British GQ - March 2022

GQ
World

CONAN GRAY: GROOMING, MELISSA DEZARATE FOR ORIBE AND TATA HARPER; TAILORING, ALBERTO RIVERA AT LARS NORD STUDIO. Drops 56
Fresh
Daring Colours,
Prints,
HEAVENLY
and BOMBER
Big Few designers have
a knack for making
Vibes couture-level
craftsmanship feel
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTIN BROWN AND MITCH PAYNE as chilled-out
STYLED BY TORI LEUNG AND ANGELO MITAKOS as Valentino’s
Pierpaolo Piccioli.

Jacket, £5,790,
shorts, £2,850,
and shorts (worn
underneath),
£825, by
Valentino.
Shirt, stylist’s
own. Tank top,
pack of three,
price upon
request, by
Calvin Klein
Underwear.
Sneakers,
£40, by Vans.
Socks, his
own. Necklace,
£3,398, by
Mikimoto.

Ring, vintage.

for
Spring

Take it from TikTok
phenom Conan Gray:

Bolder is better this season.

By SAMUEL HINE AND
TEO VAN DEN BROEKE

MARCH 2022 GQ 47

GQ World
Drops

Meet GALLERY-
the New WORTHY COLLAB
Crown Matthew Williams’s
Prince aesthetic was more
of Sad Matrix than MoMA –
Songs and then he struck
up a creative dialogue
VERY GENERATION were shot on a Sony Handycam. with NYC artist
(One of the top comments: “Y’all Josh Smith, whose
E has its Bright Eyes, and don’t understand how badly I wanna spooky abstractions
for Gen Z, one of the be his friend”.) animate the new
leading contenders Givenchy collection.
is 23-year-old singer After graduating high school, Gray
Conan Gray, whose knack for writing moved to California and attended Hoodie, £1,849,
sad music has turned him into one of UCLA – and quickly dropped out of and mock-neck
the most popular young stars in the college to focus on music. “I feel like T-shirt, price
world. His parents split up when he I’m a different person every six upon request,
was three, although they stayed in months,” he says. “I think maybe by Givenchy
proximity to one another to raise that’s just something about being Men’s.
their children. The Grays moved all young, is you’re just always kind of Trousers, price
over the place –including two years in changing.” The gamble paid off. upon request,
Japan shortly after he was born – Gray landed a record deal and built by Willy
before settling in Georgetown, Texas, Chavarria.
a quiet suburb known for its booming
community of retirees. “All the thrift a loyal army of online followers,
stores were awesome,” Gray tells me including his nearly five million
over coffee in Manhattan. “I just love “besties” on TikTok, where he posts
dressing videos with his good friend (and
like an old man who’s on a walk fellow Swiftie) singer-songwriter
with his wife of 70 years.” Olivia Rodrigo.
As a teenager surrounded by
elders, Gray did feel isolated, but he Fans adore Gray because he wears
found space to express himself on the his emotions on his sleeve. He says he
internet, where he would listen to feels everything “super intensely”
Taylor Swift and upload self-shot even though sometimes he wishes he
music videos for the moody love didn’t. “But I feel like the people who
songs he wrote in his bedroom. listen to my music are the same way,”
(“If you don’t force me to go outside, he says. “So, I don’t feel alone.”
I won’t go outside. I love alone time.”)
In 2017, during his senior year of high — WILLA BENNETT
school, he went viral on YouTube for
the first time with “Idle Town”, an
earnest, nostalgic tribute to home
with lo-fi visuals that look as if they

48 GQ MARCH 2022

COUNT ON ME

GQ World TOP-SHELF GLASS BEACH COAT
Drops The best-kept interior- Under designer Bruno
taste-god-secret in Sialelli, Lanvin has
BOTANICAL NYC is Nalata Nalata, tapped into early aughts
BOILER SUIT where artisanal cultural touchstones
Erdem’s first menswear glassware – like this like Osiris skate shoes
collection, anchored handblown cup from and the classic Leo
by toile de Jouy-printed a 90-year-old Japanese flick The Beach, which
tailoring, is an answered studio – sit alongside inspired this season’s
prayer for fans of the soulful ceramics wavy knit coat (£1,640).
designer’s dreamy and leather goods
women’s line (£995). (Sugahara, £44). CLUB-KID
BOOTIES
AWNING-STRIPE GUNS-OUT The unexpected grail
BUCKET BLAZER shoe of the season?
In the Raf Simons era, At Burberry, Riccardo Loewe’s Balearic
a new essential Prada Tisci is remixing British rave boot, crafted out
bucket hat drops dress codes for the of fluorescent look-at-
every season. Start hip-hop generation (price me leather (price
your collection with the upon request). upon request).
beachy version from
the house’s fun, flirty TWO-IN-ONE BELT
spring-summer Nick Fouquet’s leather
collection (£710). belts are infused with
the same potent peyote-
FASHION HISTORY shaman vibe as the beaver
Published by the V&A, felt hats that put the
Fashioning Masculinities Venice Beach milliner
traces how masculinity on the map (£575).
has been negotiated
via clothing for centuries, KILLER PINKIE ENORMOUS
from the Victorian RING SHORTS
codpiece to Harry Styles’s Painter John Copeland The five-inch-inseam
dandified Gucci suits linked up with fine jeweler wave has crested
(V&A, £40). Rebecca Elbek to give and voluminous, flowy
the posh signet ring a shorts – like this
50 GQ MARCH 2022 badass (and very limited- acid paisley pair from
edition—only 30 will be the twisted mind of
made) update (£3,170). S.S. Daley – are due
for a resurgence (£700).

COLLECTIBLE GQ World
COFFEE-TABLE Drops
BOOK
Robert Nava’s abstract A DIFFERENT KIND
paintings of primordial OF BLUE BLAZER
dragons and mystical The OG of East-meets-
leviathans have West menswear, Junya
a way of inspiring Watanabe, is still
creative contemplation designing righteous
(Vito Schnabel mash-ups like this
Gallery, £37). reversible silk-brocade
blazer (£965).
HI-VIS LEATHER
PUFFER
Alongside the now-
famous parakeet
green, consider
swimming pool blue
and fluorescent orange
the newest essential
colors in Bottega
Veneta’s wheel of viral
hues (£4,645).

ERDEM, PRADA, S.S.DALEY, DIOR MEN, JUNYA WATANABE, NANUSHKA: PROP ST YLIST, SOL ANGE SINGER AT MARK EDWARD INC. BURBERRY, BEDAZZLED JEANS BIG-SNAKE SHIRT
SUGAHARA, LOEWE, LANVIN, NICK FOUQUET, RICK OWENS, DOLCE & GABBANA, BOT TEGA VENETA, HERMÈS, TOM DIXON: When you want your If Dior Men’s Kim Jones
PROP ST YLIST, SHARON RYAN AT HALLEY RESOURCES. ROBERT NAVA: PHOTO BY ARGENIS APOLINARIO, COURTESY OF VITO SCHNABEL GALLERY. jeans as glammed-out has anything to do with
FASHIONING MASCULINITIES: COURTESY OF V&A. COPELAND/ELBEK: COURTESY OF BRAND. as a red-carpet-ready it, silky snake prints are
gown, you go to Dolce & going to be the Realtree
Gabbana (£2,400). camo of 2022 (£1,700).

THE ROLLS-ROYCE ’GRAMMABLE
OF TRAYS CANDELABRA
Consider expanding Vanity vases, viral
your collection of mirrors – add flex-worthy
Hermès trays beyond candleholders, like
its famous porcelain this recycled-marble
dishes to this advanced sculpture by Tom
version in enameled Dixon, to the list of home
copper (£2,100). status objects (£325).

BRUTALIST BOOTS FAUX-CHET SHIRT
Both brutally medieval Thanks to Nanushka,
and sleekly futuristic, you can rock a crochet-
the latest iteration style shirt without
of Rick Owens’s having to pick up a new
infamous Kiss boots are hobby (£425).
not for the faint of heart
or wardrobe (£1,770). MARCH 2022 GQ 51

GGQQWWoorrlldd FAR-OUT SHADES
DRruobprsic Nowhere is nostalgia
for the 2000s quite so
CUT-OFF BLOUSE apparent as in the realm
In the past few seasons, of eyewear design, with
Saint Laurent’s bug-eyed goggle shades
Anthony Vaccarello has dominating the runways
quietly built a bulletproof (Dries Van Noten,
case for the necessity of price upon request).
the male blouse (£770).
3D SWEATER
LACEY FLARES The siblings behind
If the Beatles were emerging Antwerp-based
working today, label Namacheko
one imagines they’d be have firmly established
wearing trousers by themselves as heirs
the emerging London- to the city’s tradition of
born, Lagos-based high-concept knitwear
designer Tokyo James, (£725).
whose groovy, cross-
cultural vision is catching AN ICONIC SUIT ONE MORE TOKYO JAMES, SALVATORE FERRAGAMO, SAINT LAURENT, ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, NAMACHEKO, DIESEL: PROP STYLIST, SHARON
fire (£728). Before his tragic passing, ESSENTIAL RYAN AT HALLEY RESOURCES. SHANE GABIER, LOUIS VUIT TON MEN’S: PROP STYLIST, SOLANGE SINGER AT MARK EDWARD INC.
Virgil Abloh was inventing ART BOOK DRIES VAN NOTEN, BLUM & POE: COURTESY OF BRANDS.
REFINED BIT a tailoring vernacular all Snippets of lyrics and
LOAFERS his own (Louis Vuitton a sense of musical
A romantic take on the Men’s, jacket, £5,800, melancholy have long
iconic Ferragamo loafer and shorts, £3,450). suffused German-born
rocked by power brokers painter Friedrich Kunath’s
of yore (Salvatore TOP-STITCHED oeuvre; this new book
Ferragamo, £625). TRUCKER marks his watershed 2019
Designer Glenn Martens show of works made in
has revived the radical collaboration with
denim house of Diesel the late Silver Jews
with the freaky high- frontman David Berman
fashion sensibilities that (Blum & Poe, £37 ).
made his Y/Project a
smash success (£695).

