THE EDITOR'S NOTE // 9-23 THE PRIMER

THE COVER IMAGE

pictured DAVID GANDY

wearing DAVID GANDY WELLWEAR

photographed by TOMO BERJC

location NORMAN'S, LONDON

direction THOMAS SUMNER

styling CATHERINE HAYWARD

hair BOBBY COLLIER

FOR LARRY KING HAIR, USING LARRY KING HAIRCARE

grooming CAROL SULLIVAN

AT ARLINGTON ARTISTS USING SHAKE UP COSMETICS

DO I DARE DISTURB THE UNIVERSE? T.S. Eliot

THE EDITOR'S NOTE

The winds of change howl, ricocheting, amplifying, and somewhat disturbing. Typically, change is associated with growth, a new direction, a plan. A move away from the traditional and stepping into the unknown, a chance to reimagine potential futures and make them attainable. Having looked at the cover, you, dear reader, will be aware that the Essential Journal has evolved. Yet, the most successful evolutions house tradition within its core whilst reshaping the future. It is not about downing tools and going again, it is about taking the lessons learned, the skills acquired, and the relationships built, and adapting them to fit a new vision. A vision of design, of varied voices, of the contemporary.

The Essential Journal has, over the past seven years, been a hub of creative exploration and engaging ideas coupled with an undoubtable semantic quality. These are the pillars and foundations we are built upon and will continue to build upon as we step into our future. This year we will endeavour to bring you closer to innovation, ideas, and to the people behind the designs and narratives we champion.

This issue is dedicated to change and the people willing to make that happen. On behalf of the Essential Journal team, welcome to Issue 62.

As you were.

JAI MCINTOSH EDITOR

FIVE IN FIVE

For the first Five in Five of the year, we linked up with London’s finest Brick Lane Bookshop who gave us some book suggestions to dive into throughout 2022.

ANOMALY

by Herve le Tellier Gripping. Unexpected. Thought-provoking. Unique. Complex.

VIOLETS

by Alex Hyde Heartbreaking. Poignant. Intense. Memorable. Riveting.

LOVE MARRIAGE

by Monica Ali Captivating. Powerful. Smart. Breath-taking. Warm.

TIDES

by Sara Freeman Compelling. Poetic. Strange. Beautiful. Dark.

RAPTURES

by Jan Carson Dark. Original. Brilliant. Supernatural. Whodunnit.

Brick Lane Bookshop 166 Brick Ln, London brocklanebookshop.org

Spill the Beans

GLOBAL COFFEE CULTURE AND RECIPES

Lani Kingston

EDITORS gestalten & Lani Kingston

Full color, hardcover, stitch bound 264 pages

21 × 26 cm

Available now

WHAT WE'RE READING SPILL THE BEANS: LANI KINGSTON

Coffee can act as a common denominator, a familiar thread through the unfamiliar. While coffee may look different in Vietnam than it does in Yemen, it has the same unmistakable taste beloved worldwide, helping bind us together. However, this all-consuming, centuries-spanning romance we have enjoyed with a simple cup of water infused with the seeds of a fruit from Africa has its effect on our planet.

Spill The Beans explores how the reliance on coffee production has brought both great gains and devastating losses. Climate change, coffee rust disease, and various agricultural and governmental failings have already caused devastation to many coffee-growing regions. This being her third book, Lani Kingston takes the reader on a journey through Ethiopia, Guatemala, Vietnam, and many other countries in between, exploring the myriad ways in which coffee is produced, traded, and enjoyed. An essential title for armchair travelers, curious foodies, and cafe-hoppers alike, this java journey demonstrates that there’s a vast world of coffee beyond the ubiquitous flat white.

WHAT WE'VE GOT IN THE DIARY THE BATMAN

An old friend returns with a new face as Robert Pattinson stars as The Batman. Based in his second year of crime fighting, Batman faces infamous trickster The Riddler as Gotham’s elite suffer at the mercy of the cryptic serial killer. Whilst unearthing corruption lines that cross his own family, Batman is forced into building new alliances in order to bring justice back to Gotham City.

