G O I N G TO M A K E A N S U V. I T’ S TO O B R I T I S H . TO O R E V E R E D. T H E N I T W E N T A N D M A D E T H E ‘C U L LI N A N ’ – A N D G U E S S W H AT ? I F YO U C O U L D, YO U R E A L LY S H O U L D. W O R D S BY STE PH E N CO R BY
CAR AWARDS
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t seems a strange question to ask about something which has been widely photographed and intensely Instagrammed over the past many months. And yet all anyone wants to know about the new Rolls-Royce ‘Cullinan’ is, ‘What the actual fuck does it look like?’ No doubt this is because no photo can truly do justice to just how hulkingly huge the brand’s first-ever SUV is in the (shiny and lustrously painted) metal flesh. You might think of a Lamborghini ‘Aventador’ as wide – but the ‘Cullinan’ trumps it at 2164mm, and almost Hemsworth tall – Chris, that is – at 1835mm. From end to shining end it measures a staggering 5341mm, which is what gives it so much interior lounging room. Granted, all Rollers are large compared to normal cars, so when the time came to make a giant four-wheel-drive it was always destined to be epic, and the challenge for the designers was to make something so big somehow look sleek and – unexpectedly to our trained eyes – rather attractive. The good news is they’ve just about pulled it off – with a grand front end that looks like a stately home that’s sprouted wheels, sci-fi headlights, and a side and three-quarter view with plenty of presence, particularly when the world’s only SUV suicide doors (which are so big you operate them hydraulically, at the press of a button) are open. The only real let-down is the rear, which ends up looking like a London black cab crossed with a block of ’50s East End flats. The interior is, of course, almost life-changingly lovely – fantastic materials, lush carpets and beautiful details, plus a drinks cabinet between the two rear seats, if you opt for the individual, two-rear-seats spec, which starts at $725,000. (A more family-friendly three-seat rear option, with no bar, is a mere $685,000.) And once you’re in there it really does feel as if you’ve been vacuum sealed away from the outside world, even if you happen to be climbing a steep and rock-strewn ski run in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, as GQ recently did at the car’s international launch.
WINNER
To say it feels strange to engage in some serious off-roading in a car as luxurious, and heavy (it comes in at at 2.6 tonnes) as the ‘Cullinan’ is an understatement of almost Rolls-Royce proportions. Watching a crystal-cut Spirt of Ecstasy floating out over the bonnet as you tackle a scree-strewn descent is beyond bizarre, and yet somehow the car just makes it all feel natural. In typical, low-stress Roller style, you simply press one ‘Off-road’ button if you want to do something silly in your ‘Cullinan’, and the car, with its hugely capable four-wheel-drive system, does the rest, while you sit in cocooned silence. Having enough power to not just climb mountains but shove them out of the way helps, of course, thanks to a 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged engine that produces 420kW and 850Nm of torque. When you’re not scrabbling on gravel or fording rivers, all that grunt makes driving on smooth roads an enormous hoot, because you really do feel as eminently powerful as you look, every time you even poke the throttle. It’s also on real roads that you get to properly enjoy the unique Rolls-Royce ‘magic-carpet ride’, which wafts you across the surface of the Earth the way a stiff breeze carries a feather. At times it feels as if you’re not actually touching the road at all, particularly if you’re luxuriating in the rear seats and letting someone else do the driving. Well, there is that ‘bar’ to attend to? Throw in steering that feels so light and easy to use that you’d never believe you were piloting something the size of a small church and it’s fair to say that Rolls-Royce has delivered on its marketing-phrase promise for the ‘Cullinan’ – that it really is ‘Effortless, everywhere’. The fact RR has produced something they said they never would – and that we walked away unexpectedly enamoured with this decent-looking truck of ludicrousness, well, grab that award-winning badge and plant it anywhere along that ample body.
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A Resurgent Swedish Star A D D I N G D E S I R A B I L I T Y TO I T S C O R E VA LU E S O F SA F E T Y A N D R E L I A B I L I T Y, VO LVO H AS E N J OY E D A R E N A I S S A N C E L I K E N O OT H E R I N T H E AU TO M OT I V E I N D U S T RY.
CAR AWARDS
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t must have been early 2012. One of those balmy South Australian nights that Adelaide tends to stuff with Coopers Red and menus highlighting the forgotten Australian city as the country’s most underappreciated culinary scene. Over the course of dinner GQ listened as a Scandinavian Volvo exec bemoaned his lot: that despite various inroads and cars that rolled off international lines packed with promise, tech and Euro-badged bang for buck, they remained best-known as cars of an older set. And there was more – this was a brand associated with shitty drivers, safety and reliability, and little else. It was true. And yet, that was then. Seven or so years is a long time – just ask any federal frontbencher – because today Volvo has re-established itself as a force much-removed from what it was. Of late – the past few years, particularly – it has re-emerged from its Gothenburg chrysalis as a major player, one that’s grown to reporting 2017 sales of 571,577 vehicles and an operating profit of $2.4bn 74
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– both records for the 91-year-old company – with revenue of $32.1bn. Such Coopers-raising global stats point to what is an incredible turnaround – one largely driven by desire. Because desire remains the most coveted asset in the automotive industry – and where Volvo’s tank was once empty, it now runs full, with a product line that has quickly altered opinion and which now sees it spoken about, for the first time, in terms of allure. Many still point to the injection of cash that came in 2010 – when the Chinese Geely group bought the famed Swedish company (a national brand that shares a heady domestic spotlight alongside Acne and Hygge and Noma) for a knocked down price from Ford. But money doesn’t always equate to aspiration and appeal – just look at the ways of any Russian oligarch. This is now a marque that orbits intangible notions of cool. It’s no Equus Bass 770 (seriously, look that thing up and try not to not to feel loins stir), but Volvo has mounted a unparalleled revival journey of late.
The key here is models such as the ‘XC90’, ‘XC60’ and this year’s ‘XC40’ – as well as the coolest wagon that’s not an Audi ‘RS4’, the recently released ‘V90’. As the man overseeing such designs, and as such, this impressive resurgence, chief design officer Thomas Ingenlath has stated: “Our core brand values will always be [focused on] safety and Scandinavian design. But now Volvo has a stronger character. It was always on the edge of quirkiness, but we’re striving to create something desirable.” For Ingenlath, good-looking cars needn’t be fast-looking cars. “We consciously decided to move away from mainstream car design and not add any slashes or lines to the surfaces that make it look dynamic. We concentrated on creating something with substance.” It’s an approach we can only salute as Volvo continues to turn heads in a way it hasn’t since Roger Moore’s The Saint was burning about the ’60s in a ‘P1800’. And it’s why this Swedish marque is GQ’s Comeback of the Year.
WORDS: RICHARD CLUNE.
WINNER
Test drive
CITY
CAR AWARDS WINNER
VOLKSWAGEN ‘MY19 GOLF GTI’
THE ‘GTI’ IS A HOT-HATCH HERO FOR GOOD REASON. THIS RECENT UPDATE – WITH MORE POWER AND PREVIOUSLY OPTIONAL BITS OF KIT NOW STANDARDISED – SCORES OUR VOTE FOR ‘CITY’ DRIVING (AND THEN SOME).
FUN FACTS
WHERE TO DRIVE IT? Anywhere. From giving it some stonk through country corners on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, to ferrying shopping and ambling on a freeway for a weekend away – there really is little this ingenious German go-kart can’t manage.
ONE THING WE’D CHANGE? A bit more grunt from the exhaust, please.
WORDS: RICHARD CLUNE.
PRICE/ DELIVERY Available now, starting from $45,490. That’s a bit of a climb on what’s gone before, though if you fancy the most accomplished hot hatch in the field, then that’s the necessary biscuit.
STYLING
ENGINE
DRIVING
INTERIOR
It’s a bit like eyeing the former footy jock at the 10-year high-school reunion – a form that’s instantly familiar and still in muscularly good nick. ‘GTi’ badging on the front announces the sportier sentiment here (even as a five-door-only option), bolstered by a squat appeal that’s driven by that lower bumper venting that glides the eye smoothly back along the car. Eighteen-inch alloys come as standard (upped to 19-inch on the $2300 Sound and Style package) and twin-pipes, as always, round out what’s an appealingly taut little derriere.
It’s all about that elevated engine – the ‘MY19 Golf GTi’ gifted a heftier 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder that’s a match for the recent limited-build three-door GTi ‘Performance Edition 1’, producing 180kW and 370Nm to the frontwheels through a 7-speed DSG transmission and electro-mechanical limited-slip differential. The fact there’s no manual box will certainly raise some shaking fists, though sales for such were minimal and Volkswagen can hardly be questioned on the abandonment of the third pedal.
To have a ‘GTi’ is to do as you please: sit at the lights content in the knowledge you can engage ‘Sport’ and disappear at any given moment. Because this thing can really move when asked – with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.2 seconds, it really is some of the most fun you can have in a hatch (even if some of the aural engagement, especially on upshift, felt more muted this time around). Updated disc brakes are now a match for the ‘Golf R’, with the Driver Assistance Pack (adaptive cruise control, lane assist with adaptive lane guidance, blind-spot monitor with rear traffic alert, rear-view camera park assist and much more) now standard.
This is a class-leading cabin. The driver’s Active Info dashboard is an instrument cluster of engaging tech wizardry, aided by the simple accessibility of an 8.0-inch navigation system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (the Sound and Style package boasts a larger, 9.2-inch display you can swipe). Our loan featured the $3900 Luxury package of leather seats (heated in front; driver’s powered) in favour of GTi tartan, as well as panoramic electric glass sunroof. Three in the back (on short runs) can work as faultless design feeds an overall feeling of space – something not often said in this segment.
B O R N O N T H E T R ACK. B U I LT F O R T H E R O A D .
The Audi RS 5 Coupé. The Audi RS 5 Coupé is raw power at your fingertips. With a new turbocharged V6 engine producing a massive 331 kW of power and quattro all-wheel drive, it can sprint from 0 – 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds, placing it firmly in supercar territory. audi.com.au
Overseas model with optional equipment shown.
Our 20th anniversary meant our biggest Men of the Year, ever – a celebration of 20 men and women whose work has been so good it deserved a party. The party of the year, no less. Don’t believe us? Turn the page.