CERAMIC BRAND-NEW
SCULPTURE BUCKET
After years of collecting If the new Alexander
ceramics, Creatures McQueen Curve bag
of the Wind cofounder tickles a memory deep
Shane Gabier walked in your sartorial brain,
away from fashion it’s because the shape is
to pursue his craft at the inspired by the legendary
pottery wheel (£700). designer’s iconic harness
silhouette (£1,090 each).
52 GQ MARCH 2022



GQ World MONEY IN ART SCENTS OF STYLE HOWZAT?
Drops Part of Stella Florentine superbrand Inspired by cricket
McCartney’s Gucci branchedinto jumpers of old, this
SUMMER collaboration with homeware afewyearsago, mustard yellow number by
SLIPPERS Peckham-based artist Ed but it’s in retro-infused Tiger of Swedenisan
With their muted suede Curtis, these cardholders scented candles that the appealingly modern take
uppers and pristine white are as practical as they are house really excels (£245). on a classic (£279).
soles,theseRussell & proper (£228).
Bromley moccasins YOUR PRIMARY TREE-SHIRT
work just as well walking LAYER Finished with an abstract
the halls of an art fair as Charles Jeffrey woodcut-inspired print,
they would on the deck of Loverboy’s punchy this billowy shirt from
a yacht (£225). blouson is a bright way to Berluti could be on
make a statement as the your back all summer
OLD SCHOOL weather heats up (£1,055). long (£950).
ASHTRAY
Smoker or not, you can WAVY CO-ORD GREEN-FOOTED
always make room for an Ifyou’re feelinghead-to- Whetheryou’re doinga
Hermès ashtray in your toe boldness, this co-ord spot of gardening or plan
life (£495). from homegrown designer on channelling a little
Bianca Saunders Bieber style, these bright
SWIRLY SWEATER will do the job, and then Ugg rubber clogs will nail
An ink-on-paper style some (from £220). the brief (£70).
sweater from British-
Chinese designer Feng SUN SEEKERS
Chen Wang makesfora Nothing gives you more
wavy spring layer (£395). motivation to achieve a
matching tan than a pair of
PAISLEY POP burnt orange swim shorts,
If there’s one thing Etro such as these from
is known for, it’s paisley. Boss (£149).
An easy way to get in on
thelook– peakspring FLORAL KICKS
FYI – is a breezy shirt. Give your footwear
Cellular vest underlayer, rotation a little life with
essential (£555). these tropically-infused
sneaks from the king
of outré footwear
Christian Louboutin
(£775).

COFFEE TABLE BOLD BLOOMS
COLOUR The only way to display your
This André Butzer Columbia Road-sourced
monograph from flowers this spring is in a
Taschen is full to Helle Mardahlvase.
bursting with the artist’s End of (from £428).
bright, bold, springlike
paintings (£80).

54 GQ MARCH 2022

ALL THAT
GLITTERS

See in spring the only way the Dolce & Gabbana people
know how: by wearing a shed-load of head-to-toe sparkles
(Jacket, price upon request; shirt, £950; shoes, £1,500).

FUN BAG

Debossed with Prada’s iconic triangle and
designed to be worn crossbody, consider this
a bum bag, just more fun (£1,900).

MARCH 2022 GQ 55

GQ World
Drops

TACTILE TEE

We dig texture this season – and Fendi delivers it in
droves. Throw this T-shirt on with some denim cut-offs
when the weather heats up (£740).

TEXTILES
WITH SUBTEXT

As perfect rolled beneath the collar of your shirt as it is
scrunched into your jacket pocket: this silk scarf from
Burberry practiceswhatitpreaches(from£390).

ACID TEST MAD JEANS

You’ll know their immaculate suiting better, but Ready to break out of your slim-straight
Canali has broken the mold this season with a stonewash routine? Then Charles Jeffrey
host of on-the-nose pop pieces – this flamingo
Loverboy is ready for you (£325).
pink polo is the best in show (£210).

56 GQ MARCH 2022



ALL NEW

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GQ World
Drops

STILL GOT IT

This year the Gérald Genta-designed octagonal Audemars
Piguet timepiece, the Royal Oak, celebrates a half-century
of being fit – and boy does this yellow-gold anniversary limited-
edition know it (price uponrequest).

MARCH 2022 GQ 59

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GQ World
Fashion

GROOMING, JOSH KNIGHT USING MOROCCANOIL. TAILORING, FAYE OAKENFULL. Bridgerton’s For actor Jonathan Bailey,
Jonathan becoming a leading man
Bailey is seemed like a long shot.
Giving Us Until he fell into the role
the Vapours of a lifetime as a charming
womaniser on a little
PHOTOGRAPHS BY BEN PARKS show called Bridgerton.
PS HT OY TL OE GD R BA YP H AS N GB EY L NO A MM IE T HA EK RO ES
By DOUGLAS GREENWOOD

MARCH 2022 GQ 61

ONATHAN BAILEY FELT and E! News from his bedroom. The spent much of his free time recently at OPENING PAGE
first season of the Shonda Rhimes pro- a quiet spot in Sussex. It shielded him
J lost and didn’t know duction went massive: some 82 million somewhat from the hysteria of the AND THIS PAGE
what to do with himself. households watched the show over the show’s success, which propelled its last
It was March 2020, and festive season and into January 2021, two leads into new spheres of fame: Jacket, £2,470,
for nearly a year, the a chart-topping figure only recently Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Bailey’s and trousers,
British actor had been immersed on surpassed by Squid Game. The show’s onscreen sister, Daphne Bridgerton, £780, by Louis
the set of Bridgerton, Netflix’s horny second season, out in March, will be will executive produce and star in the Vuitton.
and ornate period drama set in a fic- loaded with the expectation of a large buzzy Amazon series Exciting Times. Sweater, £580,
tional and fantastical 19th-century and attentive audience, and for Bailey, (Tabloids suggest she also dated Pete by Dsquared2.
London. The show’s debut was months there’s an added layer of pressure: Davidson last year, shortly before his Belt, £850,
away, but working on it was con- Anthony will take the centre as the headline-stirring relationship with by Hermès.
suming just about every conscious season’s main character. “The idea that Kim Kardashian.) And the man who Gloves, £38,
moment of Bailey’s life; his usually [Bridgerton] is coming out again is a bit played her onscreen lover Simon Basset, by Reiss.
modern, slicked-back hair had been of a rug pull,” he says. “It’s quite scary.” Regé-Jean Page, will appear in 2023’s Boots, £750,
permed into the style of his character, Dungeons & Dragons reboot. by Jimmy Choo.
Lord Anthony Bridgerton, a lothario Bailey and I meet in Hyde Park
of landed gentry, with two sharp mut- during that strange limbo week We sit with our coffees on a bench
tonchops stroked against his cheek. between Christmas and New Year. He by the Italian Gardens. At 33, Bailey
“It was like being a part of some social blends in well with his surroundings, doesn’t seem eager to get noticed on
experiment,” he thought. A wonderful wearing a black Gore-Tex jacket and the street. Dispositionally, he’s one of
abduction in which he’d be lifted from green corduroy trousers. The signature those actors who’d rather work than
his normal life and sent tumbling like muttonchops, which he grew himself be famous, who is more comfortable
a stray astronaut into space, crashing for the show’s first season, are dialled reciting Dickens for a small audience
into a new planet. down this time around – “a glow-up” than he is wearing designer clothes on
Here, on planet Bridgerton, gracious for the character, he says with a laugh. the red carpet. That he’s in this position
ringlet-haired women danced in ball- Bailey had just returned to London after at all feels both like a fluke and com-
gowns to string quartet covers of Billie a holiday in Switzerland, though he’s pletely serendipitous.
Eilish, charming potential suitors who
were fucking and flirting their way
through the city, while an anonymous
columnist would chronicle everybody’s
secrets and stir up drama for London’s
aristocracy. Until Bridgerton, Bailey’s
own modest fame had stemmed
from nearly three decades in the-
atre and television: popular prime-
time detective drama Broadchurch,
programmes from prestige talents,
including Michaela Coel’s Chewing
Gum and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s
Crashing, as well as prolific spells on
West End stages, most notably in a
gender-swapped reimagining of
Stephen Sondheim’s classic Company,
for which he won a best supporting
actor Olivier Award.
“When you do a play, you share it
with the audience every night,” says
Bailey of his fondness for the stage.
But then you’re done. Working on a
period set such as Bridgerton was all-
enveloping. After season one wrapped,
Bailey should have been able to rest and
recharge. But weeks later, the pandemic
shut down the UK and, like everyone
else, he found himself stuck in that
gloomy malaise.
And then Bridgerton landed like a
confetti bomb posted through his front
door when it hit Netflix on Christmas
morning. Suddenly, Bailey was on
video calls with breakfast television