Comparisons between Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson are inevitable having already contributed to the bulk of online conversation surrounding the film. Disturbed, dark, overly wealthy, and with a smattering of Liverpool for good measure, The Batman will turn heads and dominate the big screen. Here's hoping it does not disappoint.

STARRING

Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis.

RELEASE DATE 4 March 2022

WHAT'S ON OUR FEET NEW BALANCE 990v5

The New Balance 990 series has been at the forefront of New Balance’s resurgence in the contemporary world of fashion. The 990 is often regarded as the standard of quality sneakers being one of the most desirable, durable, and stylish models the Boston based company produces.

Whilst we mere mortals wait for the highly anticipated 990v6, New Balance has released a revised version of the classic 990v5. What makes this shoe different? The 990v5 has gone Vegan.

The pigskin suede has been replaced with a combination of plastic overlays and vegan leather to ensure that the shoes are cruelty-free whilst not compromising on quality. Largely similar to previous 990v5 models in the sense that the grayscale has remained, as has the breathable mesh upper. Add to this the small detail of a green ‘V’ on the heel, and you have a revised classic to kick off another hectic year for New Balance. You won’t want to take them off, trust us.

NEWBALANCE.CO.UK

WHEN WE'RE NEXT IN LONDON YATAY

Recently opened YATAY is a robatayaki restaurant, inspired by the new age Izakayas of Tokyo and the street culture of Japan. Pickling and fermenting are central to the menu which uses traditional Japanese techniques to create authentic sharing plates.

yataysoho.co.uk

WHO WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO KIT BUTLER

First and foremost, Kit Butler is a friend. Having known each other for just over a decade, being able to watch him rise to the top of the modelling world has been a source of pride for our community of friends and family. I caught up with Kit in between his busy schedule to see what is in his weekly rotation and what projects he has coming up throughout 2022.

Working in the world of modelling, it goes without saying that you take pride in your wardrobe. What is the one essential item in your wardrobe you could not live without?

I take pride in my shoes, I’m very much a sneaker head and love finishing off my outfits with a great shoe pairing, smart or casual. Also my Grandfather always used to say to me that “You can tell a lot about a man’s character by his shoes, so make sure you walk in with them looking pristine.” which really resonated with me. I can’t pick one sneaker, but they’re essential.

For those that follow you on social media, they will be aware that you travel the world a lot. What album or artist are you loving listening to right now?

Wow that’s a difficult question as I’m very passionate about music and have an eclectic music taste. Someone I’m enjoying right now would be this up and coming UK artist from Leicester called Sainte, Champagne Shots being my favourite song of his.

What item is essential when you travel?

Noise cancellation headphones, without a doubt. I love my music and podcasts so to listen to them without any exterior distractions is perfect.

Talk to me about podcasts, what is in your current rotation?

I listen to a lot of podcasts, one I caught recently was part of the Reith Lectures on BBC Sounds called Living With Artificial Intelligence by Stuart Russell where he explores the future of AI and asks: how can we get it right? Which makes me reflect on how far technology has come in such a short time, and how reliant we are on it everyday. Where we’ll be in another 10-20 years is hard to imagine. On a less serious note, another podcast I like is The ACS show which is a 12-part series presented by Ashton Gohil and Emmanuel Lawal where they interview some of the UK’s standout talents and also share some of their favourite music of the moment. Which for me is a brilliant mix.

Knowing that both London and Milan are home for you, where are your favourite places to eat in both cities?

In London a restaurant that I enjoy is Popolo Shoreditch, which serves brilliant Italiani tapas cuisine, worth a try! In Milan a favourite would be Mimi Gourmet, brilliant fish and very nice staff or Osteria La Carbonella for meat is also particularly good.

The Prada FW22 walk was clearly a huge one and a great way to kick off the year, congratulations. Do you have any other big projects lined up this year?

Thank you, Prada was a huge achievement for me and felt particularly special. I also got to meet very talented and inspiring people backstage at the show, Miuccia Prada and Jeff Goldblum stand out as highlights for me. As for the rest of 2022, I do have some interesting and uniquely exciting projects coming up! Look out for me at the end of February and throughout March, 2022 will be a great one.