SUPPORTING PARTNERS
BEST ENSEMBLE
ast year’s GQ Men of the Year awards presented by Audi was always destined to be our best yet. We aim to outdo our previous efforts each year, but with 2018 marking GQ th Australia’s 20 anniversary, there was extra pressure to up the ante. Gathering at Sydney’s iconic The Star, we brought together the biggest names from Australia and around the world to raise a glass to the individuals whose work not only sets the standard for others to follow, but pushes us all to do, and be, better. Admittedly, 2018 was another year in which us blokes didn’t exactly cover ourselves in glory. The MeToo campaign continues to gather momentum, rightfully outing those who still choose to perpetuate sexual violence; the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court a stark reminder that the fight is far from over. But if the GQ Men of the Year awards are proof of anything, it’s that there are still men and women out there doing amazing and inspiring things; that there is hope in adversity. For proof, we need look no further than our International Man of Style, Lucky Blue Smith. In accepting his award, the inimitable model from Utah spoke of the recent birth of his daughter and his desire to be “the example of how a man should treat a woman”. And with that jawline and blond mane, what an example he is.
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Joining Lucky in the agenda-setting stakes was our International Woman of the Year presented by Paco Rabanne, Emily Ratajkowski. Arriving in Australia for the first time a few days before the awards, Ratajkowksi had the country in a spin after she revealed her string bikini on Bondi Beach. But, as the American model said on the night, being a role model is “about wearing a string bikini on the beach, and at a protest”. With Andrew O’Keefe hosting, guests included Naomi Watts, Adam Goodes and UFC president Dana White who was in vintage form as he introduced GQ’s Sportsman of the Year, Robert Whittaker. Closing out the evening was our Man of the Year, Joel Edgerton, whose film Boy Erased, a powerful critique of gay-conversion therapy, is prominent in the conversation regarding Oscar contenders. The night wouldn’t have been the success it was without our sponsors: presenting partner, Audi, and supporting parners, David Jones, Grey Goose, Paco Rabanne, Qantas and The Star. With Grey Goose espresso martinis on hand, and special performances from Australia’s own The Rubens, guests needed little excuse to continue the party into the early hours. And that was a wrap – 20 deserved award winners to bring in 20 years of GQ. If anything was as certain as the following day’s sore head, it was that the next 20 should be even better.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT
GQ Editor Mike Christensen; American hip-hop artist Eve, with her back-up dancers in tow, at the GQ after-party; guests were welcomed to The Star event centre by Qantas hosts; our presenter for the evening, Andrew O’Keefe.
WORDS: CHRISTOPHER RILEY.
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The Rubens, wearing Emporio Armani, demonstrated the many ways to rock a tux.
MAN OF THE YEAR I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H AU D I
Joel Edgerton "Thank you so much... I'm actually going to accept this honour with grace considering I feel we stand a chance to affect people's lives, and open people's eyes to something that's not just going on in the US, but in Australia too: conversion therapy, and the constant walking back of the rights and freedoms of LGBTQI people. I want to thank GQ and everybody here."
INTERNATIONAL WOMAN OF THE YEAR I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H PAC O R A B A N N E
Emily Ratajkowski FROM TOP
Gina Sansom and Audi Australia MD Paul Sansom, dressed by David Jones; Rodger Corser; Vogue’s Edwina McCann and Christine Centenera; Jonathan LaPaglia.
“I think Woman of the Year is a pretty crazy title. But when I think about what’s important in 2018 for both men and women, it’s about defying stereotypes. It’s about being multifaceted. It’s about wearing a string bikini on the beach, and at a protest. I don’t think that any of us have to limit ourselves into a box, or the perception that anyone tries to force on you. Hopefully men and women across Australia will take that to heart.”
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN JOURNALISM
Hedley Thomas “This time last year I saw Lyn Dawson’s family and told them I wanted to re-investigate what I believed was a clear case of murder,” said the creator of the Gold Walkley-winning podcast The Teacher’s Pet, which, this past December, resulted in the arrest of Dawson’s ex-husband Chris. “Thank you to everyone in Australia who listened.”
INTERNATIONAL MAN OF STYLE
Lucky Blue Smith
RIGHT
Julie Simmons accepting her son Ben’s award for Breakthrough Sportsman of the Year.
“I never would have imagined being in the position I am in today. This year’s been really crazy, I had a daughter which is awesome. I would like to thank her for inspiring me every single day and pushing me to set up a life for her and pushing her to be the best she can be. I can’t wait to be the example to her of how a man should treat a woman.”
GQ LEGEND I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H D AV I D J O N E S
Michael Clarke “Every time I come to events like tonight, I see and meet new people, and I just think about the table I’m lucky enough to sit on tonight - so many inspiring men and women and it’s an honour to be here once again.”
TEAM OF THE YEAR
Australian Invictus Team “It’s thanks to events such as these – and the incredible efforts of everyone involved – that I do feel we are starting to move in a more positive way around disability,” said para-canoeist and Afghanistan vet Curtis McGrath of the Invictus Games.
BEST TUX? Guillaume Brahimi and Josh Niland whose burgundy tux, courtesy of David Jones, was one of the night’s sartorial highlights.
BREAKTHROUGH CHEF OF THE YEAR I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H A U D I
Josh Niland “We opened Saint Peter two years ago with the hope we’d serve the best seafood in Australia. From the beginning, I wanted to work out why the fillet has always been the most desirable part of a fish – the fillet only yields 45 per cent of the fish. So 55 per cent goes in the bin. We tried to close that gap. And we can now say that 91 per cent of the entire fish is used at Saint Peter.”
SPECIAL HUMANITARIAN AWARD
The Walk Free Foundation
“There are more slaves in the world today than any other time in human history and slavery only continues to exist because we allow it to. Ethical shouldn’t be a choice; it should be a basic standard. It should be the rule, not the exception. [At Walk Free] we find ways to intercept the problem, liberate the victims and ultimately stop this massive abuse of human rights from taking place in the first place.”
ABOVE AND LEFT
On each table was a personalised bottle of Paco Rabanne fragrance for guests to take home; selection of David Jones desserts; Grace Forrest, and Shadow Minister for Transport & Infrastructure, Anthony Albanese.
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BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Jamie Preisz “Firstly, I wanna say a big thank you. But also, I wouldn’t feel right without using this moment to talk to you a little more seriously. I want to reach out to you in this night full of celebration, and ask you to think about something. I lost my little sister to suicide in December last year, and I want her to have a voice right now. If she was here, she would tell you that supporting your friend or a family member, is a spectrum. You don’t have to be there every moment of every day. Just take a little time out of your busy life to have a kind conversation, ask some hard questions, and really, really listen. Just a five-minute chat can save someone’s life.”
REAL MEN HUG UFC president Dana White embracing Sportsman of the Year, Robert Whittaker.
SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H T H E S TA R
Robert Whittaker
“My father instilled within me the concept of integrity; that what happens on the field, stays on the field. I took that on face value just to make him happy. But I have kids now and I’ve started to realise it’s more than that. It’s about being someone you want your kids to be. It shows me that my actions outside the octagon are just as important as my actions inside.”
MEDIA PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H G R E Y G O O S E
Todd Sampson
WOMAN OF THE YEAR
Elizabeth Debicki “I am so honoured. I know we’re here to celebrate men but I’d also like to celebrate the amazing women in the room too. Thank you.”
RIGHT
Audi Australia managing director Paul Sansom presenting the GQ Innovation Award to The Seabin Project for cleaning up our oceans. For more on the incredible work it’s doing, turn to p122.
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“Thank you. I’d like to dedicate this award to a young 16-year-old girl I met in Iraq. I was there to film an episode of Body Hack. When I arrived, a young woman asked if she could meet with me. We met at a United Nations displacement camp, just outside of Mosul. She told me her mother had been stoned to death in front of her, and her father had been decapitated. I started to cry, and she did something that I didn’t expect, and I’ll never forget. She stood up. She hugged me, and said, ‘It’s okay. Even in darkness, there’s hope.’ This for her, and her strength.”
ACTOR OF THE YEAR P R E S E N T E D BY Q A N TA S
Keiynan Lonsdale “Thank you so much. I’m pretty stoked to be here with my boyfriend. I’m proud to be able to be open about that. I’m really happy that my mum could be here. She taught me strength, she taught me vulnerability. She taught me how to fight for your heart, and how to fight for love. That’s the power of a woman.”
Naomi Watts and Cameron Bloom
CREATIVE FORCE I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H G R E Y G O O S E
Cameron Bloom
The creator the highly moving Penguin Bloom book paid tribute to his wife:“Finally, I can recognise the incredible bravery, resilience and humility of my gorgeous wife, Sam. I know most days are a struggle, but I also know that your determination has given people perspective, and inspired thousands around the world.”
SOCIAL FORCE I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H A U D I
Andy Ridley “I’m so lucky to work in a place that is so magnificent, but it is battered and bruised,” said the CEO of Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef. “But it is amazing, and wonderful, and worth fighting every minute of the day for. I beseech you to help us do that.”
FROM TOP
Georgie Saggers and Dylan Alcott; Michael Klim; Jordan and Zac Stenmark; Channel Tres.
SPORTING ICON I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H D AV I D J O N E S
Kurt Fearnley “Tonight I want to say thank you to GQ. I could never imagine as a kid from the country being called anything close to an icon. Have a good night and I hope to share a Grey Goose with every single one of you!” THIS PAGE
The Grey Goose bar; from one icon to another, Adam Goodes with Kurt Fearnley; Audi’s activation of its ‘R8 Performance Parts First Edition’.
TV ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Dacre Montgomery “I have no words for how flattering it is to be acknowledged by this community and this country. This room is a testament that you can make any dream a reality and I am beyond moved to be taking part in mine.”
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Kit harington CONSIDERS LIFE AFTER THRONES
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Kit Harington’s first on-screen role found him playing the lead in one of the most successful shows in television history. Nearly a decade later, the British actor is preparing for
LIFE AFTER
THRONES
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Jacket and T-shirt, both POA, both by Dolce & Gabbana; fragrance, ‘The One Grey’ cologne, by Dolce & Gabbana, worn throughout. THIS PAGE
Jacket, $6555, by Ermenegildo Zegna; T-shirt, POA, by Dolce & Gabbana; and jeans, $219, by BOSS.
