< Previous Set Sail Our advice: take it easy on days when you’re not really feeling it. Throw on a floppy hat, big sunglasses and a laid-back polo for the kind of style you’d rock in your daydreams. Hat, $270, Jil Sander at Matches Fashion. Sunglasses, price on request, Alexander McQueen 1 John Legend by The Stone Roses. A seminal. 2 Justin Timberlake by Oasis. The debut album that chang. 3 JBalvin by Joy Division. A dark gothic statemendada sdt that. 4 James Blake by The Happy Mondays. A hedonisedonsdd Island Mood Bring the outside inside to brighten up the feel. A tropics-inspired bucket hat and a wavy pair of zebra-striped sunnies will help you set tone. Add a printed shirt – and a vibey Zoom background – and you’re basically on holiday. Hat, $430, sunglasses, $370, shirt, jacket, prices on request, Valentino Style ZOOM-READY 20 SUMMER 2020 @ G Q M I D D L E E A S T GQME_017_17_21_NOW_Service 5pp_11280286.indd 2030/04/2020 15:02:34FACE VA LUE 1 GET YOUR FIT RIGHT We’re presuming you know not to wear that tattered tee for a Zoom call, so let’s move past that. The key is to go for muted tones. Yes, we’re in a maximalist style moment right now, but tone down the pattern to look sharper on screen. 2 DON’T OVERLOOK YOUR HAIR There are lot of home haircuts at the moment and it’s vaguely terrifying. Our advice? If you can pull off a buzzcut then do it – zero maintenance style. If not, well that’s what the hats on these pages are for. Get something that fits your face shape and turn on video. 3 MOISTIURISE SMART, NOT HARD Pick the wrong face cream and you either risk looking shiny as heck or, worse, just a bit drab. Try a matte moisturiser to avoid shine, and if really concerned, something tinted to balance your complexion. 4 TRY THE TOM FORD METHOD It can’t hurt to follow Mr Ford’s rules for Zoom, right? Screen elevated to above head height, with good light on your preferred side. Place a lamp slightly above and be- hind the computer. The light will fall nicely at an angle on your face, and avoid glare if you’re wearing glasses. Finally, add a white table- cloth, or just white paper, for “a bit of fill and bounce.” 5 AND IF ALL ELSE FAILS? Just hit the beauty button (settings – video – touch up my appearance) and hope for the best. How to Zoom call like a boss PHO TOGRAPHER: NIQUIT A BENT O A T SUPERNO VA CREA TIVE MANA GEMENT MODEL : ADDIS MILLER JUNIOR PRODUCER: MALAIKA NAIK F A SHION ASSIS TANT : ELHAM SAFIEDDINE C A STING ASSIS TANT : ZEY AD ELKAD Y Brim It This is the perfect time to flex in the comfort of your own home. A wide-brimmed hat and statement sunglasses are all you need for playful addition to a toned-down look. Hat, $60, Calvin Klein at Namshi. Sunglasses, $390, Bottega Veneta. Shirt, jacket, prices on request, Fendi GQME_017_17_21_NOW_Service 5pp_11280286.indd 2130/04/2020 15:02:49Sunglasses, $385, Celine by Hedi Slimane. Bag, $6250, coat, $2500, shirt, $890, shorts, $2700, shoes, $1650, Bottega Veneta Time to take your big bag goals next level? Bottega Veneta's got you. Yes, size is not everything, but when you combine it with slouchy style, you have a hold-all essential Go Large PHO T OGRAPHY SIL VIA DEE S TYLING KEANOUSH ZARGHAM Style WANTED TALENT : MAS TER PEA CE A T IMG T ALENT S 22 SUMMER 2020 @ G Q M I D D L E E A S T GQME_017_22_NOW_Wanted_11282148.indd 2230/04/2020 15:04:28ILL US TRA TION: MICHAEL HOEWELER A t work, I spend an awful lot of time in front of hyper-modern, super- advanced, 4K cameras. Those capture about six times more than the VHS of the ’90s. I don’t wear a face full of makeup – despite working in the entertainment industry, where most men and women do. It feels like a mask, I hate it. But, you know, with those gigantic screens we have in our homes come more pixels – and more detail captured, pore- by-pore, in every frame. It’s enough to make you think twice about your grooming. And hey, maybe you have experienced a simi- lar thing when a friend with a brand new smartphone rocks up, insisting on taking a zillion photos of you on its one billion megapixel sensor. Regardless of the fact that I can’t stand makeup, I still have to play the game, and be camera-ready just about every second of the day, from the moment I leave the Th e La z y (and H andsom e) M an ’s Skin R ou tin e makeup – then do the work! The work doesn’t need to be exhaus- tive, just smart. There are things you can do to take care of your skin, and they don’t need to be clinical and complex. Every day, I wash my face, put on serum and moisturiser. Once a week I make my patented face mask (I’ve shared the recipe and GQ will divulge it pretty soon, but without spoiling it, one conversation 15 years ago changed my grooming routine, forever). And that’s about it. I don’t have wrinkles. I stay out of the sun. I drink a lot of water – that’s the main thing that’s going to clear your skin. Hunt around