THEMAGAZINE issue 15 : ROLE PLAY (MEN ISSUE)

iconic Iris Meet a true American original: the one, the only Iris Apfel. For the past nine decades she has been forging her own idiosyncratic style – a style that has, along with her razor-sharp wit, propelled her from relative anonymity to geriatric starlet. She’s not just a hoot; she’s a 93-year-old inspiration. by max crosbie-jones photography from corbis and metropolitan museum of art

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o you guys want a macaroon? They’re too fancy for me,” she says in her New York drawl, her eyes blinking quizzically at me through giant spectacles. Too fancy? This is Iris Apfel: the nonagenarian fashion maverick whose apartments in New York and Palm Beach are a maximalist jumble of the exotic and the baroque; whose exuberant accessorising has inspired legions of fans and propelled her on to magazine covers; and whose collections for the Home Shopping Channel – usually the preserve of the tackiest of tack – twinkle and sparkle like fallen stars. No, nothing is too fancy for Iris Apfel, surely?

Just look at her. Today, in a plush hotel that backs onto Miami’s palm-lined waterfront, Iris wears jeans: bell-bottomed, could-be-from-Walmart blue jeans. But this is no run-of-themill outfit. Accompanying them is a tasseled white leather jacket, a bright blue feather-boa bag, assorted turquoise stone necklaces, and a pair of dainty suede shoes.

Then, offsetting the ensemble’s eclectic theatricality (Has she just raided a dressing-up box? I can’t help but think to myself) is her imposing presence. The title of the 2005 exhibition that brought Iris to public attention, “Rara Avis,” is Latin for “rare bird.” And, looking her up and down, I’m struck by just how bird-like she looks: the sagging turkey neck; the finefeathered, flamingo-pink hair; those humungous round spectacles, which give her the air of a giant owl (and also remind me of Janine Melnitz, the secretary from Ghostbusters).

Iris is here to give her views on authenticity (Iris, it quickly transpires, has a view on everything) at the New York Times International Luxury Conference. But first she has a

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Each mannequin stood as a nostalgic celebration of one lady’s unfettered imagination and anything-goes courage.

bone to pick with technology, or more precisely its intrusion into the worlds of glamour and fashion.

When I find her calmly nibbling macaroons in the foyer, she has just watched a high-profile panel talk about the advent of wearable tech: fashion accessories that bestow the wearer with 21stcentury connectivity as well as style. She isn’t sold on it though.

Our obsession with technology is approaching madness. We have, she thinks, collectively lost the plot. “I don’t happen to be a fan,” she says dryly, the plate of fancy macaroons wobbling slightly in her hand. “I think to condemn it is ridiculous. But it’s been carried to an absolutely insane extreme.

I think we’re living in a world of total distraction. Why would you want to be plagued with emails on your wrists or your boots? I think it’s insane. What the hell do you need all these things for?”

Iris has a point, but, in fairness, one could easily ask her the same question. Her and her one-hundred-year-old husband Carl’s three-bedroom Manhattan apartment is, by all accounts, as flamboyantly decorated as she is, housing several department stores’ worth of clothing and ornaments, from painted Genoese chests to chinoiserie mirrors and Florentine paintings. It is a boiseried rabbit-hole down which the fashion scholar Harold Koda tumbled and spent weeks happily foraging, his plans for the show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute getting more ambitious and expansive with each new idiosyncratic discovery.

Tell me how it came about, I ask. At first, she tells me, it was to be a small accessories show, but Koda decided that showing them out of context was counterintuitive and so requested five outfits to accompany them. That opened a Pandora’s Box. Of the two weeks

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that followed, she says: “He looked in the closets, he looked under the bed, he looked in the drawers, and he kept oohing and ahing and finding all kinds of things I had forgotten I owned. And before we were finished I had to buy 10 racks, all the furniture had to be pushed to the side, and my husband was allotted a small space to dine on. He said I was lucky I didn’t make him sleep in a drawer.”

Her husband’s hardship was worth it. Comprising 85 outfits (a lot more than the original five), “Rara Avis” was a crowdpleaser from the get-go. The ensembles (assembled “as I had worn them maybe sixty years ago,” she says) included a pink woolpile Lanvin jacket and loose black trousers set off with turquoise Native American necklaces, Italian cuffs and a Mexican leather and hammered-silver belt. Another paired a House of Lanvin evening gown with Bhutanese and Tibetan cuffs and necklaces, the golds, browns and pewter tones of the dress’s silk faille offset beautifully by the silvers, ambers, corals and turquoises of the jewellery.

Above all else, Koda was out to demonstrate to New York audiences the transformative power of the accessory – how it can function as a sort of sartorial fairydust – but the show also struck a deeper chord. Confidently mixing and matching genres, colours, textures and patterns without regard for period, provenance or aesthetic convention, Iris’s richly layered costumes showcased a very rare and brave sort of élan. Each mannequin stood as a nostalgic celebration of one lady’s unfettered imagination and anything-goes courage – was a witty and worldly fashion statement that said, in no certain terms, ‘”I dress for me, not the rest of you.” At the not-sotender age of 85, a new fashion icon had been born. o this is how her second life – her fashion life – began, but who was Iris before the adulation? What turn of events gave rise to such extraordinary taste? Who was she before she became a magazine covergirl? And when did this love of offbeat things and free-spirited dressing start?

The chapters in her life are long and many. But condense her life-story and it boils down to this: before she was Iris, the “geriatric starlet” (an epithet she is justly proud of), she was Iris, the respected interior designer – still a somebody, just not a somebody you are likely to have met or heard of unless you are familiar with the American home-furnishings trade.

Born August 21, 1921, she grew up in the working-class neighbourhood of Astoria, just across the river from East Manhattan. Her earliest memory of articulating her own style is, as she recounted in a 2007 profile for The Daily Telegraph, standing on a stool at the age of four, screaming because she objected to the hair ribbon her mother had chosen for her. “I was saying, ‘It doesn’t match! It doesn’t match!’ Now I hate things that match – I hate matchy-matchy!” she told the reporter. She acquired her love

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of accessories from her mother. “She worshipped at the altar of the accessory,” she says, “and I’ve been collecting them since I was eleven years old.”

She read art history at New York University, and spent her early twenties working at Women’s Wear Daily, a fashion trade journal, and scouting locations for the fashion illustrator Robert Goodman. But these were dead-ends. Only after a stint working for a woman who dolled-up apartments during the post-WWII housing doldrums did she find her true calling.

By the early 1950s, she and her husband, Carl, who she married in 1948, were well on their way to becoming somebodies. They had a textile-and-design company, Old World Weavers, which produced meticulous hand-loomed reproductions of antique fabrics for highsociety clients, including the White House (they sold it in 1992 but are still advisors). Soon they were hanging out with some of them at parties and making twice-yearly buying trips to far-flung corners of the

Her appeal boils down to more than appearance.

It’s not just the Iris look; it’s the Iris attitude.

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world. It was on these trips – while ferreting around Parisian maisons de coutures, North African souks and Middle Eastern bazaars – that her wardrobe grew and her creative palette began leaning towards the offbeat and tribal. As The New York Times art critic Roberta Smith puts it, “Before multiculturalism was a word, Mrs Apfel was wearing it.”

Though space in her apartments is scant, today she is still a keen “hunter-gatherer” and still loves mixing high and low fashions, creating something unique out of disparate elements. “Then there’s some part of me in it,” she says. She sees no great divide between designing a room and dressing oneself. Both are a form of self-expression. “Composing the elements of interior and composing an ensemble are part and

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about pairing haute couture with flea market finds, or 19th-century ecclesiastical vestments with Dolce & Gabbana lizard trousers. However, her opinion of her contemporaries has changed. Big time. When I ask who she admires from the world of popular culture today, there is a long pause. And a sigh. “Today? No. The past? Oh yes….Pauline de Rothschild and Millicent Rodgers were women of taste and individuality, but now everybody seems to want to look alike,” she says, picking up steam.

Style is not what it used to be. The fifties through to the eighties were the golden age, she thinks, as “everybody looked elegant, everybody took pains to look pretty and be chic.” Now we all look “dreadful,” especially

For Iris, her status as a venerated style guru is not so much about her as about what we’re all hankering for. parcel of the same thought process,” she says. “You bring your own experience, thoughts, feeling, and your likes and dislikes.”

She likens herself to “a great big sponge.” When an exhibition of Matisse’s cut-outs was staged at London’s Tate Modern in 2013, Iris admitted to being unconsciously influenced by him, and pulled cutout-esque Dior capes and Versace suits from her wardrobe to prove it. “Colour is one of the most important things in the wide world,” she said. It is also tempting, given the late-20thcentury New York milieu she inhabited (plus, her friendship with Duke Ellington), to see comparisons between her “looks” and the improvisational styles of abstract expressionism and jazz.