A “Everyone was broken at the end. I don’t know if we were crying because we were sad it was ending or if we were crying because it was so fucking tiring.”
Jacket and T-shirt, both POA, both by Dolce & Gabbana; ring, Harington’s own, worn throughout.
Which brings us to the real reason Harington is excited about the coming theatre job. The nine-to-five of it. The commute. He has spent the best part of a decade inside the manic make-believe world of hit TV and for all the pampering and all the opportunities, he says, “It doesn’t stop you imagining the grass is greener, it doesn’t stop you desiring the security of the nine-to-five lifestyle.” He paints a fascinating picture: the cast on the world’s hottest TV show, all of them kitted out with crossbows and crowns and doing all the cool shit that as kids they must’ve dreamed about... standing around on their smoke breaks, sharing fantasties about more humdrum work. Making tea in the office kitchenette. Podcasting home during rush hour. “I think people who don’t work in film or TV don’t realise quite how disorientating it is,” Harington says, “being away from home all the time. Coming here today [to the hotel], and seeing all the people cycling in to work, it seemed in my head a real luxury. Which must sound mad. But the process of going to work, having a day with your colleagues, coming back to your family, cooking, having stuff in the fridge... It sounds odd to say but it’s the thing I’m looking forward to most. After nine years I’ll be at home. In one place. Static.”
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Jacket, $140, by Levi’s; top, POA, by Ann Demeulemeester; pants and shoes, both POA, both by Dolce & Gabbana.
oung Kit, as described by the man he grew up to be, was “a right little shit”. A back-chatter, a girl chaser, he once accumulated a neat halfcentury of detentions in a single year at his genteel West Midlands school. “I didn’t respond well to authority, because my parents were never authoritarian.” Though the larger Harington clan was old and ennobled (it had fed England with military leaders for generations) Kit’s corner of the family was less conventional. His mother Deborah wrote poetry. His father David was an entrepeneur. Harington caught the acting bug after he was cast in a Beckett play at school, and after graduating he spent three years at London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. What vestiges of the little shit that survived this got knocked out of him once and for all in his first professional job. He was cast in War Horse, a West End show that was famous for featuring a brilliantly puppeteered horse. More than one newspaper critic made the unkind point that the human cast were continually overshadowed by Joey. Or, as Harington puts it, “The horse always got the biggest cheer”. Back then, Harington says, “If you’d asked me I probably would have said: ‘I’m in it for the art!’ But which young actor isn’t sat there thinking of the glory of being in something that gives you notoriety?” He didn’t have long to wait. Harington auditioned for HBO aged 22. Game of Thrones’ producers must have been confident this project would take flight and go on for years, because they had Harington read dialogue that would not be relevant until season three. In the scene Harington read at audition, Jon Snow had to convince his warriorgirlfriend Ygritte not to embark on a tricky military campaign... while also concealing his secret plan to betray her... while also making it clear that he’d fallen in love with her. Tense, twisted and sexy, the scene was quintessential Thrones. Harington got the gig and began filming in late-’09. Whatever confidence his producers had in the ultimate success of the show, Harington himself was the resident on-set doommonger. “After the first season I would say to people, ‘We definitely won’t get a second season.’ Then after the second season I went, ‘Definitely not a third, no’. Everyone was, like, ‘Are you fucking kidding me, Kit? Of course we’re gonna get a third.’” Of course they were gonna get a third. By now several million people were watching in some way or another, officially via subscriptions to HBO in the US and Foxtel in Australia, with a substantial dark audience streaming episodes pirated online. In its early years the show was an ensemble affair, Harington was one of more than a dozen principle characters. As more and more members of the original characters died and departed, however, there was a definite narrowing of focus. Harington’s screentime ticked up. Occasionally, other plot strands were paused outright so that whole episodes could be dedicated to him. He was starting to look like a superb leading man and once a year, in the downtime between seasonal shoots, Harington tried helming movies. An action flick (Pompeii), a war drama (Testament of Youth), a spy thriller (MI-5). None of them JAN UARY/FE B R UARY 20 1 9 G Q .COM . AU
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T-shirt and jeans, both POA, both by Dolce & Gabbana.
“Of course I want to be in a film that gets a run at the Oscars. I’d love that. But am I seeking the red carpet-ness, and everything that goes around it? No.”
M I R AC L E AT T H A M LUA NG
WO R DS SEAN FLYN N
THE STORY OF THE THAI CAVE RESCUE – IN WHICH A TEAM OF YOUNG SOCCER PLAYERS AND THEIR COACH SURVIVED FOR 18 DAYS BEFORE BEING EXTRACTED BY DIVERS – GOT EVEN MORE UNBELIEVABLE THE CLOSER WE LOOKED.
S SIX DAYS AFTER the miracle, when the boys were cocooned in a sterile hospital and the divers had flown home and almost all of the journalists had dispersed, people came to the cave again. There were villagers from the flatlands beneath the Doi Nang Non, the mountains that rise between Thailand and Myanmar, and there were volunteers, hundreds of them in their lemon-yellow shirts and sky-blue caps, who had been there for most of the 18 days the miracle had required. There were monks, too, at a makeshift dais on the footpath to the cave, and there were dignitaries – local authorities, the families of the boys who’d been blessed by the miracle – in rows of chairs under a long tent. The people, many of them, brought offerings. Below the mouth of the cave and in front of the big sign that announces the place as Tham LuangKhun Nam Nang Non Forest Park, in a clearing cut into the dirt at the side of the road, they planted small white pennants and sticks of incense and candles the colour of goldenrod. On a table near the monks, they left fish and fruit and the severed heads of pigs. These were gifts to the spirit of the cave. For almost three weeks, Tham Luang had held within her a dozen young soccer players and their coach, who were trapped by flooding rains without food or water or any possible way to remove themselves. For most of that time, it also was assumed, if rarely spoken aloud, that some of those boys – perhaps all of those boys – could die. The miracle was that they did not.
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A relay of Thai soldiers at the mouth of the cave during the rescue attempt. Soldiers, medics and civilians from the Doi Nang Non were on hand while the boys were trapped in the cave.
And so the people came early in the morning, trudging up the park road from the police checkpoint, and they continued coming until the afternoon, and they stayed until nightfall. The dignitaries sat silently in their chairs, and the monks chanted, monotone and rhythmic, and the volunteers filled in the empty areas where the journalists and the food stalls and the electrical feeds had been days before, all of them facing the monks on the dais. They stood for hours, only occasionally kneeling, as if a field of enormous yellow flowers with pale blue centres had risen from the mud and the gravel, all of them together in the green of the forest and the steamy heat of July,
Even after they were found, rescuing them was by no means certain. To extract exhausted and weakened boys through a black labyrinth of mud and swirling water was technically daring, physically improbable, and logistically overwhelming. Yet dozens of people with specialised, almost esoteric skills travelled from around the world to do so, to try to save 13 strangers of no particular import other than being fellow humans. Those dozens were supported by many hundreds more, the volunteers in yellow and blue, the colours of the King and Queen Mother, who cooked and cleaned and kept order; and by holy men who chanted and meditated and communed
under a sky heavy with clouds but leaking only a light and misty rain. They were making merit and thanking the spirit of the cave for the miracle she had allowed and atoning for the indignities inflicted upon her – the miles of hose and cable run along the limestone, the endless boot prints in the mud, the lights and the noise and the chaos – in creating that miracle. The boys and their coach had been deep inside the cave, beyond kilometres of chambers and sumps and boulder chokes. It is not unthinkable (though it is horrifying to dwell upon the thought) that they would not have been found until November, after the monsoons had passed and the water had receded and all of them were dead.
with the spirit of the cave. And millions upon millions watched, fed live updates by many hundreds of journalists staked out at the foot of the Doi Nang Non. Until finally, 18 days after going in, they were out, all of them, 12 boys and one coach. The rescuers succeeded, or the cave relented, or maybe both happened at once. No one can say for certain, and perhaps it doesn’t matter: it was a miracle either way. Six days later, after most of the foreigners had gone home and the garbage was being hauled away and the tents were being broken down, it was possible to imagine this place returning to what it always had been, a quiet clearing next to a quiet cave. But it still quivered with a sense
COACH EK TAUGHT THE BOYS TO BREATHE SLOWLY, TO CLEAR THEIR MINDS, TO REMOVE THEMSELVES MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY FROM A MUDDY SLOPE.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
School children from India pray for the safe return of the Wild Boars; a mud map of the cave provided by one of the Thai Navy Seals; volunteers from around the world join forces to help the rescue attempt.
