Fendi Match Sneakers

Tear up the boardwalk with Fendi’s edgy blue match sneakers. An off-white finish adds a breezy confidence to summer fits, while the blue denim patterned accents are sure to spark conversation. On the side, a subtle, interlocking Fendi logo adds a contemporary, understated feel. These kicks make a fitting pair to board shorts and chino pants alike. ($1,290)

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Dior Men DIORXPLORER M1U Sunglasses

Fight off SPF glare with these fiery-toned shades from the Dior Men Fall 2023 fashion show. The mirrored lenses, frosted in a warm orange-red, obscure the eyes to radiate an effortless cool. On top, a nude frame molds against the lenses’ edge for a modern, futuristic feel. Dior’s classic Cannage motif enhances the tips. Compounded by a laser Dior signature, these shades upgrade gym fits to fashion statements. ($1020) 

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Louis Vuitton Perforated Leather Shorts

Louis Vuitton paints their leather shorts in the colour of a hazy aquamarine, making a subtle, yet summery match for waterfront patios or beachside strolls. A perforated signature adds a shade of depth, with dark dots bubbling over the left and right edges like a luxury seafoam. ($4650)

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Prada Shirt

Prada’s floral button-down is a cheeky spin on the Hawaiian shirt — an often-parodied summer classic. Vines of blooming white flowers act like vertical stripes, popping against an easily-matched pale orange texture for a flexible summer fit. The design is also available in a green-blue colour. ($1,490)

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Jacquemus LE DÉBARDEUR MACIO TANK TOP

On a sweltering summer day, sleeves can be too much to handle — that’s where the checkered tank from Jacquemus comes in. The shirt preserves the style of your favourite knit sweater, while offering a cool refuge from scorching summer temps. ($365)

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Loewe Fold Shopper

Loewe’s “Fold Shopper” isn’t just a catchy name — the sand-coloured bag folds at the base, meaning wearers can tailor its size for the gear inside. Branded double handles pop against calm stripes, and offer the option of shoulder and top-handle carrying. The versatile bag fits a 13-inch laptop, making Loewe’s latest a valuable travel companion for style conscious shoppers and business-class regulars alike. ($2020)

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Timberland Earthkeepers® By Raeburn Relaxed Fit Engineered Hoodie

Part of the Earthkeepers by Raeburn collection — Timberland products with the highest grade of eco-innovation — this quality hoodie is crafted with 50% organically-grown cotton. The light, canvas-coloured base makes accessories and summer tans pop. Meanwhile, a parachute-inspired grey pattern adds a depth to its classic cut. Worn open over a tank or zipped-up, Timberland’s relaxed hoodie is sure to make a statement. ($398)

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Hermès Outfit

From top to bottom, this look from Hermès captures the playful spirit of 2023’s summer fashion. On the model, Hermès layers a bright, aquatic Pince Moi button down shirt with a lavender sleeveless top over Sevres trousers. Accented by a boldly bright Fred hat and triple-toned Gramme sneakers, the look embraces casual class with soft fabrics. It’s bold, yet self-assured in its eye-catching colour scheme; in a nutshell, the look is everything we love about summer style. (All priced upon request)

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The post Electric Summer: The Finest Finds for Warmer Weather appeared first on Sharp Magazine.

Populated by hydroids, jellyfish-like predators with delicate tendrils resembling flowers and ferns, this glade is part of an ecosystem that scientists know very little about. With climate change making its most extreme impacts at the poles, however, the future of creatures living in undersea gardens like this one could be in jeopardy. That’s what makes Bardout’s latest mission, dubbed Deeplife, so important.

Along with his wife, Emmanuelle Périé-Bardout, Bardout is the co-founder and co-director of Under the Pole, a nonprofit organization dedicated to exploring the world’s oceans and spreading awareness about the unique ecosystems found there. With a host of factors threatening aquatic life, from acidification and rising sea temperatures to plastic pollution and overfishing, there has never been a more important time to undertake this work, the Bardouts say.

“If we cut down a forest on land, we lose the habitat of thousands of species that are essential to biodiversity,” explains Périé-Bardout. “Underwater, it’s the same, but the difference is we don’t see our marine forests. The idea of Deeplife is to make the invisible visible.”

With help from Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative, which promotes exploration to preserve the natural world, Deeplife is dedicated to expanding scientific knowledge of marine animal forests in the oceans’ mesophotic zone.

Located between the ocean’s brightly lit shallow waters and its deepest, darkest depths, a wide array of marine life makes its home here, and much of it can be found nowhere else. While shallower depths of the oceans have been explored for decades, it’s only recently, thanks to advancements in diving technology, that scientists have begun to explore this region.

The mission to Svalbard is the first of three such expeditions the Bardouts and their team will undertake between 2022 and 2023, and while each will present unique challenges, exploring under the Arctic ice pack requires particular skill. Adding to the complexity is the challenge of operating from an aluminum-hulled schooner sailboat, the WHY. While it’s able to accommodate 12 crew members and the supplies for an extended voyage, there is little room for error when navigating a small craft through such dangerous terrain.

“Compared to sailing in other parts of the world, each mistake can cost a lot,” says Emmanuelle. “It combines the most difficult things you can imagine; complicated weather, ice, and isolation.”

The dives themselves — which far exceed the recreational diving depth of 30 metres — require both extensive training and highly specialized gear. “These are really tough, really difficult dives,” says Bardout. “The cold is something that hurts, and that wears out the teams. It requires particularly substantial equipment.”

Among the equipment most crucial to their mission in Svalbard are rebreather suits, which extend the time divers can spend under the water by recycling exhaled CO2. Another advantage to the rebreathers is that, unlike conventional scuba gear, they don’t emit bubbles, which can disturb animals and their delicate habitats on the sea floor.