62 GQ MARCH 2022

GQ World
Fashion

Coat, £820,
by John
Lawrence
Sullivan.
Shirt, £445, by
S.S. Daley.
Trousers, £460,
by Paul Smith.
Belt, £134.50,
by Elliot
Rhodes. Chain
necklace, £220,
by Dsquared2.
Pendant
necklaces,
£950 each, by
Bleue Burnham.
Shoes, £295, by
Russell &
Bromley.

MARCH 2022 GQ 63

GQ World
Fashion

64 GQ MARCH 2022

Bailey grew up in Benson, a South narrative but has rarely occupied the OPPOSITE PAGE I wonder whether his career deci-
Oxfordshire village of fewer than 5,000 main spotlight. Until this season of sions and his sexuality have stood in
people. When he was a child, his parents Bridgerton, one of his only other lead Jacket, £2,100, direct opposition to each other; if he
sent him to dance classes after he was television roles was in a BBC children’s trousers, ever felt the need to suppress that side
inspired by a stage version of Oliver! show based on the life of Leonardo da £1,100, of himself to get ahead. He recalls a
he’d seen age four. He won his first part Vinci. “I’ve never gone into a screen test by Giorgio story concerning a callous word of
three years later, playing Tiny Tim in and had the ‘That’s him!’ reaction,” says Armani. advice that someone once gave an actor
a Royal Shakespeare Company pro- Bailey. “I’ve always crept round through Turtleneck, friend during pilot season. “At the time
duction of A Christmas Carol. (When the back door.” £149, by Boss. he was told, ‘There’s two things we
reached for comment, the show’s Belt, £134.50, don’t want to know: if you’re an alco-
director, Ian Judge, admired his suc- I T W A S D U R I N G his teen years that by Elliot holic or if you’re gay.’ ” The words stuck
cess but couldn’t really remember him. Bailey learned how to perform as some- Rhodes. Socks, with Bailey. “All it takes is for one of
“Humbling! Put that in there,” Bailey one he wasn’t, as many queer people £13, by Falke. those people in that position of power
says.) Around the same time, his older do growing up outside big cities. He Shoes, £910, by to say that, and it ripples through,” he
sisters, who’d left home for university, attended Magdalen College School in Salvatore says. “So, yeah, of course I thought that.
would return for odd weekends, armed Oxford, a nearly 550-year-old institu- Ferragamo. Of course I thought that in order to be
with stories of city nightlife. They would tion that counts saints, sirs, and the happy I needed to be straight.” The
play Bailey pop and disco classics from composer Ivor Novello as past alumni. BELOW thing that’s always led Bailey’s deci-
a compilation CD called Dance to the Bailey came out to family and friends sion-making in his career has been his
Max – “queer anthems” – by artists such in his early 20s and is, today, one of the Jacket, £635, own happiness, which is why it took so
as Freddie Mercury and Frankie Goes few gay British actors working onscreen by Ami Paris. long for him to talk publicly about his
to Hollywood. “I’d have to go up to my whose roles don’t seem defined wholly Sweater, £485, own sexuality: “I reached a point where
room and perfect the performance,” he by their sexuality. Bridgerton has made by Dsquared2. I thought, ‘Fuck this’, I’d much prefer to
says, before coming downstairs to sing him a sex symbol to many men and Trousers, £535, hold my boyfriend’s hand in public or
and dance for his family. women, but he doesn’t like to talk about by Vivienne be able to put my own face picture on
it. “Any actor who thinks they’re a sex Westwood. Tinder and not be so concerned about
Historically, he’s played valuable symbol? Cringe,” he says. Boots, £655, by that, than getting a part.”
supporting roles that bolster a show’s Dsquared2.
That instinct to stay true to himself is
part of what makes him good at his job.
“Jonny operates at a different voltage,”
says Phoebe Waller-Bridge, his Crashing
co-star. “He’s a meteorite of fun with an
incredible amount of energy and play-
fulness. Smouldering at one turn and
then utterly innocent at the next, but
all the time playing with this sense of
untapped danger. That is the quality I
love most about Jonny as a person and
as a performer: his danger.”

Bridgerton is based on a series of New
York Times best-selling romance novels
by American author Julia Quinn, and
Bailey treats the source material with
the same level of tact and seriousness as
he would King Lear. What might seem
like a straightforward, frothy show
about scandal and romance in Regency-
era England harbours a deeper meaning
to Bailey, specifically in playing a phi-
landerer such as Anthony. As a teenager,
period dramas were a Bailey house-
hold staple, but “you never really got
behind the men,” Bailey observed, “or
know why they’re avoidant and toxic.”
This season, Bailey gets to dig into the
show’s narrative, exploring exactly why
the show’s men are avoidant and toxic.
Anthony yearns to settle down, but
struggles to find a woman deserving of
the title of Lady Bridgerton. The shots of
Anthony’s post-coital buttocks and his
flippant remarks about women’s inade-
quacies could be seen as signs of a crass
and shallow character. But Bailey sees
them as symptoms of a man grieving
the loss of his father, and who is strug-
gling to assume the patriarchal position.
“Going into the first season, I wanted to
fully break Anthony,” the show’s creator
Chris Van Dusen says, “so that we could
put him back together in the second.”

MARCH 2022 GQ 65

GQ World Jacket, £1,395,
trousers, £460,
Fashion
top, £850,
Bailey, meanwhile, says that he turtleneck,
“started to think about [Anthony’s]
charm,” and specifically “what it means £850,
to be a rake, and how his anxiety and by Dunhill.
self-hatred plays into that.” Anthony Boots, £365, by
also forced Bailey to, in his words, Grenson. Ring,
“think about love a lot.” It’s one of the
few allusions to his personal life that £3,300, by
Bailey seems to drop, almost by acci- Stephen
dent: “You put your life experiences Webster.
into [the work]. What’s most interesting
is not necessarily having to talk about
what that is, and keeping a sense of
privacy.” He’s navigated that carefully,
the balance between being affable and
guarded when the circumstances call
for it. His Company costar, Broadway
legend Patti LuPone, remembers the for-
mer most fondly. “He’s quite open as a
human being,” she tells me. “I love him.”

After Bridgerton’s release, an old
friend, Marianne Elliott, Company’s
Tony Award-winning director, reached
out and gave Bailey what he considers
one of the greatest holy-shit moments
of his career: an opportunity for them to
work together again. “We’d read many
scripts with the specific task of finding
something for Jonny Bailey,” she tells
me. Eventually, they settled on Cock,
premiering this spring, a scintillating,
dialogue-heavy and stage-direction-
less Mike Bartlett play about a man
named John, his ex-boyfriend (played
by Taron Egerton), and the woman that
he’s fallen for.

That side of things, the award-
winning work, has helped catalyse
Bailey’s other holy-shit moments,
which seem to be happening with
more frequency. These days, producers
approach him to offer roles, the days
of creeping through the back door are
over. Oftentimes, these projects clash
with Bailey’s Bridgerton schedule, and
some producers will say, “No, don’t
worry. We’ll wait”. I joke that it must
be strange to have people waiting for
him now, and Bailey retreats inside him-
self. Hands in his pockets, a little embar-
rassed. But smiling. “Yeah…I mean…
that sounds…I can say that now but,
you always think they’re going to move
on – and it’s only for a moment,” he says
sheepishly. Bridgerton is wonderful, he
adds, “but in 20 years, you don’t want
to be famous. You want a sustained
career.”

douglas greenwood is a
writer based in London who covers
queerness, film, and pop culture.

66 GQ MARCH 2022

CONNOISSEUR

The Connoisseur collection brings
together form and functionality to elevate
your favourite drinks. Revealing depths
òé ĥäùòøõ óõèùìòøöïü ëìççèñ úì÷ëìñ ÷ëè
glass, this collection is inspired by the
úòõïçđö Ĥñèö÷ öóìõì÷ö Îäæë êïäöö ëäö åèèñ
carefully shaped to unlock the full complexity
of taste and aroma of your favourite drink.

