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T H I S WAY I N

BEFORE WE BEGIN
WHAT WEVE BEEN UP TO RECENTLY

SOARING

over Abu Dhabis brilliant Zaya Nurai

Island on our way to the regional reveal
of Cartiers new fragrance, LEnvol.

CHOMPING
down the business lunch deal at our new favourite
faux-American restaurant, the Firebird Diner, Four
Seasons DIFC. Read the review on EsquireME.com

TESTING Casios new Edifice timepiece on our wrist as we saunter

around the office looking smug. Read the review on EsquireME.com

PREVIEWING...

the new seasons collections at

Bloomingdales private launch.
Full disclosure, we may have
purchased a couple of pieces too.

PAGE

HOSTING

144

our latest installment of

the Esquire Drinks Club at
Cocktail Kitchen. To find out
how you can get involved in the
next event, visit EsquireME.com

PAGE

122
BATTLING
the last (ultraviolet) rays of summer by
deciding to do a photoshoot in the middle
of the day, in the middle of the Al Sahra
Desert Resort. Our model might beg to
differ, but we think it was totally worth it.
Check out the results on page 122

16

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O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

RELAXING
in sheer bliss, overlooking arguably one of the
most captivating views weve ever seen at the
Chromata Up-Style Hotel in Santorini. Find out
where you need to visit in Greece on page 144.

T H I S WAY I N

W
E
E
B
R
E
O
G
F
IN
E
B
A

MO

LY
ST

DO
RAN

M G U I D E T O T H E PA G E S T

43

WHY SOUTH PARK IS THE

CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE
CE
UNIVERRSEE

US ELECTION

(O
O R AT
A T L E AST T H I S M AGA
AZINE)

PAGE

Due to its short production schedule,

dul
ule, South
Sou
Park has thrived on being super-reactive
acttiv
tive to the
current news cycle. In its latest series
ies the
ies
e show
centres round the current US presidential
esiidential
dential
candidates or, as it refers to them,
em
m, a g
giant
douche versus a turd sandwich.
wic
ch
ch.
Find out how having either Trump
Clinton
p or
o Clint
into
nton
n
as president could affect this re
region.
gion
on.
n.

H AT

FO

L LO

W
PAGE

48
FFOOD
O BLOGGERS
Ever
Everyones
es a critic,
c
the ol adage goes. Well,
of self-publishing and Social
in th
the age
eo
has never been more apparent.
Media
edia tha
that h
ha
Season
In Sea
aso 18 of South Park, the
whole
town
catches on to the idea that by
who tow
wh
own c
becoming
an
becom
oming a
om
n online food reviewer they can
hold
over every restaurant in town,
h
hol
old p
power
o
o
irregardless
of standards.
irre
g
Read
our
round-up of the UAEs latest
Re
R
ead o
ur ro
u
brunches,
bru
b
runch
he
es lunches and food news.

PAGE

96
NEW ORLEANS
In 2005, the US suffered
one of its largest natural
disasters in the form
of Hurricane Katrina.
Much of the city of New
w
Orleans was devastated,
ed,,
but the razor-sharp satire
ire
e
of the South Park writers
ers
highlighted the countrys
ys
obsession with 24-hour
u
ur
news coverage, rather
er
than helping those most
ost
affected by events.
We look at how the city
ty
of New Orleans has
recovered, 11 years on
n
from Hurricane Katrina.
na.

PAGE

56
MUSIC MATTERS

PAGE

46
BUTTT STUFF
ST
PAGE

146
JUPITER PROBE
For any TV show that has had more than
250 episodes you would forgive them for
going beyond the realms of planet Earth.
In Cancelled, the boys find out that Earth
is actually the setting of a reality TV show,
which is being watched by the entire universe.
Sadly, the ratings are dropping and the
planet is risking getting cancelled, with dire
consequences for earthlings.
Find out more about what NASAs Jupiterbound space probe hopes to discover.

Aired back in 1997, the ground-breaking pilot episode

Cartman Gets An Anal Probe, set the (low) tone of the
shows humour when one of the boys is abducted by
aliens. Cue merciless jokes and crude humour that at the
time was new territory for a cartoon show.
Our resident doctor tackles the hush-hush issue of
colonic irrigation in this months health column.

The music industry is

always a fairly easy target
for satire. Apart from
continually pointing fun
at Kanye, a recent season
saw the show criticise
the industry by having
a West African Gluten
Crisis benefit concert
featuring pop stars Miley
Cyrus, Nicki Minaj and
the holograms of Michael
Jackson and Tupac.
Check out our pick of
the months latest music
releases.

Season 20 of South Park is out

now on Comedy Central OSN
channel 207. Visit: osn.com

18

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O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

Montblanc Eyewear
Crafted for New Heights
Visit Montblanc.com

T H I S WAY I N

BEFORE WE BEGIN
A BRIEF GUIDE TO THE MONTH AHEAD

O CTO B E R 31

LEGOLAND!
O CTO B E R 8

MADNESS

Suggs and the two-tone check-wearing, ska boys

from Camden jet into Dubais Irish Village to offer
up a sweet hit of 1980s nostalgia. Wed wager that
simply by reading this youll probably have either
the songs Baggy Trousers or House Of Fun in
your head for the rest of the day.
theirishvillage.com

Tap into your barely suppressed

inner child by booking tickets to
the opening of Dubais Legoland
and Legoland Water Park. There
are enough rides, water slides
and lego-stacking for all of the
family. Just remember, as a
matter of principle, the plural of
Lego is Lego (not Legos).
Its true, we asked the
people in Denmark.
legoland.com/dubai

1 TO 8 O CTO B E R

Gitex Shopper

If theres anything we love more than buying new tech, its

buying new tech at heavily discounted prices. It is essentially new stuff that comes
with the wife-proof excuse of I got it for a really good price!. Yes, Gitex, the annual
cheap-electronics extravaganza is back this month and worth fighting your way
through the queues for. gitexshopperdubai.com
O CTO B E R 2 1

SUNSET MUSIC
FESTIVAL

Abu Dhabis Zayed Sports City

hosts a huge 90s love-athon.
Heres whos playing:

O CTO B E R 2 1

Gabrielle
Remind me: multi-platinum-selling
British singer
Pre-load ipod with: Dreams,
Out of Reach, If You Ever

O CTO B E R 8

CITY SWIM
With the mercury finally deciding to dip
to levels that are suitable for humans,
a brand-new open-water swimming series
is set to launch across the UAE. Starting
this month at Dubais Sheraton Jumeirah
Beach Resort, the City Swim series will see
people of all ages and abilities race across
distances from 250m to 2.5km.
city-swim.com

20

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O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

Arrested Development
Remind me: American alternative
hip-hop group
Pre-load ipod with: People
Everyday, Tennessee, Mr Wendal

Snap
Remind me: German
Eurodance group
Pre-load ipod with: Rhythm is a
Dancer, The Power

BALLET FOR LIFE

By now youve probably had annoying

numbers of friends and colleagues boast
about their magical night at the Dubai
Opera. Well, its our held belief that if you
cant beat em, join em. Our pick from this
months shows is Ballet For Life, which
celebrates the legend that is Freddie
Mercury with big, bold costumes and those
unforgettable Queen tracks.
dubaiopera.com

ESQUIRE EVENT
SEPTEMBER 22, 2016
M A R I N A S O C I A L , D U BA I M A R I N A

LESSONS FROM ENTREPRENEURS

The panel (L-R): Esquires Jeremy

Lawrence, Charles Blaschke,
Yogi Mehta, Harmeek Singh
and Ramzi Nakad

he latest edition of Esquires on-going

Gentlemens Evening series continued
last month in the form of a Lessons From
Entrepreneurs event. Hosted at the suitably
stylish Marina Social, an invite-only audience was
treated to an inspiring talk from a panel that featured
some of Dubais most savvy businessmen.
After an entertaining opening speech from the
Michelin-approved celebrity chef Jason Atherton,
introduced by Esquire executive editor Matthew
Priest, the evenings main event saw a roundtable
discussion hosted by Esquires editor-in-chief, Jeremy
Lawrence.
The panel was awash with talent. It featured
Petrochem founder Yogesh Mehta, Fashion Forward
founder Ramzi Nakad, Plan B founder Harmeek Singh,
and Charles Blaschke, co-founder of Taka Solutions
and the Middle East winner of The Venture, a global
social-entrepreneurship competition backed by
Chivas. These four inspiring business leaders shared
stories of their careers and insights into what it is to be
an entrepreneur in the Gulf today.
As with all Esquire events, the sharp-dressed
attendees were plied with canapes and cocktails
courtesy of Marina Social and Chivas Regal. The
crowd was also more than happy to eagerly eye the
latest collection of elegant mens shoes from the
evenings sponsors, Christian Louboutin. All in all, it
was a fitting mix of style and substance.
To see more from the night, visit EsquireME.com

22

ESQUIRE

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

The crowd:
A stylish set of guests
take their places

Christian Louboutin,
Chivas and Esquire: a
mighty fine combination

ESQUIRE EVENT // LESSONS FROM ENTREPRENEURS

Michael Hardie, Lucas

Raven and Marie-Claire
Accordino

Celine Salman and

Charles Blaschke

Zaib Shadani,
Ramzi Nakad and
Rula Galayini

Harmeek Singh

Gregory Giroud and

Sonia CouchouMeillot

Natalia Rabago and

David Montalvo

Ifeanyi Ibekwe

24

ESQUIRE

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

Rahim Pirani and

Edward Elliott

Rob Preston

T H I S WAY I N

CONTENTS

ON THE
C OV E R

ALL THE STUFF THATS INSIDE

Ewan McGregor, wearing

Giorgio Armani, shot for
Esquire by Dusan Relgin

88 JEDI
RETURNS
From Trainspotting to Star
Wars, via Moulin Rouge,
Ewan McGregor has been
there and done it. Now
hes directing Philip Roths
American Pastoral and is
in Scotland again, making
a sequel to the film that
made him a star. So how
does he feel going back?

Coat, sweater and trousers by

Bruno Cucinelli; boots by OKeefe

MEN IN ESQUIRE

104 BRIAN WILSON

80 MARK STRONG

The Beach Boys genius, who will

perform Pet Sounds in Dubai next
month, proves to be a tricky interviewee.

Find out what essential items the

ot live
acclaimed British actor cannot
aste.
without, from tech to toothpaste.

26

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O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

T H I S WAY I N

130
FATHER & SON
Would growing up with
Clint Eastwood as your dad
be the best or worst thing
ever? Scott and his old man
discuss their relationship,
as well as putting the world
to rights.

79 A WORD ABOUT DYEING

If youre thinking about shaking
things up by colouring your hair,
heres what you need to know first.

72 TRAVEL RIGHT
Tis the season for hopping on
planes and going places, so
heres a guide to packing light.

28

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O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

Our spirit of excellence.

Senator Chronometer

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T H I S WAY I N

Man Best
AT

HIS

140
WINDY CITIES
Tornadoes wreak havoc
across sections of the U.S.
We went out to chase a
few of them and got more
than we bargained for
once we found one.

37
D U BA I D E S I G N W E E K

Curator Brendan McGetrick shares

his picks of the best designs on
show this month.

44
T H E A RT O F N A P P I N G

A few fond words about one of lifes

greatest simple pleasures.

48
B RU N C H C H E AT S H E AT

The best new all-you-can-eat

options in one handy chart.

50
O I L A N D WAT E R

Peter Bergs new film explores the

Deepwater Horizon disaster.

56
B E AT L E S W I T H W I N G S

A new film documents the Fab

Fours frantic touring years.

114 OUT OF BOUNDS

59

For the man sitting at his work

desk dreaming of adventure, do
we have the car for you!

Celebrating 20 years (yes, 20!)

of TVs sharpest satire.

96 NEW ORLEANS RISES

H I -T EC H F L ATS C R E E N S

Americas quirkiest city was

devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
Find out what happened next.

Theres are some amazing new

televisions on the market. Heres
a guide to the best of them.

30

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O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

S O U T H PA R K

60

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T H I S WAY I N

ho fancies moving
calculation proving Parkinsons Law:
to Sweden?
work expands so as to fill the time
Those crazy
available for its completion.
Scandinavians have
Tim Ferris has made a career of
been trialling a sixchallenging these false constructs
hour work day, and early indicators
on the fourhourworkweek.com. Hes
suggest that employees have more
one of a groundswell of people who
energy to complete the same tasks in
suggest tricks to improve productivity,
less time and are happier as a result,
cut non-essential tasks, outsource
further boosting productivity.
as many tasks as possible, and create
Lets be honest. How many of us
large uninterrupted blocks of time so
are at the top of our game for long
your brain can declutter, think and
stretches in the office? Answer: were
innovate. Ferris calls this the makers
not. Remember those exhausting
schedule versus managers schedule.
three-hour exams at university?
These processes can help all of
Thats concentration. And its not
us fast-forward our careers, pursue
EDITORS LETTER
possible for indefinite periods. What
hobbies, or just free-up time to loaf
most of us do is work in unregulated
on the beach more often. Its also part
bursts, punctuated by web browsing,
of a wider theme, self development,
unfocussed meetings and nonthat we spoke about in the last issue
essential emails. This doesnt drive
and continue here. This is a topic that
businesses forward; it fills in time
deserves repeated attention, given the
while summoning the energy to
state of our global economy. In such
focus properly again.
an environment we all need to keep
The Swedish experiment only
learning, so in the pages that follow
... Or just faff less and leave
confirms what behavioural studies
we have more great tips from business
the office sooner
have long suggested: youd be far
leaders, and not just about how many
better having a strict routine, doing
hours we spend chained to our desks.
a smaller number of important,
Yogi Mehta tells us on page 86: We
clearly defined tasks, and then getting the hell away from your
are in a hostile economic landscape and we have to be smarter,
desk to spend time with the kids or see what midweek sunshine
more disruptive and willing to reinvent ourselves, because if
actually looks like.
we dont then we wont survive. On page 82 Harmeek Singh
Who made these rules anyway? (Thats a rhetorical question;
says: Fifteen years back, everyone would automatically follow
I just browsed the internet to find out). A Victorian social
the senior person in a business, but that has changed. The most
reformer named Robert Owen coined the slogan, eight hours
junior person is learning things that you need to follow.
labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest. Fair enough,
Heed these words for they will serve you well. Question
right? What he didnt factor in was lengthy commutes, out-ofeverything, starting with your daily routine. Or just move to
office messages and the fact that most of us stay way past 5pm.
Sweden where theyre already know this stuff. Sounds like a
Another question: how can it be that everyones job takes
nice set-up to me.
JEREMY LAWRENCE
40-hours a week to complete? That just has to be an arbitrary

WORKERS,
DOWN YOUR
TOOLS!