The way Iris puts together an outfit hasn’t changed much over the years (we’ve just been slow at noticing). She still does it quickly – “I have no time to think about it,” she says – and she still has no qualms

in New York. But you have so many young fans, I point out. She must have hope? Another pause. Another sigh. “Oh, I have a glimmer of hope.

But it’s very faint. People are like sheep. Whatever anybody does – good, bad or indifferent – and whether they like it or not, they do it. We have given rise to a generation of robots and zombies.” e might be a generation of robots and zombies, but we love Iris.

We really do. Conducted on the sidelines of the conference, our interview is interrupted by people falling over themselves to be in her company, ask a question, furnish her with another plate of macaroons or cup of chamomile tea, express their love, or just say hi. And out there in the real world, the affection is no less strong, the effusive tributes ranging from Iris Apfel Pinterest boards and T-shirts to Halloween costumes (“Oh, that was really demented,” she sniggers). The Coveteur,

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a website that delves into the lives of the individuals defining our zeitgeist, even has a go-to phrase for those moments when inspiration eludes them: WWID, or What Would Iris Do? Her appeal is about more than mere appearance. It’s not just the Iris look, those specs (“the bigger to see you with”) – it’s the Iris attitude. No mere clotheshorse, she is a fount of good, old-fashioned advice at a time when many of us feel we need it. Her bon mots are the kind you want to stow away for safe keeping, all of them signposting one overarching principle: be singular, be yourself. She’s refreshingly honest, sometimes painfully so, and as fallible as the rest of us. Take her views on dressing: “The fun of getting dressed is

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are in the works. And later this year, an up-close and personal character study, Iris, by the late American documentary-maker Albert Maysles, will be released. “I should slow down. But I don’t know if I will,” she says, in a manner that suggests she’ll do no such thing.

“It’s hard to explain all that is Iris: a curator of creativity, a preacher of confidence, a master of authenticity and a goddess of personal style,” says a fashion PR rep who’s such a fan she went and had Iris’s face tattooed on her wrist. “Iris’s vivacity dominates any room,” says Negin Kordbacheh, the Miami-based attorney who joined the conference. “She’s an innovator, never shy to take risks.

I’m drawn to her maverick allure.” But for Iris, her status as a

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it’s a creative experience, and I never know what it’s going to be.”

Or style: “Learn who you are, what you’re comfortable with, and what you can pull off. It’s better to be happy than well-dressed.” Or plastic surgery: “If women put some more of the time and money they put on their heads in their heads, they’d be better off.” And ageing: “Take advantage of it and put your experience to work.”

And boy, does she put her experience to work. After the talk today, she’ll head straight back to her Palm Beach apartment to look after Carl (“He misses me terribly”), but she remains a career gal at heart. “I’ve become a mannequin at 93,” she says. “I just did three commercials for Kate Spade, and one for Alexis Bittars. And I even did a vodka commercial, which was fun.” Few people in their dotage work this hard. Few people any age work this hard. She’s a visiting professor at the University of Texas, Austin (once a year she takes the best and brightest around New York to learn what “fashion is all about – that it’s not just a runway bubble.”) Her accessory designing for the Home Shopping Channel is ongoing; handbag and rug collections

venerated style guru is not so much about her as about what we’re hankering for. “There is a great sense of loss, and people are nostalgic,” she says. “I’ve spoken to people about it and it seems there is something in modern life that they know they’re lacking but they don’t know what is is. And when they see me or my show, it touches a nerve.”

Perhaps it’s this: by imploring us to value our individual selves rather than the marketed selves we are sold, by championing the process of aging gracefully rather than resentfully, and showing us it can be done with a smirk and in bravura style, Iris has brought something that was lacking to the heavily PR-puffed worlds of contemporary fashion and beauty. Her iconoclastic outfits and her irreverent persona are an affront to our self-doubt and our conformity. When it comes to expressing ourselves, Iris is helping people rediscover a lost sense of whimsy and adventure. If she can do it, you can is the message. Stop being robots and zombies. Iris is Iris; now you, go be you.

the style game We look at some of Hollywood’s most stylish ­ and speak to some men – of Bangkok’s – to find out how men’s sartorial tastes should evolve from their 20s into their golden years. by ana g. kalaw / interviews by top koaysomboon & appy norapoompipat / photography by chakkaphan im-aree

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en in their 20s approach fashion like they do dating: as if it was one huge free-for-all. So much to see, too many things to experience. It’s rare for a 20-something to know what he wants. Many play the field, carelessly going through trends, weeding out the trashy from the classy, indulging in experimentation, seeing what fits. Some have a go at all of it, flicking through trends and brands like a Tinder interface. Yes. No. Let’s try this one. There are more misses than hits; barely anyone gets it right at the first try. And that’s perfectly normal.

Even Zac Efron, whose rugged jeans, perfectlymussed up hair and bicep-baring, rolled-up shirts are straight out of an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog, was wearing louche-y jeans with white leather belts before achieving fashion divinity status.

Dressing up is touch-and-go at this age.

The fashion-eager 20-year-old can wear printed polyester tank tops and canvas sneakers and critics will either acceptingly attribute or condemn his outfit to youthful (in)discretion.

He can flaunt a gym-hewn bod in muscle tees and slim-fitting jeans (possibly indulge in the occasional overzealous shirtlessness) and have others swoon or scorn. At this point, it’s all fair game.

There are some who get it right with the first few tries; men, like young British actor Nicholas Hoult, who already know to work with

Zac Efron

The Essential Mix Say it with cool graphics not with silly words.

Printed shirt from GStar.

This is the only decade you can wear pants this slim -unless you’re Steven Tyler (which you are not). Faded skinny jeans from GStar.

They’ll love you back the more you scuff ‘em up.

Lace-up boots from John Varvatos.

Kit Harrington

Fashion is a playground for the 20-something man. what they have. The 25-year old X-Men star is always nicely decked out, taking full advantage of his long, lean frame to make the most of sleek, slim-fitting suits and skinny pants — even blue, furry prosthetic suits.

Kit Harrington is another Hollywood up-and-comer who has achieved his styling chops early on. The Game of Thrones actor eschews fur-padded strait jackets in real life but still manages to maintain his badass on-cam persona with sleek boots, pectoral-friendly tees and low-slung rocker jeans. In Bangkok, actor and the Yers band bassist, Nitit “Boat” Warayanont, confidently translates his enigmatic onstage persona to the streets with slouchy scoop neck shirts, sharp jackets and shampoo-commercial locks.

Most 20-somethings play it safe by opting for the fashion norm: essentially city cool with bits of hipster affectations. Jamie Bell has got the look down pat, and even carries it off without being annoying. Outside of movie sets, the British star wears acetate glasses, plaid shirts buttoned up to the neck and every type of conceivable headwear (fedora, newsboy, beanie).

Mostly, fashion is a playground for the 20-something man, one where he can take risks, try on different personas and switch them out like underwear.

The best thing about it: people will readily forgive his sartorial slip-ups. Everyone knows, at this age, it’s never that serious.

Nitit "boat" Warayanont

The actor and guitarist of famous rock band, The Yers, is mostly recognised for his tall and lean frame, long frizzy hair, and a modern grunge look characterised by skinny black jeans, a vintage-looking denim jacket and aviator shades.

Fashion must: “Every man should have a pair of pants that perfectly fits his figure. I go for dark-coloured jeans.”

Style icon: “El Mariachi [a leading character in Desperado portrayed by Antonio Banderas] has always been my fashion icon. I like everything about him: how he wears pants and jackets, how he ties up his hair. Literally everything. I grew out my hair because I wanted his look. You know, I cut my hair once and it didn’t feel right.”

No wear: “I hate being mainstream. So if one day my grunge style becomes mainstream, I would have only two choices: stop going for the grunge look or go even more grungier.

Signature accessory: “I love wearing necklaces that hold a story. In foreign films, leading actors usually wear a necklace with a story behind it. It was perhaps given to them by their girlfriends or their families and it inspires them to do something.”

Style investment: “I can invest on a fashion piece I really love. For example, this Denim & Supply denim jacket I am wearing costs over ten thousand baht.”

Fashion faux pas: “Men should stop wearing those studded bracelets, cuffs and necklaces, thinking they will make them look like a rock star. They are so not rock.”

Trademark style: “Black, white and grey are my only colours. No graphic prints. No humorous typo prints. However, I still want to infuse some prints and colours into basic black pieces, like what another style idol of mine, Sergio Pizzorno [Kasabian rock band’s guitarist], does.

Grooming rites: “I always learn about grooming tips from the experts. Like, if I see that a friend has really healthy long hair, I’ll go ask which shampoo he is using. I groom myself so little these days because of my tight schedule. I have my hair cut at a salon that belongs to my bandmate’s mother. I do push-ups at home when I have time. That’s it.”

Next generation: “The older I am, the shorter my hair would be, I guess. But I am in that stage of growing my beard and moustache, following the look of my grooming idol, Keanu Reeves.”

