HOW TO

STYLE
AUSTRALIA
YOUR
WAY
THROUGH
WINTER
SHARPER.
SMARTER. WE GO
BETTER. ON A
CRUISE
(SO YOU
DON'T
HAVE TO)

"Malcolm
and I
respect
each
other, but
we're not
close."
DEPUTY PM
BARNABY JOYCE
PAGE 48

MODERN ICONS
STARRING GAME OF THRONES’ KIT HARINGTON
DAVID BECKHAM•CHRIS HEMSWORTH
DONALD GLOVER•HARRY STYLES
TOM HARDY•NICK CAVE
N E W YO R K SYDNEY MELBOURNE BRISBANE TO K YO R A L P H L AU R EN .CO M @ PO LO R A LPH L AU REN
CONTENTS
AU G U ST

1 0 2 COVER STORY
Our definitive list of
today’s most iconic
men – and what you
can learn from them.

1 1 4 WELL SUITED
American supermodel
Garrett Neff helps us
elevate the classic
office staple.

1 24 THE
ACCIDENTAL
GETAWAY DRIVER
How an unsuspecting
cabbie found himself at
the centre of a daring,
dangerous crime.

1 3 0 WE’RE ON
A BOAT
Five days of fun, food
and more food aboard
one of the largest
cruise ships on earth.

1 3 6 TO WALK
AGAIN

We explore the
scientific breakthroughs
giving new hope to
those with spinal
cord injuries.

1 4 2 NEW BASICS

Brit model Kit Butler

shows us how to wear
this season’s hottest
denim looks.

1 5 2 WINTER BLUES
We hit the beach
with a trio of models
to showcase the
new Hermès AW17
collection.
 TOO

LOUD
BMW
THE BMW M2 COUPÉ.
 P61

CONTENTS
CONTE
C NTS
AU G U ST
P94

P152

P62

3 1 THE BRIEF
Heiress Paris Jackson;
Jerry Seinfeld does
stand up Down Under;
the best and worst
on-screen reboots;
and much more.

4 6 THE COLUMNIST

P97 Dan Rookwood on

the joys of running.

5 9 TASTE & TRAVEL

The best of San Fran;
Neil Perry’s latest
eatery; grenache is
having a moment.

6 6 A NIGHT AT...
Brown’s, London –
P88 a Churchill-approved
British institution.

6 9 GQ STYLE
Winter jackets; the best
briefcases; we sit down
with Tommy Hilfiger.

8 8 GQ WATCH
Black is the new black,
thanks to these new
P161
monochrome pieces.

9 1 GQ INC
The story behind

“I LEARNT THE
Ermenegildo Zegna’s
success; why it’s time
to give yourself a mid-

HARD WAY THAT IF

year career review.
9 7 CARS

YOU WANT TO FIGHT

We put the new Merc
through its paces in
snowy New Zealand;

EVERYONE IN THE PUB,

the latest from BMW.

1 6 1 GQ FIT

YOU’LL SOON LOSE.”

Hollywood star Jason
Mamoa gets fit in the
outdoors; we try our
hand at Ninja Warrior.
G Q & A : B A R N A BY J OYC E PA G E 4 8
176 THE LAST WORD
P130 Mick Fanning on fears,
friends and karaoke.
 EDITOR’S
LETTER
T H E

A
few weeks ago, It’s something we hope to convey
a couple of friends with our list of modern icons (p102).
invited me to a Rather than focus on the usual
dance party. Now, suspects – and don’t worry, Ryan
let me be clear: I am Gosling and Becks are still in there
not the dance party – we wanted to show the many
type. They knew this. But they were different ways there are to be a man
convinced I needed to expand my in 2017, and what we can all learn
musical horizons. For some reason, from them. It could be the dedication
having the one and only Mr John of cover star Kit Harington, or the
Farnham on high rotation no longer self-expression of Jared Leto; the
cuts it in the hot new Aussie music independence of visionaries such
stakes. But as much as I love as filmmaker David Lynch, or the
Whispering Jack, I could see where reinvention of a newly solo Harry
they were coming from, so I agreed Styles. The point is, there’s no single
to head along. route towards being your best self.
Almost as soon as I stepped foot In fact, it’s what our magazine
inside the party, it was clear I was out is all about. Our tagline, ‘Sharper.
of my element. Besides the fact it Smarter. Better’, goes beyond
looked as though most of the crowd fashion – it’s about expanding your
was barely out of high school, the mind, learning new things, new
music was not exactly my thing. There was no Farnsy, skills, a new appreciation for everything life has to offer. And, yes,

PHOTOGRAPHY: TIM ASHTON.

for starters. But rather than recoil in horror, I was knowing your way around a good suit and a nice pair of brogues, too.
actually impressed. Once my eyes adjusted to the strobe In addition to our modern icons, we also sit down with deputy
lights, it was obvious just what a stylish bunch of young prime minister Barnaby Joyce for a candid discussion of Australian
women and particularly men this country has produced. politics (p48); we explore the latest medical solutions offering hope
Sure, there was a bit of a uniform of skinny jeans, high-top for those with debilitating spinal injuries (p136); and we hit the high
sneakers and denim shirts, but for the most part, what struck seas on the largest cruise ship ever to visit Australian waters (p130).
me was the sheer sense of individuality in the crowd. When There’s a lot to get through. “We have the chance,” a great man
it came to fashion, everyone had their own point of view. once sang, “to turn the pages over.” Best get started, then.
You see, when I first started at GQ a bit more than a decade Enjoy the issue.
ago (hence the Farnsy), it was difficult to get Aussie guys to care
about fashion. Convincing them to invest in anything beyond
a graphic T-shirt and jeans was a struggle. Even explaining the
benefits of a quality tailor was a losing game.
How things have changed. While we would like to think we’ve
played no small part in our country’s great style evolution, it’s clear
that these days, men are drawing their fashion cues from practically
everywhere. From social media to music and movie stars – there’s
such a diverse range of people and places from which we can all NICK SMITH FOLLOW NICK
find inspiration. And that’s a very good thing. EDITOR IN CHIEF @NICK_SMITHGQ

18 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
 AUSTRALIA

EDITOR IN CHIEF NICK SMITH

DEPUTY EDITOR RICHARD CLUNE MANAGING EDITOR MIKE CHRISTENSEN CREATIVE DIRECTOR JOSH BEGGS

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Bonnie Vaughan, Caity Weaver, Will Storr.

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AUSTRALIA magazine is published by NewsLifeMedia (ACN 088 923 906), Level 1, 2 Holt Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010. NewsLifeMedia is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Limited (ACN 007 871 178). Copyright 2015 by NewsLifeMedia.
All rights reserved. Address: 2 Holt Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010. Tel: (02) 9288 3000. Email: editorial@gq.com.au Advertising tel: (02) 9353 6666, fax: (02) 9353 6600. Creative Services fax: (02) 9353 6611. Melbourne Office: HWT Tower, Level 5,
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VA E THAN Vogue, Vanity Fair, Glamour, Brides, PUBLISHED UNDER JOINT VENTURE:

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PAGE 48
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 CONTRIBUTORS
AU G U ST

Is there a stand-out and Bruce Weber, signing as

ANGUS
interview from your the face of Calvin Klein Man,
years in this game?   Jeans and Underwear – but

FONTAINE
I interviewed Roger those moments all seem to
Rogerson a few times. have led to this chapter.
I NTE RVI EW E D Brilliant cop. Terrible What sparked the jump from
villain. Boisterous model to designer?
TH E DE PUT Y PM,
company. Yin and yang I’ve always been interested
BAR NABY JOYC E; with a badge. in the visual storytelling of
P4 8 And you once hosted fashion. I’ve been fortunate
global Discovery to have the ultimate fashion
Barnaby loves his Channel series Five education, working with
Akubra – ever worn Star Insider – greatest some of the best creative and
one yourself? career lark to date?  business minds. But as time
Often, but never I could tell you it was goes on, though I love telling
around my son’s pet investigative reporting the stories of other brands,
rabbits. I’m more of an where I kicked in doors I wanted to tell one of my own.
urban dandy – short to find out how the American style v Australian
brim, five-gallon limit. high and mighty get style - which do you prefer?
What most surprised off. But I’d be lying. Ha, I’ll be diplomatic here –
you about him? I travelled the world, my preference lies wherever
His rage – at injustice, spun an endless thread the weather is nicest.
at charlatans, at lazy of twaddle, ate $80 What’s the best advice
glad-handers. And burgers and crapped you’ve ever received?
his music taste – rainbows for a year.  Showing appreciation for
I hadn’t picked him
those around you is the most
as a Radiohead fan.
important thing. I’ve missed
GARRETT NEFF
Is he somewhat
moments to stop, relax and
eccentric – or
thank those around me so
does he mug for MO DE LLE D TH E L ATEST I make a concerted effort
the cameras? 
SU ITI N G TR E N DS; P 11 4 to tell my family, friends
Barnaby’s a bushie
and team how much they
– hot under the
The greatest moment mean to me.
collar, dry as a
of your career so far? Tips for anyone thinking
dead dingo’s, you
Launching [swimwear label] about starting a label?
know…  But he still
KATAMA has been my most Don’t overspend. Trust your
knows how to jangle
challenging and rewarding instincts and only employ
his spurs for media.
experience. Of course, there the necessary people, as
He’s claimed his
have been important steps there are so many decisions
superpower is “rum
along the way – getting you make early on that will
and coke” – yours?
discovered in an airport, set the precedent for your
Coopers ‘n’ caffeine.
shooting with Karl Lagerfeld eventual co-workers.
You started out as a
newspaper copy kid
at 15. What lessons
stick with you from
that time?
I learnt the who/what/
where/why/when
CRAIG JAMIESON
DROVE M E RC E DES AMGS
Your best car-related story?
It was stupid, and long enough ago,
that I was able to watch a Sony Discman
principles just by I N TH E SN OW FOR US; P97 hover weightlessly next to my head as
watching and listening. we soared through the air. Turns out
It was three years until Your two favourite cars in movies? elevated railway tracks are ideal ramps. 
I wrote a story. I still Mad Max 2’s 1973 Ford Falcon XB Why should everyone be able to drive
approach journalism GT351 Coupé. Or, to put it more a manual?
as bricklaying with succinctly, ‘Mad’ Max Rockatansky’s For the joy of an intimate connection
words – content, preferred choice of wheels. Thanks to with the car… Nah, even if you don’t
shape, strength, its apocalypse-spec body mods, this care about driving, it’s a skill you never
energy, sweat. was actually the first time I’d seen a regret learning. One day, there’ll be an
And you’re now a book car that I couldn’t immediately name. opportunity, or an obligation, to use How many cars have you written off?
publisher by day – Yeah, I was that kid. And the 1987 Aston one. Being capable and unflappable I’ve never had a proper, airbags-out crash.
three titles every man Martin V8 Vantage from The Living in those situations is an impressive, And, tempting fate, it’s a more than half
should read by 30?  Daylights still sends a twinge through and attractive, quality.  a decade since I’ve even scuffed a rim. 
Gallipoli by Les my delicates when I think about it. It’s What does your wife think about you The funniest description of a car junkie?
Carlyon; Post Office Britain’s muscle car, a 12-gauge shotgun driving at dangerous speeds ‘for work’? It has to be ‘hoon’ – because you know it’s
by Charles Bukowski; with a marquetry stock. Oh, and this is She sometimes asks if the cars need been written by someone in the depths of
The Last Quarter by as underrated a Bond film as Timothy to be so thoroughly tested, especially moral outrage, apoplectic that people are
Martin Flanagan.  Dalton is as Bond.  when she’s in the passenger seat. still willing and able to enjoy cars.

24 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
 ONLINE
G Q . C O M . AU

Our ever-expanding
bible of the best places
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 THE AGENDA BY WILL STORR

T
he technologists of atomised worldview. It was codified by
Silicon Valley never Greek philosophers such as Aristotle,
stop pitching. Countless a believer in the perfectibility of the
thousands of apps, individual through learning and practice.
websites and devices are This idea is with us today more than
launched every year, the ever. After suffering a slight retreat in
great majority of which are destined only the middle decades of the last century,
to be a sad minus entry, coloured red, on individualism surged again under the
some venture capitalist’s spreadsheet. neoliberal policies of Ronald Reagan and
When, in 2010, Apple announced the Margaret Thatcher. They determined to
new feature of its latest iPhone model rescue their nations from the economic
would be a front-facing camera, it chaos of the ’70s by turning as much of
seemed a  marginal development whose human life as possible into a competition
chance of survival would be down to its of individual versus individual. They
purported usefulness for video chats on began by stripping back protections for
Skype or FaceTime. But that’s not what workers, in the form of welfare, unions
happened. Instead, an entire generation M I L L E N N I A L S CA N ’ T H E L P and business regulations. The job-for-
of teens and twentysomethings began BUT TURN THEIR PHONES ON life era of ‘corporation man’ came to an
using it to snap close-ups of their own T H E M S E LV E S . H E R E , G Q end. In order to survive the wild seas of
faces and slapping them online for C O N T R I B U TO R A N D B R I T I S H AU T H O R , neoliberalism, you had to be ruthless,
likes and comments. Rechristened the S TO R R , E X P LO R E S T H E P R E S S U R E S ambitious and self-assured. You had to
‘selfie camera’, it meant everything we TO B E N A R C I S S I S T I C, A N D W H Y believe in yourself.
thought we knew about the narcissistic A N C I E N T G R E E C E I S TO B L A M E . It was into this surging sea of Me that
millennials was spectacularly confirmed. the self-esteem craze arrived. It had its
Seven years later, the dark ramifications of the meeting of social own roots in the Human Potential psychology movement that emerged
media and the selfie camera are beginning to emerge. Frontline in 1960s America and which proposed humans were inherently good
medical professionals talk of an era of “unprecedented social pressures” and bursting with unused potential (the nonsense idea we only use 10 per
where young people feel model-grade bodies and faces are a minimum cent of our brains comes from them). In order to unlock this potential,
requirement for peer acceptance. Anxiety is on the rise, as are rates of we just had to embrace our own authentic inner wonderfulness. By the
eating disorders, self-harm and, in men, the use of anabolic steroids to ’90s, teachers and parents all over the West were raising children to
boost muscle mass. And the pressure isn’t only that we look the same, believe they were amazing and unique. These were the children who
we have to think the same as well. Political views are aggressively policed grew up to be the selfie-snapping millennials.
online. Whether you’re a student or a CEO, if you even question the To blame millennials for their own narcissism is unfair. Every new
dominant narratives, you risk the mob turning on you and all the generation is the product of the last and they’re the latest iteration of
horrible real-life upshots that can lead to. All of this creates a social the individualist model of self that’s been evolving since Aristotle’s day.
environment in which the pressure to be perfect often feels immense. Individualism, in itself, is no bad thing; it’s the foundation of Western
Contrary to popular opinion, however, all of this didn’t start with progress. But today’s version, warped and accelerated by neoliberalism
Instagram and the selfie camera. In fact, you can trace our journey to and Human Potential/self-esteem theory, can be harmful. We’re led
this age of perfectionism back 2500 years, to Ancient Greece. Modern to believe we can be whoever we want to be and that we only need to
psychologists have looked at the creation of individualism, which is dream big and “go for it”. These can be inspiring messages, but what do
a particular way of looking at the world that sees reality as being made they mean when we fail? The inescapable logic is that it’s our fault, that
up of individual pieces and parts. The concept has never left us and is we just didn’t give it our all. Our culture tells us we’re failures.
different in profound ways to that of other cultures, such as that of East And it’s wrong. We’re still utterly beguiled by Human Potential ideas
Asia, which tends to see reality as a field of connected forces. that say humans are like gods and have the power to become whatever we
To explain how this happened, scholars point to the fact that Ancient like. But how can we be whoever we want to be, when who we are as an
Greece was composed of about 1000 individual city states, many adult is mostly defined by genes and childhood experiences over which
situated on rocky coasts or small islands. This landscape, while being we had no control? In order to break free of the punishing messages
terrible for team-intensive projects such as farming, encouraged small of culture’s perfectionism, we must temper ambitions and embrace the
industries and trading. Foreign traders brought in new ideas. Debate truth of what the human biological organism really is. We’re not gods,
was encouraged. Individuals were celebrated for their achievements we’re hubristic and often deluded animals. We’re imperfect, all of us.
and became famous. In this way, an atomised environment became an Selfie by Will Storr ($32.99); macmillan.com.au

28 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
 FEEDBACK
AU G U ST

DATA

I
’ll be honest, it had
been a while since
THE SURVEY
I last picked up your Tell us what you really think. Each issue, we’re
magazine – and, wow, asking readers to share their thoughts and
this time, it’s all about icons – those types who
am glad I did. I guess stand out on a number of levels or for a variety
it was that haunting of reasons. Here are the results.
Brad Pitt cover that drew me
W H O’S T H E G R E AT EST
in, and it was an interview OLD-SCHOOL STYLE ICON?
I couldn’t put down – to
see a man open up about STEVE McQUEEN 42%
emotion and the pain he’s PAUL NEWMAN 11%
gone through, and to come
out the other side, it was E LV I S P R E S LE Y 10%

fascinating and really JOH N F KE N N E DY 16%

commendable. As men, we
JAMES DEAN 21%
often avoid really opening up
– even to those closest to us.
After reading that, I feel
better about some of the WHO
trivialities of my life and am WAS THE
concentrating on making MOST
ICONIC
sure I talk about things more. BOND?
Elsewhere, I really enjoyed Sean Connery Roger Moore Timothy Dalton
90% 5% 5%
the ‘What If’ story, I learnt
a lot from it, and the piece
on Spider-Man was funny
and has me actually thinking
about going to see it. As for George Lazenby Pierce Brosnan Daniel Craig

Elon Musk – if he’s scared of 0% 0% 0%

AI, then I definitely am too!
Thanks, GQ, I’ll be back
STA R from now on. WHICH OF THESE IS THE
LETTER MOST ICONIC TV SHOW?
STE PH E N, VIA E MAI L
THE SOPRANOS 21%

SEINFELD 37%

GAME OF THRONES 11%

MAD MEN 0%

I’ve always been a fan of  BREAKING BAD 5%

@gqaustralia but I must
say, this month’s issue is THE SIMPSONS 26%
a real stand-out.
C H R I S FEATH E R,
VIA I N STAG R AM
Write to win
PHOTOGRAPHY: RYAN MCGINLEY; TIM ASHTON.

W H AT’S
Great to have you in the For the chance to win a set of two Bruzzoni
THE
mag, Chris. And know electric toothbrushes worth more than
$500, tell us what you think of this issue by BEST
we are still recovering Being from Perth, I was appalled emailing editorial@gq.com.au. With a speed MOVIE
from the workout you to see Alan Joyce assaulted of 8000rpm and a running time of 40 OF THE Get Out Logan Alien: Covenant
put us through! by someone opposed to his minutes, Bruzzoni Electric Toothbrushes YEAR, 16% 53% 16%
open, corporate support of gay will make you proud of your bathroom SO FAR?
Great issue this month marriage. I really enjoyed this electronics.  designstuff.com.au
– loved all the articles interview – to read what he had
on innovation! I had no to say on this issue and also
idea that Amazon was to understand all he’s achieved
on its way over here, and with Qantas as an openly
T2 Trainspotting Guardians of the Wonder Woman
as for my fitness, I think “gay Irishman”. Well done, Galaxy Vol 2
5% 25% 5%
I’ll wait and see what Alan, Australian business
happens next with VR, but needs more of your kind,
thanks for the heads up! and well done, GQ.
DOM, VIA E MAI L WADE, VIA E MAI L

AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 29
Hugh Jackman and
the new TimeWalker
Chronograph
The new TimeWalker Chronograph is inspired
by performance and the spirit of racing.
montblanc.com/timewalker
Crafted for New Heights.

Sydney · Melbourne · Brisbane · Perth

1300 36 4810
 W H AT ’ S T R E N D I N G I N P O P C U LT U R E R I G H T N O W

T H E

BRIEF
BRI
PARIS
JACKSON HOW THE HEIRESS TO THE KING

F
OF POP’S THRONE IS USING
HER PROFILE FOR GOOD.
orget Bella, Kendall and
Gigi – they’re old news.
Paris Jackson is where
things are at, and while
you might think your
social media feed doesn’t
need any more privileged rich kids
fuelled by little more than attention
and trust funds, you’re wrong.
Michael’s daughter is different.
She might have north of 1.6 million
Instagram followers, but rather
than shilling herbal tea or waist
trainers (whatever they are), the
19-year-old is using her platform
as a force for good. She’s big
on environmental causes and
animal welfare, and has been
outspoken on everything from
the controversial Dakota Access
Pipeline to the recent civil unrest
in Venezuela.
“I used to have no motivation
whatsoever to be in the public
eye. I’ve seen what it can do to
people,” she said recently. “ But
I was born with a platform and I didn’t
want to waste it. I think right now
social media is a good place to start,
to create a movement,” she added.
“It’s my only purpose on this Earth.”
Hence her recent entrance into
It-girldom. And while you might have
PHOTOGRAPHY: JEAN-BAPTISTE MONDINO.

spotted her at the Met Gala, in various

front rows or on IMG Models’ talent
list (she was signed in March), she
also happens to be a huge music fan.
Among her 50-plus tattoos are
tributes to Prince, Bowie, Lennon
and her late father.
Jackson is also set to hit the big
screen soon. She’s starring alongside
former GQ Australia cover star Joel
Edgerton in her first feature film,
Grigio, directed by Joel’s brother,
Nash, and featuring Charlize Theron
and Amanda Seyfried. It’s due for
release next March – until then,
catch her @ ParisJackson.

E D I T E D BY JAKE M I LL AR
T H E BRIEF H O K U S A I I S A N E X H I B I T I O N O F T H E R E N O W N E D J A P A N E S E A R T I S T, F A M O U S F O R H I S I C O N I C P R I N T
T H E G R E AT W AV E . I T R U N S F R O M J U LY 2 1 – O C T O B E R 1 5 AT T H E N G V, M E L B O U R N E ; N G V. V I C . G O V. A U

F I V E T H I N G S
TO  TA K E
YO U R M I N D 

The
OFF WINTER.

hit
list
st THE SHOW
The latest journey into the
Marvel Cinematic Universe,
The Defenders is the fifth
instalment in the Netflix-
Marvel partnership. It
follows the four superheroes

THE
the streaming service has

THE FILM
introduced in the past few
years – Daredevil, Jessica

CHAIR
IRR
Jones, Iron Fist and Luke
After eating their way through northern England (The Cage – who team up to save
Trip, 2010) and Tuscany (The Trip to Italy, 2014), Steve New York from an order of
Luxury furniture
ture retailer Coogan and Rob Brydon head to Spain. It’s much the mystical ninjas called The
Dedon has arrived
iv
ved Down same deal as the previous films – they play themselves, Hand. Charlie Cox and
Under with a new Sydney duelling with celebrity impressions over fancy food – but Krysten Ritter take the lead
showroom. For 25 years, hilarious enough that we’ll happily take a third serving. roles, alongside Aussies Eka
the company has built its THE TRIP TO SPAIN IS IN CINEMAS AUGUST 3 Darville and Rachael Taylor.
reputation on stocking some ALL EIGHT EPISODES OF THE
of the world’s best-loved DEFENDERS AIR ON NETFLIX
contemporary designs, ON AUGUST 18
including pieces by Philippe
Starck and this ‘Nestrest’
lounger by Daniel Pouzet and

THE MEMOIR
Fred Frety. It’s the best way
to feel like you’re in a villa in
Bali without leaving home.
‘NESTREST’ LOUNGER,
Actor, writer, singer, style icon – Tim Rogers is a lot of things
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to a lot of people. But most of all, he’s a storyteller. In his
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new memoir, the You Am I frontman recounts the many
facets that define the 47-year-old: women, footy, drinking
and fatherhood, plus that musical legacy he’s created.
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THE GEAR
Sony’s new beast of a
camera is the powerful ‘A9’,
which delivers ridiculously
sharp 24.2MP images, even
in low light. But where it
really flexes its muscle is
with action shooting, firing
20 frames per second using
some 693 autofocus points.
The electronic viewfinder
also has a fast refresh rate,
so there’s no momentary
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‘A9’ CAMERA, $6999,
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T H E BRIEF
The new
Skarsgård
T H E L AT E S T I N A LO N G L I N E O F S W E D I S H AC T I N G
I
R OYA LT Y, B I L L S K A R S G Å R D I S A B O U T TO H I T T H E
S C R E E N I N H I S B I G G E S T R O L E TO DAT E .
magine a cooler, grungier
Jason Bourne. One who
balances an ability to kick
serious arse with a taste
for vodka on the rocks.
And who’s also a woman.
Who happens to be bisexual.
The result might be Lorraine
Broughton, lead character in
upcoming spy thriller Atomic
Blonde. Produced by Charlize
Theron, it’s based on 2012
graphic novel The Coldest City,
and sees Theron star as
Broughton, a fearless MI6 agent
sent to investigate a murder in
Cold War-era Berlin.
Joining Theron is an
impressive cast that includes
34 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
C H R I S T O P H E R N O L A N ’ S W A R E P I C , D U N K I R K , I S I N C I N E M A S O N J U LY 2 0 . I T S TA R S T O M H A R D Y
A N D H A R RY ST Y L E S , W H O ’ S P L A N N I N G A S O L O TO U R O F AU ST R A L I A I N A P R I L N E X T Y E A R .
James McAvoy, John Goodman,
Sofia Boutella and emerging
talent Bill Skarsgård – brother
of Alex, son of Stellan – who
plays undercover agent, Merkel.
Atomic Blonde was filmed in
Germany, the UK and Hungary
– a place of significance for
Skarsgård. “I was actually
conceived in Budapest in ’89,”
he reveals. “And my middle
name is Istvan, which is unusual
pretty much anywhere you go,
except for Hungary.”
Right now, though, the
26-year-old is in his sometimes-
home of Stockholm. We catch
up with him on a balmy
midsummer’s day to talk family,
FILM
Know
Your
Skarsgårds
STE LL AN
SK ARSGÅR D
Father to eight
Skarsgård
siblings, not only
did he manage to
produce four
successful actors, but
his other children include Eija
fancy parties, avoiding social (a model) and Sam (a doctor).
media, and why the movie His cinematic output is just as
industry needs more female impressive, with a wide range
of film and TV credits to his
action heroes. name, spanning some 50 years.
GQ: Are you based in BEST KNOWN FOR The Avengers,
Thor, Good Will Hunting
Stockholm now?
Bill Skarsgård: I’m currently
pretty much baseless. Stockholm
ALEX AN DE R
is where I grew up, so in that SK ARSGÅR D
sense it will always be home, but The eldest and
for the past couple of years I’ve most famous of
been all over the place. But I’m the Skarsgård
clan, Alex has
looking to buy something achieved the most
in Stockholm because I guess mainstream success,
that’s what people do. thanks to an early appearance in
Zoolander and a whole host of
GQ: Time to settle down?
successful TV and film roles
BS: It’s more about having since. For what it’s worth, he’s
also apparently dating fashion
a place to put all my stuff. It-girl Alexa Chung.
I’m staying at my girlfriend’s BEST KNOWN FOR True Blood, Big
apartment with two suitcases Little Lies, The Legend of Tarzan
that aren’t completely unpacked
– and that’s been my life for the
past six years. I’m really looking G USTAF
SK ARSGÅR D
forward to having somewhere
Recognisable
to store my underwear. as Floki from
GQ: That’s important. Was TV series Vikings,
it nice to work on a film that Gustaf has been a
successful actor in
doesn’t fit the stereotype of Sweden for the best part
what an action hero looks like? of two decades. He also appeared
in 2010 war epic The Way Back,
BS: Yeah. That’s one of directed by Aussie Peter Weir.
the biggest strengths of the BEST KNOWN FOR Vikings,
film. Charlize can really fill The Way Back
those shoes and she’s really
kicking arse throughout
the whole film. It’s a good VALTE R
thing and I think we should SK ARSGÅR D
see more of it. At 21, he’s the
GQ: You get quite a lot of youngest of those
who act in the clan
screen time with Theron. and has mostly
What’s she like? been in local Swedish
BS: She’s super cool. She’s such productions. Given the
success of his fellow, ridiculously
a veteran, but like most big- talented siblings, it’s probably
name actors, they’re just there best to keep an eye on him.
BEST KNOWN FOR Swedish TV
to do a job – once they’re on series Black Lake
set, they’re regular people.
Continued on p168
F L I G H T O F T H E C O N C H O R D S S TA R R H Y S D A R B Y R E T U R N S T O A U S T R A L I A F O R S H O W S I N S Y D N E Y,
A U G 1 8 ; B R I S B A N E , A U G 2 0 ; M E L B O U R N E , A U G 2 1 A N D P E R T H , A U G 2 5 ; R H Y S D A R B Y. C O M T H E BRIEF
Fuller House, Absolutely
2016- Fabulous:
Bob Saget must have The Movie, 2016 Planet of the
been short of The producers were so
Apes, 2001
parking money when busy bribing Kate Moss
Not only did Tim
he signed on for this. with booze and
MacGyver, cigarettes to appear in
Burton sap all the
2016- Even the Olsen twins fun out of this, but
didn’t want to touch it, they forgot to write
Lucas Till delivers his one of its stars
it with a barge pole. any discernable plot.
lines with all the even admitted the
panache of a hostage ending didn’t
video, with dialogue make any sense.
that’s cheesier than
dinnertime at Matt Twin Peaks, 2017
Preston’s house. Love it or hate it, but
there’s no denying Dallas, 2012-14
David Lynch has Starring several of
dialled the weird up the original players,
to 11, more than a this revival limped
quarter of a century through three
after the original seasons of poor
Fargo, 2014- ratings before
The Magnificent Televising the series hit screens.
being put out of its
Seven, 2016 acclaimed 1996 Coen misery in 2014.
Melrose Place, What it lacked in brothers’ film may
2009-10 originality, it made up have seemed like
Reviews were for in firepower – and a suicide mission, but Hawaii Five-O,
politely “mixed” proved Chris Pratt’s this brilliant series is 2010-
though the fact this movie-star chops, some of the best, With Aussie Alex
dismal remake was even when sharing the smartest TV around. O’Loughlin as the
axed after one screen with Denzel lead, this remake of
season says Washington. the long-running
everything you crime drama is now
need to know. in its eighth season.
Fair play.

