British GQ - 07.2021

JULY 2021 Cousin
Greg!

SucNcBeirscashuioonlnai’sss
secret

weapon

Story by Ben Allen
Photographed by

Jennifer Livingston

The real Let it ride:
motive behind rolling with
America’s
biggest cash London’s
robbery #BikeLife
cycle crews
Story by Alex Hannaford
Story by Ciaran Thapar

BRITISH EDITION

+The short shorts ultimatum: how high can you go?

BORN IN LE BRASSUS

RAISED AROUND THE WORLD

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And our portfolio too?

The value of investments may fall as well as rise and you may not get back the amount originally invested.
© UBS 2021. All rights reserved.

For some of life’s questions, you’re not alone.
Together we can find an answer.



56

62 87

29 70

Editor’s letter GQ Preview

The Modfather’s third act rolls on, This month’s events, products and garms.
with the 16th solo record by the
one and only Changingman. 75

39 Politics

Details Alan B’Stard is back in the fold, as
Britain’s nasty party weathers the
The brains behind return of a classic “sleaze” scandal.
Trumpism 2.0; at-home
alfresco dining, One Per 87
Center style; summerwear you
shouldn’t skirt; a new light on Taste
photographer Bob Carlos Clarke.
Tom Kerridge’s barbecue bible, including
46 his go-to recipe and on-grill tips and
tricks; Fritton Lake tames England’s
Style 53 wild east; Mayfair’s mezcal mecca.

This summer’s short shorts: always by the 58 95 68
pool; rarely in the city; never on TikTok.
Tony Parsons 95
56
Looking for love? A career? Cars
Grooming Even just good coffee?
Despite more than a year of A “fifth” Ferrari 330 LMB revs into life, courtesy of a UK
How England and Tottenham football star lockdowns, London’s still coachbuilder; Triumph’s stripped-back Speed Triple 1200
Harry Kane stays fresh on and off the pitch. calling for the young. RS; plus, why you should cross over to a Cupra right now.

72 61 54 87

95 Television

South Park is so last century.
In 2021, propelled by the
pandemic, streaming giants
have redrawn the rules of
grown-up animation.

62

Watches

Dive in to TAG Heuer’s
Aquaracer line-up,
including a special tribute
to the marque’s first
underwater timekeeper.

JULY 2021 GQ.CO.UK 15

The Cinema Squad

Charlize Theron
Brad Pitt
Adam Driver



The new Maserati Ghibli Hybrid.
Performance Charged

GcwohilmlibdpleiaHpraeybnbidrliitduy.ppFouunrepal oenscueomsn;booemnrlyyoafcnfoadmcCtpoOarsr2eirnfeucseluulldtcsionfngosrtuhtmheepatMciocanessaesnroadrtiiCeGsOhf2iitbftilegi duHry(epbsorwisdti-trrhaengogitsheteriarntcimoanrps)g,tve(als/rt1iea0dt0iotkonmst)hinceowsmaembatienheetedr,c:dh3rn0ivi.c1ina(gl9p.s4rto)yctleoesd3au4nr.e9ds(.v8Te.h1h)ei.csCleeOfloi2gaeudmr.eisssmioanys:n2o1t3re-fl1e8c3t g/km. Figures shown are for
real life driving results, which

Photograph Getty Images 122

Paul Weller joins the daughter of the man who first inspired him to perform
to share their stories of growing up with The Beatles.

Interview and photographs by Mary McCartney

JULY 2021 GQ.CO.UK 19



Features and fashion

100 114 America’s biggest cash robbery
132
Nicholas Braun 138 After serving 19 years for an $18.9 million heist,
146 Allen Pace tells GQ his motive was not greed, but
Ahead of his star turn in the wild “Twitter thread dramedy” Zola, 156 that other infamous criminal drive: revenge.
Succession’s secret weapon talks series-three filming, fashion and
By Alex Hannaford
the seriously odd requests made of everyone’s favourite cousin.
Christian Louboutin
By Ben Allen
The Frenchman steps up with two red-hot
partnerships for 2021.