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Benedict Cumberbatch

man only comes into his own style in his 30s. He’s done with experimenting. He’s ready to settle down.

The only arm candy he wants is a luxury timepiece on his wrist (even if it might take a few more years before he can really afford it). He learns about investment pieces and classic fashion. He may flirt around with different looks but eventually goes back to what works best. He can still play the game, but when he does, it’s by his own rules.

By this time, a man should already know his way around a dinner jacket. He recognizes the value of cut and detailing, and puts a premium on moderation and restraint. There’s a preference for fit over fashion. Benedict Cumberbatch reflects the philosophy best. Nobody will call The Imitation Game star a trendsetter but his preference for crisp suits, skinny ties and cigar-thin trousers has always earned top marks, not to mention spots in Hollywood’s sexiest lists.

Although he’s no longer an avid follower, the 30-something sartorialist still appreciates trends. He’s just more cautious with what he takes on. He sees Ryan Gosling in a toffee-coloured three-piece and likes it, but instead of saying, “I can do that” he first asks, “Is that me?” He’s also more careful about his colour choices, exchanging the brash neon hues and geometric patterns of his collegiate past for muted autumn shades or pale pastels. He injects rich colour every now and then but only to keep his look contemporary and up-to-date.

The Essential Mix Wearing pristine white says you’re set to take on responsibility.

White pullover from Ralph Lauren.

Tailored over baggy anytime, especially after your 20s.

Slim-fit pants from GStar.

Goes well with jeans, pairs perfectly with a day suit.

Wing-tip oxfords from Bally.

Ryan Gosling

It is at this age that a man establishes a signature, that trademark look by which he will be remembered.

It is at this age that a man establishes a signature, that trademark look by which he will be remembered. He may take to no-nonsense monochromatic palettes like Michael Fassbender, whose street uniform is usually a mix of darkcoloured shirts, fitted black jackets and darkwash jeans. (Any lack of detail is made up for by the Irish actor’s swaggering countenance, one probably enhanced by the knowledge that he went full frontal in Shame and triumphed.) He can wear felt hats with John Lennon glasses and don denim like second skin as does Thai rock star Hugo Chakrabongse. Or he can rock rugged like James Franco, who has put his own brand on stylish dishevelment. Franco’s is that kind of rugged that dons brazen biker jackets and bulky outerwear over faded henleys. That kind of rugged that jumps out of bed straight into scuffed-up boots.

There’s even a hint of weathered mayhem in his formal wear – that perennially unkempt mane is always present whether he’s in a sleek Gucci set or stonewashed jeans.

In his 30s, a man favours common sense over fashion sense. He gravitates to tried-and-tested looks that will love him back. At this point, he’s already thinking of a style that will last, possibly one for keeps.

chulachak Chakrabongse

The Thai-Brit musician channels modern cowboy with an unapologetic love for denim, an obsession with hats and a fascination for old Clint Eastwood Westerns.

Fashion influences: “I guess my main fashion influence would probably be A Fistful of Dollars. I was just obsessed with cowboy movies particularly Clint Eastwood and ’70s American rural muck. I’d say I was influenced by mid-20th century American things: movies, cars, etc.”

No wear: “I definitely was very anti-mainstream. I did not think that the mainstream Thai entertainment industry was a fashionable place. I felt that the clothes were horrible and I wanted no part of that sort of clean cut rich-boy look — whether it’s true or not.”

Rules of style: “Every time I wear trainers and step out of the house I’m just like ‘Fuck! What if I meet someone?’ So I always try and dress in such a way that I can go do whatever I want to do next and not have to change. Which is why I’m moving towards suits. If you’re in a suit, you can show up anywhere.”

Fashion faux pas: “I think wearing sunglasses indoors or at night is no longer acceptable. It may have been at one point but I just don’t think it’s acceptable anymore. I think it makes you look seriously pretentious. Yeah. That’s a big no-no.”

Trademark look: “Double denim; a lot of people frown on that. I have no problem with it. I’d go triple denim if I could.”

Signature accessory: “My wife and I have a wall of hats. Hats are kind of like shoes, in that getting a cheap hat isn’t as economical as you think it is. At some point, it’s going to look shit or it’s going to fall apart or it’s going to be uncomfortable. You can’t really cheap out on stuff like that. I’m also working with a Thai tailor called Taywin on a pair of suede boots that have got ‘Hugo’ on the back and when you walk along it goes ‘clink, clink, clink’ like the sound made by spurs. It’s childish. It’s like dressing up like a cowboy. It’s literally everything to do with that.”

Grooming rites: “The best way to stay well-groomed is to be in a relationship I think, or to have the desire to be in a relationship. When I was by myself, I would look like a homeless person after a while.

If people start throwing change at you in the street, take a bath.”

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man can only be stylishly cool in his 40s. The remaining bits of insecurity should be gone by now, along with the baggy jeans, muscle tees and ostentatious bling. Men in their 40s don’t bother wearing statement shirts, either; they don’t wear what they think, they just go ahead and say it. There are no more chips on those unpadded shoulders, none of that leftover quarter-life baggage to deal with.

Dressing in his 40s has become easier for a man than in any previous age, mostly because he makes it – and takes it – easy.

He’s become loyal to one look. Flash, flair and gloss don’t matter as much as comfort and familiarity. He doesn’t concern himself with tags. Indie artist? Classic James Bond?

Tom Ford chic? It doesn’t really matter. He likes his style, he likes himself. Keeping up with the Louis Vuittons next door isn’t as important anymore – that’s all left to the young ones and their Damier-imprinted trainers. Jude Law perfectly embodies the attitude. The star is an expert in urban casual, always stepping out in stretchy tees paired with chic linen jackets and low-slung bottoms. Any trend obeisance is camouflaged by a preference for neutral tones and a disarming smirk.

Jared Leto

The Essential Mix Time to ditch those worn-in hoodies.

Leather jacket from Coach.

Leave the canvas messengers to university kids.

Leather messenger bag from Tom Ford.

You want to look sleek, not scruffy.

Ankle-length boots from Tom Ford.

Pharell

Willie MCIntosh Jude Law

The remaining bits of insecurity should be gone by now, along with the baggy jeans, muscle tees and ostentatious bling.

Signatures are firmly in place for the 40-something follower of style. Like Pharell with his funny hat or Bradley Cooper with his trademark tieless three-piece suits; Jon Hamm, who opts to comb back his hair when everyone else is styling theirs shaggy and Jared Leto, who has no qualms about wearing Jesus hair and eyeliner at the same go (or chopping off his hair and bleaching it blonde for a role).

There’s now an effortlessness to his countenance, a shrugged-off nonchalance to the coolness. The 40-something man is upfront about what he wants, preferring direct eye-to-eye contact over flirtatious smiles.He looks good pursing his lips even without a cigarette sticking out of it, i.e. Stephen Dorff.

He’ll wear shorts to a formal event and make it seem like some red-carpet revolution (Pharell) or pull on marsala-coloured pants because he likes them, not because Pantone has declared it the colour of the year (Idris Elba).

He’s quit second guessing himself and his choices.

In his 40s, a stylish man is untouchable. He’s swag.

He’s cool.

The Thai-Scottish actor, host, funnyman and heartthrob sticks to classic basics and dependable black.

Trademark look: “I try to stick to the basics. I would not want to get embarassed in the future each time I see past pictures of me trying to dress fashionably. I hardly change how I dress. I just try to dress as basic as possible: jeans and a T-shirt, and that’s it. I would always have a black T-shirt on. I like black. It helps you conceal your six-pack and muscular body. ” Style icon: “I actually like how George Clooney presents himself. When he goes out, he dresses pretty neat and respectable and doesn’t look too fancy.

There’s a huge difference between overdoing it and under-dressing.”

No wear: “I play golf, and colourful outfits on the course are a no-no for me. I know it’s important as a professional golfer for people to recognize you, but for a normal person playing golf, it’s a bit much to draw attention to yourself.”

Easy accessory: “Sunglasses always help you look good. That’s one thing that I always have. You can hang it on your T-shirt when you’re not using it and seem like a man-on-the-go. It’s a symbol that implies you go outdoors a lot.”

Grooming rites: “Haircut, shave, and nose hairs: you have to take care of those [laughs]. I’ll forgive you if you have a hairy chest, but if there’s hair sticking out of your nose, it shows that, hygienically, you are not conscious of how you present yourself. I don’t want to be talking to you and looking at it. That’s embarrassing. It really catches the eye and it’s like whoa, whoa, WHOA! That’s one thing about male grooming that I’m very concerned about.”

First impressions: “The most important thing about dressing up lies in the details and quality of the tailoring. Details are the things people notice when you’re talking to them. That’s what I obsess about when it comes to my suits and dress shirts.”

Rules of style: “Wear what makes you look good, not just what’s in fashion.”