After discovering the arctic marine forest, the Deeplife team spent the next 10 days on-site, installing sensors, taking samples, and recording data. The specimens recovered from the forest were then packed aboard the WHY for their return journey to France, where they were handed off to scientists for further study.

The team’s next missions will take them to the Canary Islands and the Caribbean, where they will study corals. Then, they’ll sail back to the team’s headquarters in Concarneau, France in the summer of 2023.

Despite the success of their expedition in Svalbard, Deeplife’s larger mission only begins once they return home and share their findings with the world. By raising awareness of ecosystems like the Arctic marine forests and the existential threats that face them, the Bardouts and their team hope to create a future in which humans live in greater harmony with the planet.

“We have the obligation to work for this change for future generations, to leave behind a living world for them tomorrow so that they too have the possibility to be enriched by it, inspired by it, and dream,” says Ghislain.

The post Perpetual Planet Initiative: Rolex Supports Scientists On Arctic Adventure appeared first on Sharp Magazine.

SHIRT ($4,595) AND PANTS ($1,875) BY GIORGIO ARMANI, AT HARRY ROSEN; SCARF ($120) BY MHC VINTAGE; SANDALS ($175) BY COS.

TANK TOP ($1,220) AND PANTS ($2,500) BY PRADA.

JACKET ($3,950), VEST ($3,350), SHIRT ($1,020), AND PANTS ($1,360) BY LOUIS VUITTON MEN’S; NECKTIE, STYLIST’S OWN.

JACKET ($4,400), SHIRT ($1,550), PANTS ($1,850), AND KILT ($3,900) BY DIOR MEN; RING, MODEL’S OWN.

JACKET ($5,270), SHIRT ($950), AND PANTS ($1,105) BY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN.

SHIRT ($150) BY MHC VINTAGE; SWEATER ($228) BY STRELLSON; PANTS (PRICE UPON REQUEST) BY BOSS; BELT ($1,190) BY HERMÈS; GLASSES ($1,182) BY BRUNELLO CUCINELLI.

JACKET ($998) AND PANTS ($398) BY WINDSOR; STRIPED SHIRT ($198) BY STRELLSON; GOLD SHIRT (PRICE UPON REQUEST) BY MHC VINTAGE; SHOES ($328) BY BOSS; RING, MODEL’S OWN.

JACKET ($1,600) AND SHORTS ($1,460) BY THOM BROWNE, AT HARRY ROSEN; SHOES ($495) BY CANADA GOOSE; HAT ($45) BY CIELE; SWEATER AND SOCKS, STYLIST’S OWN.

SUIT ($1,295) AND SHIRT ($595) BY BOSS; NECKLACE ($2,500) BY TIFFANY & CO.

Men’s Summer Style

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SHIRT ($4,595) AND PANTS ($1,875) BY GIORGIO ARMANI, AT HARRY ROSEN; SCARF ($120) BY MHC VINTAGE; SANDALS ($175) BY COS.

Men’s Summer Style

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TANK TOP ($1,220) AND PANTS ($2,500) BY PRADA.

Men’s Summer Style

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JACKET ($3,950), VEST ($3,350), SHIRT ($1,020), AND PANTS ($1,360) BY LOUIS VUITTON MEN’S; NECKTIE, STYLIST’S OWN.

Men’s Summer Style

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JACKET ($4,400), SHIRT ($1,550), PANTS ($1,850), AND KILT ($3,900) BY DIOR MEN; RING, MODEL’S OWN.

Men’s Summer Style

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JACKET ($5,270), SHIRT ($950), AND PANTS ($1,105) BY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN.

Men’s Summer Style

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SHIRT ($150) BY MHC VINTAGE; SWEATER ($228) BY STRELLSON; PANTS (PRICE UPON REQUEST) BY BOSS; BELT ($1,190) BY HERMÈS; GLASSES ($1,182) BY BRUNELLO CUCINELLI.

Men’s Summer Style

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JACKET ($998) AND PANTS ($398) BY WINDSOR; STRIPED SHIRT ($198) BY STRELLSON; GOLD SHIRT (PRICE UPON REQUEST) BY MHC VINTAGE; SHOES ($328) BY BOSS; RING, MODEL’S OWN.

Men’s Summer Style

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JACKET ($1,600) AND SHORTS ($1,460) BY THOM BROWNE, AT HARRY ROSEN; SHOES ($495) BY CANADA GOOSE; HAT ($45) BY CIELE; SWEATER AND SOCKS, STYLIST’S OWN.

Men’s Summer Style

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SUIT ($1,295) AND SHIRT ($595) BY BOSS; NECKLACE ($2,500) BY TIFFANY & CO.

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The post In Formation: Colourful Silks and Sartorial Pinstripes appeared first on Sharp Magazine.

Tiffany & Co. The Landmark

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Luxury items aside, the inner workings of the store speak for themselves. Famed architect Peter Marino was tasked with maintaining historical parts of the original structure, as acquired by Tiffany in 1940, while mixing in modern renovations throughout the 100,000 square foot building, making it one of the largest stores in Manhattan. The Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA New York) designed the three-store glass addition, expanding the space to ten storeys.

Each floor focuses on different sections of Tiffany & Co.’s offerings, including High Jewellery masterpieces, Love & Engagement, silver designs, and home décor. Integrated amongst the shoppable items are nearly 40 outstanding works of art from artists such as Damien Hirst, Julian Schnabel, and Anna Weyant, as well as rotating museum and gallery space on floors eight and nine. A grand mirrored staircase is at the heart of the store, spiralling from floors three to eight with a large custom statue by Daniel Arsham at the base on the Love & Engagement third floor.

