GENT. by megangraydesign

issue no. I

J A N UA RY 2 0 1 9

GENT. t h e g e n t l e m a nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s j o u r n a l

style

tech

design

motive

CONT 01

Photo taken by Kyle Loftus

03 — curiosity 05 — exploration 09 — drive 15 — style 25 — creation 39 — fin.

TENTS the makings of a gentleman brought to you by: the proud maker of the gentlemanÂŽ

Photo taken by King Cichewicz Munich, Germany

CURI OSI TY Although famously known for 'killing the cat,' curiosity is one of the keys to a successful life. Curiosity implies a crave of knowledge-the desire to understand, rid of ignorance. One who seeks information and experience to build upon a limited expertise is one who has exponential wonder.

To be curious about life is the first step to living life to its fullest. A curious gent is one who takes risks-- accepts all opportunities granted. If opportunity is not merely given, the curious seeks it out. Go out of your comfort zone. Explore. Socialize. Who knows who you will meet. Who knows what will happen. After all, it is better to take risks than do nothing at all, leaving you with the dreadful feeling of regret.

This passion of wonder will be the driving force throughout ones' life-- a force that will determine success, failure, decisions, and outcomes.

Photo taken by Arjunsyah Indonesia

Photo taken by Annie Spratt

EXPL ORAT ION 05

"It has always been a dream to travel to Micronesia, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a whole other story to get the opportunity to go, and dive the biggest graveyard of WWII ships in the world. The place I am speaking of is Chuuk Lagoon of the Federated States of Micronesia, located about 1,000km south east from Guam on the Pacific Ocean. This is the remains of one of the merchant ships that sunk during Operation Hailstorm that took place in 1944." â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Marek Okon, photographer

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” –Andre Gide Exploring your world goes hand and hand with being curious about your world. Curiosity is the trait that drives exploration. Both are equally important when it comes to living your life to the absolute fullest.

Even if you don't live in a 'insta-worthy' city; even if you don't live in an Italian coastal town... explore your surroundings. There are hidden gems everywhere. The more you explore, the more fulfilling it feels. Get out of the house, drive around. Go places you have never been before. Just as advised with curiosity, take advantage of every opportunity. Don't back away from the unknown. Explore it. Who knows what you will learn, or gain, or find, that might just change your life.

ABOVE: Photo taken by Chase Spade LEFT: Photo taken by JC Gellidon

c o n t . 0 2 / / e x p l o ra t i o n

Want to get really crazy? Plan a trip somewhere. Or even crazier? Spontaneously go somewhere. Drive, take a bus. Find a cheap plane ticket! Nothing is stopping you. Finances, pish posh. There are plenty of buses and flights that offer fine prices for the cheap young adult. Half of the payoff from exploring is the feeling you get when you do something new. Honestly, what's better than feeling like you're living on the edge? (hey nothing too crazy). Map out a destination, whether its across the town, across the state, across the country, across the world.

Photo taken by Brooke Cagle Venice Beach, Los Angeles

Photo taken by Leio McLaren Sydney, Australia

You will meet people along the way that will change your outlook on life, and even your life itself. If you choose a popular destination, don't get too wrapped up in tourist activities. The places you explore that will most impact you are not those that give you brochures and refrigerator magnets, but those you happen to come across. Museums and monuments are great; but what about the nook of an alleyway that has a bookshop. You will learn more from a local than you will from a tour guide.

Photo taken by Brooke Cagle Venice Beach, Los Angeles

03 09

m o

w o

DRI VE Both photos taken by Clem Onojeghuo London, United Kingdom LEFT: Canary Wharf RIGHT: Barbican Station

o p

t i v e

o rk

e t h i c

i n s p i re s t a m i n a

d e t e r m i n a t i o n s t r i v e p a s s i o n ti m i s m i m p re s s

cont. 03 // drive Photo taken by Marten Bjork Stockholm, Sweden

Photo taken by Samuel Zeller Geneva, Switzerland

Do you have a passion? Something that gets you out of bed each morning? Something that excites you, or scares you (in a good way)? Something that drives your decisions? Having a job, a hobby, an activity that motivates you to be better is another key to making life more than mere existence. To be motivated in your work is the perfect balance between exciting, and exhausting. What's a better feeling than tackling a challenge, in your own unique way? In an exciting way?