WAT E R FO R D.CO M

Waterford

Crafted for this very moment

GQ Hype is the big story of right now:
your gateway to the artists, voices
and ideas shaping culture.

Watch for the cover drop on Mondays at GQ.co.uk and @BritishGQ

GQ World
Watches

“Excuse Me, Is That a smiling-flower-motif dial executed
Murakami on Your Wrist?” with 384 coloured gemstones, at a cost
of £88,000 – a bargain, in a way, con-
These days, you can buy a painting for your wall – or one that sidering what the artist’s works have
keeps time, says GQ watch columnist Nick Foulkes. fetched at auction over the years.

PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF SWATCH, HUBLOT, AND JAEGER-LECOULTRE. OME OF THE MOST to none other than Vincent van Gogh, Luckily, you don’t need that kind of
adorning the dials of special-issue money to afford a piece of wearable art.
S important artists of Reversos with painstakingly rendered Swatch now collaborates with MoMA,
the 20th century were enamel reproductions of the Dutch making affordable quartz-powered
inveterate watch fiends. Postimpressionist’s works. (The Van timepieces emblazoned with works
Picasso had a collection Gogh Museum in Amsterdam even from the likes of Klimt and Mondrian.
that any Hodinkee reader would drool sold some in its gift shop.) Luminaries Haring’s original Swatch models are out
over – it included, among others, a such as Seurat, Xu Beihong, and of production, but vintage examples on
Rolex GMT-Master, a Jaeger-LeCoultre Ferdinand Hodler were similarly cel- eBay can go for anywhere from a few
Triple Date Moonphase, and, for good ebrated on Reversos. hundred to a thousand pounds plus.
measure, a Patek Philippe Triple Date
Moonphase. Warhol was even more Now, some watchmakers are Art lovers and watch lovers are, of
obsessed: He amassed a collection of collaborating directly with artists course, kindred spirits. The mediums
313 watches, including Rolexes, Patek – a move that seemed downright rev- might be different, but, as the noted
Philippes, Piagets, and the various olutionary back in 1986, when Keith international art collector and adviser
Cartiers he was known to wear (but not Haring worked with Swatch to create Fabien Fryns explains it, both instill
wind). Even today, Hockney is rarely four custom pieces for his Pop Shop. a unique admiration for the creator.
pictured without one of several slim Today, we’re not just talking about “You can see the hand of the crafts-
gold wristwatches poking out from £75 Swatches but rather six-figure man in a watch, just as you can see
under his cardigan sleeves. creations that rise to the level of con- the hand of the artist in a painting,” he
And yet, for many years, aside from temporary art themselves. Hublot told me. “I don’t know of a substantial
artists dabbling as connoisseurs, the has worked with Takashi Murakami, car collector who also has a great art
worlds of fine art and mechanical Richard Orlinski, and Shepard Fairey, collection; I’m sure there are some,
timepieces rarely crossed orbits. But among others, on limited-edition but I often encounter art lovers who
that’s changing rapidly as a new cul- reinterpretations of the brand’s collect watches, and vice versa.”
tural and aesthetic convergence gains iconic timepieces. Murakami’s lat-
momentum. Jaeger-LeCoultre, for est creation features a transparent In the ultimate sign of true con-
example, paid tribute a few years ago sapphire-crystal case and a rotating vergence, there is a new appetite to
display watches as art, bringing them
from wrists to the vitrines of major
cultural institutions. I speak from
experience. I was recently approached
to help a leading collector prepare his
collection – mainly Patek Philippes –
for an exhibition. The show would not
be at a hotel or private club, as many
watch-world meetups often are, but at
the Design Museum, London, where
the watches would be displayed as the
objets d’art that they are.

While Patek Philippe has staged
international exhibitions, this will
be the first time a private collection
mostly comprising wristwatches by the
blue chip maker will be put on show at
a museum. I hope it will not be the last.
As the collector pointed out, “People
have been exhibiting their art collec-
tions for years, centuries, so why not
watch collections?”

To put it another way: Don’t
be surprised if, in a few years’ time,
you’ll be asking for directions
at The Met to find the Hall of Hyped-
Up Horology.

MARCH 2022 GQ 69

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When In a partnership
between GQ and

Google Pixel,
we speak to eight
creatives about the
importance of visible
Black photography.

Tech

Met

Tone

PHOTOGRAPHED WITH THE GOOGLE PIXEL 6 BY ADAMA JALLOH
WORDS BY ATA-OWAJI VICTOR STYLED BY OLLIVER SHARP

GQ PARTNERSHIP

OW DO YOU approach “With my hybrid identity, capturing photos that
speak to multifaceted stories is important.”
H Google – the creators
of arguably the world’s —ADAMA JALLOH ON SHOOTING WITH THE GOOGLE PIXEL 6
greatest smartphone cam-
era – and say, ‘I have some
notes?’ In 2017, this was the dilemma
that New York photographer and
co-founder of art collective See In Black
Florian Koenigsberger found himself in.
While taking a history of photogra-
phy course during his undergraduate
studies at Yale University, Koenigsberger
began to recognise that “not a lot of the
material we covered featured Black and
Brown photographers.” Upon gradu-
ating in 2014, the creative completed
many internships and one of Google’s
career programmes before joining the
tech giant’s marketing department. It
was there that Koenigsberger started
to reflect on another bias that he had
noticed in his early photography years:
“The inaccurate portrayal of skin tones.”
Due to racial bias, which was built
into the creation of many cameras in the
mid-1950s – including the use of light
skin as the chemical baseline for colour-
film technology, and technicians using
images of white people to calibrate
colour control – historically, capturing
images that accurately represent Black
skin has been more complex than sim-
ply finding the “best light”.
Koenigsberger explains that as a
mixed-heritage person – his mother
is of Jamaican descent, his father is of
German – for him, the consequences of
racial bias in photos were ever-present.
“Our family albums would look like a
trade-off where only one person – typi-
cally the lighter family members – were
able to look like their real skin tone.”
Taking an almost renegade approach,
in 2017, Koenigsberger and a small
team began emailing colleagues across
Google, asking for their help with a
mission: to build the company’s most

PHOTOGRAPHED WITH THE GOOGLE PIXEL 6 equitable camera to date. What fol- photo tech that predates the Google Opposite: dancer
lowed was years of development, guided Pixel 6, Jalloh explains that with certain Botis Seva. Far left:
by the mantra “don’t let it die” – result- film and cameras, “when shooting peo- Google’s Florian
ing in the creation of the Google Pixel ple of darker hues, the impact of bias is Koenigsberger.
6 Real Tone update. With the help of built into the fabric of the shot, result- Above:
the product and engineering teams, ing in images that look muddy.” photographer
Koenigsberger focused on transforming Adama Jalloh.
the camera’s “auto-white balance, low- GQ and Koenigsberger asked Jalloh
light imagery, how it picks up hair, and to road test the Google Pixel 6’s Real
undertones” to make it resolute in its Tone update by photographing Black
ability to truly photograph Black people. creatives in their truest form. The
following six movement artists and
Meanwhile, over in the UK, photogra- dancers – Sia Gbamoi, Tyrone Isaac-
pher Adama Jalloh is an Arts University Stuart, Botis Seva, Sadé and Kristina
Bournemouth alumna, whose work is Alleyne, and Ivan Michael Blackstock
informed by themes of identity, race and – are at the forefront of the UK’s Black
culture. “For me, with my hybrid iden- art renaissance, a movement that is
tity – Black, woman, Sierra Leonean championing a mix of diasporic influ-
heritage – capturing photos that attest ences. Here, they explain what the Real
to these multifaceted stories is import- Tone update means to them in terms
ant.” When reflecting on the history of of accurate skin-tone representation.

MARCH 2022 GQ 73

GQ PARTNERSHIP Tyrone
Isaac-
Photographed by Stuart
Adama Jalloh with
the Google Pixel 6. The 29-year-old, east London-born
artist thinks that Real Tone might
Sia Gbamoi inspire new ways of thinking.

