Tabla de contenidos para September - October 2015 en GQ Australia

Like many, I remember where I was when Kevin Rudd became prime minister in 2007. At a friend’s 30th birthday and in the midst of celebrations, a group had broken away to watch the calling of seats that were mostly swinging. It made me think that around 30 must be one’s political coming of age, as never before had we, as friends, bonded over the running of our country. Now, look, I’ll be honest and admit that I tend to swing in the voting game, and ‘Kevin 07’ was a campaign suited perfectly for me. K Rudd was presidential in delivery, modern in both his tone and method of communication, and the absolute antidote to John Howard’s out-of-touch and frustratingly conservative government. From his victory speech to some of the…

STYLE OUR DAILY ESSENTIAL STYLE EDIT COVERS YOU FROM HEAD TO TOE. WE HIGHLIGHT THE BRANDS ON THE RISE WHILE HANDPICKING THE BEST IN MENSWEAR AND ACCESSORIES. FITNESS Look forward to summer with our tips on getting your mind and body back in shape. From inspirational interviews with the world’s top athletes to the workouts that will produce a core of solid steel, we’ll help get you shredded. GIRLS From future Instagram icons to women with both bite and beauty, we’ve got the fittest, and finest, of the world’s leading ladies. EVENTS: THE FESTIVALS TO ATTEND AND GIGS NOT TO MISS THIS SUMMER SPORT: NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE RUGBY WORLD CUP AND FOOTY FINALS FILM: WHY WE’LL BE WATCHING STEVE JOBS: THE MAN IN THE MACHINE PLUS: PLENTY OF…

People talk about famous parents like they’re a bad thing. Truth is, it turned out pretty well for the Dakota Johnsons and Miley Cyrus’ of this world (minor drug scandals aside). But Zoë, daughter of rocker Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet, has avoided riding her parents’ coat-tails – instead carving a career that spans screens big and small, not to mention fashion and music. She landed her first acting gig in high school, and has since notched up more than two dozen credits – six of them this year. Mad Max: Fury Road thrust her into the limelight, but roles in the X-Men franchise, Divergent trilogy, and Forest Whitaker’s recent indie flick Dope have further hyped her appeal (and ability). Plus, she’s modelled for Alexander Wang and released a…

The Sixth Sense, 1999 After penning “I see dead people”, Shyamalan could (and should?) have just retired to one of those Caribbean over-water bungalows. His dead people have since transformed from creepy to comedic – fast-forward almost a decade to The Happening, where a man is attacked by a lion and his arm snaps off like a KitKat. Pure slapstick. The Last Airbender, 2010 Casting non-Asian stars in this adaptation of a mangastyle comic series prompted accusations of racism and calls for boycotts. It was universally panned, and proof Dev Patel’s agent fell asleep shortly after Skins and Slumdog Millionaire. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, anyone? Lady In The Water, 2006 Following 2004 masterpiece Sideways, we’d forgive Paul Giamatti for pretty much anything. Here he tests that theory with…

EVERY TIME A FRIEND SUCCEEDS SOMETHING INSIDE ME DIES Jay Parini Gore Vidal really knew how to live. He not only achieved widespread acclaim as one of the world’s most accomplished novelists and intellectuals – but was also one of the most quotable. One of his many gems forms the title of this biography, which delivers a comprehensive look at the man beneath the colourful facade. $55 (hardback); hachette.com.au M TRAIN Patti Smith The follow-up to Smith’s award-winning 2010 biography Just Kids, this memoir recounts a series of turning points in the singer’s life. It opens in the small New York cafe where Smith has her black coffee every morning, before moving on to explore places as far-flung as Berlin and Mexico. $32.99; allenandunwin.com BREAM GIVES…

For someone who was “assassinated”, and admits a sense of trauma in reliving his political death for the ABC’s The Killing Season, Kevin Rudd comes across as remarkably spry. Gliding about the hushed New York headquarters of the Asia Society on Park Avenue, where he’s been installed as inaugural president of its Policy Institute, the former Australian PM slips nimbly between English and Mandarin – so frequently the switch barely registers. He darts in and out of his professional suite-with-a-view over the stately Upper East Side, conspicuously close to the United Nations, holding on-the-run consensus talks with his multilingual staffers regarding matters sartorial (“my instructions are no wanky ties… and no feather boas”) and strategic (“do we have video of my appearance on CNN with Fareed Zakaria on the Washington-Beijing…

DRINK SAKE TIME It’s not what you think – not rocket fuel, or wine, and you don’t have to serve it piping hot. Let us explain. Sake can be sweet, cloudy, savoury, delicate, aromatic, fruity, and even more diverse than wine – the product of an entirely different process. “This beverage is made from a unique process called multiple parallel fermentation of rice,” says Matt Young of online store Black Market Sake. While wine ferments the sugar in grapes to create alcohol, sake production is more akin to beer brewing, which is fermented from a grain. Beer is made in two distinct steps – converting starch into sugar, and then sugar into alcohol – however with this Japanese specialty, these are done simultaneously. Confused? Rest assured the result is one…