130

YEARS AGO
THIS
MONTH
T H E STAT U E
O F L I B E RT Y
IS UNVEILED

32

ESQUIRE

On October 28, 1886, the Statue of

Liberty was declared open. It was
a gift from France to the United
States, and marked the friendship
between the two nations.
Created by French sculptor
Frdric Auguste Bartholdi and built
by Gustave Eiffel, the copper statue
stands 151-feet tall, on top of a
154-foot-high pedestal. It showcases
a robed figure, Lady Liberty, carrying
a torch and a tablet that symbolises
the law, inscribed with the date
of the American Declaration of
Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken
chain at her feet is a further symbol
of freedom. At the base is a plaque
inscribed with a sonnet by American
O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

poet Emma Lazarus, written as

part of fundraising efforts for the
statue. It includes the line, Give me
your tired, your poor, your huddled
masses yearning to be free.
This plaque wasnt added until
1903, with the original ceremony
focussing on the ideals of liberty
shared by the US and France, and
also the end of slavery. However, the
line gained resonance over time as
the statue was the first thing most
newcomers would see on arrival
to the country, and it became a
symbol of American ideals and its
willingness to accept immigrants
a belief that will be tested in next
months presidential contest.

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T H I S WAY I N

ITP LIFESTYLE PUBLISHING

PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 444 3000 Fax: +971 4 444 3030

ITP PUBLISHING GROUP

CEO Walid Akawi
MANAGING DIRECTOR Neil Davies
ITP LIFESTYLE PUBLISHING
MANAGING DIRECTOR Ali Akawi
DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR
Andrew Wingrove
GROUP COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR
Vidhya Thiagarajan
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Lisa Rokny
EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jeremy Lawrence
GROUP ART DIRECTOR Cate Warde
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Matthew Priest
CONTRIBUTORS
Chris Anderson, Shreya Bhatia, Chloe
Bosher, Drew Jones, Adam Karmani,
Lucas Oakeley, Tom Pattinson
PHOTOGRAPHY
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Patrick Littlejohn
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
Rajesh Raghav, Efraim Evidor,
Richard Hall
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS
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Narendra, Ruel Pableo, Ausra Osipaviciute,
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GROUP PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION
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IMAGE EDITOR Ismail Aboobacker
DISTRIBUTION EXECUTIVE Nada Al Alami
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CIRCULATION MANAGER Vanessa DSouza
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CHAIRMAN Andrew Neil
MANAGING DIRECTOR Robert Serafin
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Toby Jay Spencer-Davies
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Walid Akawi, Neil Davies,
Mary Serafin, Rob Corder

ESQUIRE CONTRIBUTOR

TOM PATTINSON
Tom Pattinson is a writer and adventurer who lives between Beijing,
Hong Kong and London. Specialising in travel and luxury he is often
spotted racing cars through deserts or sampling rare vintages up
mountains. For the feature on page 140 he tells Esquire:
Ever wanted to drive through a Tornado? Me neither. But thats
what happened when I met Tornado Tim Baker in Mid-West America.
Baker has decades of experience in storm chasing and I joined him to
find these mighty forces of nature. After hundreds of kilometres pounding the
highways, we finally got what we came to see but it gave us more than we bargained for.
See the full story on page 140.

HEARST MAGAZINES
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etro.com

Man Best
AT

HIS

Recandescent
by John Routledge

The future
of design
BRIGHT IDEAS THAT
WILL CHANGE THE WAY
OUR WORLD WORKS
BY M AT T H E W P R I E S T

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

ESQUIRE

37

M A H B

DESIGN

OST PEOPLE assume that a designers job is

to make things beautiful; to elevate an ordinary
object so that it stands out. This assumption
isnt unfair but it misses something essential.
The beauty of an object is often nestled in its
idea. While good design can appeal, great design can provide a
problem with both its diagnosis and its cure.
This month, the UAEs focus tunes in on Dubai Design
Week, a five-day event hosted at the Dubai Design District that
celebrates the practical, and future, application of great design,
and how it can affect our lives for the better.
One of the most anticipated parts of the week is the Global
Grad Show, an exhibition dedicated to uncovering some of the
industrys brightest future talents. We asked the shows curator
Brendan McGetrick for his pick of designs that could very well
change the future:
BIOLOGIC

RECANDESCENT
by John Routledge

Recandescent is an artificial light source that combines

traditional lighting technology with innovative nano-technology
to create the most energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly
light bulb ever. Not only does it have the potential to replace
LED as the worlds dominant source of artificial light, but every
component can also be reused or recycled almost indefinitely.
Designed by John Routledge from the RCA, this product was
inspired by the advances in hot mirror technology developed by
MIT. Not only does this light bulb help prevent the destruction
of the environment; we think that it looks really edgy too.

by Tangible Media Group

Imagine a world where
actuators and sensors
could be grown naturally
rather than manufactured
in factories. BioLogic has
begun to look into creating
a bio-hybrid garment,
which will allow a selftransforming garment to
react in symbiosis with
the human body. Using
living cells as nano-sensors

(and nano-actuators)
that are stimulated by
the body temperature
and humidity change,
the product can undergo
functional transformation
and fabrication of the
bioLogics smart, living
materials. Put simply,
think of a fabric that is
able to store energy
and turn its wearer into
a power station.

ALGAE HARVESTER
by Ume Institute of Design,
Sweden

As if out of a sci-fi novel, the

creation of an algae-eating drone
that cleans the water and refuels
itself with biofuel produced by
the algae it picks up has huge
potential. Designed by Fredrik Ausinsch the algae sea collector
would systematically remove the surface blooms, which would
result in a drastic reduction of toxins in the water, as well as
preventing the spread of anoxic sediments that would improve
reproduction of local fish. The vessel pumps algae and water
into a dewatering system and separates the biomass from the
water. It would then be stored in a tank and the water reused to
thrust the drone forward.
AEON: DIGITAL INHERITANCE
by Mathieu Delacroix

Passing on material assets after we die isnt an issue, but what

about our digital data? With our lives now embedded online,
every day we produce information which only we have access
to data that could well be lost forever. Aeon seeks to create
a process of how someone can preserve their digital lifetime
posthumously using digital archiving services (photos, videos,
music, important documents etc). Using a cloud-based system,
Aeon allows the user to sort through their data through its
branch of life interface, which after death is passed on to two
authorised witnesses via its network.
Dubai Design Week, October 24 to 29. dubaidesignweek.

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VOCHLEA
by George Philip Wright
Imagine a device where
melodies in your head are
instantly translated into
music. Beatboxing can be
converted in to real-time
drums, humming turns into
a controlled guitar melody.
Developed by George Philip
Wright, Vochlea is a handheld
tool that profiles the voice
of the user and converts the
input into instrumentation.
The device is primarily

designed for personal use

at the early stage of music
creation, when someone
is struggling to express an
idea, but it has ample scope
to be used both on stage
and in the studio. Unlike
traditional instruments,
where users spend years
learning them, Vochlea
takes minutes to learn
allowing anyone the ability
to create complex songs
using only their voice.

M A H B

ART

Statement maker
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER GERARD RANCINAN SHARES
TALES OF SOME OF HIS MOST FAMOUS SUBJECTS
BY M AT T H E W P R I E S T

RANCINAN ON
HOSNI MUBARAK
When you are in front of a world leader
they feel so powerful, but in front of the
camera, just for a fraction of a second
you can tell that they are afraid of how
they will be portrayed in the picture.

RANCINAN ON
FIDEL CASTRO
I flew to Havana in 1994 to
meet Fidel, and he was very
accommodating. He gave
me no brief of what to do,
so I had to come up with an
idea for the portrait on the
spot. I said, Mr President,
tomorrow we will go to the
cliffs, and I will take a picture
of you defying America! He
told me he knew the perfect
place to go.

RANCINAN ON
DALAI LAMA
This portrait is about simplicity and humility.
Taken in 1990, in Nepal, it shows a modest man
in front of the awesome backdrop of nature.

RANCINAN ON
PRINCE SULTAN BIN
ABDULAZIZ

RANCINAN ON
TIGER WOODS
I have shot portraits for many
magazines. Tiger Woods was
one I did for Sport Illustrated
in 2000, in Hawaii. He was to
be awarded Sportsman of the
Year and I wanted to show a
fun and more playful side of
the private man.

Someone once taught me that as a

photographer you have the ability
to stop time. With the late crown
prince, he wanted a candid shot
that would help raise awareness of
conservation issues in Saudi Arabia.

A collection of Gerard Rancinans most startling works are to be exhibited at the Opera Gallery this month.
October 5 to 20, Opera Gallery Dubai, DIFC. operagallery.com

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watches

calvinklein.com
will peltz
actor
kenya kinski
model

REGISTER FOR FREE FAST TRACK ENTRY TICKETS at dpwtc.com

112883 2016 M

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9/15/16 12 49 PM

POLITICS

M A H B

Friend
or foe?
AN INSIDERS GUIDE
TO WHAT THE U.S.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
MEANS FOR THIS REGION
INTERVIEW BY
JEREMY LAWRENCE

ESQUIRE: What are the implications for this

in the region, and terrorism will continue to
region of a Donald Trump victory?
be the key drivers and, frankly, the opportunity
MORRIS L. REID: Instability. Trump has yet to
for the region. America embracing its regional partners
embrace the global responsibility that comes with being
and re-engaging both politically and economically will
President of the United States and his rhetoric has been less
go a long way in helping to stabilise oil prices. Additionally,
than welcoming to the Muslim world. I think it will take time
opportunities for the youth and terrorism go hand-in-hand and
to repair the damage his campaign has caused in the critical
the answer cannot be to establish another sovereign wealth fund,
relationship between the US and our Middle East partners.
which does not benefit the local population.
ESQ: What are the implications of a Clinton victory?
ESQ: How much can a president actually influence
MLR: A restart. Its no secret that the Muslim world lost faith
outcomes in the Middle East?
in President Obama for whatever reason, but its clear the next
MLR: Perception is reality. If the perception is America has
leader must re-engage with our allies and rebuild trust. The
turned away from the Middle East and is more interested in
United States needs a strong partnership with the Middle East
Asia or Europe, then that will be the reality. America must be an
and the Middle East needs the same from the United States.
active participant in the affairs of the region without being overly
ESQ: Who will win?
aggressive. Passive leadership will never work and our friends
MLR: My heart says Hillary, but my brain says
in the region need to know where we stand on
Trump. What you need in politics is passion and
important issues.
Conventional
intensity. Trump has both for sure. However, to
ESQ: What are you optimistic about, with
wisdom says
win you need money and an organisation, which
regards to the Middle East?
Hillary will win,
Hillary has, especially in the battleground states.
MLR: The people. I love this part of the world
but this isnt a
Conventional wisdom says Hillary will win, but
and believe my friends in the region will have a
conventional year
this isnt a conventional year.
positive impact on global affairs. In particular,
ESQ: Will it be close?
I am looking forward to the match-making
MLR: I think it will be as close as Gore v. Bush in the 2000
potential between the Middle East and Africa.
election and that didnt turn out well for the Democrats.
ESQ: What worries you?
However, unlike Al Gore, Clinton will stand and fight unlike
MLR: Lack of opportunity. I am concerned that the leadership
Gore, who was a gentleman.
in the region still thinks establishing another sovereign wealth
ESQ: What are the main changes weve seen with Obamas
is the magic bullet. With half the population under 30 years-old,
presidency in terms of Middle East policy?
focusing on job creation and entrepreneurship has to be the main
MLR: Under President Obama, many of our friends in the region
concern of governments.
didnt see us as a reliable ally. Ive participated in many meetings
ESQ: Whats your key message to clients when they are
where the prevailing attitude has been lets just wait for the next
planning business strategies in the region?
president, which is disappointing and dangerous. That next US
MLR: I tell all my clients to focus on the double bottom line of
president must build a strategy that is mutually beneficial for
doing well and doing good. Its okay to make money, but its also
both the US and our Middle East partners.
good to make a contribution. I also press them to partner with
ESQ: How are those policies likely to change in future?
the leaders of the next generation so that economic power isnt
MLR: This all depends on who the next president is. If you take
so concentrated into the hands of the few.
Trump at his word then the Middle East should look to build
allies with other Western powers. However if Hillary is elected,
Morris L. Reid is a partner with Mercury, an
American public strategy firm, and served
and she embraces the traditional American global leadership role,
in President Bill Clintons administration.
then thats good for the Middle East. There would be no more
He specialises in fostering business
leading from behind. American must lead and respect its allies.
development programmes, managing
ESQ: What are the key drivers of change that are
crisis situations, brand building, coalition
happening, regardless of who wins?
advocacy, and effective public affairs and
issue management in the Middle East.
MLR: Fluctuating oil prices, a lack of opportunities for the youth

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M A H B

HEALTH

Lifes second-best pleasure

THE PATH TO CREATIVE GENIUS? ITS A BLISSFUL SECRET OUR CULTURE
DOESNT WANT YOU TO KNOW.
BY DWIGHT GARNER

Ron Mueck, Mask II

ABLO PICASSOS PAINTING LE SOMMEIL

depicts the artists young lover Marie-Thrse
Walter asleep in a fat armchair. Its a mesmerising
image. Its especially mesmerising to the napping
cognoscenti, of which I count myself a member.
Heres one reason: on the back of the painting, on its stretcher,
Picasso wrote, Executed between three and six oclock on
January 29, 1932. Three hours! Marie-Thrse is not in the
flimsy grip of a catnap. This is, napwise, the real deal.
This is a portrait of bliss.
The serious student of the nap, eyeballing
Picassos painting, may pick nits. Three to six oclock
is on the late and long side for a meaningful siesta,
pushing into the cocktail hour though the Spanish
wisely do everything a bit later. (The sun is higher,
and your metabolism is slower, during what I think
of as the golden nap zone: two to four oclock.) Also,
its awful to be observed while youre sleeping. Poor
Marie-Thrse. In David Foster Wallaces short story

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Oblivion, a man at a medical clinic is shown a video of himself

in REM slumber and hes horrified at what he sees his slack
jaw and protrusive jowls, his lips fishily loose. Id rather a
vengeful hacker release CCTV footage of me elbowing a kindly
old lady from the last counter seat at the sushi bar than post a
clip of me drooling in wanton afternoon repose.
Naps have a bad reputation in todays world, where
sleep deprivation is worn like a Boy Scout merit badge. The
Puritanical Americans have a lot to answer for.
Their motto might easily have been You snooze,
you lose. Or, as Founding Father Benjamin
Franklin put it, Up, sluggard, and waste not life;
in the grave will be sleeping enough. The everindustrious Thomas Edison, who thought future
Americans would sleep far less, declared, Really,
sleep is an absurdity, a bad habit. RussianAmerican novelist Vladimir Nabokov called sleep
the most moronic fraternity in the world. The
musician Warren Zevon rephrased all this for a

HEALTH
different era when he wrote Ill Sleep
When Im Dead, a song heard to its
finest freight-train effect (Im drinking
heartbreak motor oil and Bombay gin) on
his early-80s live album, Stand in the Fire.
We miss you, Warren, now that youre off
taking your dirt nap.