of the extraordinary, and so it was proper to make merit in such a place. QQQ
THE TEAM WAS known as the Moo Pa, a name that translates literally as ‘Forest Pigs’ but also, more reasonably, as ‘Wild Boars’, and they practised on a rough field across the road from a little church and a small sundries shop. There were at least 13 players at practice that night, the youngest 11 years old, the oldest nearly 17, one turning 16 that very day, which was Saturday, June 23. Practice was run by their assistant coach, Ekapol Chanthawong. Coach Ek is an orphan who trained to be a Buddhist monk and even then, as a grown man of 25,
lived as a caretaker of sorts at Wat Phra That Doi Wao, a temple at the top of a steep mountain that, if you tottered over the side of the road, would dump you into Myanmar. The summer sky was still thick with golden light when practice ended. It was early and the boys had a little time before they had to be home. Twelve of them and Coach Ek decided to ride their bicycles to Tham Luang. Though some of the boys, maybe most of them, knew their parents might not approve, this was not a reckless adventure. The cave was neither far nor isolated – coming south from the scrappy border town of Mae Sai, you turn right just before the Toyota dealership and follow the road through a cornfield
and a grove of fruit trees – and part of it had been properly tamed for tourists. It is, in fact, an official state park that includes several other caves worn into the Doi Nang Non. There is a sizable parking lot 100m past the entrance and proper toilets and a ranger station from which park personnel, during the dry season, give tours of the first kilometre or so of the cave. On the footpath from the parking lot, as a matter of cultural habit, there is a shrine to Jao Mae Nang Non, the spirit of the cave. She is represented by what appears to be a recycled mannequin in a pink dress, but in the traditional lore, she was the princess of an ancient kingdom who fell in love with a stable boy. Like most ancient stories of royalty and commoners, this one ended badly: her father’s soldiers killed the stable boy, and, in her grief, the princess stabbed herself to death in the cave. The stream that runs through the cave is believed to be her blood, and the mountain is said to have taken her shape; the full name of the place, by one translation, is ‘cave of the lady who lies waiting,’ and the mountain, from the right perspective, does indeed resemble a woman in repose. It is a majestic cavern, at least at the opening, a high and wide pocket eroded through the limestone. There is a wellworn path from the mouth, poured with cement in parts, and beyond that, Tham Luang narrows before opening again into a series of chambers. Even two kilometres in, when the cave constricts to a mud-floored passage, it’s still wide enough and high enough for a grown man to comfortably walk. The Wild Boars had no difficulty getting fairly far in, crawling through a couple of choke points to the open spaces. And they expected no difficulty getting back out. The heavy monsoon rains weren’t expected for another week, and the year before, the cave
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hadn’t begun to flood until the middle of July. The team brought no food or serious spelunking gear because they were there on a lark, a brief field trip. They planned to stay for perhaps an hour, then retreat, and pedal home to their parents. But, as it can do in northern Thailand in the middle of summer, it started to rain. The Wild Boars wouldn’t have known that at first, with a thousand or so metres of rock above them and their being more than a mile from the open forest. But water fell on the mountains and gathered into streams that disappeared into sinks, rushing down through the limestone into the voids below. The water rose suddenly and quickly, a great volume forced into a tight course. A low area behind the boys and their coach flooded, filled a narrow spot in the tunnel the same way water settles in the trap of a sink. Coach Ek tried to swim out, to see if there was a reasonable chance for the boys to follow, but was forced to turn back. More water came, and the Wild Boars retreated farther, scrambling up – the interior of the cave is not level, but rather rises and falls as it burrows into the mountain – to a chamber with a sandy patch called Pattaya Beach, then down again and up again, eventually reaching an even higher spot beyond. They settled on a mud slope above muddy water. And then they waited, first for minutes. The water did not recede. And so they waited for hours, because there was nothing else to do. Q Q Q
BOYS DIDN’T COME HOME, and parents began to worry. They made phone calls and sent text messages – to the head coach, to other parents – until, according to the The Washington Post, the coach reached one boy who didn’t go to Tham Luang after practice. The coach went to the cave and parents went to the cave, and they found bicycles at the mouth and impassable water inside. The Wild Boars obviously were trapped in the cave, but no one knew where exactly or, more to the point, how to get them out. But then the first little miracle transpired, which could probably be dismissed as coincidence if it weren’t for everything else that happened.
An hour south, near the city of Chiang Rai, lived a man who knew the innards of Tham Luang better than anyone else on the planet. His name is Vernon Unsworth, a 63-year-old British hobbyist who’d learned to spelunk long ago in the Yorkshire dales and who now lives part of the year in Thailand. That cave, he would later tell reporters, had been “my second home” for more than half a decade: he had gone farther and deeper than anyone before him and had taken extensive measurements and notes; his explorations, in fact, are the basis for some of the section on Tham Luang in The Caves of Thailand, Vol. 2, a book by Martin Ellis published the previous year. As it happened, Unsworth had his gear ready to explore the cave the very next day, June 24, just to have a look around and check the water levels. One of the local authorities who knew Unsworth’s work called him, and Unsworth hustled up to the cave in the middle of the night. Because of his expertise, he understood two things immediately, both of critical importance. The first was where to look for the Wild Boars, a crucial decision considering that the cave is enormous and time was precious. About two kilometres from the mouth of Tham Luang, there is a junction. To the right is a “passage [that] soon becomes a crawl, which is flat out in places and often remains flooded in the dry season,” according to Ellis’s book. Instinct and necessity, then, would have sent the Boars left, toward Pattaya Beach. The second important thing Unsworth understood was that divers would be required, and that ordinary divers weren’t sufficiently skilled. (Even Thai SEALs couldn’t get far at first.) Cave diving – swimming through tight tunnels full of sharp rocks and strong currents in near total darkness – is extraordinarily specialised and wildly dangerous, so much so that it isn’t even included in most naval dive training; the risk simply isn’t worth the benefit. But Unsworth, being a spelunker himself, knew of divers who were qualified, and he gave the authorities three names: Rick Stanton, John Volanthen, and Robert Harper, all of whom work with the volunteer British Cave Rescue Council.
Unsworth told the Thais to contact the three through the British embassy. They were at the cave by 7:30pm on Wednesday. Q Q Q
THE RAIN MOSTLY held off on Sunday, but then fell hard on Monday and Tuesday, too – water pouring from the sky and into the streams and down through the sinks. Deep in Tham Luang, the Moo Pa had no food, and the water below them was muddy, undrinkable, so Coach Ek pointed to the stalactites growing from the ceiling, relatively pure water dripping off them. And the boys decided to dig, using rocks to scrape at the walls. It was futile to think they could tunnel their way out, but even in futility there could be hope.
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Thai service personnel begin the nervous descent into the cave; some of the boys recover after a torturous 18 days trapped in the cave.
THIRTEEN PEOPLE CONFINED IN A SMALL SPACE WITH LIMITED AIRFLOW WILL, AS A MATTER OF BIOLOGICAL CERTAINTY, CREATE A STINK.
More important than the presence of hope, though, was the absence of panic, and the conservation of energy. Coach Ek had been a practising monk for 10 years, during which, like most monks, he’d learned how to meditate. There is a difference, of course, between devout and dedicated religious mediation and staving off terror in the damp dark of a cave, but the idea is the same. Coach Ek taught the boys to breathe slowly and purposefully, to clear their minds, to remove themselves mentally and emotionally from a muddy slope. Done properly – and the boys would later say their coach was an excellent teacher – the heart rate slows and metabolism downshifts and panic quells. That probably was more effective than digging.
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Hero Dr Richard ‘Harry’ Harris in a press conference; the 12 members of the Wild Boars and their coach hold up a photo of the Navy SEAL who tragically lost his life laying oxygen tanks for the boys along the exit route.
Outside it was still raining, great torrents at times, a slow drizzle at others, and always a threat of more, even when the clouds broke over the Doi Nang Non. But rescuers and volunteers continued to arrive, hundreds of them – Thai military and civil authorities, Americans and Australians, expat divers from the resort islands in the south – and they knew they had to get at least some of the water out of the cave. Far above, streams were diverted to slow the flood going in, and massive pumps sucked out millions of liters, steered a deluge into rice paddies brilliant green with maturing plants. “It was like two cups pouring into one,” said Setthavut Panyakham, the head of the village of Ban Nong O. The rice farmers there knew the flood was coming, knew it would drown their crop, knew they couldn’t replant until next year. But they did not protest; of 19 farmers, only four even asked for the compensation that the government offered. “It’s about giving,” Panyakham said. Making merit, he says, is also about not asking for money for doing the right thing. Instead of fretting about
their destroyed livelihoods, the villagers in Ban Nong O brought food to the cave and washed clothes for the rescuers and directed traffic to keep all the volunteers and more than a thousand journalists from tripping over each other and gridlocking the roads. He beamed when he said this. “The people,” he said, “were able to show their spirit.” Q Q Q
DIVERS BEGAN MAKING forays into the cave, fighting hard currents, laying ropes to mark the way. They all turned left at the junction, as Unsworth had suggested, moving deeper into the cave with each expedition. On July 2, the ninth full day of the operation, Stanton and Volanthen made it all the way to Pattaya Beach, the sandy rise more than two kilometres in. They surfaced. No Wild Boars. They still had some rope left to lay, so they continued on, through a sump – a low spot that fills with water – that required them to swim through a narrow tunnel beneath low-hanging rock before they surfaced again. They sniffed. Continued, p138
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WO R DS JAYA SA XE NA PH OTOG RAPHY JAKE JON ES ST YLI N G MAT TH EW H E N SO N
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BETWEEN OSCAR-HOPEFUL BOY ERASED AND UPCOMING FEATURE BEN IS BACK, LUCAS HEDGES IS QUICKLY PROVING HIMSELF ONE OF HOLLYWOOD’S MOST IMPRESSIVE TALENTS.
THE SPOTLIGHT
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Jacket, $2900, by Canali; turtleneck, $1200, jeans, $1100, and sneakers, $1350, all by Dior Men. THIS PAGE
Jacket, $4315, sweater, $1890, and pants, $955, all by Hermès; shoes, $675, by Ovadia & Sons.
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Jacket, $512, T-shirt, $73, and pants, $304, all by Dries Van Noten; shoes, $1500, by Ermenegildo Zegna; bolo tie, vintage, worn throughout. THIS PAGE
Jacket, POA, by Salvatore Ferragamo; tank top, $59.95 (sold as a pack of two) by Calvin Klein at David Jones; pants, $349, by BOSS; belt, $78, by Michael Kors. Grooming Melissa DeZarate at The Wall Group. Production GE Projects, Miami. Location Holiday Bowling Center.
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edges is really into his fingernails. A friend painted those on his left hand a few days earlier: “It’s kind of a small thing, but at the same time, it’s kind of revolutionary.” For a long time (though not that long – he’s only 22), he wouldn’t have been the kind of person to experiment with gender norms, and he had noticed he was getting a lot of looks in the airport. But he’s learning that questioning the rules is the best part of growing up. Hedges has often trafficked in the traumatic side of the adolescent experience. This year, you might have seen it on-stage (The Waverly Gallery) and on-screen – in Jonah Hill project Mid90s, as well as in upcoming drama Ben is Back, in which he stars as teenage drug addict Ben Burns, alongside Julia Roberts. And last November, there was his understated but incredibly moving performance in Boy Erased, in which he played Jared, a 19-year-old who endures gay-conversion therapy. “The reason I wanted to do Boy Erased is because it’s about challenging the world around us and the boundaries
that they put on us,” he says, “whether that’s something as small as putting nail polish on your fingernails or the bigger freedom to express yourself sexually. It was a movie that taught me a lot about conviction and standing up for myself.” The role is generating Oscars buzz for the actor, who has already earned a nomination for his role in Manchester by the Sea and went on to deliver equally powerful performances in Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. They’ve all been emotionally draining, and he admits “it feels a little reckless, the way I’m jumping from thing to thing,” but he likes to think he gets something out of each role. “Every project comes to heal a part of myself,” he says, in the way that any great personal revelation comes from digging deep. With Boy Erased, the part of himself that healed was the one that bought into traditional ideas of what a man has to be. He’s into “the idea that vulnerability can be at the centerpiece of what masculinity is in its most beautiful moments. That is really exciting.” And that vulnerability is already at the centre of his acting in each of his stunning performances – quiet, measured, and entirely mesmerising to witness. The good news is, there’s plenty more to come. Ben is Back is in cinemas January 31 JAN UARY/FE B R UARY 20 1 9 G Q .COM . AU
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After a hugely successful debut season, Kim Jones discusses how he’s taking one of the world’s most revered fashion brands into the new era.
