Table of contents for Oct/Nov 2016 in Da Man

This season is filled with an exciting bunch of fashion collaborations, from Berluti x Scott Campbell to Prada featuring Christophe Chemin to Kenzo x H&M. Although, admittedly, these many offers flooding the market can fluster even the most seasoned enthusiast (or what I personally dub “fashion fatigue”), these one-off collaborative creations can create a renewed spark of interest in fashion. There is one particular collaborative effort, done during the making of this comprehensive issue, which is quite significant for us. TAG Heuer and DA MAN joined forces to create a special video project promoting the TAG Heuer Connected watch featuring MC extraordinaire and our longtime collaborator Daniel Mananta. You are more than welcome to check the video on our YouTube channel or on our website, daman.co.id. Of course, as always,…

When the Going Gets Raf Fresh off his tenure as Christian Dior’s creative director, Belgian designer Raf Simons has been appointed by Calvin Klein as chief creative director overseeing all aspects of design, global marketing, communications and visual creative services for both the brand’s menswear and womenswear. Interestingly, the American fashion house also hired Simon’s longtime partner, Pieter Mulier, for a creative director post. The two have been working together since the early days of Simon’s own men’s fashion lineup until Christian Dior. “Not since Mr. Klein himself was at the company has it been led by one creative visionary, and I am confident that this decision will drive the Calvin Klein brand and have a significant impact on its future,” said Steve Shiffman, CEO of Calvin Klein, Inc. “Raf’s…

Abs-olute Perfection The way to a perfect set of abs lies in healthy living. Doing sit-ups by the dozen, planking religiously and eating clean every single day are the obvious first steps to this end. But when it comes to presentation, the right grooming products can go a long way to help enhance the impression of a perfectly sculpted washboard stomach. Maybe there’s a patch of skin that needs tightening or perhaps you want to highlight certain tones and countours. It can also help those of us not inclined to really push it at the gym to cheat a bit. Here are the three recommended products to achieve your dream look. 3 MOST RECOMMENDED 1 Shedding a lot of weight in a short time can lead to sagging skin or…

Ringing in the New Year As 2017 draws ever nearer, gadget manufacturers have stepped up their game to bring us a new range of smartphones to help us face the challenges (and excitement!) of another new year. From the usual flagship m odels from top-tier brands to new challengers from equally exciting names, the options are abundant. Speaking of flagships, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is definitely the one to beat this year. Sure, its launch was plagued by serious battery problems but that’s largely dealt with by now. The Note 7 uses the same camera as the Galaxy S7/S7 Edge, but its camera software has received quite a few upgrades. Processing speed, however, is where the Galaxy Note 7 truly shines and remains unbeatable at. 3 MORE RECOMMENDATIONS 1…

Season’s Grillings Nothing beats a light cookout to while away the somber afternoons of these cold months, no? A full-sized grill, however, might not be practical (or even possible) for people living alone or in apartments. Plus, it tends to be messy. This brings us to the Philips Avance Collection Indoor Grill. It runs on electricity (so, no charcoal dust, grease and so on to contend with), is almost totally smokeless (perfect for indoor parties) and features infrared heaters angled perfectly for grilling. Whether you’re indulging yourself with a wagyu steak for a special “me time” session or roasting satay while having friends over, the Avance will definitely make it that much easier and fuss-free. Audio, Video, Disco Looking to upgrade your home’s entertainment facilities ahead of the end-of-year holidays?…

Fortune Favors the Brave If Apple has the late Steve Jobs as their revolutionary icon, the fashion industry has Renzo Rosso. The enterprising Italian who brought Diesel to the world now sits at the helm of OTB, which stands for Only The Brave—an umbrella company holding several major labels including Marc Jacobs, Dsquared2, Vivienne Westwood, Just Cavalli, Viktor&Rolf and Martin Margiela. The photographic biography “Radical Renaissance 55+5” (Assouline) recounts the beginning, struggles and successes of the 61-year-old entrepreneur. Penned by Australian-born journalist Dan Thawley, the pages present images from the most memorable campaigns, runway shows and behind-the-scenes moments in fashion. At the same token, Rosso unravels his own story, from the early 1970s when he created his first pair of jeans using his mother’s sewing machine to his philanthropic work…