The Clove Club “Isaac [McHale] is a great young chef who was an important part of The Ledbury for five years and is now cooking beautiful modern British food.” thecloveclub.com Hedone “Mikael [Jonsson] started late in life but is responsible for some phenomenal French cuisine. I had an amazing piece of turbot when I was there.” hedonerestaurant.com Zuma “If you want a party atmosphere, go to Zuma. It’s a big, buzzy, busy Japanese place. The food’s always delicious, as is the sake.” zumarestaurant.com…

DO SMARTEN UP WITH A BLAZER. DO LAYER THINGS TO AVOID LOOKING LIKE YOU’RE STRAIGHT FROM THE GYM.…

Theo James has clearly made it. Forget his helming of the Divergent franchise. Or the alleged Hollywood romance with Shailene Woodley. No, here, ensconced in W Hotel Barcelona’s lavish, mute-toned penthouse, the actor’s current stature and professed importance is delivered via the number of PRs playing chaperone (five, not counting two wedged in the suite) and the pair of burly security guards manning the dark red double doors to his room. The OTT approach is at odds with the man himself – an articulate and laidback 30-year-old. Despite the ever-present PRs, he speaks candidly, a subtle hint of cheek underlying his well-constructed responses. You quickly gain a sense that James wraps a necessary dose of objectivity around his current standing – the kind of star it’d be great to steal…

Rummaging through an old box, I recently came across a first-generation iPod. It was beautiful – the pearlescent white material around the screen, the still-shiny metallic back with personalised engraving (sorry we didn’t work out, ex-girlfriend who gifted it me) and, of course, the quaint navigation wheel. The problem was it wouldn’t turn on and I had nothing on hand to charge it. And the same can be said of practically all old tech – unless you can locate that particular cord/adaptor/ battery pack, they’re going to remain inanimate. The find reminded me of a recent dinner with the CEO of Alpina Watch International, Guido Benedini. He spoke of finding a similar box stuffed with nostalgic items, among them his father’s watch. He described picking it up and rubbing the…

GUCCI The latest ‘G-Timeless’ slim piece comes with a striped NATO strap giving it a more casual twist, perfect for pairing with this oversized, slouchy look from Alessandro Michele at Gucci. Steel ‘G-Timeless’ slim watch with nylon NATO strap, $1050; gucci.com LOUIS VUITTON If you’re the man who likes a sporty watch but needs something on the dressier side, then the ‘Tambour Blue Pink Gold Chronograph’ is perfect. Wear with soft tan textures and navy pieces. Gold/leather ‘Tambour Blue Pink Gold Chronograph’ watch, $43,000; louisvuitton.com HERMÈS The new ‘Slim d’Hermès’ is inspired by a sense of aesthetic purity, so play to such sartorial strengths with luxurious layers of grey tailoring. Gold/leather ‘Slim d’Hermès’ watch, $21,860; hermes.com DIOR HOMME Dior’s ‘Chiffre Rouge C05’ is the perfect watch for the…

Name: Constantine Rongas Works in: Retail Watch: ASOS How long have you had your watch for? I’ve had it about six months now. What do you like about it? I prefer minimalist-style watches, and I like this one because it’s all black, so it goes with everything. Name: Kevin Tang Works in: Sales and marketing Watch brand: IWC How long have you had it? I got this one about two years ago. What do you like about it? It’s really robust and versatile, and I can wear it every day. Got any others? Six, actually – my collection includes Cartier, Rolex and Omega. Name: Demitri Calavrias Works in: PR Watch brand: Montblanc When did you get your watch? I got this for my 21st so it’s my first special watch.…

THE TECH START-UP FOUNDER SevenFriday is a perfect match for a founder of a start-up – unusually sized, marketed solely via Instagram and socially responsible. This charity-minded limited edition ‘SevenFriday P3’ is limited to 100 pieces, with proceeds raising cash for Prior’s Court, an organisation helping young people affected by autism. Well-established as a heavy-hitter in the $1000+ price point, the brand can carry itself through a range of clothing choices with aplomb. THE ARCHITECT With watches, you usually pay more for minimalism. Not in the case of Daniel Wellington, whose watches sport colourful stripy NATO straps and looks that are all just a little bit fancy. In 2014, the brand – founded by Swede Filip Tysander – sold a staggering one million watches, an annual figure Rolex and TAG…

Not scared of the dark so much as scared of what’s in it. While he’s already a master in several disciplines of the dark arts, Edgerton’s first ‘baby’ is about to be born, squinting and squirming into the bright lights of life and, as both father and mother, he’s quietly shitting himself. “Watching a movie you’ve written or been behind the scenes of is like watching a naked picture of yourself projected on a screen for an hour and a half,” he confides to GQ. “As an actor, you can hide behind the illusion you’re just one part of the machine. But this time around there’s no running away from the fact that this is my creation and it’s got my sticky fingerprints all over it. That’s extremely nerve-wracking in…