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50’s the game

Johnny Depp

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George Clooney

y this age, fashion has become a habit, something that’s approached with regularity and cosy familiarity, much like a preferred cup of coffee or a favourite holiday destination. A 50-something man is content to stick to one look, even aiming to wear it every day. He may update his wardrobe with a few contemporary pieces but, most times, just prefers to keep things simple. Modern and minimal has become his mantra.

It’s imperative that everything fits perfectly. Pieces may not be as sleek or as slim-fitting – pants aren’t whittled down to a toothpick tip and jackets are more forgiving – but they are still tailored. It’s now all about excellent cuts and monochromatic colour palettes. And great posture. Colin Firth is an excellent peg. The 54-year old always strikes a figure in a well-cut suit, a crisp white shirt and a straight-backed stance that would make Buckingham proud. He’s that desirable embodiment of how the man make the clothes and not the other way around. Pharell The same goes for Gary Oldman who leads by example with structured casual suits and pastel-coloured shirts that show off pomp in a non-garish way. Or Thai actor Kriangkrai Aunhanan, whose suits are cut close to the body in order to complement his slender figure. For both personalities, a floaty scarf or an unconventional tie is added for extra texture and character.

The Essential Mix A lot sharper than those retirementhome cardigans.

Beige sports jacket from Ralph Lauren.

Discreet and distinguished, just like a stylish man in his 50s. Leather duffle bag from Bally.

Your investment in fashion starts here.

Leather-strap watch from Hermes.

Gary Oldman

A man in his 50s knows that chasing the trend is a young man’s game and leaves it at that. He’s proud of his age.

A man in his 50s knows that chasing the trend is a young man’s game and leaves it at that. He’s proud of his age and of who he is. He dresses how he wants to be perceived by the world: a man on top of his game, someone who has everything he needs and more. Take George Clooney. At 53, the man knows he’s golden, and welcomes it with classically-cut pieces and defined silhouettes. There are no shocking colours, no surprise statements. His silver-strewn hair is a statement as much as an accessory – and the same thing can probably be said of his stunning barrister wife.

At this age, the stylish man has stripped down to the essentials and done away with everything redundant in his life and wardrobe. What he has is of excellent quality, the best imaginable versions of the few things he needs. His style is dependent on character instead of designer labels, like Willem Dafoe with his villainously windswept hairstyle and Marlboro-addled voice. Or Johnny Depp with his tattoos, scarves and tinted glasses.

Men in their 50s don’t strut or swagger, they casually stroll as if they have all the time in the world. They wear shades because the sun hurts their eyes not because they want to look movie-star cool. No bells. No whistles.

What you see is what you get.

Kriangkrai Unhanandana

The veteran actor and proprietor of Thai restaurant Thanying is always seen sharply-dressed in perfectly-fit suits and sleek ties.

Rules of style: “I take appropriateness very seriously. I dress according to place and time. I do respect the place I go to and the people I meet, like I will never wear sandals and shorts to a restaurant in a five-star hotel. My style hasn’t evolved but has only changed slightly over the years, influenced by work and the circles of friends I hang out with.”

In a brand: “I only wear my own suits when shooting lakorn because my weight fluctuates a lot and I don’t like wearing outfits that do not fit my body perfectly. I know my body best. My favourite men’s wear brand is Meticulous. Their sizes fit my current body best and the brand is quite versatile when it comes to adjustment.

Fashion influences: “Magazines are my sources of fashion inspiration. I used to love the fashion sets in Monocle before it became too commercial.”

First impressions: “If I need to dress to impress, the Thai style is what I go for. A Raj pattern jacket matched with pants would be great for special occasions.”

Style investment: “I do invest in watches. Not only are they great in quality, the value of fine watches goes up every day.”

Health regimen: “I learned to love myself even more after I was diagnosed with diabetes. Because of the sickness, I am forced to work out regularly. I feel healthier and fresher, and my body has become leaner. I feel younger too which is why I now consider wearing colourful hues and bright prints, something I didn’t enjoy wearing when I was younger.”

Sartorial advice: “It is not your age that limits you from dressing fashionably, it’s your body shape. If you are a senior and still in good shape, feel free to wear anything you want to.”

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hings are a bit more fun for the stylish man in his 60s. He’s become more playful at this age, incorporating stylish quirks and exuberant elements into his get-ups. Details that seem like gauche affectations on younger men make perfect sense on the over-60s sartorialist.

Pink socks, polka-dotted bow ties, striped suits, floral boutonnieres– stuff which look contrived and affected on a man below 40 – only adds to the charm of the older man.

The 60-something style-phile looks different because he is different. He looks like he doesn’t give a damn because he doesn’t. Jeremy Irons is a favourite example. From velvet robes to floorsweeping coats, Irons’ fashion is so distinctive.

He can wear rich Orientalia at a red-carpet event and no one would bat an eyelash. Everyone’s used to Jeremy Irons like this. Everyone likes Jeremy Irons like this.

Comfort combined with nostalgia and the visual spectacle of supreme elegance is the secret behind a 60-year old man’s wardrobe.

Style, this time around, has nothing to do with designer labels but more with age-harnessed

Liam Neeson

The Essential Mix Time to play it up again.

Baby blue linen jacket, printed tie and lavender dress shirt from Ralph Lauren.

You need the pants to match, of course.

Baby blue linen pants from Ralph Lauren.

Because brown and black has become too blasé. Pale pink suede driving shoes from Tods.

Nirut Sirichanya

Pierce Brosnan

The 60-something man dresses for himself and no one else. poise and quiet (or sometimes not-so-quiet) self-possession. Denzel Washington can wear trainers with suits and make them look stylishly offbeat. Liam Neeson can don the leather-clad looks of his Taken character and still look like he’s reading the evening news. Thai veteran actor Nirut Sirichanya can pull on bold patterns and unconventionallycoloured ensembles and come off looking stately. Elegance comes with a now built-in immaculateness where shirts are properly tucked, suits are dusted off lint and ties are never askew.

No one does elegance better than Pierce Brosnan. The Irishman’s style could have been lifted from the wardrobe of his title role in the Thomas Crown Affair: precisely-cut suits, open-necked shirts and supple cashmere.

Although at 61, Brosnan’s style is less severe and more light-hearted (pastel suits, cheery square pockets, summery Panama hats), focusing more on relaxed comfort instead of subtle seduction.

The 60-year old man dresses for himself and no one else. He’s settled into his own style. He knows what’s best for him and he’s rocking it like there’s no tomorrow.

After 40 years in Thai entertainment, the elderly actor has proved he can stand the test of time with great acting skills, a charming baritone and a distinctive style.

Rules of style: “Appropriateness is key to dressing up. It’s alright to not dress up if you are at home but once you step out of your door, you will be among people who can see what you’re wearing so you need to think where are you going, what time, whom to see. I normally dress casually.”

Trademark style: “White, beige and navy are my most favourite colours, while I would say no to red and black.”

No wear: “I do not wear usually wear shorts. For me, shorts are for sport and beach activities.

People these days wear shorts when traveling on first or business class and I consider that quite inappropriate. I am an old man who grew up when air travel was not a chance for everyone so we tend to think of it in formal terms.”

Style investment: “Every man should own a fine suit, or at least a nice blazer that goes well with pants in different colours. One of my favourite brands is Lacoste, not because the local retailer and I are good friends but I think they are good at making casual, semi-formal wear. Watches are unnecessary luxury to me. I do not wear one.”

Next generation: “The older you are, the more formal should your style be. Old people should avoid dressing like teenagers. There were times when I would complain to the costume department in lakorn productions for making me wearing too-young fashion items such as those low-waist pants. They are absolutely not for grandpas. There is fashion for people in every generation. If you don’t know about this, you don’t know what fashion really is, and you should stop working as a fashion stylist [because] you just follow along with the trends and grab what you like.”

Grooming rights: “I eat a single meal a day, not in the morning or at lunch but when I feel hungry.

Let the brain and the body tell you when to eat. A man stops growing after 25 so what’s the point of having so much food? The best way to take care of your body is to not care too much. Humans are like trees. If you worry too much about them and add too much water and fertilizer, they will die.

Good health is a result of good foundation, like how your mother treated you when you were young, and good practice, like how you maintain this foundation. I work out regularly, I take enough rest and I do annual health check-ups.”

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the manhood follies Each decade in a man’s life is marked by a distinct set of challenges. A man should count himself lucky if he manages to evade and transcend these obstacles relatively unscathed. by lary wallace illustrations by thanawat chaweekallayakul

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Like everyone who believes he’s invincible, the man in his twenties takes his good fortune for granted, unshakably convinced that he’s marching along a road leading clear into forever.

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All of which can leave this same man, in his thirties, wondering where all that good fortune has gone. Maybe he has a family; maybe he doesn’t. Does he squander what he’s been given, or does he adjust to shifting demands?

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Maybe a marriage has come and gone. Maybe a parent has died. Health and sanity and finances have either been maintained or sacrificed. No other decade in a man’s life is so evenly split in its potential for being the very best or the very worst.