DIOR MEN TAKES ITS NE X T STEPS
hichever way you cut it, the fashion industry has rarely looked as healthy as it does right now. Menswear, in particular, is thriving. It’s currently growing with a rate that’s outpacing even womenswear and on track to pour some $600bn into the global market by 2020. But what remains surprising is not the sheer volume of fashion brands out there at the moment – not to mention various diffusion lines, celebrity labels, and countless collabs – but how few of them remain truly consequential. In the same way that you need not have watched a single tennis match to have heard of Roger Federer or have seen a single film in years to appreciate the significance of The Godfather series, there are a handful of brands whose reputations extend beyond fashion alone. And it’s something Kim Jones knows all about, since he’s worked at most of them. After graduating from London’s famed starmaking fashion college, Central Saint Martins (whose alumni include Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Riccardo Tisci and many others), Jones launched an eponymous brand, before landing roles at a series of the world’s best-known fashion houses. There were stints at Hugo Boss, Mulberry, and then Alfred Dunhill, at which he won the British Fashion Council’s Menswear Designer of the Year, in 2009. But it was with his arrival at Louis Vuitton some two years later that Jones would make his name on the international stage.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: SOPHIE CARRE AND JACKIE NICKERSON.
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A selection of Dior Men jewellery accessories; Dior Men HQ on Avenue Montaigne in Paris. OPPOSITE
Jones with Dior’s CEO Pietro Beccari; the famous Dior saddlebag.
There, he quickly established himself as a restless designer, someone who managed that almost impossible task of having a finger on the pulse of what’s cool, while staying attuned to what kept the cash registers ringing. He demonstrated an uncanny ability to take the very essence of a legacy brand and translate it into something people would want not just now, but in years to come. Louis Vuitton, you might think, would be the pinnacle of someone’s journey in the fashion world. Yet Jones wasn’t done climbing. Last January, it was announced he would be leaving LV after presenting his final show – a collection of 52 intricate looks that were capped off by a final lap alongside fellow fashion icons, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. But those left wondering where Jones would end up did not have to wait long. His arrival at Dior Men was revealed in March, but the designer made it official (in the way that all good things are these days) with an Instagram post. Jones uploaded a shot looking out of a window at Dior’s famed Paris headquarters, as he – and the fashion house – prepared to face a new era. The caption read, simply: ‘Day 1’. “I loved my time at Louis Vuitton,” Jones tells GQ, amid preparations for his pre-fall show in Tokyo this past November, “but Christian Dior is a couture house, with an atelier – it’s the dream. Dior represents the best of the best. Simple as that.” Not that there was much time for Jones to reflect on the milestone. Just a couple of months after
arriving, Dior Men’s new artistic director would send his debut spring/summer 2019 collection down the runway at Paris Fashion Week. And as anyone with a working internet connection will now know only too well, it was a sensation. A changing of the guard that won universally positive reviews for its lighter, brighter, more energetic take on the house. “I had an idea of Dior and the pieces I thought would transfer into Dior’s new chapter. I’ve used the house colours and patterns and taken pieces from his interiors and family archive as a reference,” says Jones. “It’s all Dior pre-Dior really. I never take things literally. I take them and I reinterpret them. For the first show, I wanted to surprise people.” To do it, Jones equipped himself with a trip to the Dior archives, soaking up as much research as possible about Dior’s life and interests – from his love of flowers, gardening and the arts, to his homes, and even his beloved dog, Bobby – as well as references from the early years of the house. “I looked at the amazing archive and at Mr Dior’s personal life before and during Dior couture. It was all very, very fast – we had two months,” says Jones. “The atelier is truly amazing, so this collection was really inspired by the conversations that took place there, and seeing the archives and looking at things like the designs of pockets helped me come up with various design solutions. The heritage at Dior is incredible and the respect for it is so great, it inspired me to keep building the legacy,” he says.
“I loved my time at Louis Vuitton, but Christian Dior is a couture house, with an atelier – it’s the dream. Dior represents the best of the best. Simple as that.” Indeed, you didn’t need to look far to notice signs of the old Dior in the new one. There was an updated Dior logo on jewellery, based off a design from the ’20s, the house’s signature cannage ‘woven’ pattern that Jones laser-cut into trench coats and bags, and a version of the brand’s iconic saddlebag, this time updated into super-cool cross-body, backpack and belt-bag versions. “Energetic, respectful to the house, and referencing Mr Dior’s personal world and life – but for 2019,” says Jones of his first Dior Men collection. “To me it’s all about playing with the house codes, and using the savoir faire of the atelier and archive pieces to make them modern and relevant. We have used couture detailing and techniques, but with modern fabric developments and craftsmanship,” adding that because Dior collections are produced in an atelier – an on-site studio in which the clothes JAN UARY/FE B R UARY 20 1 9 G Q .COM . AU
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are made – there is even more scope to experiment with different techniques and fabrications in real time. “The system is completely different from that of brands where everything is based on a manufacturing process,” he explains. “Here, we follow a couture process; we have constant access to the garments and we’re free to do everything we imagine. It’s fantastic! At Louis Vuitton, the clothing was produced at the factory, so we only saw the garments at the fittings. From a creative point of view, Dior is much more fun. When you see the clothes constantly, you have more time to rethink and process them. It’s a much more organic way of working.” This, a mix of old and new, of reimagining the past to create the future, is classic Jones. And none of it should come as a surprise to anyone with even a passing interest in his career. This is, after all, the man who brought street-wear label Supreme to Louis Vuitton. Jones was keen to bring a similar experimental and collaborative approach to his time at Dior. At his spring/summer collection, it was hard to miss the giant teddy bear version of Christian Dior at the centre of the runway, a piece courtesy of American artist KAWS. Designer Matthew Williams, of streetwear label Alyx, created chunky Dior buckles, which models wore on caps and bags. Then there’s jewellery designer Yoon Ahn who created signature rings, ear studs, necklaces and more. It’s a refreshing approach. After all, the fashion industry is not what it used to be when Mr Dior was still around, and today, the demands on designers include overseeing not just clothes, shoes and bags, but fragrances, sunglasses, store designs, even entire advertising campaigns. It’s
a lot of work. And it makes sense to build a team of people whose skills you admire. “It’s nice to have an outside source,” says Jones, of his love of collaboration. “Whenever I work with an artist, I give them an idea of what we need but then respect their vision to do what they want to do, that’s the secret of a great collaboration. “Matthew Williams is a friend of mine, and I love the buckles he does, so rather than use copies, I had him make originals. He also has a great understanding of Dior, and is one of the artists that I want to work together with in the future. “Yoon is part of the studio – I thought it was nice to have someone that was working on custom jewellery. Her interpretation of Dior is fantastic, and she really gets the kind of things I like.” He may have a new team, but one thing from Jones’ Louis Vuitton days has not changed. Despite the demands of his place at the helm one of the world’s biggest fashion houses, he retains a travel schedule likely to provoke feelings of envy or exhaustion – or a mixture of both; forever posting from South Africa, Japan, Utah and beyond (and that’s just in the last few weeks). “I still travel a lot because I want to see the whole world before I die. I want to visit every country and see all the fabulous things there are,” he says. “We are very fortunate to live on this planet.” At a time when designers can be heavy handed – all too quick to simply wipe the slate clean upon arrival, and transplant a brand’s legacy with an aesthetic of their own – Jones’s strength has always been his keen sense of how to keep one foot in the past and the other in the present. His eye, though, is always on what lies ahead. Following pop-up boutiques in Tokyo, London, LA and Dubai, Dior Men will open a pop-up space in Sydney later this month; dior.com
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The French house’s SS19 show featured fresh interpretations of summer suiting. ABOVE, FROM LEFT
British rapper Skepta (right) inspects Dior’s new necklaces; Dior Men sneakers; pieces from the SS19 collection.
“From a creative point of view, Dior is much more fun. When you see the clothes constantly, you have more time to rethink and process them. It’s a much more organic way of working.”
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Don’t touch the watch C H A N N E L L I N G H I S I N N E R PAT R I C K B AT E M A N , AU S S I E M O D E L JA R R O D S C OT T S H O W CAS E S T H E B E ST WATC H E S O F 2 0 1 8 . PH OTOG RAPHY J ESSE LI ZOT TE ST YLI N G OLIVIA HAR DI NG
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: MATT MARTIN.
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Shirt, POA, by Ermenegildo Zegna; tie, $129, and suspenders, $149, both by Brooks Brothers; sunglasses, $193, by Ray-Ban; ‘Polo S’ watch, $16,300, by Piaget. THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT
‘Seamaster Plant Ocean Deep Brown’, $15,075, by Omega; ‘Royal Oak Chronograph’, $50,200, by Audemars Piguet; ‘GMT-Master II in Oystersteel and Everose Gold’, $17,800, by Rolex.
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Shorts, POA, by Sunspel; socks, $4.90, by Uniqlo; shoes, $130, by Reebok at The Iconic; and 18kt rose gold ‘Octo Romo’ watch, $19,250, by Bulgari.
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‘Golden Eclipse’, approx. $36,800, by Patek Philippe; ‘Luminor Due 3 Days Automatic Oro Rosso 45mm’, $34,900, by Panerai; ‘Classic Fusion Ceramic King Gold 45mm’, $17,000, by Hublot.
Shirt, $169, tie, $129, and suspenders, $149, all by Brooks Brothers; ‘Automatic’ watch, $11,200, by Jaeger-LeCoultre. Hair Alan White at MAP. Skin Joel Phillips at Vivien’s Creative. Talent Jarrod Scott at Ford Models.