Get Smart,
2008 True Grit, 2010 The Odd Couple,
Starring Steve Critically and 2015-
Carell and Anne commercially Rise of the Planet A relentlessly
Hathaway, it lacked acclaimed, this of the Apes, 2011 unfunny remake of
any of the charm of proved the Coen Not to be confused the ’70s sitcom, the
the original series brothers can do no with the Tim Burton jokes are more tired
and, worse, was wrong. Well, as long stinker from 2001, than star Matthew
aggressively as you don’t include Casino Royale, this is the first film in Perry looks these
unfunny. Batman Begins, the pair’s 2004 film 2006 the recent revival days. Which is
2005 The Ladykillers. Not only was it better
that continues with saying something.
The first in the than the original Bond
War for the Planet
brilliant Dark spoof, it was the movie The Mummy,
of the Apes, in
Knight trilogy, this that gave the world 2017
cinemas July 27.
film introduced the Daniel Craig. And for Gone is Brendan
The Pink Panther, world to Christian that, we should all Fraser – from this
2006 Bale’s trademark be very thankful. and every single
Critics panned it and gravel-voiced other film – but the
the film landed two Batman. Wonder Woman, Westworld, 2016- Tom Cruise reboot
Razzie nominations 2017 Based on the 1973 is the ultimate
– a reception the After many a bad sci-fi film, the series ’90s throwback.
stars enjoyed so DC Comics release, packed heavy hitters And it works.
much, they returned Gal Gadot stars in her Anthony Hopkins, Footloose, 2011
breakout role as our Evan Rachel Wood, We used to think the
for a sequel three Total Recall,
lady of the bulletproof but was good rather Star Trek, 2009 sorrowful look in
years later. 2012
bracelets. than great. Chris “the Miles Teller’s eyes
Colin Farrell
other-other Chris” was an attempt to
sparring with
Pine stars as Captain imitate Ryan Gosling.
Bryan Cranston
Kirk in a smart, In fact, that pained
was described as
spectacular remake expression is the
“watching a dude
of the original series knowledge he
beat up his dad”.
that even Trekkies Charlie and appeared in this
Cranston’s agent
actually liked. the Chocolate abomination.
is the one who
deserved the Factory, 2005
arse-kicking. One day, Tim Burton

Reboot
walked into his
therapist’s office to
describe a weird
dream he’d just had
about Johnny
Power Rangers, Psycho, 1998 Depp. And then he

Wars
2017 With Anne Heche in decided to turn it
What it lacked in the lead and Gus Van into a movie.
action (or acting), Sant behind the lens,
it made up for in what could possibly
excessive Krispy go wrong?
Kreme product Everything.
placement. It’s Everything went
a wonder the stars wrong.
P O W E R R A N G E R S , T W I N P E A KS , T H E could fit into their
UPCOMING PLANET OF THE APES SEQUEL suits at all. Ben-Hur, 2016
– T H E O N LY T H I N G H O L LY W O O D LOV E S M O R E Presumably Morgan
Freeman lost a bet
THAN A NEW IDEA IS AN OLD ONE. WE CHART and somehow found
S O M E R E C E N T F I L M A N D T V R E B O OT S, F R O M himself walking on
to the set of this
T H E H I T S TO T H O S E T H AT M I S S E D T H E M A R K . piping-hot mess.
Yikes.

AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 3 5
T H E BRIEF T V S E R I E S O Z A R K S TA R S J A S O N B AT E M A N A S A F I N A N C I A L P L A N N E R W H O R E L O C AT E S H I S F A M I LY T O
M I S S O U R I ’ S O Z A R K S R E G I O N T O E VA D E A M E X I C A N D R U G C A R T E L . S T R E A M S O N N E T F L I X J U LY 2 1 .

THE
P L AY L I S T
Grizzly Bear
PA I N T E D R U I N S
After five years between albums,
Brooklyn melodic rockers Grizzly
Bear return. Painted Ruins is
sonically adventurous, delicately
textured and ripe with the DNA
that made this band one of
the key late-’00s sounds .
O U T AU G U ST 1 8;
G R I Z Z LY- B E A R . N E T

The Murlocs
OLD LOCOMOTIVE
Produced by Stu Mackenzie of
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard,

Access
this album has vintage grooves.
From August 4–27, they play in
Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold

all areas
Coast, Melbourne, Geelong,

I
Ballarat, Bunbury, Perth and
Fremantle. O UT J U LY 2 8;
F LI G HTLE SS R ECO R DS .CO M

t’s half a century since Pink Floyd released

their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of
Dawn. In that time, the band’s members
have split, gone solo, reunited, split again,
sold some 250 million albums – and built
a reputation as one of the greatest and
most influential acts of all time. And rightly so. Meg Mac
LOW BLOWS
To coincide with a major exhibition of the same With neo-gospel garnishes and
name, Britain’s V&A is publishing a new book, bare-bone arrangements, this
Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains. Authorised debut album showcases why
Melbourne artist Meg Mac was
by the band, it features 320 pages of previously once invited to support king of
unseen images, archive material, essays, sketches, RnB-cool, D’Angelo, and why you
handwritten lyrics, posters and more. It also should catch her in Melbourne
on September 9. O U T N OW;
includes contributions from experts, such as M EG M AC .CO M . AU
biographer Mark Blake and producer Joe Boyd,
on the band’s impact – not just in music, but
album design and the wider visual arts.
P I N K F LOYD : TH E I R M O R TAL R E M AI N S, $74 . 9 9;
V&A PU B LI S H I N G

Laucan
FRAMESPERSECOND
While there are bigger releases
WORDS: NOELLE FAULKNER.

this month, there are also some

golden finds worth their weight
in shiver-inducing falsettos.
This debut album from British
singer-songwriter Laucan is
cinematic and crystalline.
O U T J U LY 21; FAC E B OO K .CO M/
L AU CA N M U S I C

36 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
 TEX IS A NEW MEMOIR FROM AUSTRALIAN SINGER-SONGWRITER TEX PERKINS, WHO HAS FRONTED BANDS
I N C L U D I N G T H E C R U E L S E A , B E A S T S O F B O U R B O N A N D D A R K H O R S E S . I T ’ S R E L E A S E D O N J U LY 2 5 . T H E BRIEF
MUSIC

The
difficult
second
album
WITH A BRILLIANT
DEBUT UNDER
T H E I R B E LT A N D
A FO L LO W- U P
O N T H E WAY,
G A N G O F YO U T H S
TELL US HOW
T H E Y FAC E D —
AND CONQUERED
– O N E O F M U S I C’S
G R E AT E S T
CLICHÉS.

C
hronicling love, marriage, divorce, heartbreak
and religion, Gang of Youths’ debut was full
of personal demons and livewire emotion. The
critically acclaimed 2015 release The Positions
was also a highly commercial album of rock’n’roll
swag and passion-filled arrangements that were
best enjoyed through stadium-sized sound systems.
It covered 25-year-old frontman David Le’aupepe’s marriage
to a young woman diagnosed with stage-four cancer, his support
for her and the subsequent breakdown of their relationship when
“everything simply turned to shit” – for reasons more than a down-
the-line cancer diagnosis. Visceral single ‘Magnolia’ also detailed
the singer’s personal struggles in raw, unvarnished detail, retelling
a suicide attempt the 6ft 2 baritone made at his lowest point.
Despite the pain laid bare in his first effort, Le’aupepe has
discovered the second-album struggle is real.
“I didn’t know what to say after the cancer album,” admits
Le’aupepe. “I was 23 years old and [the album] had been what I had
hoped – rapturously received by critics, it touched a lot of people;
that’s all I gave a fuck about. I didn’t want to say anything else.
“I also thought I was a bit of a one-trick-pony,” he adds. “After
WORDS: NOELLE FAULKNER.
along the Brooklyn Bridge and I had this Proustian moment – gazing
at the stars and being all tragic and self-indulgent. All that bullshit,”
he says, laughing. “I was considering quitting but I wrote all these
songs and realised my fixation had to change from being insular.
I didn’t need all these horrifying, life-altering tragedies in order
to create. I realised that maybe I am enough.”
So began the shape of Go Farther in Lightness, a “healing record”
that’s partly dedicated to those finding their place in the world. It’s
a sincere culmination of empathy and outward-looking teachings from
friends, knee-jerk decisions and the heroes dominating the singer’s
baggage allowance, such as the psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan and
philosophers Georg Hegel, Jean-Paul Sartre and Jacques Derrida;
with an aesthetic that feels like a confident application for the arena
band throne – soaring string arrangements and interludes, melodic yet
elegant rock guitars, crisp rhythms and Le’auepepe’s presence as the
love child of Michael Hutchence, Bono and Mark Lanegan. He also
credits late Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell – who Le’aupepe
supported during his Australian tour in late 2015 – with inspiring him
to keep going when he doubted his future in music.
“I wanted to demonstrate and share all these lessons I’ve learnt,
the brief moments of humanity around me,” says Le’auepepe. “As

‘Magnolia’, I didn’t write a song for a full fucking year. It was
debilitating. I was recovering from a divorce and trying to
reconfigure who I wanted to be.”
Le’auepepe went to New York to seek solitude and start writing.
Then, to add to the hardships, he lost all the songs he’d penned in
a freak tech-wipe.
“That destroyed me, so I got drunk one night and I was walking
males, we’re expected to exist in a vacuum without emotion, without
feeling and I fucking unequivocally refuse that shit… So, I guess
this is a manifold approach to making music – to offer melodies
and music for surface level enjoyment, but also substance for those
who want to seek and draw it out.”
G O FARTH E R I N LI G HTN E SS I S O U T AU G U ST 1 8; G A N G O F YO U TH S AR E TO U R I N G
AU G U ST 3 1 - S E P TE M B E R 1 6, PL AYI N G B R I S BAN E , M E LB O U R N E , SYD N E Y, H O BAR T,
A D E L A I D E A N D PE R TH; G A N G O F YO U TH S .CO M

AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 37
T H E BRIEF I N J A N U A R Y T H I S Y E A R , N E T F L I X R E P O R T E D LY P A I D J E R R Y S E I N F E L D $ 1 3 3 M F O R T W O S TA N D - U P
SPECIALS AND RIGHTS TO HIS WEB SERIES, COMEDIANS IN CARS GETTING COFFEE.

GQ: So if you’re walking

down the street, out in the
wild, you don’t mind people
approaching you?
JS: Not at all, not at all. In fact,
since I stopped taking pictures
I’ve been enjoying it a lot. I talk
with people and learn a little bit
about them, and I don’t just
stand there with a fake smile
and watch them struggle to get
the camera function to work.
I don’t like that. And the pictures
don’t really mean anything
anyway. But talking to someone
and having that real interaction
can be nice. You can actually get
something out of that.
GQ: What is your worst quality
that also happens to be the
most entertaining?
JS: Crankiness. Irritability.
As long as you can make it
COMEDY funny, that’s my favourite
quality. I love people who are

Jerry Seinfeld
AS T H E C O M E DY L E G E N D H E A D S TO AU S T R A L I A FO R
H I S F I R S T S TA N D - U P DAT E S I N 2 0 Y E A R S, W E AS K E D
B U R N I N G Q U E S T I O N S O N A L L M AT T E R S S E I N F E LD - I A N .
GQ: Do you ever regret calling
the show Seinfeld?
Jerry Seinfeld: No. We couldn’t
think of another title, and we
figured that’s what people are
gonna call it anyway. The show
is always the name of the guy –
it’s not The Tonight Show, it’s
Fallon. You know; ‘I did a Conan’
or, ‘I did a Fallon’.
GQ: Did you ever consider not
naming the lead character
after yourself?
JS: No. I thought that would
be fun for me and fun for the
audience – and I thought the
show might only last a couple of
episodes, so it might help me sell
some tickets at the comedy clubs
I was working at.
GQ: If someone were only going
favourite. Larry David and
I loved writing Newman more
than any of the other guest stars.
GQ: Is there a comedian you
want to get on Comedians in
Cars Getting Coffee who you
haven’t been able to yet?
was great.’ ‘I thought it was JS: There’s nobody I really...
mediocre.’ ‘I thought it was too want. But having Jerry Lewis on
salty.’ And it’s the same thing the show was an unbelievable
with comedy. So you can’t thrill for me. We went out in Las
recommend comedy in the way Vegas, and Jerry always… when
you can’t recommend food. he has breakfast, orders 24 pieces
GQ: Which are the episodes you of bacon. And he eats them all.
would re-watch? GQ: Say we’re buying a car,
JS: ‘The Pothole’ [right, top], what colour should we get?
because Newman bursts JS: Black.
into flames at the end Black says,
and screams, ‘Oh, the ‘I think this
humanity!’ I also love car is so
‘The Marine Biologist’ perfect that
[centre] and ‘The Yada I don’t even
Yada’ [bottom]. want to add
GQ: Who was your colour to it.’
funniest guest star? GQ: What is
JS: Of course Bryan your ideal fan
Cranston as the interaction?
lascivious dentist. Larry JS: Anything
annoyed by everything.
GQ: Do you write every day?
JS: Oh yeah. I love to do it. It’s
a relaxing experience for me to
just sit and think about what’s
funny about [the world] that we
live in. Like, people say, ‘I live in
the city,’ but they say, ‘I live on
Long Island.’ And they get on
a train but not in a train. But
you get in a cab. I’m doing
a whole thing about getting out
of a cab and all these different
prepositions that we use for
transportation. You get on the
plane, you take an Uber...
GQ: On average, how much
time elapses from the seed of
an idea to a final joke?
JS: Could be 10 seconds or seven
years. Somewhere in between.
GQ: Is there a joke you’ve been
working on for years that you
haven’t got to work yet?
JS: Yeah, I have this bit about
how the tuxedo is the sleaziest
outfit a man could wear, and it
took me seven years to make it
work. It’s not even that good,
WORDS: CAITY WEAVER.

to watch one episode, which Thomas as the Soup that doesn’t but I did finally get it to work.
one should it be? Nazi. We had the best involve a cell- I love wasting my time.
JS: The thing that is most guest stars. Newman phone photo, Jerry Seinfeld performs Perth, Aug
similar to comedy is food, in that was recurring, and to and where I 4; Adelaide, Aug 5; Melbourne,
everybody’s taste is personal. You have him on the don’t hear the Aug 6–8; Brisbane, Aug 9; Sydney,
go to any restaurant: ‘I think it show was always our word ‘selfie’. Aug 10–11; jerryseinfeld.com

38 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
D I R E C T E D B Y L U C B E S S O N , VA L E R I A N A N D T H E C I T Y O F A T H O U S A N D P L A N E T S S TA R S
DA N E   D E H A A N , E L I Z A B E T H D E B I C K I A N D CA R A D E L E V I N G N E – A N D I S I N C I N E M AS AU G U ST 1 0 . T H E BRIEF
FASHION NEWS

Stockholm
Syndrome
S
ince launching in 1996,
Swedish house ACNE
Studios has quickly
become one of the
world’s coolest and most
successful fashion labels,
with flagship stores in Paris, London,
New York, LA, Tokyo and Milan. Now,
it’s adding Sydney to that list. Though
the brand already has a Paddington
boutique, its new King Street location
in the CBD spans 320m2 and will stock
the current AW17 men’s and women’s
ready-to-wear collections, as well as
accessories, shoes and a separate denim line,
Blå Konst. With Melbourne boutiques in Armadale
and Little Bourke Street (pictured), it will bring
the number of Australian stores to four, when it
opens in late July. acnestudios.com

New Specs
In case you’re worried there aren’t enough eyewear
brands on the market, we’re pleased to say you can
rest easy. Australian label Dot Dot (stylised as ‘• •’) has
just launched a new range of high-end sunglasses,
handcrafted in the Japanese city of Sabae.
Why Sabae? And what’s with the name? Well, Sabae
happens to supply 95 per cent of Japan’s eyewear
market, and after a global search that involved trips
to Greece and Italy, it’s the place that founder, Michael
Koutroulis, finally chose for production of his brand.
As for the name, each of the contemporary styles is
named after and inspired by a particular constellation
– and the sun is represented by a dot in astronomy.
Makes sense to us. From $280; dotdoteyewear.com

HAUTE
PURSUIT
Front row invite got lost in the mail again
this season? We feel you. But turns out
you don’t need to be Rihanna to get a
high-fashion fix. Melbourne’s NGV is
hosting a seriously impressive exhibition
of French fashion maison Dior – spanning
70 years and more than 140 haute couture
garments. Yes, it’s womenswear, but
in case you haven’t heard, gender is so
2016. Instead, the sheer craftsmanship
of creations by Dior designers Yves Saint
Laurent, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano,
Raf Simons and Mr Dior himself is a sight
to behold – no matter who you are. And
with the pieces on show for more than two
months, there’s plenty of time to live out
your inner Zoolander fantasies.
The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute
Couture runs from August 27-November 7;
ngv.vic.gov.au

AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 39
T H E BRIEF D AV I D H A S S E L H O F F, G E R M A N C H A N C E L L O R A N G E L A M E R K E L A N D M I N I S T E R O F F O R E I G N A F F A I R S
J U L I E B I S H O P W E R E A L L B O R N O N J U LY 1 7, T H E D AY T H I S I S S U E W E N T O N S A L E .

OFFICE SPACE

Fashion
house
SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST
ICONIC LABELS ARE TURNING
TO  I N T E R I O R D E S I G N . A N D
T H AT’ S A G O O D T H I N G B E CAU S E
YO U R H O M E S H O U L D B E AS
W E L L D R E S S E D AS YO U.

L
ast year, Bottega Veneta unveiled
its latest Home Collection at the
prestigious design fair, Salone del
Mobile. And it’s just what you’d
expect from the Italian fashion
label, with the range featuring the
brand’s signature minimalist colour palette and
trademark intrecciato weave pattern. It includes
everything from plates, desk accessories and
lamps, through to chairs, sofas and tables.
But in fact, Bottega Veneta is just one in
a long line of fashion houses that have turned Furniture and
décor is priced
their design hand to interiors – Ralph Lauren, from $4800-
Missoni, Versace and Louis Vuitton are other $53,450; the
labels with long-standing home collections. homewares
range from
Elsewhere, Calvin Klein creative director $100-$35,810.
Raf Simons has partnered with Danish company
Kvadrat for a capsule collection of fabrics, and
both Armani and Bulgari have created entire
hotels. Interiors are big business.
Bottega Veneta has steadily built a reputation
for creating more than just wearable fashion.
Creative director Tomas Maier started the anything flashy or of-the-moment,” says
brand’s home line with a single bench in 2006, Maier. “Some of these new pieces are more
and has since expanded to a fully fledged rustic, others more refined, but each one is
made-to-order collection. versatile, functional and beautifully created
“The evolution of our Home Collection to last a lifetime.”
has been purposefully gradual and deliberate, The collection is available now.
as we have never been interested in doing bottegaveneta.com

40 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
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T H E BRIEF P O R T R A I T U R E AWA R D T H E A R C H I B A L D P R I Z E WAS F I R ST P R E S E N T E D I N 1 9 2 1 .
T H E 2 0 1 7 W I N N E R W I L L B E A N N O U N C E D AT S Y D N E Y ’ S A R T G A L L E R Y O F N S W O N J U LY 2 8 .

PHOTOGRAPHY

David
LaChapelle
COMES
DOWN
UNDER
T H E S U P E R S TA R A M E R I CA N
P H OTO G R A P H E R I S S E T
TO P R E S E N T H I S F I R S T

A
E X H I B I T I O N I N AU S T R A L I A .

t just 17, David

LaChapelle
landed his first
gig – working
with Andy
Warhol as
a photographer on the late
artist’s magazine, Interview.
In the decades since,
LaChapelle has turned his
camera on pretty much every
celebrity imaginable – Madonna,
Muhammad Ali, Elizabeth
Taylor, David Beckham,
Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga
and countless more. His kitsch, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP: ‘GAS

PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID LACHAPELLE.

provocative style has created
many of the most iconic images
of all time. If that weren’t
enough, he’s also directed music
videos and feature films,
including acclaimed 2005
dance documentary Rize.
Put simply, LaChapelle is
a very big deal. And now, the
54-year-old is presenting his
first solo exhibition on our shores
at the Ballarat International Foto
Biennale, August 19 to September
17. The month-long showcase
of his work will feature about
CHEVRON’ (2012); ‘AMERICAN JESUS’,
A TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL JACKSON
SHOT WITH A LOOKALIKE (2010); ANDY
WARHOL (1986); HIS BOOK HEAVEN
TO HELL WITH COURTNEY LOVE AND
A KURT COBAIN LOOKALIKE (2006).
90 of the photographer’s
best-known images, spanning
30 years of his career.
As well as the headliner,
the Victorian festival program
includes a range of other
exhibitions and events for
established and emerging
photographers. Find the full
schedule at ballaratfoto.org.

42 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
 G R A M MY AWA R D - W I N N I N G CA N A D I A N S E V E N - P I E C E , A R CA D E F I R E ,
W I L L R E L E A S E T H E I R F I F T H S T U D I O A L B U M , E V E R Y T H I N G N O W , O N J U LY 2 8 .
TECH
Pull
the
plug
AS A N YO N E
WHO’S SHOPPED
FO R E A R P H O N E S
K N O W S, T H E
FUTURE IS
WIRELESS. WE
WEIGH UP FIVE
OF THE BEST
IN-EAR OPTIONS
O N T H E M A R K E T.
3
1. Apple
When Apple announced it
was removing the headphone
jack from the iPhone 7 last
September, the response was
mixed. But the resulting
‘AirPods’ are proof that Apple is
going to drag the world into the
future, whether we like it or not.
They’re small, easy to lose and
have no buttons but sound
fantastic and last 24 hours. As
soon as you flip the carry case
lid they pair with your iPhone.
You’ll hate yourself for loving
WORDS: DAMIAN FRANCIS.
them. But you’ll still love them.
‘AI R P O DS’, $2 2 9, BY APPLE;
AP P LE .CO M . AU
2. Bose
The brand’s noise-cancelling
headphones have long been
a staple for frequent flyers.
Now Bose has gone one better
1
and made them wireless. The
noise cancelling is A-grade,
the sound quality as good as
wireless can deliver, comfort
is superb, and they even have
a downloadable iOS or Android
app for fine-tuning. The only
drawback is that chunky
neckband, which is required to
achieve proper noise cancelling
and looks more Star Trek than
stylish. Still, they’re here to be
heard, not seen.
‘Q U I E TCO NTR O L 3 0’, $4 4 9,
BY B OS E; B OS E .CO M . AU
˙ This brand often cops a bit of
3. i.am+
The thing about wearable tech
is that most of it just doesn’t
look very good. will.i.am is
hoping to change that with
i.am+ ‘Buttons’ – his foray into
the wireless headphone market.
If you’ve always wanted to walk
around with extra-large discs
popping out of your ears, buy
these now. Those metallic
circles also double as magnetic
clasps, allowing you to wear
them like a necklace when not
in use, which we guess is handy.
Available in gold, rose gold,
black and grey, ‘Buttons’ are
simple to use and deliver in the
sound-quality stakes.
‘ B U T TO N S’, $2 9 0,
BY I . A M+; APP LE .CO M . AU
4. B&O
flak for being more style than
substance — and sometimes
that criticism’s fair enough.
But its ‘Beoplay H5’ earphones
follow the most essential of
tech rules: keep it simple. They
have a fabric cord and are
available in three colours, but
T H E BRIEF
2
or
Go
Custom
If you find yourself
5
with a few hundred
dollars burning a
hole in your pocket,
while they look sleek, the design
why not personalise
your tech? US
is pared back to focus on sound.
company Colorware
They’re also moisture- and
paints tech
sweat-resistant, which makes
products, including
them perfect for ducking out
Apple’s ‘AirPods’.
of the office for a midday run.
There are more than
‘ B EO PL AY H 5’, $3 8 0, BY
25 scratchproof
B&O; B EOSTO R E .CO M . AU
shades, in matte or
5. Jaybird shiny finishes.
F R O M A PP R OX .
Durable, comfortable, sleek
$4 0 0 FO R C U STO M
and sweat-proof, the ‘X3’ is
A PP LE ‘A I R P O DS’;
all about delivering reliable
CO LO R WA R E .CO M
sound quality — without a price
tag that requires a second
mortgage. This no-frills
approach to tech is part of
the reason Jaybird’s Aussie
founder, Judd Armstrong, is
now sitting pretty, having sold
his brand to Logitech last year
for $95m.
‘X3 ’, $20 0, BY JAYB I R D;
JAYB I R DS P O R T.CO M
AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 43
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 THE COLUM
COLUMNIST
I
t’s early. I’m
just coming to.
I blindly paw the
bedside table for
the alarm clock,
knock my glasses
to the floor which startles
my wife, find the clock,
press its light and squint
through one heavy-lidded,
half-open, short-sighted
eye. “Time’s it?” muffles
Sam through a pillow.
“5.50am,” I croak. Got
another 10 minutezzz. And
so it begins – the internal
morn-ologue, the comatose tussle between
my inherent love of sleep’s soft embrace and
the overpowering combination of guilt,
vanity and self-discipline that gnaws away
until it ultimately compels me to hit the gym
rather than the snooze button.
I’m not naturally a ‘morning person’, but
if I don’t exercise before breakfast, it ain’t
happening at all. And for the last year – since
I became a father – it’s happened all too
seldom. I do my daily push-ups and manage
a long run at the weekend, but aside from
that, I’ve had neither the time nor energy
to exercise. Of all the things I’ve missed
since becoming a dad – sleep, sex, disposable
income – working out is top. (Actually, a lie-
in at the weekend heads the list but exercise
is a close second.)
The struggle is real against the insidious
creep of dad-bod. I originally started
running in order to be able to eat and drink
pretty much with impunity. Everything
in my carefully and expensively assembled
wardrobe – including several bespoke suits
– is for a man with a 32-inch waist. I literally
cannot afford to put on timber.
But what I’ve come to realise in recent
weeks, my fitness regimen now back on track,
is that I need to exercise as much, if not more,
for mental wellbeing as physical. Specifically,
running. ‘Runner’s high’ – that wave of
endorphin- and endocannabinoid-induced
46 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
DAN ROOKWOOD
I NEED TO RUN
TO STOP MY
MIND RUNNING.
euphoria that crashes over some people post-
aerobic activity – is a palpable sensation for
me. I need it like I need coffee. And as with
coffee, if I go without, I suffer, as do people
around me. Sometimes when I’m irritable
and objectionable, Sam will ask: “Do you
need to go for a run?” I return an hour later
with an upbeat spring in my step.
A lot of people say they find distance
running too boring, but that for me is a large
part of the point. I used to jog to podcasts
and audiobooks – never a dull moment – but
as much as my body needs the exercise, my
mind needs the rest. So now I tune out to
the metronomic beat of music. Since I can’t
meditate so easily these days – as a new parent
I’m so sleep-deprived, if I close my eyes for
20 minutes of TM, I might never wake –
running is the answer.
We hear so much about mindfulness,
of being ‘in the moment’ – and I’m all over
that. But in today’s always-connected,
over-stimulated world when digital devices
are reducing our attention spans to that of
goldfish with ADD, we
need some mindlessness
too. To daydream, to not
answer emails, to get lost
in thought… Sorry, what
was I saying? Oh yeah,
thanks to smart phones
and wi-fi, boredom has
almost been eradicated.
We don’t yet know the
long-term effects of this.
But we do know that
boredom is a fertile state.
We need periods of idle
thought. That’s why we
often have our light bulb
ideas in the shower or when walking the
dog or driving home. The lack of engaging
activity in the brain sparks creativity.
With running, the effect is amplified.
There’s a compelling body of research in
neuroscience linking aerobic exercise with
subsequent cognitive clarity. It jogs memory,
boosts focus and concentration, improves
goal-setting, aids decision-making.
Weighing up a potentially life-changing
choice? Go for a run. Hit a creative stumbling
block? Go for a run. Feeling a bit wound up
or down in the dumps? You get the idea.
Running helps you zone out. In his seminal
book What I Talk About When I Talk About
Running, award-winning writer and serial
marathoner Haruki Murakami writes: “I just
run. I run in void. Or maybe I should put
it the other way – I run in order to acquire
a void.” He runs six days a week. PH OTO G R A PH Y: G I U S EPPE S A NTA M A R I A .
As I’ve discovered this past year, it’s all
too easy to get out of the habit. To encourage
myself to stick to it, I’m now entering events
so that I have targets to train for – 10Ks,
half marathons, nothing injury-inducing –
my frame isn’t built for marathons. I take
running shoes on every trip – there’s no
better cure for jetlag or better way to
orientate yourself in a new city. I lay my
kit out ready each night before bed. And yet,
I still struggle to haul my achy carcass out
of bed every morning. Just 10 more minutes.
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 GQ: Entering Parliament, you said the peril
was you’d “gain weight and lose touch”.
W O R D S ANG US FO NTAI N E P H OTO G R A P H Y E DWAR D MU LVI H I LL
BJ: I see new members turn up looking sleek

&A
and sharp. Then they start going to lots of
functions, and talking only to people inside
that big boarding school called Parliament
House. The person elected starts to evolve
into a person that can survive in the boarding
school. And that new person is not someone
the people would elect.
GQ: So how do you remedy that?
BJ: Find a mechanism for staying real. I’m
not brazen. I try to be authentic. I listen.
If I believe in it, I say so. If I don’t believe,
I say so. If I don’t know, I say nothing. I don’t
bang on. Twice a day I walk down the street
and talk to people. I go to the footy and give
people space to talk. I go to pubs on Friday
nights so people can approach me. At first

BARNABY JOYCE
they’re polite… but after a few beers, they
tell you what they really think.
GQ: Your reputation is as a man who’s
never backward in coming forward.
BJ: I learnt the hard way that if you want
to fight everyone in the pub, you’ll soon lose.
T H E D E P U T Y P M A N D N AT I O N A L S L E A D E R M AY
So these days I pick the issues I want to fight
R E P R E S E N T D I F F E R E N T T H I N G S TO D I F F E R E N T P E O P L E
— T H O U G H AT H I S C O R E H E R E M A I N S A C O U N T RY K I D on for my constituency, for our nation.
U N A F R A I D TO B AT T L E FO R W H AT H E B E L I E V E S . A N D S O GQ: You famously sprayed your party’s
I T I S, T H E FO R M E R B O U N C E R (T R U E) L A N D S A F E W O N front benchers recently about looking
T H E C H I N S O F B I L L S H O R T E N A N D TO N Y A B B OT T, A N D after “George and Oxford Street issues”
O P E N S U P A B O U T T H E LO N E L I N E S S O F P O L I T I C S . rather than heartland concerns.
BJ: On the bell curve of views, politicians
are at the extremities and if we get distracted

U
nder the shadow of his
Akubra there’s a glint in
Barnaby Joyce’s eye. It’s
the gaze of an old bull
sizing up a rival – a dog of
war leaning into the leash.
He’s standing under lights giving GQ the
thousand-yard stare of a farmer in the city.
Though there’s no missing the sparkle of a
dad seeing a journo chatting up his daughter.
We’re hardly the first to twig that Barnaby
Thomas Gerard Joyce is not to be trifled
with. Since stampeding into the political bear
pit in 2005 as a senator for Queensland (after
being elected in 2004), gaining leadership
of The Nationals in the Senate in 2008
and adding minister for agriculture and
water resources in 2015, then, deputy prime
minister to his portfolio of titles in 2016,
Joyce has brought his bullish brand of earthy
politics without fear or favour.
Cartoonists often depict him as a slavering
attack dog by the Prime Minister’s side.
And in person, as he is in The House, Joyce,
50, has heft – looming big, fleshy and firm.
A farm boy, a father of four daughters and
a one-time accountant who’s still based in
Tamworth in northern NSW, Joyce is also
Australia’s most famous maverick politician,
having crossed the floor some 28 times as
a senator to side against his own party.
But as Joyce calls an end to GQ’s shoot
and sits down to chat, he’s less the crazy-
brave maverick thundering opposition to
climate change, same-sex marriage, political
correctness and Johnny Depp’s smuggled
dogs, and more the father his 20-year-old
daughter Bridgette describes to us –
a man prepared to abandon his beer run
at a Rolling Stones concert to scoot
his large RMs to ‘Street Fighting Man’.
GQ: In your maiden speech you said
politicians often breed contempt. Why?
Barnaby Joyce: Politicians so often get
confused about who they really are. The
media means people see politicians 24/7.
They hear you on radio. They hear about
you on Facebook. They see you on the
news. They watch you on Q&A. Some
even catch you on Question Time. They
know you. And it all means they
can smell bullshit on you.
by things on the edge, we lose people in the
middle. Take 18C [amendments to Australia
racial discrimination laws] – certain members
think ‘the world’s gonna collapse if we don’t
change 18C’. No, the world will go on. The
other one is gay marriage. Mate, I can assure
you, on most streets of Australia, people do
not give a shit about it. It’s an issue, but it’s
way down the list of priorities. Where it’s
dangerous is when it’s pursued to the cost
of major issues and the public think, ‘These
buggers don’t get us.’
GQ: You’re the fifth of six kids so you’ve
fought hard to be heard from the get-go.
BJ: Our family table hosted more soliloquies
than debates – but regardless of my age,
I learnt very young how to hold a position.
If your argument wasn’t cogent and backed
up with facts, you’d get chopped down very
quickly. It taught me to put some meat on the
bone behind my argument before I opened
my yap. Both Mum and Dad went to Sydney
Uni. One of my brothers is a doctor, another
is a solicitor. One brother’s a translator for
the Korean futures market. Growing up with
that lot, I couldn’t talk crap.
GQ: Is it true that at age 10 you listed your
ambition as: ‘To be Prime Minister’?
BJ: Yeah. Missed it by one.

AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 49
GQ: Does the man still harbour the dreams
of the boy?
BJ: Look, when you’re young, you have
all sorts of ambitions and aspirations and
you don’t really understand how much
work is involved to get there. Why would
a Woolbrook Public school kid say that?
Because deep down I never wanted to be one
of those people who vents their frustrations
and bitches. I wanted to change things.
That’s always been part of my make-up.
GQ: What fired the ambition to change
things up?
BJ: People who aren’t real. People who don’t
know what real work is. Even today, if I’m
drenching sheep or marking cattle or doing
hard, physical work, it helps me reconnect
with that frustration I had as an angry young
man at the sunny side of the drenching
race with lots of work to do, listening to
politicians on the radio and getting angry.
GQ: They say leaders are either born or
made. Which applies to you?
BJ: A bit of both. I’ve also been lucky.
Right place, right time. I’ve always believed
that passion can be developed but charisma…
you either have it or you don’t.
GQ: Unlike many politicians, you lived in
the ‘real’ world prior to running for office
– working as a labourer, a bouncer and an
accountant before you finally won a senate
seat in 2004, aged 37. Is that grounding
vital for a life in politics?
BJ: Fair dinkum it was. I started working,
seriously working, at 10 or 11. If you live
on the land that’s how it is – you do a lot of
manual work, farm labouring to menial, basic
jobs. And not for money. If I put my hand
out for some pocket money or some sort of
payday, my parents would say: ‘Well, aren’t we
paying for your boarding school fees, mate?’
GQ: Was your stint in the army reserve from
1994–1999 part of doing your duty?
BJ: My family have always been in the
services. Both grandfathers were serving
members. My father’s father landed at
Gallipoli the first day and left on the last.
He got a DCM, one below a Victoria Cross,
for bravery under fire on the Western
Front, and a military OBE, too. Between
the wars he was a bodyguard for Edward
VIII. And then he chased the Japanese all
around the Pacific and up to Guadalcanal in
WWII. So compared to him, a man who’s
been in a real two-way shooting gallery, mine
was the most minor service. It was really
just guilt that made me join up. I thought,
‘I’d better do something.’
GQ: Do you feel fear?
BJ: I’m not foolish, I don’t live without it, but
I do seem to manage fear pretty well.
GQ: Any near-death experiences growing
up a farm kid?
50 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
BJ: Heaps. As a kid I’d get asthma attacks
when nobody was able to hear me in the
house. Got kicked in the head by a horse
once… perforated my spleen in a footy game
and ended up in intensive care… a few car
crashes I was lucky to walk away from.
GQ: Before the army stint you were
a bouncer. How did that come about?
BJ: It was in Armidale. I was at uni and
needed some money. One day a mate of mine
said, ‘Look, the fella that runs the floor at the
Wicklow Hotel is sick and we need somebody
to come in tomorrow.’ I did all right that first
night, so they asked me back.
GQ: When you say ‘did all right’, does that
mean you proved yourself a hard man?
BJ: I don’t want to crow about it, but yeah.
I was playing first-grade footy at the time and
I’ve always known how to look after myself.
Most of the time I ‘bounced’ by talking. I’d
say, ‘Mate, I don’t want the hassle. I wanna
go home tonight and so do you. So I’m gonna
walk around the other side and when I come
back you’re gonna be invisible.’
GQ: Is it a tactic that works in Parliament?
BJ: No, but it does help fine-tune your skills
for working out who can really hurt you and
who’s a bluff. And it sharpened my contempt
for people who throw their ego around. I still
find myself sizing rivals up and thinking,
‘You’re not that thick a wheel, mate.’ In
politics, that sort of bravado usually comes
from people who’ve never done a hard day’s
work in their life. The Wicklow taught me
that if they said that anywhere other than
Parliament, someone would be handing them
their teeth back on a plate.
GQ: Didn’t someone hand you your teeth
back on plate, too?
BJ: I have 28 stitches in my head from those
days. And yes, I got my front teeth removed
by a bloke called Craig Morgan.
“when there are tough
times, I’ve got to eat my ego,
or I’ll just crawl up into
a little ball and be totally
ineffectual as a human being.”
GQ: You remember his name?
BJ: When someone removes your front teeth,
you remember their name.
GQ: Is that sort of righteous anger still
a big driving force for your ego?
BJ: That sort of ego – as in an unquestioning
belief in yourself – can be dangerous. But
you’ve certainly got to have self-belief
or you’d never get out of bed in the morning.
As a politician, I’ve got to have the drive and
capacity to take on a serious task and see it
through. And when there are tough times,
I’ve got to eat that little self-belief pill called
ego, or I’ll just crawl up into a little ball and
be totally ineffectual as a human being.
GQ: And when you pop those self-belief
pills, what do they fire you up for?
BJ: Two things. The first is ‘challenges’.
I mean, one-on-one combat. I’ve thrived on
that since my footy days. Secondly, ‘policy’.
I don’t ever want the day to come where it’s
all over and I’ve got a bit left in the tank.
I want to say, ‘We did that. We achieved this.
How did it happen? Because I fought for it.
Because I got us going. I fired the joint up.’
GQ: Your 2016 election battle against Tony
Windsor sure had you fired up.
BJ: People like to see two people who can
really scrap. But heavyweights are judged not
by their minor fights but their big ones. So,
when we talk about ego, that [battle for New
England] was my ego personified.
GQ: You became the first in history to win
back seats in the Senate and House of Reps.
BJ: The first of those heavyweight fights
was against a certain red-headed lady
[Pauline Hanson], and the Greens, and the
Democrats, and the Labor party. And no
one gave us a snowflake’s chance. Even John
Howard campaigned against me. But we won
it. And the next time I stepped into the ring
was against a bloke with a 23 per cent margin
 &A

AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 51
 &A

52 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
and a million-dollar campaign and the
[NSW] Teachers Federation, the Maritime
Union [of Australia] and GetUp! against us.
GQ: And now you’re the Prime Minister
second-in-command. How’s that going?
BJ: Malcolm and I get along. I genuinely
thought we wouldn’t, but we genuinely do.
GQ: Why didn’t you think you’d get on?
BJ: Because we’d had a huge blue in the past
over the carbon tax. And…
GQ: … And it got personal?
BJ: Oh, hell yeah!
GQ: How so?
BJ: Oh, god – furious argument. Absolutely
furious. Shouting, screaming, the whole lot.
GQ: Whose teeth ended up on the plate?
BJ: Well, other people kept a cap on it by
getting me out of the room. Bundling me
out like I used to do folks at the Wicklow. So
after that, it was raw but now we respect each
other. We work well together. He completely
trusts my confidence and I trust his.
GQ: So it took a ‘You. Me. Carpark. Now’
dust-up to cement a friendship?
BJ: No one ever got to the top of any game
by accident. People get to the top by reason
of talent, by drive, by learning from their
mistakes, by persistence.
GQ: So is Malcolm a close friend today?
BJ: No. We’ve both got a job to do. We’re
both leaders of our political parties and
that comes with boundaries. At times, those
parties have different agendas. But we respect
each other and work closely together, and
we’re friendly… but we’re not close.
GQ: What are your responsibilities
to Malcolm as his deputy?
BJ: The role of any deputy, in any job, is to
look after the leader. And to be a sounding
board so they can work through ideas in their
own head, to listen and help work through
issues because to run the country is a huge
honour, but peoples’ lives are on the line.
So, for Malcolm and me, that means a lot
of honest conversations, one-on-one, over
a cup of tea or a glass of wine where he’ll say,
‘Barny, what’s your view?’ and I’ll say, ‘Well
Mal, I think you’re right on this but wrong
on that… so how are we going to play it?’
GQ: Are you at the top now? Or would you
like to go one step further?
BJ: No, that’s it. I’m deputy PM. I’ve been
acting PM. I’m quite happy with that. Our
goal in the National Party is always to be the
power behind the throne. PM’s a title. What
you can do and what you do is totally different.
Me? I’ll take effect over title any day.
GQ: Looking back on 20 years in politics,
what mark do you give yourself?
BJ: I s’pose eight and a half. Maybe that
makes me sound full of myself, but I know
how bloody hard I’ve worked. A pollie who
scores themselves six or less is pretty useless.
“I’ve got no personal
animosity against bill
shorten, but I don’t rate him.
Any person there that long
should have a clear vision.”
GQ: And if you had to hang your Akubra
on your three biggest successes so far?
BJ: Change of foreign investment guidelines.
It’s gone from $252m down to $15m, and
now we have better control over who
owns our nation. Dams and inland rail,
major infrastructure that was never going
to happen until we drove them through.
Country of origin labelling – again, people
said it would never happen, it’s there. These
are major changes in policy, most of them
made successful against the tide.
GQ: You’re still fired up – so much so
a lady watching Question Time recently
rang 000 worried about your health.
BJ: Yeah, some dear old girl saw me ranting
all red in the face and was genuinely
worried about me. But a lot of that’s theatre.
Parliament is an adversarial chamber and
that’s how it works. You’ve gotta remember
that a lot of the time I can’t hear myself speak
– they’re all screaming at me, trying to get
under my skin and make me look like a fool.
GQ: What three words best describe you?
BJ: Warm. Driven. And … a little bit lonely.
GQ: Lonely?
BJ: Yes – as you go up the tree in politics,
your circle of friends become less and less.
GQ: Who’s your closest friend in Canberra –
and we mean personal friend, not ally.
BJ: I dunno. Canberra’s full of
acquaintances… [minister for resources and
Northern Australia] Matthew Canavan was
my chief of staff before he was in politics,
so he’s seen me at my best and worst and
knows me well. Wacka [NSW National
Party senator John Williams] and I go
back a fair way. [Independent senator] Nick
Xenophon is another I like and trust. If I
talk politics to Nick, I’m absolutely certain
it stays in the vault.
GQ: And your greatest enemy?
BJ: Right now, Bill Shorten. I’ve got no
personal animosity against him. He’s got
his job to do and I’ve got mine, but I don’t
rate him highly. Any person there that long
should have a clear vision. It mightn’t be what
I want but I should be able to understand it.
But what does Bill want? What’s his great
vision for our nation? You tell me…
GQ: Would there be anyone in Labor that
you like?
BJ: Oh yeah. [Shadow minister for housing
and homelessness and shadow minister for
skills and apprenticeships] Dougie Cameron
is a crazy, left, lunatic unionist but if you told
him where you hid your keys, he wouldn’t
tell anybody. [Member for Chifley] Ed Husic
is on the way up. He seems real. [Member
for Fowler] Chris Hayes is a good, smart
politician, always increases his margin
no matter the seat and each time there’s
a factional brawl and they try to kick him out,
he survives. These blokes are completely the
opposite of me in politics, but I respect them.
GQ: What about the deputy leader of the
opposition, Tanya Plibersek?
BJ: Tanya’s off with the fairies. Her policy
settings are not thought out. She doesn’t
get her facts right. She comes unstuck on
questions. And I don’t know what her vision
is – especially for my people, regional people.
GQ: Anthony Albanese?
BJ: Albo would be a threat. He would talk to
my people.
GQ: And do you think Tony Abbott still
talks to your people?
BJ: No. He’s talking to himself I think…
and he’s got to stop.
GQ: Do you ever talk to yourself?
BJ: Maybe when I’m recharging. A few days
every year I sneak away by myself. I just
tell everybody I’m doing something else
and then bugger off bushwalking. I jump in
rivers and stare up at the sky and think about
what’s it’s all about. n
AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 53
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 TASTE+TRAVEL

Our ever-expanding
bible of the best new
places in Australia.

Melbourne
ETTA
Etta Dining is the latest
Yu Sasaki, to raise the bar on our
chef/owner of
perceptions of ‘bistro’.
the Japanese
newcomer. Stellar wine list, spot-on
service and a mostly

THE
Mediterranean menu with
the occasional Japanese
accent and a heady list of
vegetarian options – think
carrots and halloumi,

REVIEW
or pine mushroom and
goat cheese tart. 
3/5
60 Lygon St, Brunswick
East; ettadining.com.au

Brisbane

J
Sasaki, Sydney NATIVO KITCHEN AND BAR
The emphasis is on ‘rustic
apanese culture has a wonderful respect for Italian’ and raising the
game on service and
tranquillity, singularity and style. Sasaki, a new atmosphere. A huge
Japanese restaurant hidden down a Sydney CBD 120 seater focusing on
laneway, embodies all of this in every sense. regional fare that rests
on pizzas and the lost art
The tiny, sophisticated space tucked behind of scaloppine - veal
curtains is unassuming from the street, but inside is medallions and the
classic chicken parma.
an interior designer’s dream. A courtyard leads to a small room that The Barracks, 61 Petrie
could pass muster in a high-end homewares catalogue – white walls, Terrace; nativokitchen
a Tasmanian oak bar and tables that dot a minuscule space filled andbar.com.au

Launceston
with pottery and wooden cutlery hand carved by the chef’s father.
The wait staff is lovely bordering on apologetic, while chef Yu
Sasaki (owner of Cre Asian cafe next door) captures the considered
GERONIMO
cuisine of regional Japan and his hometown, Shimane. His simple, A first-class bistro (that
yet sophisticated, cuisine is inspired by his mother’s cooking. word again), Geronimo
A tofu dressing, used in place of egg, lathers a salad of cabbage, celebrates local produce
with a serious wine list.
persimmon and walnuts for a satisfactory start. Pretty pink slices A sleek aperitivo bar
of roast duck breast wading in soy-braised leeks is bang on, before overlooks the industrial-
a big bowl of Cloudy Bay clams in a moreish sake and shungiku sauce chic dining space, which
features concrete walls,
(chrysanthemum greens). The classic savoury custard (chawanmushi) wooden floors and
Sasaki’s highlights
include roast duck with crab arrives in a covered teapot. The custard eats like silk, the designer chairs. The menu
with soy-braised is mostly contemporary
flakes of crab are somewhat missing in action, though it’s still a joy. Australian – seared
leeks, and the
chawanmushi The miso soup steals the show – an alluring broth housing just- wallaby fillet with lentils,
savoury custard cooked carrots, turnips, fried bean curd, konnyaku and silken tofu. braised lamb with baba
WORDS: ANTHONY HUCKSTEP.

with crab. ganoush or hangar steak

This alone will have me coming back. The pastry, while aesthetically with mushrooms. This is
astounding, is polarising. A sweet potato mound is sandwiched by big-city dining minus the
potato crisps and it’s… interesting. Figs in a lick of yuko are better, big prices. 186 Charles St;
geronimorestaurant.com.au
while white peach sorbet and yogurt nails the sweet, velvety brief.
Sasaki is a quiet and almost Zen experience – a striking vision with
graceful delivery. It’s not for those who like a ruckus, and though FOR MORE FROM THE
GQ DIRECTORY, HEAD
the food could do with a bit more energy to balance, it’s still TO GQ .COM.AU
a welcome addition. 102/21 Alberta St; sasaki.com.au

60 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
 TASTE+TRAVEL

OPENING

perry’s
SHOBOSHO
A spin on the ideals
PINK MOON SALOON
Blink and you’ll
latest
of Japanese izakaya miss it. Housed in Forget laminated menus
and yakitori bars a laneway within the and lazy susans – though
with a contemporary laneway, Pink Moon Neil Perry’s Cantonese-
Australian aesthetic. is just four metres led Jade Temple won’t
Dine in booths or at wide, but is a long shy from classic Chinese
communal tables at slender drinking dishes like lemon chicken.
the bar, on skewered saloon filled with His new Sydney restaurant
chicken thigh and natural light and (opening July on the site of his former fine diner, Eleven Bridge)
spring onions, raw tuna a log-cabin feel. is set to plate up staples such as sweet and sour pork and honey
with edamame and yuzu The ‘it’ place for prawns with flair and a firm focus on fresh.
juice or bossam with a late night tipple. “There’s a reason why those things are famous, because
condiments, lettuce 21 Leigh St; pink when they’re done well, they’re absolutely delicious. It’s just

EAT
AT
cups and slivers of dry- moonsaloon.com.au that, sadly, often they’re not great,” Perry tells GQ. “We want to
aged rump. 17 Leigh St; bring the best version of those dishes to the restaurant. We
shobosho.com.au want people to be saying, ‘Wow, that’s the best one I’ve ever
had.’ And we want people coming to a real Chinese restaurant.”
LEIGH AND PEEL STREETS, ADELAIDE

Apparently, it’s “premium” without being fine dining. “I want

PLUNDERING (OK, MAINLY DRINKING) OUR WAY it to be one of the finer restaurants in Sydney... [with a] quality
of ingredients and cooking technique and craft that we’ll
THROUGH ADELAIDE’S REVAMPED LEIGH AND
bring.” It means direct competition with nearby Mr Wong and

R
STREET
PEEL STREETS – A FRESH TAKE ON WHAT THE Golden Century and, further afield, Melbourne’s Flower Drum.
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL IS ALL ABOUT. Jade Temple’s lunch menu will be dim sum of 20 to 30 dishes,
with a focus on southern Chinese go-to’s such as roasts and
seafood. “We’ll have a tank of mud crab and fish and pipis and
crays. It’s about letting the ingredients speak for themselves
– fish with ginger and shallot, black bean and things like that.”
An impressive wine list (starting at $50) will explore the
globe across 300 bins – with chenin blanc to star.
As for the lemon chicken, Perry says to expect something
rather special. “It’ll be the greatest in the world, not just in
Australia.” 11 Bridge St, Sydney; jadetemple.com.au
UDABERRI ALFRED’S
A minimalist If you need a pint but
pintxos  bar serving aren’t up for a big It’s winter, and that means
up a little bit of monolithic pub, then lazy, hearty eats that don’t
San Sebastiãn Alfred’s has your THE BOOK
take too much fussing or
sophistication back. Oozing old- distract from nightly
along with a huge school values Netflix binges. Acclaimed
red-centric wine with a sense of Melbourne pastry chef
list, cracking contemporary chic, and MasterChef regular,
cocktails and it’s about craft BREAD & BONE Darren Purchese, explores
plenty of tapas. The beers, South the possibilities of the hot
interior’s pleasingly Australia’s best WOOD GRILL
A quality late-night sandwich – from mac and
dark and moody – wines and classic cheese and spicy lamb
choose from sitting cocktails. What else haunt that means you
can now sidestep mince (with soft labne
at the bar or on could you need? spread) jaffles to a toasted
Chesterfields on the 14 Peel St; fluorescent chains or
a dubious lamb rye sourdough number
mezzanine – and the alfredsbar.com.au stuffed with gorgonzola,
shared rib-eye is sandwich. The soft
shell crab burger’s pumpkin, maple-cured
well worth a try. bacon with maple syrup.
11‑13 Leigh St; hard to surpass,
though the dogs are You’ll need a fork. And
udaberri.com.au that’s a good thing.
both hot and gourmet
– Viennas and Chefs East Toasties Too,
CLEVER LITTLE
bratwurst and $29.99; hardiegrant.com
TAILOR
beyond. Also check A small joint that
out downstairs bar was once a vintage
Maybe Mae. 15 Peel St; store, this is the
facebook.com/ go-to for heady
breadandbone cocktails and great
accompanying
snacks – hi there,
duck rillettes. The
perfect start, or
indeed end, to an
evening. 19 Peel St;
cleverlittletailor.
com.au

AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 61
 TASTE+TRAVEL

The WINE
Four
To Try
golden
age of
Cirillo ‘Vincent’
Grenache 2016 ($25)
Marco Cirillo and his
father, Vincent, work the

grenache
oldest grenache vines on
the planet – a patch of
gnarly old bastards dating
back to 1848 - in the heart
of the Barossa Valley. They
are grenache gurus. This is
FO R G E T T H E M I S C O N C E P T I O N S – their entry-level bottling,
A N D T H AT DA R K E N E D B OT T L E O F from vines merely in their

W
P I N OT – I N FAVO U R O F A G R A P E eighties, and it may just be
the best value red in
H AV I N G I T S M O M E N T I N T H E S U N . Australia. Vibrant, lively
and seriously quaffable.
cirilloestatewines.com.au

Ochota Barrels ‘Fugazi

Vineyard’ Grenache
2016 ($40)
Taras Ochota is the most
celebrated of the new
wave grape-stompers
hen you write about turning the Adelaide Hills
into one of the world’s
booze for a living, winemaking hotspots, but
people treat you like his love for grenache
a wine guide turned takes him to McLaren Vale
in search of suitably sexy
flesh. And the one bit fruit. This is without doubt
of advice I’m asked the finest wine named
more than any other is after a Washington DC
post-punk band ever
this: “What’s the best produced, a nimble and
pinot noir under $50?” My answer is always and of those, the greatest number are found utterly engaging
in urban Adelaide’s viticultural bookends, expression of grenache.
the same: “Grenache.” ochotabarrels.com
One of the most widely planted grape the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale.
varieties in the world, grenache has been Both regions have a significant number of Vanguardist
rooted in Australian soil since our earliest old grenache vineyards, a legacy of the early Grenache 2016 ($50)
The bearded, barrel-
winemaking days and has been woefully days of Australian wine when varieties useful chested Michael Corbett
underappreciated for too many years. But in the production of fortified wines were fell in love with grenache
favoured. Where once those vines pumped while working in southern
that’s changing. This is a golden age of France, and his ardour
grenache, a blessed time when insightful out large crops of super-ripe fruit to make now drives him to produce
and progressive winemakers are giving it port, now they’re trained for much lower this multi-layered,
yields, giving up just a few bunches of beautifully balanced and
the respect it deserves. It’s the variety’s gently spiced stunner
propensity for perfume and juicy suppleness concentrated and deeply flavoured grapes. from old vines at Blewitt
that invites comparisons with pinot noir, but In smart winemaking hands, this fruit Springs in McLaren Vale.
Halfway through the first
the difference is, grenache can thrive in produces wines with seductive perfumes, glass, you’ll begin to
places where pinot would simply lose its shit. lively textures and dangerous drinkability. realise where this buzz
about grenache is coming
In sun-drenched Spain they call it garnacha Now, it’s time to dodge the pinot aisle and
from. A star on the rise.
and it’s the most planted variety in the try for yourself. vanguardistwines.com
country. It prospers through southern France,

Grenache
in places like Languedoc-Roussillon and the Yalumba
‘Tri-Centenary’
bottom half of the Rhône Valley, and is at Grenache 2012 ($60)
the heart of one of the world’s great
appellations, Châteauneuf-du-Pape. can thrive in Sourced entirely from
a small block of just 820

places where
vines planted in 1889,
Here in Australia, just like unreliable this is the serious side
energy supply and the ability to correctly of grenache, delivered

pinot would
with precision and in
pronounce words like ‘dance’ and ‘chance’,
WORDS: NICK RYAN.

high-definition. Red
truly great grenache is a peculiarly South berries, cured meats and

simply lose
Australian thing. While there are small aromas of ancient red
dirt waft through a wine
pockets of grenache in places like Heathcote with sensuous curves
in Victoria, the overwhelming majority of
plantings are in South Australian soil – its shit. and beguiling poise.
yalumba.com

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 TRAVEL

A
TASTE
OF
SAN
FRAN
LIBERAL VIEWS, A VIBRANT MIX OF PEOPLE
AND A CONTEMPORARY HISTORY PROUDLY
THE BEST AREAS
Like any great city, San
Francisco is a patchwork
of distinctly diverse
neighbourhoods.
There’s the Latino-
The Mission
This Latino area has
managed the impossible
– gentrification without
losing its cool factor.
ASSOCIATED WITH COUNTERCULTURE AND hipster community in Known for its vibrant
GAY ACTIVISM - THE CITY BY THE BAY IS The Mission, the thriving

J
A TRUMP SUPPORTER’S WORST NIGHTMARE.
WHICH IS WHY IT’S TIME TO PAY A VISIT.
ust an hour’s flight from
LA, San Francisco feels like
it could be a world away.
This Californian city is
Tinseltown’s more charming,
less wheatgrass-obsessed
hipster brother who’s not only cooler (climate
and vibe), but more eclectic. Squeezed into
gay scene of The Castro
and the cool kids of
Dogpatch – all within
a stone’s throw of one
another. If you have
plenty of time, walking
or biking is the best way
to get a feel for the city,
though the historic
cable cars will let you sit
back and soak up the
vistas. The BART (Bay
Area Rapid Transit) is the
murals (below), The
Mission is also home to
some of San Fran’s best
food. Mission Cheese is main thoroughfare. a renovation and is home
a fantastic shop that Its once-shady past is to the iconic ‘Painted
breaks rules (American- being redefined, thanks Ladies’ row of colourful
only varieties, matched to the arrival of some of townhouses (above).
with beer), or there’s the Bay Area’s hottest The  eponymous Nopa
Tacolicious for tech start-ups. Drop into restaurant offers
a Mexican fix. Order San Francisco Museum delicious wood-fired
the margarita picante, of Modern Art for some seasonal dishes and is
a spicy twist on the culture, and then head one of the hottest
classic, and cancel the to Marlowe for super- culinary tickets in town.
rest of the day’s plans. stylish comfort food, Book now.

WORDS: JAKE MILLAR. PHOTOGRAPHY: ALAMY, GETTY IMAGES.

most reliable option for or Saison for upscale
121km2 – an area roughly 100 times smaller Dogpatch
getting around quickly SoMa French-American
than Sydney – it’s an ever-evolving melting – as well as to and from A huge neighbourhood tasting menus. For a Once an industrial
pot of global cultures. Oakland International taking its name from more relaxed vibe, head neighbourhood,
Airport. Here, where not its location, South of to Red’s Java House – Dogpatch has since
It’s also postcard pretty. Framed by the to miss. Market Street, the city’s a quaint ’30s diner- transformed into
spectacular bay, San Francisco is rich in both cum-shack serving a hipster magnet –
natural and manmade beauty – from the lush Bloody Marys and great without losing its charm.
greenery of Golden Gate Park to the views views of the bay. Despite the shiny new
cafes, bars and
atop the famed zigzag Lombard Street – NoPa restaurants, the
a city that seems to have been created with North of the Panhandle district’s older places
Instagram in mind. (the narrow park that are still some of the best.
forms a ‘panhandle’ with Book a tour of the
It’s also the place that gave us Soylent, the
Golden Gate Park), this Anchor Steam Brewery,
meal-replacement powder that aims to do has become one of the which dates back to
away with food altogether. But don’t be fooled city’s coolest emerging 1896, or visit Dogpatch
– San Fran is one of the world’s great foodie areas. It has a great Saloon, founded in 1912.
Sunday farmer’s market, Also, check out the
capitals, with an endless appetite for new but the main drawcard exhibition schedule at
gastronomic trends and inventive restaurants. is Alamo Square, which the fascinating Museum
Be sure to pack your eating trousers. has just undergone of Craft and Design.