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Does our man age gracefully, or does he carry on in denial? Does he get the toupe, the plastic surgery, the trophy wife, the sports car? Does he behave as if he’s somehow managed to reverse time’s velocity?

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There’s no denying it any longer: our man is old. Time has not reversed, or even slowed down. He can be bitter about what’s behind him, or he can be sanguine. It’s all a matter of perspective, and never before has his vantage been so deep and so panoramic.

new faces

Kandis Wanaroon

Kandis Wanaroon’s calendar is normally filled with only two things: school and badminton.

The tall, young badminton player has been hopping between Suankularb College and the badminton court everyday since he started playing seven years ago. “I practice every day until school from 5 or 6pm until 9 or 10, then I have a late dinner and go home.” His hours are even longer on weekends: he’ll get up around 5am, play badminton, take a break, before coming back to play. This boy, whose dream is to win a world-class badminton tournament, realises that age matters greatly in professional sports, which is why he is now putting so much effort into his badminton career. “There’s a certain age bracket [within which] an athlete can perform best. After that, it might be difficult to compete with younger, fresher talent.”

It may sound tough, but Kandis doesn’t have a problem with balancing both athletics and academics. In fact, he goes about it with deftness and diligence – in 2013, he won first place at the under-14 SCG Thailand Open men’s singles competition and, at the same time, managed to maintain a GPA of 3.80. “Everyone has the same 24 hours to work with. I think you can effectively organise your day if you concentrate on one thing at a time. When it’s study time, I do my best to focus only on studies; when it’s badminton time, I focus only on badminton. I skip on the other stuff: no games, no shopping, no hanging out with friends. Fortunately, I have friends who understand my schedule.” Kandis’ family is equally supportive. The young athlete uses this support to remain grounded but also to propel himself forward. Additionally, Kandis recently signed a contract with MCOT TV – now he’ll need to adjust his calendar to include the occasional TV presenting and modeling.

interview by top koaysomboon / photographer: kitti bowornphatnon

15, badminton player

“Masculinity is not something given to you, but something you gain.”

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Norman Mailer (1923-2007) It doesn’t come simply with the passage of time. No number of elapsed minutes or hours, months or years, could ever possibly bring masculinity into being. It’s earned in the realm of experience, the actions taken and not taken, opportunities seized or shrewdly allowed to pass. Only living can ever really give it to you, which is another way of saying that you can only give it to yourself.

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Coffee & Colours

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A good workspace should encourage us to stay in and want to work.

Within an otherwise old and tired-looking Ratchadamnoen condominium, artist Somnuek Klangnok has cultivated a dream space for sipping coffee, playing with his pet cat and working on his first solo exhibition in Singapore. by top koaysomboon / photography by chaiwat kamsamrith

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ight-hand man to the famous artist and teacher M.L. Chiratorn “Kru To” Chirapravati, Somnuek “Kru Parn” Klangnok continuously makes his own fame, with mellow, fashion-influenced paintings of happy women with oversized eyes. While still helping out his mentor with art classes, Somnuek also works on his own art pieces for a broad range of customers, publications, galleries and exhibitions. The artist has held a few exhibitions abroad, and is working on a new exhibition at the Arts House at the Old Parliament building in Singapore.

Not bad for a man who came from an poor family in Buriram and spent decades getting a free education in the monkhood.

Workspace: A large space and natural light are key in Somnuek’s home studio.

“A few years after I started working with Kru To and was looking for a condominium unit, Lolay [Thaweesak Srithongdee, artist] introduced me to this building. The building was, and is, really old, but when I saw the view I was thrilled. The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall is right out there through the window and the rooftop provides spectacular views of Bangkok’s old town,” Somnuek says. “It’s also close to Wang Banmor [where he teaches art classes]. Seven years later, I renovated my room so I rented this place temporarily. I liked it so much because it’s much larger, and that allows me to work on large-size canvases.

The former owner asked if I wanted to buy it, and she even gave a big discount so I could afford it. That was a year and a half ago.”

The 135-square-metre condominium unit is organised into two parts: a working space and a living area. An expansive window allows natural light to shine on a big, raw-wood table made from an aged tree at his Buriram home while his pet cat, Khao Ji, strolls around palettes of dried pastel colours. “I keep a pet cat because I love to have lively energy in the room. He’s like king of the castle now,” he laughs. Somnuek and his fellow artists usually work on this table before moving to nearby couches for leisurely chats. He decorates all walls with his own paintings in various sizes, creating a homey,

charming ambience. “A good workspace should encourage us to stay in and want to work. It must energise us and keep us happy. My work particularly requires imagination and happiness, because I need to create art-pieces that people see and then feel delighted by.”

Daily routine: Many artists have no set working hours and Somnuek is no different. “If I wake up and feel lazy, I will do nothing. Friends might visit me at night and we start painting together at 11pm until 2 o’clock in the morning. 119 Some days I might go clubbing and come back home to start painting at 1 o’clock, if I feel like it. I’m fortunate that I work with galleries and customers that provide flexible deadlines,” he says, laughing.

Secret of success: Somnuek thinks a true artist needs to discover his own style. It took him several years to find his and establish his own identity.

“Actually, [making your own style] is creating something people have never seen. You can simply draw a portrait exactly like the model, but there’s no point because there’s none of yourself in it. You must go beyond the rules and the reality. Do something irregular, unconventional. Kru To once said to me, ‘Why do people admire black-and-white pictures?’ ‘Why does Instagram have so many filters?’ Because in real life we never see these colour schemes with our eyes, so we consider them beautiful.

Even in distortions there must be good proportions that everyone can consider beautiful. You are making irregularities when you exaggerate, like with bigger eyes or longer legs, but you must make sure you’re creating things that are still within the bounds of what’s considered beautiful.”

JeanPool clockwise from top: Watch from Givenchy; leather bag from Calvin Klein; jeans from Diesel; leather strap from Givenchy; wallet chain from Givenchy; shirt from Jack Spade and denim tie from Diesel; sunglasses from Victoria Beckham at Niche Nation, denim sneakers from Diesel; leather gloves from Diesel; denim jacket from Junya Watanabe at Club21 Men.

personality test What’s your fashion EQ? We’ve rounded up the season’s latest must-haves for every male identity. photographer: kitti bowornphatnon / stylist: sachon kunajiramedt

Fresh Prints

clockwise from top: Shirt from Louis Vuitton; sunglasses from Mykita at Niche Nation; Aliosha pouch from Christian Louboutin; hourglass diffuser from Diptyque; tribal-print trunks from Timo at The Selected; sandals from Dries van Noten at Club 21 Men; clutch from Givenchy; striped Karakorum stole from Louis Vuitton; watch from ta.tha.ta at The Selected; skull-printed canvas backpack from Alexander McQueen at Club 21 Men.

Tux Edition

clockwise from top: Flamenco Knot bag from Loewe; shirt, bowtie and jacket from Brioni; shirt from Versace; Noir de Noir eau de parfum by Tom Ford Private Blend; pants from Brioni; sunglasses from Mykita at Niche Nation; necklace from Versace; shoes from Versace.

Prep School

clockwise from top: Pouch from Loewe; Tom Ford Grey Vetiver eau de parfum; pants from Polo Ralph Lauren; Gondolier Flat canvas and calf leather sneaker from Christian Louboutin; tie from Jack Spade; shirt and bow tie from Jack Spade; sunglasses from Eyevan 7285 at Niche Nation; messenger bag from Polo Ralph Lauren; shirt and tie from Polo Ralph Lauren, hoodie from Calvin Klein.

Corporate Affairs

clockwise from top: Damier Graphite tote bag from Louis Vuitton; Bvlgari Man In Black Eau de Parfum; shirt and jacket from Calvin Klein; Gregory Flat calf leather derby shoes from Christian Louboutin; Puzzle bag from Loewe; sunglasses from Brioni; pants from Calvin Klein; tie from Jack Spade.

Athlete nation

clockwise from top: Daisuke sunglasses from Mykita at Niche Nation; bag from Jil Sander; bag from Givenchy; key chain from Loewe; shirt from Kolor at Club 21 Men; sneakers from Givenchy; sweatpants from Givenchy; Tom Ford Neroli Portofino body moisturiser; T-shirt from Jil Sander.

one-man show Taiwanese superstar Chang Chen, clad in the season’s niftiest designer ensembles, proves that dapper and dashing does not necessarily mean dandy. photographer: punsiri siriwetchapun / stylist: daneenart burakasikorn

Military jacket from Gucci.

Shirt, three-piece suit from Dolce & Gabbana.

Shirt and jacket from Louis Vuitton.

Jacket, pants and loafers from Gucci.

Shirt and suit from Louis Vuitton.

Shirt and suit from Louis Vuitton.