Know what your business does in detail. Know any competitors inside out – exactly what their product is and what their business model is. Risk profile – have one and be willing to take it. Have due diligence processes in place and be process-driven, but your risk profile needs to be very high. Be aware of your cost of life and be willing to sacrifice it to achieve. Want to drink with friends? Then don’t aspire to do this. Enjoy what you’re creating, but don’t make it all about what you’ll achieve financially.…

Don’t get Bouris started on TV series Shark Tank – little more than a ratings exercise, as he sees it, that fails to genuinely encourage small business tpes and start-ups to flourish. So, away from the bright lights and acid tongues of such a show, how does one engage prospective investors and nail a pitch? Over to you, Mark. Before you even walk in that door, identify who your audience is – what their purpose is, and what it is you want from them. You need to realise early on that investors are cynical by nature. They see this stuff all the time, sometimes one pitch every hour of every day for a month. They can look though bullshit very quickly, and to some extent they’re looking for a reason…

1. ‘AIR ZOOM ODYSSEY’ RUNNING SHOES, $240, BY NIKE The original ‘Odysseys’ became a streetwear staple in the ’80s but these are an entirely different beast, with Ortholite sock liners keeping the foot stable and adding plenty of cushioning for distance runners. And the colour scheme ensures ample attention. 2. ‘APPLE WATCH SPORT’, FROM $499, BY APPLE The anodised aluminium casing is 30 per cent lighter than stainless-steel models and the Ion-X facing is tougher than regular glass. But the real bonus is the on-board Workout app, which keeps track of exercise routines and monitors all progress. And the Activity app records all daily activity, letting you know calories burned or when it’s time to do some exercise. 3. ‘SPORT PULSE’ WIRELESS EARPHONES, $249, BY JABRA Music is a motivator…

A Acne Studios 02 9360 0294 Alexander McQueen harrolds.com.au Altios Fashion Agency 02 9779 1642 Apple apple.com Aquila 03 8412 9800 Athos liveathos.com.au Axel Arigato axelarigato.com B Bally 1800 781 851 Bang & Olufsen bang-olufsen.com Bell & Ross 03 9572 9820 Best Made Co bestmadeco.com Bonds bonds.com.au Breitling 02 9221 7177 Brooks Brothers brooksbrothers.com.au Burberry 02 8296 8588 Burberry Brit 02 8296 8588 Burberry London 02 8296 8588 C Calibre calibre.com.au Calvin Klein Underwear 02 9316 2800 Cartier 1800 130 000 Chantal Thomass chantalthomass.com Chantelle chantelle.com Coach coachaustralia.com Coco Republic cocorepublic.com.au Comme des Garçons incu.com COS 03 9639 0981 Country Road 1800…

The GQ guys (along with stars like Chris Judd) are getting behind Polished Man, a campaign challenging men to end violence against children. While a global issue, child abuse – both physical and sexual – is also a reality in Australia. Polished Man is now asking guys to help raise more funds for preventative programs – just wear nail polish, even on only one finger, between September 1-15. Snap it and upload to social media with the hashtag #polishedman. polishedman.com.au…

STAR LETTER Was good to see you’d put some thought into your Men of Style & Substance list – a nice collection of emerging talent and not just the usual suspects. Good to see Vance Joy get a look in, too. Great job guys – looking forward to the next one. MARK, VIA EMAIL We couldn’t agree more – Vance has had an incredible year. Keep an eye out for him and bestie Taylor Swift as they hit the road in December. Well done, that man. Awesome article and spread on Kendall Jenner! DOUGLAS, VIA TWITTER I’ve just got engaged, so the Groom Guide couldn’t have come at a better time. Lots of really handy info in there – especially the suiting services. Thanks for your help! JASON, VIA EMAIL…

TURN TO P136 TO TEST-DRIVE THE BRAND-NEW McLAREN 650S. 0-100km/h IN 2.9s? BUCKLE UP. THE FIRST IN LEICA’S NEW LINE OF COMPACT DIGITAL CAMERAS, THIS HANDY GUY TRANSMITS PHOTOS AND VIDEO OVER WIFI FOR EASY EDITING. THIS NEW 36- INCH MODEL FROM PENNY SKATEBOARDS IS SO EASY TO USE, EVEN OUR CHIEF SUBEDITOR CAN RIDE IT. AND THAT’S REALLY SAYING SOMETHING. DESPITE RECEIVING CRITICISM FOR RE-BRANDING SAINT LAURENT PARIS WHEN HE JOINED IN 2012, CREATIVE DIRECTOR HEDI SLIMANE HAS SINCE DOUBLED THE LABEL’S REVENUE.…