and experiment with a few brands, until you find the sweet spot for your complexion. I’ve settled into a fabulous routine with Tata Harper, and couldn’t be happier. Don’t get me wrong – every now and then I do get a blemish. I will cover that one spot with concealer. Everyone should have a stick in their toiletry bag. Even the top supermodels of the world are going to get blemishes. Just use a tiny bit of concealer. Nobody will ever know. Really, skincare is self-care. It’s how to look fresh. It’s how to look healthy. It’s how to avoid those wrinkles. And yes, yes! We embrace age. I know we’re lucky to have aged. But it doesn’t mean you can’t look your very best. When it comes to self-care, I’m actually rather lazy. People assume that, with what I do for work, I must spend lots of time taking care of myself. I don’t. Lazy people, we are revolutionary. We will find a way to make sure we can continue to be as lazy as we are. Those simple steps above are my way of hacking looking great. And considering I’m 36 years old with blessedly few wrinkles, something is working. I spend a lot of time on the pages of this magazine, on television, on Instagram, on YouTube – on any platform that I can find – talking about the power of a fantastic outfit. That power is real: they can express who we are, they can elevate how we feel, they can transform how we are perceived by the world around us. But none of that counts if we don’t take care of our grooming. A crisp blazer can’t distract from lifeless skin. A statement sneaker might be the second thing people see after our tired eyes, or overgrown hair. Grooming is the glue that holds our looks together. If you want only a single takeaway, make it this: your skin is one of the biggest style upgrades you can make. Don’t neglect it. ■ Style columnist T an F rance dishes out his skincar e wisdom “Really, skincare is self- care. It’s how to look fresh and avoid those wrinkles.” house. So you’d better believe I’ve got that routine on lockdown. While on camera, rather than burying my face under a mountain of product, I focus on my areas of concern, and then leave everything else alone. For me – and many men – the issue is under my eyes, slightly towards the nose. I put the slightest patch of concealer, just in the crook of my eye, and blend it in with my finger or brush. Literally, that’s it. Some- times, I will use a dry wand or comb to brush my eyebrows up. Yes, I do like to brag that I am the cheapest talent on any set I am on: I don’t do makeup, and I always, always, always do my own hair. And you’d better believe that’s a point of pride. Whether or not you’re on camera regularly, there’s no reason to fret about your skin if you’ve done the work to prepare your face beforehand. If you don’t want to worry – and don’t want to wear COLUMNIST Style @GQMIDDLEEA S T SUMMER 2020 23 GQME_017_23_NOW_Tan France_11228888.indd 2330/04/2020 15:05:13Red Alert Fresh tech to ride, drive, and rock out with The Guitar Hero A league apart from your typical loop pedal, the new RC-10R allows real-time creativity and sequencing thanks to two unique song sections, intros/endings and rhythm fills, so you can link between verses and bridges seamlessly. There’s also a huge built-in 280-rhythm style library, onboard storage for 99 phrase memories and 50 user rhythms. RC-10R, $340, Boss GQME_017_24_25_NOW_TECH_Gear_WIRED SYNDICATION_11230224.indd 2430/04/2020 15:06:202The Rare Patek This classic 40mm steel Aquanaut is elevated by a vivid red rubber strap and minute track – the hue is a nod to the signature colour of Singapore, the city in which this watch debuted – and it’s limited to 500 examples. If you can’t snag this highly sought- after piece, unlimited editions in white gold with blue and green dials are roaming the wild. Aquanaut 5167A, price on request, Patek Philippe 3The Dune King Segway’s fierce-looking hybrid ATV delivers up to 181bhp and a hulking 259Nm of torque channelled through the rear wheels. Dual A-arm suspension in the front and a multi-link trailing arm in the rear, plus three cooling systems and both a downhill braking system and four- wheel hydraulic brakes, make for an impressive off-road offering. Villain 1000SH, price on request, Segway EDIT OR: JEREMY WHITE PHO TOGRAPHY : SUN LEE SEEING RED Gear 3 1 2 1The Wave Catcher A blessing for all the hatchback-owning electric surfboard obsessives, Lampuga has engineered an inflatable, fully functional ride that can go anywhere your car can. We’re talking a 14hp, 50kph, double-layer PVC hull jetboard that folds down, thanks to the detachable 3.7kWh Li-ion battery. With the body fully inflated, the battery slots seamlessly in the centre. Air Inflatable Jetboard, price on request, Lampuga 3 @GQMIDDLEEA S T SUMMER 2020 25 GQME_017_24_25_NOW_TECH_Gear_WIRED SYNDICATION_11230224.indd 2530/04/2020 15:06:32GQ Goes DIY During