M A H B

FOUR NAPPERS TO
WATCH IN 2016

cold, quiet room, ideally away from dog

flatulence, though I sometimes allow
my wheezing old black Lab to lumber
upstairs with me. Now take off your
clothes (my wife calls these pants-off
naps) and climb into bed. Part of the
pleasure for me is using my iPhone for
about 30 minutes before I go to sleep
to catch up on news and the yak on my
Twitter feed. Light from smartphones
wrecks your ability to sleep at night,
studies say, but were talking about the
daytime here. Ill also play a game or two
of online backgammon. Its relaxing, even
if I lose. I once confronted a guy whose
online handle was Bezos. Im not sure
it was Jeff, but I thrashed him anyway,
in the name of my friends who own, or
formerly owned, bookstores.
Upon waking, the rookie can still
make mistakes. The first is to forgo taking
a shower. To properly jump-start your
second day, you need to rinse away the
cobwebs. If youre in a dandified mood,
you can even put on fresh, crisp clothes.
The second common mistake is to let
postnap guilt sour your mood. Nix this by
getting back to your desk for a solid three
or four hours, breaking only when its
time to get a drink and give in to the pull
of the evening.

A STIGMA IS ATTACHED to a fondness

for sleeping, especially during the
BILL CLINTON
daytime. This we have to fix, because
Says 15-minute catnaps
dire things happen when youre sleepmake all the difference in
deprived. The pilot at the helm of the
the world.
Exxon Valdez, which spilled 11 million
gallons of crude oil into pristine Alaskan
waters, hadnt slept for 18 hours. The
driver of the Walmart truck that slammed
into comedian Tracy Morgans limousine
bus, killing one person and badly injuring
Morgan and three others, allegedly hadnt
slept for 28 hours. Bill Clinton said,
AMY POEHLER
Every important mistake Ive made in my
Would sleep in costume on the
set of Saturday Night Live.
life, Ive made because I was too tired.
Its surreal to think that a nap might have
spared the nation the Lewinsky scandal,
which paved the way for the presidency of
George W. Bush. His administration woke
up the world in all the wrong ways, as if
Bush were an air horn in human form.
The laureate of the nap, in the Western
ALBERT EINSTEIN
world at any rate, is Winston Churchill.
Took frequent naps; also slept
Not for him the 20-minute head-on-desk
10 hours at night.
I KNOW: This advice is pointless if you
doze. (Power naps, like PowerBars, make
have an office job. Short of pulling a
me feel worse, not better.) Here is perhaps
George Costanza and hiring a contractor
his greatest utterance: You must sleep
to build a napping lounge under your
sometime between lunch and dinner,
desk, youre out of luck. But good naps,
and no halfway measures. Take off your
like beach houses and fast Wi-Fi, are
clothes and get into bed. Thats what I
aspirational. One of the benefits of,
always do. Dont think you will be doing
say, starting your own company is that
less work because you sleep during the
LEBRON JAMES
you get to set your own nap schedule.
day. Thats a foolish notion held by people
Never misses a snooze
You can look to writers for guidance on
who have no imaginations. You will be
before a game.
doing this properly.
able to accomplish more. You get two days
The novelist Jim Harrison, in his
in one well, at least one and a half.
memoir The Raw and the Cooked, sang
I have lived by these words for nearly a
the praises of daily and fully undressed naps and mentioned
decade, as if they were tattooed on the underside of my eyelids.
a five-hour snooze that followed a hot-dog-eating session at
While they contain everything you need to know about goldenPapaya King. Philip Roth has come around, too. Let me tell you
daylight slumber and are a pristine statement of fundamentals,
about the nap, he once said. Its absolutely fantastic. When
Id like to extend them a bit. There are some refinements of
I was a kid, my father was always trying to tell me how to be a
which you should be aware.
man, and he said to me (I was maybe nine), Philip, whenever
Wake up early every day say, 6:00 a.m. and put in
you take a nap, take your clothes off, put a blanket on you, and
around seven hours of committed work. Its easier to perform
youre going to sleep better. Well, as with everything, he was
this labour when you know a sweet reward is coming. As Iris
right. Then the best part of it is that when you wake up, for the
Murdoch advised in The Sea, The Sea, One of the secrets of a
first 15 seconds, you have no idea where you are. Youre just
happy life is continuous small treats, and if some of these can be
alive. Thats all you know. And its bliss, its absolute bliss.
inexpensive and quickly procured so much the better. Second
When I click send on this piece, Im going to have lunch
only to sex, naps are lifes most significant frugal pleasure.
and then take a siesta an hour or so, not three. Like Picassos
Break at 1:00 p.m. or so for lunch, and make it delicious.
Marie-Thrse, Im going to get naked. Unlike her, Im going to
You need to anchor yourself down a bit for a decent nap; have
pull up the covers.
a chocolate-chip cookie and a glass of milk. You will need a

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HEALTH
Just kidding, a 10ft garden hose isnt really what they use for the procedure...

M A H B

Lets talk about

colon cleansing
ITS NOT PRETTY BUT IT MIGHT JUST HELP
BY DR GRAHAM SIMPSON

olon cleansing has been around for a long time.

Reports of the practice date back to Ancient Egypt,
and its still carried out around the world. But
because bowel-related topics are largely taboo, the
majority of people are unaware of what it involves.
While you can take laxatives or supplements to flush the
system, Ill focus on colon hydrotherapy here, as I believe it to be
the more thorough type of cleanse. I should also note that it has
similarities to colonic irrigation or enemas, but differs in that
the whole colon is cleansed rather than just the lower bowel.
This is done by a controlled flow of water through a small tube
into the rectal area, through the colon and back out through the
same tube, along with the now-dislodged waste. This is neither
painful nor invasive and clients can get straight on with their
normal day afterwards without aftercare. There are no negative
side-effects if it is carried out correctly, which includes using
filtered water to ensure the procedure does not lead to a lazy
bowel or become habit-forming.
Now lets get into why it is so beneficial to our health.
Impacted waste and toxins in the colon can disrupt the guts
natural balance of bacteria. If left unchecked, decomposing
waste can cause health issues, from fatigue and reduced immune
function to serious diseases such as cancer and Alzheimers.
It is also a common cause of leaky gut syndrome, whereby
undigested food molecules, toxins and other waste seep through
the gut lining, leading to digestive disorders, including irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS), among others. So if you suffer from
constipation, bloating, sluggishness, fatigue, IBS, or any other
common digestive complaints, you will likely find it very helpful.
That said, most of us could use the occasional treatment.
The Western diet of processed foods, sugar and grains tends to
lead to increased levels of toxicity in the digestive tract, and in
turn those serious illnesses that I mentioned above. Cleansing
the colon purges this waste, clearing
the way for essential nutrients to
Flushing
filter through the colon lining. It
the colon of
also rebalances the guts bacteria
toxins frees
levels, which is important because an
up the bodys
imbalance can lead to infections or
energy,
the gut can become over-absorbent
allowing it to
and allow toxins to flow freely into
be refocused
the bloodstream.
elsewhere
Theres a host of other benefits.
Flushing the colon of toxins also frees

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up the energy that is being used to force waste through the

intestines. This allows it to be refocused, leading to improved
circulation and increased energy. More efficient nutrient
absorption also aids mood and focus. And it can kick-start
weight loss by flushing the colon of excess pounds. This is
because our diets often include too many low-fibre foods that
move slowly through the digestive tract, producing heavy, excess
mucus that sticks to the intestinal walls. An added side-effect
is that accumulated toxins slow the metabolism, so reversing
this effect gets it running in the right direction. Finally, there
are several visible benefits, most notably on the skin. Studies
show a link between the growth of certain bacteria in the small
intestine and common skin conditions such as acne and rosacea.
Colon cleansing is the perfect way to rebalance these bacteria.
The wider point is that the gut is increasingly being shown
to play a part in everything from mood, mental health and
cognitive issues, to skin care, weight management, disease
prevention, and much more. So I will mention that Intelligent
Health now has a full-time colon hydrotherapist to help in
your quest for optimum performance. But Ill also remind you
to work harder than ever to balance out your bigger health
picture. The best way to look after gut health is to keep yourself
as pure as possible to begin with. Take advantage of all of the
tremendous medical practices out there, but dont do so as a
remedy to a lousy lifestyle do so in conjunction with natural
foods and good living.
The opinions in this column are of Dr Graham Simpson, the
Chief Medical Officer and Founder of Intelligent Health, a
preventive medical centre located in Jumeirah, Dubai, and are not
necessarily those held by Esquire or Hearst International.

M A H B

FOOD

The brunch matrix

ITS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN NEW BRUNCHES START POPPING UP ON A WEEKLY BASIS. SO WE DECIDED TO
MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU TO MONITOR YOUR PREFERRED OPTION BY CREATING A BRUNCH, AHEM, LA CHART
C O M P I L E D BY M AT T H E W P R I E S T

RESTAURANT

DAY

CUISINE

WHY GO?

WHAT TO
ORDER

LOCATION

COST

PIERCHIC

Friday
(12.30pm
to 4pm)

Seafood

Called the chic

brunch this is a
classy, romantic
affair

Clams, mussels,
lobster
anything
seafood!

Jumeirah
Al Qasr, Dubai

Dhs450* /
Dhs595

GIARDINO

Friday
(1pm to 4pm)

International

Because it
comes with free
pre-brunch pool
access

Anything from
the live pasta
station

Palazzo Versace,
Dubai

Dhs350*/
Dhs550

FIREBIRD
DINER

Thursday
(7.30pm to
12.30am)

American diner

Thursday night
brunch in DIFC?
Hell yes!

Kansas City
lamb ribs and
smores tarte

Four Seasons,
DIFC

Dhs275* /
Dhs450

ZUMA
ABU DHABI

Friday
(12pm to 4pm)

Japanese

An impressive
way to spend
your Friday

Miso-marinated
black cod

Al Maryah Island,
Abu Dhabi

Dhs345* /
Dhs445

VIDA

Saturday
(11am to 3pm)

Breakfast food

It restores real
meaning to the
term brunch

Eggs benedict

Vida Downtown,
Dubai

Dhs139*
(+ Dhs100 for
pool access)

BISTRO DES
ARTS

Friday & Saturday

(9am to 2pm)

French and
European

A cozier,
intimate,
European take
on a Dubai
brunch

Crepes, lots and

lots of crepes

Marina Mall,
Dubai

Dhs99*
(+ Dhs199)

PERRY &
BLACKWELDER

Friday
(12pm to 4pm)

US-style BBQ

Friday
barbecuing
without any of
the work

Jumbo hotdogs
and Cajun-style
shrimp

Madinat
Jumeirah, Dubai

Dhs195* /
Dhs295

CAF BELGE

Friday
(12pm to 4pm)

Belgian

Served a la
carte, it captures
the feel of 1920s
elegance

Moules et frites,
naturally

Ritz-Carlton
DIFC

Dhs325* /
Dhs450

RIB ROOM

Friday
(12.30pm to
3.30pm)

Meaty

A six-course
tasting serving
the best British
meat

Steak, and
lots of it

Jumeirah Zabeel
Saray, Dubai

Dhs350* /
Dhs475

NOTORIOUS
BRUNCH

Friday
(2pm to 5pm)

Picnics and
food trucks

This pay-whatyou-eat brunch

is great for
families

With a convoy
of food trucks,
take your pick

Dubai Polo Club

Dhs25*

* Soft drinks package

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FOOD

M A H B

Greg Malouf
at Intersect

JOIN THE CLUB

One of the true international

stars of modern Middle Eastern
cooking, the Michelin-approved
chef Greg Malouf makes his
return to the UAE this month for
a brief stint at Intersect by Lexus.
The Australian-Lebanese chef
will take over the kitchens at the
DIFC lifestyle hub from October
11 to 13, serving up his signature
style of regional cooking using
Western techniques.
Spaces for the Michelin-star
culinary experience are still
available, as Malouf at the team
serve up four courses with an
option of drinks pairing.

Why Mondays are now the

new Sundays

Intersect by Lexus, DIFC, Gate Village 7.

Oct 11 to 13. Dhs395. Tel: +971 43559524

FEAR THE BEAST

WHAT IS THAT?! (AND HOW CAN WE EAT IT)

T H E B E AST B U RG E R F RO M B U RG E R& LO B ST E R . ( D H S 1 2 7 )

A 10oz beef burger topped with tarragon mayo & fennel slaw, with a lobster tail and Brie.

Statistically, Mondays are the

quietest night of the week here
in the UAE. The weekend is a
distant memory, and the working
week is already two days in, but
that doesnt mean you have to
sit at your desk wailing the lyrics
to the Boomtown Rats I dont
like Mondays.
As part of its one year
anniversary celebrations, Marina
Social will be running a new
Monday Social Club initiative all
month. Essentially, to join the
club all you have to do is show

up between 7pm and 10pm, order

a main course (and a drink) from
the special menu and you will
be entitled to unlimited starters
and desserts. Turns out Mondays
arent so bad after all.

Marina Social,
Intercontinental
Dubai Marina.
October 3, 10, 17,
24 and 31. 7pm
to 10pm. Dhs350.
marinasocialdubai.
com

HARVESTFEST
Summer is over! Yes, it might still be hot outside, but we think that everyones had just about
enough of it all. So were going on the record to tell this pesky season to take a hike.
Right, now all thats out the way, we can start piecing together our outdoors social life jigsaw
again, and the first thing on our list is the Virgin Atlantic Beer & Cider Festival (October 27 to
29). Nothing depicts good weather like hanging out in the leafy garden of Reform Social & Grill,
chopping on some barbecue and sampling whats on offer. Mark it down in your diary, the good
times are coming. Reform Social & Grill, The Lakes, Dubai. October 27 to 29. reformsocialgrill.ae

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M A H B

FILM

Youre going
to need a
smaller boat
BATTLESHIP DIRECTOR PETER BERG ON
DEEPWATER HORIZON AND THE MERITS
OF THE ANTI-BLOCKBUSTER

f recent summers are indicative of those forthcoming,

an increasing number of Hollywood movie directors
will have to learn how to bounce back after a failed
blockbuster. Peter Berg, maker of 2012s very damp squib
Battleship, rediscovered his mojo in unique and surprising
fashion: by only making based-on-true-story action-dramas
starring Mark Wahlberg. Three in a row. The first
in 2013, Lone Survivor, recounted a failed US Navy
If you can get
Seals mission in Afghanistan. The third, coming
six coastguards
soon in Oscar-movie season, is Patriots Day, a
to really do what
retelling of the manhunt after the Boston Marathon
they would do, its
bombing in 2013.
very hard for an
Between the two, he has Deepwater Horizon,
actor to compete
with Wahlberg as Mike Williams, a survivor of
with that
the 2010 explosion on the BP oil rig that titles the
film. It is a terrific piece of work, absorbing and
tense, a true tale that, despite the extreme situation,
feels very real, thanks in no small part to a minimum of CGI
and shooting most of the film on a replica-rig set. Bergs crew
built this platform in a giant water tank in the car park of an
abandoned amusement park outside New Orleans.
ESQUIRE: Is it cheaper to build sets now that good CGI
requires hundreds of technicians?
PETER BERG: Its certainly as expensive to go practical and
really do it. If we had just gone with computer effects, the movie
would not have had the same visceral muscle to it. We could
light real fire and hit the set because it was made of metal. We
also had snakes, alligators and wild pigs; it was just outside New
anywhere he wanted, say anything to anyone including
Orleans. We had people working 24-hours-a-day, a night crew
myself, Wahlberg and the set designers. If he saw anything
and a day crew, pulling snakes out of the water tank and making
wrong, he had freedom to call out bull**** and we would stop
sure alligators didnt get under the trucks. They couldnt deal
and then fix it.
with the wild pigs. They just ran around.
ESQ: You also have non-actors in scenes to add
ESQ: Why have you turned to films based ontrue stories?
authenticity, too?
PB: I love actors, I am an actor and I believe in actors, but if you
PB: I found that I like things that are not too presentational
and too artificial. I prefer working
can get six coastguards to really do
in this space and Im more
the response the way they would
comfortable in it. But these are real
do it, its very hard for an actor
stories about people that really
to compete with that without
died. For Deepwater Horizon,
going to coastguard school for six
we met with the families of the
months. When guys come in and
11 men who died, we invited them
play themselves, it can be very
all on set: the widows, children,
compelling. I do it often. There
grandchildren. The real Mike
will always be one who comes up
Williams was on set pretty much
to me and I can see what he wants
every day. He had licence to walk
to say, and I always say the same

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FILM

M A H B

WERE SAVED/DOOMED!
TWO NON-FICTION BOOKS MAKE RADICALLY
DIFFERENT PREDICTIONS FORTHE FUTURE
OF MANKIND
With apologies to Charles Dickens, a tale of two new
books tells us that, in fact, right now is the best of times
and the worst of times. In one, reasons to look forward
to the future because today is the best time ever to be
human. In the other, tomorrow is imperilled because
freedom is a myth and mankind must take back control.
Reasons to be cheerful forever, or are we just a jelly bath
and spinal implant away from The Matrix?