STYLE SHRINK I WANT A CARDHOLDER, BUT ALL THE ONES I’VE SEEN ARE A BIT DULL. ANY IDEAS? DYLAN, VIA EMAIL Trusty designer Paul Smith is about to release his new ‘No.9’ range of accessories, which features 10 products in 11 un-dull colours. Set to hit stores next month, these sound right up your alley. Leather ‘No.9’ cardholders, $240 each, by Paul Smith DO I NEED TO SHAVE MY BEARD FOR A JOB INTERVIEW? JOHN GOODMAN, VIA GQ.COM.AU Depends what beard and what job. If you’re hoping to land an investment banking gig, best to avoid sporting facial furniture typically reserved for long periods spent lost at sea or jobs that require making a list and checking it twice. However, there are plenty of roles beyond the North…

22 AGE HE BECAME A MILLIONAIRE $40bn HIS ESTIMATED WORTH BY THE EARLY ’90s $570m AMOUNT MEDELLÍN CARTEL EARNED PER WEEK $3400 DOLLARS SPENT ON RUBBER BANDS EVERY MONTH TO WRAP CASH 10 PERCENTAGE OF EARNINGS WRITTEN OFF DUE TO ‘SPOILAGE’ – MOSTLY EATEN BY RATS $14bn AMOUNT HE OFFERED TO PAY OFF COLOMBIAN NATIONAL DEBT, TO AVOID EXTRADITION TO THE US AND PARDON HIS CRIMES 110 FATALITIES WHEN HE BOMBED A CIVILIAN PLANE IN 1989 1993 YEAR HE WAS ASSASSINATED BY COLOMBIAN AUTHORITIES, AGED 44 25,000 MOURNERS WHO ATTENDED HIS BURIAL…

THIS MONTH DAN HAS BEEN... TOILET TRAINING AN INCONTINENT PUPPY THREE WEEKS AGO WE WENT OUT FOR SUNDAY BRUNCH AND UNEXPECTEDLY CAME HOME WITH A NEW MEMBER OF THE FAMILY, WHICH MAY HAVE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE THREE APEROL SPRITZES THAT WASHED DOWN OUR EGGS. MARLOW IS A JET BLACK YORKIEPOO, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE POO. I’VE DEALT WITH MORE SHIT THIS MONTH THAN BRONWYN BISHOP’S PR DEPARTMENT. NOW I DON’T WANT YOU TO THINK YOU DON’T HAVE MY UNDIVIDED ATTENTION, BUT I’M CURRENTLY MID-WAY through writing a best man’s speech ahead of my brother’s wedding. It’s lurking on my laptop, peeping out from behind this Word doc, baiting me. Thing is, this brotherly duty has exhumed hitherto-buried memories of the only other time I’ve been asked…

Sydney CHACO BAR The first – and arguably most interesting – of the new wave of yakitori establishments, former Toko chef Keita Abe’s quaint homage is more restaurant than bar. Its menu moves from sensational pork belly to hearts and tongues for the more adventurous. 238 Crown St, Darlinghurst facebook.com/chaco-bar Melbourne YU-U This is the go-to yakitori in Melbourne – and in typical form, it’s been a well-kept secret for 15 years. Head down a laneway, through a graffiti-covered door and into this dimly lit temple of snacks on sticks, with sakes that will impress even the most discerning hipster. 137 Flinders Lane, Melbourne facebook.com/pages/yu-u Brisbane BIRD’S NEST Japanese owners Emi Kamada and Marie Yokoyama have put a brand-new energy into the Brisbane food scene with…

1. QLD: THE RAINFOREST WALKABOUT Technically on the Gold Coast, but this three-day Hinterland Great Walk is about as far from a theme park as a man can get. The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, one of three national parks you’ll trek through on the 54km track, also contains a higher concentration of frog, bird, marsupial and snake life than anywhere else in the country. There’s always time to hit Dreamworld afterwards. Highlight: One day’s walking goes around the rim of a dormant volcano, which sounds like a nice touch, scenery-wise. nprsr.qld.gov.au 2. TAS: THE GUIDED TOUR Want to get your fix of all the local cheeses, great wines, wildlife and dazzling beaches Tassie has to offer? The four-day Bay of Fires Lodge Walk includes it all – and a good…

DO KEEP IT CASUAL BY UNTUCKING YOUR SHIRT. DON’T OVERCOMPLICATE THINGS – A TEXTURED TOP, SMART CHINOS AND TAILORED JACKET WORKS JUST FINE. DON’T WEAR WORK SHIRTS – KEEP THEM CRISP AND CLEAN FOR THE 9 TO 5. DON’T HEAD OUT WITHOUT ACCESSORIES – WRIST CANDY AND A BAG BRING AN OUTFIT TOGETHER. DO SMARTEN UP WITH A THREE-QUARTER- LENGTH JACKET. DO BRING A BUTTON-DOWN WHITE SHIRT INTO THE MIX.…