Reaching for the Heavens Towering above the heart of Bangkok’s Silom commercial district and located just meters away from the vibrant Patpong Night Market, Le Meridien Bangkok (40/5 Surawong Road, Bangrak, Bangkok; +66 02 232 8888; lemeridien.com) stands tall amid the city’s skyline. Its 282 rooms come fully equipped with modern entertainment amenities and all the trappings of a virtual office. Three stylish meeting rooms, two boardrooms and a private foyer are ready to accommodate high-level business events. Le Meridien Bangkok is currently offering a Long Stay Package where business travelers can book an executive room at the same price of a standard room and will be treated to various exclusive benefits including free internet, daily breakfast, happy hour and free bar, and daily laundry. On Point One of the…

You proposed and she said yes! Now that you’re officially engaged, the chaos begins. More often than not, preparing for a wedding will make you consider eloping or, better yet, ship your fiancée off to the funny farm. That being said, you can survive even the craziest engagements with a little bit of patience and a little bit of romance. Yes, romance. When things get crazy, this may be the last thing on your mind; but a little extra love and romance during these tough times will strengthen your relationship and make it even stronger for the future. On the more practical side, these 10 tips will help you keep the romance alive during your engagement: 1. TAKE PICTURES Lots of them! Your fiancée is so busy during this time…

You know you’re on a flight to ibiza when more than half of the passengers look ready to party the moment the plane lands. and why wouldn’t they? ibiza is the town of a thousand clubs, the cradle of edM (electronic dance music) and basically the party capital of the world. so, it was on a sunny late august afternoon that i found myself on the world’s number-one nightlife spot, to party with tag heuer. The storied swiss watch brand certainly did have a lot to celebrate. PROLOGUE TO THE PARTY “By the end of July, the watch business, the swiss watch business, is down by 30.5 percent,” says Jean-claude biver, tag heuer’s energetic ceo during a press conference on the island. “for tag heuer, it was plus 20 percent.…

As a cold drizzle chills the air, two teams, one from TAG Heuer indonesia and another from DAMAN, gather at Gelora bung Karno at 4.30 a.m. it is still quiet and the sun has yet to rise above the skyline. but within minutes, the rain ceases and a burst of iridescent light flares over the dark horizon. NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION We get down to the running track around the stadium. A few runners seem undeterred by the wet asphalt. behind them is daniel Mananta, a multi-talented artist and entrepreneur who is also a loyal fan of TAG Heuer. wearing an allblack outfit, he is already on his third lap despite staying up late the night before hosting one of the biggest award shows in the country. “It’s part of my…

A ROUNDUP OF ALL THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS SEASON TO LOOK AND BE YOUR BEST Once considered a major innovation in garment production, suede has slowly but surely made its way into the ranks of luxurious material. no longer confined to accessories, suede can now be found in many readyto-wear collections released for this fall/winter season, not excluding ralph lauren, etro, bally and emporio Armani. unsurprisingly, fast-fashion chains such as banana republic, Zara and h&M have also jumped on the bandwagon with their own suavely suede creations. Suede shirt by Emporio Armani, trousers by Hugo Boss…

Happy Jaws Hermès pulled off a great surprise with some of the season’s cheekiest accessories. The men’s Bolide bag, made using three different types of calfskin, now bears the mischievous smile of a shark, with teeth formed out of overstitched leather inserts. It’s a completely new trademark that will steal anyone’s attention anytime, anywhere. Versatile for fashionable appearances and a jets etter’s overnight trip, this exclusive case is surely a collector’s favorite. Another cartoonish depiction of a wild animal shows up in the men’s scarf titled “Grrrr!” Designed by British artist Alice Shirley, the cashmere-and-silk carré features the face of a wide-eyed bear on a maroon polka-dot background, which will turn any Hermès fans equally wide-eyed completely excited. Back to Nature The colder season calls for an abundance of knitwear…

Artwear Let Biasa show you how to enjoy the summery days in the tropics in the most easy-breezy and fashionable way. For the summer/fall ’16 menswear collection, the Bali-based brand plays with a palette of tango orange, honey yellow, caramel brown, oriental blue ivory, light grey, white and black. “We design for the person your eyes can’t help but notice—for people you almost sense before you see,” says Susanna Perini, the brand’s founder. “It’s about presence and enhancing someone’s spirit.” Designed to wrap around bare skin, the collection is heavy on natural lightweight materials such as cotton muslin, linen and bamboo jersey. Hand-stitched jackets, pants, shirts and kaftans are made with liberating cuts, bespoke block prints, hand-appliqué stitching and handmade dyes to create the easygoing flow that is the trademark…

Regally Blond Like any art, perfume making knows no boundaries. In the case of Serge Lutens, named after the avant-garde French photographer who founded the brand, hazy memories seems to dole out clues as what to concoct next. Take the new L’Eau de Paille, for instance. It may literally mean water of the straw,” but its main source of inspiration harks back to freshly cut wheat on the fields during warmer days. In a most visually discerning way, Serge Lutens associates that scene to a particular color: blond. Be it the hot sun or dry wheat collected by farmers, this hue becomes a universal point of reference for this premium fragrance, apt for the discerning few. A Tale of Two Series For Hermès, great scents work like poems. Each captures…