WHOS THE SOOTHSAYER?

Johan Norberg, documentary
maker, libertarian think-tank
fellow

Raoul Martinez, documentary

maker, portraitpainter,
TEDx talker

HIS THESIS IN A NUTSHELL

To tell the great story of our
era [about the] greatest
improvement in global living
standards ever to take place,
thereby setting bad-newsloving media andfear-obsessed
humansstraight

That due to the lottery ofbirth,

concentration of wealth and
illusion ofconsent, the language
offreedom has been
used tojustify poverty, erode
democracy and legitimise
barbarism

PHOTO: GETT Y IMAGES

OK, THAT MAKES SENSE

thing: I do not want to hear that you want to give up your job,
leave your family, move to Hollywood and become an actor.
Its not going to happen.
ESQ: What do you like so much about working with
Mark Wahlberg?
PB: Its rare as an adult that you make a really good friend and,
on Lone Survivor, Mark and I became friends. I never had a
brother and hes as close to a brother as Ive ever had. And its
nice to know that you can trust the guy youre going to be
working with every day.
ESQ: With the message that fossil fuels can kill you, is this
a green action movie?
PB: This film is not intended to be an indictment of fossil
fuels. Its looking at the reality of them, and they are what the
entire planet is running off at this very moment. To me, oil is a
little like sausage. A lot of people want it, but nobody wants to
acknowledge how we get it. It is dirty work and its hard.

And weve only got ourselves to

thank that things are getting
better overwhelmingly so
progress is the result of hardworking people, scientists,
innovators and entrepreneurs
with strange new ideas

And weve only got ourselves

to blame: Humanity has
the resources to eradicate
starvation, illiteracy, extreme
poverty Deprivation and
inequality simply reflects the
great imbalance of power

THE BOTTOM LINE

Norbergs glasses could not
be more rose-tinted if they
were grown in horse manure
and shown at a flower show.
But his unfailing optimism and
well-argued points generate
powerful good-news vibes

PROGRESS
(Oneworld),
out now

Despite his pessimism, Martinez

does hope true freedom can
come if more of us create, share
and experience beauty rather
than get stuck in the rat race of
competition and accumulation

CREATING
FREEDOM
(Canongate),
out now

Deepwater Horizon is in UAE cinemas now

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M A H B

TV

Do you have FOMO TV?

WERE HERE TO HELP. CONSULT THIS HANDY WATCH LIST BEFORE THE AUTUMN ONSLAUGHT
BY ADRIENNE WESTENFELD

M OST
ESSENTIAL

The People v.
O.J. Simpson
(FX, Hulu)
and O.J.: Made in America
(ABC, ESPN)

This year brought two

miniseries about O.J.
Simpson: one drama,
one documentary, both
necessary. Ryan Murphys
The People v. O.J. Simpson
limits itself to the
investigation, the trial, and
the media circus, and
succeeds in humanising
the endlessly caricatured
lawyers. Sarah Paulson
is a sympathetic Marcia
Clark, but shes no match
for Courtney B. Vance as
Johnnie Cochran. O.J.:
Made in America, directed
by Ezra Edelman, covers
much of the same ground
with actual footage it all
happened on camera as
well as O.J.s life up to
and after the trial, and a
century of race relations in
America. They are perfect
companion pieces.
N I C E ST C O P S,
M E A N E ST C RO O KS

Fargo

I L L U ST R AT I O N B Y G L U E K I T

(FX, Hulu)

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Each season (two, so far)

of Fargo tells a different
story involving different
characters in a different
decade, and neither has
a direct connection to
the 1996 Coen brothers
movie. The chilly, strangely
hypnotic mood is what
links them that and
Midwestern decency.
Also gore. Lots of gore.
M OST
INTENSE

Mr. Robot
(USA Network,
Amazon Prime)

A cyber-thriller for the age

of Edward Snowden. A
heavy-lidded computer

TV
prodigy comes to see
hacking as a form of political
speech. Then the hints pile
up that our conspiracyminded narrator may not be
completely reliable. Even the
onscreen coding feels laden
with ambient dread.
M OST
REFINED

Silicon Valley
(HBO Now)

Silicon Valley
has a lot in common with
Office Space: a creator,
a brilliant ensemble of
character actors, well-timed
gangsta rap. But the office in
Office Space was any office,
while every detail, buzzword,
and plot twist on Silicon
Valley could exist only in
Silicon Valley, right now.
The opening credits alone
are an education.
S M A RT E ST
S H OW
ABOUT
A DUMB
SU B J ECT

UnREAL

M A H B

(Lifetime, Hulu)

Ten years ago, television,

lured by the cheap
pleasures and even cheaper
production costs of reality
programming, had all but
given up on the scripted
series. Weve come just
far enough since then to
be able to stomach the
bitter critique of UnREAL, a
cynical The Bachelor-style
reality show within a cynical
scripted one.
M OST DYS F U N CT I O N A L
FA M I LY

M OST
GIMMICKY
(IN A GOOD
WAY )

F U N N I E ST S H OW
ABOUT A SERIOUS
SU B J ECT

The Last Man

(ABC, Hulu)

on Earth
(Fox, Hulu)

It doesnt get any more high

concept. But watching familiar
sitcom-style squabbling
against the backdrop of a
plague-ravaged apocalyptic
wasteland is, it turns out,
sublimely funny. The title is no
longer accurate, but Will Forte
is still in a class by himself.
Even funnier than Lost!

Black-ish
In comic sensibility, Black-ish
owes something to Modern
Family. But Modern Family is
about a group of obviously
diverse people who are in
fact a lot alike. Black-ish is
about a group of apparently
similar people who cant
agree on anything, least of all
on what it means to be black.
L E AST
CORNY

Bloodline
(Netflix)

D OW N R I G H T S E E D I E ST

By all appearances, the

Rayburns are living the
Jimmy Buffett dream. But all
is not well in Margaritaville.
The reappearance of a
wayward son, played with
riveting intensity by Ben
Mendelsohn, upends the
delicate dynamic, and things
just go south from there. Its
a dark, sweeping drama with
novelistic ambitions too
bad Netflix hasnt yet picked
it up for a third season.

Better Call Saul

Youre the
Worst

(AMC, Netflix)

(FX Now, Hulu)

Like Breaking Bad, Better Call

Saul follows a man living in
Albuquerque whos engaged
in a morally questionable line
of work. The difference is that
Walter White was really good at
making narcotics, whereas Saul
Goodman, lawyerwise, makes
Lionel Hutz look like Atticus
Finch. Bob Odenkirk, as Saul,
deftly elevates haplessness to
a high art.

Two misanthropes make an

exception for each other.
Sort of like When Harry
Met Sally..., if Harry were
Richard E. Grants Withnail
in Withnail and I and Sally
were Amy Schumer. A
show concept that would
never have made it past the
network focus groups and
one more argument for
premium cable.

THE DOUBLE LIFE

Jessie Graffs day job as a
Hollywood stuntwoman (Sons
of Anarchy, Supergirl) comes
in handy when shes competing
at the highest level on American
Ninja Warrior. Here, she tells us
about the challenges of being a
woman on the course and how
jumping out of burning buildings
can really focus the mind.
T Y L E R C O N F OY

Watch Graff
compete in the
shows finals,
which is airing
internationally now.

I do stunts for a living, so the

stronger I get for American Ninja
Warrior, the more capable I am
and the better Ill be at my day job,
too. The consequences are higher
for stunts. It might be: hit your mark, or you risk
getting hit by a car. Or: your aim had better be
right, or youll miss the air bag when you fall off a
50-foot building.
Sometimes Im just told, Be there at 7:00 a.m.,
and Ill find out if Im doing doughnuts in the
desert or rappelling down a building or fighting
people. So if Im on the course and something
goes in a weird direction, Im used to quickly
adjusting things.
Obviously, men have more testosterone, and
theyre going to build explosive muscle way
more easily than women. In order to keep up

with them, Ive had to do a lot more conditioning.

These days, Im doing a lot more rock climbing,
grip strength, and pull-ups. Then, right before
the competition, Ive been trying to build a lot
more of that necessary explosive leg power.
The floating boards, where having a lot of hip
flexibility is very helpful, is the only obstacle I can
think of where women have a distinct advantage.
If something looks easy to me, I assume that
Im missing something. Nothing on this course is
easy. But I love the challenge. When my fingers
are so tired that I cant, like, pick the towel up off
my shoulder that somebody just put there that
is the most satisfying feeling. Win or lose.

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M A H B

CARS

Your sport-utility
sports car has arrived
BENTLEY AND TESLA SHIFT GEARS
BOB SOROKANICH

HERES SOMETHING DELICIOUSLY

IMPROBABLE about a fast SUV. Its a vehicle too
often relegated to the school run. But oh, how times
have changed. Now some SUVs put Italian exotics
to shame.
nto the
Two of these new ultra-SUVs have just thundered onto
market, vying for ultimate-speed bragging rights. Well, one of
ny noise
them thunders; the other is electric and hardly makes any
at all.
st
Lets start with the Bentley Bentayga [1]. The first
SUV from the storied British luxury brand, its got a
od.
600-horsepower twin-turbo W-12 engine under the hood.
1kph,
When its opened up all the way, Bentley says itll do 301kph,
besting the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S by 18kph for the title of
worlds fastest SUV.
Teslas are creeeping privately into the market here, so
expect the Model X [2] to show up soon, because its
m,
basically an electric rocket. In top-of-the-line P90D trim,
es
the seven-seater produces 532 horsepower and whooshes
ndfrom zero to 100kph in 3.2 seconds quicker than a brandn
new Ferrari California T. Thats 0.8 seconds quicker than
the Bentley, though it tops out at only 249kph.

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Of course, this kind of speed does mean youll need to pony

up: the fastest version of the Tesla costs more than $125,000
(Dhs459,143). Add an extra Dhs367,000 to that and you still
wont quite be able to afford the Bentley. But if you need a fast
four-wheel drive that isnt priced like an apartment, the Jeep
Grand Cherokee SRT starts at under $70,000 (Dhs257,100).
With a zero-to-100 time of 4.6 seconds, it can nose out your
neighbours Mustang.

WOMEN
W
OMEN

M A H B

Funny
girl
GRACE GUMMER
CHANNELS A YOUNG
NORA EPHRON

hats it like as an
actor to portray
someone you
know, let alone
your mothers friend? And
when your mom happens
to be Meryl Streep and said
pal is Nora Ephron? I felt
very honored, says Grace
Gummer, and also this
huge responsibility. The
30-year-old costars as the
late journalist and director
(a former Esquire columnist)
on Good Girls Revolt, a new
Amazon series inspired by
the female Newsweek staffers
who sued the publication for
discrimination in 1970, just
as a cover story on feminism
written by a stringer hit
newsstands.
As with her turns on Mr.
Robot and The Newsroom,
Gummer brings a convincing
intelligence to the roleyou
cant help but feel Ephrons
devotion to the cause. It is
not that long ago that women
werent allowed to be credited
as journalists, Gummer says.
Thats sort of mind-blowing
to me.
N ATA S H A Z A R I N S K Y

Grace Gummer,
costar of the new
Amazon series Good
Girls Revolt (right).

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M A H B

FILM
a talk with Ringo, with Yoko
and Olivia [Harrison], and
I began to see in all this an
ingenious approach, because
by focusing on the touring
years, it created a narrative
structure. That was a story
I could tell built around
this exciting approach to
the live performances.
Essentially, its an ensemble
adventure survival story. As
soon as I began studying it,
I realised they were forced
into a remarkable gauntlet.
I compared it to my movie
Apollo 13 and to Das Boot
[Wolfgang Petersens 1981
epic German war film].
They all live in a German
submarine, then, but Howard
isnt living in a dream
world when he makes these
comparisons. His film, as
well as shedding more light
on The Beatles abilities as
live performers (a focus on
Ringo during a bombastic
rendition of I Saw
By focusing
Her Standing There puts
on thetouring
paid to any the-drummersyears, it created
no-good nonsense), also
a narrative
uses off-stage archive footage
structure
and some insightful emotional
new interviews with Paul and
Ringo to convey just how tightly
packed the world was for The Beatles from 196366. Lennon
was almost lost for words trying to wind back his bigger-thanJesus crack; the overwhelming pressure of the worlds first
stadium tour; unprecedented fame and media scrutiny. We
were force-grown, like rhubarb, says Harrison, in an interview
long after the band broke up, and you feel for him.
This is a story of exceptionalism, Howard continues,
not a story of guys who were in the right place at the right
time. There have been a lot of talented, brilliant people who
have found a way into rocknroll, but four of them together
who were that smart, that funny, with such a sense of the
world and clarity of thought and integrity? I came away really
admiring their singleminded commitment to the music and
their involvement with it. That, and the brotherhood, which
was clear. Later, things got stormy, but in this period the band
m
members were making it through the adventure
b
by leaning on each other.
Hardcore Beatles obsessives may not feel theres
m
much new in Howards film. The rest of us, though,
ccan enjoy a surprisingly fresh reminder of pop
ccultures biggest and best biography and the music,
o
of course.

What happens on tour...