Shirt and three-piece suit from Dolce & Gabbana.

model: Chang Chen makeup: Betty @Flux hair: Chen Yi Li @DivaBeauty stylist: Daneenart Burakasikorn assistant photographer: Suratham Thepphasut photographer: Punsiri Siriwetchapun with thanks to: W Hotel Taipei, 10 Zhongxiao East Road Sec. 5, Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. www.wtaipei.com

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Chang Chen One Charmed Life Taiwanese superstar Chang Chen sits down for an exclusive interview with The Magazine and talks about his acting career, directing a film, his Hollywood dreams, the imminent arrival of his first child, and the martial artistry of Tony Jaa. by top koaysomboon, portraits by punsiri siriwetchapun he last weekend of the Chinese New Year festival in Taipei is as chaotic as ever with people roaming the streets trying to enjoy the last moments of an easy, work-free week. Restaurants, shopping centres and galleries are packed and the W Hotel Taipei is no different: people are everywhere.

Up in a suite, it’s like a different world, one that is calmer and more casual. Funky music creates a relaxed mood while Taiwanese superstar Chang Chen is being touched up for an exclusive fashion shoot with The Magazine. The moment of his arrival, just 10 minutes prior, is one I won’t forget anytime soon.

The door swings open, and a tall, lean figure confidently strides into the suite. Our jaws drop. “He’s fuckin’ handsome,” someone mumbles. And he really is, more so when he starts handing out the bags of xiao long bao (Taiwanese pork buns) he’s brought for everyone.

Sporting a trendy black jumper and pants with white sneakers, Chang Chen looks down-to-earth and humble, and much different from the strong and serious actor I had thought he was, a perception derived from watching him in the roles he’s played over the last 20 years. Named as Variety’s “Int’l Star You Should Know” in 2014 (along with Luke Bracey from Australia

and Fumi Nakaido from Japan), Chang is best known to global movie fans for his role as Dark Cloud in Ang Lee’s international blockbuster Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). But in Asia, the Taiwanese superstar has long been a favourite choice among top Asian directors such as John Woo (Red Cliff), Hou Hsiao-Hsien (Three Times, The Assassin) and Wong Kar-wai (Happy Together, 2046 and The Grandmaster).

An apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. His father, Chang Kuo-chu, and brother, Chang Han, are both successful Taiwanese actors. “The Taiwanese always say things about destiny. When I was younger, I didn’t really understand that. However, now that I’m grown, I realise that it was my destiny to go into film. It’s true that my father is an actor but, as a child, I never had the dream of becoming an actor myself. I did not really understand anything about this career. I just acknowledged that my father’s job was different from others. I wouldn’t get to see him much as he would often work in mainland China and couldn’t spend as much time with me. As a kid, I thought this career wasn’t so attractive.”

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“I changed my mind when I filmed A Brighter Summer Day,” he continues. “This was my first movie, made when I was a 13-year-old high school student. My perception towards a film career started to change. Film production began to interest me. I met interesting people of different ages and from different backgrounds in the two or three months we were filming. I had a chance to visit places I’d never been. I started to feel that being part of a film production was like being part of a family, a big family.”

Chang Chen had become hooked. In the next 20 years, he appeared in more than 30 films with top directors including Wong Kar-wai, Ang Lee, John Woo, Hou HsiaoHsian and Kim Ki-duk, and starred with top acting talent such as Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Ziyi and, most significantly, Taiwanese actress Shu Qi, who has become a good friend.

“I’ve known Shu Qi for a long time,” he says. “We’re both Taiwanese and had the chance to work together at the beginning of our careers. I’ve worked with Shu Qi in different stages of her life and have seen her grow and develop. She is a really interesting person, very active,

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movie we’ve filmed together. So this can be considered a unique experience for both of us.”

In The Assassin, Chang, again, had a chance to show off the martial arts skills he’s been practicing for six years. (He first tried practicing it for the 2009 film The Grandmaster.) “Before The Grandmaster, I knew little about martial arts. The movie provided me with an opportunity to learn and I started to like it. It has become a preoccupation for more than six years. It keeps me healthy, helps maintains my figure and benefits my career, too. However, repeatedly practicing martial arts for a movie can be boring and exhausting. When I start to have these feelings, I recall a Thai movie I once watched called Tom Yum Goong, starring Tony Jaa. I’ve always thought his martial arts performance in that movie is really excellent. He’s my role model for martial arts.

His performance inspires and uplifts me whenever I feel exhausted from practicing.” hang Chen experienced another first last year when he had the chance to direct his own short film.

“Being in the director’s shoes, I got the chance to look back at what I do as an actor. I learned what to expect from a director’s point of view.”

humorous, and very nice to talk to. Back then, when we didn’t have much work, we talked to each other a lot.

One question that came up during one conversation was ‘What are we looking for in life? What brings us here, desperately waiting for work we don’t know is coming?’

She asked me why I wanted to be an actor and work in this industry. Since that day, that question has been constantly springing up in my head, and I still have no answer. I am still looking for it now. That’s perhaps one of the reasons I keep on walking this way: to look for the meaning of life.”

This year, Chang and Shu Qi reunite in Hou HsiaoHsian’s mega martial arts film The Assassin, scheduled to premiere in Asian theatres later this year. “The Assassin’s storyline takes place during the Tang dynasty. I portray an aggressive emperor who eventually meets his ex-loverturned-assassin, played by Shu Qi. I have worked with her in four other movies and The Assassin is the first period

Inchworm was one of the three short films included in Three Charmed Lives, a multi-national film project which premiered at the Hong Kong International Film Festival in 2014. Inchworm is the story of a Taiwanese salary man who suddenly loses his job and becomes video-gameobsessed, eventually ignoring his wife and child.

“It was a good learning experience,” Chang tells me. “I love everything about film, and I like to get my hands on any part of film production. Everyone taking part in making a film has an interesting task that I really want to learn.

Getting the chance to direct was why I agreed to be part of Three Charmed Lives. It was a short film, so there were fewer pressures and it was ideal for my directing debut. It challenged me to effectively turn a short story into a film that can be perceived well by audiences. It also benefited my acting career a lot. Being in the director’s shoes, I got a chance to look back on what I would do as an actor. I

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learned what to expect from a director’s point of view.” fter more than two decades in the film business, Chang Chen’s outstanding performances have earned him superstar status as well as nominations at regional film festival awards.

Apart from roles in big-production movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Red Cliff, his role in Three Times (2005), in which he starred alongside his friend Shu Qi, is another one worth remembering. The film, which featured the relationships of three different couples in three different periods of time, was nominated for the Palm d’Or at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.

The character he portrayed was, as he recalls, the closest he’s ever played to his own personality. “The third part of the film talks about modern Taipei. The character is born in Taipei. He’s my age and lives a slightly similar lifestyle to mine.”

I ask what’s the best lesson he‘s learned so far. “An actor’s

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models are and expect him to mention the names of top Chinese stars. But it turns out that his father is his all-time idol. “Similar to other Chinese people, my dad is my role model – though I have nothing in common with him,” he laughs. “The people I spend time with the most are my family. My parents, my brother, these people are the ones who understand me best. No matter how many good friends, colleagues and co-workers I have, in the end it’s my family that understands me and has the strongest impact on my life. There have been big and small events in my life, both good or bad. These experiences have helped mould who I am now. ” Chang once said that he is aiming for Hollywood but is still waiting for the right time. So is now the time? “Maybe it is not my decision but Hollywood’s to make. I think acting is a passive career: you wait for people to invite you in. I choose a movie according to the role, whether it’s for Hollywood or elsewhere.

“An actor’s life is unpredictable. It goes up and down all the time.

As a person, I’ve learned to let go and focus only on the possibilities.

That’s how I keep myself going.” life is unpredictable,” he sighs. “It goes up and down all the time. As a person, I’ve learned to let go and focus only on the possibilities. That’s how I keep myself going. One good thing [about the film industry] is that it’s full of experts and professionals. It allows me to learn a lot from observation as well as gain knowledge through conversation. People like Shu Qi or Wong Kar Wai have more experience in both life and work, and they love to share. Our mindset needs to be open to learn from people like them. I’ve learned from their experiences, absorbed them and made them my own. It’s all about passing on the experience, generation to generation, and I think that’s how the Asian film industry will continue to grow.”

Nowadays, Chang appears in approximately two movies a year. “I used to do four a year and that was the most I could handle,” he says, before explaining that he now chooses to live a happy life and take it easy every single day. I ask who his role

If it’s a role that impresses me, then I will definitely go for it.”

At 38, Chang Chen is still active, energetic and shows no signs of aging; he obviously has plenty of time to pursue international roles. But it seems Hollywood is not his primary goal. He married his girlfriend Zhuang Wen Ru in 2013 and the couple just had their first child last month. So will fatherhood change his direction in life? “Living a single life and living a married life have nothing in common. My life will never be the same, of course,” he laughs.

“Work and family are now equally important. No more thinking about myself at the expense of my family.” What kind of roles is he expecting to take on next? “I want to play more laidback, humorous roles. I want to play a character that’s not too serious. I want to do something that my family can enjoy watching together.