A gent who has self-determination in building upon his own abilities is one who will achieve great success. Sure, everyone has days where getting out of bed is the challenge of the day. If you don't have days like that, you will go mental from lack of relaxation. However, a long day of productivity seems to feel the most fulfilling, especially when the work is geared to one's own passion. Spending time to learn and develop new skills, then applying and polishing those skills, is something that adds more to life. Motivation that fuels you throughout the day makes every second of your time count. A gent who is passionate is one with little regret on his time spent. Once the passion is there, motivation will build upon itself. You will desire to be better. Commit to what you do, and it gets easier. Keep in mind the outcome of your goals, and the pursuit will feel less draining. Pursue excellence, pursue skill, pursue knowledge that will put you ahead. Success will then be foreseeable.

Throw yourself into your passion, into your work-not only is it the key to success, but also to life satisfaction.

Photo taken by Verne Ho Montreal, Canada

13 Photo taken by Mike Wilson Daylesford, Australia

Photo taken by Brooke Cagle

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek. " â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Mario Andetti

STY LE 15

Over-sized denim jacket ✓ Casual Ivory Waffle Crew neck ✓ Thin-rimmed glasses ✓ Unshaved chin ✓

All photos taken by Parker Whitson

“The boor covers himself, the rich man or the fool adorns himself, and the elegant man gets dressed.” – Honore de Balzac

cont. 04 // style

DRESS FOR

Sport Coat ✓ Tan leather briefcase ✓

Photo taken by Clem Onojeghuo Lewis Cubitt Square London, United Kingdom

SING

Trench coat ✓ Black pants ✓ White crew neck ✓ Gelled hair ✓

BUSINESS Photo taken by Aleksander Soroka Warsaw, Poland Models: Ian Smentek, Taras Gembik

cont. 04 // style

DRESSING

FOR

Graphic Tee ✓ Cuffed denim ✓ Tan-colored rimmed glasses ✓ White vans ✓

Floral button-down ✓ Chain bracelet ✓ Spiked hair ✓

Both photos taken by Tyler Nix

LEISURE

cont. 04 // style

Photo taken by Joanna Nix

Forest green jacket ✓ Sweater cardigan ✓ Patterned sweater ✓ Skinny jeans ✓ Brown chelsea boots ✓

Flow hair style ✓ Looks like Jon Snow ✓ Light-wash jeans ✓

Photo taken by Brooke Cagle

Photo taken by Nathan Dumlao

Round sunglasses ✓ Black skinny jeans ✓ Accent-color button up ✓ White under-shirt ✓

Black sneakers ✓ Blue Cuffed Corduroys ✓ Forest green button-up ✓ Black under-shirt ✓

* The strength they all share: LAYERS Layering is a beautiful strategy that can take few articles of clothing, and rearrange them to entirely different outfits. All of the outfits are casual and simple-- yet stylish. Simply put a flannel over a crew neck, then to dress the outfit up slide on some chelsea boots. You can create outfits suitable for all occasions by the simple art of layering.

cont. 04 // style

Round sunglasses ✓ Gold chain necklace ✓ Black long-sleeve crew neck ✓ White watch ✓ Photo taken by Kyle Loftus

The style of a gent is not exclusively a tailored suit and designer tie. Style is more than fashion-- it is persona; it exists underneath articles of clothing (although clothes do help). It is suave - charm - confidence. It is being well-mannered, polite, a humble gentleman. However, it is a bonus if one can look good while carrying all of these qualities. Dark, neutral clothing such as navy, black, grays, and browns have a way of adding masculinity to the gent. These colors are rugged and tough, yet subtle and humble.