64 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17

ACCOMMODATION
Inner city
In downtown San Francisco,
the Axiom Hotel couldn’t be
more central if it tried. Not
only is it close to all the shops,
restaurants and bars you
could hope for, it’s also just
round the corner from Powell
Street train station – handy if
you feel like getting out of the
city centre. The rooms are
cosily modern and beyond the
in-house Turn Café, staff will
be able to steer you to local
food and drink hotspots.
Rooms from approx. $255
TASTE+TRAVEL
WHERE
TO SHOP
The day trip
Everyone’s heard of Napa
Valley, but nearby Sonoma
County is quickly emerging as Online shopping is
one of the best side-trips San great, but few things
Fran has to offer. About a two- beat some good old-
hour drive north of the city, fashioned bricks and
it’s home to more than 425 mortar. These are
wineries, 11 state parks and the best places to
a range of annual festivals. get a retail fix.
If you’re planning to stay the
night (you should), check out High-end
AutoCamp, the new high-end Central Union Square
camping experience on the is the place to go for
Russian River, starting at $187 favourite big-name
a night. sonomacounty.com; designers. Pick up

EAT & DRINK

a night; axiomhotel.com autocamp.com a bargain at Barneys
or max out the credit
card at the Gucci,
Paul Smith or Saint
TWO OF THE BEST THINGS SAN FRAN HAS TO OFFER – Laurent boutiques.
AND IN ABUNDANCE. THIS IS HOW A DAY WELL SPENT LOOKS. unionsquareshop.com

Morning Evening Avant garde

Modern Appealing
Three words: brown sugar Lord Stanley sounds like
Clothing (MAC) has
bacon. This crispy, slow- a cosy British pub and looks
two outposts – in
cooked deliciousness is the almost like an austere gallery
Dogpatch and Hayes
crack cocaine of breakfast – all concrete floors and
Valley – and is the
sides. Get your fix at The Scandi-inspired furniture.
place to go for hard-
Mission’s Foreign Cinema, But it’s actually a Michelin-
to-find labels such
a converted movie theatre (it starred restaurant, offering
as Dries Van Noten,
still plays films every night), unpretentious dining that
Comme des Garçons
that happens to be one of the delivers on the flavour. Try
and Walter Van
city’s most in-demand mid- the roasted lamb with fresh
Beirendonck.
morning haunts. Go for fava beans, the salmon confit
modernappealing
French toast, eggs any way or the eight-course tasting
clothing.com
you like, or one of 10 varieties menu. You won’t leave
of oysters by the dozen. Oh, disappointed (or hungry).
Classic
and bacon. Lots of bacon. lordstanleysf.com
Hipster-friendly
foreigncinema.com
Later Unionmade is a one-
Afternoon Like being on the set of
stop shop for shoes,
clothing, magazines
Lunchtime means burrito Pirates of the Caribbean,
and grooming
time, and if you’re still in The with more booze, Smugglers
products, with a range
Mission (you will be) then La Cove is a bit like spending
that includes trendy
Taqueria is the place to try. a day in the life of Johnny
Our Legacy and
Its burritos are simply life- Depp. Spread across three
Beams+, as well as old
changing. But true insiders floors, this temple of tiki sees
favourites such as RM
know that the key to this local mixologists (sorry, barmen)
Williams and Levi’s.
favourite is going off-piste conjure up more than 80
unionmadegoods.com
– the things not on the menu classic and exotic cocktails,
include burritos dorados, a using some 550 varieties of
Streetwear
package the size of a cruise rum. But if that spirit isn’t
Located on bustling
missile that’s grilled until it’s your thing, head around the
Market Street, Maas
golden brown. Don’t forget to corner to Brass Tacks, which
& Stacks is like a who’s
ask for a side of spicy salsa serves great wines on tap.
who of the world’s
roja, too. smugglerscovesf.com;
coolest fashion
taqueriasanfrancisco.com brasstackssf.com
labels - from Russian
normcore brand
Gosha Rubchinskiy to
On tour knowledgeable, temperatures are
mild and you’ll miss
Swedish staple ACNE
Studios and emerging
Truth is, there’s so friendly and more
much going on in than happy to give summer crowds. British designer
the city, it pays to you tips on things to sftravel.com Craig Green.
have a little help. do or see in the area. maasandstacks.com
Avital Tours offer From approx. $97 Getting
three-hour food per person; there
and two-hour avitaltours.com Qantas offers daily
cocktail tours that direct flights from
are a handy way to Plan now Sydney, while Virgin
get acquainted with The autumn months Australia flies to
The Mission, Union – September to San Francisco via
Square or North November – are Los Angeles.
Beach. They’re run the ideal window qantas.com.au;
by locals, who are to visit, since virginaustralia.com

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 TASTE+TRAVEL

A NIGHT AT...
I
BROWN’S HOTEL, LONDON

don’t stay in a hotel – I stay at

Brown’s.” Legend claims these
to be the words of Winston
Churchill, the wartime British
PM who was often spied at
Brown’s Hotel, generally in
the bar, balancing cigars and drinks
with heavy conversations.
That heritage informs a key part
of the appeal of London’s oldest
hotel – history hangs from every
corner of the converted 11 Georgian
townhouses. It’s where Alexander
Graham Bell made the first ever
telephone call, Rudyard Kipling
wrote The Jungle Book and Stephen
King set up Misery (sitting at Kipling’s old desk).
Eighteen years ago, it was also the location of
a weekly drink for this former Soho barman. I’d
nurse a solitary glass on each occasion – such was
the need to stretch a cash-in-hand ‘salary’ – but it
was worth it, knowing some of those who’d done
so before, even if their conversations went further
than thoughts of having to shortly board a night
bus that doubled as a mobile drunk tank.
To be here today as a guest is to feel that
same heady excitement in an environment well
removed from the elitism that pervades equally
notable venues. The politeness that spills from
the doorman’s pep to a receptionist pressing us
to try the mulled wine (the stuff’s been brewing
in its cinnamony goodness a while) gives way to
a deluxe king room. The light and lengthy space has a large bed and lounge F R O M TO P
wrapped in neutral colours, with a bathroom bigger than most Mayfair bedsits. Brown’s Hotel was opened
by Lord Byron’s butler
A stumble out of the back entrance leads to shopping at Dover Street Market in 1837; the hotel offers
iPhone city guides, from
and ACNE Studios. Bond Street’s luxury and Savile Row’s suiting are a minute designer Paul Smith and
away, as are some overpriced chutneys at historic department store Fortnum supermodel David Gandy;
contemporary artwork in
& Mason. From there, it’s a meander across Regent Street and into what’s Mark Hix’s restaurant.
now a gentrified Soho, with Palace Skateboards a necessary fashion excursion
alongside hidden vintage sellers and boxes to peruse at Soul Jazz Records.
While Soho, Fitzrovia, Marylebone and Mayfair offer all and anything
when it comes to dining (the Brits have long ago ditched the deep fryer and
Wimpy in favour of fresh fare), the inventive British menu at Brown’s in-
house restaurant, Hix, is hard to overlook. Renowned chef Mark Hix delivers
WORDS: RICHARD CLUNE.

F R O M TO P
The sitting room of the Kipling
seasonal seafood and local meats matched with an indulgent wine list.
Suite, where author Rudyard From there it’s a few steps to Donovan Bar. Aim for the ‘naughty corner’ –
Kipling is thought to have
written The Jungle Book; a a booth over which hang Terence Donovan photos of scantily clad women and
double shower and bath feature body parts – for a cocktail. Might we suggest the Churchill Martini? The tipple
in the suite’s marble bathroom;
the subtle jungle theme may just lead to another, some cigar chomping (on the back street, thanks) and
continues in the bedroom with an evening of conversation that likely won’t ever be quoted in print.
Lewis & Wood wallpaper. Rooms
3 3 ALB E M A R LE ST, M AYFA I R, LO N D O N; R OCCO FO R TE H OTE LS .CO M/W E LCO M E - B R OW N S
from approx. $845 a night.

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 THE TRAVEL 1 2

ESSENTIALS
B E I T SA N F R A N O R SA N S E B AS T I Á N , E V E RY G E N T
3

M U S T M AS T E R T H E A R T O F PAC K I N G . L E S S I S M O R E , 4
A N D T H E S E A R E O U R ‘ M U S T- H AV E ’ C O M PA N I O N S .

Suitcase Goals
Rimowa means
sturdy and attractive
luxury. Cases
available in titanium,
aluminium and
polycarbonate, sizes
range from 11L to
100L. rimowa.com

6 5
7
8

Holiday Time
9 The Longines
‘Heritage 1918’
is that everyday
‘always receives
compliments’
piece, while the
Omega ‘De Ville
Prestige’ comes
out to play on
10
special occasions.

17 1. Titanium ‘Electronic Tag’ suitcase,

$1850, by Rimowa at Hunt Leather.
2. Aluminium gold iPad, $469, by
Apple. 3. Metal glasses, $330, by Dolce
& Gabbana at Sunglass Hut. 4. Wool
12
11 scarf, $240, by Paul Smith. 5. ‘Beoplay
H6 Black’ over-ear headphones, $498,
by B&O at Harvey Norman. 6. Cotton
socks, $100, by Prada. 7. Silk shirt,
13 approx. $580, by Emma Willis. 8.
Cotton jeans, approx. $350, by
RE/DONE. 9. Stainless steel ‘Longines
Heritage 1918’ watch, $2350, by
Longines. 10. Stainless steel ‘De Ville
Prestige’ watch, $4350, by Omega.
11. Metal sunglasses, $340, by Dolce
&  Gabbana at Sunglass Hut. 12.
PHOTOGRAPHY: EDWARD URRUTIA .

14 Leather ‘Archive’ bracelet, $300,

FOR STOCKIST DETAILS, SEE P174.

by Louis Vuitton. 13. Cashmere/silk

top, approx. $1290, by Tom Ford
at Harrolds. 14. Cashmere eye mask
(as part of travel pack), $95, by
16 Jac+Jack. 15. Leather shoes, $1295,
by Bally. 16. ‘Brow Gelcomb’, $72, ‘Bath
Bar’, $58 (155ml), Private Blend ‘Vert
15 de Fleur’ Eau de Parfum, $340 (50ml),
and ‘Anti-Fatigue’ Eye Treatment,
$120 (15ml), all by Tom Ford at David
Jones. 17. Linen/mohair jacket, approx.
$4250, by Tom Ford at Harrolds.

AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 67
 W
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 LO O K YO U R S H A R P E ST W I T H O U R E XC LU S I V E E D I T O F T H E B E ST I N M E N SW E A R A N D G R O O M I N G T R E N D S

STYLE E D I T E D BY O LIVIA HAR DI NG

HOW TO
UP
YOUR
BAG
GAME PA G E 7 2

WE TALK TO
THE LEGEND
THAT IS
TOMMY
HILFIGER
PA G E 7 8

Cotton top, $205, by Boss

Orange at David Jones;
wool/cashmere pants,
$650, by Brooks Brothers;
leather bag, $395, by
Coach 1941; 18kt gold
‘Octo Roma’ watch,
$26,100, by Bulgari.
Wool pants, $605, by Ermenegildo Zegna; leather boots, $495, by Josephs Shoes. Wool pants, $299, by BOSS; leather boots, approx. $635, by Church’s.
STYLE

AMI
Wool pants, $149, by Jack London; leather ‘Brett’ boots, approx. $1175, by Tricker’s.

ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA

HERMÈS

THESE

B O OT S .
FO R YO U R
STYLE SHRINK

THE

MORE BANG
COMBOS GIVE
C O L D -W E AT H E R
CROP

LOOK
Wool blend pants, $965, by Ermenegildo Zegna; leather ‘Ethan’ boots, approx. $720, by Tricker’s.
Cotton ‘Hudson’ chinos, $159, by Aquila; leather boots, approx. $635, by Church’s.

BERLUTI

Cotton chinos, $219, by Calibre; leather ‘Brett’ boots, approx. $1175, by Tricker’s. Peyto pants, $280, by G-Star; leather boots, $109, by ASOS. Wool/cashmere pants, $650, by Brooks Brothers; leather boots, approx. $985, by Viberg.

PHOTOGRAPHY: EDWARD URRUTIA .

 STYLE
OPTIONS

cold
front
RICK OWENS

P R AC T I CA L P U F F E R S Nylon jacket, $562, by PS by Paul Smith.

AND WINDBREAKERS Nylon jacket, $199, by Uniqlo.

ARE COOLER THAN

E V E R , H AV I N G
O U T- P E R FO R M E D T H E
S T R E E T TO B E C O M E
A R U N WAY S TA R .

Polyamide/nylon jacket, $1990, by Moncler. Technical jacket, $810, by Burberry.

Nylon jacket, $350, by North Face. Polyester jacket, $80, by H&M.

LANVIN

FACETASM

Polyester jacket, $2015, by Ermenegildo Zegna. Nylon jacket, $230, by G-Star.

FENDI

AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 71
 BUSINESS
CASES K E E P YO U R C O O L O N T H E DA I LY
C O M M U T E W I T H A B AG
T H AT PAC KS M O R E T H A N
JUST THE ESSENTIALS.
P H OTO G R A P H Y SASKIA W I LSO N S T Y L I N G O LIVIA HAR DI NG

Wool suit, approx.

$5700, by Brunello
Cucinelli; pink gold
‘Octo Roma’ watch,
$30,100, by Bulgari;
leather/canvas bag,
$2170, by Gucci .

72 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
Cotton chinos,
$159, by Aquila;
leather shoes,
approx. $845, by
Church’s; stainless
steel ‘Octo Roma’
watch, $8250, by
Bulgari; leather bag,
$3180, by Prada.
STYLE

Wool suit, approx.

$5700, by Brunello
Cucinelli; leather
briefcase, $2295,
by Tod’s; pink gold
‘Octo Roma’ watch,
$30,100, by Bulgari.
 STYLE

Cotton top, $205, by Boss Orange at David Jones; wool/cashmere pants, $650, by Brooks Brothers; leather tote bag, $2195, by Bally;
18kt gold ‘Octo Roma’ watch, $26,100, by Bulgari.
SPECIAL THANKS TO ANDREW MALLETT.

Cotton/silk coat, $2650, and cotton/silk pants, $825, both by Bally; leather briefcase, $3700, by Dior Homme.
STYLE
Wool/cashmere
pants, $650, by
Brooks Brothers;
leather satchel,
$3695, by Burberry.
Cotton chinos, $159,
by Aquila; pink gold
‘Octo Roma’ watch,
$30,100, by Bulgari;
leather bag, $1625,
by Bally.
 STYLE

This page
Cotton jumper, $180,
cotton/linen shirt,
$150, and cotton
cap, $80, all by
Tommy Hilfiger.

Right
Cotton jumper, $180,
cotton shirt, $130, and
cotton jeans, $180, all
by Tommy Hilfiger.

78 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
 STYLE
INTERVIEW

THE
HUSTLE
OF TOMMY
HILFIGER
G Q C O LU M N I S T DA N R O O K W O O D S I T S D O W N
W I T H O N E O F FAS H I O N ’ S M O S T L I K E A B L E ,

B
A N D S U C C E S S F U L , A M E R I CA N D E S I G N E R S .

efore being allowed to interview Tommy

Hilfiger comes a quiz.
He literally looks me up and down and
asks where each item of clothing I’m wearing
is from. I’d decided to go suitably ‘American
preppy’ – it’s Hilfiger’s signature, after all.
But the
he floppy-haired, bespectacled designer is himself
dressed
ed formally in black suit and tie, with a purple check
cutaway
way collar shirt and black leather double-monkstrap
shoes worn – somewhat incongruously for a man of 66 –
withoutut socks.
Doeses he exclusively wear his own label? “For the most
part, but I sometimes try other brands,” offers Hilfiger.
“I think
nk [Brunello] Cucinelli, I think Loro Piana from
a luxury standpoint.
ury standpoint. And there’s nothing like a five-pocket
pair off authentic Levi’s.”
We’re
’re sitting on a sofa in the large executive office
adjacent
ent to Hilfiger’s impressive corner suite with imposing,
180-degree
egree views down the Hudson River. A TV crew is
settingg up for an interview he’s about to do for reality series,
Model Mom, with longtime friend Yolanda Hadid. She’s
mother er to supermodels Bella and Gigi, the latter the current
face off Tommy Hilfiger womenswear with her own Tommy
x Gigii capsule collection.
Thee designer’s long been obsessed with fame – “or what
I call FAME: fashion, art, music, entertainment” – and
forgedd alliances with luminaries decades before other
brands started
s started harnessing the power of paid ‘influencers’.
While
hile the camera crew sets up lighting, Hilfiger offers
a tour of his office. Behind a large mahogany desk is a wall
a tour of
of fame – framed pictures of the great and good, from
Michael Jackson to the Rolling Stones to Kate Moss to
David Bowie to Q-Tip to Mark Ronson to Britney Spears
to Beyoncé, all wearing his designs while on billboards and
magazine covers, while performing, or standing next to
their pal, Tommy. Down the length of the room, a display
cabinet serves as a time capsule of the designer’s career –
an impressive collection of various industry trophies, his
 STYLE
first collection of fragrance bottles, a brick FROM LEFT
salvaged from his first store. In the centre of Cotton shirt, $130,
by Tommy Hilfiger.
the room sit two Chesterfields reupholstered
in a patchwork of vintage blue denim jeans. Cotton polo, $110,
and cotton cap,
They serve as a neat visual metaphor for his $80, both by
‘American classics with a twist’ shtick. Tommy Hilfiger.
“I like the mix of high-low,” he says.
Cotton jumper,
Hilfiger’s life has been a mix of high and $250, cotton polo,
low – professional and personal – but $120, cotton jeans,
throughout it all, he’s remained as upbeat $180, and canvas
shoes $129, all by
and positive as his brand’s idealistically Tommy Hilfiger.
wholesome all-American ad campaigns.
Styling
Growing up as one of nine children in Olivia Harding
upstate New York, he struggled at school Photography
with undiagnosed dyslexia and had a poor Saskia Wilson
Talent Luca at
relationship with his short-tempered father. Kult Models
He flunked out of college but, at 18, started Grooming
a successful clothing store/hangout, which Joel Phillips at
Viviens Creative
soon led to a wild lifestyle of sex, drugs and
rock ’n’ roll in his early twenties. During
their peak cool of the ’70s, Hilfiger was
a regular at legendary clubs Studio 54,
Max’s Kansas City and CBGB.
“It was beyond,” he smiles, wistfully.
“Even when I talk about it, I get excited to
this day because it was an experience one
would never forget.”
Thanks to his hip look and shameless
self-confidence, Hilfiger also became part of
Andy Warhol’s inner circle. “Andy invited me
to his Factory numerous times, and in one
part he had paintings all over the floor. He’d
say, ‘Would you like to buy one of these?’
I could have bought something at a $1000,
$2000, $5000 that’s now worth millions.
But I didn’t have money then.”
He’s since made up for it with one of the
world’s greatest private collections of
contemporary art, featuring works by
Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring
and Damien Hirst, among others.
Hilfiger’s always been more creative than “There was backlash, immediately,” “The best period in my life is right now.
business-minded and, at 25, he filed for recalls Hilfiger. “So I thought the only Life keeps getting better. I’m in a really
bankruptcy. “I didn’t know how to run the way I’m going to get out of this corner great place.”
business, and that was a big problem because I’m being painted into is to come up with Hilfiger splits his time between lavish
I stumbled across a degree in business and great product.” homes in New York; Greenwich,
economics as a result of it. Not a real degree, The boastful ad proved to be a self- Connecticut; Miami; and Mustique (where
but I say that it was my MBA as a result of fulfilling prophecy, with Hilfiger filling in he lives next door to good mate Mick Jagger).
having a bankruptcy at a young age – it taught the blanks to become a multi-billion-dollar And he enjoys a largely ambassadorial role
me how to really focus on, and understand, megabrand, even if the road since has proved at the company that still sports his name –
the business part of the business.” a bumpy ride. His brand has been a hip-hop a position where he can leverage his celebrity
Further false starts followed before he sensation before plummeting through and channel his philanthropy.
launched his eponymous brand in 1985. It over-distributed market saturation and twice He seems slightly put out that I’m not
landed with an immediate, and audacious, being sold out from underneath him. rocking any Hilfiger and so, before finishing
bang – the ‘Hangman Billboard’ in Times Personally, he’s also dealt with a tough and up, makes sure to state that the current
Square covered in an ad claiming the public divorce and suffered the pain of seeing Edition Collection for men, “has to be the
then-unknown upstart as the successor to two of his children struggle with serious best we’ve done in men’s in 25 years”.
the American menswear throne, occupied by illness and autism. And yet, today, he claims That’s the American hustle right there.
Ralph Lauren, Perry Ellis and Calvin Klein. to be at his happiest. And Tommy’s still got it. n

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 STYLE

THE ICON PLAID SHIRTS

C H A N N E L YO U R I N N E R LU M B E RJAC K A N D TA K E A F R E S H
A P P R OAC H TO D R E S S I N G W I T H T H I S T I M E L E S S P I E C E .

Cotton fleece shirt, $129, by Brooks Brothers.

Cotton ‘Merlin’ shirt, $139, by Aquila.

Cotton ‘Hawker’ shirt, $149, by Aquila.

Cotton shirt, $120, by Ben Sherman.

Cotton shirt, $515, by Burberry.

Plaid/linen shirt, $228, by Paul Smith.

Cotton ‘Otto’ shirt, $199, by Calibre.

Cotton shirt, $99, by Jack London.
Cotton shirt, $99, by Jack London.

Crêpe shirt, $325, by The Kooples.

PHOTOGRAPHY: EDWARD URRUTIA . FOR STOCKIST DETAILS, SEE P174.

Kurt Russell River Phoenix Ashton Kutcher Terry Richardson

The guy we all wish was our dad Want to know how to dress like Paired with a baseball cap nine times His style is notorious – camera, plaid
knows his way around a plaid number, a ’90s style icon? Follow Phoenix’s out of 10, no one nails the guy next shirt, glasses, moustache – and is
and has done for decades. He’s also lead. Unbuttoned, done up, under door look better than the Two and responsible for some of the most
half of one of our favourite a blazer, over a singlet are a Half Men star and start-up explicit celebrity portraits ever. That
Hollywood couples. just a few options. millionaire tech mogul. Kate Upton shoot springs to mind.

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 STYLE

THE RETURN

BEN SHERMAN
GOES BACK
TO BRIGHTON
W I T H M O R E T H A N 5 0 Y E A R S I N T H E B U S I N E S S,
T H E B R I T I S H B R A N D H AS O P E N E D I T S A R C H I V E
TO R E L E AS E A R E T R O C O L L E C T I O N O F S H I R T S
S PA N N I N G T H E ’6 0 S -’ 9 0 S . E AC H P R I N T W I L L
DROP I NTO STOR ES TH ROUG HOUT TH E SEASON .

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP

Cotton ‘The Ronnie’ shirt, $120, by Ben Sherman.
Cotton ‘The Sugarman’ shirt, $120, by Ben Sherman.
Cotton ‘The Kingly’ shirt, $120, by Ben Sherman.
Limited-edition archive range; bensherman.com.au
PHOTOGRAPHY: SASKIA WILSON. TALENT: LUCA AT KULT MODELS.
GROOMING: JOEL PHILLIPS AT VIVIENS CREATIVE.

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 STYLE
GROOMING
SCENT
David Beckham
REPORT
‘Respect’ EDT,
$49 (90ml)
Becks is back and his
range continues to offer
some of the best value in
this category. The latest
incarnation is built around
a smoky variety of Haitian
vetiver with pink
peppercorns and a touch
of basil. You won’t find
anything better at this
price point. chemistware
house.com.au
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E D I T E D BY DAVI D SM I E DT
Editions De
Parfums Frédéric
Malle ‘Bigarade
Concentrée’ EDP,
$278 (100ml)
Jean-Claude Ellena’s
creation is built on a base
of hay and cedar with a
hint of rose. However, the
dominant element is a new
bitter orange essence
developed specifically for
the perfumer. Super fresh.
mecca.com.au
BEARDS
Kilian ‘Black
Phantom’ EDP,
$531 (50ml)
Packaging aside – a black
lacquered box encrusted
with a memento mori
skull – this is a bold and
yearning blend of
Martinique rum, Ethiopian
coffee, sugarcane and
a touch of cyanide. Yes,
cyanide. libertine
parfumerie.com.au
STRIKING OIL
A
s with so much else, Tom Ford set the ball
rolling when he brought out a range of beard
oils to match some of his existing scents.
Penhaligon’s did likewise and now Burberry
has joined the party with a companion to its
best fragrance in years, ‘Mr Burberry’. With
notes of cinnamon, tarragon and patchouli, ‘Mr Burberry
Beard Oil’, $56 (30ml), pulls double duty by conditioning your
face fur. Also on board is Viktor & Rolf with its smash-hit
PHOTOGRAPHY: EDWARD URRUTIA .
‘Spicebomb’ spawning a scented oil. ‘Spicebomb Pre-Shave Oil’,
$35 (30ml), is only available from overseas and despite having
“pre-shave” on the bottle, also functions fetchingly on a beard.
From an item that can only be sourced internationally to one
that is finally here – Kiehl’s ‘Nourishing Beard Grooming Oil’,
$45 (30ml), contains salicylic acid, which buffs away dead skin
cells thus nixing the dreaded beardruff. The sandalwood and
eucalyptus scent can also substitute for your scent of choice.
au.burberry.com; selfridges.com; kiehls.com.au
Bear necessities
Clear skin is as much about what you
put into your body as on it. A decent
diet is the obvious answer, but the right
supplements can give your complexion
a kick along. The new Bear range, $90
for 60 tablets, comes in four varieties,
each with a specific aim: ‘Perform’,
‘Protect’, ‘Restore’ and ‘Explore’. If
we had to pick one, it would be the last,
which includes skin-boosting (and
flu-fighting) vitamin C along with
rhodiola (which combats environmental
stressors). bearjournal.com
 STYLE
HAIR

THE
LONG Long
and loud
GAME
“The best way to achieve
this look is by using a
hairdryer with a diffuser,

D
alternating between the
cool and hot settings,”
says Sylva. “Cool will set
hair without fluff and
on Draper RIP. The heat will speed up the
era of the slick side drying process for the
time-poor. Flip hair over
part is over. Military while blow drying for
cuts have been added volume and
movement. Distribute
decommissioned. De Lorenzo ‘Elements
AW17 is all about Barrel Wave Curl
going to great lengths. Think Led Defining Lotion’, $23.50
(150g), using your
Zeppelin in their prime or Morrissey thumb and forefinger for
on holiday. It may seem intimidating added grit.” For styling,
to pull off, but De Lorenzo hair Fitzgerald and Pimpa
recommend L’Oréal
ambassador Rob Sylva from Sydney’s ‘Professionel Tecni.Art
Halt Hair, and stylists Glen Fitzgerald Wild Stylers Beach
Waves’, $34 (150ml).
and Leo Pimpa, from Franck Provost “This texturing salt
Double Bay, have you covered. water spray creates
tousled, sexy hair with
a matte finish,” says
Fitzgerald. “Spray it on
dry or semi-dry hair
and work it through to
enhance natural waves
and create thickness
and texture.” ry.com.au

Full flow The

PHOTOGRAPHY: ALEX JOHN BECK .

“This look is better

achieved a day or two
after washing, as the
Morrissey
“Ask your stylist for a one
hair is more malleable,” or two shave, leaving length
says Sylva. The night on the top,” says Sylva.
before, Sylva advises “Using a round brush,
spritzing De Lorenzo blow-dry for desired height
‘Elements Ocean Mist and body, sprinkling a little
Sea Salt Styling Spray’, De Lorenzo ‘Elements
$24.50 (195ml) to give Quicksand Matt Volumising
the hair gritty texture, Powder’, $18.95 (10g), on the
followed by applying ‘De roots. Next, use a pomade
Lorenzo DMan Pomade’, for fine hair or wax for thick
$24.95 (80g), sparingly hair.” Pimpa adds, “This look
towards the crown of is a tapered fade with a ’50s
the head to achieve the style rock quiff. For instant
sleek look at the roots. definition with medium hold,
“Section the hair into a use L’Oréal ‘Professionnel
middle part using a tail Homme Clay’, $27 (50ml).
comb and style hair into It gives an intense matte
two braids,” says Sylva. effect and pliable texture.
“Then sleep on it. Undo Emulsify a small amount in
braids in the morning your hands, adding more as
and add De Lorenzo needed, and work hair into
‘Defence Argan Oil’, shape. You can also blast
$29.95 (50ml) to smooth with a hair dryer after
out the ends of the hair, applying the clay – the
starting at mid-length. product won’t leave any
This look works best visible residue but the
with medium to fine hold remains.”
hair.” delorenzo.com.au priceattack.com.au

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 STYLE
KNOWLEDGE

DATE-NIGHT
GROOMING
WHETHER IT’S A FIRST ENCOUNTER OR A MANDATORY ROMANCE
STRATEGY IN AN EXISTING RELATIONSHIP, FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE
AS CRUCIAL AS EVER TO WHATEVER OUTCOME YOU’RE VYING FOR.

1 3
Mouth guards 2
Beyond the normal dental Bronze up
hygiene, which can help a Even in winter, you know
date sink or soar, you may you look better with a
need to go the extra mile tan and so does she/he/
in terms of shine and they. Keep things subtle
freshness. The Blaq ‘Teeth with Charlotte Tilbury
Whitening Wand’, $19.95, ‘Overnight Bronze & Glow
uses activated charcoal Mask’, $76 (50ml). Apply
to turn up the smile the night before and you’ll
wattage. Apply a thin wake up not only burnished
layer, wait 20 minutes, but also dry enough to
rinse and beam. For added wear a white shirt without
allure, pop a Lush worry. charlottetilbury.
‘Mouthwash Tab’, $11.95 com/au

4
(30 tabs), on to your
tongue. They dissolve
almost instantly, are
available in three flavours
(try Crème de Menthe)
and are super-handy
when your toothbrush 3
isn’t. blaq.co; lush.com.au Get your
1 trim on

2
Nose hair, ear hair and
pubices – these three
horsemen of the grooming
apocalypse need to be
wrangled, stat. As does
the neck area. Get the
Easy on 4 Braun ‘Male Grooming Kit
the scent 9 in 1’, $119, which
features attachments that
Repeat after us: less is
more. Let’s say your date will do the job from head
is at 7pm. The prime time to toe. Speaking of
to apply scent is 5pm. You which… trim those nails,
want two hours to let it too – hands and feet.
diminish in intensity and shavershop.com.au

5
settle on your skin so that
the base and mid notes
begin to develop. Stuck
for a suggestion? Comme
des Garçons Gosha
Rubchinskiy EDT, $108
(100ml), is the brainchild Wash and
PHOTOGRAPHY: EDWARD URRUTIA .

of the namesake Russian

design wunderkind and
style hair
Before reapplying hair
includes angelica root,
product, ask yourself:
blue chamomile and
Have I applied today?
buchu, among a host
And have I showered since
of other unusual notes.
doing so? If you answered
mecca.com.au
yes then no, then stop. To
avoid product overload,
just run damp fingers
through hair to reactivate
product, then reshape for
an easy, after-dark finish.

86 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
 LIVE HEALTHY.
STYLE DAILY.
INSPIRE OFTEN.
OPEN YOUR MIND.
OPEN A JAR.

For local stockist enquiries / Australia 1300 764 437 / New Zealand 0800 456 426 / info@sabre-group.com
 YO U R E S S E N T I A L G U I D E T O T H E B E S T W R I S T W E A R

WATCH
E D I T E D BY M I KE C H R I STE N SE N

BLACK
IS THE
NEW BLACK
T H A N KS TO T H E S E B A D B OYS .

CIAO,
BELLO
On the eighth day,
God gave us the ‘Octo
Ultranero’ – a sheer force
of biblical proportions.
Except, it’s 2017 and
Bulgari is the creator.
Contrary to the
assumption that this
eight-sided piece must
be named after either
a Roman god or Marvel
superhero, various
attempts to translate it
deny any such fact. But
don’t let that detract from
this rugged beauty. The
case’s black Diamond Like
Carbon (DLC) treatment
gives the updated watch
a new strength and
mystery, all very Bulgari in
its boldness. And there’s
a dexterity to the stainless
steel ‘Octo Ultranero’
befitting the modern-day
gent – it’s as much at
home in a fast-paced
environment as it is
sitting, proudly and
powerfully, in the Italian
sun. $9950; bulgari.com
Power
couple
BLACK
GOLD
One piece that slipped
somewhat beneath the
SIHH radar this year is
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s
latest ceramic/rose gold
‘Master Compressor
Chronograph’. With
what looks like a pair of
flirtatious red hearts on
the crown, this 46mm
piece is the sportiest of
the ‘Master Compressor
Chronographs’ to date,
thanks in part to
increasingly-more-
masculine 18K rose gold
set against the boldly
masculine black ceramic.
It reminds us of Sam
Sparro’s ‘Black and Gold’
and not just in appearance
– a big hit exuding an
elegant manliness with
the potential to become
a classic. $21,500;
jaeger-lecoultre.com
WATCH
Hublot meets Berluti; watch meets leather;
gentlemen meet the new ‘Scritto All Black Classic
Fusion Chronograph Berluti’ timepiece. After the
success of last year’s ‘Classic Fusion Berluti’ line,
the dream team is back with another example of
unique craftsmanship. Limited to 250 pieces, this very
wearable 45mm ceramic ‘Classic Fusion Chronograph
Berluti All Black’ again has an embossed leather face,
only this time the dial features two counters at 3 and
9 o’clock. Despite a growing reputation as being a bit
of a playboy of the pack, Hublot shows that it also
does refined luxury well. While we prefer the less
showy ceramic version, the ‘King Gold’ is a shoe-in
(sorry) for louder Hublot lovers. $21,600; hublot.com
A
ROYAL
FIRST
Six hundred hours of research to develop
a watch case (so Audemars Piguet claims) is
no mean feat. But how is that broken down? Well,
when it comes to a matte black brushed ceramic
case, it’s near impossible to break down. This
original and macho take on the legend that is
the ‘Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar’ is a far more
complex specimen than it may seem. Ordinarily,
a stainless steel ‘Royal Oak’ case and bracelet
takes no more than six hours to machine, polish,
hand-finish and assemble. But for the ceramic
bracelet? Try 30 hours. And it’s this kind of technical
innovation, and focus, that will continue to drive one
of the oldest Swiss watchmakers into the future.
Because not everyone needs smartwatches to stay
afloat. $123,000; audemarspiguet.com.au
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FASHION’S BIGGEST NIGHT IS BACK!