self-isolation, many of us will find ourselves mourning over how we cannot dress up, cannot socialise and – in GQ’s case – can’t produce traditional shoots. I was panicking about getting this suit shot in time for print deadline. Then, it became clear: lean-into the limitations. So, I decided to flat lay the suit on my bed and pair it with an obnoxious selfie of myself on an iPad. It’s true: creativity can flourish, even under a lockdown. – KZ GQME_017_26_27_NOW_3D Suits_11277879.indd 2630/04/2020 15:07:45The Future Will Be Customised Every client that commissions a suit from Chambaud (as GQ did) first enters a 3D body scanner which Atelier NA says takes over 200 measurements in less than a second. (Kind of beats fiddling around with a measuring tape, right?) But the human touch isn’t removed al- together – a style advisor will still inter- pret the measurements, and ensure your suit is ultimately cut to the pre- cise fit and drape that you crave most. “Through technology, you can really make a revolution in the industry by creating prod- ucts for peo- ple, rather than over-producing collections,” says Chambaud, who is imminently expanding his services to a store in Dubai. The Frenchman had previous- ly worked in the military, looking at new technologies. The spark for the atelier came after his military proposal for installing body scanners globally was turned down. And we’re all the more stylish for it. Of course, none of this would be much good if the suiting wasn’t as luxurious as the tech was high. Atelier NA has a snappy selection of fabrications to select from, including those from Italian masters Loro Piana, and Holland & Sherry of Britain. Chambaud says that he is embarking on a mission to educate his potential customer base. “We want to give people a deeper insight of what the difference between ready-to-wear and the bespoke world is – and the difference of one fabric to another.” When it comes to the king of all suit- ing qualities, fit, Chambaud emphasises that where the machine ends, the human touch begins. “10 suits from your wardrobe might have 10 different measurements: one suit more fitted, another more loose. The tailoring experience is not only about the measurements of the body, but the personal consultation,” he says. “It’s im- portant to understand is that a made-to- measure product is not specifically made to measure – it’s made to your wish.” ■ BESPOKE SUITS Style Sartorialism meets tech? That’s the mood from Atelier NA founder Francois Chambaud, the Frenchman quietly revolutionising tailoring, thanks to a futurist twist R eal talk: affordable, luxurious, off-the-rack suits from the likes of Suitsupply, J. Crew and their kin have gotten so good that we had temporary sarto- rial amnesia. We forgot the power of custom. But now a new charge, led by Francois Chambaud, is here to remind everyone that nothing makes you feel richer, swaggier or more confident than a hand-finished, totally customised, made-to-measure masterpiece. But don’t mistake Chambaud – and his brand, Atelier NA – as traditional for traditional’s sake. They’ve taken a century’s-old process and added a hit of tech into the sartorial equation. “We want to give a deeper insight into the differences between ready-to-wear and bespoke.” Francois Chambaud W ORDS AD AM B AID A WI TOP OF P A GE : BLAZER, PRICE ON RE QUES T, ATELIER NA . SUNGLASSES ,$ 590, GUCCI . BA G, $2 095, BO TTE GA VENET A . TUR TLENE CK , STYLIS T ’S OWN PHO TOGRAPHY : KEANOUSH ZARGHAM, EFRAIM EVIDOR ADDITIONAL PHO TOGRAPHY : SUPPLIED @GQMIDDLEEA S T SUMMER 2020 27 GQME_017_26_27_NOW_3D Suits_11277879.indd 2730/04/2020 15:07:57Left-to-right: belt, $285, Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. Belt, $445, Celine by Hedi Slimane. Belt, $345, Gucci. Belt, $450, Michael Kors. Belt, $460, dunhill M ak e lik e ro ck er th is se as on by fin is hi ng yo ur lo ok w ith a sk in ny , bo uj ee , ut te rl y It’ s Al l Ab ou t a Bo uj ee Be lt Style ACCESSORIES PHO TOGRAPHY : MA TTHEW BEEDLE br ill ia nt be lt in a ca sh ed -u p ex ot ic sk in or S ev en tie s- in sp ir ed ea rt h- to ne hu e 28 SUMMER 2020 @ G Q M I D D L E E A S T GQME_017_28_NOW_STYLE_Belts_11282149.indd 2830/04/2020 15:08:52ILL US TRA TION: MICHAEL HOEWELER U nder the normal run of things, the idea of attempting a half marathon with just under four weeks’ training time would be considered unusual. Fair enough, I suppose, 21.1km is really far. Build up slowly, people tell you. Per- haps start 15 weeks ahead of race time and gradually increase your pace, stamina and mental toughness. That’s how it’s done. So I should really have said no, but then I can sometimes have a problem with that. I’m not sure where I get it from, but I have a ridiculous competitive streak. I keep it fairly well hidden in broad daylight, but even the merest glimpse of a contest is enough to prick the hairs on