Fab Four play: Ringo Starr,

George Harrison, Paul McCartney
and John Lennon rehearsing in
ahotel room, Sweden,1963.
Copyright: Apple Corps Limited

o, John Lennon walks into a reception-cumparty for The Beatles, at the British Embassy
in Washington DC, in February 1964, and a TV
interviewer proffers his mic and says, Which
one are you? Eric, replies Lennon, in his best
disinterested deadpan. Both men are distracted for a moment,
then the interviewer begins, Eric, here is the American
public. Im John, interrupts Lennon, it was only a joke.
This exchange is one of many, many standalone pleasures in
Ron Howards new documentary, The Beatles: Eight Days a
Week The Touring Years. Taken with several other laughout-loud instances, its a reminder of how funny the band were
the wittiest member here but all four had their moments
before life in the biggest, greatest band ever became not much
fun at all.
Howard, director of Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, three Tom
Hanks/Dan Brown capers and Rush, does not seem the obvious
choice for a film like this, but he is also the director of Made in
America, a 2013 documentary about a music festival curated by
hip-hop artist Jay Z. Howard was asked to make that
film at the last minute by a producer hed worked with,
who also had a hand in a project collecting fan footage
of Beatles concerts. Rare and unseen film of The
Beatles is one thing; using it to weave a new thread in
one of pop cultures most familiar tales is quite another.
I began by having conversations, Howard tells
Esquire, while driving down the West Side Highway
under a blue sky in New York City. A talk with Paul,

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T Beatles: Eight Days a Week The Touring Years

The
iis on Hulu.com

MUSIC

M A H B

After
winter
BON IVERS NEW
ALBUM HAS A SPRING
IN ITS STEP

iven his
penchant for
high-profile
spats, one of
the sweeter
music business stories of
recent years has been that
of the mutual devotion of
Kanye West and Wisconsin
indie-folkie Justin Vernon,
better known by the name
of his main band, Bon Iver.
Vernon has appeared on
two West albums, was at his
side during a slightly chaotic
2015 Glastonbury set, and
was described by West as
his favourite living artist.
y , eat your
y
Taylor,
heart out.
Which means at
ast one person we
least
ow is going to be
know
ry excited that, five
very
ars after a critically
years
claimed, self-titled
acclaimed,
phomore album,
sophomore
d nine years after
and
but For Emma,
debut
rever Ago, with
Forever
its astonishing
artbroken-in-aheartbroken-in-a-

log-cabin back story, Justin

Vernons Bon Iver project
finally has a new record.
(And though West didnt
work on it directly, Ye gets
a shout-out in the credits.)
Bon Iver is a band that
inspires fervent devotion
among fans, as made
clear when Vernon
took the decision
in August to debut
the new album in
full, live at the Eaux
Claires festival
in Wisconsin
that he
co-curated
with The
Nationals

Aaron Dessner. His following

also means hes an artist who
can take an if it aint broke,
fix it anyway attitude to new
music, knowing the faithful
will hear him out even if he
takes an unexpected turn.
Certainly, new album, 22, A
Million, seems hell-bent on
ensuring the Bon Iver project
hasnt stagnated. Theres
sinister crazy frog sampling,

noodling saxes, pacing thats

so loose it sounds like songs
might stutter to a stop, and
even shock horror a
lessening use of the falsetto
that was so bewitching coming
from a beardy in a trucker cap.
Its no surprise to learn
this album is something of a
reaction to a bout of crippling
anxiety during which Vernon
nearly abandoned Bon Iver.
But what makes 22, A Million
stirring and compelling
despite cryptic lyrics and
symbol-filled song titles such
as 666 and 22 (OVER
S N) that will make copy
editors queasy is that,
despite the experiments, its
still rooted in a bluesy, folky
American songbook sensibility
thats inherently beautiful and
makes you feel something,
even if youre not exactly sure
what. Existential melancholy?
Heartbreak? A yearning to
return to the shady creek
you never paddled in with
your nonexistent childhood
sweetheart? Whatever it is,
youll want to dive right in.
22, A Million (Jagjaguwar) by
Bon Iver is out now

MIA TAKES AIM

THE BRITISH MUSICIANS NEW ALBUM SHOWS HER
SOFT SIDE, BUT ITS ALL RELATIVE
After hearing her new album, AIM, the rumours that rapper
MIA is done as amusical firebrand (rumours she has fuelled
in recent interviews) seem shaky. Admittedly for an artist whose comments on the persecution of Sri Lankas Tamils, the
Black Lives Matter movement and the plight of refugees have got her as much attention asher four previous albums,
AIM despite thehypnotic, heavy production and seductively tuneless vocals that rightly keeps MIA among todays most
daring and original musicians has surprisingly sugary moments.
Theres the love song Ali ru OK, a paean to a lover whos too busy to hang out: Ali, Ihavent even seen you since we
left Calais Oh wait. Well, theres the ode to bezzies, Foreign Friend: Im gonna be your foreign friend, all the way to
the end. Maybe not. Even the zany Bird Song, which namedrops cuckoos, eagles, turkeys and more, breaks down into a
menacing chant of Watch the sky, so the metaphorical subtext of overhead observation and warfare becomes clear.
AIM is a smart and provocative record, andif it has saccharine tendencies, theres aclever aftertaste of arsenic.
AIM (Interscope/Polydor) is out now

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M A H B

BOOKS

Boss reads
FROM SPRINGSTEENS AUTOBIOGRAPHY TO THE FUNDAMENTALS OF TIME TRAVEL,
HERE ARE NINE NEW BOOKS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

1. AGAINST EVERYTHING
By Mark Greif
When I say no, Im always
right, former Esquire film
critic Dwight Macdonald
once observed. Greif is of the
same mind. These smart and
bracingly negative essays
will shake you out of your
Facebook-induced
stupor. (Dhs107)
2. EYES ON THE STREET:
THE LIFE OF JANE JACOBS
By Robert Kanigel
Find out how an owlish thinker
on a bicycle defeated
the urban planner Robert
Moses, saved New Yorks
Greenwich Village, and
continues to shape several
American cities. (Dhs129)
3. THE UNDERGROUND
RAILROAD
By Colson Whitehead
Whitehead can seemingly do
anything: his seven previous

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books include an allegorical

thriller about elevator
inspectors and a literary
zombie novel. His latest and
most ambitious reimagines
the famous escape route for
runaway slaves as a literal
network of subterranean
trains. (Dhs99)

4. BORN TO RUN
By Bruce Springsteen
Pete Townshend is writing [a
memoir], Neil Youngs got one
coming, [so] I thought, Im not
going to do one, too, Springsteen said in 2012. Four years
and a reported $10 million
advance later, hes changed
his tune. A book from an
artist who knows how to tell
a story and isnt afraid to skip
the painful episodes either.
(Dhs121)
5. THE WONDER
By Emma Donoghue
Room, the basis for the

2015 Oscar-winning movie,

proved that Donoghue can
paint a big picture on a small
canvas. This time, shes gone
even further largely
confining the action to a
single bed, one in which a
young girl is months into a
religious fast. Some call it a
miracle; her nurse is not so
sure. (Dhs99)

6. AVID READER
By Robert Gottlieb
What do Toni Morrison, John
Cheever, Michael Crichton,
John le Carr, and Robert
Caro have in common?
A book editor named Robert
Gottlieb. A masterclass in how
modern literature gets made.
(Dhs103)
7. A GENTLEMAN IN
MOSCOW
By Amor Towles
Towles first novel, Rules of
Civility, made him a writer to

watch at 47. His highly

anticipated second centres
on a dispossessed aristocrat
and spiritual cousin of The
Leopards Don Fabrizio,
imprisoned in a grand hotel
opposite the Kremlin. (Dhs99)

8. INTIMATIONS
By Alexandra Kleeman
A collection of experimental
short stories from the
author of the determinedly
strange You Too Can Have a
Body Like Mine. For those who
find the realist novel duller
than opera. (Dhs96)
9. TIME TRAVEL
By James Gleick
Isaac Newtons biographer
takes a smart, scholarly
look at this science-fiction
staple. With a little help from
Gleick, you might finally
understand Interstellar,
though dont hold us to that.
(Dhs99)

TV

M A H B

Stone and Parkers

crude, handmade
1992 student film
(right) evolved
into the crude,
computer-aided
South Park (left).

Super best friends

SOUTH PARK BEGAN ITS 20TH SEASON LAST
MONTH. MAY IT NEVER GROW UP

n 1995, a holy man beat the living daylights out of

Santa Claus in a video Christmas card created by two
former University of Colorado Boulder students named
Matt Stone and Trey Parker. It went viral which
in those days meant people made copies of the tape
and physically passed them around and led to a deal with
Comedy Central. Thus was South Park born. In the two
decades since, it has gone after all the major taboo subjects,
plus a few minor ones (Mormonism, Scientology), politicians
from both parties (Giant Douche, Turd Sandwich), countless
celebrities (Russell Crowe, Mecha-Streisand), the menace
of political correctness, and the steady creep of the Towel
Industrial Complex. Here, a few crazed fans offer Stone and
Parker their congratulations.

NORMAN LEAR TV producer, creator of All in the Family

The greatest praise Archie Bunker ever received was when
Trey Parker and Matt Stone said that Archie was the inspiration
for their brilliant character Eric Cartman.
SIMON RICH writer, creator of Man Seeking Woman
I remember going over to my friend Zachs house after school

THE HARDER THEY COME:

C E L E B R I T I E S R E ACT TO S O U T H PA R K- I F I CAT I O N

one day in seventh grade. His mom didnt get home from work
until six, so we had about two hours to look for smut on his new
Dell. But first, Zach showed us this thing called The Spirit of
Christmas. It was so extremely hilarious that we watched it
over and over again for the entire two hours and never took a
break to search for the smut!
JIMMY KIMMEL host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The idea that a talking piece of [excrement] would think
everybody else smells like flowers is hilarious. Thats it my
favourite moment. Mr. Hankey: number one. Might be my alltime-favourite television moment.
BILL HADER actor, comedian
I met Matt probably in the summer of 2007, and the
following year he invited me to their writers retreat in
Seattle. Matt will come in angry about something, in politics
or in culture, and he will just rail against it for an hour. And
Trey will pick up on that and go, Oh, maybe the boys would
Hes really good at figuring out how this or that thing pertains
to South Park. These meetings last around three hours, and
the next day we go in and everything we talked about is
animated. Then well all watch it and go, That works; that
doesnt work.
I was at the retreat before last season, and nothing really
came out of it. And then literally in the last five minutes, Trey
started doing PC Principal. Everyone breathed a big sigh of
relief, like, Well, that will end up in the show.
MIKE JUDGE TV producer, co-creator of Silicon Valley
The word brave gets thrown around way too much in
Hollywood, but I think [the Scientology episode] actually
did change things. You couldnt really talk negatively
about Scientology before that without getting a lot of
threatening letters. As long as the world keeps being
ridiculous, which it seems to keep being, the show could
probably go on indefinitely.
JERROD CARMICHAEL comedian, co-creator of The
Carmichael Show

K A N Y E W E ST

TO M C RU I S E

As long as people think

I act like a b***h this
type of s*** will happen
to me.

Im really not even going to

dignify this....I honestly didnt
even really know about it...
I dont spend my days going
through what are people saying
about me.

Anybody else in their position would be on their ninth or tenth

show by now, but they just continue to perfect South Park. Im
pretty sure Comedy Centrals not complaining.
BRUCE VILANCH comedian, former head writer for the Oscars
I dont know what Tom Cruise was bellyaching about.
A shout-out from them lasts longer than an Emmy. Oh, maybe
thats what he was bellyaching about.

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M A H B

TECHNOLOGY

The big
picture

Dhs19,504,
mea.philips.
com

MOVIES, SPORT, BOXSETS

MAGNIFY EVERY VIEWING
EXPERIENCE WITH A SUPERSMART TITANIC TELEVISION
B Y J O H N N Y D AV I S

elevision, the
drug of the
nation/Breeding
ignorance
and feeding
radiation: so sang The Disposable
Heroes of Hiphoprisy in 1992.
Nobody much moans about the
dangers of too much telly these days
weve got the internet for that.
Everyone loves TV!
Now that were spoilt for
exhaustive long-form drama, shot
in ultra-high-definition quality,
a seriously good TV set to match
is a must. The latest developments include
the option to extend the picture by projecting
it onto your wall, millimetre-thin screens and
the potential for a billion colour combinations.
That old clich about TV being the next best thing
to actually being there has never rung truer.

PHILIPS
65PUS8901 AMBILUX
4K ULTRA HD
Using nine tiny projectors to beam colour onto the
wall to match what is currently on the screen, Philips
AmbiLux TVsmake what youre watching more
immersive. It supports4K, will up-scale HD and has
asuper-slim bezel. The remote also handles speech
recognition so you can, literally, shout at the telly.

Dhs21,943,
lg.com/ae

Dhs18,535,
samsung.
com/ae

LG C6 65 CURVED OLED 4K
With OLED tech, 4K resolution, LGs state-of-the-art
WebOS Smart platform and Harman Kardon sound,
everything about this slick set oozes luxury. Theres a
clever bit of tech that means its pixels are self-lighting:
in other words, they can switch on-and-off individually
so blacks are really black and whites are super-bright.
The curved screen adds extra depth.

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SAMSUNG 65 KS9500 CURVED

4K SUHD TV
Samsungs nano-crystal panel technology gives super-bright
colours and (it claims) up to a billion colour combinations,
creating a fluid experience ideal for movies and sport.
It connectsto your smartphone for steaming/content sharing.
Appsand social media access is particularly impressive, too.

TECHNOLOGY

M A H B

Headline goes inPress

heregang

ASDASDDADA SDASLDKJKLDJKASDJLASCS DJ KAJD

AKJDKJ DKAJ DKJ
BY LINE
BIN YOUR NUTRIBULLET AND VEG OUT WITH ASLOW JUICER

2.
Metallic red 40rpm HF Series
Second Generation slow juicer,

Dhs2,097, by Hurom
hurom.com

3.
Black 43rpm Fifties Retro Style
slowjuicer

1.

Dhs2,439, by Smeg
smeg50style.com

Cream 80rpm Artisan

Maximum Extraction
slow juicer

PHOTOGRAPH BY AMY CURRELL

Dhs1,610, by KitchenAid
kitchenaid.co.uk

akers of slow juicers maintain that their method of slowly crushing fruit and veg extracts more goodness than
traditional centrifugal juicers, therefore theyre better machines for you to own. Theyre certainly more expensive.
While you can pick up a basic appliance for about Dhs250, to get something that handles both dense and fine foods,
and that preserves the cells within your food, you need to spend quite a bit more. That might help explain why slow
juicers, also known as cold-press or masticating juicers, have taken over from NutriBullets as the status kitchen gadget
du jour. Look for one with a practical vertical-loading chute theyre also easier to clean then get used to life in the slow lane.

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61

MIDDLE EAST

MIDDLE E A S T

DOWNLOAD
YOUR DIGITAL EDITION TODAY
GO TO

THE APP STORE

OR

THE GOOGLE
PLAY STORE
AND SEARCH FOR

ESQUIRE
MIDDLE EAST

AVAILABLE AT THE APP STORE AND THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE

P H O T O G R A P H E R : R I C H A R D H A L L , I T P.

S T Y L E D B Y: C H L O E B O S H E R

Ace
sneakers,
Dhs2,600,
Gucci

Burn after reading

SET THE NEW SEASON ALIGHT with the leather upper, flame-embroidered Ace sneakers, a kitsch take on the tennis shoe.
The new season Gucci trainers are a canvas of embellishment bees, stars and baroque florals are all patch-worked options for
dedicated fans of the brand. These decorations mark the sneakers out as collectors edition. For the less flamboyant, style them
with black denim, and a track top or a piece of fine knitwear, making this piece of Gucci truly your own.