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Donned in head-to-toe custom Givenchy uniforms, the store staff are masters in the history and details of the location, offering an upclose look at the design process behind High Jewellery pieces on the seventh floor, to the history and meaning behind each piece of artwork featured in, or commissioned for, the store. On the sixth floor you can have breakfast at Tiffany’s, as Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud has curated a unique daytime dining experience complete with breakfast and tea offerings from the seasonally inspired menu.

In honour of the reopening, Tiffany & Co. displayed the iconic Tiffany Diamond, a heritage piece with 128.54 carats that has been reset for the first time in ten years. To keep the celebration going, Tiffany held an exclusive opening party complete with a star-studded roster of guests including Michael B. Jordan, Jimin of BTS, Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, and a musical performance by Katy Perry, before Mark Ronson DJed into the end of the night. As one of the largest stores in Manhattan, it’s no surprise that The Landmark houses an overwhelming amount of beauty to be seen.

The post The Landmark: Tiffany & Co.’s New Main Attraction appeared first on Sharp Magazine.

Not only is the 1908 the first new name added to the Rolex catalogue since the release of the Sky-Dweller in 2012, it’s also the first watch in an entirely new Rolex family, the Perpetual collection. A “reinterpretation of traditional watchmaking style imbued with quintessential watchmaking expertise and the aesthetic heritage of Rolex,” the Perpetual collection opens the door to a vast wealth of classic design from the Rolex archive that is sure to drive collectors into a frenzy.  

The Rolex 1908 is named for the year in which Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf registered his brand in Switzerland, and it replaces the Rolex Cellini line of dress watches. The Cellini has had many iterations and fans during its long life, from Elvis Presley to Barack Obama, but in the company of classics like the Day-Date, Submariner, and Daytona, it rarely got the love it deserved. As the Cellini’s replacement, the 1908 has its work cut out for it to find an audience. Thanks to a classic design, a state-of-the-art new movement, and some unique details, however, there’s plenty to love.

The 1908 features a 39 mm case in 18 ct yellow or white gold, a fine size for a modern dress watch and most wrists. The top edges of the lugs are gently chamfered to highlight their graceful curve and the bezel combines fluting with a polished dome. It’s water-resistant to 50 metres, which is less than Rolex’s other watches, but more than enough to protect the movement inside. (If the alligator leather Dualclasp strap didn’t tip you off, this is not the watch you wear to the pool or the beach). Most significantly, the case features a display case back which provides a rare glimpse at the finely finished movement inside.

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The movement is the Rolex calibre 7140, which was unveiled this year and carries the brand’s Superlative Chronometer certification. The new movement includes the best pieces in the Rolex parts bin, including a patented Chronergy escapement, which is resistant to strong magnetic fields, and a patented Syloxi hairspring for optimum accuracy and reliability. Paraflex shock absorbers, meanwhile, add durability and impact resistance in the event you should knock your 1908 on a doorframe or (heaven forbid) drop it on the floor.

The significance of this display case back can’t be overstated – as the only watch in the Rolex collection to feature this detail, owners of the 1908 will be the only people aside from certified Rolex technicians who get to admire the inner workings of their watch. The parts on view include an 18 carat, yellow gold oscillating weight and bridges decorated with Rolex Côtes de Genève stripes. The decoration differs from traditional Côtes de Genève thanks to a polished groove between each band.

While many other Rolex watches feature complications like dates, day-dates, and GMTs, the 1908 stays true to its roots in a simpler era of watch design, with Arabic numerals at 3, 9, and 12, and a small seconds subdial at six o’clock. It’s simple, elegant, and – for a brand known for incremental changes – a major departure from business as usual. As the first member of the Perpetual collection, however, there’s likely much more where this came from.

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The post Meet the Rolex 1908: A Rare New Release From the Legendary Maker appeared first on Sharp Magazine.

What makes Cask Strength special is that each glass can be made unique, as you experiment with the amount of water added to reveal notes of ripe mango, cloudy heather honey, whipped vanilla cream, and a hint of aromatic violet on the tongue. The finish is long and characterized by pink grapefruit zest, freshly baked sponge, and a touch of heather peat smoke that lingers in the mouth. Depending on the amount of water added, these notes are found in different harmonies, allowing the whisky to be tailored to each palate.

Learn more about Highland Park Cask Strenth Release No. 3 here.

The post From Cask to Glass: Highland Park’s Cask Strength Lands in Canada appeared first on Sharp Magazine.

Although he’s better known for his hard work and determination on the basketball court, Toronto Raptors power forward Precious Achiuwa is also pretty serious about mastering wine. He takes notes, keeps track of every wine he tastes, uses road games as opportunities to learn more about different wine regions, and pays close attention to which bottles pair best with different foods — which is what piqued his interest in wine in the first place.

Was there a single “aha” bottle of wine experience that got you interested? If not, what was it that piqued your interest?

There wasn’t a single bottle, but more learning the story behind wine and how it complements different dishes. When I look for new wines to try, I like to consider the story behind the wine, food pairings, and experiences.

As an NBA player, you travel a lot. Does that travel give you an opportunity to explore interesting wine regions and trends in different cities?

Yes, it does. When I travel to California and Oregon, I have easy access to wines in those regions. My favourite wine region I’ve visited so far has been Napa Valley, because it’s known for producing my favourite varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon. A region I’d like to explore more of is Sardinia in Italy, because it’s known for prestigious red wines.

Do you take notes and keep track of every wine you’ve ever tasted?

Yes, I do. I’m an investor in an app called InVintory and I keep track of wines. Cabernet Sauvignon has been my most-tried varietal.

What’s in your cellar? Are you collecting any really special bottles?

Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay and Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon are two of my favourite wines currently in my cellar, as I know they will age nicely. Other great wines in my cellar are the Stags’ Leap Cabernet Sauvignon and Mission Hill Oculus.

California Chardonnay is famous for a reason. What do you appreciate most about a classic expression such as the one from Beringer?

The 2021 Chardonnay is vibrant, luscious, and crisp, which makes it a classic example of Napa Valley Chardonnay. It offers mouth-watering flavours, like citrus, and is incredibly smooth.

What’s your favourite thing about an iconic Napa Valley Cab such as Stags’ Leap?

Stags’ Leap is known for producing high-quality wines — some of the best in the Napa Valley region. I find their 2019 Cab Sauv to be an easy go-to wine. It offers flavours of berry alongside floral and warm spice notes that make it a versatile wine that pairs well with many dishes, like steak.

A big part of the legacy at Mission Hill is Oculus. What is it that makes this wine so special?

Oculus is one of the best wines I’ve tried from the Okanagan Valley. Everything is meticulously hand-picked, sorted, and crafted to create a wine with balance and complexity. It’s a blend of Merlot, Cab Franc, and Cab Sauv. Each varietal pulls through unique flavours, with the Merlot providing hints of red and blue fruit, the Cab Franc enriching the flavour with herbaceous undertones, and the Cab Sauv supporting the length of the palate.

The post “What’s In Your Cellar?” With Precious Achiuwa appeared first on Sharp Magazine.

Speaking over the phone from Rome on a Sunday afternoon shooting break, the four-time Academy Award nominee sounds amiable and reflective, looking ahead to an impressive number of releases in the next year or so, including a brief role this summer in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, his fifth project with the director, as well as key parts in Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things and Robert Eggers’s Nosferatu up ahead.

Dafoe has taken on some of the most varied projects imaginable, from Oliver Stone’s Platoon (1986) and Abel Ferrara’s Pasolini (2014) to the Marvel box office behemoth Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) But for him, the range itself is not the point. “It’s not as a show of versatility,” he says, “so much as you want to learn something, you want to have an adventure, you want to go forward and do something different.”

Impossible to typecast despite having played a number of the sorts of roles that might have gotten stuck in both filmmakers’ and critics’ minds — including the bestial but vulnerable Max Schreck in Shadow of the Vampire (2000), the character actor as monster, and a decidedly fallible Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) — Dafoe attributes his malleability not to any concerted effort on his part to break the mould but to his instinct for choosing projects and characters that excite him. “I’m not a guy who wants to cart out the things that he knows,” he says. “I want on-the-job training.”

Over the course of a more than 40-year career that began in experimental theatre in New York, where he was a founding member of the Wooster Group, Dafoe has had plenty of training in different lines of work, from painting to filmmaking to counselling to armed robbery. He’s become cherished for his ability to maintain his iconicity while confidently slipping into the skin of virtually any kind of person, his unique physicality and striking screen presence always neatly folding into the task at hand.

Early in his career, though, some seemed eager to channel Dafoe’s idiosyncratic presence into volatile, sexually charged, dangerous characters — at a minimum, men you wouldn’t trust to watch your bag, if not outright villains. When we first see him in his debut screen appearance as a moody motorcycle hunk in Kathryn Bigelow and Monty Montgomery’s The Loveless (1982), for instance, the camera tilts up to take in his lithe body, intense grey eyes, and striking cheekbones. His leather-jacket adorned figure was the very picture of the motorcycle greaser bad boy, as he combed back his perfectly slicked hair as if he knew we’re looking at him. The camera loved his smouldering strangeness from the start.

Dafoe is reflective about whether his unique appearance was a help or a hindrance early on. “In the beginning,” he says, “I was much more fearful of typecasting, afraid of being limited in how you could be seen and what you could do.” As for his intimidating presence as sinewy, magnetic antagonists in early films such as Walter Hill’s Streets of Fire (1984) and William Friedkin’s To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), he insists that he hasn’t become any less physical over the years: “It’s just my nature, and also my background in the theatre, which is and was a very physical kind of theatre,” he laughs.

But he concedes it’s true that he had to fight against people holding his early roles against him. “When you start out,” he tells me, “if you aren’t conventionally handsome or attractive in a very recognizable way, the best roles are character roles. And the best character roles for a young man are usually villains. But after I’d done some films and I saw people seeing me a certain way, I was conscious that I didn’t want to lock that down as a stamp. I have no stake in being versatile. It’s just that personally, I don’t want to be called to do that thing that I do.”

His reputation for being unfailingly original has boosted the profile of any number of small independent films, several of which he’s carried to Oscar nominations. But Dafoe insists that he has always aspired to be an actor qua actor, who can move in and out of different roles, rather than a movie star, from whom audiences expect a certain kind of performance. “I admire movie stars in the respect that sometimes they find a persona and then they work in projects that support that persona,” he says, admitting that a star in the right project “can be a very beautiful thing to watch. But I’ve jumped around. I don’t cling to a certain way that I want to be.”

That bears out in the capaciousness and versatility of his screen work. For all his prowess as a villain, Dafoe is also one of the finest actors we have at portraying a kind of troubled decency. We see it not just in his performance as Scorsese’s Jesus, who dreams of deferring his call to die as the Messiah to live as a man, but also in his doomed Sergeant Elias in Platoon — a doting mother hen to his young infantrymen, teaching them which gear they need to carry to survive, and which they can discard to move lighter on their feet — as well as his basically kind but morally compromised drug dealer in Light Sleeper.

It’s especially pronounced in his Academy Award-nominated turn in The Florida Project (2017). Warm and gregarious — and like Dafoe, quick to laugh — his budget motel manager Bobby in Sean Baker’s film is not just an administrator and a handyman but an unofficial social worker for the precariously housed residents who come through his doors.