The 28-year-old dancer from south-east London sees the progression of tech “I left the shoot feeling like, ‘What
as a step towards making photography and cameras more inclusive. if this was the everyday?” explains
multidisciplinary artist Tyrone
H A V I N G T A K E N P A R T in dynamic on shoots that I’ve produced and that Isaac-Stuart when reflecting on
grassroots dance projects such as I’ve worked on, I can feel the pressure his time spent in front of the
The Movement Factory at London’s that I place on myself. But maybe Google Pixel 6 camera, with Jalloh
Peckham Levels (its mission is to cre- because of this team – a Black major- and the crew. The saxophonist and
ate positive change in communities ity crew, as per Adama’s request – and dancer – whose practice primarily
across the UK using dance as a mech- the unique closeness of the phone, consists of jazz music, hip-hop and
anism for empowerment, a pursuit I felt like we were able to encapsulate contemporary – is no stranger
that very much aligns with Gbamoi’s the ‘spiritual’ nature of movement.” to performing in front an audience:
personal approach to the art form), he’s taken part in projects run by
the Avant Garde Dance Company art- Gbamoi continues: “With updates dance houses including Sadler’s
ist has a passion for diverse practices, such as the Google Pixel 6’s Real Tone, Wells and East London Dance, and
from contemporary to Pan-African, it will be important to see if this kind has worked all around the world,
Indian classical dance Bharatanatyam of systemic change will form the basis from France to Kenya.
to ballet. of development in years to come. [In
the future], will Google be able to ask He adds: “From the makeup
Reflecting on the GQ and Google themselves: ‘It’s no longer just about artists and Adama’s skilful eye,
partnership shoot, with Jalloh behind centring people who have been oth- all the way to the soundtrack –
the camera lens, Gbamoi says, “It was ered – how have we actually used this a symphonic blend of Clive Bell,
nice to see the quality of the photo- update as a springboard to help foster Betamax and Ben LaMar Gay’s
graphs holding their own. Usually, change in this area of photography?’” ‘Sometimes I Forget How Summer
Looks On You’ – the project felt like
it was connected to the duality
within me: the dancer, but also
the musician.

“Now, more than ever, creative
expression should be a representation
of how mediums speak to each other,
whether that’s art, dance or music.”
He goes on to explain: “Just like on
the photo shoot, I want to look at
how these mediums can be ‘in
conversation’ with each other to
present them in their truest form.”

It’s an ideal, explains Isaac-
Stuart, that has also informed his
interactions with digital imagery.
“After the pandemic started, so many
of us in the creative industry had to
reevaluate our relationship with
digital versus analogue work. We’ve
had to ask ourselves, ‘How can you
still provoke feeling and a range of
emotions via a screen?’ Now that
I’ve reshaped my imagination, I’ve
began to see how tools like the
Google Pixel 6’s camera can be a
different instrument that can help
dance become more than just a
snapshot.” The artist concludes:
“I hope updates such as Real Tone
will inspire photographers to return
to other mediums with a fresh
insight on how to encapsulate truer
representations of all of us.”

74 GQ MARCH 2022

PHOTOGRAPHED WITH THE GOOGLE PIXEL 6 Photographed by
Adama Jalloh with
the Google Pixel 6.

MARCH 2022 GQ 75

Photographed by Sadé and
Adama Jalloh with Kristina
the Google Pixel 6. Alleyne

Botis Seva The 33-year-old twins from London
are photographed as their authentic
The 31-year-old artist, choreographer and director from east London wants to selves on the Google Pixel 6.
use technology and art to help Black people to feel represented and valued.
For Kristina and Sadé Alleyne – who
performed at the Opening Ceremony
of the London 2012 Olympic Games,
and founded their eponymous dance
company, Alleyne Twins, in 2014
– movement has been an intrinsic
constant. “When we’re younger,
we were always moving,” says Sadé.
“We started out in athletics, training
our bodies daily before our passion
for dance eclipsed the sport and we
began leaning into the middle ground
between the two.”

Throughout the pandemic, the
sisters had to find a way to use film,
cameras, and the digital space to
connect people to their work – all the
while keeping in mind whether they
would be accurately represented on
screen. “Film and photography has
become a new way to communicate,”
says Kristina. “When creating, we
now consider how we can connect to
what people are feeling when they
look at the screen.”

More recently, the sisters have
worked on a project called Far From
Home, a new dance production that
explores the topic of migration, the
ethnic tapestry of local communities,
the meaning of tolerance, and the
practice of integration.

F R O M P O I G N A N T storytelling via hip- impact isn’t just about the shoot
hop movement onstage to founding itself, but it’s also a nod to the amount
his own dance company, Far From of adaptation that has had to drasti-
The Norm, at just 19 years old – cally take place over the past few
choreographer Botis Seva’s inten- years. Our industry is so close-knit
tion to push creative boundaries and oftentimes it’s overlooked, but so
comes from “my mum and from the many people have risen to the occa-
community around me.” It’s an ideal sion, blending technology with our
that informs the core of Seva’s work work – so people can still experience
– especially that of his dance troupe, it [and get] goosebumps.”
which strives to deconstruct street-
dance vocabularies, challenge per- Seva, who has won international
ceptions of hip-hop as an art form, awards for his choreography, uses
and empower marginalised young his personal experience to inspire his
people. “On this shoot, I had so many work. “I grew up in Dagenham, east
moments where I’d stop and think London, but when we first moved
about the magnitude of the project. in, we had issues with race and not
This type of spotlighting hasn’t hap- fitting in,” he recalls. “The balance
pened before, so it’ll be a moment for between the two informs so much
us as dancers.” of my craft – it’s ingrained in me.”
In these images, Seva says he hopes
The self-described “superfan of young Black people will see “the
everyone” who is working on the GQ value, worth and true representation
and Google partnership adds: “The of what it is to look like us.”

76 GQ MARCH 2022

Ivan Michael Blackstock GQ PARTNERSHIP

The 35-year-old, south London-born cultural innovator and dancer explains how tools such as within myself, so it’s important
the Google Pixel 6’s Real Tone update will help spotlight emerging Black talent. that the tools that I use to record vid-
eos or take photos pick up on any and
PHOTOGRAPHED WITH THE GOOGLE PIXEL 6 “ K I N E T I C – I T H I N K that is the best portal of ideas, with filters and Photographed by all nuances.”
way to describe my current creative elements that allow for dance to be Adama Jalloh with
expression. It’s constantly shifting showcased beyond just the physical the Google Pixel 6. Blackstock continues: “From paint-
and evolving,” says Ivan Michael moves – through concepts, surreal- ings crafted by fine artists who are
Blackstock, a professional dancer and ism, music.” able to document their dreams, to
visual artist who has choreographed an actor on a stage interacting with
and worked on music videos for art- The dancer, who co-founded the the chorus behind them – creative
ists including British rapper Dizzee BirdGang Dance Company in 2005 messaging in the most minute of
Rascal and Swedish singer-songwriter and has staged performances at the details has impacted my understand-
Neneh Cherry. Young Vic and Sadler’s Wells, aims ing of what it means to produce art
to connect creatives and amplify as a Black person, and it’s a feeling
Fluid evolution and finding a way unheard voices. “Technology has been that I want to replicate for others.”
to colour outside the lines is what, integral for me in my communication
Blackstock says, led him to delve “into of identity through art. It’s one of the However, the need to inspire oth-
the internet because it’s an infinite best ways to showcase the dichotomy ers is far from the only driving force
behind Blackstock’s quest for the
accurate portrayal of his art online.
“When crafting any piece of work,
I always consider the emotions I want
to evoke,” says the dance expression-
ist. “I want people to leave my social
media page, my projects, any iteration
of my work really, with a distinct feel-
ing of joy.”

The artist explains that, with Jalloh
behind the Google Pixel 6 camera and
knowing the images would accurately
represent his form due to its Real
Tone update, he poured himself into
the project in a way that he hopes to
do with more of his art. “Especially
under the guidance of Adama, who
I’ve collaborated with before – it was
a full-circle moment.”

While meditating on the impact
that technological advances, such as
the Google Pixel 6’s Real Tone update,
could have on the accurate represen-
tation of Black people and their skin,
the artist says that a seismic shift is
already afoot within technology and
its role when it comes to the visibility
of Black art.

“If you look at how technology,
smartphones and social media have
brought about a global interest in
Amapiano [a hybrid of deep house,
jazz and lounge music that emerged
in South Africa in 2012] or Afrobeats
[popular music from West Africa that
developed in Nigeria, Ghana, and the
UK in the 2000s], the growing online
youth subculture and its the effects
on how we interact with music and
culture is clear,” says Blackstock.

“You can’t stop the wave of Black
art – it’s gone beyond representation
and towards collaboration across the
diaspora.” Now, says Blackstock, “is
the time for the continued develop-
ment of tools such as the Google Pixel
6 camera. [It’s also time for a] tech-
nological lean in that will rightfully
spotlight emerging Black talent, espe-
cially those who are shaping so much
of the culture we consume daily.”

Discover more at g.co/pixel/realtone

MARCH 2022 GQ 77

gq.co.uk

Fashion, culture, and the great stylish beyond.
In other words: the best of GQ, in one place.

READ WELL. READ GQ.CO.UK.

GQ World
Grooming

Your Next £82 for 100ml, by Boss
Fragrance
Comes MARCH 2022 GQ 79
with a Zing

A sparky new scent is
our favourite hack to a
spring (re)awakening.