1. American Crew ‘3-in-1 Shampoo, Conditioner and Body Wash’, $33 (450ml) A top-to-toe clean that delivers on its label – invigorating, cleansing and conditioning hair, while softening the skin. luxola.com.au 2. ClarinsMen ‘Revitalizing Gel’, $52 (50ml) Absorbed quicker than the plotline of an Adam Sandler flick, this gel tones, moisturises and perks up the complexion. myer.com.au 3. Bottega Veneta ‘Pour Homme Travel Spray’ EDT, $80 (20ml) Right down to the plaited leather strap, this handily-sized incarnation of BV’s luxe scent – think fir balsam timber tones along with bergamot – doesn’t miss a trick. davidjones.com.au 4. La Roche-Posay ‘Anthelios XL Ultralight SPF 50+’ sunscreen, $27.95 (50ml) Be it summer or winter, never risk sun damage. This formulation nixes UVA and UVB rays, and is suitable for sensitive skin. laroche-posay.com.au 5.…

1 “IF YOU’VE HAD A BOTTLE MORE THAN A YEAR, UNLESS YOU’RE SAVING IT, MOVE ON,” SAYS ANDREWS. “WHILE FRAGRANCES HAVE A SHELF LIFE OF ABOUT THREE YEARS ONCE OPENED, THAT’S A EUROPEAN STANDARD. I SUGGEST USING THEM UP.” 2 “PUTTING IT IN THE FRIDGE IS AN EXTREME, IF ACCURATE, WAY TO KEEP A FRAGRANCE. I SAY TREAT IT LIKE FINE WINE – STORE IN A DARK PLACE WITH A COOLER, STEADY TEMPERATURE. THE BATHROOM SHELF IS ACTUALLY TERRIBLE – IT LOOKS SHOWY, BUT IT’S NOT GOOD.”…

STEEL ‘CAPELAND WORLDTIMER’ WATCH, $9850, BY BAUME & MERCIER This perfectly round, pebble-shaped case is the biggest watch in my collection and is also the most useful, with 24 time zones at a glance. It has a blue croc leather band, which is old-timesy, and pairs wonderfully with a waistcoat. If you’re into that kind of thing. Hint, you should be. baume-et-mercier.com Andrew, GQ Watch editor ‘ASTRON GPS SOLAR’ WATCH SSE041J, $3700, BY SEIKO Remembering that the original 1969 ‘Astron’ heralded the arrival of the world’s first commercially available quartz wristwatch, the revolutionary appeal continues here, with GPS meaning touch-of-a-button time zone updates as powered by solar energy. Tidy – especially for global travellers. seiko.com.au Richard, GQ deputy editor ‘PONTOS S DIVER’ WATCH, $4400, BY MAURICE LACROIX I’ve been looking…

Since 1973, the industry standard in timekeeping certification was COSC, or the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres. Owners of a watch with COSC certification (widely used by brands such as Rolex, Omega and Breitling) could be sure that their timepiece would be accurate to within -4 to +6 seconds per day, and in a range of positions and temperatures. However, the COSC certification is not available to non-Swiss brands and it doesn’t cover increasingly relevant measures like the anti-magnetic properties of a piece. So in an effort to create a broader and more inclusive standard, Omega has teamed up with The Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS) to create a series of eight tests that watch brands may submit their watches for to score Master Chronometer standing. The new test…

BVLGARI JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BABIN, CEO The Bulgari CEO offers GQ a rhetorical question: “What could be more Swiss than a Swiss-made mechanical watch that acts like a vault for all your personal information, including your banking details?” He’s right – few things are as Swiss as the Bulgari ‘Diagono Magnesium’ with near field chip technology. THE PAST: “Our ‘Bulgari Bulgari’ watch is 40 years old. Our historic pillars have been the jewel watch, which makes up a central portion of our DNA, the ‘Grand Complication’ and other iconic items.” THE PRESENT: “We are reinterpreting the ‘Bulgari Bulgari’ for the modern day, in parallel with the ‘Diagono’ and the most technological model we’ve ever launched, the ‘Diagono Magnesium’.” THE FUTURE: “This new model gives us an opportunity to be more present in…

SERIOUS CONTENDER Zachary Quinto He might be American, have the hair of a recently shorn marine and mostly be known for playing an alien with pointy ears (yes, Spock) in the rebooted Star Trek , but it says everything about Zachary Quinto’s adaptability that he’s next set to play mild-mannered journalist Glenn Greenwald in Oliver Stone’s Snowden , about, well, document leaker Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt will play the man himself). After that, the gay 38-year-old is set to appear in I Am Michael , about a gay activist (played by James Franco) who denounces homosexuality and becomes a Christian pastor. THE FACE Bobby Cannavale Bobby Cannavale is a guy with one of those faces – he could be anyone, and often is, from a special agent in the delightfully…

STEREO “Music fertilises the mind and I can’t work in silence. I listen to Ibiza Global Radio because I love electronica. My wife [Louise] thinks I’m having a midlife crisis, but electronic music is a melting pot.” LAKE COMO PHOTOGRAPH “Louise took this a long time ago. It’s in Italy looking down to Lake Como. MJ Bale’s silks and some of the cotton and wool isn’t far from there – it’s a great place to do business then go for a run around the lake.” THUNDERBALL PICTURE “I love the fact it’s a little bit off- piste – it doesn’t look contrived and feels like an outtake. Connery was great – and who doesn’t love James Bond?” JAPANESE MAGAZINES “Well, for a start you read them backwards –…