“I want to be that person sometimes,” he says of generous characters who make sacrifices for others. “It’s fun to play on evil impulses because you don’t do them in life. But when you think about the function of telling stories, it’s nice when you feel like you’re putting something positive forward that can inspire people to say, ‘I’ve got to be kinder.’ That sounds kind of Pollyanna, but in movies, the thing that gets me always is kindness.”

That doesn’t mean it isn’t pleasurable to play characters bending their morals to get their way. “Nobody’s just one thing,” he says. “We’re all a little bad, we’re all a little good, and the proportions vary in each person. It’s always fun to find the sweetness in a bad guy and find the darkness in a good guy. That almost goes without saying. But sometimes it’s a little hard to practice.”

Practice is important to Dafoe, for whom the basis of all acting is doing things rather than emoting: “It’s about listening, it’s about moving, it’s about rhythm, it’s about music.” That action starts with anchoring himself in the skin and bones of his characters. “It always starts with the physical and it ends with the physical,” he says of the appeal of wire-work and action-heavy projects like his role as Norman Osborn in the Spider-Man films. “When you’re physically engaged, there’s a greater chance of getting in the groove because if you get too much in your head, you start creating certain kinds of expectations and ironically, limitations. You can overthink things.”

Unsurprisingly for an actor who has given some of his best performances as tactile men who create (or steal) things with their hands — including his counterfeit money-maker and painter Eric Masters in Friedkin’s film or Vincent Van Gogh in Julian Schnabel’s At Eternity’s Gate (2018), for which he received his fourth Oscar nomination and his first as a leading man — Dafoe appreciates concreteness. He lights up when speaking of costumes and makeup as tools for getting out of one’s own head and into the character’s, calling them “triggers for pretend.” Gesturing to his dissipated appearance as the compulsively violent career criminal Bobby Peru in David Lynch’s Wild At Heart (1990), he credits the first time he popped the character’s dentures into his mouth for helping him find the character.

“When I put those rotten teeth in my mouth, I couldn’t close my mouth,” he says. “And if you keep your mouth open all the time, mouth-breathing, it gives you a feeling of sleaziness, a kind of lasciviousness. That was a huge key to the character.” Costumes and makeup choices like the bushy beard and pipe sported by his haggard lighthouse keeper Thomas in The Lighthouse (2019) or his red beanie and baby blue shorts as Klaus in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), he says, “make the world, and you get behind them. Sometimes they trigger something in your imagination or from your childhood. Rather than designing those things emotionally, you’re presented with something that just forces you to be a certain way.”

Where some actors revel in burrowing into the psychology and emotional depths of their characters before shooting, Dafoe speaks often of the pleasure of being forced into his characters’ behaviour by these concrete signifiers of who they are and what they do, which he attributes largely to the imagination and clarity of filmmakers who know what they want. In recent years, Dafoe has worked with a host of emerging auteurs like Eggers and Baker — both of whom he’s said he expressly pursued for projects — and stylists like Yorgos Lanthimos in the upcoming Poor Things, as well as a stable of regular collaborators such as Schnabel, Ferrara, Anderson, and Lars Von Trier.

“I feel like the best directors are the ones that make a world that is so complete,” he says of his penchant for alternating between new colleagues and old favourites, “that you enter it, and it becomes very clear what you need to do. And the pleasure is in doing it and seeing what happens and taking it to some place that you couldn’t imagine.” As frustrating as the business can be, he attests, working with directors with an intelligible vision is a joy, akin to becoming a soldier in their struggle. “The actual doing is such a pleasure and such a gift. It’s a good life.”

Life is best, though, when the roles require a lot of him. Dafoe appreciates small parts where he feels he might have something to contribute, or where it gets him in the door working with a director he admires, but they’re not what sustains him; they can’t compare, he says, to the expansiveness of roles that ask more from him. “You can more deeply pretend when you’ve got a more central role,” he says.

This position is borne out by the specificity and generosity with which, on the eve of his small role in Asteroid City, he remembers his time working on The Life Aquatic, his largest role for Anderson, which he describes as a more improvised working experience than his other collaborations with the famously aesthetically rigorous filmmaker.

“He had that same kind of meticulousness and control and clarity,” he says of their first time working together, “But as far as the actual dialogue and the character, he was a little looser. That was fun because there was room for me to fold into it. There would be a shot where he would say, ‘Willem, go in there.’ I wasn’t written in that scene, but he’d put me in, and then we’d create something. Life Aquatic is dear to me.”

Dafoe also cherishes his collaborations with Ferrara, whose emotionally unvarnished, nakedly autobiographical, devil-may-care approach looks diametrically opposed, at least from the outside to Anderson’s fastidiousness. Their work together has taken on a more personal, intimate tone starting with 2011’s 4:44 Last Day on Earth, a tender chamber piece about domesticity, love, and old habits at the end of the world. “I love that he’s a self-starter,” he says of Ferrara. “I love that he doesn’t wait. I love that he’s passionate. He lives through film. Something like Tommaso (2019) is a totally improvised movie, with maybe an exception of a couple of written scenes. And he just basically whispers into my ear what he sees, and then we try to do it.” A loyal soldier in Ferrara’s creative struggle, per his own war metaphor, Dafoe speaks of doing a kind of service to filmmakers like him, with whom he has a shorthand and a history. “There’s a bond there,” he says, “and when he needs me to do something, I’m happy to be there because I like being part of his story. I think that’s true for all directors that I’ve worked with more than once. I like being part of the texture of their work.”