Photo taken by Kyle Loftus

Photo taken by Clem Onojeghuo Photo taken by Kyle Loftus

Navy bomber jacket ✓ Button-down undershirt ✓ Joggers ✓ Timberlands ✓

CREA TION 25

architecture // design // technology

Both photos taken by Nathan Dumlao

c o n t . 0 5 / / c re a t i o n

ARCH ITECT URE 27

Photo taken by Marten Bjork Stockholm, Sweden

Photo taken by Verne Ho

Photo taken by Eugenio Pastoral Hong Kong, China

c o n t . 0 5 / / c re a t i o n

“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.ˮ — Frank Gehry

Photo taken by Charles Deluvio

Photo taken by Marc Steenbeke Valencia, Spain

c o n t . 0 5 / / c re a t i o n

DESI GN 31

Photo taken by Kira auf der Heide Cologne, Germany

Photo taken by Rattanachai Singtrangarn

Design exists everywhere-- as does the designer. People often think art and design is synonymous. However, design is functional. Design is problem solving. Art is expressive and works as a form of decor. Design has these functions as well, however the aesthetic appeal is less of a focus for many designers. As described by Don Norman, think of the door handle. Have you ever thought a door was a pull, when it was actually a push? Did it have a handle to grab on to, implying that it may be a pull? This is a flaw in the design. Instead of making the handle flat, or something signifying 'push,' the designer did just the opposite, leaving us all confused and embarrassingly struggling to open a door. This is just a mere example on how ubiquitous design is. It is literally everywhere-- from the water bottle you drink from, to your kitchen utensils, to your socks, to your car, to your chair. What most people attribute design to, however, is branding. Logos. Graphics. The McDonald's "M," the Nike 'swoosh.' Or, perhaps people consider interior design-furniture, decor, making a room harmonious. All design are equally important. Some types are just overshadowed by others.

c o n t . 0 5 / / c re a t i o n

LEFT: Photo taken by Ian Dooley RIGHT: Photo taken by Ross Sokolovski Dessau-RoĂ&#x;lau, Germany BOTTOM: Both taken by Annie Spratt

A designer has the impeccable ability to see things that others do not-- whether its minor details, or design flaws like the door handle. A gent who has a design-mind is observational and experimental. He is one that tries new things, someone who is curious and adventurous. If you haven't picked up on it, everything mentioned in this journal goes hand in hand. People often consider themselves uncreative, misconceiving it to be synonymous with inartistic. But studies have shown putting the slightest bit of pressure can elicit the mind to be incredibly imaginative. When facing a challenge, something that puts you outside of your comfort zone, you have to think outside of the box. That, my friend, is creativity.

Something many abide by is the idea that "creativity a day keeps the demons away." This can be understood as-- the act of exercising your creative mind can impact your mentality as a whole. By simple creative activities, your mind is able to extend beyond the routine lifestyle-- it is able to see and try new things each day. A gent is creative. If he says he isn't, he has not been tested enough to think outside of the box.

c o n t . 0 5 / / c re a t i o n

GEN

"I enter a geodesic dome structure, lit with red light. Inside there’s ten chairs with ten people wearing headphones and VR headsets. They can’t hear or see me, I’m invisible. I take pictures like a paparazzi hidden in plain sight, I must admit I’m a bit ashamed that this voyeuristic feeling is so thrilling. This photo is Camille, a friend of mine, immersed in a virtual reality experience at the “Festival tous écrans”, a place were they explore the relationship between cinema, television and new forms of digital creation."

— Samuel Zeller,

Photo taken by Samuel Zeller Geneva, Switzerland

photographer

TEC N

NT.

CH NOLO GY

both vintage & new

Photo taken by Maxime Rossingnol Tours, France

Photo taken by William Daigneault

c o n t . 0 5 / / c re a t i o n

Photo taken by Alexander Andrews

Photo taken by Uriel Soberanes Museo del Ferrocarril (Estacion), San Luis PotosĂ, Mexico Tours, France

"Technology, like art, is a soaring exercise of the human imagination." â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Daniel Bell

Photo taken by Daria Shevtsova

* All photos used retrieved from Unsplash All quotes used retrieved from Brainy Quote. All content written & designed by Megan Gray

GEN The gentleman's journal is evidently more than just a book on manners. Not one mention of the proper handshake decorum or table etiquette. The term 'gentleman' is not a mere manner, but a mindset. Be curious, adventurous, passionate, creative. Explore what lift has to offer without holding back. Greet new faces, see new places.

NT. Never take opportunities for granted-- after all, a gent is not a coward, but a risk-taker. Be observant of your surroundings-take notes like the mind of the designer. Push challenging boundaries and think outside of the box! The more you stray from thinking on the surface, the more advanced you will be at solving problems, communicating, and living. Be curious. Exploratory. Passionate. Driven. Stylish (!). Creative. Only then will you be a gent. Fin.