By Teo van den Broeke

Ed Miliband

While Labour still falls short at the polls, the
shadow frontbencher finds free rein to pitch a
far bolder vision than any he backed as leader.

By Jude Rogers

#BikeLife

Ciaran Thapar saddles up with the young urban
subculture that spins bikes into powerful tools for
reclaiming the streets.

Nick Jonas

In thirst-trap looks – and with an intimate new
album to match – the breakout JoBro signals a
stylish return to the solo scene.

Story by Michael Cragg
Photographs by Mariano Vivanco

132

180

The thing

156 Olivier Rousteing on Cire 146

Trudon’s Ernesto candle.

JULY 2021 GQ.CO.UK 21

Editor

DYLAN JONES

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Sophie Hamblett

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Paul Solomons CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Jonathan Heaf
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JUNIOR VIDEO PRODUCER Kieran Brett JUNIOR DIGITAL PICTURE EDITOR Josephine Judd

STYLE EDITOR Zak Maoui FASHION EDITOR Angelo Mitakos

CONTRIBUTING FASHION EDITORS Elgar Johnson, Tom Stubbs CONTRIBUTING STYLE EDITOR Michael Hennegan

CONTRIBUTING WOMEN’S EDITOR Katie Grand CONTRIBUTING ART EDITOR Adam Clayton

POLITICAL EDITOR George Chesterton CONTRIBUTING LUXURY EDITOR Nick Foulkes CONTRIBUTING LITERARY EDITOR Olivia Cole

Contributing Editors
Mel Agace, Andrew Anthony, Chris Ayres, Jason Barlow, Stephen Bayley, Tara Bernerd, Heston Blumenthal, Debra Bourne, Jennifer Bradly, Charlie Brooks, Ed Caesar, Alastair Campbell,
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Jack Guinness, Sophie Hastings, Mark Hix, Julia Hobsbawm, Boris Johnson, John Kampfner, Simon Kelner, Luke Leitch, Rod Liddle, Sascha Lilic, Frank Luntz, Dorian Lynskey, Piers Morgan, James Mullinger (comedy),
John Naughton, Rebecca Newman, Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Dermot O’Leary, Tom Parker Bowles, Tony Parsons, Oliver Peyton, David Rosen, Martin Samuel, Darius Sanai, Kenny Schachter, Simon Schama,

Celia Walden, Danny Wallace, Michael Wolff, Peter York

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Vincent Peters, Rankin, Mick Rock, Mark Seliger, Søren Solkær, Mario Sorrenti, Ellen von Unwerth, Mariano Vivanco, Matthias Vriens-McGrath, Nick Wilson, Richard Young

DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATION AND RIGHTS Harriet Wilson EDITORIAL BUSINESS MANAGER Florence Edwards
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Editor’s Letter

Paul Weller performs at the Royal Festival Hall, London, October 2018

A mod for all seasons

Photograph Getty Images few weeks ago, but for others, maybe casually turning on the TV
Paul Weller appeared on The Jonathan Ross to see what was on, the sight of Weller on a chat
Show, the kind of thing he would normally run show must have been rather shocking.
a country mile from. He sat in a big comfy chair
and playfully sparred with Ross, who at one In that respect, he has a similar reputation to
point accused him of not being an especially Van Morrison, a legendarily grumpy artist who
happy person. isn’t too enamoured with the press. However,
not only is this impression of Weller not strictly
“I’m a very happy person,” Weller said, by true – in the same way it isn’t really true of
return. “I’m very settled with what I’ve got. Morrison – but he’s also changed one hell of a
I’ve just got a miserable face. I can’t help that.” lot in the past ten years or so. He stopped drink-
And he smiled. ing, focused even more on his game (as if that
were possible) and seemed to accelerate into a
Weller joked about Noel Gallagher, was more benign frame of mind. Even so, regardless
charming to Ross’ other guests (including of that, as a “creative” – as media companies and
Line Of Duty stars Vicky McClure and Martin the current government like to call anyone in the
Compston) and generally mucked in. Having just “creative sector” (even worse) – Paul Weller can
arranged the Mary McCartney piece with him in do no wrong right now. In fact, he hasn’t really
this issue, I knew he was going to do the show, put a foot wrong or played a bum note in the
past four or five years.