MELBOURNE SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

SYDNEY SEPTEMBER 7, 2017
SHOP LIKE A VOGUE VIP FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY.
PLAN YOUR NIGHT AT FNO.VOGUE.COM.AU
F I N A N C E , I N N O VAT I O N , B U S I N E S S S AV V Y A N D T H E K E YS T O S E C U R I N G P R O F E S S I O N A L S U C C E S S

INC.
The
Odd
Couple
I T ’ S T H E U N L I K E LY S T O RY O F A B I L L I O N - D O L L A R L U X U RY I TA L I A N L A B E L ,
E R M E N E G I L D O Z E G N A , A N D   A D U S T Y, R E M O T E AU S T R A L I A N FA R M . Y E T T H I S
PA R T N E R S H I P D E L I V E R S S O M E T H I N G A L L L A R G E B U S I N E S S E S C R AV E — A U T H E N T I C I T Y.

W O R D S ADAM BAI DAW I

 INC.

Y
ou may have wondered,
as we have, how the
chairman of one of the
world’s most renowned
luxury menswear brands
dresses on the weekend.
Are there any sartorial lapses? Does comfort
wrestle back dominance from style?
The answers are as upsetting as they
are predictable. On this chilly Saturday
morning at a domestic airport terminal
in Melbourne, surrounded by a sea of grey
melange sweatpants and graphic tees,
61-year-old Paolo Zegna appears as a walking
lookbook in his pressed cream trousers and
a complementary woollen knit, hidden under
an impeccable, waxed leather jacket. The
Italian’s accessories are quiet, at a glance,
but upon further inspection, infallible:
tortoiseshell specs and sturdy RM Williams
boots (a healthy personal obsession).
Zegna is lanky and, age considered, quite
rakish. He puts himself together in a way
that feels complete – a man whose style has
reached its zenith. Through the weekend,
his every change of ensemble feels just right.
He’s unfussy luxury – sprezzatura without
the attention-seeking Pitti attitude.
After our experience in the domestic
terminal, there’s an urge to defend the way
Australians dress. We’re better than this,
honest. After all, former Prime Minister
Paul Keating has a famed collection of Zegna
suits. But there’s no need to argue. Paolo is
very familiar with Oz, having been a regular
visitor since the age of 23.
“The thing that surprised me the most,
the thing I’ll never forget, was the light,” powerhouse joining forces with a class- The brand has produced textiles since
says Zegna. “The light in Australia is the leading, if small-scale, Australian agricultural 1910, feeding directly into its ready-to-wear
best that I have ever seen. It’s clear, it’s pure, business. Though to be clear, Achill is business which launched in the late ’60s. The
the colours more vivid.” a bastion of top-shelf, Australian-grown, nature of Zegna’s textiles is so covetable that
The country with the pure light would sartorially-ideal merino wool. And few could many other brands look to the company for
become an unlikely partner in Zegna’s role as understand this quite as well as Zegna. sourcing – its client list includes Tom
the chairman of Ermenegildo Zegna, Italy’s Since 1963, the menswear brand has Ford, Gucci and YSL, among others.
century-old, billion-dollar luxury textile and presented the Ermenegildo Zegna Wool Zenga’s quest to have total control of
menswear brand. It would also introduce Awards, an annual ceremony honouring the production process – something the
him to his long-term romantic partner, the Australia’s best wool suppliers. It is a natural company dubs “sheep-to-shop” – is a curious
daughter of a Tasmanian sheep farmer who alignment for Zegna as it has been among wrinkle in the luxury industry. Think of it
previously supplied the company with wool. the largest buyers of Aussie wool for most as a luxe/rugged petri dish that could reveal
In 2014, decades after Zegna’s first of the 20th century. Project Achill is part the future of fashion retail.
Australian jaunt, his team were in Sydney, R&D exercise, part public relations coup, “We wanted to close the circle,”
wining and dining sixth-generation sheep and only represents around five per cent of explains Zegna. “At this point, I believe
farmer Charlie Coventry. Soon after, hands Zegna’s total wool supply – some 20,000kg. we’re the only international company to
were shaken, ink was put to paper and Zegna But the business partnership hints at a much be fully integrated.”
bought a 60 per cent stake in Coventry’s bigger plan for the brand, and luxury fashion A few hours later, we’re in another airport
Achill Farm, a 2500ha property outside houses more broadly. – a tiny one in Armidale, some 500km north
Armidale NSW. The deal was as innovative Brand Zegna has always been achingly of Sydney. The weather’s gone to hell. It’s
as it was unlikely: a luxury Italian fashion modern in matters of vertical integration. bucketing down. Today, it’s hard to see what

92 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17

Zegna first saw in Australia’s light. Frankly,
it’s just plain hard to see. After a short drive,
we’re introduced to a rainy, muddy, would-be
miserable Saturday morning on the Achill
Farm. We say ‘would-be’, because the
scenes here – the mood here – is somewhat
rapturous. On this farm, the rain is cathartic.
More precisely, it’s very, very good for
business. It’s the heaviest day of rainfall the
farm’s seen in four years. Our brogues are
soaked through but there are grins on
the faces of Zegna and Coventry.
“When growers meet, they don’t ask,
‘How’s your wife?’ They ask, ‘How’s the
rain?’” says Zegna. The fashion house learnt
its lesson quickly after acquiring a majority
stake of the Achill farm, when the New
England region fell into its worst drought
in 150 years. The drought saw the number
of sheep on the farm drop by almost 25 per
cent. Those numbers are only trending
upwards now, and gently at that, currently
resting at about 10,000.
Coventry is as instantly affable as an
Aussie woolgrower ought to be (he prefers
to be called Charlie – never Charles).
“I count myself as the luckiest superfine
woolgrower in Australia to have Paolo as a
business partner,” says Coventry. “He brings
an impeccable business acumen. It helps us
to think very differently about what we do.”
Zegna adds, “It’s a difficult business. It’s
a passionate business. The people who stay
in the countryside are the people who love
the country. They give their time, their
passion, their lives to it.” Zegna looks to
Coventry as he continues. “They care
about every animal. They treat them
more like daughters than livestock.”
We wander through a patch of the
rain-soaked grounds, Zegna and Coventry
leading the way.
Ed, a wide-eyed, clean-shaven 23-year-old,
is commanding a working dog, hundreds
of metres away. He’s herding nearly 1100
sheep with only a wave and a whistle – one
inexplicably audible to the dog through
howling wind and downpour.
It’s quite remarkable to think that at
Achill, guided only by the whistle of the
youngest bloke on the farm, is the beginning
of thousands of luxury superfine woollen
suits, eventually to be spruiked by
a monolithic Italian fashion house.
It’s a sartorial story most unlikely.
Zegna is utterly drenched as he takes
in the scene. His RMs are there, among
the mud and dung, a loyal spectator on the
factory line. “The feeling of adventure is
even better with the rain,” he grins.
He’s seen Ed do his thing dozens of times,
but he still looks mesmerised. This kind of
authentic moment – the billion-dollar brand
chairman taking such interest in a sustainable
production process in a tiny rural area of
Australia – is a moment that luxury brands
have, understandably, started to chase.
Like every other big player in the sector,
this fashion powerhouse had to contend with
the global downturn. Equally as difficult,
though, was contending with #menswear.
A few years back, when the pendulum
swung away from luxury toward trend-
driven pieces, a reflection process began.
Zegna’s quest
to have total
production
control, from
sheep to shop,
is a curious
wrinkle in the
luxury industry.
INC.
“The consumer today wants to go well
beyond the window,” explains Zegna. “He
wants to know much more. He’s developed
a certain degree of curiosity. If you’re
offering him something, he wants to know
– how is it made? Where does it come from?
What is the philosophy of the makers?”
Naturally, plenty of brands started to
flex muscles that read “authenticity” and
“history”; even though these were muscles
they didn’t really earn in the gym.
“Everybody says the same thing,” says
Zegna. “Everybody thinks they can say,
‘I was the first to buy wool’, or ‘We’re
100 years old.’ I don’t know what archives
they’ve been looking through?”
It’s not to suggest a billion-dollar brand
like Zegna didn’t hit a crisis of identity and
resist the temptation to be something else.
“It was what we thought the customers
may have expected us to be,” explains Zegna.
“To be younger, more fashionable, a little
bit extreme. We tried. We can say it wasn’t
particularly successful. It was possibly
a mistake, but you have to make mistakes.
Then, you simply correct them.”
In 2017, the mistakes appear to be
corrected. The mid-life crisis is over.
Character, as ever, has risen to the fore.
Zegna’s latest global campaign is helmed by
a face that’s ubiquitous, but unfamiliar on
billboards and YouTube pre-rolls: Robert
De Niro. Trace the actor’s career and you’ll
see that advertisements and endorsements
are wildly, uncompromisingly rare.
“He is a god,” shrugs Zegna. “He’s also
a customer of ours. He has courage in who
he is. His messages – of understanding what
you want, and doing it – are so important.”
The answer to the Zegna challenge, as it
is with most things, was a subtle shift in
direction – a recalibration of the compass.
“We didn’t have to ‘create’ anything to
feel authentic,” says Zegna. “We simply had
to start communicating better these things
that are real, and part of our history.”
The next morning, the clouds part as
our plane begins its take-off from Armidale.
The rain, which hasn’t stopped for 48 hours,
switches off. The pilots explain that this
departure will be gentler than yesterday’s.
Up in the air, looking down, a glimmer of
light bounces off the Wollomombi River, the
body of water that hugs the east side of
Achill Farm. The direct sun is hitting the
river, creating a brilliant yawn of light. From
up here, it’s not hard to see what Zegna saw,
all those years ago. n
Learn Coventry’s top tips for business
partnerships at gq.com.au; zegna.com.au
AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 93
 INC.
The
Inc
list
THE BOOK
As the title of Think Small
suggests, achieving change
and heading towards an
ameliorated existence is to
understand the impact of
making minor changes.
Written by members of the
Nudge Unit – a team that
started off as a government
office in London’s Downing
Street before achieving global
success (the original nudge
theory is claimed to have aided
Obama’s rise to high office)
– the book melds practical
information and insights with
scientifically researched,
evidence-based theories.
Think of it as a first small step.
$29.99; HARDIE GRANT
94 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
THE
TECH
Microsoft has added to
the ‘Surface’ family with
a stylish new laptop
– sleek, fast and said
to be the thinnest out
there. Best yet, it has a
battery life that dwarfs
all comers. Played.
FROM $1499;
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EN-AU; HARVEY
NORMAN.COM.AU
THE
TOUR
Leo and Oprah’s advice
guru, Tony Robbins, is
also the world’s most
respected life and
business strategist
(and arguably the tallest,
at 6ft 7). He’s heading
back here for a four-day
seminar, Unleash the
Power Within. We’re keen
to do just that. And finally
open that bar.
SYDNEY, SEPTEMBER
14 –17, FROM $995;
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THE KIT THE APP
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especially with simple, of Noisli for a while now and
if luxurious accessories, are happy to champion it
such as this eye mask and as a necessary workday
luggage tag companion that actually
from Bottega assists in increased
Veneta, each productivity. Simply open,
in black leather choose a sound (water,
and featuring waves, fire, white, pink or
the house’s brown noise and, well, the
trademark buzz of a coffee shop and
intrecciato beyond) and watch as
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THE
MID-YEAR
CAREER
REVIEW
S
NOW’S THE BEST TIME TO EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL HEALTH CHECK AND MAKE SURE YOU’RE STILL ON COURSE.
tick with us on this – it’s Aussie
actor (and one-time CK bulge)
Travis Fimmel’s maiden voyage
WORDS: DAVID HALLIDAY. PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES.
aboard Vikings. His enterprising
Norsemen suddenly decide to
check their course with a floating
sundial contraption under the watchful gaze of
Fimmel’s baby blues. Had they not made that
valuable course correction, Fimmel wouldn’t have
put boots on the ground in sunny England and
slaughtered all those monks in episode two.
And so, hedonistic TV pillaging aside, even the
most distant of goals need constant reassessing
– especially when eyeing off a corner suite with
an actual door that actually closes.
Steve Hammond, executive search specialist
and director of Kingfisher Recruitment, believes
that whatever your industry, what’s essential is
not only some sort of mud map of where you want
W
W S
W S
your career to go, but also an ability to stay
on course. Because a decent progression in your
professional life will require frequent reviews
and tweaks as your skill set expands and you learn
more about future opportunities.
Being open to a new role when it’s presented
is great, but that leaves the destiny of your
W S
career path in someone else’s hands. And if you’re
sitting by an iPhone waiting for a recruiter to
call with the next big opportunity, you’ll be
left waiting a while.
“Regular discussions with a specialist recruiter
is a good idea,” says Hammond. “As is giving real
thought to your annual review and engaging in
an honest dialogue with your current employer
about where you want to go.”
And as much as it’s a giant cliché, the question
‘where do you want to be in five years?’ is one you
should have answers to.
INC.
THE GQ
CAREER
COMPASS
N Keep checking in
E
S
quickly and often
According to Warwick Peel, CEO
of Future Directors Institute and
Startup Boardroom, a career plan
needs serious reflection at least
twice a year. Minimum. Ideally,
once every quarter. And for this,
there’s no better time than during
July, when companies are talking
EFY and re-evaluating strategies
— and most employees are
popping Codral and hibernating,
along with any immediate career
plans. With the rest of the office
set to autopilot mode, it’s a good
opportunity to spin the wheels of
career development. “You set
aside monthly commitments on
your financial plans,” says Peel.
“Career plans are no different.”
N Keep in mind
E you’re at the tiller
To continue the directional
theme, considering that we spend
more time, on average, at our
desks than asleep, you’ll be much
happier if your career progress
is in your control – and not the HR
department’s. “If you are leaving
your career plan in the hands of
HR or hiring managers from within
your company, you’re beholden
to what’s best for the company,”
says Peel. “And that’s not
necessarily what is best for you.”
Keep goals versatile
N
Avoid the set-and-forget
E
approach where you create goals
and leave them to collect dust
on your (hopefully) metaphorical
vision board. The key is in
maintaining targets that are
active and adaptable. A career
plan should be fluid and always
evolving, and not a distraction
that gets in the way of kicking
goals in your current role.
N Keep your portfolio
E up to date
By updating your CV/LinkedIn/
portfolio every 12 months —
minimum — you can take stock of
achievements. Look at the skills
you’ve developed, both technical
and soft, and make sure you’re
moving in the right direction.
Does your organisation have
a performance review every six
to 12 months? Perfect. Instead
of closing your eyes and thinking
of England, use the review time
to document how your career is
tracking and what you’ll achieve
for the remainder of the year.
AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 95
For
knowing
where you
stand
FO R N E W S , R E V I E W S A N D V I D EO S O F T H E B E ST N E W CA R S , H E A D TO G Q . C O M . AU

CARS

W O R D S C R AI G JAM I ESON

SNOW
DRIFTS B R U TA L A M G P O W E R A N D S CA N T
G R I P M A K E FO R S T R A N G E LY
P E R F E C T B E D F E L LO W S I N N E W
Z E A L A N D ’ S A L P I N E P R OV I N G
GROUNDS.

M AY 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 97
 CARS
T
hat guy’s going to spin.” Considering
he’s trying to manhandle a 375kW
Mercedes-AMG V8, it’s a fair
assumption. And, seeing as
we’re in a snow-filled playground,
high above the skiing mecca of
Queenstown on New Zealand’s South Island,
it’s nearly a foregone conclusion.
Unsurprisingly, we soon see a graceful pirouette
that could have been deliberate, were it not for
a brief pause before a wheel-spinning, 180-degree
flick rights the menacingly black sedan.
“Young guys do it every time,” says today’s
race driver-cum-instructor. “They get full
of hormones and go too hard.”
It seems faintly ridiculous that we can make
any progress at all. There’s metre-deep snow
on both the flat, open areas and bowl-shaped
ring that make up this section of the Southern
Hemisphere Proving Ground, an expansive facility
where international manufacturers test cars to
their frigid limits. We’re the only civilians anywhere
near the place, which is filled with professional
test drivers and engineering prototypes.
Incredibly, snow has more grip than a dirt road
– should you have proper snow tyres and can find
a juicy layer of flakes – with professional rally drivers
consistently clocking faster times on snowy surfaces
than on loose soil and rocks.
Still, on this day, there are a couple of issues
with putting that theory into practice. One: the
soft winter sun has melted much of the delicate,
susceptible snowflakes, which quickly refreeze as ice
in the sub-zero temperatures. It’s not that it’s hard
to get grip on the mirror-smooth ice – it’s that
98 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
there’s no grip at all, rendering a driver (read: us)
as little more than a passenger waiting and praying
for the wildly spinning wheels to find purchase.
Two: none of us are professional drivers. While
we’re being instructed by professional co-pilots,
those with their hands on the various wheels
– whose faces are stamped with smiles that exude
both fear and fun – are essentially friends and
preferred customers of Mercedes-AMG.
As marshmallow-soft as snow banks seem, we’re
told that underneath the almost inviting, powdery
white stuff sits a core of solid ice. Nevertheless,
over-eager and under-experienced drivers soon
find a way to punch AMG-sized holes in the
embankments. But they’re not the only ones
finding innovative new paths through the
frozen playground.
One of the drivers comes back from his run,
visibly shaken. While he’s learnt enough not to be
spooked by a spin, he wasn’t quite prepared for the
business end of a Porsche that was supposed to be
on an adjacent track. It turns out that a professional
driver, testing an upcoming Panamera, lost it into
a corner with enough speed to launch himself
backwards up the metre-high snow that separates
the two tracks, coming to rest on top of the
snowbank like that bus at the end of The Italian Job.
With whoops and cheers that can only come
from those with a competitive, race-bred mentality,
the instructors dispatch a GLS 63 to aid the
stuck car and stricken pilot.
It’s easy to see why they are in such a good
mood today – because regardless of the failings of
a competing brand’s driver, there’s a certain elation
that floods the body, from feet to fingertips, in
 CARS
Beyond the brothers sit two sets of AMGs
– maniacally powerful rear-drive V8s and
maniacally revving turbo fours with all-wheel-
drive. It’s no surprise they require seriously
different driving styles. And while Simon prefers
the former – and performing big, lazy drifts –
Nick’s firmly attached to the latter.
“The rear-drive cars take such finesse to get
right,” he says. “You can really wrestle the all-
wheel drives and recover from massive slides.”
His words ring true given we’ve just righted
an extended slide that’d have a professional
sweating sheets – a backwards corner entry at
more than 100km/h, all four wheels spinning as
the 2.0-litre turbo bounced off the rev limiter. But
it goes deeper than that. Each car has a distinctly
different character, even if they share the same
engines in similar levels of tuning. The compact
A 45 hatch, for instance, is easier to master than
the CLA 45 shooting brake (a station wagon in
the real world), but the incongruous thrill of
a four-wheel drift in such a lengthy beast more
POWERSLIDING A than makes up for it. The V8-powered options,

MERC-AMG meanwhile, are even more diverse.

ON SNOW
F O L LO W T H E S E
SIMPLE STEPS TO
AC H I E V E S U C C E S S .
(O R J U S T P L A N T I T,
S P I N A N D S M I L E .)
The C 63 coupé offers a hard edge lacking in the
sedan and wagon, letting it carry more speed into
each slide. But it’ll also bite more quickly and with
more force than those with four doors. The larger
E 63 rests on the other side of that coin, with a long
wheelbase and plenty of weight to throw around.
Mistakes tend to create a pendulum effect, erasing

ONE
all momentum and inducing worrying intestinal
rumbles. The CLS 63, even though it’s based on the
Enter the corner E-Class, is a much more forgiving animal, quickly
slower than you’d think becoming an unexpected favourite.
– about 30 to 40km/h
on tighter corners For a truly knife-edge experience, though, the
and up to 60km/h on a mercurial SL 63 is in a class of its own. Laser-
wide sweeper. It’s still
slippery out here.
precise in the right hands and instantly unforgiving

TWO
in the wrong ones, it takes a certain masochistic
bent – and dogged perfectionism – to try and make
Turn the wheel it behave. Most tend to choose something more
slightly and prod the accommodating. We don’t.
accelerator, preparing
to counter-steer as As for the low-slung AMG GT – well, it lends an
soon as the tail almost Bond-like air to proceedings. Naturally, it’s
whips out.
in high demand. But, as we get braver (and perhaps

Come off the power as
pulling off a successful powerslide on snow.
“I swear, I’ve just grown so many chest hairs,”
says Simon, bounding from an SL 63 after
sliding it, roof down, through a graceful arc.
“I’m running on adrenaline, testosterone and
Look at where you want
endorphins. I feel like I could knock out
George Foreman with one punch.”
Simon, and brother Nick, won a competition
to be here. They’re suitably pumped. Nick’s
philosophy to life has always been to say ‘yes’,
which he says is the reason he used to cast
pornography and why he’s also banned from
Las Vegas. We’ll leave it at that.
THREE
more reckless), it’s quietly retired before we can do
six figures’ worth of damage.
the back end swings As the day draws to a close, an incredible Zen
out and steer gently washes over the group. It’s a different ratio for each
into the slide.
driver, but is made of the same cocktail of emotions
FOUR
and hormones. There’s the sleepy comedown that
follows mainlining adrenaline for hours on end.
to go – your hands will There’s genuine fatigue, too – wrestling supercars
follow your vision. in the snow is both physically and mentally taxing.
FIVE
Keep the rear end
Then there’s the warm afterglow of satisfaction,
a dopamine hit that follows a job well done.
In any case, it’s a combination no less potent
out by feathering
the throttle, keeping than some fairly dedicated intimacy, followed by
small steering lock
into the slide. a couple of Valium and a whisky chaser. And it’s
arguably more addictive. n mercedes-amg.com

AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 99
 CARS
The test drive
BMW i8 PROTONIC RED EDITION
STYLING
This remains the i8’s core
allure – a stunning slice of
futuristic design that looks
like it’s been boosted from
a motor show. Or the set
of  a sci-fi flick. Indeed, of
all the cars we’ve driven
the past few years, this
conspicuous piece drew
large crowds and lengthy
levels of chat – people
snapping, stopping and
generally staring at the
lithe lines that peel back
from the low-impact front
grill. This limited version
means a special Protonic
Red metallic body with
contrasting grey accents
sat on 20” alloys. The
car’s arse, however, is
a mess in need of some
serious squats.
1 0 0 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
An exclusive take on what’s already one
of the world’s most exclusive sportscars
– because everyone knows red goes
faster, right? We open the scissor doors
on this limited-edition version of the
Tron-like hybrid racer.
ENGINE DRIVING
This hybrid beast runs on First things first – this
a 1.5-litre turbocharged isn’t a car to pick up an
three-cylinder petrol ageing parent in. The
engine plus a 131-hp dramatic scissor doors
electric motor. It means (you can’t park too close
a combined output of to other vehicles/walls)
266kW and 570Nm are one thing – though
torque and a zippy the slide and drop is
100km/h sprint of 4.4 accentuated by having to
seconds in ‘Sport’ mode cross a rather wide bit of
– that is, all four wheels carbon fibre bodywork.
powered by the two Once in, the sight is fine
motors (electric front/ and the driving is honest
petrol rear) via the six- and familiar. It’s a little
speed auto gearbox. The hard on the road at times
electric engine can be – which is to be expected,
fully charged this a sportscar, after
in a couple of hours with all – that said, there’s
a BMW i Wallbox – or plenty of grip when
by a normal socket for planting down some
a few hours more. The power. Steering’s agile
full-electric ‘eDrive’ and the feel is incredibly
range is a  disappointing light. In fact, your mum
37km – though it can hit could easily drive this –
a speed of 120km/h. if she’s able to get in.
PRICE/DELIVERY
At $299,000 (plus on-
roads and extras) this
isn’t cheap – and most
people with $300,000
burning a hole in their
back pocket are more
likely to make their way
over to another German
car dealership beginning
with ‘P’. But then again,
just as much as this is a
hybrid sportscar, it’s also
a work of technological
art – a piece of kit to be
admired and which is
a hell of a lot of fun.
Available now – with five
Protonic Reds set aside
for the local market.
FAST FACTS
BEST PLACE
TO DRIVE IT?
THROUGH WINDING
ROADS, AT SPEED.
OR LA – IT JUST FEELS
RIGHT OVER THERE.
COMMENTARY
FROM ONLOOKERS?
“WTF IS THAT?” AND
“CAN WE SIT IN IT?”
WHAT WOULD
WE CHANGE?
THE ABILITY TO
WIND THE WINDOWS
ALL THE WAY DOWN.
THIS IS, AFTER ALL,
AUSTRALIA AND
FAT-ARMING IS PART
OF OUR NATIONAL
MOTORING IDENTITY.
INTERIOR
Again, anyone familiar
with Bimmers will be
instantly at home in this
cabin – though some
further LED lighting
touches drive the
futuristic feel. Beyond
the easy-to-use displays
and tech, this special
edition announces itself
via some red highlights
and red double stitching.
As for the back seats,
they are there, but
they’re really only
suitable for toddlers.
WORDS: RICHARD CLUNE.
PRESENTING PARTNER PRINCIPAL PARTNER MAJOR PARTNERS MAJOR SUPPORTER

T H E N I CO L E C H OW
FA M I LY F O U N DAT I O N

Christian Dior, Paris (fashion house) | Christian Dior (designer)

Aventure ensemble, spring-summer 1948 haute couture collection
Photo © Patrick Demarchelier/Licensed by Art+Commerce | Model: Sasha Pivovarova, IMG Models
 HOW
TO
MODERN
BECOME A

ICON AND

WHAT
WE CAN
LEARN
FROM THEM
W O R D S JAKE M I LL AR
KIT HARINGTON
LESSON : KN OW W H E N TO COM M IT
“It’s like I’ve been sitting on
this big fucking secret,”
sighed Harington in a 2015
interview for the TV series that
has made him a household
name. The secret, of course,
was the livelihood of
Harington’s Game of Thrones
character, Jon Snow. For
the best part of a year, fans,
interviewers and pretty
much everyone else wanted
Harington – dead or alive –
to spill the beans. And yet he
didn’t. Not a word to even his
nearest and dearest about
Snow’s fate, until the stunning
revelation in season six.
Impressive stuff. Some
question if Harington will end
up typecast, forever trapped
in Snow’s beard, coat and
shadow – and maybe he will.
But he also saw it as an
opportunity to shape one of
the most iconic characters
of all time. And he nailed it.
 He was a writer on 30 Rock.
He’s recorded stand-up
specials for Comedy Central.
He’s an accomplished actor,
appearing in The Martian,
Spider-Man: Homecoming and
award-winning TV series
Atlanta (which he also created).
Plus, he’s a Grammy-nominated
musician who records and
performs under the name
Childish Gambino. While others
might find that achieving
success in a certain field can
come to define them, Glover
proves that just because you’ve
built a name for yourself in one
pursuit, you shouldn’t hold
back from exploring others.
And it doesn’t hurt to be as
talented as this 33-year-old.

DONALD
GLOVER
LESSON : PUSH YOU RSE LF
JAKE
GYLLENHAAL
LESSON : LET TH E WOR K
SPEAK FO R ITSE LF
He’s acknowledged as one of
the best actors of all time,
with a string of huge critical
and commercial movies under
his belt. Yet when it comes to
his personal life, Gyllenhaal
has played his cards close
to his chest – orchestrating
a mystery around himself
that’s meant he can remain
an on-screen chameleon
who defies typecasting.
PRINCE
HARRY
LESSO N : FI N D
YOU R PASS ION
After a few dicey years,
the fifth in line to the
throne has turned
things around, twice
serving in Afghanistan
and launching the
Invictus Games for
wounded armed
service personnel.
He remains the
foundation’s patron,
and proof that no
matter how good the

DAVID LYNCH
LESSON : MAKE YOU R
cards you’re dealt in
life, real success is
finding something
truly fulfilling.
OW N RU LES
No one else could have
dreamt up Twin Peaks, much
less made it. It’s complex,
lengthy and aggressively odd
– so Lynch’s forte. And while
his take-it-or-leave-it
approach sets him apart from
most traditional Hollywood
directors, that’s the whole
point. It can pay to be weird.
DWAYNE
JOHNSON
LESSON : B E N IC E ON
TH E WAY U P
With all the praise, pampering
and private jets, it’s a wonder
anyone in Hollywood stays
grounded. Which is why it’s all
the more impressive that the
world’s biggest movie star is
universally known as its nicest
– an attitude that paid off to the
tune of $64.5m last year alone.
JAMES
FRANCO
LESSO N : DO EVE RY TH I N G
There are some people who like
to sit back and reflect on their
achievements, and then there’s
James Franco. In addition to
releasing 15 films this year, he’s
a lecturer, published author and
a PhD student at Yale. Instead of
asking why he should be doing
something, Franco personifies
the phrase ‘Why not?’
FRANK
OCEAN
LESSON : KE E P
EVE RYO N E G U ESS I N G
He barely does interviews,
rarely performs live – and
spent two years toying with
us before dropping second
album, Blonde, last year.
Instead of explaining
himself, Ocean has made
being an enigma his
personal brand. The
music speaks volumes.
 HARRY
STYLES
LESSON : STAN D OUT FROM TH E PAC K
Yes, he was in a boy band. Certainly
the most successful boy band of our
time. But it was only after One
Direction split that we discovered
who Styles really is – and while we’ll
say nothing of his former band
mates’ efforts, turns out Styles can
actually sing. The 23-year-old
recognised the need to grow up
from his teen-friendly image,
quickly establishing himself as
a style icon and, more importantly,
produced the goods where it
counts: music. His self-titled debut
was the furthest thing from what
anyone expected and instead of
taking the easy route and phoning in
over-produced, sugar-sweet pop,
he delivered an album packed with
soaring vocals and genuine
old-school charm. Truth is,
chances don’t come along that
often, so make sure they count.
 JARED
LETO
LESSON : B R EAK TH E MOU LD
The saying goes: find a formula,
a look, a type that suits you and
stick to it. That saying didn’t work
for Leto because, other than the
blue of his irises, there’s not one
constant in his two decades in the
limelight. While there’s nothing to
censure about playing it safe,
having the audacity to display
individualism and personality is
a brilliant quality. Often quashed
as ‘OTT’, Leto is testament to
the fact that being different should
be celebrated and relished.
Whether on this particular
occasion, in head-to-toe Gucci,
or on any occasion.