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STYLE

Radar
C O M P I L E D BY C H LO E B OS H E R

Now where did I put my keys?

Based here in the Middle East, Ryoko designs
products with function in mind as well as form. OCD
types will love the organisational opportunities that each item presents. Top of our list is the walnut
wood Paddington Station, which ensures your tablet, phone, keys, watch and sunglasses will be in the
same place every morning. For some of us, that could save literally hours over the course of a week.
For smaller items, leather valet trays are also available in a choice of two colours.

Helsinki Station,
Dhs319; Paddington
Station, Dhs280;
Ryokobags.com

Sea
change
Three brands
that will
improve your
beach look

M O C H A SA LT

V I L E B R EQ U I N

O R L E BA R B ROW N

The vision that comes to mind when you

think of this Australian swimwear brand is
likely to be the taste of the ocean on your
lips and the heat of the sun on your skin.
The tailored swim- and leisurewear items
are manufactured in Sydney and cater
to style-conscious beach types. Think a
younger version of an Orlebar Brown mixed
with added Aussie insouciance.
Swim shorts, Dhs550; T-shirts Dhs290, available
at mochasalt.com

As temperatures dip, theres a twilight

period between what youve worn on the
beach that day and what you will change
into for dinner. The French brand has filled
this gap with a range of print shirts and
gillets to wear over your shorts, which will
warm you up once the sun has gone over
the yardarm but which will keep you looking
stylish.
Gillet, Dhs1,130, shirt, Dhs1,060, shorts, Dhs1,130,
Vilebrequin, available at Madinat Jumeirah and
Mall of the Emirates

The UK brand has added to its stylish

swimwear wardrobe with a line of shoes
that you can take to the water in, be it for
sailing, swimming, scrambling around
rocky seabeds or wading gently into an
infinity pool. Available in lace-up and slip-on
versions, and featuring durable soles with an
open-mesh weave for quick drainage, these
ultra-lightweight shoes are as comfortable
and practical as they are stylish.
Larson shoes, Dhs510, Orlebar Brown,
Boutique1.com

SKINNY LOVE
Taking minimalism back to basics, Rados True
Thinline is the thinnest ceramic watch that the
Swiss brand has ever produced. The strippedback timepieces include only the bare essentials,
so there are no subdials or other add-ons that you
never really use anyway. Despite the lightweight
aesthetic, the watches boast the same durability
and scratch resistance as any other ceramic
model. Plasma, Dhs8,350, Rado, The Dubai Mall

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POSTSUMMER
SCENTS
Three new
autumn/winter
colognes to try

Tote, Dhs9,700,
Lace-up, Dhs6,700,
Crocodile bag,
Dhs88,100, Valentino,
The Dubai Mall

Grunge goes (far) east

AllSaints is well-known for its East London roots,
featuring a dark palette and military-style boots, but
this season it has subtly updated its references with a
patchwork of 1980s Tokyo-inspired motifs. Theres a
play on proportions, with layered, oversized jumpers
and cropped trousers, topped off with short-length
bombers. If youre going to buy one key piece for
autumn, the bomber jackets are lightweight enough
to take you through the season here, plus youll be ontrend for the UK, or indeed big in Japan.

ROCKSTUD ME
Introduced in 2010, the Rockstud design by Valentino was originally
seen on the womens sling-backs. Since then the pyramid stud
has encrusted pretty much everything the brand has produced,
including menswear. The latest A/W collection consists of studded
loafers, lace-ups and trainers.

Nao jacket, Dhs4,050 AllSaints, Mall of the Emirates

THE COLOMBIAN COMES TO TOWN

Alessandro Sartoris departure from Berluti to the Ermenegildo Zegna
Group back in February came as a shock to fans of the luxury menswear
company. That blow has been considerably softened by the recent
appointment of new creative director, Haider Ackermann. The South
American designer has run his own label since 2003, specialising in
womenswear before moving into menswear three years ago, but hes
clearly embraced the male world. I am very honoured to join Berluti,
Ackermanndeclared. This house stands for the essence of luxury menswear, and
embracing this new adventure inspires me.
Expect him to inject a new attitude to the brands unique craftsmanship at his first
collection in Paris next January, where we are sure to see avid Ackermann fan Kanye West
on the front row. Berluti is available at Mall of the Emirates and Level Shoe District, The Dubai Mall

T RU S SA R D I

GUERLAIN

J O M A LO N E

Trussardi Uomo
is the bottled
expression of
Italian elegance,
grown from the
brands heritage
and suited to
the masculine
gentleman types.
Lemon, nutmeg
and cognac, heart notes of geranium,
violet leaves and sage concoct a
woody, floral spicy fragrance.
Dhs365 for 100ml, Paris Gallery

LHomme Idal
has a sensual
amaretto heart,
grown from the
almond and
tonka bean,
which sits on a
woody leather
base and is
topped off with
fresh citrus
notes.
Dhs550 for 150ml, Harvey Nichols
Dubai

The Black
Cedarwood
& Juniper
fragrance is a
modern scent,
with top notes of
cumin, a heart
of juniper and
a cedarwood
base. Jo Malones
colognes layer
nicely, so mix with lime and basil for
a fresh woody accent. Dhs600 for
100ml, Mall of the Emirates

G R A F F I T I L A R KS
The art and craft theme is
ever-present this season,
with several brands
demonstrating a more
homemade feel to their
designer wear. Lanvins take
on this trend has been to
hand-spray graffiti in various
pop bright colours onto their
trainers. Its a bold statement,
so make sure you tone down
the rest of your outfit. We
suggest muted black denim,
a rollneck and lightweight
bomber to complement
the bombastic message
emanating from your feet.
Dhs2,975, Lanvin, The Dubai Mall

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STYLE

Why bespoke
matters
AA Gill on what good tailoring means,
for a man and for his country

heres a tailor I know whos never worn

off-the-peg. His dad was a tailor: He made
all my school clothes, at the weekends.
He made the suit for my first job interview.
The boss was impressed he was a tailor.
He took me on as an apprentice and Id practice by
making my own clothes. So Ive never bought off-therack. What does it feel like? And apart from being
an infuriatingly smug question to be asked by your
tailor, it is straight to the point. He didnt ask, What
does it look like? because, obviously, he knows what
off-the-peg looks like we all know what off-the-peg
looks like. It looks like the rest of us.
But, still, we shuffle out of the insubstantial
changing room (is there any humanly contrived space
without a lock on the door that is more deeply and
fundamentally antipathetic and reviled by men than
a do-it-yourself changing room?). We shuffle out
with concertina trousers and a jacket thats going to
need taking in, and the sleeves looking at, and say,
How do I look? It is essentially a rhetorical enquiry
we know what we look like. We can see it in the
interrogatory neon-lit mirror. We look like all men
look when they come out of the dystopian fashion
tardis of a changing room.
A bespoke tailor in his fitting room which is as
far from a changing room as a cardboard takeaway
mug is from a porcelain tea cup: they may contain
the same thing but, my, the difference in taste wont
ask you how you look or if you like your look, or his
look. He asks how it feels. Because feeling is the point
of bespoke. It is all about the feeling. As the song says,
Feelings, woah oh oh, feelings/Woah oh oh, feel you
again in my arms.
When incredulous loaded men say, Is handmade
really five times better than a very good high street
suit? Really and truly? Because, frankly, we cant
necessarily see the difference, and its not like a
Ferrari and a Morris Minor, theyre making a fair
point: you cant see the difference. Not much. And, of
course, that is part of the point. Bespoke tailors rarely

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recommend the sort of panache that gets you whistled

at in the street, or has other men feeling your lapels
with envy. The point of bespoke is not the suit but the
chap in the suit. Again, this is not how it looks on you
but how you feel in it.
There is something exceptional about putting on a
jacket that has been created purely and solely for you,
and will only ever be worn by you. There is a feeling of
intensely quiet pleasure in the way it hugs your back,
the captains hand on your shoulder. It is not just a
good and comfortable fit but a sense of confidence and
security. As for the look, you put it on and never think
about it again. A bespoke suit is sort of elegant armour.
It offers a sense of protection; you walk into a room
and feel like Iron Man, without the tights or silly hat.
Over the past years, Anda Rowland from Anderson
& Sheppard where I have a Saturday job along
with fashion consultant Jo Levin and The Woolmark
Company, have been trying to make pictures for mens
fashion week that show what bespoke feels like. Shes
involved all the great historic tailors of Savile Row.
But there was, and is, an innate problem with this:
the vernacular, the essence of fashion, images, are
all about what clothes look like and how you might
look in them if you were David Gandy (or Mahatma
Gandhi); these pictures had to intimate a little of

Battle dress: to
promote British
bespoke tailoring
(from left to right),
Sir John Standing,
Kenneth Cranham,
theauthor,
SirMichael
Gambon, Oliver
Cotton and David
Furnish re-enact
a World War II
strategy meeting
in the Cabinet War
Rooms, London

P H OTO G R A P H BY R O B E RT FA I R E R

how wearing bespoke feels. So they went to places in

London that implied purpose and had implicit emotions:
Lords cricket ground for that captains hand on your
shoulder, the feeling of Play up! Play up! And play the
game! And Apsley House, given by a grateful nation to
The Duke of Wellington, the explicit sense of coolness
under pressure, decision-making, a patrician insouciance.
But the one I like best was the Cabinet War Rooms,
where Winston Churchill stayed during the Blitz,
organising the decreasing fortunes and lengthening odds
of the war effort. Not quite the same as Wellingtons
divvying up power on French fields at the expense of lines
of dead Irishmen, or a London drawing room, or the phony
conflict of cricket. The feeling here was of a taciturn,
dogged grit and bloody-minded resistance. You could feel
it in the Map Room an aura of defiance. You wouldnt
want to be in this room dressed in tight, short, ankleflashing jeans with a Norman Wisdom jacket.
You could see the men fill out their suits, the English
worsted stroking their shoulders, the cloth whispering,
You can do this. Ask not what your clothes say about you
but just get on and do something really important, really
necessary. The thing with bespoke English tailoring is
not that people meet you and notice your taste and the
cut of your jib, they see you as someone who is completely
confident, up for the longest day.

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STYLE

Forward
thinking
At this months Fashion Forward, the next crop of
local menswear designers will take centre stage

HOUSE OF NOMAD
Having made their FFWD debut
d
last year, longtime friends Ahmed
El Sayed and Saleh Al Banna,
have quickly become one the
wn
regions most beloved homegrown
labels. Its staples include bomberr
rs,
jackets, cropped tops and jumpers,
updated with quirky details and
ir
innovative fabrics a nod to their
love of the sports-luxe aesthetic.

TAIR

VAROIN MARWAH
The Dubai-based fashion designer taps into his
Indian heritage to present his signature style of
imperial-inspired menswear this season. For his
debut menswear show at FFWD, Marwahs roots
guide him to a collection that features creative,
clean lines, contemporary silhouettes and an eyecatching attention to detail.

Modern geometric silhouettes and

traditional Japanese aesthetics
are at the heart of Aliya Tairs
menswear line, which makes
its debut at FFWD. Created in
2013, the collection sees classic
menswear textiles blended with
less obvious choices, blurring
notions of masculine and feminine,
in terms of fabrics and cuts.

SALIM AZZAM
Part of Azzams appeal is his drive
to effect social change with his
label. The Lebanese illustrator
and designer works with local
craftswomen who embroider
his designs onto the lines shirts.
The collection tells the tale of
these craftswomen via Mount
Lebanons cold weather and
warm colours.

Fashion Forward, 20-23 Oct, Dubai Design District, Dubai. fashionforward.ae

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V76 BY VAUGHN CLEAN SHAVE

HYDRATING GEL CREAM
Smart guys know to change their
shave cream in cooler months so
that it includes a hydrating gel
cream, like this one. (Dhs70)

DIOR HOMME DERMO

SYSTEM SOOTHING
AFTERSHAVE

MALIN+GOETZ SAGE STYLING CREAM

Using a malleable product like putty
or clay in the winter can dry your scalp
and lead to dandruff or brittle hair. Try
a cream instead to add texture and
definition without drying. (Dhs81)

Aftershave should not be

an afterthought.This lotion
repairs nicks and cuts,
promotes cell growth, and
leaves your face feeling soft
as, well...soft. (Dhs202)

PHILIP B
REJUVENATING
OIL
After months of
heat, your hair is
thirsty. This keeps
it shiny and
silky.(Dhs125)

KIEHLS AGE
DEFENDER EYE
REPAIR
Suffering from dark
under-eye circles?
Kiehls smooths out
lines and crows-feet.
(Dhs110)

TOM FORD FOR MEN

HYDRATING LIP BALM

LAB SERIES FUTURE

RESCUE SERUM
Sinks in faster than
a moisturiser, repairing
wind and cold
damage as extra facial
insurance. (Dhs220)

Almond oil, avocado

extract, and vitamins A
and E help hydrate
and heal. (Dhs92)

Watch by Seiko; comb by the Art

of Shaving; towel by Frette;
glasses by Salvatore Ferragamo.

Cool, comfortable
Everything you need to get your skin and scalp tuned up for autumn
BY M I C H A E L ST E FA N OV

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STYLE

Jacket (Dhs3,489),
T-shirt (Dhs588),
and trousers
(Dhs973) by Officine
Gnrale; sneakers
(Dhs584) by Greats.

WHEN
THE
WORLD
IS
YOUR
OFFICE
Want to simplify your
our style and
still stand out? Take
ke a tip from
the creative class and adopt the
new uniform.

HE FRONT
ONT ROW of a mens fashi
fashion
h on show in
hi
here the tastemakers gather, of
ften
t reveals
Paris, where
often
out the next big move in menswear than
more about
what comes down the runway. Lately amongst this
crowd Ive noticed you dont see a lot of traditional
suits or loud look at me clothes. Instead, its all about
dressing in a way that is deceptively simple and ingeniously
beautiful: jeans, T-shirts, leather jackets, and sneakers in muted
palettes of khaki, indigo, and black. Think of it as the new
business uniform for the global creative class one that is all

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about stripped-down style. Its a minimalism that allows for

maximum possibilities.
The clothes speak very quietly about the person wearing
them, says Nick Ashley, creative director of the British-based
line Private White V. C. Theyre about having the confidence
in a less-is-more look. In other words, its a mindset that
defines this new style. The best things in life are simple, says
his business partner, James Eden. Its very easy to overdesign,
to overengineer, to overcost. The real art in design is actually
stripping out the things that arent necessary.

Jacket (Dhs3,152), shirt

98), and jeans
(Dhs1,098),
91) by Presidents;
(Dhs1,091)
Dhs1,102) by
boots (Dhs1,102)
and Boot Company.
Timberland

Jacket (Dhs1,422), shirt

(Dhs918), and trousers
(Dhs889) by Private White
V. C.; boots (Dhs2,002) by
R. M. Williams.