Ask anyone who visited this year’s Bazaar Art Jakarta what the most memorable exhibit was, and chances are you’ll hear the live Pokemon-inspired painting by artist Oky Rey Montha mentioned over and over again. Born into what he described as an artistic family, Montha says he’s been familiar with the world or art since childhood. The Yogyakarta-born artist is now part of a generation whose work is inspired by images from various media but is then provided with its own narratives that lean toward fantastic tales. Today, Oky’s art style is defined by showcasing the polar opposite of semiotics or: contradictions of the popular icons that he often uses. The 30-year-old artist himself, whose passion also branches out into music (he calls himself “an indie musician who works as a…

“I THINK I’M MOST NERVOUS ABOUT THE SUIT, THE TUXEDO” Many, many moons ago, a moviegoer went online to air his grievances with the “Night at the Museum” movies. His complaint? Whitewashing. His chosen example? The character of Pharaoh Ahkmenrah, who he alleged was played by a white actor. Problem is, playing said Egyptian royal is Rami Malek, a bona fide Egyptian-American actor. The first “Night at the Museum” movie, by the way, was Malek’s big screen debut, which was soon followed by many other memorable roles in movies, TV and more. And since last year, Malek has risen to the top with hit TV show “Mr. Robot” that landed him a Primetime Emmy Award this September. His recent Emmy win, however, ended up not only validating Malek’s skills as…

Ice, Ice Baby Following a successful first run in Pacific Place, there’s now a new GROM in Lotte Shopping Avenue (GF/26, Jl. Prof. Dr. Satrio Kav. 3-5, Karet Kuningan; +62 21 2988 9090/91; grom.it). Founded by two Italian men from Turin, Italy, back in 2003, GROM’s sweet treats are known primarily for not using any kind of emulsifier, artificial coloring or flavoring. Its unique blend of raw materials also makes the gelato melt easily in your mouth. One definite must-try is the lemon sorbet with its tangy flavor and refreshingly pleasant aroma. License to Grill Located smackdab in the heart of Jakarta, Bistecca (18 Parc Place Tower C, Ground Floor, SCBD, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 52-53; +62 21 5151 660; bisteccajkt.com) is a newly established Italian-American restaurant by The Union…

Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, always mesmerizes in the way it manages to seamlessly merge its old-town charm and modern culture. Think historical museums and all-night parties, period documentaries and edgy cult flicks, or an old tram depot next to a contemporary hotel. And as you roam beyond the canals into the city’s nooks and corners at this time of the year, you’ll easily find yourself in one of those nighttime events, film festivals or some other cultural happening. 1/LIGHTS The last months of the year might be the coldest here in Amsterdam, but that doesn’t mean that anyone should stay in and deny themselves the city’s many great venues. For one, the city is home to countless museums, from historical ones like the amazing Van Gogh museum to cheeky…

Once in a blue moon, the film industry comes up with a really intriguing TV show (or a web series—this is 2016, after all) that proves to be an instant hit. The story of such a show is, of course, a key factor; but so too are the actors bringing that story to life. One such show and one such actor that have taken the world by storm recently are “Stranger Things” and David Harbour, the series’ male lead playing opposite Winona Ryder and the young but talented Millie Bobby Brown. You’ve also probably seen the New Yorker in films like “Quantum of Solace” and this year’s “Suicide Squad.” He’s also an accomplished stage actor who has won a Tony Award for his performance in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”…

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE LATEST TRENDS AND SPECIAL REPORTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD THE NEXT PAGES COMPRISE SPECIAL REPORTS FROM THE LARGEST TIME PLACE BOUTIQUE IN INDONESIA TO TAG HEUER’S SPECIAL PARTIES IN IBIZA The retail business has been in a slump for the past year, given the unfavorable economic weather that’s been going on. But that doesn’t mean we can’t revel in new releases or business expansions. Going for the latter is Time International, the company behind multi-brand watch retail boutiques, namely The Time Place and InTime, which is pulling all the stops both via new blueprints and directly on the ground. Case in point: the newly revamped Time Place store in Surabaya. THE LOOK AND FEEL Well-situated on the ground floor of Tunjungan Plaza IV, The Time…