NICK
CAVE
LESSON : DON’T C HANG E
The pain in his voice wasn’t new,
though it was heightened. Cave
owned the Sydney stage – a suited,
commanding force – on his first
local tour since losing his son in
2015. A lot had changed in his life,
and over the course of his 40-year
career. But Cave has never flirted
with trends, forever maintaining
an awareness and style that is, at its
core, authentic, and always will be.
CHRIS
PRATT
LESSO N : DO N’T TAKE
YOU RSE LF TOO
SE R IOUSLY
There are two Chris Pratts
– the charming everyman
many recognise from Parks
and Recreation, and the
chiselled movie star of
Jurassic World and
Guardians of the Galaxy.
Except, they’re the same
person – because despite
a physical transformation,
Pratt’s most endearing,
and enduring, quality is
his sense of humour.
CHRIS
HEMSWORTH
LESSO N : KE E P IT R EAL
“Saw the mountain, climbed it,
conquered, next. If at first you don’t
succeed, then quit.” Thor can’t be good
at everything – this, his analysis of
swinging at golf balls – but don’t mind
us, Chris, if we go right ahead and use
this motto as a life lesson on how to
approach anything. People like to say
they ‘keep it real’, but for a supposed
God of Thunder, we’ve rarely known
a more down-to-earth guy.
LEONARDO
DiCAPRIO
LESSO N : FUC K TH E HATE RS
There used to be two jokes about
DiCaprio. The first was that he’d
never win an Oscar and the second is
that he spends all his time on yachts
with supermodels. He responded to
the first by making some of the best
movies of the past two decades – and
winning an Oscar, for good measure.
As for the reason he spends so much
time chilling with supermodels, his
reasoning is pretty clear: because
he’s Leonardo DiCaprio. You’re not.

TOM
FORD
LESSON: DON’T COMPROMISE
Ford’s eponymous label is set to
become a billion-dollar brand by
2020. But the backbone to his
success has been the designer’s
painstaking attention to detail that
has made his products not just of
the highest quality – but totally,
unmistakably, Tom Ford.
CHANCE
THE RAPPER
LESSON : G IVE BAC K
Born, raised and Chicago through
and through, Chance the Rapper
won three Grammys this year as well
as worldwide admiration with his
performances of ‘How Great’ and
‘All We Got’. Less than a month later,
he donated $1m to Chicago public
schools. Full circle stuff, right there.
DAVID
BECKHAM
LESSO N : HAVE A PL AN
It was 1996 when a floppy-haired
Becks put boot to ball from the
halfway line at Wimbledon’s Selhurst
Park and scored one of the most
lauded goals of all time. What came
next was fame and fortune, Posh
Spice and a deserved status as one
of soccer’s greatest players and role
models. But in the years since, he’s
all but written the book on how
to turn on-field success into an
off-field brand – branching out
into everything from clothing
to fragrances. The secret of
his transition from player to
multimillion-dollar business is not
simply his surname, but that each
project reflects the same high
standards Beckham set for himself
when he captained England.
 RYAN
GOSLING
LESSON : LEAR N TO SAY ‘N O’
Following his big break in
The Notebook, Gosling could have
done the easy thing and churned
out mindless blockbusters.
Instead, he’s the poster child for
career evolution, carefully
choosing projects that fit his image
and – more importantly – turning
down anything that doesn’t.

TOM
HARDY
LESSON : B E YOU R
OW N MAN
The British actor has
always been a mix of
heady and attractive
emotion – a man unafraid
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES.
to flex necessary muscle
but who’s also au fait with
publicly outing his loves
and occasional sorrow
(cue his recent open
letter detailing the
sadness he felt at
losing his dog, Woody).
He’s a complex man.
A conflicted man. But
more than anything else,
a man all of his own.
ADAM
DRIVER
LESSON : PL AY TO
YOU R STR E NGTH S
Whether proving himself
in indie flicks Midnight
Special and Jim
Jarmusch’s Paterson, or
appearing in movies such
as Star Wars: The Force
Awakens, Driver has
stood out by finding his
niche, not fighting it.
RAF
SIMONS
LESSO N : DO N’T TRY
TOO HAR D
Worn by the likes of A$AP
Rocky and Rihanna,
Simons’ own brand is
among fashion’s most
sought-after. But the
unassuming Belgian
designer shuns the
spotlight – proof that the
key to being on-trend is
not trying to be cool,
but staying real.
 S T Y L I N G OLIVIA HAR DI NG

WELL SUITED
AMER ICAN MODEL GARRET T N EFF SPORTS TH E B EST N EW OFFICE LOOKS.
P H OTO G R A P H Y J ESSE LI ZOT TE
Navy wool suit, POA,
and white cotton
shirt, $239, both
by BOSS; blue silk
tie, $129, by Brooks
Brothers; silver ‘Slim
d’Hermès’ watch,
$10,000, by Hermès.
Wool coat, $7275,
and wool suit, $6875,
both by Ermenegildo
Zegna; cotton shirt,
POA, by Dunhill at
Harrolds; wool/
silk tie, $350, by
Giorgio Armani.
Black wool coat,
$5590, and white
cotton shirt, $575,
both by Salvatore
Ferragamo; black
wool tie, approx.
$150, by Kingsman at
Mr Porter; silver ‘Slim
d’Hermès’ watch,
$10,000, by Hermès;
white gold ‘Santos
de Cartier’ bracelet
(worn throughout),
$4700, by Cartier.
Beige wool
jacket, POA,
and white/blue
cotton shirt,
POA, both by
Louis Vuitton.
Cashmere coat,
$7400, and
cashmere pants,
$1300, both by
Giorgio Armani;
cotton shirt, $500,
by Dries Van Noten;
wool tie, approx.
$190, by Berluti.
Wool coat,
$3790,
and cotton
jumper,
$875, both
by Salvatore
Ferragamo.
Silk/wool suit,
POA, by Berluti;
silk bespoke shirt,
approx. $780,
by Emma Willis;
stainless steel
‘Reverso Classic’
watch, $11,200, by
Jaeger-LeCoultre
at J Farren-Price.
 Wool blend double-
breasted suit, approx.
$3535, by Cerruti 1881;
wool tie, POA, by Dunhill
at Harrolds; silk bespoke
shirt, approx. $780,
by Emma Willis; silver
‘Slim d’Hermès’ watch,
$10,000, by Hermès.
Wool coat, $7295,
wool flannel double-
breasted suit,
$6080, and cotton
shirt, $1105, all by
Hermès; leather
loafers, $649, by
Church’s at David
Jones; stainless
steel ‘Reverso
Classic’, $11,200,
by Jaeger-LeCoultre
at J Farren-Price.

Talent
Garrett Neff at IMG
Grooming
Pete Lennon
at Company1
using R+Co
 HOW ONE MAN
DROVE INTO THE
CENTRE OF A
DARING AND
DANGEROUS
CRIME.
W O R D S PAU L KIX I L LU S T R AT I O N FR AN C ESCO FR ANCAVI LL A
AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 125
 THEY WORE NO COATS. THEY JUST SHIVERED IN THE CRISP NIGHT AIR.
TO THE CAB DRIVER WHO SLOWED TO STUDY THE THREE MEN WHO’D
CALLED FOR A RIDE, THIS SEEMED STRANGE. IT WAS JANUARY IN
SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA AND THE TEMPERATURE HAD DIPPED TO
10 DEGREES. YET THESE MEN ONLY WORE COLLARED SHIRTS. AS THEY
PILED INTO LONG MA’S CAR, THE DRIVER FILED THAT DETAIL AWAY.
“Take us to Walmart,” said the man who taking a room at a boarding house and Once at Target, the men were inside
settled into the passenger seat – and this was starting a new life as a self-employed cabbie. a long time. Ma had no way of knowing what
the second signal that something was off. He never bothered to get his car they were doing in there – that they were
Ma recognised the man’s voice as the one – a worn Honda Civic – registered for desperate for phones, clothes, and some
who’d called for the cab, telling Ma that he commercial use. He didn’t see the point. semblance of a plan. For all their casual
and his friends had needed a ride home. Little Saigon had always felt to him like silence since getting picked up, the three men
His name was Bac Duong and he spoke a place that enforced its own rules, and so had grown impatient. The night was ticking
to Ma in Vietnamese – their shared native he lived by an old Vietnamese proverb: The away. Outside, Ma was trying hard not to be
language – and wore on his thin and weary king’s rule ends at the village gate. He was frustrated, too. He paced to the far end of the
face a salt-and-pepper goatee. It was 9.30pm, 71, and in more ways than one, he was on deserted parking lot, a slim Vietnamese
and now they wanted to go shopping. What his own. The work had a way of easing the cigarette between his fingers. He had been
happened to going home? Ma wondered. loneliness he felt. asleep when Duong had called and he hadn’t
In the rear-view mirror, Ma could see At Walmart, Ma dropped the men off bothered changing out of his pyjamas. This
Duong’s friends, quiet in the backseat: at the door and was asked to wait. But soon was supposed to be just a quick ride, he
Jonathan Tieu, a pimply 20-year-old, and 43-year-old Duong and the others wandered thought. What was going on in there?
Hossein Nayeri, a 37-year-old athletic back to the car. They needed to go to It was after 11.30pm when they emerged,
Persian with an air of insouciance. a Target in Rosemead instead, they told Ma. and as they found their seats in the car,
Ma said nothing, just plotted a course As Ma began to protest – the store was Duong seemed to sense the driver’s agitation.
through the outlays of Orange County. 45 minutes away – Duong reassured him. “My mum’s place is right around here,” he
Ma had moved to greater Los Angeles’s Little “Look, we’ll pay you $100 extra.” lied. “Take us there, please.”
Saigon four years ago, after a painful divorce, “Fine,” said Ma. The streets were dark and quiet, and after

126 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
a few minutes, Duong motioned to a coffee
shop that anchored a mangy strip mall. “Pull
in here,” he said. Ma realised this was no
home, but he reluctantly complied. As Ma
parked, Duong twisted around and locked
eyes with Tieu in the back seat. Duong spoke
in English, “Give me the gun.”
Ma flinched. His eyes darted to the mirror,
and he watched with panic as Tieu handed
Duong a pistol. A moment later, Duong had
it pointed at Ma and told the driver, calmly,
in Vietnamese, “We need your help.”
Ma’s mind raced. “Please, just take what you
want,” Ma told Duong, his heart drumming
in his ribs. Duong flashed him an odd look.
“No, you need to come with us,” said
Duong. “Get out of the car.”
The men patted the driver down and
placed him in the backseat, where Tieu
trained the gun on Ma’s stomach. Nayeri
jumped behind the wheel, and they set
out for a nearby motel.
By the time they arrived, Ma was
convinced he was going to die – he just didn’t
know how or when. Inside a cramped room,
he watched as his captors pulled clothes and
cell phones from their shopping bags. The
men were growing tired now, it was clear.
He watched as Nayeri, who he suspected
was the group’s ringleader, splayed out on one
of the two beds. Ma was ordered to double up
with Duong on the other as Tieu curled up
on the floor near the door, resting the gun
carefully under his pillow. For Ma, there was
no escape and, with all the dread he felt, no
easy way to fall asleep.
In the morning, as the sun broke through
the curtains, the old man felt Duong roll
over and grab for the remote. He clicked it
and the TV came alive with breaking news
of a daring prison escape.
“Hey,” Duong shouted, “that’s us!”
Mug shots filled the screen. A massive
manhunt, Ma now learnt, was underway
for the three guys he was watching sit up
in bed. They were riveted as the broadcasters
ran through the litany of alleged crimes that
had put them in jail – murder, attempted
murder, kidnapping and torture. They
hooted and marvelled at their own images
on TV, their instant fame.
The scheme that had won them their
freedom had clicked into motion a day earlier
in the last moments before dawn. That was
when Duong – sprawled on a bunk in the
open-floor dormitory of the Orange County
Jail’s Module F – had watched the guard
finish his 5am head count. In the months that
the three men had been formulating an
escape plan, a series of factors inside the jail
had been tilting the odds of success in their
favour. According to a lawsuit later filed on
behalf of jail guards, the facility had grown
overburdened and insufficiently staffed.
Duong had allegedly exploited this, tapping
criminal contacts on the outside to help
him acquire contraband tools that could
be useful in an escape.
Gathering intel had been easier than it
should have been, too. Months earlier, Nayeri
had met a college instructor, a woman named
Nooshafarin Ravaghi, who visited the jail to
teach English. She spoke four languages and
had authored a series of children’s books
about a girl discovering her Persian roots.
When the Iranian-born Nayeri began
attending her class, the two grew friendly.
She seemed to respond to his persuasive
charm, because one day she passed him
something he’d needed – a printout from
Google Earth that showed a satellite image
of the jail’s roof, one floor above Module F.
On the day of their escape, Duong watched
as the guard finished his count. He gathered
the knives and other sharp tools he’d been
hoarding and shuffled to the rear of the
housing block where Nayeri and Tieu waited
for him. There, behind a bunk bed, was the
metal grate they knew could lead to freedom.
In no time, the three used their tools
to work the grate loose. The trio quickly
bellied through the hole to reach the jail’s
innards. Surrounded by pipes and wiring,
they crouched low and inched along a metal
walkway until it dead-ended against a wall.
There, they looked up. In the gloom,
suspended 12 feet above them, they could
see their salvation – a ventilation shaft that
ran to the jail’s roof.
Using pipes, they shinnied skyward.
After sawing off the bars that sealed the
shaft, they shouldered their way into the
cramped ductwork. They moved upward on
hands and knees towards a trapdoor. With
a hard push, they got the thing open and felt
on their faces the rush of cold, fresh air.
They were on the roof now and made
a quick dash to the building’s northeast
corner. There, they cut through concertina
wire and unfurled a makeshift rope they’d
fashioned from bed sheets. Fastening one
end of the line to the building, they tested its
strength and peered over the edge of the
roof, four storeys to the ground.
When the last of their feet touched the
dewy grass outside the jail, the men still had
more than a half hour before the sun rose.
No alarms sounded; no lights swept the
exterior. They’d done it. They were out.
The fugitives allegedly first visited a friend
of Duong’s, hoping he would give them
enough cash to leave the country. Nayeri had
thought he could spirit the group to Tehran.
But Duong’s pal could give them only $900.
So, Tieu contacted what police later surmised
were members of his Little Saigon gang.
A security camera outside a deli recorded
what appeared to be a hasty mid-morning
rendezvous. But whatever money Tieu
may have received wasn’t enough to get
them far. At 9pm, the escapees were still
in Santa Ana, eating at a Vietnamese
restaurant a few kilometres from the jail.
They needed to put distance between
themselves and their predicament, which
meant they needed a car. Stealing one would
be risky and require expertise they didn’t
have. But what if they took a driver hostage?
The only trick would be luring someone
close. Duong dialled a cab service that
advertised in the local Vietnamese
newspaper. Long Ma answered the call.
As the men in the motel studied the
television, Ma was introduced to his captors
by their rap sheets. Tieu had taken part in
a drive-by shooting that left one university-
age kid dead; Duong had shot a man in the
chest after an argument. And Nayeri, well,
Nayeri was plenty notorious. Four years
earlier, acting on a hunch that the owner of
a marijuana dispensary had buried US$1m
($1.34m) in the Mojave Desert, Nayeri had
alegedly snatched the guy and his girlfriend
and driven them to the spot where the loot
was thought to be hidden. There, he and his
crew shocked the man with a Taser, burnt
him with a butane torch, poured bleach on
his wounds, and severed his penis in a failed
attempt to locate the cash. After the man
assured Nayeri there was no buried money,
he was left out there to die. (His girlfriend
found help and saved his life.)
In the motel room, the escapees seemed
to realise that the media attention was
problematic. Spooked, perhaps, by the
prospect that Ma’s disappearance had been
noticed, they decided they needed a second
vehicle – and now, with their photos
everywhere, they also needed to mask their
appearance. They hauled Ma out into the
parking lot. He was again ordered into the
back seat, where Tieu steadied the gun on
him. He was afraid and unsure what would
happen next – it was a mix of dread and
confusion he hadn’t felt in 40 years.
Ma had been a lieutenant colonel in the
South Vietnamese Army during the war.
At night, he would venture with the
Americans in search of Viet Cong guerrillas
– the ones who, by day, shelled his base, hard
against the Cambodian mountains. After the
war, after the Americans fled, Ma then
endured a second horror as a captive, held
for seven long years in a Communist
forced-labour camp. “You are an especially
stubborn case!” one Communist official
AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 1 27
would shout before clubbing him with the
butt of a rifle. All these decades later, Ma
could still trace with his finger the scar just
beneath his hairline. He’d survived, while
others had not.
But time can weaken resolve, and as an
old man with a gun to his belly, too frail
to fight, too tired to resist, Ma thought he
would surely die. As they drove towards
Los Angeles, his captors said nothing,
which frightened him even more.
Earlier that morning, the escapees had
found a van for sale on Craigslist. Duong
figured he could take the vehicle for a test
spin and then simply drive away. And so,
on a quiet backstreet in LA, Nayeri slowed
the Civic to a stop, and Duong got out and
disappeared around the block. Before long,
he reappeared with a white van.
After the theft, the day took on a surreal
veneer of suburban normalcy. The fugitives
went shopping at clothing store Ross Dress
for Less; they visited a hair salon. The three
escapees each altered his appearance – none
more than Duong, who had his goatee shaved
and his hair dyed black and cut into an
army-issue high-and-tight.
When they left the salon, Nayeri and
Tieu took the van. Duong and Ma got into
the Civic, and here, alone in the car – away
from Nayeri and Tieu – Duong’s personality
changed, just as completely as he’d changed
his appearance. During the drive back
towards Rosemead, he became relaxed and
even chatty with Ma, asking about the
cabbie’s life in their native Vietnamese. At
one point, he even called Ma “Uncle”, a term
of endearment that implied respect for the
old man. Ma, unable to shake his suspicions,
didn’t know what to make of this.
Duong steered the Civic towards the
Flamingo Inn, a motel where rooms are
rented by the week. Nayeri and Tieu were
waiting in the parking lot. They sent Ma
to the front desk, where he registered room
116 in his own name. From the liquor store
across the street, the escapees bought a case
of Bud Light and a bottle of Jack Daniel’s.
Deep into the night, they laughed and
drank and smoked cigarettes, while on
television the anchors said that the reward
for information leading to their arrest
had increased from $29,000 to $67,000.
Sunday dawned and something wasn’t
right. Nayeri seemed more distant than
usual. They drank and talked in urgent tones
that Ma, with his limited English, couldn’t
always understand. They seemed eager to go
someplace, but no one headed for the door.
At one point, Ma watched a discussion grow
heated. The gist of the debate eluded him,
but the truth was the men were already
low on cash. Worse, they’d only made it
128 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
to Rosemead. They realised that the media
sensation of the jailbreak, while gratifying
– they were famous now – also served
to confine them with each passing hour.
Outside it grew darker. Another day
was slipping away.
At 6pm, a local television station aired
a bombshell report, an interview with the
mother and sister of Tieu. Lu Ann Nguyen,
his taut and tiny mother, stood near a row
of bushes in a public park and heaved for air.
“Jonathan, I miss you and I want…” Nguyen
shook her head from the pain, sobbing in
broken English – “and I want you to be …
I want my son back. Jonathan, please!” His
18-year-old sister, Tiffany Tieu, at one point
looked directly into the camera. “Please,”
said Tiffany, crying, “just turn yourself in.
Don’t let this drag on!”
In the motel room, there was a sombre
silence as Tieu seemed to grasp the
ramifications of his escape. He’d always
wanted to be the good boy; he was a solid
student before he found trouble with the
police. Now he’d caused his family new and
searing pain. Tears welled in his eyes
and fell upon his cheeks.
Maybe it was the news report, or maybe
it was everything combined – too much
booze, too little cash – but Nayeri soon
began yelling at Duong. The room became
loud and tense and small. Ma sensed that
the argument concerned him. He’d begun
to consider what the men must have realised
themselves – if they killed the driver now,
they could make a cleaner escape. Nayeri had
no more use for a hostage, and Ma watched as
Nayeri pointed in his direction and shouted,
“Boom-boom, old man!”
At that, Duong stepped into Nayeri’s face
and then took him to the ground. They
struggled for a moment, and Nayeri, who had
wrestled at high school in Fresno, ended up
on top. With a punch to Duong’s face, he
ended the fight. As he climbed off, Nayeri
stared hard at the cab driver. But for whatever
reason, he didn’t make for the gun. By night’s
end, the weapon rested with Tieu, under the
kid’s pillow by the door. Its whereabouts
consumed Ma as he tried again to sleep.
“Uncle, go take a shower.” Duong
motioned to the bathroom Monday morning,
but Ma shook his head no. He still wore
his pyjamas from Friday night and had
not bathed since picking up the escapees.
I’m dead already, Ma told himself.
Duong shot him a concerned look, and
as Ma stared blankly back, the old man
wondered what to make of him. Last night,
had Duong been protecting Ma? Or merely
himself? Did he care for Ma, or did he simply
fear that the blast of a gun and a dead body
on the carpet might hasten his capture?
Over the past couple of days, Duong had
seemed to take an interest in Ma’s wellbeing.
But Ma was leery, all too aware that it was
Duong who had been the first to point the
gun at him. For all Ma knew, Duong was
playing an angle the other inmates didn’t see.
As always in the US, the hardest people for
Ma to read were his fellow Vietnamese.
He’d felt wronged by them so often in
his life. When Ma had landed in California
in 1992, with a wife and four kids, he’d
struggled. The war and his time in the
labour camp had placed him nearly two
decades behind the first wave of immigrants
who’d left Vietnam for the US after the war.
For years he took menial jobs, and he’d
later say that his siblings – dentists and
pharmacists and white-collar success stories
– who’d arrived earlier, made him feel
ashamed of the life he had made.
Money had always been tight, which
exacerbated the arguments between Ma and
his wife. He knew she was losing respect for
him and knew that everyone in the family
noticed it. Rather than suffer the indignity,
Ma moved out one day, without explanation,
from their home in San Diego. He found
a little room in the Garden Grove boarding
house and began a solitary existence as
a driver, a choice that seemed to have led
him here – as a hostage in a squalid motel
room, wondering whether an accused killer
actually cared for him.
The escapees decided they needed to move
north, and on Tuesday morning, they drove
560 kilometres to San Jose, where they found
another motel. The tense journey exhausted
Ma. And that night he began snoring so
loudly that he woke Duong, lying beside him.
But Duong didn’t elbow him awake. Instead,
he slowly climbed out of bed, careful not to
stir Ma, and curled up on the floor, so Uncle
might rest more peacefully.
They needed cash. On Wednesday
morning, they piled into the car and drove to
a Western Union. Nayeri walked inside, and
when he returned, he had $3000 on him – his
mother, he said, had wired him the money.
But the group didn’t set out for Mexico or
Canada. They no longer harboured delusions
about Iran, either. Nayeri had another plan
in mind. He drove back to the motel, where
he dropped off Duong and announced that
he and Tieu needed to take Ma out for
a while in the van.
Out? thought Ma. Oh no.
By the time they parked near the ocean
in Santa Cruz, Ma’s imagination ran dark
and unbridled – and not without justification.
The day before, the Orange County Register
had published a story in which Heather
Brown, a deputy district attorney familiar
with the torture charges against Nayeri,
described hearing about the jailbreak: “My
first reaction was, ‘Oh, my God, they let
Hannibal Lecter out.’” Brown added that
Nayeri was “diabolical”.
Ma figured he’d been driven to the beach
to be executed. His stroll with Nayeri and
Tieu began aimlessly – and because of that,
it felt even more malevolent to Ma. Nayeri
had them pose for pictures. With the ocean,
the beach, and the pier as their backdrop,
Nayeri acted as if they were friends. What is
he doing, Ma wondered. And then... nothing.
The three got into the van and drove back
to the Alameda Motel.
When they returned from the strange
trip, grim news awaited. Five people had
been arrested for aiding the prisoners
before and after they’d fled. Police weren’t
releasing any of the names, but the escapees
began to wonder: Was it Tieu’s alleged
gang associates? Duong’s connections?
The English instructor with the map?
How close were the cops? Their small
room became claustrophobic.
Ma watched Nayeri and Duong start
shouting at each other – the noise loud
and fast and visceral. Suddenly, Nayeri
glanced at Ma and ran his index finger
across his throat. In an instant, days of
anger and anxiety broke, and Nayeri and
Duong fell to a rolling heap. After thrashing
on the floor, Nayeri manoeuvred his way
atop Duong and landed a series of clean
shots to the nose and jaw, one after another,
the whole thing hard to watch. Satisfied,
Nayeri pulled himself out of his rage.
Each man gasped for air.
Ma was too terrified to move. But
Nayeri didn’t grab the gun and kill the
cab driver. He didn’t haul the old man
outside and, in the shadows of the motel,
slit his throat. Nayeri simply retreated to
a corner. For yet another night, the four
men watched one another and, as they
went to bed, stewed in the frustration that
had filled the room.
The news reports were no better the
next morning – their sixth on the run.
Law enforcement shared photos of the
stolen van the men were driving. This
rattled Nayeri and Tieu, who announced
to Duong that they were leaving to have
the van’s windows tinted and its license
plates changed.
When the door closed behind them,
Duong – his face battered from the fight
– turned quickly to Ma.
“Uncle, we have to go,” said Duong
in Vietnamese.
“What?” Ma was leery of falling into
a partnership with Duong.
“We have to go now,” said Duong.
Ma knew he didn’t have any other option.
He nodded, and the two rushed to his car.
MA WATCHED
NAYERI AND
DUONG START
SHOUTING AT
EACH OTHER
– THE NOISE
LOUD AND
FAST... NAYERI
GLANCED AT MA
AND RAN HIS
INDEX FINGER
ACROSS HIS
THROAT.
They drove south. The horizon opened,
and the fear of being noticed, or the panic
of seeing the white van behind them, levelled
into something more prosaic. The day felt
like two men on a road trip, tyres humming
along the highway.
Ma was back behind the wheel, empowered
but still uneasy. When Duong said to him,
“Don’t be afraid, you’re not in danger
anymore,” Ma sniggered to himself. We’ll
see. He had understood enough of the news
to piece together Duong’s criminal past –
a 1995 burglary conviction in San Diego,
four years after he became a US resident;
twice pleading guilty to selling cocaine;
stints in state prison; and then, in November
2015, the alleged attempted murder of a Santa
Ana man after an argument.
In spite of Duong’s past, this week there’d
been another side on view – that of a flawed
but compassionate man. Ma’d caught flashes
of details, but not the full picture of Duong’s
conflicted life. He didn’t realise how chronic
drug dependency and what Duong’s friends
saw as mental disorders had pushed him onto
a criminal path – and he didn’t yet know that
Duong was also the father of two boys, Peter
and Benny, whom he always wanted to make
happy. He lived for their smiles.
Duong began to tell Ma that he regretted
his misdeeds and hated how his crimes placed
him outside society. That was the most
painful thing – not being accepted. A few
years ago, out of prison after serving a drug
sentence, he’d asked a friend of a friend,
Theresa Nguyen, to accompany him to his
grandfather’s memorial service. She found
the invite strangely intimate. But she
understood it better when she walked in
– his father wouldn’t speak to him. His
mother later said she was ashamed of him.
Duong, a discarded man, just wanted
someone to stand by him.
Another time, Duong asked Theresa
and her husband, Tri, to go with him to
his mother’s home – “Because I want her
to know that I have normal friends, too,”
he told her. He could never atone in his
family’s eyes. Theresa began to get it, why
Duong called her “Sister”. Why he phoned
her the day her daughter graduated from
college, another immigrant success story:
“I’m proud of you, Sister.”
He’d wanted so badly to make things right
but kept getting so much wrong. That was
what he recognised now – this was what he
told Ma as they drove. As he sat there, next to
a cab driver he’d kidnapped six days earlier,
Duong’s eyes filled with tears. He had caused
so much pain, brought such shame to the
ones he loved. Ma listened, reticent but
knowing that sometimes people need to be
heard even more than consoled.
Duong realised he should never have gone
along with Nayeri. He was a monster, said
Duong, and the allure of joining in Nayeri’s
jailbreak had only trapped him once he made
it to the outside. He told Ma that Nayeri’s
plan had been to kill the driver on the beach.
But for whatever reason, Nayeri didn’t go
through with it. The brutal fight the night
before had been over Ma, too. Duong said
that Nayeri was adamant – if the driver were
dead, the men would have no witnesses to
their escape. But Duong couldn’t abide seeing
the cab driver murdered – or suffering
for Duong’s mistakes.
Ma drove on, trying to absorb this. At last
he said, “You should turn yourself in.”
Duong didn’t baulk at the suggestion.
He looked contrite, in need of some sort
of absolution. He was grateful for the way
Ma hadn’t judged him. He didn’t want to
call Ma “Uncle” anymore, he said. Given
the circumstances of the last week, Duong
said he wanted to call Ma “Father”.
The suggestion moved Ma, who
understood the cultural obligation that
came with the moniker – to call Duong
“Son”. To trust him, to love him, even.
This scared Ma. Life had taught him to
be cautious around love. And yet when he
looked at the damaged man next to him,
his face bruised, his psyche scarred, he
saw the good that the rest of the world failed
to see. Continued on page 168.
AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 129
WE’RE
ON A
B
BOAT

OK, so it’s really a ship.

A supercruiser, in fact. A
floating apartment block of
18 storeys, and our home for
five days of food, fun, and
more food. So much food.