Not only is the quality of his albums as high as

it’s ever been – some would say higher – but >>

Weller fans are purists,
much like the man
himself – carriers of the
modernist flame

JULY 2021 GQ.CO.UK 29

EDITOR’S LETTER

>> he continues to throw himself into his into a genuine familial fondness. It’s like we’re

performances too. I saw him play the Royal all turning up to an uncle’s significant birthday:

Festival Hall a few years ago, when he was pro- every few years he decides to throw a big bash

moting his brilliant True Meanings album, and and we rush to be there, not just because we

the attention to detail was a world away from the know we’re going to enjoy it, because also

frenetic machine-gun performances when he was we wouldn’t want to miss it, we don’t want to be

just starting out as a solo performer in the early left out. After all, it’s not often you’re given carte

1990s. We all knew this was a very special even- blanche to laugh at other people’s shoes.

ing, and not a karaoke experience, and yet we At the Festival Hall there was a smattering of

obviously hoped he would slip in the occasional old songs – The Jam’s “Private Hell” and “Tales

classic between the new songs. From The Riverbank”, The Style Council’s “Have

You Ever Had It Blue” as well as the obligatory

T he thought of going to see one of your “Wild Wood” and “You Do Something To Me” –
favourite artists and being told that not but the bulk of the evening was devoted to the
only are they not going to play any of their True Meanings album, a record that grew in stat-

greatest hits but, instead, are going to methodi- ure throughout the night.

cally work their way through their new album, I remember going to see Weller when he

well, it might cause you to think again, surely. I played the Albert Hall in 1992 and thinking how

remember going to see the Eagles a number of incongruous it was that someone I’d first seen

years ago at the O2 Arena (not Weller’s new play the 100 Club at the height of Go behind the scenes with our July cover star
one of my favourite artists but album, Fat Pop punk was now firmly embedded Actor Nicholas Braun talks you through series
more of a box-ticking exercise), (Volume 1), in the Establishment (I think three of Succession and his new film, Zola.
when they were touring their reflects the we were both wearing pinstripe
comeback album, and being told diverse nature suits and I kept thinking of that Become a GQ regular
the precise time to turn up in of his output Virginia Slims ad with the tag- Get three issues of British GQ for £1, with free
order not to have to sit through line: “You’ve come a long way, instant digital access. gq.co.uk/subscribe
their new album, so I could baby”). It was a terrific concert,
pitch up and tap my toes to their but then I’ve never known him Follow us on social
@britishgq on
greatest hits. This information to give a bad performance, not in Twitter, Instagram
and Facebook for
was so inexact – precisely inexact, in fact – that I 45 years. Sure, I’ve seen him grumpy, deliberately all the latest drops.

had to endure an hour-and-a-half of an album uncommunicative and downright surly, but, like

I never had any intention of listening to in the I say, he’s never given less than his all.

first place and one I’ve certainly never played Weller also played live on The Jonathan Ross

since. In all honesty, the whole experience put Show, performing “Shades Of Blue”, from his

me off the Eagles for life. terrific new album, Fat Pop (Volume 1), with

Not that any of the people gathered at the his daughter, Leah (who also cowrote it). He said

Festival Hall would have cared less. Paul Weller he wanted to make an album in which every song

fans tend to be rather proscriptive and wouldn’t could be released as a single, although in the

admit to liking the Eagles if their lives depended modern world such things are now called “impact

on it. They’re purists, many of them, much like tracks”. He had originally thought about releasing

the man himself – true believers, carriers of the each track as a single, but he was quickly talked

modernist flame and the kind of obsessives out of that. The variety on the record is in no

who laugh at you if you’re wearing the wrong doubt, though, and in a way the album reflects

shoes. Which, in all honesty, doesn’t make them the peripatetic and diverse nature of his recent

bad people. On the South Bank that night I saw output, bouncing between psychedelia and folk

people who, like myself, had been going to Paul via electropop and lush orchestration.