For all his desire to move forward rather than fall back on old roles or old skill sets, Dafoe admits that leaving behind such memorable tours of duty and returning to the actorly equivalent of civilian life can be melancholy. “I just wrapped Nosferatu,” he tells me, “and I was reflecting on how no matter how many films that I’ve done, finishing one is always bittersweet because you’re like a man without a country. You’ve had a mission, you’ve had this collaboration that you’ve been invited into, and sometimes it’s in a very exotic place, or a place where you aren’t comfortable, and you’ve got to find a way to get comfortable. You get taken away from your life and you have this parallel life for a period of time, and you dedicate yourself to it and something happens. And then you finish your work and you’re like, wow, what was that?”

Yet he sounds awfully well-adjusted and good-tempered for a man with so many parallel lives — tickled by the possibility that he’ll get to live another life soon. “It’s a very strange feeling,” he says of the mournful period immediately after closing shop on a project he’s given his all on for weeks or months. “But after a while, you have it enough that you recognize that it’s not going to kill you.” Not a workaholic but an adventurer, Dafoe is always on the lookout for what’s next, driven by an internal voice that motivates him out of that initial bittersweet lull to think about the next chapter. “Relax for a little bit,” it tells him, “and then find another mission, find another family, find another collaboration, find another thing to make.”

Photography: Charlie Gray (LGA Management)

Styling: Jay Hines (The Only Agency)

Grooming: Brady Lea at Premier Hair & Make-up using Shakeup Cosmetics

Hair: Sam McKnight

Stylist Assistant: Marzia Cipolla

Photo Assistant: Samuele Donnini

Producer: Simona Silvano

Feature Photo Look: Prada

Shot on location at Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome.

The post Willem Dafoe Isn’t a Movie Star; He’s a Character Chameleon appeared first on Sharp Magazine.

So, we’re tiptoeing around the speed limit on undulating roads that — if you close your eyes — you’d swear were a rollercoaster. The six-speed manual gearbox is getting a good workout. Dirt and sand makes the tarmac slippery but we’re making fast progress because the new, second-generation M2 inspires the kind of confidence the old model never really could.

Driving The New 2023 BMW M2

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The twin-turbo straight-six, a BMW icon at this point, is pulled straight from the larger M3/M4 and pumps out 453 horsepower. However, it’s the 406 lb-ft of torque you feel most on these roads as the car explodes out of corners. It’s not EV-fast, but it’s fast enough, and much more engaging to drive than even BMW’s excellent, electric i4.

It’s a bittersweet feeling, however, knowing that this is the beginning of the end for the M2. The writing is on the wall; the future is electric. The all-new model arrives for 2023, and you can expect it’ll be with us for seven years or so. After that? We’d bet the third-gen M2 will be all-electric. The head of BMW’s M division wouldn’t give a definitive answer, but he did think this car represents the end of an era. (M division is already working on its first purpose-built EV.)

What Is The All-New 2023 BMW M2?

The 2023 BMW M2 is the last hurrah for gas-burning little coupes from BMW. Cars like this — the 2002, the M3, the Z3M — made the brand what is it today. This M2 is as pure a distillation of what drivers love about BMW as you’ll find.

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It’s a car not just for BMW’s biggest fans, but for fans of cars in general. Look at the spec sheet: rear-wheel drive, a six-speed manual gearbox as a no-cost option, a limited slip differential, and a straight-six motor with not even hybrid (let alone plug-in hybrid) system in sight.

The question is whether or not the 2023 BMW M2 is a fitting goodbye to 50 years of classic combustion-engine M cars. Is it worthy?

Make up your own mind about its looks, but we love it. The proportions are perfect. The overall design is restrained. In profile it’s reminiscent of the great M3s of early ‘00s. The kidney grille is (blessedly) small. The fender flares give the car a purposeful hunkered-down look, again, reminiscent of the earliest M3.

How’s The Cabin?

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Dropping down into the driver’s seat, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how spacious it feels. Look behind you and you’ll find a pair or usable rear seats. The next-gen widescreen infotainment screen running iDrive 8 should stay fresh with its over-the-air update capability.

It’s a rare treat to press a clutch pedal and slot the notchy six-speed shifter into first. Automatic rev-matching makes it easy to drive for stick-shift novices, but veterans will appreciate that the feature can be turned off.

Okay, But What’s It Like To Drive?

The engine noise is surprisingly tame for an M car. Perhaps that’s because the whole cabin is quieter and more insulated from the outside world than before. Despite the lack of decibels, there’s no arguing with the effectiveness of BMW’s latest straight-six. Even though the M2 now weighs a porky 1,725 kg, the motor propels the car with about as much gusto as any driver could legally hope to enjoy on the road. 

(If you’re worried about weight, BMW will sell you a $13,000 option package of carbon-fibre goodies to help shave off six kilos. You may be better off going to the gym, though.)

On Arizona’s twisty (and heavily policed) backroads, the M2 never really got to shine. We only scratched the surface of its talent. What is clear is that, where the old model always felt twitchy and tail-happy, the new model is just as agile but has loads more grip front and rear. It’s not as playful, at least on the road.

The newly standard adaptive dampers offer a slightly more forgiving ride. Even the trunk space is generous too for a car in this class. Compared to, say, a Porsche 718, the BMW is downright practical. This could certainly be a driver’s only car.

Overall, the new M2 is a more mature, more usable offering. In large part, that comes from the fact it is essentially an M4 that’s been shrunk in the wash. The littlest M car borrows the suspension, platform and engine from its bigger brother.

Whether you prefer the $76,500 BMW M2 or the $87,700 BMW M4 may simply come down to your personal taste.

We left Arizona and the 2023 BMW M2 wanting more. This car needs to be driven on a racetrack, far away from the Arizona Highway Patrol, to really see what it can do. We’ll reserve judgement until then. But, first impressions are promising, and let’s just appreciate the fact BMW is giving its fans what they want. Enjoy it while you can.