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‘Star Legacy Moonphase 42mm Automatic’, $6060, by Montblanc; ‘Senator Excellence – Panorama Date’, $14,500, by Glashütte Original; ‘Little Lange 1 – Ref.181.038’, $46,200, by A Lange & Söhne.
WINNER OF THE GQ MEN OF THE YE AR INNOVATION AWARD I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H A U D I
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“I used to work as a product designer creating injection-moulded products like toasters and kettles,” he recalls. “I worked on racing yachts and I was travelling around seeing this pollution, this rubbish that was clogging up and choking the ocean. It was a light-bulb moment.” That was in 2015, and all it took to bring to life his scribble of an idea was a drive to succeed, impeccable timing, two years of development and a few million views on a video tethered to a crowd funding page. “It was the greatest marketing campaign we have ever been a part of,” laughs Ceglinksi, who believes shows like the BBC’s Blue Planet and outspoken Hollywood A-listers like Jude Law, Mark Ruffalo and Matt Damon have helped bring a louder voice to growing concerns like sea pollution. “The ocean plastic issue was trending on social media and that helped generate some initial interest… Seemingly overnight we had three million views on our video.” The Seabin Project raised $362,000 thanks to support and interest from international publications, TV news channels and viral websites such as Now This, Bored Panda and the BBC. That kind of money-can’t-buy PR shot Ceglinski and his floating-bin concept straight into the spotlight – a little too soon, he suggests. “I was getting around 800 emails a day at one stage saying, ‘Where is it? We want it.’” He vividly recollects just how overwhelmed
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: JACK PHILLIPS.
Rubbish isn’t sexy. Bins aren’t sexy. Conservation isn’t sexy and environmentalism isn’t sexy – unless, of course, Leonardo DiCaprio is getting all broody in front of the dusty old folks at the United Nations. And perhaps because tackling big environmental issues isn’t, on first glance, glossy, easy or, in some cases, even possible, they’re rarely solved in any direct, job done, case-closed kind of way. Because a reusable shopping bag can only get humanity so far. But on a Friday morning in Sydney, one man demonstrated to GQ how a simple solution to a big problem can make drastic environmental impact. As the sun peaked over the horizon to throw morning light across a murky stretch of water, a plastic bottle became the metaphor for a gluttonous society that could fix an issue it is responsible for creating.
The Seabin Project CEO, Pete Ceglinski, is a 40-year-old guy from Byron Bay with an ear-to-ear smile, a broad chest forged from surfing and an ocker accent to rival that of the late Steve Irwin. On this day he is wearing a white T-shirt, dark shorts, black cap and “no feet” – a reference to his absence of shoes – and is carefully sliding a circular barrel-like object into the water of Jones Bay Wharf, a stone’s throw from Sydney’s CBD. The black, grey and yellow tub slips in almost silently, its upper lip coming to rest just beneath the surface. Ceglinski stands back to survey its positioning. The water is still, the morning light plays with a thin patch of oil floating on the surface and the plastic bottle along with a wrapper from a cigarette packet drifts slowly towards the rim of the object before disappearing into the mesh within. “See – it just works,” says Ceglinski, hands on his hips in acknowledgment. This installation of another Seabin at a Sydney wharf is the latest demo by Ceglinski to local marine managers and one that marks a three-year journey. His floating-bin design, installed in ports and marinas, helps solve the global issue of ocean pollution and is streamlining the removal of waste from marinas across the world. By capturing plastic bags, cigarette butts, bottles and cups along with oil, pollutants and micro-fibres, these innocuous, low-maintenance devices are capable of collecting around 1.5kg of marine trash a day, which equates to nearly half a tonne per year.
“I did a count at the end of 2017 on the number of views our video has got... I lost count after 800 million.” he felt physically and mentally. “I’ve only just started drinking coffee again. I had so much anxiety I quit the stuff for like two years.” That funding helped the team complete some much-needed R&D while the press interest built a waitlist of future clients. “I did a count at the end of last year on the number of views our video has generated so far, and to be honest, I lost count after 800 million… It is well over a billion now.” Accolades and renewed media interest has followed since the finished products began rolling off the production line in May 2018. Seabin has been rewarded with gongs at the Advance Global Australian Awards, The Good Design Australia Awards and the European Product Design Awards. It even took out a coveted industry award for innovation at the world’s biggest marine trade show as well as the Innovation Award, presented by Audi, at the GQ Men of the Year awards in November.
“Now our mission is to get bins in the water,” states Ceglinksi. And it’s happening. More than 350 units are in the water in 50 marinas across 23 countries, and Ceglinksi is almost jubilant that those figures are set to jump exponentially when they hit the North American market this coming May. Seabin has also been given the endorsement of software billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes, who along with Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk, has enjoyed lambasting Australia’s government of late for their approach to environmental issues. Most recently CannonBrookes went toe-toe with Prime Minister Scott Morrison via a series of tweets challenging the government over its labelling of ‘baseload’ and coal power as “fair dinkum”. Morrison called for a Fair Dinkum Power ‘movement’ to embrace wind and solar. The Atlassian co-founder wore
a Seabin cap during a TV appearance on at least three occasions during the October media cycle, recognition of his part in this new, and all-important crusade. He became aware of Ceglinksi’s work through the Advance Global Australian Award. As a previous recipient himself, he’s keen to see the Seabin concept roll out globally. “It’s awesome to see practical Aussie ingenuity, backed by solid engineering, solving a global problem,” Cannon-Brookes tells GQ. But as Ceglinski turns his head to watch a frayed piece of blue twine dance around the rim of his invention, he admits that one day he hopes his Seabins will be lifted from the water for good. “We made our mission statement clear – we want to be able to one day live in a world where pollution devices are not needed.” seabinproject.com JAN UARY/FE B R UARY 20 1 9 G Q .COM . AU
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OPPOSITE
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Belt, $595, and card case, $475, both by Salvatore Ferragamo; cigar cutter, $770, by Cartier.
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Changing of the guard W E ’ R E CA L L I N G I T: 2 0 1 9 W I L L B E T H E Y E A R T E N N I S ’ G O L D E N G E N E R AT I O N O F F E D E R E R , N A DA L , D J O KOV I C A N D M U R R AY R E L I N Q U I S H T H E I R D O M I N A N C E . H O W CA N W E B E S O S U R E? T W O W O R D S : A L E X A N D E R Z V E R E V. ED ITED BY C H R I STO PH E R R I LEY
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O
Roger Federer,
Known to the other pros as Sascha, Zverev credits his older brother Mischa – also a tennis pro – as a big influence on why he’s managed to be so successful, so quickly: “I was lucky enough to have Mischa playing the tour when I was quite young so I got to travel with him and see what it takes to be a professional.” The German protégé already has 10 ATP titles under his belt, but, as Nikolay Davydenko and Tim Henman know only too well, a player’s career is judged by the number of Grand Slams won. To achieve this, he’s enlisted the help of eight-time Grand Slam-winner Ivan Lendl, a decision that Zverev explains is already paying dividends. “It’s been great to add Ivan to my team and I’ve learned a lot from him already. He has great experience as a player and as a coach. Together with my father, and the rest of my team, we have a great working relationship.” With Lendl in his corner, the odds of Zverev making the step up in 2019 look more like a matter of when, not if. Good news for tennis fans, bad news if your name is Roger, Rafa, Novak or Andy.
Know the competition THREE PLAYERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON AT THIS MONTH’S AUSSIE OPEN.
HOME FAVOURITES Nick Kyrgios is one of those players who will drive you crazy – one day he’s exceptional, the next he’ll look like he’d rather be anywhere but on a tennis court. Who knows which Kyrgios will show up this time; either way, he’ll be worth a watch. Alex de Minaur had a huge 2018, replacing Kyrgios as Australia’s No.1 male tennis player, and second youngest player in the top 100. Splitting his time between Spain and Australia, he’ll be well-placed to deal with the searing Melbourne sun that is often too hot to handle for the Tour’s younger players.
OUTSIDE BET Dominc Thiem is right up there with Alexander Zverev as a potential to lead the youngergeneration’s charge in Melbourne. The hard-hitting 25-year-old reached his first Grand Slam final in 2018 and will be pushing to go one better this year.
C H O O S E YO U R W E A P O N
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everyone’s favourite racquet sport, if your name isn’t Roger, Novak, Rafa or Andy, you may as well not bother. Until now. The past few years have seen a steady stream of young players showing glimpses of the sort of talent and consistency required to loosen the stranglehold of the so-called Big Four. Grigor Dimitrov and his lethal one-handed backhand brings to mind a certain Swiss star but has lacked the killer instinct when it counts, failing to progress past the semi-final stage at any of the four Slams. However, when the 198cmtall German Alexander Zverev beat both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic on his way to winning the prestigious end-ofseason ATP Finals in November last year, it was confirmed: a new star was born – and it wasn’t Lady Gaga. Talking to GQ days after his milestone win, the 21-year-old is quick to praise those same players he’s vying to dethrone: “[The Big Four] have dominated tennis in a way that’s never happened in the past. They raised the bar for the rest of us and made us work harder in order to challenge and try to beat them.” That hard work is paying off – with Zverev at world No.4 coming into 2019, he’s in prime position to end such dominance. Zverev’s first major stop will be Melbourne’s Rod Laver arena as he competes for the first Slam of the year at the Australian Open. And according to Zverev, it’s the perfect place to kick off the season. “We love to start the season Down Under. Tennis is the main thing in the summer there, the weather is perfect and everyone is so friendly.”
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Serving up some style
Z ZEGNA RECENTLY ANNOUNCED ALEXANDER ZVEREV AS ITS NEWEST AMBASSADOR, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, HE’S NOT THE ONLY TENNIS PLAYER TO HAVE AN EYE FOR FASHION.
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ENTER THE CROCODILE
The OG of tennis’ fashionistas, Frenchman René Lacoste created a version of the polo shirt in 1929 that would introduce a shift in tennis clothing from impractical to functional. He would go on to launch his namesake brand Lacoste in ’33 – worn today by current world No.1, Novak Djokovic.