@kitbutlerr

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT CAROLINA MOSCOSO

WHILE YOU SWAM / HOUSE WITHIN A HOUSE This is a recurring exploration of interiors with traces of people, but never people as the main character, or truly present. I like the idea of perceiving the character of the inhabitants through their belongings, or the idea of grasping action through what’s left of the event. It creates the illusion of voyeurism, spying a room that is not yours, where the most unimportant random objects tease the composition. I use a slightly wrong axonometric view that exaggerates that impression of peeking into a constructed environment, almost like a small set. And some rooms pull you into other rooms in a continuum that is not necessarily logical, but almost a collage of an imaginary domestic world, always hinting at a possible storyline and who lives there.

@CAROLINAMOSCOSO

WHO'S MAKING WAVES MATTEO BELLENTANI

HEAD OF PRODUCT & DESIGN, CLARKS

Clarks is a brand that is universally known and loved, but in recent years there has been a resurgence of Clarks shoes as a central brand in contemporary fashion. Why do you think that is?

I think it is a combination of all the great work the brand has done in recent years in terms of product and marketing and, of course, an incremental trend of casual footwear. I also think new consumers have access to a lot more information and insight regarding iconic brands and their story, especially on curation websites, in magazines, or social platforms.

Think for example how much the outdoor and outerwear category got positively affected by this in recent times. Clarks own a massive archive; centuries of shoemaking history combined with a continual cultural relevance. Our main asset is the authentic legacy and connection the brand holds with many subcultures, from the past right up to present day. Just think about the popularity of Clarks in Jamaica, the global Hip-Hop scene, or the UK acid house world. These are the base layers from which we create great products, great storytelling, awesome collaborations, and evolve the brand without losing the authenticity and the appeal to the consumers.

Having previously worked with both Geox and Adidas, what was it about Clarks that enticed you to the company?

Well I think all of what I mentioned above. I really find many inspirations from the brand history, plus I have been a big fan of Clarks icons since I started my career in footwear 21 years ago in my Italian hometown. I am a real hands-on-product professional, I love to handle materials, components, and in Clarks, the shoemaking experience is at the very top level.

200 years of history and still making waves!

Above all, the team at Clarks Originals are amazing. Great people, cohesive teamwork and understanding, as well as outstanding projects. Despite these challenging times, when a new product drops in stores - whether it is a collab or an inline product - consumers start buzzing, the feeling is unmatchable.

Equally, the variety of products we can build within the Originals brand is incredible. Just look at the new sports category we are building in conjunction with Ronnie Fieg’s creative direction, 8th STREET. Trainers between brown and sports shoes, made with Clarks mastership. It’s exciting.

What is it about shoe design specifically that you love? In essence, why design shoes over anything else?

Well I have been asked this question many times…I can’t explain it without falling into the cliché “I made my passion become my job”. Yet, this is the best explanation.

I started footwear pattern making and leather cutting right after my art diploma and by then I was already in love with trainers. Since middle school I started spending a considerable amount of afternoons in small sports stores selling loads of sport shoes brands with still not too much hype around, at least in Italy, in the mid 90s!

I started to buy more shoes than what I needed, obviously - I wanted to observe them and possibly cut them apart. In those times I was really attracted to sneakers, and I still am today.

Then during my career I covered different roles across product management, design and development. I have always felt attracted by the power that a pair of shoes can bring to your personality and lifestyle, and about the cultural side of specific products in different eras.

I think shoes are not an accessory to match a type of outfit, they are way more than that. They speak about you.

Clarks have been leading the way in terms of collaborative projects. Since you have been in your role, which collaboration(s) are you most proud of?

We are proud of our collaborations and about our family of collaborators. We feel the love they genuinely have towards Clarks Originals and the respect to our history. Your question is very personal, I like many of them and each one has a reason to be there. Personally, I love the ALD collaborations, Ronnie Fieg 8th street and MLB, the recent END Oxford Flowers are incredible, and I like the elevated basic flavor of the Beams projects and Hidden NY.

Sustainability is rapidly becoming one of the most important aspects of fashion and design. What do Clarks do to ensure that they are producing products in the most sustainable manner possible?

First and foremost, sustainable processes have been a priority in Clarks since the beginning, before it was even a thing. Just look at the two main icons : The Desert Boot and Wallabees. The Desert Boot uses a plantation crepe sole FSC approved (crepe sole requires no molding process, it's a material that comes in sheets and raw cutted) and the upper is assembled by stitching down over the sole board, so no lasting adhesives or glues.