Weller gigs since 1977, those whose belief in the Importantly, saliently, Paul Weller remains

Modfather has, over the years, slowly developed a fan of pop, whatever its size or shape. G

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@dylanjonesgq trends you should be wearing right now.

30 GQ.CO.UK JULY 2021

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Contributors

Sam Leith Mary McCartney Ciaran Thapar

James Patterson isn’t so much a novelist as As someone whose father’s name carries huge GQ contributor, writer and youth worker
a literary phenomenon: it’s reported that one weight, GQ contributor Mary McCartney has Ciaran Thapar joined the urban peloton of
in 17 of all hardbacks sold in the US have his a first-hand insight into rock star longevity. influencers, activists and tricksters that make
name on the cover. In this month’s issue, writer For this issue, she revisits the career of another up London’s #BikeLife movement. “It’s easy
Sam Leith asks if it’s time to stop sneering. “I’m Paul. “I’ve seen Paul Weller play a few times,” to dismiss this trend as boisterous rebellion,”
interested in how, with his cowriters, Patterson says McCartney. “There’s such great energy. He says Thapar, “but behind the antisocial veneer
is as much a brand as an author,” says Leith. looks completely natural. To me, it feels like his is a prosocial mission to keep fit and mobilise
“That goes against the tide – and it works.” music has to be played live.” against territorial violence. I’m here for it.”

Alex Hannaford Jennifer Livingston Ben Allen

Photograph Getty Images In 1997, Allen Pace masterminded the largest For this month’s cover, photographer GQ Online Production Co-Ordinator Ben Allen
cash heist in US history and, for this issue, GQ Jennifer Livingston shot American actor profiled Nicholas Braun for this issue’s cover
contributor Alex Hannaford heard the inside Nicholas Braun ahead of his role in upcoming story. “Braun’s greatest strength,” says Allen,
story from the man himself. “I was playing the film comedy Zola. “The moment Nicholas “is his ability to be deeply embarrassing and
long game with Pace,” says Hannaford. “We walked in,” says Livingston, “I knew it extremely endearing at the same time. It’s all
exchanged emails until he was released from was going to be an amazing shoot. He had in the eyes; he conveys profound shame and
prison and later he agreed to a phone interview. wonderful energy, plus he is a photographer floundering silliness, both as Succession’s
Allen had never spoken about the crime before, himself, so we could talk about cameras, which Cousin Greg and in his new film, Zola, in which
so I had to strike while the iron was hot.” made for an even better experience.”
he plays a cuckolded wasteman.” G

JULY 2021 GQ.CO.UK 37



Illustration Jamie Wignall Edited by

Charlie Burton

+ The urban myth of urban flight: youth and vitality will never leave the city, says Tony Parsons – p.58

This month: Meet “The Ronald”: could Florida’s governor one-up Trump? p.53 Heat couture!
Hot shorts and fashion flasks p.46 & 60 Cast away: Hollywood’s A-list pod squad p.78