I’m trying harder to maintain a work-life balance. I want to have enough time for my family, and have a good career but, at the same time, remain true to myself.”

WAR of the roses Spring’s army sends troops in combat gear prettified with patches, pearls and pink. photographer: benya hegenbarth / stylist: isr upa-in

Military jacket, tiered skirt and pants, all from Theatre.

Sheer camouflage-print shirt, and army jacket all from Drycleanonly, pants from Givenchy.

Pearl-encrusted bomber and camouflage-print shorts from Issue.

Military-style anorak from Soda.

Printed cadet uniform from Tipayaphong Poosanaphong.

Printed hoodie and sweat pants from Playhound.

Printed shirt and parachute pants from Wonder Anatomie. models: Patchata Nampan, Pongsakorn Mettarikanon, Tara Tipa, Siraphun Wattanajinda, Pitchaya Phanlookthao, Napat Injaiuea, Thakrit Tawanpong makeup: Dechachai Kerdphol hair: Chai Surasen stylist: Isr Upa-in setting: Sumet Chanruachachai assistant stylist: Phawanthaksa Siriton, Ratthzart Kueanoon photographer: Benya Hegenbarth

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Saharan rock formations.

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Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, an ancient fortified village on the old caravan route between the Sahara Desert and Marrakech.

The world’s biggest desert exerts a magnetic pull on people from more temperate climes. Now largely lawless, is the Sahara a man’s world, or a madman’s world? by keith mundy

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ruck, car, plane, boat, taxi and, yes, finally, camel – these are the modes I’ve used to explore the Sahara, the world’s greatest desert. I confess that I only nibbled at the edges except for one jet-assisted foray into Libya’s high dune land, but still some adventures I had.

Spreading over 9.4 million square kilometres, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea and touching the Mediterranean Sea in places, the Sahara is a big beast, and one that entices adventurers from colder, greener climes to its baking wastes and vast mystery.

Mad we may be, but there we go, learning astonishing things and sometimes never coming back, like many 19th-century explorers, and some tourists today.

My first encounter was in 1974, during a winter in the North African sun. After magical months in coastal Morocco, I headed south for the Canary Islands. On the route that leads into the desert from Tan-Tan to El Aaiun there were no buses, only trucks. In fact, there were no roads, either. Tan-Tan is Morocco’s last town before the stony desert begins, and El Aaiun was then the capital of Spanish Sahara, Spain’s last major colony, soon to be known as Western Sahara and annexed by Morocco.

Moroccan traders plied the stony tracks across these far western reaches of the Sahara, their trucks

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First lesson of the desert: February nights in the Sahara are mighty chilly, and, bruised and sleepless as well as frozen, I spent one of the worst nights of my life on this first desert adventure. loaded with goods which would fetch a good price from the Spanish.

And for a modest payment, the truckers let you ride on top of the merchandise, with the skies above and a mat for bedding. It was to be a long overnight trip, lurching and swaying at little more than walking speed, but at least it would be warm, because the desert is always hot, isn’t it?

First lesson of the desert: February nights in the Sahara are mighty chilly, and, bruised and sleepless as well as frozen, I spent one of the worst nights of my life on this first desert adventure. Second lesson (even more important, really): in the desert there may be no beauty and no romance, just an endless builder’s yard of dust, gravel and stones. Bliss it was to

Traditional Moroccan slippers on a stand at a souk in Marrakech.

Dakhla Oasis in Al Qasr, Western Desert, Egypt.

finally roll into El Aaiun and stagger into a Spanish squaddies’ bar for a beer (El Aaiun means “the water sources,” aptly enough), before catching a plane to the far greater creature comforts of Las Palmas in the Canaries.

The Fearful Void At the very same time, unbeknownst to me, a true adventurer was coming to the end of his epic trans-Saharan trek, the British journalist Geoffrey Moorhouse, who recorded the whole harrowing saga in a bestselling book, The Fearful Void. A complete desert novice perversely choosing the longest and most difficult crossing, from west to east by camel, aiming to challenge himself and face his deepest fears, Moorhouse had a hellish journey which he had to abandon halfway. It was admirable folly of a peculiarly British kind.

A week or so before the end, just after entering Algeria from Mali, in the very heart of the Sahara, he and his Tuareg guide come to a gravel plain more lifeless than anything so far.

“We were insects creeping

forward to a rim of the world that might never be reached, across pure and unbounded space in which we had no hope at all of encountering anything else that lived and could offer comfort by its presence.

It was appalling, but... with a spellbinding quality that penetrated even the dulling of the senses that it imposed.”

And then at last he begins to enjoy it.

“For over three months I had laboured across the Sahara, and there had been few moments when I had experienced the magnetism of the desert to which so many men before me had succumbed. But now, in its utmost desolation, I began to understand its attraction. It was the awful scale of the thing..., the fusion of pure elements from the heavens above and the earth beneath which were untrammelled and untouched by anything contrived by man.”

A few days later, walking in tattered canvas shoes so that his weak camel could carry the supplies, Moorhouse knows he’ll have to give in at Tamanrasset, the Algerian oasis city in the central Sahara.

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The sandstone formations of Wadi Rayan.

SAHARA FACT FILE Flights Sahara region destinations served by airlines fluctuate frequently. These airlines have the fullest regional coverage: Turkish (www.turkishairlines.com), Emirates (www. emirates.com), Egyptair (www.egyptair.com, for North Africa), and Ethiopian (www. ethiopianairlines.com, for West Africa).

Tour services - Tour services fluctuate in their coverage for security reasons. For overland travel, Sahara Overland is a highly experienced organisation whose websites www.saharaoverland.com and www.saharaoverland. wordpress.com provide excellent up-to-date information.

- Timtar (www.timtar.com) and Taghant (info@taghant.com) are recommended tour agencies.

-For Djanet and Tassili N’Ajjer (Algeria), Essendilène Voyages (www.essendilenevoyages.com) is a recommended tour agent.

- For Chad, Undiscovered Destinations offers tours (www.undiscovereddestinations.com).

Sleeping - Gîte Saharien, Tamanrasset; tel. +213 2081 3240, email info@taghant.com.

Comfortable mudbrick bungalows on city outskirts.

- Out in the desert, use an all-weather tent and sleeping bag.

Eating In the desert, take your own supplies and cooking equipment, including a good stock of dates.

A man rock climbs the sandstone towers known as the Hand of Fatima in the Sahara Desert of Mali, West Africa.

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Essaouira, Morocco.

Daily life in Algiers.

“All I could feel was agony, suffering, pain, mindlessness, endlessness, futility,” he groans.

“Under the dreadful drilling heat of this appalling sun I had become an automaton. I was scarcely recognisable as a human being.”

Lawless Sands The irony of this heroic failure is that it would be impossible today.

You can’t even think of trying a trip like this, because the whole of the central Sahara is racked by jihadist and separatist violence. The area covered by eastern Mauritania, northern Mali, northern Niger, southern Libya and most of southern Algeria is a vast no-go zone for non-indigenous travellers, where the law of the rebels and fanatics holds sway, or no law at all. Things have changed very much for the worse in most of the Sahara in the 21st century.

Before that, the Sahara was no less implacable and inhospitable

by nature, but politically it was a lot more relaxed. Few regions were out of bounds, and getting visas was quite easy, particularly when the French controlled most of it before 1960. Your worries were vehicle breakdowns, getting lost, and nature’s fury, not fiercely hostile people armed to the teeth. Chris Scott, who has been exploring the Sahara on motorbikes and 4x4s for three decades and running desert tours for many years, has this to say on his Sahara Overland website.

“Today, following over a decade of kidnappings, increased trafficking, rebellions, revolutions and the spread of weapons, independent tourism in the central Sahara has collapsed or is severely restricted. But it wasn’t always like that. The 1980s were a Golden Age of desert tourism; post-colonial nations had yet to be beset by internal strife, while the emergence of desert-capable motorcycles and 4x4s saw adventure

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tourism flourish....Most winters the overlanders’ campsite in Tamanrasset was packed with VWs, Land Rovers, Ladas, BMWs, XTs. Today, when I stay in Camping Dassine it’s like an empty stadium.”

Tamanrasset is at the very heart of the Sahara, centrally located halfway between the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Guinea, and between the Atlantic and the Red Sea. Now the multinational command centre for combating Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), hugely anomalous amidst the great emptiness with its 100,000 citizens, Tamanrasset is a very safe place, yet any tourist travelling there overland has to get permission (often refused), have a military escort, and pay for it.

Such a shame, because this used to be the best bit of the deep Sahara within easy reach.

“The landscapes of south Algeria offer the best of the true Sahara without committing yourself to crossing the desert to West Africa, with clear tracks, many wells and much nomad life,” says Chris Scott, while having to report that the only sure bet now in Algeria’s deep south is fly-in tours to Djanet. Here you can take camel treks into the Tassili n'Ajjer, a spectacular sandstone mountain range where erosion has crafted numerous rock arches and other dramatic forms, in which its Umm Al-Maa Lake.