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FRED PERRY JOINS THE PARTY
The second style pioneer to enter the game, Perry won three Wimbledon titles from 1934-36 before turning his attention to the fashion game. Founding his label in 1952, Fred Perry and its laurel sheath (borrowed from Wimbledon’s original logo, no less) is a mainstay of any teenager’s wardrobe.
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BORG’S HEADBAND
The Swede became the first player in the modern era to win 11 Slams before retiring suddenly at 26. Though not before blessing the world with some iconic style moments – his
headband as legendary as his ice-cool demeanour. In ‘84 he founded his label where, in his native Sweden, it’s the second most purchased clothing brand after Calvin Klein.
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AGASSI BREAKS THE RULES
The brash American marched to the beat of his own drum and tennis was better for it. His brightly coloured high-top Nikes inspired one of the early moments in sneaker history that is still seeing its effects on streetwear today. His desire to look fresh was so strong, in fact, he refused to play Wimbledon from 1988-91 due to its strict dress code. Now, that’s commitment.
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THE WILLIAMS SISTERS SHAKE THINGS UP Until the late-’90s, tennis remained a stuffy, predominately white sport, governed by old, stale ideas of propriety. So, when two black sisters from Compton turned up to the French Open in ‘99 sporting coloured braids and an unapologetic will to win, the
sport wasn’t entirely sure what to do. Two decades later, the pair have won 30 Slams between them and continue to rock some eyebrow-raising 'fits – cue Serena’s Off-White catsuit in 2018.
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FEDERER’S WHITE SUIT
The Swiss master, often seen as the GOAT of the men’s game, plays with such effortless style it’s only natural he takes pride in how he looks. Having won four Wimbledon championships back to back from 2003-06, he arrived on Centre Court in ’07, wearing a crisp white suit. A bold statement to make – luckily he won again, securing his fifth straight Wimbledon, beating Nadal in the final.
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TENNIS HITS THE RUNWAY
If you were in need of any more evidence that tennis is the official sport for the fashion savvy, Chanel sent a racket down the catwalk in 2008, followed by Hermès two years later. Since then, Chanel’s continued to fill its quirky
line of accessories with tennis motifs, and in 2017 released a racquet you can actually play with. The price – a cool $2100.
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ADIDAS GOES ROGUE
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ZVEREV THE FASHION ICON
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We all know about Wimbledon’s strict dress codes. The message to players is simple – keep it classic and keep it white. Which is why heads were turned when Adidas teamed up with cult London skate brand Palace to create its collection for last year’s championship. The first collab of its kind at Wimbles and if the members’ board has any say, it will likely be the last. 9
When you’re tipped to succeed Roger Federer as the sport’s most dominant force, you become a man in high demand. In 2016, the big-serving youngster was announced as a brand ambassador for the luxury Swiss watch brand Richard Mille. Now add Z Zegna to the list, officially making him the leader of the new gen – on and off the court.
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MIRACLE AT THAM LUANG, CONT. FROM P103
Thirteen people confined in a small space with limited airflow will, as a matter of biological certainty, create a stink. Volanthen smelled people. From the slope, the boys saw muted light through the murk of the water that brightened when it broke the surface. Adul, 14 years old and one of the couple who spoke English, edged to the water. “How many of you?” Volanthen asked. “Thirteen,” Adul answered. “Thirteen? Brilliant.” The boys and their coach wanted to leave. “No, not today,” Volanthen said. “There’s two of us. You have to dive. We’re coming. Many people are coming. We are the first. Many people come.” And many people did come. The next day Thai SEALs ferried food and water and blankets to the Wild Boars, and three of them, along with a military medic, stayed with the team. But the Wild boars still had to be brought out, and no one was quite sure how that would happen. Or even if it could happen. QQQ
THE FAMILIES OF the Wild Boars never left the park. They were secure in their own area, separate from the legion of journalists who filled the parking lot, and they napped on cots and in plastic chairs while they kept vigil. On occasion, monks would come to pray with them, including, at least twice, a forest monk by the name of Kruba Boonchum Yannasangwalo. He is 53 years old, revered in parts of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, and somewhat of a celebrity, as far as monks go: a souvenir stand at the temple where Coach Ek lives sells bracelets purportedly woven by him. (It also sells consecrated Phra Ruang Lamphun amulets, which are said to protect the holder from harm, and one of which Coach Ek wore around his neck. They have since become a very popular item.) Kruba Boonchum came to the cave after a woman he did not know, and who did not know him, claimed to have had a dream about
the cave. In it, the woman wrote on Facebook four days after the Wild Boars went missing, the spirit of the cave visited her and said she would not release the boys until Kruba Boonchum came to pray. So he came on Friday, June 29, and mediated and prayed. “Don’t worry,” he announced. “The boys are safe. They will come out in a few days.” He prayed and meditated the next day, too, after which he said, “The SEAL divers are not far from the boys.” Which was true, except it was Brits and not SEALs. And that could all just be a coincidence, a gentle monk dispensing hope. Or it could be, as some people believe, that Kruba Boonchum, in another life long ago, had been a stable boy who was killed because he loved a princess, and that princess, in her grief, had stabbed herself and bled to death in what is now a cave called Tham Luang. It is possible, because anything is possible when miracles are involved, that the spirit of the cave, the princess whose blood runs through it, was waiting for him to return. QQQ
THERE WERE, in the beginning, three main thoughts about how to extricate the Wild Boars. One was deceptively simple: Wait until the monsoons passed and the waters drained to the point where they could walk out, which probably would have been November or maybe even December. But the logistics – the deceptive part – made that option almost certainly fatal. Even if no trained personnel stayed with them, the boys and Coach Ek would need to be fed: 13 boys eating three times a day for, generously, 40 days is more than 1,500 meals, all of which would need to be ferried in by divers flirting with death themselves each time they went under. This was not an academic concern. On July 6, after the boys had been found and a rescue plan was being drafted, a retired Thai SEAL named Saman Gunan was positioning spare oxygen tanks inside the cave, backups for divers making their way to the boys and back, a gruelling exercise that took, depending on the skill of the diver and the conditions in the cave, anywhere from five to twenty-three hours round-trip. Gunan was 37 years old, married, a triathlete in excellent physical condition, and a highly trained diver. He was also a volunteer. “Loaded all my stuff onto the plane. I’m ready to fly to Chiang Rai,” he said a few days earlier in a selfie video obtained by the Associated Press. “See you at Tham Luang in Chiang Rai. May good luck be on our side to bring the boys back home.”
Gunan, diving with a partner, had deposited the spare tanks in the cave. His own ran out before he could surface. SEALs got him out, but he never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead at a hospital. And even if meals had been successfully delivered, what about air? There’s only so much of it in a chamber plugged with water, and it was rapidly running out: when Gunan died, the oxygen concentration was beginning to border on dangerous levels. A second possibility was to dig them out. Drilling through a couple thousand feet of rock, which would require extensive construction of infrastructure to even begin, would take too long. So rangers and guides and volunteers crawled over the mountain, looking for natural shafts. Climbers from Koh Libong Island, where for generations men have scaled sheer cliffs hunting for edible nests made of solidified bird spit – an expensive delicacy – roped up the faces of the mountain, searching for hidden openings. They found none. That left the third option: swimming them out. It had the advantage of being quicker, but also the disadvantage of, well, swimming them out. None of the boys nor Coach Ek knew how to dive. Even if they could learn the basics, cave diving isn’t the same as a practice run in a resort swimming pool. A weakened child submerged in disorienting darkness and breathing unnaturally through a regulator is more likely than not to panic. Yet through long stretches of the cave, he wouldn’t be able to simply surface and regain his composure – he would be in a flooded tunnel, entombed in rock. Perhaps one boy might make it through. Maybe half of them, or even most. But pull that off 13 times in a row, even with experts guiding them? No one wanted to say it publicly, but that plan could kill a few kids. But the rain was still coming, and time wasn’t slowing. The Wild Boars had to come out the way they came in. If panic was the main concern – and it was – that had to be neutralised. First, the rescuers brought full-face respirators to the cave. Rather than sticking a regulator in each boy’s mouth, they would give them masks that covered everything from their chins to their foreheads. Those would allow them to breathe normally while divers – assisted by about a dozen others posted along the route – guided them toward the mouth of Tham Luang. Second, they would be unconscious. Sedated, if you prefer the technical term, but
so heavily that the difference is immaterial. An Australian cave diver and anaesthesiologist named Richard Harris, who arrived at the cave on July 6, had consulted colleagues and specialists on how to dose the boys. “I’ve never done it in the back of a cave on malnourished, skinny, dehydrated Thai kids before,” he would say at a press conference later. “So that, for me, was the most frightening part of the week.” (Frightening enough, in fact, that the Thai government granted him diplomatic immunity before the kids were sedated.) On July 7, authorities pushed the press farther back from the cave. Harris hiked and swam to the Wild Boars and evaluated each of them. The rescue – or the rescue attempt – was imminent. The next morning, a team of divers, including Harris, Stanton, and Volanthen, made their way to the muddy bank where the Wild Boars were stranded. There were many theories about which boy would go first – the youngest, the weakest, the strongest – but in the end it came down to a boy who volunteered. He was strapped into an improvised harness, with which he could be tethered to a diver, then bundled into a buoyancy jacket to keep him neutral in the water. Too heavy, and he’d have to be held above the rocks on the bottom; too light, and he would bump against the rocks above, dislodge his mask, and drown. And then he was sedated. It was a fastacting medicine that put him in a near slumber, but it was also a short-acting drug. It would wear off after 45 minutes, give or take, so the divers were given a crash course in re-administering it mid-journey. They slipped beneath the water, the boy essentially a package, still and quiet. There was a handle on a his jacket that the diver could hold on to while keeping him clear of sharp rocks, steering him through the tightest tunnels. In dry spots, or at least spots not completely flooded, the other rescuers passed him from one to the next, like a bucket brigade, and in one long, muddy, rocky stretch, they strapped the boy onto a stretcher, clipped it to a line anchored in place by volunteer rock climbers, and manoeuvred him above the muck. In the late afternoon, more than four hours after he’d left the ledge, the first Wild Boar was delivered to the mouth of the cave, alive and relatively healthy. He was packed into an ambulance, driven to a helicopter, and then flown to a hospital in Chiang Rai to be weaned back to a proper diet and monitored for respiratory infection, which would not be unheard of after 16 days in a damp cave.