Private White V. C., along with brands such as Officine

Gnrale, Herms, and Helbers, are leading the charge,
creating pieces that are beautifully simple clothes that
combine the tailoring of classic military uniforms with the
gritty functionalism of traditional workwear. We take the time
to think about the details, says Paul Helbers, a former mens
designer at Vuitton who now has his own eponymous line. The
cloth, the construction; that way, we make things that men will
want to wear all the time.
And from the look of things, men do.

Inspired by classic
military clothes,
designers from
Herms (right) to
Dries Van Noten (far
right) are embracing
a tailored minimalism,
as evoked by British
soldiers in World War
II (above) and worn by
the likes of Orlando
Blooom (above left)

N I C K SU L L I VA N

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The never-fail, three-season,

three-city wardrobe
Its that time of year work trips
that take you to three countries in
three days. Heres how to pack the
least while still style-crushing
every situation.

DAY 1: BERLIN, 7C, CLIENT MEETINGS

2
1

IVE FOOT-TAPPING
MINUTES in line at
Starbucks any morning will
tell you that many people
believe having, like, a lot of
choices is number-one on mankinds
wish list. So it is with packing. No
matter how short the trip, there is still
an urge to pack for every eventuality.
Follow these three rules and your life
will be much simpler.
No. 1: Edit. What you leave behind is
as critical as what you pack. Editing
takes discipline, but it is good for you.
You dont need six ties for two meetings.
Choose one. Check the weather on your
phone. Is it snowing in northern Europe,
Right: Suitcase (Dhs2,186) by Rimowa. 1. By
Pal Zileri (Dhs1,084). 2. By Brooks Brothers
(Dhs294). 3. By J. Crew (Dhs2,571). 4. By Tods
(Dhs2,369). 5. By Ermenegildo Zegna (Dhs1,745).
6. By Smart Turnout (Dhs118).

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STYLE

DAY 2: MILAN, 22C, SITE VISITS

5
2

1. By Alpha
l h Industries
d
i ((Dhs661).
h
) 2. By
Sh
Shinola
(Dhs716). 3. By Apple (from Dhs1,466).
4 By AG (Dhs790). 5. By Lands End (Dhs253).
4.
6. By Jack Spade (Dhs470). 7. By Alex Mill
(D
(Dhs643).
8. By Want les Essentiels (Dhs1,010).

b unseasonably mild further south?

but
A
And whats it going to be doing in
tthree days time when you arrive from
tthe Middle East? Chucking it down,
nine Celsius? Rubber-soled brown calf
dress shoes can cope with rain and
slick pavements. Wear them to travel.
Pack a sweater instead.
No. 2: Multitask. Make sure that
tthe things you pack can perform at
lleast two functions a dark navy suit
coat pairs with jeans or grey pants
as a blazer. Make sure your travel
jjacket works in a downpour as a
rain jacket. (I suggest an M-65 with
llots of pockets thats long enough to
cove
cover your suit.) Plain gym shorts
can double as swim shorts; sneakers
(ligh
(lightweight in mesh) should be fine
for w
working out but are not so gymspec
specific that you cant board a plane
in th
them.
No. 3: Evolve. On your next trip, pay
atte
attention. Does your luggage work
for yyou or against you? Make a note
of an
anything you didnt wear. Leave
it be
behind next time. Hand luggage
choc
chock-full before you even start? Get
a ro
roomy tote (canvas weighs less than
leath
leather) thats big enough to take
over
overspill from a full suitcase. Is your
whe
wheelie case of those heavyy older
oness with a cumbersome built-in
frame that takes up half the packing
space? Ditch it in favour of the new
generation of polycarbonate cases.

DAY 3: BEIRUT, 33C,

3 C, WEEKEND WITH FRIENDS
1

4
2

1. By Carrera (Dhs584). 2. By R
1.
Rhone (Dhs235).
3. By APL (Dhs606). 4
4. By Patagonia
(Dhs547). 5. By Bowers & Wilkins (Dhs1,469).
6. By Nautica (Dhs1,098).

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2.

3.

1. By Brooks
Brothers Red Fleece
(Dhs654).
2. By Levis
Vintage Clothing
(Dhs1,414).
3. By Perry Ellis
(Dhs1,084).

Utility player
Theres no more versatile or more stylish lightweight staple than a workers jacket

IN THIS CLIMATE your jacket needs to travel well from the

half day at work to the beach and into the night. The outerwear
most capable of pulling this off? The new generation of chore
jacket. Paired with an oxford, even a tie, its a solid foundation
for dressing up at the office: it buttons up but carries neither a
blazers structure nor its suity implications. With a T-shirt, its an
extra layer of warmth by the campfire a grown mans denim
jacket. In its native France, its known as the bleu de travail

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(workers blue) and has been the go-to of sharp tradesmen

for decades. Its utility-driven cut short, often cotton, and
equipped with four patch pockets but has some art history, too.
In the 40s and 50s, its proletarian heritage attracted painters
such as Jackson Pollock, Kees van Dongen, Dubuffet, and
Balthus. Originals darned, patched, and oil-stained are a hot
vintage property. But modern brands are also, ahem, cottoning to
the workwear trend just in time for you to skip out of work.

W O R D S : N I C K S U L L I VA N

1.

STYLE

Day to night
As summer days fade away, these watches will carry you into autumn
BLACK-DIAL WATCHES were developed for pilots, divers, and soldiers in the early 20th century to enhance the legibility of
faces with phospholuminescent displays in low-light conditions. Back then, keeping track of the time to the minute often meant
the difference between life and death.
Fortunately, the stakes for watches these days are not so high (unless your boss is a to-the-minute deadline psycho), and a
black dial is now more about the pop of class it gives your watch. The result? Daytime chronographs look sleeker, and evening
watches look more elegant.

3.

1.

4.

2.

5.

W O R D S : N I C K S U L L I VA N

1. Oyster Perpetual
Air-King watch (Dhs22,770)
by Rolex. 2. Formula 1 watch
(Dhs3,673) by TAG Heuer. 3.
Altiplano watch (Dhs59,505)
by Piaget.
4. Maestro watch (Dhs4,022)
by Raymond Weil. 5. Atlas
watch (Dhs9,183) by Tiffany
& Co.

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STYLE

BACK IN THE HUNT

Abercrombie & Fitch ditches its waxed-chest bro days and embraces
its rich and rugged roots. Perfect timing for your winter holidays

RIGHT: Aaron
Levine, vicepresident of
mens design
at Abercrombie
& Fitch.
BELOW: Levines
work: Sweater
(Dhs287); puffer
jacket (Dhs808).

OU MIGHT NOT KNOW:

Before Abercrombie & Fitch
became the clubhouse of
coed undergrads on Vespas,
it was the original heritage
ssporting-goods emporium. It was also the
p
place that sold snakeproof sleeping bags
tto Teddy Roosevelt; expedition gear to
Admiral Richard Byrd, for his trip into
the depths of Antarctica; hunting coats
tto Hemingway; and fly rods, Magnums
(as in guns), roulette wheels, and even
113-foot fibreglass pedal-propelled
subma
ar
submarines
to whomever else. It offered the
equipment rrequired by explorers even those
trapped in concrete jungles. In 1931, E. B. White
wrote o
of Abercrombie that it carries the
clothe
clothes men want to wear all the time and
dont
dont; they carry the residual evidences of
wha
what men used to be before they became
wha
what they are.
The same could be said of the clothes
tha
that now inhabit Abercrombie & Fitch.
Th
They are the best of whats in the vaults,
b
brought into the 21st century for
p
persisting escapists.
This is the handiwork of Abercrombie

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& Fitchs new head of menswear, Aaron Levine, a man

practiced in fashioning clothes younger working men
actually want to wear. Before coming to Abercrombie
& Fitch, the Virginia-born 39-year-old turned Club
Monaco into a magnet for ascendant and decidedly
unstuffy professionals. Now hes tasked with
reasserting one of the worlds most recognisable
and proudly historic (since 1892) brands for a very
similar set.
Nothing is safe, Levine said one Friday morning
this past summer. Were moving the whole needle.
Were questioning everything. Like four-year-olds,
were just being curious and kind of, like, picking
away at it, you know?
To start, Levine and his team rooted through the
Ohio headquarters office cabinets for back catalogues
and scoured eBay for vintage pieces. They studied
the consideration given to details throughout the
124-year-old companys history the pocket shapes,
the horn buttons, the beautiful stay stitches bolstering
the undersides of collars a devotion Levine says
he himself witnessed as an Abercrombie & Fitch
assistant manager in 1999, during its second golden
era. Steeped in the tradition, Levine decided, we can
best serve that history by evolving it to the next level.
He clarifies: This shouldnt be construed as an
attempt to make Abercrombie & Fitchs clothes
modern. Levine and his company prefer words like
honest and fresh. By uniting the new and the old, they
seek to create uncommon experiences to explore.
What new fabric can we put into a silhouette to
make it just feel like Oh, wow, thats refreshing, you
know? he says, adding, Its a very tactile industry.
Its a very emotional industry.
Levines other guiding descriptor: usable.
But although a mans needs may have stayed
somewhat consistent through time clothing
that accommodates seasons and weather and is
appropriate for work and play that doesnt mean,
Levine says, the clothes shouldnt advance. Things
need to be purpose-driven for our customer. But we
also want to have things that are going to challenge
him a little bit.
The result is a portfolio that is at once rugged and
stylish, traditional and new and developing. Were
working our hardest, Levine says, chuckling. The
landscape is still shifting, still growing up. But the
rewards are already worth reaping.
N AT E H O P P E R

We can best serve

Abercrombie &
Fitchs history by
evolving it to the
next level.
A A RO N L E V I N E

Duffle coat (Dhs955),

denim jacket (Dhs404),
sweater (Dhs323), shirt
(Dhs213), and trousers
(Dhs323) by Abercrombie
& Fitch; boots (Dhs588) by
Timberland; bag (Dhs1,286)
by Filson; gloves (Dhs422)
by Hestra; binoculars
(Dhs3,673) by Maven Optics;
American football (Dhs551)
by S
Shinola.

Seeing A&F exploring its roots,

we dug into our archives
and discovered this ad from
the March 1962 Esquire. The coat
looks quite familiar.

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STYLE

My Favourite Thing

TOM WOLFE
On his custom dressing robe

Wolfe, whose latest

book, The Kingdom of
Speech, is out now, in his
New York City apartment.

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MINE? A deepest navy cashmere dressing robe

with every edge trimmed in the finest white cord:
the lapels, both edges of the belt . . . even the belt
loops . . . likewise the deep turned-back cuffs . . . the
three pocket openings . . . the descending front
edges of the robe . . . the entire bottom edge,
creating a fine white circle around the body
below calf level . . . and two pices de rsistance:
elaborately crocheted white medallions and tassels
on the belt ends . . . and a monogram, TW, four
inches in diameter, embroidered in formal white
Roman script on the breast pocket . . . beneath a
white corona.
I custom-ordered it from the couturier Beth
Neville Evans (who, it so happens, is also a
Christian missionary who has developed a Mayan
village in the mountains of Guatemala). I wear
this raiment while working at my desk. Its beauty
is such that it crosses the blood-brain barrier and
does wonders for ones prose.

SYLV ESTE R
STA L LO N E

JA R E D
L E TO

PHARRELL
W IL L IA MS

CHRIS
BROWN

JEF F
BRID G ES

Prepare to dye!
Colouring your hair used to be for guys fleeing the Mob. No more.
Adding colour is the new style swerve. Heres what you need to know.
BY RO D N E Y C U T L E R

here are two reasons a man

will colour his hair: to work
with what he has or for the
sake of fashion.
If youre in the former
camp: Less is more. Add a little pepper to
the salt, but dont try to return to the solid
chestnut of your youth. Colour enhances
colour, so an unnaturally dark head of
hair will only exacerbate your age spots,
defeating the original goal.
When you visit the salon, have your
hair trimmed first, dyed second. Use only
semi- or demi-permanent colour, and
keep in mind: The salt-and-pepper look
requires commitment. It takes only five to
ten minutes for mens dye to blend in with
grey, but chemically because its not
being allowed to fully form the shade
will eventually turn into an unsavoury
golden-green or grey colour. Figure on
going in every two to three weeks.
When it comes to rocking more
adventurous colour, the platinums and
pinks, its a question of skin tone and
commitment and whether you can
pull it off. Fair-skinned guys tend to look
better with blonder hair, as do former
towheads. Ask your stylist for their advice.

M ARK
RU F FALO

ODE LL
BECKHAM JR.

Then, prior to your appointment, lay off

the heavy pomades and dont shampoo for
a day to allow your natural oils to build
up, which will soften the bleachs sting.
The process will take several hours. Plan
on getting touch-ups every three to four
weeks to maintain a blond look and four
to six weeks for other colours.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

HOW TO CARE FOR DYED HAIR

Skip shampooing for about 24 hours.
After that, use a colour-treated shampoo,
like Shu Uemura Color Lustre
Sulfate-Free Brilliant Glaze shampoo
[5] (Dhs222; desertcart.ae), and tepid
water, as hot water fades color. Moisturise
with Aveda Men Pure-formance
conditioner [3] (Dhs330; desertcart.
ae), which will soothe any scalp irritation
caused by colouring. If youre going
platinum, use Redken Blonde Idol
Custom-Tone Violet conditioner
[2] (Dhs143; desertcart.ae) at least once
a week to fight off brassiness. Since
bleaching weakens individual strands,
youll need a strengthening leave-in like
Nioxin System 4 scalp treatment
[4] (Dhs102; desertcart.ae) with SPF 15,
which will condition while saving you
from sunburn. Platinum hair will pick up
the colour of any product, so find a clear
pomade like Baxter of California Soft
Water pomade [1] (Dhs102; desertcart.
ae) for light-hold styling.
With thanks to David Stanko, senior
colorist, Licari Cutler salon.

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STYLE

The List

Mark
Strong
The award-winning actor
loves English footwear,
American nightlife, Italian
grapes and German Bowie

STYLE

PEOPLE

TECHNOLOGY

Jeans: Levis 501s.

Shoes: Crockett & Jones.
Theyre the ones I always
reach for when I go to
the wardrobe.
Suit: Ozwald Boateng or
Huntsman. Between those two
you cant go too far wrong.
Shirt: If I wear a Boateng suit
Ill wear a Boateng shirt.
Tie: The same as my shirts, but
nothing too loud.
Boxer shorts: Calvin Klein.
Socks: No specific brand, but
like ties, they need to blend in.
Scarf: Dunhill. Thick, wide
and big.
Robe: IIm
m not a robe
kind of guy.
T
Tuxedo:
d Prada.
P d
Hat: Cashmere beanie.

Style icon: David Bowie.

Artist: Gerhard Richter.
Musician: Bowie again.
One of the few who made
waves in the world through
their own creativity and taste.
Film star: Cary Grant or
James Stewart.
Muse: Bowie for style, Nelson
Mandela for tolerance.
Writer: Arthur Miller.
Performing onBroadway in
a play based in NewYork
A View From The Bridge
andwritten by a New Yorker
has beenafascinating
experience.

Phone: iPhone.
Tablet: iPad.
Laptop: MacBook.
Camera: Hipstamatic on
my iPhone.
Sound system:
Bose mini speaker.
Car: Jaguar F-Type.
Bike: New York Citi Bike.