JULY 2021 GQ.CO.UK 39

DETAILS Ð SOCIAL MEDIA

HAVE YOU goes back to the “law of attraction”, one It is, perhaps, easy to understand
TRIED of the pillars of the New Thought move- why. While the rest of us baked bread to
ment of the 19th century, but it really soothe our minds, a younger generation
TIKTOK’S IRL hit the mainstream in 2006 with the felt trapped and helpless, their dreams
CHEAT CODE? publication of The Secret by Australian dashed. At a time when having positive
TV writer Rhonda Byrne. It went on to thoughts was the most you could muster,
Lip-syncs, dance crazes and, now, sell 30 million copies, count the likes why not get them working for you? (It
‘manifesting’. The law of attraction is an of Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres will also come as no shock that research
old-world idea that’s found new life online as acolytes and last summer spawned has shown we are far more likely to
a spinoff film starring Katie Holmes. succumb to magical thinking in stress-
Story by Stuart McGurk Byrne cited a similar three-step process: ful conditions, as a 1994 study of 174
ask, believe and receive, emphasising the Israeli citizens from Tel Aviv University
L ike many of us in the pandemic, The Secret: Dare To importance of gratitude and visualisa- found that those exposed to missile
Matt, a 39-year-old screenwriter, Dream, from 2020, tion in achieving one’s desires, alongside attacks during the Gulf War were far
rises late, partly due to a work- stars Katie Holmes some rather sketchy science involving more open to the fantastical than those
life balance that is entirely his own and quantum mechanics. who weren’t.)
partly because even his previous com- Some fans
mute to the coffee shop has now become tried to So far, you might think, so woo-woo. On TikTok, the “3-6-9” manifestation
a few short strides to a folding desk. manifest a Yet this year past has seen mani- method has become particularly popu-
new Lorde festing taken up by a generation lar. This requires people to “script” their
The first order of business is always album that might not even have been born manifestations by writing them down
the same: exchanging morning affirma- when The Secret was published. During three times in the morning, six times
tions over texts with two friends (“one the pandemic, manifesting has made in the afternoon and nine times in the
always texts back quicker”), a mixture of a comeback via generation Z and gone evening. And it has even taken on a
the things they should feel grateful for viral via Instagram and TikTok. Log more specific purpose, aimed at a gen
and the things they’ve simply decided to into Instagram now and the hashtag Z audience: getting a crush to text you.
be grateful for. That one can become the #manifestation boasts almost 5m posts. Simply write down their name three
other is part of the point. But even that pales into insignificance times, their initials six times and what
compared to the 8.1 billion views of mani- you’d like them to say nine times (prob-
These will be Matt’s first-of-the-day’s festation content on TikTok. Searches of ably best to keep it short).
“manifestations”, the genuine idea that manifesting on Google went up 400 per
one’s thoughts can cause positive events cent compared to the year before, while And while older manifesters, such as
just by thinking them. But these texts on YouTube and TikTok teen vloggers Matt, will point to the writings of Neville
are mere breakfast snacks – all-purpose give guides on the best way to go about Goddard as gospel – a 20th-century lec-
get-up-and-go mood-lifters that are it (“Did you know that you have attracted turer who wrote extensively on the law
also meant to lift the mood around you every single thing in your life up until of attraction – when it comes to the
– before much more specific manifes- this very moment?” asks teen vlogger new followers, the rules of manifesting
tations that will take place that night. Naomi Rosenthal, in a video that has can become somewhat hazy once they
Sometimes these will be relatively short- been watched 2.5m times). become crowdsourced.
term (success in a specific work project,
for instance) and sometimes broader and Instagram posts, for example, purport Photograph Alfonso Bresciani
grander (finding love, winning an Oscar to do the manifesting for you: just type
or securing a specific house that has “Yes” below messages such as “Be grate-
caught his manifesting eye). ful. Something you’ve asked for is about
to arrive suddenly” or “Affirm yes” to
At night, Matt will concentrate and make “Every dollar I spend comes back
visualise this thing coming true. Not the to me multiplied ten times” come true.
daydream you might have – yourself in Some particularly keen fans, meanwhile,
the third person, a scene in the film of attempted to manifest the release of a
your own life – but the specific scene, in new Lorde album on Twitter.
great detail, through his own eyes: what
it would actually be like to reach out to At 39, an outer millennial, Matt doesn’t
the Oscar or put the key in the lock... If he believe in such quick manifesting fixes.
thinks about these hard enough, the idea He scoffs, for instance, at the friend who
goes, they’ll actually happen. spent good manifesting time after bad
in order to summon a particular park-
In fairness, neither the Oscar nor the ing spot. And in this seriousness and
house have happened just yet, but he dedication there is, of course, some-
puts several other work and personal tri- thing to be said for it that even the most
umphs down to manifesting and, in the hardened cynics couldn’t deny regarding
past year in particular, he’s far from alone. old-school manifestation: put simply,
Manifesting, you see, has gone viral. aren’t we all much more likely to achieve
our goals if we focus on them and take
The idea of manifesting – in essence, them seriously?
the idea that thought itself, honed and
directed well enough, can impact the Yet trawling through Instagram, most
physical world – is not new. The root of it of the next-gen manifesters merely ask
for a “Yes” or a like in order for the pre-
packaged dream to come true. “By the
end of May, you’re going to be blessed
more than you can imagine,” reads
another. They merely ask you to post two
emojis for it to become true.