Neolithic inhabitants left countless rock paintings and carvings, making one of the Sahara’s outstanding experiences.

Oasis Another is to visit an age-old oasis, which I did in 1979, while working in Libya. Here there were excellent roads, courtesy of the first flush of Gaddafi’s rule: the Colonel had built fine highways throughout Tripolitania, the most developed region around the capital, Tripoli. A beautiful two-lane blacktop ran all the way from the coast to the desert oasis of Ghadames, once a terminus of the trans-Saharan caravan trade.

Cruising along in my Volkswagen Beetle, the scrub getting sparser and sparser, the sands started to blow across the road, sometimes making humps. No problem, it’s just sand, drive on through. Thump!

The sand had compacted and it was like hitting speed bumps without slowing down. But luckily nothing seemed damaged, and I made sure to be wary with not-so-drifting sands from there on. Certainly the Tuareg people I had met in the last village, with their heads wrapped in indigo turbans, veiling their mouths – the fabled “blue men of the desert” – knew this when out in their pickups.

Night fell well before Ghadames, and so I decided to sleep in the desert, beside the car. It was summer, so a simple blanket was enough for warmth. There couldn’t be any problem. Dreams, sweet dreams. It

began to rain. Lesson number three: in the desert, it does rain. Not often, but by Murphy’s Law, it rains when you want to sleep out in it. I spent the night on the Beetle’s back seat.

Resuming at first light, cruising sunnily across a barren waste, within an hour a green haze appeared on the horizon, getting larger and larger, until there before me like a mirage spread an immense forest of date palms, plus a towering telecomms mast. The old Ghadames now existed alongside a new one built with petrodollars, but still many people lived in the historic warren of adobe houses, going out to tend the surrounding orchards and vegetable patches in the daytime.

I was seeing the last days of this way of life, because in the 1980s and 90s everybody moved out into the new town, only returning in the fierce heat of summer. Why? 178

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Because, predictably, the old porous-walled houses resist the inferno better than the new concrete ones with their air-conditioning on full blast.

Today Ghadames’s old town is immensely pretty, spick and span, a tourist attraction where you can wander the whitewashed streets over which many houses bridge, turning alleys into tunnels, and walk across the rooftop pathways which used to be reserved for women.

Enter a show house and you see a beautiful sight: white walls painted with intricate Berber designs in red, decorated with brass, copper and palm-straw utensils, and strewn with Berber carpets, rugs and cushions.

Or you would if you could, but sadly all this is now out of bounds because of the anarchy and violence plaguing Libya since Gaddafi’s overthrow in 2011. The country Libya.

Men wearing their most beautiful clothes for the last day of Ramadan.

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has no real government, only dozens of competing militias. Things are especially lawless in the south, the Fezzan region to which I flew later in 1979, to be awe-struck by the massive dunes flanking the Wadi Al Hayaa riverbed, in the days when bureaucracy was the bugbear, not Islamists with rocket-launchers.

Timbuktu the Golden Before the advent of ocean-going ships, all trade between West Africa and the Mediterranean had to traverse the desert. Many transSaharan caravans started in the southern city of Timbuktu, which was rich from the trading of goods such as gold, ivory and slaves from the south, and textiles and metal utensils from the north.

Glittering Timbuktu, a mysterious place of fabulous wealth, lured European adventurers across the Sahara to perish on the way there or on the way back, until the Frenchman René Caillié actually made it back in 1828 with the report that the wondrous desert city was just a miserable huddle of mudbrick houses. Its glory had actually been extinguished in the late 16th century by a Moroccan invasion, but the news didn’t travel fast.

Timbuktu, today a Malian outpost, prompted my fourth foray into the Sahara, this time by boat.

Strange as it may seem, this byword for remoteness has always been relatively easy to reach if you took the great River Niger, which makes a northward loop from the depths of West Africa, across the Sahel scrublands which run all the way across Africa south of the Sahara, into the southern edge of the desert.

The trouble was that this Islamic city was forbidden to infidels until the 19th century.

Triple-deck steamers and huge motorised canoes called pinasses today ply the route, taking you through extraordinary waterscapes that include a dense marsh of green reeds and a vast lake, until the

Timbuktu jetty appears at the very point where the great waterway decides to turn away from the desert and find a way to the south.

Fleets of trucks meet the boat and rattle you up to a dusty maze of mudbrick houses and mosques with as many goats, donkeys, cattle and camels as people.

Timbuktu in 2012 suffered one of the worst fates of recent Saharan times when it was captured by an Al Qaeda affiliate, which imposed sharia law, demolished age-old saints’ shrines and – worst of all in music-loving Mali – banned all music. The Islamists were ejected early in 2013 by Malian and French troops, who remain there, occupying all the hotels. The mythic desert city is therefore very safe to visit now, but you have to find a private house to stay in.

Some Good News So is it all bad news? No, there are some beautiful remote bits which you can still access in safety. That first trip I took is now infinitely easier: all the way from southern Morocco, through Western Sahara and into Mauritania, there is a good coastal highway. Once in Mauritania, turn due east and head for Chinguetti, a dusty oasis bordered by a sand dune ocean, historically a busy caravan stop.

But the absolute knockout has to be a 4x4 trek to the Ennedi Plateau in northeast Chad, a relatively untroubled Saharan country. Here, in a surreal landscape of eroded sandstone bluffs, lies a sheer-cliffed canyon called Guelta d'Archei, miraculously hosting large pools of water. Often there are hundreds of camels slaking their thirst here, brought by passing nomads. Photographs show a scene so spectacular and so unlikely that you think it must be fabricated.

To actually be there has to be the experience of a lifetime.

photo: ©corbis / profile

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just Deserts If you feel the lure of parched wildernesses, the world has plenty of deserts where the locals will welcome you.

The Gobi Desert

The fifth-largest desert in the world and Asia’s biggest, the Gobi – Mongolian for “waterless place” – occupies 1.3 million sq km of southern Mongolia and northern China. A rain-shadow desert, the moisture of its winds stolen by intervening mountains, the Gobi is also a bitterly cold desert due to its northern location, although very hot in midsummer. Mostly it presents great expanses of gravel plains and bare rock, with sand and dust carried away by high winds whipping across the plateau, and it is expanding, prompting the Chinese government to plant a “Green Wall of China,” a forest line intended to stall southerly desertification.

The Gobi is a bleak place, largely featureless, with sparse vegetation, yet parts support wild mammals including gazelles, wolves, Bactrian camels, polecats, wild asses, brown bears and snow leopards.

Rock engravings and dinosaur relics bear witness to prehistoric life, while nomadic herdsmen people the area today, living in yurts. It’s a world for outland adventurers, and many agencies offer desert treks in 4x4s, on camels, or on foot, and a highlight is enjoying the local people’s hospitality while staying in traditional yurt camps.

The Kalahari Desert

The Atacama Desert

Paradoxically, the world’s driest desert lies alongside the planet’s greatest sea, the Pacific Ocean. The Atacama Desert stretches for a thousand kilometres along Chile’s northern coast, and parts of it haven't seen a drop of rain since recordkeeping began. Rising from a thin coastal shelf to virtually lifeless plains composed of stony terrain, sand, salt pans and felsic lava, the Atacama has in its centre an absolute desert – the driest place on Earth.

Nevertheless, more than a million people live in the Atacama’s coastal cities, mining compounds, fishing ports and oasis towns.

Along the coast, frequent dense fog nourishes vegetation from cactuses to ferns, and some farmers grow produce by culling water from aquifers, but parched ground and crystal-clear skies are the Atacama’s norm. On high ground stand observatories operating the world’s largest astronomical project, probing the cosmos through pristine air. For visitors, astronomer-led stargazing tours leave nightly from San Pedro de Atacama, a town which is the starting point for plenty of outdoor adventure: sandboarding down high dunes, volcano-climbing, seeing spurting geysers, trekking past layer-cake rock formations, crunching on salt-encrusted basins, and floating in blue lagoons.

In the arid heart of southern Africa lies the Kalahari, a sandy savannah of 900,000 sq km, covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa. A primeval landscape where vast areas of red sand mingle with stone, thorns and brush, the Kalahari recalls the earliest human experience with its ancient people, the legendary Bushmen, or San. A wiry and diminutive race who are the original inhabitants of southern Africa, the San are hunter-gatherers, using bows and poison arrows and gathering wild berries and nuts.

Here the roar of the Kalahari lion resonates through the still desert air and valleys cut paths left by ancient rivers.

Once havens for wild animals, these dry riverbeds are now mostly cattle ranches, but the Kalahari still supports much wildlife including many big cats, birds of prey and antelope species, and is the home of that cutest of creatures, the meerkat. For the visitor, wildlife viewing is facilitated by four reserves: the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the world’s second largest protected area; Tswalu Kalahari, Southern Africa's largest private game reserve; Khutse Game Reserve; and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

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