the back of my neck. It doesn’t have to be a sporting endeavour, either. Chess, baking, decorat- ing, mowing the lawn, cooking a roast… tell me you’re doing it and I will wonder if I could do it better. I won’t say that, of course. I’m aware of how much of a jerk it makes me sound, but I think it. If I’m not the best – which is often – then I will sit and stare, sulking like a professional footballer whose four-year- old daughter has just beaten them at ping- pong. So, yeah, I would do a woefully un- derprepared half marathon in RAK, and (internal monologue) I might even win it. The way I looked at it was this: I’m no runner, but I’ve always had a reasonable level of fitness. My five kilometre time will fluctuate by six or seven minutes, depend- ing on what I’m doing – or more likely not doing – but it’ll never go beyond half an hour. I wasn’t expecting miracles, but felt that a sub-two hour run was a possibility. I should explain the lack of training was part of a request to try Nike’s new injury prevention shoe, and I could certainly excel there. “Give him a fraction of the time,” they probably said, as word of my wooden knee reached Nike HQ in Port- land. “Make him run three times a week for a month. If he’s still standing for a half marathon at the end of it all then this thing probably works!” Sportingly, they gave me a chance. I would have a trainer and pace man to get me up to speed. Here are three things I learned from training for a half marathon: One: The conventional wisdom of building up to just shy of race distance with lots of long runs might well be flawed. Train- er Karl offered a mix of speed and distance, usually just five and seven kilometre runs, with a long one thrown in each week. Two: Your limbs will take some very serious damage. Counter the impact with foam rolling, Pilates and knee strengthening exercises. Three: There will be a lot of mid-run high-fives. Deal with it. I won’t bore you with the details when it comes to the race, but the salient points are these: At 5km I felt great. At 10km like- wise. At about 12km my brain started to rattle inside my skull – nobody tells you about the brain rattling. At 15km I was slowing down (a lot), but still just about on course for a sub-two hour time. At 17km things blew up. When the wall came, it wasn’t really what I was expecting. I was tired, but not dead on my feet. The battle was internal. I began to canvass my own opinion. Why does anybody need to run this far anyway? I stopped and walked. I started again. I stopped. This went on for about 2km, at which point my hoped-for time was dead and buried. Once over the line, the reaction wasn’t relief, but disappointment. When it came to the crunch, I had been tested and found wanting. Not physically, but mentally. Here’s something they don’t tell you about messing up your race time: the sympathetic, “Ah, well, it was your first go and you still managed to finish” reaction. Even though it’s true, and it really was a big achievement, it felt like the only thing missing was a pat on the head. I smiled and said thanks as my blood quietly boiled. So I resolved to continue running, fuelled mainly by annoyance and anger, which I took as a good sign. Hey, I wasn’t at home brooding – I was pushing for improvement, but none of it made me feel any better. Not really. In the end, it was Andy Puddicombe that helped most; the velvety tones of the former Tibetan monk and co-founder of wellness company Headspace, via the Nike Running app, offering a different perspec- tive. Running can be a great release – you run, you think, and when you’re done you feel better. But it can also be an increased pressure, too. If progress stalls it’s often just another reason to beat yourself up. In reality, you need to let it go. For those with a competitive streak that can be easier said than done, but just as you need mental strength to succeed, sometimes you need it to move on, too. Even if you’re running slowly, it’s the best you can do in that moment. And that’s all it is: a moment in time. Acknowledge it then let it go – just like you would a good run. Other than that, keep working, keep trying, and hope that tomorrow will be better. So, weeks after the race, on a cool pre-pandemic Dubai evening, that’s what I did. I let it go, and it helped. I felt calmer, energised, and fairly content. At least for a few kilometres. Then I was angry again. Hey, nobody said this was going to be easy. Now, who’s up for an arm wrestle? ■ COLUMNIST Fitness The mental strength required to succeed is what we also need to let things go when we don’t. Easier said than done, says GQ Content Director, Andrew Nagy Going the Distance At about 12km my brain started to rattle inside my skull – nobody tells you about the brain rattling. @GQMIDDLEEA S T SUMMER 2020 29 GQME_017_29_NOW_Heath Column_11237625.indd 2903/05/2020 13:03:25Next >