40 GQ.CO.UK JULY 2021

DETAILS Ð TRENDS

From left: Trousers,
£525. Shoes, £950. Both

by Dolce & Gabbana.
dolcegabbana.com.

Trousers, £550. Shoes,
£690. Both by Celine

Homme By Hedi
Slimane. celine.com.
Trousers, £740. Shoes,
£850. Both by Louis
Vuitton. louisvuitton.com.
Trousers, £690. Shoes,
£610. Both by Gucci.
gucci.com. Trousers by
Louis Vuitton, £740.
louisvuitton.com. Shoes
by Christian Louboutin,
£665. christianlouboutin.
com. Socks by Falke,

£16. falke.com

Time to slip into W e get it: your slippers, slides and shearling-lined clogs are
something less comfortable. More than that, they make you feel like you’re
getting a hug on your feet every time you wear them –
comfortable given hugs have been banned this past year, it’s a quality that has been
pretty important. But let’s be real: those slippers aren’t going to cut it
Throw out those slippers. in the big bad world. It’s time to re-enter the arena wearing footwear
Your sex life will thank you for it... designed with “out there” firmly in mind. From leopard-print loafers
that will look the business with your new black office suit to smart
Story by Teo van den Broeke Photograph by Luke Kirwan patent monk straps with edges so sharp they’d make the Child Catcher’s
footwear look cosy, we’ve selected the best of the new breed of back-
to-life shoes to make your return to reality that little bit easier, sexier
and, last but not least, fun!

JULY 2021 GQ.CO.UK 41

DETAILS Ð GROOMING

Do you smell Perhaps it’s due to the fact we’ve all been cooped up for
like a sex panther? so long or maybe it’s because perfumers are feeling extra
libidinous after months of lockdown, but right now all
Well, you ought to, if the new wave of hyper-macho, the big men’s fragrance releases are as sexed up as they are
testosterone-fuelled fragrances are anything to by ultra-macho. From Versace’s new Eros EDP, which, says Donatella,
was inspired by a “Greek god”, to Penhaligon’s vetiver-drenched
Story by Teo van den Broeke Photograph by Leon Chew The Inimitable William Penhaligon (the bottle for which comes
with a ram’s head-shaped stopper, for Pete’s sake), summer 2021
is all about going full throttle with testosterone-laced fragrances.

Explorer Ultra Blue Viking by Creed Driven by Dunhill Eros by Versace The Inimitable
by Montblanc £72 for William Penhaligon
£240 for 100ml. £64 for 100ml. dunhill.com £85 for 100ml. versace.com by Penhaligon’s £204
100ml. montblanc.com creedfragrances.co.uk
A fragrance for “fearless, “I envisioned a heroic man, for 75ml. penhaligons.com
Created for modern explorers, A fresh take on a scent confident and persistent” almost a Greek god,” says
Montblanc’s new scent brings inspired by the machismo men, Dunhill’s heady offering, Donatella of her new scent. The British brand’s new scent
to mind high jinks on the high of the longship-travelling encased in a bottle that looks “The fragrance is made up of is a rich mix of sandalwood,
seas, imbued as it is with a raiders, this is heavy-duty as much like a weapon as it notes that express sensuality vetiver and Ambroxan – and
metallic marine accord that and packs a punch, with does anything scent bearing, and power,” including leather, should therefore be applied
rubs against the rich amber base notes of sandalwood, boasts notes of crystal musk, cedar, patchouli and, we with less caution, more care.
base with a rough elegance. frankincense and nutmeg. amyris wood and amber. assume, the sweat of Zeus.