By ZAK MAOUI

L I F E ’ S A L I T T L E dull right now.
We’re working from home again – or
we were at time of writing, at least –
travel’s still tricky and our fun clothes
have had fewer outings than we
would have liked. A hit to the senses
is one way to counter the drudgery.
Boss’ The Scent Le Parfum has a rich
mix of warm amber, soft leather and
floral iris, but it’s the zingy shot of
ginger across the bough which makes
it worth spritzing before you start
your commute (even if said commute
only involves a journey from bed to
kitchen table). The addition of the
root not only brings a welcome fresh-
ness to Boss’ latest iteration of The
Scent (it originally launched in 1985),
but it also delivers a tingle on the
skin when you spray it on, making it a
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The GQ World
28 Shopping

Best
Stores

in the
World

PERSUADE: MARILUZ VIDAL FOR OPENHOUSE. You can’t Whether you go for
mainline vibes the trousers, to sip a
shopping online matcha, or just to soak
the way you can
at Persuade in up some rarefied
Bilbao, Spain. ambience, these

28 stores from
around the world

demand a visit.

By NOAH JOHNSON,
SAMUEL HINE AND

TEO VAN DEN BROEKE

MARCH 2022 GQ 81

GQ World NOW THAT SHOPPING ONLINE is just another aspect of everyday life (and copping for the
Shopping metaverse is part of our inevitable future), it’s never been more interesting and satisfying
to buy clothes the old-fashioned way. But the brick-and-mortar experience has changed.
It’s taken on new meaning, and become essential in all kinds of fantastic, radical ways. We
get it. Going in to browse and try stuff on is a lot more demanding than simply clicking “add
to cart”, but these 28 stores do something that no website or virtual world can – they
engage all of the senses, including your sense of discovery.

Evan Kinori, Alára Lagos, Nigeria What’s the vibe? “An oasis of harmony,” says Celestina.
San Francisco. Located in the centre of Antwerp’s most diverse district,
What’s in stock? High fashion with an emphasis on African Solarshop feels both timeless and placeless, like an
and Africa-inspired designers including Kenneth Ize, Post- amalgamation of global cultures.
Imperial, and Ahluwalia. Why visit? Where else can you buy a pair of mud-dyed
What’s the vibe? Founded in 2014 by fashion entrepreneur silk trousers, an antique Dogon stool from Mali, and woven-
Reni Folawiyo – and housed in a building designed by gold and -silver pieces by celebrated German jeweller
world-famous Ghanaian British architect David Adjaye – Stephanie Schneider?
Alára is West Africa’s first fashion concept store.
Think Dover Street Market or 10 Corso Como with a pan- Bode New York
African elegance.
Why visit? Located in the posh Victoria Island district What’s in stock? Antique quilt jackets, hand-drawn
of Lagos, this is an essential stop on the global fashion T-shirts, lace shirts, and other treasures from the mind of
train for a glimpse inside the thriving, vibrant world of the designer who made craft the hottest thing in fashion.
African design. What’s the vibe? You’ll want to move into the cosy
Chinatown space by the interior-design vibemasters at
Atelier Solarshop Antwerp, Belgium Green River Project. The lighting is warm and inviting, the
walls are clad in coffee-stained wood, the furniture is teak
What’s in stock? Wares from Belgian designer Jan-Jan and upholstered in Bode fabrics.
Van Essche (who founded the shop with his partner, Pietro Why visit? You’ll leave with a reinvigorated sense of
Celestina) in addition to collections by a handful of other curiosity – and maybe a one-off patchwork shirt.
independent brands and antiques culled from flea markets
around the world. Boontheshop Seoul

What’s in stock? Boon is Korea’s premier retailer of elite
international luxury labels such as Celine, Bottega Veneta,
and Vetements, alongside a range of local designers such
as 99%IS and Post Archive Faction.
What’s the vibe? Designed by the high priest of luxury
retail Peter Marino, Boontheshop’s 55,000-square-
foot Cheongdam district flagship is a modern
architectural masterpiece.
Why visit? To experience the best high-end retail in the
coolest fashion city in the world – and to see your favourite
K-pop group’s stylists pulling pieces for their clients.

Brechó do Futebol Porto Alegre, Brazil

What’s in stock? Football shirts. Lots of them. New and EVAN KINORI: ALLEN DANZE. COURTSEY: CONNOLLY.
vintage ones from everywhere in the world. Founder Carlos
Caloghero started out in 2007 with his personal collection
of a few hundred; now his shop is jam-packed with more
than 14,000.
What’s the vibe? Part second-hand shop, part private
archive, Brechó do Futebol has the atmosphere of a vintage
book or record shop.
Why visit? With the World Cup taking place this year, this
is the time to start building your arsenal of soccer kits. Not a
fan of futebol? Football shirts have become a fashion staple
in recent years, so just choose one that works with your fit.

The Broken Arm Paris

What’s in stock? High-fashion grails from the avant-
garde establishment (Margiela, Raf Simons) and the next
big things (Kiko Kostadinov, Arnar Már Jónsson) – and an
excellent tuna sandwich at the adjoining café.
What’s the vibe? On a quiet street in the heart of the

Connolly, Clifford Marais, the store – with sleek furnishings designed by the Connolly London
Street, London. shop’s fashion-obsessed founders Guillaume Steinmetz,
Anaïs Lafarge, and Romain Joste – feels like a hushed What’s in stock?
temple to high design. Once celebrated throughout the automotive industry for
Why visit? To buy that one Prada piece that lesser retailers decking out the world’s luxiest car interiors in toothsome
didn’t get, and to see what glorious garms the Parisian toffee-hued leathers, now Connolly – under the tasteful
fashion elite are after. aegis of Isabel Ettedgui – has branched into ready-to-
wear. The brand’s sumptuous leather car coats, squidgy
Chenjingkai Office Taipei, Taiwan cashmere sweaters, and genderless tailored suits are
among the most chic you’ll find anywhere in the capital.
What’s in stock? Chenjingkai produces perfect versions The Connolly furniture line (leather-clad, of course) is
of every type of footwear you’ll ever need, from beefy also killer.
commando-sole loafers to sleek Mary Jane derbies to What’s the vibe?
faithfully reproduced German army trainers. Ettedgui, the widow of fashion retail giant Joseph Ettedgui,
What’s the vibe? Like the high-minded design studio it has worked hard to cultivate a warm, familial mood in her
is – blonde-wood fixtures, iMacs, and echoes of Dieter little corner of Mayfair. Expect impeccable service and
Rams abound. a selection of utterly tactile products, so carefully
Why visit? Chenjingkai sells plenty of its most popular curated you’ll end up wanting to purchase everything
styles online, but at the store visitors can design their you touch.
own bespoke models, choosing from a range of uppers, Why visit?
leathers, and soles. Customers are encouraged to get as For a wild and uncompromising attention to detail that’s
creative as possible. unlike any other retail experience.

MARCH 2022 GQ 83

Drake’s, Savile from heritage Aussie brand RM Williams thrown in for
Row, London. good measure.
What’s the vibe? This Savile Row store feels a bit like a
Dot Comme Melbourne college library in Vermont, lifted straight from the pages
of a Donna Tartt novel… That and a pine-clad fishing
What’s in stock? Archival gems by Comme des Garçons, retreat. In addition to the immaculate edit of garments on COURTSEY: END CLOTHING. COURTESY: DRAKE’S.
Junya Watanabe, Issey Miyake, and other avant-garde display, there are also a host of artfully curated curios, from
fashion legends. books to prints, lining the walls. It’s kind of how we’d like
What’s the vibe? You might think the place is an art gallery, our own front room to look: refreshing and un-fusty and at
but there’s nothing stuffy or intimidating about this freak- welcome odds with some of the heavier duty locales on
fashion fun house where Japanese electronica plays and the Row.
radical furnishings by Memphis Milano and Gaetano Pesce Why visit? If you’re in the market for a healthy dose of
blend in seamlessly. understated British elegance with a smidge of Japanese
Why visit? Catch a dose of designer history – and be sure attention to detail and American-scented styling, there’s
to try on some ’90s Yohji Yamamoto while you’re at it. You really no other place to go.
might just experience a personal-style awakening.
Dover Street Market New York
Drake’s London
What’s in stock? All of the Comme des Garçons goods:
What’s in stock? Classic pieces from creative director DSM is the label’s multi-brand retail empire. Plus, a killer
Michael Hill’s sports-luxe-infused, seasonless collections range of high fashion from Rick Owens, Marni, and Gucci,
for Drake’s, which veer between tailored classics and and the extended DSM family that includes ERL and Sky
trendy mountain garb, with the occasional collaborative High Farm.
rugby shirt made with Aimé Leon Dore, say, or boots What’s the vibe? All DSM stores are designed by Comme
des Garçons visionary founder Rei Kawakubo. So prepare
to get lost in her mind garden over eight floors of high-
concept fashion installations.
Why visit? Go to cop the latest CdG Homme Plus Nikes,
for the soft scrambled eggs and smoked salmon at Rose
Bakery on the ground floor, or just to take notes on the
style of the sales staff – who are some of the best-dressed
people in the whole of NYC.