In the majority of the styles, the Desert Boot comes unlined and the upper is composed of two pieces - vamp and quarter - then you have the two eyelets, that’s it. This makes the process of designing and creating them, arguably, the most sustainable construction in footwear, beside the tubular moccasin maybe, which is what the Wallabee is. Tubular moccasins are sewn by hand, connecting the main body piece with the vamp piece. This is why they are called tubular, because the leather is running 360 around the foot. And collar stripe added on top. It’s literally a “glove” with a crepe sole stick on it. A premium execution, simple, and comfortable.

The Desert Boot is often considered as the greatest Clarks shoe. That being said, I am a personal fan of the Wallabee, do you think there is an argument that, given their popularity, the Wallabee is challenging the Desert Boot for top spot?

They both live in very good spots! Of course today the Wallabees are where we are accelerating and evolving in terms of design and various iterations, but the Desert Boot remains a real classic beloved by so many people. Can’t change that.

And it is also a good layer for design iterations too (Desert Coal, which is a Desert Boot evolution with the same shape, got a brilliant make over with ALD and Todd Snyder collabs dropped back in December last year).

As the Head of Product and Design at Clarks Originals, what does your day-today role entail?

Overseeing, with my team, the product management and design direction of Clarks Originals inline seasonal collections, and the overall collaborations development. We also work very closely with the marketing team to ensure the narrative is fluent and consistent.

What does 2022 look like for Clarks? BRIGHT! We don’t stop making waves.

Lastly, do you have a dream collaboration for Clarks?

I think I have it for sure, you’ll see it one day…maybe.

CLARKS.CO.UK

WHERE WE'VE BEEN EATING LAHPET, COVENT GARDEN

Translated from Burmese as ‘tea’, Lahpet was founded by Dan Anton and Zaw Mahesh in 2017. Following the critical and public success of their pop-up site in Hackney, Lahpet opened their flagship restaurant in Shoreditch in April 2018. Now, the Burmese restaurateurs are expanding and look to take centre stage in London’s West End with a new site in Covent Garden. We caught up with founders, Dan and Zaw to discuss the evolution of Lahpet and what we can expect from them this year.

lahpet.co.uk

What inspired you to start Lahpet?

A desire to share and increase awareness of a cuisine that was part of my heritage and upbringing that still remains so unknown and underrated in the Western world.

Tell us about the new concept and what’s going to be different?

I wouldn’t say it’s a new concept, more a second Lahpet with an evolved food and drink offering. New exciting dishes with a more regional, street food based approach and a completely revamped cocktail and wine list. We’re not deviating too far from the warm inviting interior we designed in Shoreditch - it’ll just be larger and a little more slick with a less formal bar-vibe on the ground floor.

Why did you choose Covent Garden for the new site?

We wanted to open in the West End and this site was perfectly positioned, equidistant between Soho and Covent Garden.

What new dish are you most excited for people to try?

Too early to say. The pork and bamboo shoot dish that Zaw has developed is up there so far though; a classic Burmese curry with all the authenticity we want flavour wise but utilising the best pork belly we can get, which adds that moreish crunch to the dish.

WHAT WE'RE COLLECTING THE ART OF COLLECTING RARE WHISKY WITH JUSTERINI & BROOKS

Steeped in narrative and history spanning centuries, if not millenia, the world of whisky can, at points, seem at once daunting and difficult to find a point of entry. Well, we have an ideal solution for you. Nice, no?

Justerini & Brooks has created the ultimate whisky masterclass, The Art of Collecting Rare Whisky, a three-part online guide that takes viewers on a journey of discovery to start their own rare whisky collection. Hosted by Tod Bradbury, Head of Rare and Collectable Whiskies at Justerini & Brooks, the masterclass provides viewers with unique insights and tips on the art of collection rare whisky.