W O R D S JAKE M I LL AR
WE’RE SOMEWHERE
BETWEEN SINGAPORE
AND BANGKOK WHEN
THE DANCEROBICS
STARTS.
The main theatre, packed across both floors,
begins gyrating with the force of what must
be a couple of hundred retirees, as they step
to the side-and-back and side-and-back.
Soon, they’ll converge on the all-you-can-eat
buffet or the 11.30am lunch sitting in the
main dining room. But for now, that’ll have
to wait. Under the direction of Katherine,
a South African twentysomething who will
later attempt to sell us souvenir tiki cups
at the bar, they’ve transformed into
a technicolour blur of casual polo shirts.
We’re on the first day of our voyage aboard
Ovation of the Seas, a vast cruise ship en route
to Thailand. Over the next five nights we’ll
see a live stage performance, starring
a panel of six dancing motorised TV screens.
We’ll hear a recording of mum-friendly
Canadian crooner Michael Bublé performing
a cover version of Nirvana’s grunge classic
‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. We’ll learn how to
skydive. We’ll drink many different kinds of
cocktails in exotic colours. We’ll fail to ever
truly grasp which direction is aft, forward,
port or starboard. And we’ll spend more
time than is probably healthy either eating
or thinking about eating, or thinking about
all the things we’ve just eaten.
We’ll also begin to wonder if, perhaps,
there’s such a thing as too much fun. If
having no fewer than 86 separate daily
events, including an ab boot camp, a mid-
morning trivia session, karaoke, a free
treatment for under-eye bags, a napkin-
folding workshop and a Vegas-style show
called ‘Live Love Legs’ presents an array of
ways to enjoy oneself or a creeping anxiety
about never truly being able to do them all.
We decided to find out.
MS Ovation of the Seas is owned by
cruise company Royal Caribbean and is the
second-largest passenger ship in its fleet.
Construction started in September 2014 and
was completed some 19 months later, at a cost
of just over $1.3bn. It is, as you’d expect,
enormous. The ship has capacity for 4905
guests and 1500 crew, weighs 168,666 tonnes,
is 41m wide and 347m long. The sense of its
scale is difficult to convey, not least because
the media kit we were given chooses to use
comparisons that are even harder to visualise.
132 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
Flip it vertically and it’s “almost as tall as
Uluru”. If for some reason you felt compelled
to fill the ship entirely with mangoes, we’re
told, you’d need 843 million of them.
Despite the fact we keep accidentally
calling this a “boat” – something that clearly
irks the staff, but which they politely pretend
not to have heard – Royal Caribbean is not
even satisfied calling it a ship. To them,
Ovation of the Seas is a “supercruiser”. It has
18 decks, of which numbers six to 10 are
devoted to guest rooms. It has 18 different
places to eat, including a Jamie’s Italian, pizza
bar and steakhouse. There’s a casino, dodgem
car track, video arcade, library, day spa and
gym, two indoor pools, two outdoor pools,
a rock-climbing wall, theatre, medical centre,
glamour photography studio, retail stores
including Cartier, Kate Spade and Michael
Kors, a bar staffed by a pair of robots, a kind
of wave pool called the FlowRider where you
can pretend-surf, and a kind of vertical wind
turbine called the iFly, where you can
pretend-skydive. It is the biggest ship to
have ever arrived in Australian waters.
Before we boarded at Singapore’s cruise
terminal, the first thing we noticed were
the ship’s lifeboats. Perfectly framed by the
gangway, they’re bright yellow and as big as
buses. From the outside, Ovation of the Seas
looks more like an apartment building than
anything that could possibly float on water.
Yet it does, sitting like a glistening trophy of
human engineering. Once we passed through
the terminal – a gigantic hangar of a building
– it became clear the ship’s passengers fall
roughly into two categories.
The first group are Singaporeans well into
their twilight years, and who take and retake
many shots of one another with what appears
to be professional-grade photographic
equipment. They’re also serious cruisers,
with many having between five and 10 trips
under their belts. One group is made up of
around a dozen women who are clearly not
here to fuck around. They board the ship
dressed in matching camo outfits, like some
kind of elite cruising squad.
The other passengers are Australians,
who are outnumbered at least 20 to one. The
men all look like Harvey Weinstein, if the
Hollywood bigwig dressed exclusively in
short-sleeved gingham shirts tucked into
what we imagine were sold as ‘dress shorts’.
The women, all named Deb, look to have
enjoyed their time in the sun and are so short
and wide as to appear practically spherical.
When Ovation of the Seas arrives back
in Sydney in December, this passenger
nationality ratio is likely to reverse.
A
rriving onboard gives a strong
idea of what it must feel like
to be famous. The crew are all
warm greetings and big smiles,
as they ask you to sign a lot of
things and then beg to take a photo with you,
as if you’re Kendall Jenner at the Met Gala.
Except if you were famous, they probably
wouldn’t later offer to sell these photos back
to you for a package costing more than $300.
A man also squirts our hands with sanitiser.
We’re staying in a Stateroom on deck
seven, which sounds very exclusive, but in
fact all the rooms are called Staterooms.
Inside, it has a sort of Alice in Wonderland
quality, where everything seems shrunken
yet perfectly proportioned. It’s slightly
smaller than a typical hotel room, but still
very neat and comfortable.
The carpet is blue spirals on two different
shades of brown, the kind you might find in
a casino. There are lots of surfaces that look
like wood but are not actually wood. The
walls are covered in a kind of vinyl. It has
a double bed, a sort of chaise longue, a desk
and chair, and a TV. The balcony has a pair
of blue deckchairs with footrests, and is
accessed through a door that we spend two
minutes trying to push and then pull
inwards, before realising it’s a sliding door.
The air-conditioning is deactivated when the
balcony is unlocked and its default setting
is: arctic. The bathroom brings to mind
a largish aeroplane bathroom, and has a clear
cylindrical shower cubicle. There’s a hair
dryer but no iron, which, we’re told, is a fire
hazard and strictly not permitted onboard.
When we arrive in our Stateroom, the
TV is on and playing an indie guitar number
about washing your hands (“Wash your
hands, it’s the right thing to do / It’s easier,
when you only have two”). Washing your
hands, it’s regularly pointed out, is very
HUNGRY?
important. At every stairwell and at the
entrance to every bar and restaurant on
the ship is a stand that dispenses automated
doses of Purell, a hand sanitiser. Given the
horror stories of entire ships’ populations
falling victim to bouts of debilitating illness,
the crew is enthusiastic about keeping up at
least the pretence of extreme germophobia.
The ‘Wash Your Hands’ song suggests
doing it “like, 50 times a day”. Cruise ships,
it seems, are not places for recovering
obsessive compulsives.
Here to tend to our every need is Yunus,
a short, bespectacled man from Indonesia,
who oversees guest services in our section
of the ship. Yunus is extremely friendly and
is presumably responsible for surreptitiously
entering our room when we’re out and
making small but thoughtful adjustments.
Tidying things, depositing small bottles
of shampoo and conditioner or, on one
occasion, skilfully arranging a pair of towels
THERE ARE 18 PLACES TO EAT, INCLUDING A JAMIE’S ITALIAN AND A BUFFET WITH 40 VARIETIES OF BREAD.
on the bed in the shape of a pig and
adorning it with our sunglasses.
On our first evening, we head to a place
called the North Star bar on the top deck.
This is the most impressive space on the ship,
overlooking the main pool area, the sea of
empty blue deckchairs around it, as well as
the actual sea beyond that. Two Australian
women remain at the North Star bar every
night of our cruise, as does a very chatty
older man with a moustache, who’s always
pushing a stroller but never with a child in it.
As well as a bar, the top deck is also home
to the iFly, the FlowRider and an observation
pod attached to a giant mechanical arm that
lifts it 92m above sea level for a view of, well,
the sea. There’s also a running track, which
takes us 5min 34sec to walk around, and
which at the front of the ship becomes
a virtual wind tunnel, channelling and
concentrating air flow with ferocious,
toupee-threatening velocity.
At the North Star bar, a waitress
approaches with a collection of exotic-
looking cocktails on a tray. “It’s called
a Caribbean Sun,” she announces, before
explaining that while drinks are included in
our Deluxe Beverage Package, the souvenir
glasses they are served in are not. These,
we later find out, are available to purchase
for $5 each, or three for $13. This sense
of gratitude about being offered things,
immediately followed by a suspicion of their
true cost, is a sensation that will last the
duration of our voyage.
D
epending on how many times
you’ve seen 1997’s Oscar-winner
Titanic, it might be easy to
imagine that cruising is an
exclusive affair, all formal wear
and hatboxes. But someone could get
onboard this ship for under $800 – a steal for
a five-day holiday. This would entitle them
to access most areas, the main buffets and
some drinks. Anything beyond that is paid
for with a SeaPass – a kind of onboard credit
card – which is settled before disembarking.
We imagine it’s easy to go hard on those
souvenir cocktails when you don’t need to
face the bill until your holiday is over.
And it’s difficult to imagine this fact was
overlooked by Royal Caribbean, which
took home $11.4bn in revenue last year.
The starkest difference between cruise
routes seems to be the passengers’ dietary
preferences, which is fitting, since so much
about cruising revolves around eating. The
colossal mindfuck of ordering the right
amount of food for everyone is mostly done
AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 133
by computer, with a bunch of complex
WE IMAGINED spheres described as “liquid manzanilla

THE CAPTAIN
algorithms that decide how much of each olives”, the sight of which makes the Royal
thing they need for a particular voyage. This Caribbean representative joining us recoil

depends greatly on which countries they’re
travelling between, as some places are larger
consumers of particular ingredients.
It’s probably no surprise, for instance,
that American routes necessitate truly
awe-inspiring quantities of fried chicken.
Or as one senior member of staff told us,
with a straight face, cruising in China
requires them to stock “rice and noodles up
WOULD BE A
in horror. “This one made me gag,” she
explains, and it’s not hard to see why. The
olives deliver an initial note of sweetness,
TOM HANKS followed by a sudden explosion of intensely
salty liquid. A bit like if you took a grape skin
TYPE, BUT HE and filled it with mashed-up oysters. Other
dishes include a miniature ice-cream cone
LOOKS MORE stuffed with avocado and crab meat, and
something called Buffalo chicken eggs, which

LIKE A SKINNY
the yin yang”. But Australians, although we look a lot like regular boiled eggs, but are
failed to convince anyone on the crew to served in a glass dome filled with smoke

CHRISTOPHER
actually say the words, are clearly fucking There’s also a main dining room called
gluttons, devouring food at a pace that Grande, which has an old-world elegance,

WALKEN. HE’S
outstrips even our US counterparts. In fact, and whose status is somewhere between
the only thing that outperforms our hunger Jamie’s Italian and the Windjammer. Diners

DANISH, AND
is our thirst for booze, descriptions of which have a choice of a starter, main and dessert,
bring to mind tales of obscene decadence not but these arrive with such lightning speed it’s

LIVES IN THE
seen since the fall of the Roman Empire. clear they’re not actually made to order. We

T
later tour the kitchen and discover that dishes

LANDLOCKED
are prepared fresh, but then kept warm under
he main buffet area is called heating panels, so they can be served quickly.

US STATE OF
the Windjammer Marketplace, This explains why Grande needs a one-and-
and this is where the serious a-half hour service window for meals.
eating happens. But before
passengers can pile their plates
high at stations serving curry
carved meats or 40 varieties
cu or pasta or
variet of freshly baked
ARIZONA.
bread, they are herded through
th a series of
washbasins. This ritual doesd have a certain
jailhouse feel to it, but it’s reassuring to see
people forced to comply with w basic standards
of personal hygiene when faced with the
potential to spread illness through the ship
with wildfire proportions
proportions.
We don’t actually eat at the Windjammer
because our Deluxe Beverage
Beve Package gives
us access to the ship’s fancier
fan restaurants.
These include Jamie’s Italian,
Ita a steakhouse
called Chops Grille (where
(wher we witness a man
eat a T-bone the size of a tennis racquet) and
Wonderland, a Heston Blumenthal-inspired
Bl
affair of small but visually impressive dishes.
The menu in Wonderla
Wonderland is a framed
blank sheet of paper that must be painted
with brushes dipped in waterw to make the
invisible text appear. The food is divided
into five categories – ‘sun’,
into five ‘sun ‘ice’, ‘fire’, ‘sea’ and
‘earth’; the latter of which is described
as “dishes grounded in whimsy”.
as “dishes wh Our first
course consists of small spoons
sp containing

134 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
 We’re not invited to the Captain’s Table,
which is reserved for VVIP cruisers. Still,
we meet him anyway, on touring the bridge
– the ship’s cockpit. We imagined the captain
would be a Tom Hanks type, but he looks
more like a skinny Christopher Walken. He’s
Danish, called Flemming, and lives in the
landlocked US state of Arizona.
Flemming is best described as unflappable
and softly spoken, except for the times when
he makes announcements over the ship’s PA,
during which he adopts a kind of game-show-
host-meets-Wizard of Oz tone – drawing out
certain words to comic effect. “Gooooood
moooorning, ladies and gentlemen,” he
drawls, clearly enjoying himself. Flemming
won’t be pushed into describing what his
captain’s quarters are like, except that he
only has a “five-step commute” to work.
The bridge is a real Star Trek affair – a pair
of high-back chairs behind a raised bank of
screens that brings to mind the control panel
from Homer’s workspace on The Simpsons.
Flemming explains the functions of the many
screens and dials, which display everything
from incoming rainfall to the ship’s location.
It’s a little disappointing to find there’s no
ship’s wheel. Instead, it’s mostly on autopilot,
except when departing or docking at port,
when the ship is controlled by a joystick so
small it seems like it must be an actual joke.
It’s about the size of a matchstick.
By far the most interesting thing to come
from our conversation with Flemming is that
Chinese actress Fan Bingbing is this ship’s
godmother. This is apparently a thing that
ships have. Other Royal Caribbean celebrity
godmothers include Whoopi Goldberg and
Gloria Estefan, who we learn is an avid
cruiser and occasionally performs impromptu
singalongs in the bar. Though given the sort
of people we’ve seen at this ship’s bar, it’s
difficult to imagine Estefan – who’s sold
more than 100 million albums worldwide
– spending much time among them, without
serious money changing hands.
In 2015, rival Norwegian Cruise Line
chose singer Pitbull as the industry’s first
godfather for its ship Norwegian Escape
to reinforce the company’s reputation for
“non-traditional cruising”. Pitbull also
released a cruise-themed song called
‘Freedom’, which includes the lyrics: “Let
me show you how a living legend live, baby /
Let’s be free, baby, and cruise the world”.
The accompanying music video is essentially
a thinly veiled advertisement for Norwegian
Cruise Line and has been viewed more than
14 million times on YouTube. Even in the
context of the many spectacularly awful
Pitbull recordings in existence, this is
possibly the worst song we’ve ever heard.
E
ven at the top management levels,
working on a cruise ship does not
seem like an easy gig. The ship’s
cruise director, Mike, looks after
all entertainment and works from
8.30am until midnight, seven days a week.
This colossal shift finishes with him
recording The Morning Show With Mike
& Raphael, about which the less said the
better, except that it involves him assuming
a Kochie-like persona and detailing the
day’s onboard activities while dressed in
a tuxedo and bow tie. He is Australian and
works 16 weeks on, eight weeks off.
A Filipino waiter called Noriel describes
spending months at sea and returning to find
he’d been away so long, his young children
had taken to calling him kuya, the word for
an ‘older brother’, instead of tatay, or ‘dad’.
But he loves his job. He collects magnets
from every port to display all the places he
might not otherwise have seen. Recently,
one of his sons accidentally knocked them
off the fridge and they all broke.
We’re told there’s a zero-tolerance policy
towards fraternisation between crew and
guests, which seems redundant. In the nicest
possible way, there are no good-looking
passengers. It’s not that everyone’s hideous,
they’re just not what you’d call attractive.
The staff, however, are all young and tanned
and very attractive. The skydiving and
surfing staff are particularly smoking hot.
And while they’re unlikely to shack up with
guests, you can’t help but imagine inter-crew
shenanigans being a certainty.
We’ve been given a $130 voucher for the
Vitality Spa, which offers everything from
facials and pedicures to Botox and fillers.
Most of the treatments are out of our budget,
so we opt for a 50-minute Swedish massage.
Our masseuse is a lovely Filipino lady and
after she’s finished, she suggests we purchase
a muscle oil and anti-inflammatory gel that’s
sort of a Deep Heat to better ease our aches
and pains. Together, they cost about $160.
We also sign up for pub trivia, during
which dancerobics instructor-turned-quiz
master Katherine causes a virtual riot by
announcing Marilyn Monroe’s real name
was Norma and not Norma Jeane (“It’s what
I have on the card!” she pleads).
But the highlight of our time on board
would have to be the iFly, which replicates
the effect of skydiving. Our instructor is
a very tanned, attractive Brazilian man who
is extremely good at iFlying. He can perform
tricks and stunts, looping upwards and
plummeting down towards the base, like
a dolphin in water. Our group of five can’t
do any of these things. As with most sports,
the iFly is a lot harder than it looks, and even
staying level takes serious concentration.
One of the men with us enters the tube and
immediately begins spinning wildly, his
technique roughly approximating that of
a stray plastic bag on a windy day. None
of us is much better.
It’s at this point, between the dancerobics
and the pretend-skydiving, that cruising
presents some uncomfortable existential
questions. Namely: are you doing enough?
Are you having enough fun? Are you eating
enough? Have you been surfing? Or roller-
skating? Have you played trivia today? Are
you hungry? Would you like a massage or
a set of black-and-white glamour portraits?
Would you like to go for a run or eat a three-
course lunch at 11.30am? Do you want more
empanadas? Are you sure? Wine? Would you
like a souvenir T-shirt or key ring or hat?
In cruising, as in life, there is a nagging
worry that you’re missing out, not fulfilling
your true potential. This sense is magnified
when we discover it’s possible to board this
ship for a 52-day cruise from Southampton
in the UK to Beijing. This epic voyage stops
by Barcelona, Rome, Dubai and Vietnam.
We can only imagine that once passengers
reach their final destination, they have to
disembark with the assistance of a forklift.
Still, after five days aboard Ovation of the
Seas, it becomes clear there are two kinds of
people in world. There are those who find
cruising to be an affordable way to take the
family on holiday. Who enjoy having access
to the full buffet of life’s joys, from dancing
and conga lines to cocktails, glamour
photography and actual buffets. Whose ideas
of travel are synonymous not with luxury but
convenience. Who think that travel is better
not when you’re exposed to foreign cultures,
but when you can simply navigate the globe,
taking your own familiar comforts with you.
And then, of course, there are other
people. Those who do not. n
Royal Caribbean offers a number of cruise options
aboard Ovation of the Seas, departing Sydney
from December 2017; royalcaribbean.com.au
AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 135
 TO
WALK
AGAIN
 Scientific, medical
and technological
advancements now
mean that a cure
for spinal cord
injury is seen as
a future reality. Best
yet – Australians
are driving the
most optimistic
and advanced
treatments and
research in
this field.
W O R D S R IC HAR D C LU N E

AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 137

IN THE
VOID LIVES
DARKNESS,
a space framed by fear given the questioning,
given hope’s been cast to the corner. Fear’s
here now. Fear’s driving this narrative.
Perry Cross stares down the void as he
lays motionless – a crumpled and contorted
human shape sloped across a Brisbane rugby
pitch. The growling, guttural sounds of
30 heaving young men, sounds that were
seconds earlier swirling across the famed
Ballymore field, are now replaced by
silence; the paddock stood still, as one.
Cross looks to those now huddled above
– those looking back, confusion lining
their faces. A rush of thought arrives. It
quickly divides life into ‘then’ and ‘now’
– a simple diagram dissecting what was
and what’s perhaps to come.
There is no pain. Absent, too, feeling
– the hidden surges of electricity that
power the body gone from below the
second rower’s chin. Cross, then 19, was
playing as part of a junior Queensland
representative team – mixing it with those
who’d go on to represent club, state and
country. He’d long been fingered as a future
talent. But on this day in 1994, aspiration
gave in to apprehension.
138 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
“I’d picked the ball up at the back of
a ruck and was then tackled and another ruck
formed. I felt the pressure and knew I was in
a bad position and then, when the ruck broke
up, I couldn’t move,” recalls Cross. “I was
laying on the ground and I knew – I knew
I’d broken my neck. I just lay there thinking,
‘This is paralysis, this is what it feels like, this
is what it is.’ I mean, I’d never really paid too
much attention in science classes, or to my
body and how things work, but I knew right
then that I was paralysed.”
The ambulance took its time. And while
mates eventually found voice (“you’ll be
right, Pez; things will be OK, mate, you’ll
see”), Cross lurched further into thoughts
about his predicament.
“I remember laying there and willing
myself to move – wanting to move and prove
that, ‘Yeah, everything was going to be OK.’
But I couldn’t. I couldn’t move. And time just
dragged and dragged – eventually the ambos
came, but waiting for them, I mean, it seemed
to take forever. I just kept thinking, ‘This
is my life now – this is what my life is, this is
what it’s going to be like.’”
Cross woke from an induced coma in
a Brisbane hospital a few days later. He’d
been operated on, a ventilator breathing for
him. It was a grey period, he admits, a period
of fog wrapped by further reflection about
what the future held, what it would look like.
He doesn’t recall the phrasing doctors used
to explain his injury – left a C2 quadriplegic;
that is, an ability to only feel his face.
“It was a groggy time, being in hospital
after the break. You wake up, you see all
these people around you, but you don’t
fully know what’s going on and they’re
not sure how cognitive you are and what
you can understand.
“And no one really communicates with you
at that time… You’re there, feeling uncertain
about everything. You’re wondering, ‘What
am I ever going to do; what am I really going
to do?’ Everything looked pretty bleak –
because, at that point, you have no hope
for the future.”
The spinal cord is a group of nerves
protected by the vertebrae of the spine – its
main function, to send signals to the brain
from other regions of the body.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the
spinal cord that results in changes to its
function – either temporary or permanent.
Such changes can mean a loss of sensation,
muscle function and beyond. Depending on
the location and severity of the injury,
symptoms vary – from pain to paralysis.
About 12,000 Australians live with severe
SCI – with 350 to 400 new cases reported
each year. While for some the injury comes
as the result of disease – polio, spina bifida,
malignant spinal cord compression,
transverse myelitis, Friedreich’s ataxia
– most are the result of traumatic injury
resulting from an accident.
Motor vehicle-related incidents claim
46 per cent of those, 28 per cent are the
result of falls, nine per cent are associated
with being hit or struck by an object, nine
per cent are water-related and eight per
cent are so-called “other causes” (such as
that which occurred to Cross).
The glaring statistic in all of this, beyond
the annual $2bn such injuries cost, is that
84 per cent of SCI sufferers are men, and
of that, injury is most common among
those aged 15 to 24.
Let those last numbers linger a little. Let
them return you to that age or dwell on
it for a second if those digits are here, now.
Acknowledge the luck attached to your time
running through early adolescence and
adulthood, with great abandon and a pulse
for finding fun at the expense of any thought
about personal harm. Because that’s what
these years are about. They’re about first
experiences and flying a little too close to the
sun. They’re about jumping off bridges and
rocks into darkened waters, about bombing
“I just lay there thinking,
‘This is paralysis, this
is what it feels like,
this is what it is.’”
is ’”
steep roads on the loose trucks of a mate’s
skateboard, about scaling three storeys to
get in through an open window on realising
you’re locked out following five hours in
the pub, of deciding to go for a swim and
catching a wave that pitched unusually, of
owning a motorbike or running out, proudly,
to play a game of rep footy, yearning to set in
place a life that could one day mean wearing
the green and gold of the Wallabies.
A very good friend of mine had his life
altered by seeking out fun one day. At a set of
traffic lights in suburban Perth, another car
of friends pulled up – en route to a day of
skurfing on the Swan River. That day,
my mate decided to ditch his studies in
favour of some watery amusement – it was
the closing months of summer, the water
was still warm. Why not?
After a few runs on the river, he caught
a wide turn and on running back behind
the boat, fell headfirst. He surfaced,
slowly, face down, floating.
While those in the boat thought he’d
knocked himself out, he was conscious,
breathing in water, unable to move. He’d
smacked his head on a submerged, shallow
and un-signposted sandbank – his neck
instantly broken and feeling in his body lost.
He’d have drowned that day were it not for
some quick thinking and knowledge of CPR.
Like Cross, my friend spent eight months
in rehab, on a hospital’s dedicated spinal
ward. He was surrounded by guys just like
him – those who’d recently come to lose
possession of their future; that is, a future of
their choosing. Pain and fear lurked in the
eyes of each of the young men on that ward
– lost to those same thoughts of not knowing,
‘what if?, ‘what now?’. Tears, meanwhile,
were shed, daily, by even the hardest among
them – and my mate has long recalled the
howling sobs some used to tire themselves
into a sliver of sleep at night.
Walking the corridors each visit was
traumatic. For those unable to do so, for the
patients confined to the lino interiors and
acidic stench of fear and disinfectant, things
were, of course, much worse. It’s a level of
pain and a situation that leads many to deep,
pounding depression – and it’s why suicide
rates among those with severe spinal cord
injury, especially young men, dwarf already
high national rates. Numbers in Australia
may be blurry, though in the US the rate is
three times higher than the average.
Cross is quick to skip over his time on the
ward. He’ll admit to hardships, to his mind
rapidly beating to thoughts about ‘what’s
left?’. While laid up, he set himself a goal
to be out by Christmas. And so he was –
heading for a newly built home with his
parents on Christmas Eve.
“It was tough… yeah, it was tough. But
I was adamant I wasn’t going to be there for
Christmas – I didn’t want those memories,
because memories from events like that, they
stick with you. And so I got out, but things
still looked bleak. And to be honest, it wasn’t
really until I got some mobility [a motorised
wheelchair controlled by his chin and which
incorporates his ventilator so as to regulate
and enable breathing – think Christopher
Reeve] and was able to get out in the
community and then enrol in university that
I was able to socialise and to feel something.
Because, uni’s great, right? It’s fun – and it’s
what really gave me a leg up.”
Cross forms those words with cheeky
purpose. For all he’s had to endure – the
discomfort, realisation and austere times
attached to injury – he’s also one of the most
positive and upbeat people you could meet.
Funny as fuck, too.
“I was the class clown and that humour,
it flows with you no matter what,” he says.
“And I feel it’s helped me overcome a lot of
the challenges and things I’ve faced –
sometimes you can’t not look at things
with a light heart, otherwise it’d really
get you down.”
AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 139
 Cross’s pep has, for the past seven years,
been driven in a singular direction – setting
up the Perry Cross Spinal Research
Foundation. His aim, ultimately, is to find
a cure for spinal cord injury.
Cure. It’s a word often espoused and
highlighted in medical and scientific fields.
And as humans, we’ve come to generally
expect an ability to mend. It’s certainly the
path of most injury. Cut your finger and
tissue will regrow and the underlying cells
will divide and help the severed nerves
reknit. Your finger will eventually move
again. It will regain an ability to feel.
Spinal cords are different. They don’t
act like a finger. In the spinal cord, scar
tissue forms at the injured site, preventing
nerve fibres from regrowing. Connections
are lost. Forever.
It’s only been in recent history that people
have started to even begin aiding those with
spinal cord injuries. Prior to WWI, such
injuries were rare – if fatal. Prior to WWI,
those with SCI weren’t given much hope of
Pro
Professor Alan
living. But with the great physical toll of the
so-called Great War, treatments were explored
– rudimentary acts initially aimed at subtly
Mackay-Sim is a
Mac
increasing life expectancy by attempting to
stave off infection such as sepsis, a poison
that too often took life too early.
smiley, excessively
mustachioed man
Of course, things have improved
dramatically since – those with spinal cord
injury are today expected to form a life that,

who could only

while different and impacted by disability, is
nonetheless a life to be lived. But imagine for
a second that there was a cure for such life-
altering injury – that there was a way to treat
it, to turn things around and have sufferers
once again moving, feeling. Walking, even.
Well, that day is in the making.
Of the myriad global scientific and medical
research being undertaken to find a cure for
spinal cord injury – and this is an increasingly
broad field that also includes technology,
with the likes of robo suits or exoskeletons,
so too various VR treatments – it’s scientific
research into olfactory stem cells of the nose
that’s driving the very real prospects of
a cure being achievable. And some of the
most promising areas of this research is
happening in Australia.
really be a scientist.
Interested in human biology from as far
back as he can remember – he long held
a yearning “to find out stuff” – he turned
his questioning and want to uncover into
tertiary science studies.
It was in 1973, aged 22, that he first became
intrigued by work being done on the sense of
smell – a curiosity that drove a first research
project. “I did various research projects after
that and then, in the early ’80s, I got into the
olfactory organ in the nose – and became
interested in this ability to regenerate the
sensory nerve,” says Mackay-Sim.
It formed the basis of his life’s work.
“I mean, at the time I thought it a really
interesting biological question and I also
thought, maybe if we found out how this
system works, how these cells regenerate,
then we might have applications elsewhere
in the nervous system.”
Mackay-Sim, alongside others, continued
to explore such possibilities – zoning in
on olfactory ensheathing cells. Key to
understanding their application to injured
spinal cords is to appreciate that the nerve
cells inside your nose – the ones powered
to smell – die. And yet every day they are
reborn. “In the nose, in the surface covering
of the olfactory organ, are sensory cells that
sit there in that skin-like tissue and they’ve
only got a tiny amount of mucus between
them and the air that we breathe in – so
they’re susceptible to getting damaged, that’s
why they die,” explains Mackay-Sim. “And in
that tissue are the stem cells that make new
sensory cells – sensory neurons. They have
to grow a nerve fibre, an axon, from the nose
to the brain, and so, underneath that surface
skin, are the olfactory ensheathing cells that
help guide and support and nourish those
nerves to get from the nose to the brain.”
After many more years of research, in 2002
Professor Mackay-Sim took the step of being
the first in the world to trial his work. Cells

140 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
were taken from the nose, purified and then
placed back into a spinal cord to repair injury.
Ultimately, what he and his teams discovered
was that it was safe to inject the human spinal
cord with olfactory ensheathing cells – and
that spinal repair was in fact possible.
His findings were hailed within his field as
a feat “more impressive than man walking on
the moon”, and led to subsequent, associated
international research and trials built on
these Australian discoveries.
In 2014, Polish firefighter Darek Fidyka,
a man levelled paraplegic after being stabbed
18 times, was operated on – regaining not
only an ability to walk but to also ride a
custom-built bicycle. It made him the first
paraplegic in the world to recover mobility
after the complete severing of the spinal
nerves. While there’s been some hoo-ha in
regard to the direct influence of Mackay-
Sim’s work on the outcome of this Polish
operation, he rightly states that these
achievements were game changing.
“What the Polish people have shown,
with this one person, is that it works.”
“THERE ARE CELLS
THAT CAN BE
TRANSPLANTED
BACK INTO PEOPLE,
THERE’S 3-D
PRINTING... THOSE
CHANGES MAKE
A CURE POSSIBLE.”
Named the 2017 Australian of the Year
for his advancements in stem cell transplant
therapies, Professor Mackay-Sim has since
retired as the director of the National Centre
for Adult Stem Cell Research at Queensland’s
Griffith University. His work of finding
a cure for spinal cord injury continues.
And the future looks potent – Australian
research is central to the chances of
sufferers regaining mobility. Past the
funding provided by the Perry Cross Spinal
Research Foundation, in May this year,
the Queensland government invested $5m
into the pre-clinical phase of the Olfactory
Ensheathing Cell Transplantation to
Repair Spinal Cord Injury Project.
Now led by Griffith University
neuroscientist Dr James St John, it means
that a cure for spinal cord injuries involving
transplants from nasal cells can move towards
a launch phase and soon involve human
trials – envisaged to commence within the
coming three to five years.
“Spinal cord injury has often been seen...
as being impossible,” said Dr St John at the
announcement of the state funding. “Now,
people are thinking, ‘Well, maybe we can do
it.’ And we think that in Queensland we can
make a big impact. We want to become
a world centre for this therapy.”
A revolution is happening, offers
Mackay-Sim – and it’s largely driven by
what’s happening here. “It’s exciting –
that’s what I take from it all. The other
thing about this whole olfactory ensheathing
cell stuff is that it shows that the spinal cord
can change.”
Are we genuinely moving towards
a day when there is a cure for spinal injury
– where people may one day walk again?
“I believe we are, definitely. Instead of
being a paraplegic, a person might end up,
let’s say, partially paralysed – the injury
will get smaller… And it’s phenomenal
where we’re at, the past 20 years have
been instructive and have taken us closer
to reducing and treating injuries. Twenty
years ago, the expectation was, ‘OK, they’re
injured, they’ll live “normal” lives but won’t
get any better.’ The feeling now is that
maybe we can get them better.”
For Cross, a man personally dedicated
to the cause for an obvious reason, a man
who’d directly benefit from such incredible
advancements, it’s about now keeping
emotion in check. Still, he too can’t help
but dream about what could soon arrive.
“I’ve met people like Christopher Reeve,
those who’ve known the best scientific minds
in the world, and he was adamant there
was a cure – it was just a matter of time and
money. I had that confidence instilled in me,
and now we’re not joking that there is real
light at the end of the tunnel,” says Cross.
“In the past, we didn’t really understand
what it was going to take and the technology
wasn’t available – these days, there are cells
that can be transplanted back into people,
there’s 3-D printing… And those changes
in science and technology can make a cure
possible. And so, for me, it’s about trying
to keep my emotions out of it. I treat it as
a job in a lot of respects, a mission. And the
main aim is to hold a beer at the end of this,
to have a few, actually, and not be drinking
through a bloody straw.” n
AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 1 41
 NEW
P H OTO G R A P H Y HAN NAH SCOT T- STEVE N SO N S T Y L I N G TR EVO R STON ES

BASICS COLLEGIATE CH IC
N EVER WEARS TH IN,
AS SHOWN BY
B R ITISH IT-BOY-
ON-TH E-MOVE,
KIT BUTLER.
LE F T
Wool knit jumper, $525,
by Sandro; cotton ‘510’
jeans, $140, by Levi’s;
leather belt, $660, by
Giorgio Armani; white
gold ‘LOVE’ rings (worn
throughout), $2480 each,
and yellow gold ‘LOVE’
ring (worn throughout),
$2320, all by Cartier.