ROAD WARRIOR Inspired by a motorcyclist whose denims had become sculpted to his body after extended periods of riding in the elements, G-Star ‘Elwood’ jeans are made to be moved in. The new ‘5620 3D Zip Elwood’ jeans design, released ahead of the upcoming 20-year anniversary of the classic ‘Elwood’, is a modern take on the original with an on-trend slim fit and reinforced knees. g-star.com PARTNERS IN TIME Created by two of the world’s best design powerhouses, the Breitling ‘Bentley B06S’ is a compact performance- driven sports watch. The device measures in at 44mm and features Breitling’s signature 30-second chronograph display. For stockists, call (02) 9221 7177 or visit breitling.com THE BIG REVEAL Combining its signature note of raw salt with a rush of crystallised ginger and velvety vetiver,…

JACK PHILLIPS DIGITAL COMMERCIAL EDITOR Having worked for the likes of Monocle in London, Phillips relocated to Sydney last year, and joined team GQ this July. He’s the reason you’ve been clicking on GQ.com.au so much lately. Right? Right. WHAT’S THE GQ OFFICE LIKE? It’s always a hive of activity, be it 7am or 7pm. I sit directly opposite a screen with a live traffic feed to GQ.com.au. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONLINE WRITING AND PRINT? Online is about getting to the point in a clear and coherent way. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun, but you need to hook readers in quickly or risk losing them. Writing online means being ‘on point’. WHAT ELSE SHOULD PEOPLE KEEP IN MIND? You should always…

After a long look at the breakfast menu, I settled on the ‘Bruschetta Royale’ – a fairly elaborate name for something whose description sounds remarkably like eggs benedict. Accepting that sometimes there are differences between cafes, I adopted the local lingo and placed my order. “Bruschetta royale, please,” I said. But as the waitress, who had a slight Euro lilt, wrote it down, she repeated the name with a subtle difference, “Brusketta royale.” Hang on, was she correcting me? Had she found my pronunciation so clumsy that she felt the need to educate? If so, she’d chosen the most passive-aggressive way of doing it. There was no direct, ‘Actually, sir, it’s pronounced brusketta,’ politely correcting me and sending me on the right path. No, she said it as though talking…

Before Kendall, Cara & co. took to Instagram, scantily clad ladies used to be a mere monthly occurrence, thanks to the good sports at Pirelli. This year marks a half century of its iconic calendar and Taschen is celebrating the milestone with this mammoth 576-page book, featuring everyone from Gisele Bündchen, Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford to Penélope Cruz, Kate Moss and more. But beyond just a giant collection of hotties, this coffee table tome is essentially a who’s who of the world’s greatest photographers – making it a genuine artistic treasure. At least, that’s what we’ll be telling the missus. Pirelli – The Calendar. 50 Years and More, approx. $125; taschen.com MILAN-BASED COMPANY PIRELLI IS THE WORLD’S FIFTH-LARGEST TYRE MANUFACTURER AND IS THE EXCLUSIVE SUPPLIER OF THE…

GET THE LOOK FINDING PIECES THAT SHOW SIGNS OF AGEING IS KEY. GO FOR MATERIALS LIKE SOFT LEATHER, WHICH ONLY GET BETTER WITH TIME. WORK WITH A TONAL PALETTE TO AVOID PIECES LOOKING UNCONSIDERED, BUT BEAR IN MIND NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO MATCH. WE’VE KEPT THINGS NEUTRAL HERE, WITH ACCENTS OF RED AND BLUE. LOOK FOR DETAILS LIKE EXPOSED JOINTS, WHICH HELP ACHIEVE A COOL, RAW AESTHETIC – A CRUCIAL ELEMENT IN THIS INDUSTRIAL STYLE SETTING. EXPLORER AMERIGO VESPUCCI DISCOVERED THAT SOUTH AMERICA WAS NOT PART OF ASIA, BUT A NEW SUPER-CONTINENT CALLED THE NEW WORLD AND, LATER, THE AMERICAS.…

Sometimes we’re so busy claiming ‘Aussies’ who weren’t born here that we forget to praise those who actually were. Like 26-year-old Queenslander Eka Darville, star of Empire – US commercial TV’s biggest hit this year. The work of acclaimed director Lee Daniels (Precious, The Butler), it centres on hip-hop label Empire Entertainment and its founding family’s struggle for control. Darville plays gay filmmaker Ryan Morgan, the love interest of a potential heir to the fortune, Jamal Lyon (Jussie Smollett). The cast also boasts Terrence Howard as the patriarch with appearances from Naomi Campbell, Snoop Dogg and Cuba Gooding Jr. And if the 23 million who watched the debut series’ US finale are anything to go by, season two will be huge. Speaking of big, Darville’s also in Marvel’s upcoming Netflix…