The post Driving The New (And Last?) 2023 BMW M2 appeared first on Sharp Magazine.

Longines, the Swiss watchmaking brand founded in 1832, has a rich aviation history. The brand has produced a large number of pilot’s watches and chronographs, on-board equipment, and other navigation instruments that were part of the development of civil and military aviation throughout the first half of the 20th century.

American aviator and U.S. Naval officer Richard Byrd is one of the many legendary pioneers who placed their faith in Longines, utilizing the brand’s instruments to become the first man to fly over the South Pole in 1929. The 1,290 km journey took almost 19 hours. Byrd undertook three more expeditions to Antarctica, including one in 1939, during which he wore a Longines 13ZN watch with flyback function, a complication intrinsically linked to the brand. Longines equipped its first models with a flyback function in 1925 and filed a patent which was registered on June 16, 1936, the first watch brand in the world to do so.

Today, Longines is breathing new life into this fascinating heritage with the Longines Spirit Flyback, a chronograph watch with a flyback function. The particular advantage of flyback is that it offers pilots a practical and fast way of successively timing different flight stages. A simple press of a pusher instantly resets the chronograph’s second hand, which then immediately restarts timing from zero. A single press enables three operations — stop, reset, and restart — in contrast to conventional chronographs, which require the stop and reset functions to be activated before restarting the timing function.

The Longines Spirit Flyback features cutting-edge technology, introducing a new exclusive Longines calibre that is resistant to magnetism and equipped with a silicon balance spring. Extremely precise, with a power reserve of 68 hours, the complete watch is certified as a chronometer by COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres). A transparent case back reveals all the details of the calibre, including a personalized weight engraved with the globe representing the Longines Spirit collection and the name Longines Flyback, a first for this emblematic line.

This new timepiece features a bi-directional bezel enhanced by a coloured ceramic insert with luminescent markers. The Longines Spirit Flyback is available in a black or blue sunray dial. Its bronze-shaded hands and numerals are coated with Super- LumiNova®, a pigment that after light exposure will glow in the dark to ensure optimal nighttime legibility. The 42 mm steel case has an interchangeable stainless-steel bracelet, a brown leather or blue fabric strap. The straps have a folding clasp fitted with a new micro-adjustment system for maximum comfort and a perfect fit. A beige NATO strap is also available.

Learn more.

The post Longines Spirit Flyback: An Aviation Pioneer appeared first on Sharp Magazine.

Also known by the artist handle GANGBOX, Garrison-Msingwana works across a variety of mediums — including painting, sculpture, and digital rendering — to conjure his own uniquely absurd vision of the world rooted in fashion, pop culture, and the supernatural. He has collaborated with clients including Loewe, Adidas, and Stüssy, and recently launched his first U.S. solo exhibition of paintings, “LAUNDRY 002 – A Thread is a Vein,” in New York and Los Angeles.

The collection of 12 paintings is a continuation of his remarkable LAUNDRY series, which is predicated upon the idea of piles of clothing possessing their own life and sentience. In Garrison-Msingwana’s “uncanny universe,” clothing is near biological. “Who knows what the internal structure of these piles actually looks like,” he explains, “beyond just the regular human form.”

The Book for Men caught up with Garrison-Msingwana to discuss his upcoming multimedia projects, how anime continues to inspire his work, and why he thinks AI could never truly replace artists.

You grew up watching and drawing Japanese anime, which often features characters with an almost supernatural stylishness. How important was fashion to you and your art from an early age?

I didn’t really associate the two for a long time, but I was really interested in character design. Especially in anime because they have these really bizarre characteristics — like Kenpachi, in Bleach, has bells at the tips of all the spikes on his hair. Things like that were just so beyond, bending physics and reality, and I always really admired that. Japanese storytelling, and honestly most cultures’ storytelling, stories from my dad’s culture — he’s Tanzanian from Dar es Salaam — are so reality-bending and folkloric and magical, and I realised that I could blend it all together easily in my work.

With “LAUNDRY 002” there’s a wonderful absurdity to how unwieldy the piles are. How inspired were you to create fashion that is similarly physics-bending?

That does totally tie in. I just don’t really worry about the rules. I think it’s important to keep that dreamlike nature to it; a kind of floatiness that can exist, or a rigidity with some of the clothes and the fabrics that would be so technically hard to achieve. I’d need a whole other career just to be able to make a lot of that stuff, or to even understand where to begin with real textiles and real fabric. So painting it just liberates me to experiment, and then maybe I can collaborate and leave the other areas of expertise of making it real to somebody else.

You recently exhibited this collection in L.A., and New York before that. What was it like going coast-to-coast with your work?

Spectacular. I’ve never felt more accomplished and proud. And so much of that is due to Hannah Traore, my gallerist, and her belief in me and support in getting people interested in what I’m doing. It’s really beautiful to encounter people that have their own completely different interpretations of my work. Honestly, that keeps me going in many ways. I have a lot of theories about what I’m doing, but mostly I’m just doing what comes natural to me.

What are some of the insights you gained?

Somebody brought up homelessness to me and how these figures reminded them of bag ladies, or bag men, who live with everything they have. And that makes me think even deeper about what aspects of yourself are intrinsically you. One of my good friends told me that he looked at the piles and felt a sadness. He thought that it looked like these piles were very burdened. Even though you can’t see any physical traits, I guess it was making him think about how heavy it would be to carry all those things, and how limiting it would be. Things like that can set me off in new directions and are beautiful ideas that wouldn’t necessarily have come from my own mind.