The next boy came about 45 minutes after the first, then the third and fourth in similar intervals. And that was all that could be done that day: Air tanks had to be restocked, divers had to rest. But rescue efforts continued deep in the cave, workers shovelling mud from the passageways that weren’t flooded, clearing and smoothing the path. On July 9, four more boys were pulled and pushed and floated and carried from the cave. The rescuers were practiced now, the cave well prepared: it took less and less time to get a Wild Boar through four kilometres of floodwater and rock and muck, a little quicker each trip. The next day, the final day, the remaining five came out. Coach Ek was the last to leave the mud slope. And then the water started rising again, quickly. One of the big pumps that had been draining the cave failed, almost as if on cue: the boys had been freed, and it was time to leave this place in peace. QQQ
EIGHT DAYS AFTER the miracle, the Wild Boars were released from the hospital. They’d been admitted in remarkably good shape, all things considered, but kept in isolation as a precaution. The boys had become national symbols and as such were treated with a kind of collective protectionism, as if the country itself had adopted them as its wards. Indeed, they left the hospital under the strict protection of the Thai government, which asked the swarming horde of journalists not to pester them or their families. Instead, the Thai authorities staged a press conference after the boys and their coach were released from the hospital. It was held in a municipal building in Chiang Rai, where a meeting room had been outfitted with rows of folding chairs and a riser for the Wild Boars and, between those two, a miniature soccer pitch. The boys arrived, ran a short gauntlet of photographers, then dribbled a bit on the little pitch before they lined up on the riser. One of Thailand’s best-known television journalists interviewed them all, restricting himself to questions that had been prescreened by psychologists who feared traumatising the Wild Boars. He gently extracted their story, from how they were initially trapped and how they passed the time to what they want to do now that they can go home. Eating real food, primarily. Kentucky Fried Chicken, surprisingly.
They said the things everyone knew they would say. At first, they were afraid their parents would be angry with them for being so late. Then they were just afraid. They were thirsty and hungry, so very, very hungry, when they were in the cave, and they were grateful now that they were out, grateful to the rescuers, grateful to the world. They mourned Saman Gunan, whose portrait they all had signed and in whose honour almost all of them would be ordained, briefly, as Buddhist monks. They wanted to grow up to be professional soccer players. Or Thai SEALs, like the ones who’d been with them in the darkness, the ones who were now and would forever be family. Mostly, they wanted to go home. Six days after the miracle, Saman Gunan was at the cave – his memory, at least, but quite possibly his spirit, too. He was represented by a large portrait set near the table with the pigs’ heads and fruit, flanked by urns of pink and white flowers and sheltered by a large parasol. He was wearing a red beret in the portrait, and he had a slightly cockeyed grin, the right side of his mouth pulled back, smile lines furrowed in his cheek. He looked, in that rendering, less like a SEAL than an extraordinarily gentle man. He was grieved, of course, but the people had come to honour him, too, in the way of martyrs and heroes. In him, in his face and the emotion it conveyed, was a reflection of all the others, the divers and spelunkers, the people who pumped water and diverted streams, the villagers who cooked food and washed clothes, the multitudes who, collectively, saved 13 people for no other reason than they needed saving. It is no comfort to Gunan’s family, but that the cave took only one of those multitudes who trespassed upon her was in its own way a miracle. That those multitudes even came was a miracle. And that 12 boys can hope still to grow up to be soccer players and SEALs is a miracle. That it was delivered by people of uncommon skill and exceptional courage and raw physical strength makes it no less of a miracle. And so the people came to make merit, to give thanks and to atone, and they stayed there all day, in the shadow of the Doi Nang Nong and the damp of a coming rain, together in gratitude for a miracle and in faith that such things are still possible.
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Shirt, approx. $625, by Ex Infinitas; pants, $1939, by Gucci; and earring, POA, by Cartier.
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GQ PROMOTION
DIRECTORY
THE MODERN MAN’S DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO ESSENTIAL SHOPPING AND SOPHISTICATED STYLE. ON E FOR ALL
HAI R RAISI NG
It’s often said that perfection lies in simple things done really well and, as the name suggests, Best Jumpers does just that. The brand’s first two drops comprise unisex garments made in Melbourne using the finest quality Japanese cotton terry. bestjumpers.com.au
Style your hair the way you want and rest assured your look will last all day with Hanz de Fuko ‘Heavymade’ extreme-hold pomade. Lightly scented with spearmint and eucalyptus, this award-winning product is humidityresistant and washes out easily. mensbiz.com.au
M I N I MOTOR With precise attention to the smallest details, this hand-built scale model of a BB Korn Indianapolis 1930s Spindizzy features leather trim, aluminium wheels and even rubber tyres. A collectible to treasure. enterprisingman.com.au
H IG H CALI B R E Sleek silhouettes, perfect tailoring and luxe linen and cotton are key features of Calibre’s summer collection. Loose, lightweight shirts with stand and camp collars and the Italian leather cross-body bag are among the season’s essentials. calibre.com.au
PE R FECT TI M I N G Tudor’s new ‘Glamour Double Date’ watch displays the detail, sophistication and superior quality for which the Swiss brand is renowned. Available in steel and yellow gold or steel with a choice of bracelets, the ‘Glamour Double Date’ is robust, waterproof and precise, making it not only stylish in form, but also efficient in function. tudorwatch.com
MALE ORDER Man Perfected’s Recurring Delivery service is designed to take the hassle out of having to shop for your favourite grooming products. You decide what you want and how often, and Man Perfected will make sure you’re never caught short. manperfected.com.au
JAPAN ESE BY TH E SEA With a drinks list running to the finest Japanese spirits, whiskies and sake, sweeping water views across Sydney’s Manly Cove and a superb selection of nigiri, sashimi and sushi rolls, all made to order from the freshest local seafood, Saké Manly is the perfect venue for long lunches by the sea. sakerestaurant.com.au
JA N UA RY / F E B RUA RY
THE
LAST WORD
Full name and where you’re from.
And the most difficult?
DANIEL DONALD MACPHERSON.
SEE PREVIOUS ANSWER.
RAISED IN CRONULLA, SYDNEY. What role has had the most profound Any nicknames?
effect on you?
BIG MAC IN SCHOOL; MACCA
PLAYING THE LEAD IN SHANE
AS I GOT OLDER; D-MAC HAS
ABBESS’ FILM INFINI TAUGHT
STUCK FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.
ME THE POWER OF METHOD IN AN IMMERSIVE SETTING, CHANGING
Where do you live?
THE COURSE OF MY CAREER AND
I PAY A MORTGAGE IN QUEENSLAND,
WHAT I WANTED FROM IT.
PAY RENT IN SANTA MONICA BUT SPENT 2018 LIVING IN MALAYSIA
What do you miss most about Australia,
FILMING STRIKE BACK.
when you’re in the US? STRONG LATTES.
Your favourite Neighbours episode? TOADFISH AND JOEL LOSE A BET AND HAVE TO SING ‘MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB’, ON-STAGE IN A BIKER BAR WEARING TUTUS.
WITH
DANIEL MACPHERSON
MANAGE IT: ONE CARDIO, ONE STRENGTH-BASED. AS MUCH FOR MY MENTAL WELL-BEING AS PHYSICAL.
you’re in Australia? VALET PARKING, PROPER FISH TACOS AND BEERS WITH MATES IN MALIBU. The #MeToo movement is...
What does your fitness regime look like? TWO SESSIONS A DAY IF I CAN
What do you miss most about the US when
T H E F O R M E R N E I G H B O U R S S TA R TA L KS S WA P P I N G SY D N E Y F O R MALIBU AND WHY HIS HIT SHOW STRIKE BACK MIGHT BE THE M O S T B A DAS S T H I N G O N T V. ( W A T C H O U T F O R S E A S O N 7, CO M I N G SOO N .)
CLEARLY SENDING THE MESSAGE TO CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS OF MEN, THAT THERE ARE WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN NO LONGER BEHAVE, SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU HAVE POWER AND/OR A DICK.
Favourite sport to watch? THIS YEAR IT’S THE EPL AND
Three words to describe your wife, Zoe.
Best actor/actress you’ve ever worked with?
THE MIGHTY LIVERPOOL FC.
BEAUTIFUL OPEN HEART.
LUKE FORD.
Something no one knows about you?
Give us the plot of Strike Back in a sentence.
Anyone you’d be starstruck by?
I COLLECT SKULL-THEMED ART.
INTERNATIONAL COVERT OPERATORS
EDDIE VEDDER [OF PEARL JAM].
Proudest moments in your life?
PATH WHILE CHASING BAD GUYS
The Australian film industry is...
QUALIFYING FOR THE HAWAIIAN
TO EXOTIC LOCATIONS AROUND THE
A PLACE WHERE I’D LIKE TO
IRONMAN BY WINNING MY AGE
WORLD, ATTEMPTING TO STOP THEM
SPEND MORE TIME THIS YEAR,
GROUP IN CHINA. QUITTING MY
DOING VERY BAD THINGS WITH
AND YEARS TO COME.
CAREER IN OZ TO MOVE TO LA
SOME SORT OF WEAPON OF MASS
AND GETTING THE CALL TWO YEARS
DESTRUCTION.
Aussie actors coming through you are excited to see succeed?
LATER SAYING I’D LANDED MY FIRST JOB THERE. MOMENTS LIKE
Got it. Best thing about your profession?
MOJEAN ARIA, CHARMAINE BINGWA,
THESE MAKE ME PROUD.
THE TRAVEL. IN THE PAST TWO
ASHLEIGH CUMMINGS.
YEARS ALONE I’VE WORKED IN
144
What’s your biggest extravagance?
CHICAGO, NYC, LONDON, JORDAN,
2019 will be...
I BUY MYSELF A NEW LEATHER
BUDAPEST, CROATIA, MALAYSIA,
ANOTHER YEAR ON THIS CRAZY
JACKET AFTER EACH JOB.
SINGAPORE AND HONG KONG.
CRAZY RIDE.
G Q .COM . AU JAN UARY/FE B R UARY 20 1 9
WORDS: MIKE CHRISTENSEN. PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID HIGGS.
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