TH I S PAG E
Cotton jacket, $510,
viscose shirt, $445, and
cotton jeans, $375, all by
Ex Infinitas; black leather
boots (worn throughout),
$299, by Dr Martens.
LE F T
Neoprene/wool bomber
jacket, $4865, and leather
belt, $1230, both by
Hermès; cotton T-shirt,
$69.95, by Guy Lab; cotton
‘510’ jeans, $140, by Levi’s.

TH I S PAG E
White cotton jacket,
$1490, blue cotton jacket,
$1490, and white cotton
jeans, $1275, all by Tom
Ford at Harrolds; black
leather belt, $660,
by Giorgio Armani.
TH I S PAG E
Wool/leather varsity
jacket, POA, by Tommy
Hilfiger; cotton T-shirt,
$69.95, by Guy Lab;
cotton jeans, $815, by
Louis Vuitton; leather belt,
$660, by Giorgio Armani.

R I G HT
Black velvet bomber
jacket, $2350, by
Emporio Armani.
LE F T
White cotton-piqué
polo, $590, and blue
cotton jeans, $1275,
both by Tom Ford at
Harrolds; black leather
belt, $660, by Giorgio
Armani.

TH I S PAG E
Cotton jacket, $2290,
and wool/mohair jumper,
$995, both by Salvatore
Ferragamo; cotton ‘511’
jeans, $130, by Levi’s;
leather belt, $660,
by Giorgio Armani.
TH I S PAG E
Cotton ‘Levi’s Basic
Trucker’ jacket, approx.
$850, by Off-White c/o
Virgil Abloh; cotton jeans,
$1275, by Tom Ford at
Harrolds; leather belt,
$660, by Giorgio Armani.

R I G HT
Mohair jumper, POA,
by Saint Laurent by
Anthony Vaccarello.

Grooming Kellie Stratton

using Kiehl’s at MAP
Hair Jenny Kim using
Kiehl’s at MAP
Digital Art Beau Puspurs
at Capturelab
WINTER
BLUES
A SHOWCASE
OF THE AW17
HERMÈS
COLLECTION.
P H OTO G R A P H Y HAN NAH SCOT T- STEVE N SO N
S T Y L I N G TR EVOR STON ES

Wool/neoprene pea
coat, $5235, cashmere
jumper, $1985, wool
trousers, $1235, and
leather belt, $980,
all by Hermès.
Black cashmere
jumper, $4020,
black cotton
gabardine
trousers, $920,
and black leather
belt, $980,
all by Hermès.
Joey (left) wears navy
wool/cotton jacket,
$4770, black wool
turtleneck, $1200,
black cotton gabardine
trousers, $920, all
by Hermès.
Lucas wears tan wool/
cashmere coat, $8320,
black wool turtleneck,
$1200, black cotton
gabardine trousers,
$920, black calf leather
boots, $1720, and black
leather belt, $980,
all by Hermès.
Wool/cotton jacket,
$4770, cotton shirt,
$1535, and cotton
corduroy trousers,
$845, all by Hermès.
Taj (left) wears navy wool/
satin jumper, $2135,
wool trousers, $1235,
and black leather belt,
$980, all by Hermès.
Lucas wears verdigris
cotton velvet suit, $2190,
and navy cashmere
jumper, $2095, both
by Hermès.
Baby lamb/sheepskin
jacket, $18,510, and
cashmere/silk jumper,
$1740, both by Hermès.
Navy wool/satin
cardigan, $1720, navy
wool jumper, $1200,
navy cotton velvet
trousers, $900, black
calf leather boots,
$1720, and black
leather belt, $980,
all by Hermès.
Cashmere/
suede goatskin
jacket, $6170,
and cashmere
jumper, $2095,
both by Hermès.

Talent
Lucas Satherley,
Taj Richmond and
Joey Gould
at IMG Models
Grooming
Joel Phillips at
Vivien Creative
using O&M hair and
MAC cosmetics
SAY GOODBYE TO
PAPERCUTS WITH
’
S NEW

A N D R O I D TA B L E T D E V I C E S P R O V I D I N G T H E S C R E E N S I Z E I S G R E A T E R T H A N 7 I N C H E S . A P P L E A N D T H E A P P L E L O G O A R E T R A D E M A R K S O F A P P L E I N C . ,
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T W E LV E - M O N T H S U B S C R I P T I O N I N C L U D E S E I G H T I S S U E S , O F F E R E N D S A U G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 7. AVA I L A B L E O N A L L i O S 6 C O M P AT I B L E i P A D D E V I C E S A N D
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PAGE 48

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G E T M O T I VAT E D A N D K E E P I N S H A P E W I T H E XC L U S I V E F I T N E S S V I D E O S O N G Q . C O M . A U

FIT
THE

GREAT

OUTDOORS
JASON MOMOA
HE’S HOLLYWOOD’S LATEST DC SUPERHERO, AN ALL-ACTION, MANLY
MAN LIKE NO OTHER. FROM ROCK CLIMBING AND HIKING TO SHOOTING
ARROWS AND WIELDING AXES, HE’S PROOF THAT THE BEST WAY TO KEEP
FIT IS TO GO PRIMAL AND STEP OUT INTO THE WILDERNESS.

E D I T E D BY M I KE C H R I STE N SE N P H OTO G R A P H Y STEVE N PAN

 FIT
“Can I grab a photo?”
It’s the common request for any actor who’s managed to play more
than a Christmas panto at Birmingham’s Hippodrome. For Jason
Momoa, it’s a demand that often comes wrapped in a wish for
something more.
“[Some fans] like it if I grab them by the throats or pretend I’m
going to punch them in the face or act like they’re choking me out,”
the man poised to bring Aquaman to land has said.
That Momoa has an extreme, and, given his hulking size (6ft 4
and built like a Redwood on roids), brave, fan base, is thanks to
Game of Thrones, specifically, fearsome warrior leader Khal Drago.
Prior to this the Iowan-raised Hawaiian had surfed his looks to
some dubious modelling work and an eventual role on the washed-
up Baywatch Hawaii (the small screen reboot that failed before this
year’s failed cinematic rehash).
Physicality’s been central to the 37-year-old’s rise – his is a rugged
masculinity entwined with that of frontier woodsman. He keeps
“tomahawks, throwing knives and old black-bear furs. There’s skulls,
1 62 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
weapons everywhere” in his LA ‘man-cave’, and he holds a genuine
embrace of the outdoors – a fondness for surfing and skateboarding
alongside hiking and archery.
It’s rock climbing, though, which gives him the most.
“It’s made me face my fears and doubts… problem solve through
movement… [With rock climbing] I found balance and I found
my passion.”
Etched on the other side of this equation is something more
alluring – Momoa meditates, has studied Buddhist teachings in
Tibet and is said to have a thing for painting with pastels. Check
WORDS: RICHARD CLUNE.
his Instagram account (@prideofgypsies) and you’ll also find
a doting, domesticated dad to the two kids he has with wife
(and perennially alluring actress) Lisa Bonet.
“I always wanted to be a father, but never in my life did I ever
think I would be an actor,” he’s claimed. “With [my kids], my
dreams finally came true; I’m a father, I found my place, my home.”
Nice.
Climbing
Traditionally practised by
daredevils and Sylvester
‘Cliffhanger’ Stallone, it’s
always been pretty niche. But
with annual sales of climbing
shoes up by two-thirds since
2005, it’s a sport on the rise.
And, set to make its Olympic
debut in Tokyo 2020, its
ascent will only continue.
President of the International
Federation of Sport Climbing,
Marco Scolaris said, “The
Olympics have been our
dream for quite some time,
and now the hard work has
paid off.” Make no mistake,
climbing is hard work and is an
extreme, adrenaline-fuelled
way of keeping fit. And for
those with dreams of being
an Olympian, practise your
bouldering, lead climbing
and speed climbing – and
go win gold.

Where to do it
MORIALTA CONSERVATION
PARK, ADELAIDE HILLS
Certainly one of the most
popular spots, there are
various climbs of varying
difficulty with impressive
views down the Fourth Creek
gully towards Adelaide.
environment.sa.gov.au
VAN DIEMANS LAND,
GRAMPIANS NATIONAL
PARK, VICTORIA
Home to climbs ‘Physical
Graffiti’, ‘Warped Spasm’ and
‘Suicidal Tendencies’, this is
not for beginners. Forearms
of steel and a monkey-like
ability are prerequisites.
grampiansadventure.com.au
ST PETERS, SYDNEY
What it lacks in views and
fresh air it makes up in
opportunity – at 3700m2,
it’s the largest indoor
climbing centre in the
country. Entry from $20;
indoorclimbing.com.au
 FIT

Hiking
Go for a walk or hike, what’s
the difference? Taking LA
as an example, every celeb
and their dog struts down
Sunset Boulevard, but fewer
(Justin Bieber, Orlando Bloom,
Channing Tatum are all repeat
offenders) hit Runyon Canyon.
The latter burns more calories
due to uneven surfaces and
hills, and is classified as
hiking because, well, it’s
not any-old-where, it’s in
a National Park. Which leads
us to the fact Australia is
blessed with an abundance
of National Parks – so hiking
should be something you get
into. Plus, as the American-
Scottish author and ‘Father
of the National Parks’ in
the US John Muir once said:
“Thousands of tired, nerve-
shaken, over-civilised
people are beginning to
find out that going to the
mountains is going home;
that wildness is a necessity.”
He said that before President
Trump came to be.

Where to do it
OVERLAND TRACK,
TASMANIA
Tick Cradle Mountain off
the list, with this hike
through part of the World
Heritage Area.
KINGS CANYON RIM WALK,
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Humblingly beautiful, the red
colour of the rock needs to
be seen in the flesh.
MANLY TO SPIT, NSW
Hiking in the middle of the
city? Just one of Sydney’s
many attractive quirks.
LARAPINTA TRAIL,
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Arguably one of the best
hikes in the world is right
on our doorstep.
GREAT OCEAN WALK,
VICTORIA
The Twelve Apostles
only tell half the story.

164 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
Archery
In recent times, Hollywood has
delivered some of its biggest
actors into archery folklore.
Jennifer Lawrence’s technique in
The Hunger Games received praise,
Jeremy Renner’s as Hawkeye in The
Avengers, not so much. Either way, it
led to more people picking up a bow
and arrow. With three Olympic
medals spanning 2000 to 2016,
Australia has some decent archery
pedigree. It’s a sport that requires
strength and concentration in equal
measure, as explained by one of
Australia’s Rio bronze medallists,
Taylor Worth: “To put it into layman’s
terms, every time we draw our bow
back, it’s around 20kg [of effort].
If we shoot 300 arrows in a training
session, that equates to five or six
tonnes worth of effort… We work
with sports psychologists to
implement strategies so we’re
ready for anything.”
There you have it, now go
shoot some arrows.

Where to do it
SYDNEY BOWMEN
Founded in 1937, this is
Australia’s oldest archery
club, so for old time’s sake
go try your hand.
From $15 a session;
sydneybowmen.com.au

MORE THAN 130 CLUBS

are registered with Archery
Australia, and most offer
‘Come-N-Try’ as a low-cost,
low-commitment way to
experience the sport.
archery.org.au
 FIT
CHALLENGE
THINK YOU
CAN BE
A NINJA
WARRIOR?
WITH THE PHENOMENON
LANDING DOWN UNDER,
W E S E N T A LO N G O U R
H
‘ K E E N E S T’ S TA F F M E M B E R
TO  S E E H O W H E ’ D FA R E .
ere’s the thing
about Ninja
Warrior – watch
it once and you
can’t help but
wonder how
you’d go. But are we 9-to-5 folk,
with our fitness routines shaped
around work, capable of
completing any of the obstacles
let alone the whole course?
“I wouldn’t be able to do that,
no way.” “Looks pretty easy to
me.” “Shut up, that’s impossible.”
“I’d have to buy some gym kit
first.” “I don’t think so, not me.”
These are a few things
overheard last July while
GQ team members watched
a YouTube clip of stuntwoman
Jessie Graff, dressed as Wonder
Woman, nailing the American
Ninja Warrior course. If you
haven’t seen it, go do so
immediately – we’ll see you
back here in six minutes.
See what we mean? Anyway,
when we heard the Australian
equivalent was on its way
– globally it’ll be the 31st
series – we obviously wanted
in. Unable to try the actual
course (“Are you kidding? No
chance. It’s for serious players
only,” were co-host Ben
Fordham’s exact words), the
challenge to take on the testing
process that all applicants were
initially put through was eagerly
166 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
accepted. A 20-minute physical
test, it sounded simple enough.
“It’s designed specifically
to test various strengths and
abilities that link directly to the
Ninja Warrior course – grip
strength and endurance, core
body strength, agility and
stamina. You need these skills
and more to be a successful
Ninja,” an Endemol Shine
Australia spokesperson told us.
Before I reveal how I got
on, allow me some context. As
someone who keeps himself fit,
surfs most days, has completed
a few half ironman events and
can run a half marathon in less
than 90 minutes, I felt confident
I’d be able to complete the test.
Here goes: the 5-minute plank
was achieved with no major
dramas, a few wobbles but no
knees down at any point. Into
the push-up and pull-ups,
I maintained a steady but
unremarkable rate but held my
form well, which was praised.
Next, a 5-minute dead hang.
2:25mins in, my grip gave way.
I jumped back up, but my grip
slipped a few times in the next 90
seconds. I was able to hold the
last minute solidly though, which
the trainers appreciated. Then
five minutes of skipping, setting
as fast a pace as possible. That
pace was average, and didn’t
include any double-looped skips.
But I didn’t stop. Finally, straight
to the warped wall. Three near
misses later, I was done.
The trainers were impressed
with my mental strength to fight
to the end and scored me a 2.5
out of 5, which they said was
“commendable”. Alas, no Ninja
status for me, this year at least.
The following day I couldn’t
lift my arms above my shoulders,
my hands were ripped to shreds
and stairs were difficult. It’s as
tough as it looks, but I loved it.
Australian Ninja Warrior is now
airing on Channel 9; 9now.com
TIPS FROM
A WARRIOR
After our lactic acid
subsided, we caught up
with Aurélien Apport,
a Bondi-based  PT set to
compete on the show.
Here, his advice on being
an Australian Ninja Warrior:
• “A good Ninja is a dry Ninja!
Agility is important; it will
enhance your established
skills and allow you to
get out of unexpected
situations you’ve never
tried before.”
• “Get addicted to
calisthenics training,
balance and forge yourself
a grip of steel. Train out of
the box, move your body
in three dimensions, don’t
neglect recovery and nurse
any tightness or injury.”
• “Remember you’ll have
to deal with more than just
the course, such as family
watching, the public, the
lights, the commentators...
So just visualise every
single movement, forget
the outcome and have fun!”
T-shirt, $79,
and shorts,
$69, both by
Lululemon;
trainers, by
Under Armour.
WORDS: MIKE CHRISTENSEN. PHOTOGRAPHY: BEN SYMONS.
The Ninja challenge included
a 5-minute plank, 5-minute
push-ups and pull-ups, a 5-minute
dead hang and 5-minute skip, plus
a shot at the warped wall.
 FIT

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AU G U ST 20 17 G Q .COM . AU 1 67
 BILL SKARSGÅRD, CONT. FROM P34
GQ: No team of minders
carrying chai lattes?
BS: It depends on the person,
right. There’s obviously an
advantage to being someone of
that calibre – who’s not just an
actor, but a star. I’m sure there
are people who can abuse that
power on set. I mean, I know
there are people who abuse that
power on set. But Charlize is
not one of those people.
GQ: Have you worked with
anyone who is?
BS: I’ve never seen it personally,
but you hear so many stories.
I don’t really know how I would
handle that. It just seems so
strange to me – I don’t
understand how those people
continue to work.
GQ: Acting is in your blood,
but did you ever have
ambitions to get a ‘normal’
job? An accountant, maybe?
BS: Never an accountant. I did
have moments when I wasn’t
sure if I wanted to pursue
something that’s so heavily
associated with my family. But
I’ve pretty much known what
I wanted to do since I was 16,
which is pretty rare – I have
friends in their late twenties who
still haven’t figured out what to
do with their lives. I’ve been
doing it since I was nine years
old and I’ve always enjoyed it.
GQ: How has being a Skarsgård
affected your career?
BS: It definitely benefits you
immensely in that people are
kind of organically aware of
you – so you do get free
opportunities from it. But
you also need to seize any
opportunities that you do
get. It goes both ways.
GQ: Any downsides?
BS: People like to discover new
things. When I had my first
lead, at screenings people asked
168 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
the director, “Who’s this kid?
I’ve never seen him before!” And
when they found out I was Bill
Skarsgård, their face kind of
dropped. Like if you think
you’ve found a new band and
then people tell you they’re
already super famous. You get
disappointed because you didn’t
discover them yourself.
GQ: You went to this year’s
Met Gala with your brother,
Alex. How was it?
BS: Those things kind of stress
me out. I don’t know where to
put my hands. But this invite
came along and I happened to be
in New York. Then I heard Alex
was going, which was a bonus.
GQ: Did you have a big night?
BS: I had to work the next day,
so I couldn’t stay out as late as
I might have. But it was fun.
You meet a lot of cool people.
And the sheer spectacle of it –
all these ridiculous outfits – I’ve
never seen anything quite like it.
I’m really glad I got invited.
GQ: Do you enjoy meeting
celebrities?
BS: Not really. Not famous
people for the fact that they’re
just famous – that has never
interested me. If I met Louis
CK, I’d get star struck – he’s
one of those people who
I truly admire. He’s just
really smart and funny.
GQ: You seem to avoid social
media. Why is that?
BS: I have Facebook and
Instagram accounts, but they’re
private. I feel like you can
become addicted to the attention
of having direct contact with
fans. And it reduces them to
numbers – they’re not real
people to you. It’s an abstract
form of flattery that I don’t
really think is healthy.
GQ: So you’re not much of
a selfie guy?
BS: No. There might come
a time when there’s something
I need to promote – I would
have a lot easier time if it was
for a cause. But I find there’s
something slightly embarrassing
about just promoting yourself.
It’s a bit shameless.
Atomic Blonde is in cinemas August 3
GETAWAY DRIVER, CONT. FROM P129
“Yes,” said Ma. “You can
call me ‘Father’, and I will call
you ‘Son’. ”
A while later, they pulled up
in front of an auto-repair shop in
Santa Ana. As instructed, Ma
slunk inside the garage while
Duong sat in the car. The old
man returned with a woman
who put her head inside the
vehicle. Duong started to cry,
his face swollen and almost
unrecognisable.
“Sister,” he said to Theresa,
“I’m tired.”
Months later, Ma picked me
up in his Civic. An interpreter
and I drove with him through
Little Saigon. As we talked, Ma
told me how it had all ended.
The day after Duong turned
himself in, Ma spoke with the
police about where the other two
fugitives might be. The next day,
a homeless man in San Francisco
noticed a white van on Haight
Street. Tieu was found inside
the vehicle, and Nayeri bolted.
Police tracked him down a few
blocks away. The homeless man
shared in the reward that had
climbed to $269,000. For his part
in the capture, Ma got nothing.
(He’s since filed a suit claiming
he deserves a portion of the
reward, arguing that lax
oversight at the jail led to his
kidnapping.) He returned to
his boarding room in Garden
Grove. No one had even
reported him missing.
There were moments, Ma told
me as we drove, when the awful
memory of the ordeal came back
to him in waves of anxiety. But
still, he agreed to share his
experiences, from which this
story has been drawn. Nayeri
and Tieu consented to jailhouse
interviews as well, though there
were many aspects of their week
on the run that they’d neither
confirm nor deny. They face new
charges, including felony counts
for kidnapping and car theft
(each pleaded not guilty),
and didn’t want to compromise
themselves. “It’s a hell of a
story,” admits Nayeri, in a
surprisingly gentle voice.
Despite their refusal to
elaborate, a picture of each
emerged through numerous
pages of police and government
reports I received, and the
relatives and friends of theirs
who talked with me, as well as
the lawyers who represented
them and the law-enforcement
agents who pursued the men and
those who helped them. (Three
associates suspected of aiding the
trio were charged with crimes.
And for her part, Ravaghi, the
English teacher who’d worked in
the jail, was arrested but never
charged with a crime.)
Though Duong is now back in
jail, Ma has stayed in touch. He
has sent Duong books on
Buddhism, to assuage his guilt.
And while money has always
been scarce for the cab driver,
he’s put cash into Duong’s jail
account. The two men have
talked by phone, and Ma has
even visited the man who’d
kidnapped him. The last time
he went, Ma watched through
a glass partition as Duong, in an
orange jumpsuit, bowed when
they met. “Daddy Long!” said
Duong, greeting his friend.
Throughout their half-hour
visit, the two men wept softly
and spoke of the bond they had
nurtured since their week on the
run. They both felt so grateful,
so surprised by the possibility
of friendship. Ma, especially.
Whatever he had expected on
that cold night when he left his
house in his pyjamas, it wasn’t
this. Wherever he’d figured that
trip might lead, it wasn’t here.
Ma told me that as he grinned
through the glass of the visitors’
room wall, he realised that
Duong had saved his life, even
redeemed his soul. “My son,”
Ma said to Duong, “as long as
you are still here, I will rescue
you like you rescued me.” n
 AUSTRALIA

.com.au
YOUR GUIDE TO ALL THINGS
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 lifestylecollection
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 lifestylecollection
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 lifestylecollection
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 afterhours
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Thai menu.
Draw the doors shut and pull blinds
down in the private carriage-style
booths from dusk ‘till dawn.
thetoffintown
thetoffintown
thetoffintown.com

AREA STUDIO
Melbourne CBD's leading men's
hair salon.
2017 HBIA small salon of the year and
senior stylist of the year Australia.
Bridging the gap between traditional
men's barbering and contemporary
hairdressing

Ph: 03 9329 1092

area.studio
area_studio_
Area-Studio.com.au

GLASSHOUSE
With a notable Gin inspired drinks list and
OVEREEM WHISKY aesthetically pleasing array of plants and herbs,
Beautifully handcrafted and aged in small casks, Overeem Whisky is a boutique spirit and delicious share plates, The Glasshouse is the
that captures the very essence of premium Tasmanian liquid gold. Our award- perfect place to gather a group of friends and
winning single malt whisky is made from the finest Tasmanian ingredients, on an watch the sun go down.
island of pristine, unspoilt beauty. Every drop of Overeem Whisky is double-distilled The Glasshouse is designed and developed to give
and released as single cask expressions, ensuring a uniquely smooth and silky spirit. the people on the Northern Beaches somewhere
to relax and eat fresh, clean food while sipping on
Available at specialist bars, restaurants and liquor stores throughout Australia
a cocktail or G&T and taking in the spectacular
and online.
views Manly Beach has to offer.
Special offer: Purchase a bottle of liquid gold at overeemwhisky.com and receive a
complimentary white-etched Overeem cut crystal glass. Use code GQGLASS upon checkout. 02 9977 4977

/overeemdistillery @overeemwhisky #overeemwhisky hotelsteynemanly glasshousemanly

overeemwhisky.com hotelsteyne.com.au

To advertise please contact Amy Frear 1300 139 305 Email: gqclassifieds@newslifemedia.com.au
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174 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
 GQ PROMOTION

DIRECTORY
THE MODERN MAN’S DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO ESSENTIAL SHOPPING AND SOPHISTICATED STYLE.

WA XI NG M I RACLE ROOM TO MOVE ST YLE MASTE RS

Life isn’t perfect but your hair That stretchy Fantastic Four Learn from the experts and
can be – it’s a motto to live by bloke needs Calvin Klein’s find your fashion muse at the
when you use Hanz De Fuko’s ‘Customised Stretch’ boxers Australian Style Institute.
high-hold ‘Quicksand’ formula and so do you. With four- With a focus on how human
that’s part styling wax, part way stretch and recovery, behaviour integrates with
dry shampoo and all parts they’re super comfortable. personal styling, it trains the
awesome. For your nearest Available at myer.com.au finest up-and-coming talent.
retailers, call 1300 764 437. and davidjones.com.au australianstyleinstitute.com.au

CASK AN D R ECE IVE

It’s no secret among lovers of
fine tipples that Tasmania is a
new-world whisky-producing
powerhouse. Overeem bottles
the essence of premium
Tasmanian whisky with its
award-winning single malt,
handcrafted and aged in
small casks. Every drop is
double-distilled and released
as single-cask expressions
for a sublimely smooth spirit.
overeemwhisky.com

SKI N TH E KNOW
Amaranté is a boutique
skincare range developed and
made in Australia to exacting
standards. Using premium
natural ingredients and
biotechnological processes,
its four-product range is
a cocktail of anti-ageing
and moisturising potency,
suitable for all skin types.
Pride in your appearance
can start with your skin.
amarante.com.au
BAG AN D GO
People need stuff when they
travel. This is where bags
come in. But for a bag that’s
as stylish as it is durable, look
no further than the L’bardi
‘Weekender’. Designed to
easily fit in overhead plane
lockers, it comes personalised
with your embroidered
initials – in case you forget
which is yours. lbardi.com
ADVE NTU R E TI M E
Breitling’s much-loved
‘Navitimer’ design is
emblematic of the brand’s
spirit of travel and adventure
and has been chosen for its
new, ultimate mechanical
chronograph – the
‘Navitimer Rattrapante’.
Featuring Breitling-
developed split-seconds
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the ‘Navitmer Rattrapante’
comes in steel or gold and
features a striking bronze-
coloured dial. breitling.com

AU G U ST G Q .COM . AU 175
 AU G U ST

THE
Full name:
MICHAEL EUGENE FANNING

Nicknames and origins?

LAST WORD Favourite band?
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE.

Best gig you’ve ever been to?

EUGENE OR McMUFFIN – THE LUMINEERS IN DUBLIN
THEY BOTH CAME FROM MATES. OR BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN.

Residence? Last film you saw at the cinema?

SOUTHERN GOLD COAST, QLD. WHY HIM?

Three words to describe yourself. Go-to karaoke song?

RELAXED, HAPPY, INSPIRED. ‘HELLO’ BY ADELE.

Biggest lesson you’ve learnt in the past Go-to hangover cure?

three years? COUCH TIME.
TO JUST LIVE LIFE AND
GO WITH THE FLOW. Aussie men are... FUNNY!

WITH
Craziest wave ever surfed? Last book you read?
MY SECRET RIGHT.
MICK SATAN BY TIM HAWKINS.

Surfing as an Olympic sport – for or against?

FOR!! WHO WOULDN’T WANT TO
FANNING
GO TO THE OLYMPICS? GREATEST BACK IN SOUTH AFRICAN
SPORTING EVENT ON EARTH. WAT E R S T W O Y E A R S A F T E R
H I S A LT E R C AT I O N W I T H
A SHARK, THE THREE-TIME
Two years on from JBay - does the place still WORLD CHAMPION, ORDER
spook you? OF AUSTRALIA RECIPIENT
( A N D B E E R C O M PA N Y O W N E R )
A LITTLE BIT, I JUST FOCUS OPENS UP ABOUT FEAR, THE
ON THE WAVES. IT’S SUCH AN O LY M P I C S A N D A F O N D N E S S
FOR ADELE.
INCREDIBLE PLACE, I JUST
REALLY LOVE THE PLACE.
Who would play you in a film?
MR INCREDIBLE’S SON.
Chris Hemsworth’s a decent surfer –
ever considered a career in acting?
HA, NOT AT ALL – IT WOULD
BE A HORRIBLE THING TO WATCH.
Describe Kelly Slater in three words?
COMPETITIVE, PHENOMENAL
AND THOUGHTFUL.

If I wasn’t a surfer I’d be… What’s better – an OA or having a spider

A SOCCER PLAYER OR DOCTOR
BUT PROBABLY A HACK AT BOTH.
Why compete and not just be a free surfer?
BECAUSE I WAS WAY TOO
COMPETITIVE GROWING UP.
named after you?
Three things you love about living in Australia? VERY HONOURED ON BOTH.
CLEANLINESS, FOOD
AND EASY TRAVELLING. Does the saying ‘what goes on tour stays on tour’
still blanket the pro surf league?
Favourite tipple after a surf? EVERYONE HAS INSTAGRAM THESE
BALTER XPA, OF COURSE! DAYS – NOTHING IS SACRED!
WORDS: MIKE CHRISTENSEN.

Worst joke you’ve ever heard?

KNOCK KNOCK, WHO’S THERE? Best advice your mum’s ever given you? Getting pitted on an absolute drainer
WHO CARES! NEVER GIVE UP. is better than decent sex. True or false?
A TUBE MAY LAST LONGER!
Biggest fear in life? At school I was…
SNAKES AND INJURIES. SELECTIVE ON ATTENDANCE. Have you ever surfed in budgie smugglers?
ONCE, AS A KID.
Guilty pleasure? The most extravagant thing I’ve purchased
CHOCOLATE. in the past six months is… A MOPED. Wavepools are the... NEW SURF TRIP.

176 G Q .COM . AU AU G U ST 20 17
 THE REVIVAL OF AN ICON
EDOX DELFIN – 1961 Birth of the world famous Edox
Delfin timepiece. Patented crown system. Double case
back. Shock resistant. 200 m Super Water Resistant.

VIC 8th Avenue Watch Co., Emporium Melbourne, 03 9639 6175 | 8th Avenue Watch Co., Westfield Doncaster, 03 9840 6304 | 8th Avenue Watch Co.,
Chadstone Shopping Centre, 03 9569 7652 | Temelli Jewellery, Melbourne, 03 9639 5556 | Temelli Jewellery, Highpoint Shopping Centre, 03 9317 3230
Temelli Jewellery, Westfield Knox Shopping Centre, 03 9800 0799 | Temelli Jewellery, Eastland Shopping Centre, 03 9879 8459 NSW Atlas Jewellers,
Parramatta, 02 9687 9474 | Hennings Jewellers, Campbelltown, 02 4626 3529 | Melewah Jewellery, Haymarket, 02 9211 5896 QLD 8th Avenue Watch Co.,
Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, 07 5575 4883 WA All About Time, Balcatta, 08 9349 0600 VANUATU Elysium, Port Vila, Vanuatu, 678 28028
DIOR.COM – SYDNEY (02) 9229 4600. MELBOURNE (03) 9564 8161