Back to the Future Mirror-like metallic finishes are always a high-impact choice, even when worn in the subtlest ways. But today, it’s exactly this kind of eye-popping impact that many designers are showcasing. Not just minor embellishments, mind you, the runways rolled out tops and jackets made entirely out of chromed fabrics along with full, head-to-toe metallic looks. The future, as they say, is bright indeed. Embroidery Story Take a look at some of today’s foremost fashion houses, and you’ll see that embroidery, particular on jackets, has become a staple of campaigns and runway shows alike. While more exuberant applications abound—gold and white on black, or stylized exotic animals on colorful backgrounds—there are also subtler takes on the trend with simple embroidery adding touches of texture to classic designs. Razzle…

Music festivals and concerts are tricky places to dress for. On the one hand, you want to look stylish and stand out; on the other, you want to be comfortable in it as you lose yourself while enjoying the event. Nobody understands this better than Nicola Formichetti, who is best known as the driving force behind some of Lady Gaga’s most eye-popping looks back when he was one of the pop star’s frequent collaborators. Today, as artistic director at Diesel, Formichetti still conveys concert-inspired styling in many of his collections, as evident in the brand’s fall/winter ’16 offerings. “I started the collection with the idea of the stadium: Concerts, sports, where people gather and have fun,” he says of the overall look for the season. Formichetti has also tried to…

Advantageous geographical features and fertile soil have naturally placed Indonesia on the list of the world’s top coffee producing and exporting countries. Inspired by this coffee culture, clothing brand Giordano has recently launched a coffee-inspired collection showcasing five different artworks that, in turn, reference the top coffee varieties found in Indonesia. These five are Gayo (Aceh), Mandheling (Medan), Bali, Toraja (Sulawesi) and Wamena coffee (Papua). “We’ve been seeing the rise of coffee shops from time to time. It shows that coffee has become a part of the urbanite lifestyle,” says Giordano creative manager Risky Gita. “What connects Giordano and the coffee campaign collection lies in the different personalities of each individual. The same thing applies to coffee which has its own unique taste and characteristics.” For the collection, Giordano collaborates…

There’s an old joke about running that goes something like this: A guy, let’s call him Steve, sends a letter to a popular fitness trainer. “Dear Popular Coach, how far should I run each day? Sincerely, Steve.” He gets a reply that reads simply, “Dear Steve, run until you’re tired. Sincerely, Popular Coach.” Jokes aside, there are plenty of veteran runners who did quite well with the “run until you’re tired” approach. On the flip side, it isn’t exactly the most effective method to turn yourself into a bona fide distance runner. This is especially true for those of us looking to get into marathons, triathlons and the like, or those of us who have spent years mostly sitting behind a desk. Even if we’re in pretty good shape, there…

Don’t judge a book by its cover. We really, really tend to overuse this phrase, right? Still, it can be quite appropriate at times, especially in those rare occasions where you don’t simply mean “the (figurative) cover might look bad but what’s inside is good” and instead want to say “the cover might look all pretty and elegant but what’s inside is ... well, cool and elegant but also exciting, fun yet deep and inspiring.” Case in point: Patricia Gunawan, better known as Patricia Gouw. Most of us know Gouw as one of two Indonesian contestants in the fourth cycle of “Asia’s Next Top Model” which aired earlier this year. In the popular reality show, she performed consistently well, winning three challenges and never falling in the bottom two, before…

Singapore has seen so many watch brands come and go, yet one remains an outstanding part of the island-nation: Rolex. The crown-logoed house has been in the country for decades, and this year it breaks new ground with the establishment of its most spectacular boutique in the Merlion city. Set in the new wing of the Marina Square shopping mall, the new Rolex Boutique is nestled on the second floor, not far from the entrance facing Raffles avenue road. Visitors coming from that side will certainly notice the oversized logo on the glass façade. upon first impression, the boutique’s exteriors look unmistakably Rolex, with expansive glass windows and touches of the brand’s signature emerald green. it is perfectly illuminated, and, as you walk around the store, you’ll find the 513-square-meter…

An icon does not need to scream to make a statement. An icon has a distinct identity that others can never compare with. These two values are part of the underlying charecteristics that define the Cape Cod watch by Hermes. The rectangular desine is subtle yet, at the same time, inimitable. it takes after the smooth curves of the brand’s signature Anchor Chain, which was first designed by Robert Dumas-Hermes, fourth generation heir to the brand, back in 1937. It didn’t transpoe to timepieces until 25 years ago when Henri, d’Origny, artistic director of Hermes tranfered this design vocabulary to watchmaking. Henri d’Origny, who is largely known for his silk carre scarves, cleverly incorporated a square dial in the center and then perfected the watch design by adding art deco…