MEG LOVES KAUFMANN MERCANTILE ONLINE STORE ONE OF EVERYTHING PLEASE, KAUFMANN MERCANTILE – ONLINE VENDOR OF BEAUTIFUL, MASCULINE HOUSEHOLD ESSENTIALS, WEARABLES, STATIONERY, GROOMING PRODUCTS, AND MORE. NOW SHIPPING TO AUSTRALIA FOR A MERE $20, FLAT. KAUFMANNMERCANTILE.COM KAUFMANNMERCANTILE.COM IT’S STARTING TO LOOK AS THOUGH THE WEB IS HERE TO STAY. UNTIL RECENTLY, I HELD OUT HOPE THE WHOLE THING WOULD BLOW OVER AND WE’D ALL GO BACK TO LANDLINES, library books and figuring out how to get an outside line on the office fax machine (Dial nine, isn’t it? And face-down or face-up? Oh don’t worry, out of toner). Alas, it seems not. Apparently functioning at approximately 10 per cent productivity in the workplace, getting lost in our own suburb because Google Maps knows better and having to super-quickly WhatsApp an…

We wouldn’t blame you if Brett Graham wasn’t on your radar – his restaurant, The Ledbury, is far away in west London’s tycoon-infested streets. Still, the prestigious ‘World’s Best 50 Restaurants’ list has him as the top Australian chef on the planet. For the second year running, The Ledbury is one of only two UK venues to feature, with Heston Blumenthal’s Dinner just cutting in above him. The 36-year-old son of a tractor salesman from Newcastle, NSW, has gone to Britain, taken on Ramsay, two generations of Rouxs and Blumenthal’s own legendary Fat Duck and beaten them harder than he does his eggs. As a kid it was ingredients, not cookery, that captivated him. “Food was fuel,” he grins. “Cheap steaks, all the meat well done. That’s how you grew…

SYDNEY AUTOMATA This newbie (another in the Old Clare Hotel) will be a canvas for young-gun chef Clayton Wells (formerly Momofuku Seiobo) to show off his skills. His rotating five-course menu uses modern techniques to present an array of interesting Australian ingredients in their best light. A raw industrial interior plays on the theme of machinery and non-electronic automation. One to watch. 5 Kensington St, Chippendale NSW CABARITA BEACH PAPER DAISY Former Queensland chef of the year Ben Devlin is now making waves on the beach at Halcyon House in northern NSW. His menu is a lesson in sophisticated simplicity – think native crayfish with garlic and olive oil, pippies with lemon myrtle and warrigal greens, and grilled chicken with brown sauce. Simple, but always spectacular. 21 Cypress Crescent, Cabarita…

1. ‘PRO 900’ BY NUTRIBULLET First, some background: ‘compact extraction’ is a centrifugal juicing method in which the blender’s container doubles as a drink-on-the-go cup. The NutriBullet popularised the idea and the competitors are now in the fray. How does the original brand compare? Despite its one-size-fits-all setting, this newer powerful version completely blitzed even the toughest ingredients. Sure, the traditional Optimum blender (below) is even more powerful – but at around twice the size and four times the price, what do you expect? If we were going to buy a device for our kitchen counter, it would still be this. $198; thegoodguys.com.au WIN: BEST BALANCE OF QUALITY, CONVENIENCE AND PRICE FAIL: LACK OF SETTINGS 2. ‘NUTRI NINJA WITH AUTO-IQ BL480’ The Nutri Ninja is more powerful than…

DO…

With spring upon us, a curse is about to be reawakened. And that curse is sweat. Ah, good times. If this rings a clammy bell, salvation could be at hand in the form of red-carpet saviour Botox, which is remarkably adept at bringing excessive sweating under control. In its most chronic state, this medical condition is called hyperhidrosis and, according to plastic surgeon Dr Steven Liew of Sydney’s Shape Clinic, affects one to two per cent of the population. “It’s a significant debilitating issue and one that can cause significant social and emotional embarrassment. Most patients will have a history of having to change their clothing two or three times even on a day which is not considered to be excessively hot.” Aside from armpits, the forehead, neck, cheeks, palms,…

The Mini Cooper S was lovely, punchy, charismatic and cool. So what’s the point of producing this, from its performance division – the most powerful Mini ever created? Muscular Minis have long been unselfconsciously nuts and disdainful of the day-to-day. But this time things are different, as BMW’s boardroom men have ordered Mini to up the car’s on-road refinement. The result – the marque’s window to the future. “MINI’S BLOATED RANGE IS RIPE FOR CULLING. YET HERE’S AN INDICATION THE FITTEST CAN STILL THRIVE.”BEN SMITHURST, GQ AUSTRALIA ENGINE A box-fresh 2.0L turbocharged four-pot – up from 1.6 litres in its predecessor – provides 170kW and 320Nm to heft the car’s 1205kg (manual) and 1220kg (auto) about in style. Its 0-100km/h time is 6.1s (6.3s manual), but it’s quicker from 80-120km/h…