42 GQ.CO.UK JULY 2021

DETAILS Ð ENTREPRENEUR

At 31, she’s the world’s youngest The What’s fascinating is that college
self-made female billionaire students who found love on Bumble
and the founder offeminist SECRETS come home and tell their single
dating app Bumble. With 42 parents. Then the parents download it
million monthly users and an of MY and they’re sitting at the dinner table
IPO in February that valued with their parent, who may have gone
her company at £9 billion, SUCCESS through divorce or the loss of their
here’s what one-time Tinder spouse, and they download it too. It
alum Whitney Wolfe Herd Whitney Wolfe Herd, creates this ripple effect.
has learned... founder and CEO of Bumble
Build your values into
Don’t try to ‘change the world’, Story by Thomas Barrie your platform
try to solve a specific problem
Profile they should be able to get on Bumble A great example of how Bumble has
When you think about these big and find not only people going through done things differently from the market
male-led tech businesses, the founders Age the same struggles, but also to connect is our approach to good users. We
always say, “We’re going to change the 31 with experts. Ultimately, the big goal created “VIBee” as the antithesis of
world. This is going to revolutionise for Bumble is to be the platform to “VIP”, which, if you think about a club,
X and Y.” There’s no promise we’re Born connect you to anyone you might be often handpicks who they think is the
making at Bumble to solve the world’s Salt Lake City, Utah looking for at any life cycle. most attractive or the most wealthy
problems. The promise we’re making is and it becomes this elite thing. We took
[about something] I identified that felt Lives Try to leapfrog the seed a different approach and said, “Let’s
broken: the way men and women have Austin, Texas funding stage reward our customers who behave really
been trained to treat each other. In my well, for not harassing one another and
opinion, this is broken on a global level Relationship status I’d had a lot of insight and experience for responding to chat. Let’s find these
and has been for centuries. Bumble’s Married [before founding Bumble] and I metrics of good behaviour and create
always been about the intention to make understood that fundraising is this reward system for well-acting
an empowering, safe, inclusive space. incredibly time-intensive, because you members.” That’s an example of how
spend a lot of time explaining yourself we’ve tried to pull our values into our
The rules for a digital instead of making your company algorithmic approach.
experience should be happen. I had considered a friends
determined by ‘IRL’ norms and family round [of funding] and Turn PR problems into
then, when I reconnected with the PR opportunities
We always try to compare ourselves founder of Badoo [Andrey Andreev,
to the physical world. Let’s say, who invested £7 million in Bumble], We heard a terrible story years ago, of
hypothetically, Bumble was a he offered me an opportunity that a young woman on Twitter who posted
restaurant or a social gathering place. would put me past the seed round and an atrocious conversation she had had
Would we tolerate someone calling I would be able to avoid the need for on Bumble with a man named Connor.
somebody else terrible names about consecutive, consistent fundraising. The team was distraught over it and I
their physical appearance? Absolutely Because I understood how egregious said, “Hang on. There’s an opportunity
not. So why would we allow that on fundraising can be, that was more here. We should stand up for her. We
our platform? We’re trying to use appealing to me. should use this to lean into the fact
the power of technology to reverse- that this happened and we’re not going
engineer some of the bad behaviour Success with one demographic to tolerate it.” And so we put together
that started to run rampant on the can help you reach others an open letter, “Dear Connor”, that
internet, due to lack of guardrails and basically said, “We will not tolerate
lack of accountability, and also use our There’s this assumption that Bumble this behaviour on this product.” It
product to write our own rules. and other dating products are for the went viral and had more than a
college-age group. But the reality is billion impressions.
Don’t overlook user life cycles single people exist in every age group.
Don’t skimp on pay
A trend Bumble is thinking seriously
about is the “friendship discovery” In the US right now, we’re doing this
space. For the woman who’s going levelling process, where we’ve finally
through divorce and feels isolated got third-party data from comparable
or the young man or woman who is businesses, to see what [salary] all
dealing with depression or anxiety, sorts of folks are making. We’ve been
undergoing a vigorous process with our
people and culture team to understand
where we have pay gaps.