You’ve spoken before about wanting to do more multimedia and textile work. What are you working on now?

I can’t say too much right now, but essentially I’m working with a company who are providing materials for me to figure out how to design sculptures. They are essentially PILES, but for a brand. So they’re maybe not as chaotic as I would make ones for my own purposes, but it’s my first endeavour in trying to make them real using textiles. I’m profoundly excited about working with textiles in limited runs in a sustainable way.

I’m also moving to the UK at the end of the year because I want to work on a comic book full time, and I’ve decided that that’s the place that’s best to do that (laughs). I think I’m going to treat it like [Katsuhiro] Otomo, where I’ll probably put like 10 years into it because I’m going to be a bit of a psychotic perfectionist about it all.

The story is called Ghettomancer, but I’m just world-building right now, coming up with characters, their motivations, and overarching stories and themes that I can take from my real life and experiences and kind of codify them or stick them into this very supernatural world that I’m working on. The nerdy kid in me is like, ‘Wow, this is really happening, I’m going to be able to contribute to this world of incredible art that I’ve always admired.’ That kid is like my best friend.

As a working artist, how do you feel about the rise in AI-generated images? Does it inspire you to make your work more bespoke to human experience?

Definitely. The idea of AI having consciousness or trying to supplement humanity is what concerns me. I like technology, but when it comes to my work, I’m definitely an analog guy. The solitude and the simple act of exploring and using my hands and my mind to solve problems is my favourite part. And I love to leave evidence of humanity in everything I do. I leave the tape on my paper works, and you can see fingerprints and mistakes that I painted over. It doesn’t take away from the beauty, in fact I think it adds to it in many ways.

I don’t think that AI could ever get in the way of that, or compete with real artists, to be honest. And I feel like the people who want that out of art don’t appreciate artists and art very much. It’s probably mostly advertisers who don’t want to pay a model, and who would prefer to generate an image for five cents. I just don’t see the point of trying to fake that, or trying to force some evolution to that thing that is already so essential and beautiful about being human, you know?

Photography: Scott Pilgrim, shot on location at East Room.

The post Moya Garrison-Msingwana Sees Humanity as Art appeared first on Sharp Magazine.

With Mother’s Day in the rearview, it’s time to think about a gift for your old man. Served neat, on the rocks, or as part of a sour cocktail, premium whisky makes for a perennial pleaser. We’ve curated a list of six top-shelf spirits ahead of Father’s Day, with selections from Canada, Japan, and very obviously Scotland as well. Swirl your glass, slow down, and read on to find six whiskies worthy of a Father’s Day tasting.

AO Suntory World Whisky

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Suntory’s World Whisky Ao is a globe-trotting tour across the five major whisky regions; the blend combines Irish complexity, Scottish smoky depth, American vibrancy, Canadian gentleness, and Japanese refinement into a single sip. Even the bottle’s name is evidence of Suntory’s commitment to world-class whiskies — “Ao,” the Japanese word for blue, references the oceans that join together all five countries. The artful spirit features accents of vanilla, apple, and tropical fruits along with a lingering spice, resulting in a sweet-but-spicy World Whisky that’s golden, rich, and well-balanced. (ON: $105, price varies by province)

Bowmore 15-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

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Hints of tropical fruit dance with sherry influences in this 15-year-aged single malt whisky. First matured in bourbon barrels before spending its final three years in Oloroso casks, Bowmore’s scotch whisky has a robust finish to match its deep warm hue. Packaged in a smooth red-and-white box, Bowmore adds an air of elegance to Father’s Day festivities. (ON: $120, price varies by province)

Reifel Rye

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Crafted in honour of George H. Reifel, legendary distillery manager who laid the foundation of the iconic Alberta Distillers Limited (ADL) 76 years ago. Reifel Rye captures his rugged, adventurous spirit in its rustic glass bottle. This “high-rye”  whisky is aged in charred white oak and ex-bourbon barrels, adding an unexpected layer of depth. George H. Reifel was passionate about local ingredients and extraordinary flavour, and would be proud to see that his namesake rye whisky captures the complexity of Canadian prairie rye. Rounded notes of toffee, banana bread, and chocolate meet sweet accents of poached pear and crème brûlée, making this 84-proof “high-rye” whisky a must-try – this past January, it even won Best New Whisky of the Year at the Canadian Whisky Awards. (ON: $50, price varies by province)

Canadian Club 100% Rye

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Canadian Club’s 100% Rye Whisky balances its clean finish with the traditional spice of rye grain in a premium bottle that shines like antique gold. Toasted grains and hints of clove comprise the blend’s piquant part, while gentle, woodsy notes of caramel, oak, and sweet vanilla ground the drink with Canadian Club’s signature smoothness. (ON: $32, price varies by province)

Canadian Club Classic 12-Year-Aged Whisky

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Canadian Club makes a reappearance on our list with this award-winning blended spirit. The blend’s nuanced palette pairs subtle notes of creamy vanilla and butterscotch with a full-bodied barley profile. Seasoned, char-treated oak bourbon barrels age this whisky for 12 years before it hits the shelves, giving the spirit a taste to match its deep amber colour. (ON: $34, price varies by province)

Alberta Premium Whisky

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Alberta Premium captures the grit of the prairies with its top-notch whisky offering. The liquor’s explosive taste — born from Canadian rye grain and glacial, Rocky Mountain water — is a woodsy combination of earth and smoke. Lighter aromas like toffee and banana compliment the blend’s more mellow components of vanilla and spice. Proud to be made local, the brand sources their rich prairie grains from well-established farmers, making their premium whisky a community-conscious choice. (ON: $30, price varies by province)

The post Six Wonderful Whiskies to Win Father’s Day appeared first on Sharp Magazine.