BAUME & MERCIER SHELBY COBRA Baume & Mercier have existed in quite a conservative world the past few years – with refined models like the ‘Clifton’ and ‘Hampton’ giving the brand some measured, manly steps back towards the credibility they’ve enjoyed at other times. Despite the accessible luxury positioning, Baume & Mercier are actually older than Patek Philippe, and have a similarly impressive archive of achievements. The brand’s new approach has been accelerated by the exciting arrival of the ‘Capeland Shelby Cobra’ – a tribute to the automotive icon and the man behind it, Carroll Shelby. Shelby, a famed US race car driver in the ’50s, was determined to build a car that would beat the then-dominant Europeans. With a mantra of, “more power, less weight”, he fitted a gutsy…

Watch lovers can be a snobby lot. And they don’t always take kindly to basic questions, such as, “What’s the difference between an automatic and a self-winding watch?” (Hint: they’re the same thing, pfft!) So we invited some questions from you, the GQ faithful, on social media. Here goes. WHY ARE WATCHES SO F***ING EXPENSIVE, THEN? GQ: What drives the great majority of luxury watches is a mechanical engine – yes, just like a car. And because these micro-machines are so small and fiddly, they generally require a human hand or eight to get them ticking. Add to this equation the finite space that watch designers, engineers and technicians have to work with – often 10mm by 44mm or less – and the R&D costs start to add up when…

GQ: Go on, give us the wish list. Zac Stenmark: Audemars Piguet ‘Royal Oak’ – steamlined and understated, the angles of the casing and the band make it so unique. It’s definitely a collector’s item. Patek Philippe ‘5270’ – a timeless design with incredible craftsmanship, it’s a fundamental in a serious watch collection and would have to be my Holy Grail piece. Patek Philippe ‘5167 Aquanaut’ – it’s a little more modern in its design, but the minimalism keeps it ageless. Panerai ‘Tuttonero Luminor’ – the all-black ceramic known as the ‘Dark Knight’ is a serious statement and pretty hard to come by. Ceramic, which is five times stronger than steel, means you don’t need to worry about wearing it for an occasion. There’s something edgy and slick, yet classic,…

The desire to own property is drip-fed into the collective Australian bloodstream from a young age. And though quarter-acre blocks are now all but a distant myth, the nationalistic want to scramble some cash and ride the ever-ascending ladder continues largely unabated. For Jonathan Hallinan, it wasn’t simply a desire to buy property that consumed him for as long as he can recall. Moreover, the intensely focused, Melbourne-based founder of BPM Construction and Development Group set his sights on the enviable lifestyle attached to the luxurious houses he’d often pass as a 10-year-old – eager to one day experience what lay beyond the neatly trimmed hedges of homes dotted across exclusive enclaves such as Toorak and South Yarra. Now 40, Hallinan has realised his dreams. And then some. In the…

WEAR Do: Remember you’re still at work. “Whatever you’d normally wear to work, take it down a notch,” says Cosimina Nesci. So if you’d normally be in a suit, go with chinos and a decent shirt, roll the sleeves and lose the tie. Don’t: Treat it like a week in Mykonos with mates. Steer clear of thongs and drag (even at an anything-goes dress up party). DRINK Do: Take it easy. An afternoon beer, a glass of red with dinner, a neat whiskey before bed. Done. Don’t: Treat it like an open bar. Avoid anything blue, flaming or served in a shot glass. And beer pong is definitely out. SAY Do: Listen to others before offering well-formed, incisive thoughts. “It’s often not what you say but the way you say…

Imagine a world where Olympic athletes and gym-shy office types could do the same workout at exactly the same time. That world is F45, developed by Sydney trainer and former NRL player Dan Conn. Known as ‘high-intensity interval training’, the concept is simple enough: in a group of up to 30 people, each person works out for a specific period, essentially competing against themselves to boost endurance, strength, stability and power. “The mechanism we base it around is time, not repetitions or weight,” explains 29-year-old Conn. “That way everyone can train at their own level, but start and finish as one.” So while you might not be able to do as many push-ups or lift the same amount as the average gym junkie, it doesn’t matter. The full F45 program…

A HIROSHI SUGIMOTO PICTURE “I try to accumulate less stuff these days. There aren’t many items I really want anymore, but a Hiroshi Sugimoto would be nice.” ASKILL PROJECTS X COLAB SUNGLASSES “These are some limited-edition ones I designed for Colab.” Metal ‘Daniel’ sunglasses, $249, by Askill Projects x Colab; colab.com.au DR MARTENS BOOTS “I particularly like these because the stitching is black not yellow.” docmartens.com.au BLK DNM LEATHER JACKET “It’s hard to find a decent leather jacket, and as a vegetarian since birth, I always felt a bit conflicted about buying one – but BLK DNM in New York make a pretty classic one I know I’ll have for a long time.” blkdnm.com SAVE KHAKI UNITED T-SHIRT “I get all my basics here. It’s just up from…