End Clothing London

What’s in stock? A little bit street (think lashings of Fear
of God, Off-White and Palm Angels), a little bit chic (we’re
looking at you Jil Sander and Saint Laurent), and totally
unique, there’s something to suit every taste level at End
Clothing (as long as your taste level is really, really good).
What’s the vibe? Perched on a busy street corner in the
heart of Soho, End’s glass-coated shop front reveals
its diverse clientele to all those passing by. Beloved by
both art students and the fashion elite alike, End is best
known for its broad and on-point range of clothing and
products, overseen by senior buyer Dean Walker. Head
in for a new Hatton Labs signet ring, leave with a limited-
edition Dior Saddle bag and a pair of one-off Nike Air
Force Ones.
Why visit? Because if you need a new pair of rare sneakers
that you can’t find anywhere else, this is the only place in
the capital to go.

Evan Kinori San Francisco

What’s in stock? Current editions of Kinori’s hand-
numbered clothes, furniture from Copenhagen design
team Frama, vintage table lamps, wooden stools, and
blankets woven in the studio behind the shop by artist
Marina Contro.
What’s the vibe? The long, narrow space invites a
leisurely, thoughtful shopping experience in which you
can appreciate that no detail was overlooked by Kinori,
right down to the vintage Austrian brass wall hooks from
the 1950s and the Santa Maria Novella potpourri in the
dressing room.
Why visit? Kinori spent years selling his collection online
(and through his stockists) and to customers during
private appointments to his studio. Now’s your chance to
get the full immersion, without the pressure of a one-on-
one encounter.

84 GQ MARCH 2022

End Clothing, GQ World
Broadwick Street, Shopping
London.

MARCH 2022 GQ 85

GQ World Hermès St Moritz, Switzerland Kapital Soho Kurashiki, Japan
Shopping
What’s in stock? H-branded blankets, its famous silk What’s in stock? Factory-fresh goods from Kapital.
Hermès, scarves, and leather-wrapped home goods that will go The Soho store is located within the brand’s HQ complex
St Moritz, perfectly in your ski chalet. (And, if you’re lucky, a Birkin where all of the clothes are designed, and within a few
Switzerland. with your name on it.) miles of where they’re made.
What’s the vibe? Nestled at the base of Europe’s glitziest What’s the vibe? Like a bunch of maverick hippie
ski resort, the cosy boutique is located within a turreted designers took over an abandoned municipal building (the
alpine house that looks straight out of a fairy tale. space was once a public hall and library) and converted it
Why visit? Hermès has long been associated with the into a fashion workshop.
Alps-loving jetset, and the St Moritz store is practically Why visit? To dig through crates of the folksy-artisanal
their headquarters. goods and browse the adjoining bandana museum and
bookstore full of rare editions.
Husbands Paris
Leform Moscow
What’s in stock? Serge Gainsbourg-esque suits,
Scottish-tweed jackets, Japanese denim western shirts, What’s in stock? Leform was the first fashion
and Cuban-heel boots – a full wardrobe from the sexy concept store in Eastern Europe when it opened in
French tailoring brand. 1997, and it introduced the region to many of the
What’s the vibe? Like a debonair art dealer’s apartment, brands still carried today, including Dries Van
filled with Gio Ponti and Giovanni Tommaso Garattoni Noten, Maison Margiela, Comme des Garçons, and
chairs, Muller Van Severen lamps, and brass fixtures that Helmut Lang.
echo those in the nearby Palais Royal. What’s the vibe? A world-class fashion boutique that’s
Why visit? To get measured for a suit in one of the chock-full of tchotchkes like a great antiques shop.
sophisticated fabrics from Husbands’ extensive Why visit? Leform’s three locations in the centre of
woollens library. Moscow carry more than 200 brands, representing
a nearly comprehensive survey of the best in
contemporary fashion. HERMÈS: LUIS MOLINA-PANTIN, ST. MORITZ (HERMÈS), 2006. C-PRINT. 35.4 X 29.5 IN. (90 X 75 CM). EDITION
OF 6. COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND HENRIQUE FARIA, NEW YORK.. KAPITAL: YAMA TAKEHIKO YAMAZOE.
Louis Vuitton Men’s Miami

What’s in stock? As the only stand-alone LV Men’s
store in the States, this is the best place to go to get your
hands on exclusive and rare pieces from Virgil Abloh’s
final collections.
What’s the vibe? Inside the raw 3,500-square-foot space
there’s a 27-foot statue of Kai-Isaiah Jamal, the first Black
trans model to walk for Louis Vuitton, which serves as a
totem to Abloh’s inclusive vision.
Why visit? Before his death, Abloh, who famously studied
architecture, helped design the store, which continues to
be a rich window into his polymath mind.

Nepenthes London

What’s in stock? Everything from the Nepenthes
brand universe – Needles; Engineered Garments;
South2 West8; and collab shoes made with Hoka,
Sebago, and Tricker’s.
What’s the vibe? A historic, 1800s building, full of
French antique lighting and cabinetry, scented by
Nepenthes’s in-house Purple Haze incense made on
Awaji Island in Japan (definitely buy a box if you visit).
Why visit? One of the newest Nepenthes outposts
is an essential stop for fans of Americana, Japanese
craftsmanship, and old-world charm.

Persuade Bilbao

What’s in stock? Cult-fashion heroes such as Paul
Harnden and John Alexander Skelton, avant-garde greats
including Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake.
What’s the vibe? A delightful wonderland of madcap
clothing, staffed by a uniquely stylish crew. Persuade
makes the most elite echelons of radical fashion seem
accessible and fun.
Why visit? Bilbao is on the map for its Frank Gehry-
designed Guggenheim Museum and myriad Michelin-
starred restaurants, but Persuade just may be the most
surprising and inspiring spot in this Basque city.

86 GQ MARCH 2022

Prada Epicenter Tokyo Tokyo chandeliers, mounted deer heads, and clouds of heady Kapital Soho, in
incense – Sabyasachi’s world is rich and intoxicating. Kurashiki, Japan.
What’s in stock? Inside the incredible six-storey glass Why visit? Like Ralph Lauren, Sabyasachi is a builder of
palace is a cornucopia of Prada’s latest, the fruits of the aspirational worlds. “I don’t like fussing over clothes,” he
partnership between Miuccia Prada and her co-creative says, preferring to wear vintage Levi’s and cowboy boots he
director, Raf Simons. finds in New York. Step into his kingdom and you’ll enter a
What’s the vibe? Imagine going to a museum, but instead new realm of style.
of walking around to look at art, you enter into the art
directly, and inside you find an impeccable selection of Santa Fe Vintage Santa Fe, US
Prada gear.
Why visit? In a city full of transportive retail What’s in stock? 4,200 square feet of mind-blowingly
experiences, Prada’s distinctive architectural wonder, beautiful pieces of workwear, westernwear, militaria, and
designed by famed Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, jewellery sourced by an army of expert vintage pickers.
is a standout. What’s the vibe? Visits are scheduled by appointment
only, and customers are given the place to themselves.
Ralph Lauren Aspen Listen to Merle Haggard and have a beer while spending
a few hours sifting through what feels like the most well-
What’s in stock? The full Ralph universe: Purple Label, organised flea market on the planet.
Polo, and RRL, plus a healthy dose of vintage silver-and- Why visit? Now that vintage is a full-blown fashion trend,
turquoise accessories. you want to shop with the OGs who know how to curate
What’s the vibe? Lauren practically invented the concept clothes that can tell a story.
of immersive retail, and the Aspen store is a particularly
rich example, with merchandising geared toward the Slam Jam Milan
luxurious après-ski lifestyle and antique fixtures that
conjure the town’s mining history. What’s in stock? Streetwear in all of its many glorious
Why visit? Short of getting invited to Ralph’s RRL Ranch, iterations. From Alyx and Needles to Dickies and
this is the best place to experience his intriguing obsession Patagonia.
with the Mountain West. What’s the vibe? Italy – and Europe’s – premier streetwear
destination is found inside a slick and industrial bunker.
Sabyasachi New Delhi The elegant Brera district location is a perfect juxtaposition
with the bold attitude of the shop.
What’s in stock? Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee is the Why visit? Luca Benini started the business back in 1989
Ralph Lauren of India. He’s dedicated an entire floor of his as an early distributor for then unknown brands
New Delhi flagship to his opulent line of Indian menswear. such as Stüssy. Today, many of the labels Slam Jam
You’ll find heavily embroidered sherwanis and bundis in carries are world-renowned, thanks in no small
a range of colours, and custom-made shoes bearing the part to his efforts. You’re still likely to make a new
signature Sabyasachi Calcutta insignia. discovery on any visit here – or just to go re-up on
What’s the vibe? Hundreds of decorative plates, crystal some tasty Kuumba incense.