Split into three chapters, viewers will be introduced to the world of rare whisky, learning how to start their own collection from industry experts, uncovering the stories of taste, and aided in crafting their own collection best based on individual particularities and preferences. Alongside three videos, the experience includes a Justerini & Brooks tasting kit featuring four samples of exquisite whiskies from Mortlach, Talisker, Johnnie Walker and ‘The Cally’, as well as a journal to record tasting notes accompanied by a glass pipet and displayed in a Justerini & Brooks presentation box.

Register for “The Art of Collecting Rare Whisky” at justerinis.com

WHAT WE'RE ... NATHAN FITCH

DIRECTOR OF DRAWING LIFE: GEORGE BOOTH

Talk us through the process of creating Drawing Life. What were you most surprised to uncover?

The idea of making a documentary about George Booth came about quite organically, after I met him at a cartoonist party on the Upper West Side in 2017. During one of the first shoots I did for the project that summer, the illustrator Sandra Boynton paid George a visit at his apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. At one point on that sultry afternoon, Sandra showed George an animation that she was developing based on her drawings, and he was infused with a palpable childlike delight. This planted the seed of an idea that it could be interesting to incorporate animation into the observational filmmaking process I was employing for the project, to create something more hybrid. I reached out to the animator/artist Emily Collins, whose aesthetic and persona seemed like a great fit for the collaborative approach I envisioned. Emily and I gave a great deal of thought and consideration into how we could incorporate motion into George’s cartoons, which he had originally drawn with the intention of being static.

One of the interesting things that I observed while making “Drawing Life” was how George’s style and approach as an artist evolved over the course of time. In sifting through his substantial archive (published and unpublished), I came across drawings by his mother, Maw Maw Booth, an artist, who first inspired George to draw during the Great Depression of the 1930s. It was also intriguing to see the through lines of his creative thinking and evolving ideas around line quality, form, stroke and rendering over the years, as well as the way written words (which he collects from varied sources) that inspire his fertile imagination.

What sparked the idea for the project, and what did you hope to accomplish through it?

I was diagnosed with Dyslexia at a very young age, and since reading was challenging for me, I always gravitated toward visual images—comics, graphic novels, cartoons, and graffiti. After starting to film for “Drawing Life,” I came across a sketchbook I kept years ago in high school with reference images (a requirement for an art class), and one was a George Booth cover for The New Yorker.

George’s work has been ricocheting around in my brain for a while, and probably explains why I felt compelled to make a doc-

umentary about him. George also served in the Marines during World War II at the same time as my grandfather, whom he reminded me of. Given George’s age, I also felt a certain urgency to capture his stories sooner than later.

Around the time I met George, the United States was roiled by a profound and furious wave of political division. These fault lines were most clearly visible in the vast gulf separating the populations living in large urban cities (especially coastal) and those living in middle America and the countryside. Yet, in both his personal identity and in his work as an artist, George Booth seemed to be able to straddle these worlds in a way that few people can. Could making “Drawing Life” amplify the radical idea that the divisions in America are not as debilitating as we feel they are, and that there is still a place for decency in a country being torn asunder? Might a shared laugh over a clumsy Booth hound, or a knee-slapping caption give us collectively the chance to exhale and loosen our fists a little bit? Over the course of making “Drawing Life,” it was also special to witness the multi-racial community to which George and his family belonged on their block in Crown Heights, by far the warmest enclave I’ve experienced in the 10+ years I’ve lived in New York.

What do you hope audiences will take from the film?

George began drawing at age three, in 1929, so he’s been at it for a while. Despite his immense natural talents and a supportive family, it took him time to find his way as an cartoonist and artist. This included a stint in the Marine Corps, setting type for a newspaper, doing inglorious odd jobs such as moving dirt, years of working as an art director in trade publishing, and hundreds of rejections before he was ever published in The New Yorker.

As is discussed in the lunch scene in “Drawing Life,” George eventually gave up doing what he thought was expected of him as a cartoonist, and began drawing from his lived experience, including mining his childhood in rural Missouri. And the resulting whimsical world that straddles geography, time, and space is what makes his work so iconic and recognizable. I hope a take-away for someone viewing “Drawing Life” is that while you have to put in the work, especially as a creative, it’s also important to try to tune out noise and expectations, and try to find your way back to the spark of joy that made you want to create in the first place.

@drawinglifemovie Directred by Nathan Finch and animated by Emily Collins