Enforce switching off

Recently, I gave the company a week off,
starting 19 June, which is also a paid
holiday in our company, for Juneteenth.
We’re also reissuing another work-
from-home stipend to help support that
and announcing that every other Friday
is a “Focus Friday” – basically a meeting-
free day to refocus and rebalance.

J U LY 2 0 2 1 G Q .C O. U K 4 3



DETAILS Ð SCENE

Soho’s historic Windmill +
modern overhaul = major vibes

The storied venue is reopening as a theatrical dining experience.
Imagine the Moulin Rouge, but supercharged... Story by Thomas Barrie

A bit like rock’n’roll, you can’t kill Soho, Club entrepreneur
though many have tried. London’s Ryan Bishti (inset)
most charmingly seedy neighbourhood leads the consortium
has survived cholera outbreaks, the Blitz of investors behind
and countless attempts to tame it through The Windmill reboot
gentrification. But bons vivants continue to
Photograph Getty Images rattle happily down its narrow streets. Since
the 1910s, one of their favourite haunts has been
The Windmill, the theatre-turned-cabaret-
turned-strip club, which is reopening in the
form of a new high-concept dinner destination
this month, following a £10 million revamp.

Once a 320-seater theatre that hosted nude
tableaux vivants and the likes of Jimi Hendrix
and The Beatles, The Windmill was famously
kept open throughout the Second World War
by original proprietor Laura Henderson. The
venue closed temporarily in 2018 and will be
reborn as The Windmill Soho, a 350-capacity
venue featuring a main stage surrounded by a
ground-floor dining area and overlooked by an
upstairs bar. It will serve bespoke cocktails and
food courtesy of exec chef Andrew McLeish and
the menu promises to be a world away from
anything Mrs Henderson’s dancers would have
recognised (think sashimi platters, caviar,
Wagyu sliders and truffle parmesan taglioni).

During dinner, variety acts will take to the
huge hydraulic stage amid a colour scheme of
purple, blue and red, all overseen by Parisian
specialist High Scream productions, which
has created events for David Guetta, Disney
and more. But guests won’t be asked to sit in
reverential silence – this is a place to party.
After dinner, there’ll be dancing into the night.

Outside, of course, The Windmill’s
recognisable neon sign will continue to tower
over the street. Soho’s bons vivants live on.

17-19 GREAT WINDMILL STREET, LONDON W1.
WINDMILLTHEATRE.COM

Guests won’t
be asked to

sit in silence –
this is a place

to party

JULY 2021 GQ.CO.UK 45

Step away from
the short shorts!

May we introduce sir, instead, to the micro trunk?

Story by Teo van den Broeke Photographs by Elliott Wilcox

It was the omniscient
style sage himself, one
Mr Tom Ford, who
famously said, “A man
should never wear shorts
in the city. Flip-flops and
shorts in the city are never
appropriate. Shorts should
only be worn on the tennis
court or on the beach.” It’s a
point with which we’ve long
been inclined to agree. But
before you hit that beach,
you face a conundrum.
The tweens of TikTok are
currently telling anyone
who’ll listen that any shorts
longer than five inches
(effectively hot pants)
should never be worn by
anyone with a modicum of
style. But... is that your
vibe? Our opinion is take
the via media: tap into the
ultra-short shorts trend at
the pool or beach. Because
if beer-bellied plutocrats
can justify wearing Speedos
on their yachts, then you
can sure as sunstroke get
away with wearing a pair
of breezy thigh-skimmers
on Camber Sands this
summer. Here, to help you
in your odyssey, a few of
our favourites...

46 GQ.CO.UK JULY 2021

DETAILS Ð TRENDS

Vest, £700. Shorts, £910.
Sunglasses, £420. Water
bottle and holder, £620.
Bag, £1,500. All by Dior.
dior.com

Opposite: Dressing
gown, £2,600. Shorts,
£365. Towel holder,
£1,300. Towel, £475. All
by Dolce & Gabbana.
dolcegabbana.com

JULY 2021 GQ.CO.UK 47

48 GQ.CO.UK JULY 2021