MARCH 2022 GQ 87

GQ World
Shopping

Très Bien Malmö, Sweden treasures from the store’s intensely stylish clientele. Ziggy Chen
What’s the vibe? A respite from Berlin’s chaotic Kreuzberg Depository,
What’s in stock? All-stars of international fashion: neighbourhood, Voo is situated in a quiet courtyard and Shanghai.
Auralee from Japan, 4S Designs from the US, Lemaire housed in an unassuming industrial space that’s been
from France, the UK’s Margaret Howell, and of course Très stripped down and packed full of clothes. ZIGGY CHEN DEPOSITORY: COURTESY OF ZIGGY CHEN.
Bien’s own in-house collection. Why visit? With an in-house coffee shop and an
What’s the vibe? Scandinavian to the max – Swedish drill unbeatable newsstand full of indie fashion mags, Voo
and ABBA on the sound system, Alvar Aalto is as much a clubhouse for Berlin’s culty fashion tribes as
furniture on the floor, and a slick interior renovation it is a boutique.
done by Stockholm-based MP12.
Why visit? Brothers Simon and Hannes Hogeman, Ziggy Chen Depository Shanghai
who founded the shop back in 2006, were early menswear
pioneers for mixing sportswear with high-concept fashion What’s in stock? Handmade dark fashion from the mind of
and fine tailoring. You won’t find the widest range of brands one of China’s most intriguing designers.
here, but trust that every piece is considered and worthy of What’s the vibe? Enter the century-old civic house in the
a spot on the rack. former French Concession and take a trip back in time.
Beneath a warm skylight, the antique furniture, retro jazz
Voo Store Berlin music, and hand-painted cement walls get you in the mood
for some equally transportive fashion.
What’s in stock? Consider Voo Store’s excellent selection Why visit? Ziggy Chen has more than 40 stockists around
your ticket past Berghain’s velvet rope: £1,700 Jil Sander the world, but there’s only one place where you can fully
coats, £17 Nike hats, and pre-owned high-fashion submit yourself to his uncompromising artisanal vision.

88 GQ MARCH 2022

Preparation is everything. On sale now:

our essential trends briefing for the

year ahead, The WIRED World in 2022.

Featuring predictions, intelligence and

need-to-know insights sourced from the

smartest minds in the WIRED network.

THE ANNUAL
ESSENTIAL 2022

TRENDS
BRIEFING

SMART IDEAS FROM: WHAT’S COMING NEXT IN:
BILL GATES, KWAME KWEI-ARMAH, TECHNOLOGY / HEALTH

SCOTT BELSKY, KAI-FU LEE, POLITICS / BUSINESS
KERSTI KALJULAID, J CRAIG VENTER, ENVIRONMENT / CULTURE

MATT BRITTIN, DIANE COYLE, GEAR / SECURITY
MARIANA MAZZUCATO, BILL GROSS TRANSPORT / SCIENCE

132 PAGES OF NEED-TO-KNOW INSIGHTS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD Buy it in print from
major newsstands,
order a copy from
condenastworld
widenews.shop
or download the
digital edition from
the Apple App Store
or Google Play

Available now in
print and digital





Hype Wo THE
2022

rth Believing In

HYPERCAR OF THE YEAR: RIMAC NEVERA
Mate Rimac is the Elon Musk it’s cool to like.
He may not have space ambitions, but on
Earth, Rimac wins thanks to his physics-
redefining electric hypercar. Now, in case you
were wondering what a Nevera actually is, well,
in Spanish it means refrigerator. However,
in Croatian, it is the name given to a fast and
ferocious Mediterranean electrical storm that
is legendary for its speed and severity. Yes…
A bit more like it. And in the case of the Rimac
Nevera, the raw statistics are terrifying. From
a standing start, it will go from 0 to 62mph in
under two seconds. It will hit 100mph in 4.3
seconds. Keep your foot planted and you’ll
clock 186mph in just 9.3 seconds. Rest it there
and – in theory – it will top out at 256mph
(comfortably beyond the 400km an hour
mark). So yeah, we’ve given it an award.
Maybe it should have had more than one.
£1,700,000. rimac-automobili.com

92 GQ MARCH 2022

The Greatest (e

IF YOU WEREN’T following closely, you’d think that things have got grim for auto )Cars on Planet Earth
obsessives. The roads have been quiet. The showrooms, a little less vibey.
Powering anything on fossil fuels feels more and more archaic. But these aren’t dark
times. Almost overnight, a swell of momentum has come behind battery-powered
cool. Electric cars – once the industry’s goofy younger cousin – are all grown up.
And dang, they’ve gotten pretty. (And pretty driveable, too.) Partnering up with
Michelin, we’ve created our first-ever GQ eCar Awards. Our winners this year are all
EV wonders – from re-imagined icons to wildly ambitious next-gen zero-emissions
machines. The futuristic, practical, and downright-gorgeous era of electric cars
we’ve been promised is finally here. Now, grab the keys. By PAUL HENDERSON

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MITCH PAYNE MARCH 2022 GQ 93

GQ World
Car Awards

Bruce Wa yne IRL

PROTOTYPE OF THE YEAR: MCMURTRY SPÉIRLING

Depending on who you ask, the McMurtry Spéirling is:
the future of electrified motorsport; a land-speed record
machine; a one-man hypercar. Or, if you ask GQ, a real-life
Batmobile. In truth, it is probably all of the above and we
dig it. McMurtry Automotive was founded in 2016 and is
the brainchild of Irish inventor, aerospace engineer, and
billionaire businessman Sir David McMurtry who decided
he wanted to build a small concept car that would be
innovative, incredibly fast, and beautifully (if perhaps
insanely) compact. After five years of development the
result, when the McMurtry Spéirling made its debut at
the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2021, left spectators
and even some commentators speechless. A study in
pioneering aerodynamic excellence, the Spéirling can
generate 1,000bhp and they claim it can travel from
0-186mph in under nine seconds (not even the Bugatti
Chiron can compete with that). Bruce Wayne (or Robert
Pattinson)… Get your order in.

mcmurtry.com

94 GQ MARCH 2022

The Leader of the (Battery) Pack

SUV OF THE YEAR: TESLA MODEL Y
Elon Musk unveiled the Model Y back in March 2019. American drivers got behind the
wheel a year-and-a-half later. And now, finally, the Y is hitting the UK. Was it worth
the wait? Of course it was… Not just for the fact that the Tesla range now runs from
‘S’, to ‘3’, to ‘X’ finishing with ‘Y’. No, this isn’t exactly a S3XY car, but it is a very good
one. Despite sharing the same platform and much of the tech of the 3, the Model Y
is bigger, taller and higher-riding, but it feels like you are driving something smaller,
faster and lighter. It also comes with a real 300+ range and with the ever-expanding
Tesla Supercharger network, even non-believers will be forced to rethink their next
new car purchase. This is probably the best all-round electric car on the market.
£54,990. tesla.co.uk

MARCH 2022 GQ 95

An Arc o f Triumph

MOTORBIKE OF THE YEAR:
ARC VECTOR

“We’ve had a rocky road for sure,” Arc
Vector founder Mark Truman tells GQ
with typically British understatement.
“We had investors drop out on us
and then Covid struck – but it’s all
about timing, they tell me.” The story
of the British electric superbike is a
cautionary tale of hype, horror and
hope, but at least it looks like there’s
a happy ending. After unveiling a
prototype in late 2018 to immense
buzz, less than a year later Arc were
forced into administration and
the dream of a sector-redefining
hyperbike looked to be toast.
However, former Jaguar Land Rover
engineer Truman wasn’t about to give
up on his dream without a fight – he
took back control of the company
and the Vector project got back on
track. Now completely self-funded
with a growing order book (including
a couple of Hollywood A-listers)
and pre-production models pretty
much completed, the world’s most
advanced motorbike is almost ready.
Are you?

£90,000 (est). arcvehicle.com

A Mini w ith Magic

TRACK CAR OF THE YEAR:
MINI ELECTRIC PACESETTER

You can buy an electric Mini, but
sorry, you can’t buy this one. The
Pacesetter, inspired by John Cooper
Works’ performance team and created
specifically for the race track with
input from BMW Motorsport, was
purpose-built to show how muscular
an electrified Mini can be. Case in
point: it’s currently employed as
the Safety Car in the FIA Formula E
World Championship. Utilising all
Mini’s racing heritage dating back to
Paddy Hopkirk’s 1964 Monte Carlo
Rally heroics, coupled with ultra-
modern engineering, 3D-carbon fibre
printing, and killer handling, this
is the e-pocket rocket we all want
to see in the future. “It has agility,
performance, and is a cool looking
car,” confirms Bruno Correia, the
Pacesetter’s pilot in Formula E and
one of the few drivers to experience it
on track. “It’s very fun to drive – it feels
like karting.”

mini.co.uk

96 GQ MARCH 2022