GROOMING
GROO
GRO
Fragrance:
Frag
gr
Acqua di Parma
Colo
Colonia.
on
Toot
Toothpaste:
h
Crest.
Barb
Barber:
be Mr Cobbs, Cape Town.
Shav
Shaving
vin foam: Mr Cobbs
(my b
ba
barbers own brand).
Mois
Moisturiser:
st
My friends
at De
Dermalogica
er
keep me
supp
supplied.
pli
Show
Shower
we gel: Dr Bronners PureCast
Castile
ile Soap. I always buy it
when
n in New York.
wash: Dermalogica.
Face
ew
Shampoo:
Not really a
Sham
m
concern
conc
ce for me.

HOME
HOM
ME
Chair:
Cha
air An original Fifties
Herm
Herman
ma Miller Eames in brown
leath
leather,
he with a footstool.
Work
k of art:
Gerh
Gerhard
ha Richter on aluminium.
Bed lin
linen:
Whit
White
e Egyptian cotton from
The W
White Company.
Pet: M
My children have a
goldf
goldfish,
fi
some stick insects,
a cou
couple
up of chickens in the
gard
garden
e and a Chinese dwarf
hams
hamster.
st
Kitch
Kitchen
he gadget: Bialetti
stove
stovetop
et espresso maker.

CULTURE
CULT
T
Book
Book:
k: In the Heart of the Sea
by N
Nathaniel
at
Philbrick.
Film:: T
This is Spinal Tap.
Song:
Song
g: Helden, Bowies
German
Germ
ma version of Heroes.
extraordinary.
Its ex
xt

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FOOD & DRINK

Grape: A nice heavy
Barolo.
Grain: Widow Jane
bourbon.
Hop: Ice-cold lager (on the
beach in Mexico).
Dish: Rare fillet steak with
steamedspinach.
Snack: Any kind of nut.
Restaurant: Via Carota
in the Village, New York.
Thats the best place Ive
been to recently.
Bar: A beach place in
Tulum, Mexico. I cant
remember the name.
Club: Pretty Ugly in
Manhattan. Its a rainbow
club, which might start
rumours, but I was there
with my wife.

TRAVEL
Hometown:
Islington, north London.
Destination: For relaxation,
the Maldives; for
excitement, New York.
Hotel: Mount Nelson,
Cape Town.

TOOLS
Pen: Montblanc.
Watch: I just bought
myself a Jaeger-LeCoultre
Reverso as a memento of
mytime in New York. I buy
something after every job
to remember it.
Knife: Sabatier.
Tool: Leatherman.
App: StumbleUpon.
Website: Arseblog [on
Premiership team Arsenal]
and guardian.co.uk.
Pencil: My wife bought
me a Palomino Blackwing
725. Im a stationery nut.

1.

Secure
screening

2.

Three sunscreens that dont make you feel as

if you were slathered in cake frosting
3.

UNLESS YOU ARE actually trying to look like this

guy, you know you need to integrate sunscreen into
your daily grooming ritual. The [1] Lab Series Daily
Moisture Defense lotion (Dhs176; labseries.com) is
a moisturiser hybrid worth adding to your morning
routine even if the only time youll spend under
the sun is during the drive to and from the office.
(Car windows dont block UVA rays.) For a full day
outside, theres the [2] Clarins SPF 15 Oil-Free lotion
spray (Dhs132; clarinsusa.com), which, since its a
spray, saves you from soliciting the assistance of a
stranger on a solo excursion. The [3] SkinCeuticals
Sport UV Defense (Dhs147; skinceuticals.com) is the
workhorse built for marathoners. With an SPF of
50 and an 80-minute water resistance, it protects
you as well as anything, even as you sweat. And
despite its heft, it blends easily and makes you feel
clean rather than greased up.

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THE ESQ. BUSINESS INTERVIEW

MILLIONAIRE MINDSET
Plan b founder Harmeek Singh on his journey to the top

lan b has come a long way since its beginnings in 2004. With offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Delhi and London,
today its regarded as one of the UAEs finest marketing companies, delivering complex events and original
concepts, especially for government and semi-government entities. Esquire met its founder, Harmeek
Singh, at his company HQ in Al Quoz to talk about those beginnings and get him to explain how, unlike most
businesses, hes using the economic slowdown as an opportunity to grow his market share.
I N T E RV I E W BY J E R E M Y L AW R E N C E

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Miniature global monuments for the

ESQUIRE: Tell us how this journey began
Good Move Dubai health initiative
HS: I came from an affluent background in India, but our family
business was in electronics and by the mid-90s the market was
suffering from Chinese competition. This was around the time
I was supposed to start working, so I began looking around for
what else we could do. I started a small business that grew into
warehousing and cold storage. We tapped into Asias biggest
wholesalers in commodities and did very well, but then came a
series of slumps. Thats when I came to Dubai in 2003, with not
much more than hope, but I was amazed by what I found. Im
a gut person and my gut told me things were about to happen
here. I knew I had to explore these opportunities and exploration
doesnt always come with a plan. But if you have grit, then logic
can come later.
ESQ: How did you get started over here?
HS: It wasnt a cakewalk. I got rejected in 10 interviews and
then walked out of the last one, saying that these were all just
the same questions as Id been hearing before, so why would
ESQ: What makes Plan b different?
my answers get me selected? And this response actually got me
HS: Service. Thats very important because it makes people
the job, because the interviewer admired my passion. This was
willing to retain you, and repeat business is always a compliment.
digital printing sales and although it was a start, it still wasnt
I was fishing for that from the beginning and I still fish for it now.
easy because sales is about knowing people and I didnt know
My objectives have always been very clear: we have clients for
anyone. But I got a visa, a salary of Dhs2,700 per month and the
the long-term, we get married, we dont have affairs.
promise of commission, which never came. So after 10 months
Also, our modus operandi is to stretch the dollar. Give me
I resigned, having earned 10 years of experience. Id worked from
$100 and Ill give you $120 back in value. You should never
the bottom up and learned about the market. Im thankful that
compromise on quality or commitments. These cannot just be
they didnt pay me well or fulfil their promises because it forced
verbal commitments. You have to act on them.
me to make a change.
ESQ: How do you keep your costs down to provide this
ESQ: So what came next?
kind of value?
HS: I worked in a media sales company for another 10 months.
HS: You cannot keep your costs down and maintain standards,
The company folded but my clients followed me because of the
so I havent gone down that route. If you want to save money
service I had given them, so I now had a small platform to build
then make more sales. You cannot plug the hole. You have to get
on, and it was time to do some hardcore freelancing. I worked 18
more water.
hours a day, earning Dhs150,00-Dhs200,000 per month, which
ESQ: Tell us how this service operates in practice
gave me the funds to start my own business. And by now I was
HS: Its a 24-hour service and we have turnaround times that
itching it for it. Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur
are much faster than anyone else. We have great teams, great
as they say. Taking orders had been a little difficult for me, but
connectivity between those teams and support systems where
habits change according to requirements. It was a reality check
we are proactive toward challenges. Also, most of our projects
that taught me that I am not the Prince of Persia and that I need
have not been done before. We dont do what others do. Im not a
to be as grounded as anyone else, and I still carry that ethos.
normal entrepreneur. Im not like other chairmen. Im not going
ESQ: And then you launched Plan b
to follow what other people do or follow
HS: Yes, I started the business in 2004,
norms. I want to go beyond that.
initially on my own and then with a small
ESQ: Do you spend time with other
team, most of whom have stuck with
entrepreneurs or business leaders?
me. We shared a dream of being a top
HS: We want to know what is happening
Born: 26/10/1973
company and we all grew together. Were
in the market, so we can do things
Education: Bachelors degree in
English Literature
still living that dream. We operate in areas
differently. How can we adapt it? How
Watch brand: Cartier
where we dont have competition and
can we do it better? How can we find
Label/clothing brand: Everything
were expanding even now.
the X-factor? You need to be informed,
bespoke
ESQ: How are you doing this when
but not so you can follow. Networking is
Last holiday:
everyone else is seemingly struggling
part of the game, of course, but we don't
London, with the family
Holiday destination: London,
at the moment?
follow trends.
however my favourite destination
HS: Market tonalities do not change our
ESQ: Give us some examples of your
is always going back home.
direction. And that is mainly because
innovative projects
Hobbies: Writing poetry
we dont follow what others do. When
HS: The 3D hoardings that you see along
Guilty pleasure: Chocolate
markets are weak its the easiest time
Sheikh Zayed Road are something we
Restaurant: Oye Punjabi
to expand. We can get more value in a
Gadget: My new phone, the
started with the Adidas shoe campaign.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
downturn. If no one is moving then it
Weve taken Emaar to 180 destinations
Whats on my office wall/desk: My
makes it easier for me to move, and I am
globally to reach investors. Were on a
lucky charms, a fortune cat and a
going to be more visible as a result. People
partner level where we think together
tiny black stuffed gorilla given to
might call us stupid but stupidity works
about strategy. We also did a property
me by my mother nine years ago.
right now.
launch with them over the summer

VITAL STATS

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83

at Harrods. His Highness, Sheikh

inspire me and I inspire them. We all
Mohammed [bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
work together for a common cause, which
Vice President and Prime Minister Of The
is to be number one. And that sets the
UAE, and Ruler Of Dubai] was there and
tone and makes us believe and act as the
everyone was very happy. The point of
number one. It helps to have a positive
Be completely focussed on your
these ideas it that we think about where
mindset. How you feel, and the way that
goal and do it properly or dont
investors are coming from. Last year,
you act as a result, is what you get back
do it all.
Dubai firms werent able to participate
from the universe.
Be honest, not just with your
at Cityscape in Saudi Arabia, and the
ESQ: Tell us about your daily habits to
client but with yourself
Saudis are the biggest funders over here.
foster this mindset?
Never give a false commitment.
Opportunities will keep
Where do you find those Saudis over the
HS: I meet my team every day to discuss
coming. What you require is the
summer? In London. So we worked with
ideas. But also I might get a spark of an
determination to capitalise on
Meydan Sobha to unveil the Mohammed
idea from the tea boy. Its how you pick
them.
Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City at the
up new things or new ways of thinking,
Remember that success never
Dorchester Hotel in London. And it led
which is very important today. Fifteen
comes on a platter.
There are a million other people
to sales. Now were planning a few more
years back everyone would automatically
trying to do the same thing, so
things that we cant talk about yet but
follow the senior person in a business or
what is your point of difference?
were very excited about them.
the head of the family. But its changed.
Build your base on very solid
ESQ: Whats your overall vision?
The most junior person in your house is
foundations and simple ground
HS: You know those puzzles where
learning things that you need to follow.
rules.
Follow what people do but then
you find your way out of the maze
The social media invasion is a classic
create your own version of it. Be
from the centre? People start from the
example. If you want to talk to a youthful
the difference.
start, whereas I start from the end and
audience you have to learn from young
work backwards. The plan is to have
people how things are moving. And this is
a global footprint. We have just taken
not a bad thing, actually.
over a company in London, because the UK is a big new market
ESQ: As the company head, does this require a more
for us. We want to create a network and join those dots. Were
humble approach?
also exploring a franchise model where well create a win-win
HS: I am not the boss. I am a leader and I work with my team
outcome for all parties. The only global language that I know that
towards a shared goal. Thats an important distinction.
is a successful common language is business. Its spoken and it is
ESQ: Tell us about a leader that you admire
heard well.
HS: I admire, and avidly follow our ruler, His Highness Sheikh
ESQ: Was this UK move planned before or after Brexit?
Mohammed. Ive worked very closely with the government so
HS: It was on the cards but Brexit helped, because there are a
Ive seen what he does and how hes doing it. When the chips are
lot of gaps to fill. The UK needs to come out of its comfort zone
down its not easy but thats where character comes in. You stand
and we see a lot of things that can work over there. We can help
up, you show courage. Hes a complete bundle of inspiration.
facilitate two-way traffic. Were working with the UAE embassy
I also admire his loyalty. And in turn we owe our loyalty to this
over there to celebrate 45th National Day in Londons National
country because it has given us a lot of opportunities.
Gallery with 700 guests. So were trying to make some ripples
ESQ: Do you sometimes find your journey mind-boggling?
over there.
HS: Well, often you are so busy that you dont notice it.
ESQ: Where do your ideas and energy come from?
But occasionally you do. Weve always operated from three
HS: The big ingredient is passion. If you dont have passion
concepts: honesty, humility and hard work. And because of this
youre just a computer, but if you have it then you drive yourself
we have come a long way. And much more should come our way
and put your heart into what youre doing. And for me this
because of this. We know we have what it takes to be leaders in
passion comes from many things, including my team. They
the market.

ADVICE FOR
ENTREPRENEURS

The Plan b workshop

where theoretical
concepts are developed
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ESQ. BUSINESS

MENTOR #1: YODA

900-year-old Grand
Jedi Master, trainer of
Luke Skywalker, speaker
of truths, albeit in
somewhat dodgy syntax.

FIND A MENTOR, YOU MUST

PETROCHEM CEO YOGESH MEHTA ON THE NEED FOR A TUTOR,
WHATEVER YOUR LEVEL
BY JEREMY LAWRENCE

ogesh Mehta is the CEO of Petrochem Middle

East, which he founded in 1995 and grew
to become one of the largest independent
petrochemical distributors in the region.
But rather than become complacent about
his successes he is constantly looking for new ideas,
hence his ongoing participation as a judge for The
Venture social entrepreneurship competition. With
places now open for the 2017 finals (see box on the
opposite page) he tells us how it is just as crucial
for established executives to keep learning as it is
for those helming start-ups.
I live in a glasshouse where my time is filled
with high-level meetings, he tells Esquire. So to see
young people with brilliant ideas is great motivation and
makes me feel that there are lots of new ideas out there.
It jolts you into a different mode of thinking.

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Mehta is serious about educating himself and others, and has

even mentored students at Harvard University. But he stresses
that good ideas dont just come from elite establishments. Just
this afternoon I talked with two junior ladies from the sales
department, he says. I was alone in the canteen so I sat with
them and asked what theyd learned while working
with us. It became a very motivational conversation,
where they appreciated being listened to by the
CEO and I got some valuable insights from them.
The lesson from this encounter is that stepping
out of your comfort zone to speak to people above
or below you in the corporate chain
MENTOR #2:
will pay dividends. This can be an
GANDALF
informal process, as in the above
Hipster beard,
handy guest
case, or a more formalised reverse
on Bonfire Night and
mentorship scheme where business
motivator of hobbits.
leaders seek out a younger person

THREE NEW
BUSINESS BOOKS

MENTOR #3:
MR MIYAGI
Showed that
mentoring
can also get
you some
free home
maintenance.
And that you should
bring your own cutlery if
dining chez Miyagi.

with fresh ideas.

It also pays to
reach out beyond
your own industry
for guidance. Company
bosses, even the very big
ones, are increasingly willing to
work with mentors to help them
stay on track, and that list includes Mehta. I have a coach and
she is ruthless, he laughs. But we have fun bouncing ideas,
and the insights are huge. She might help me to see things in a
completely different way, which requires you to have less ego
and be honest about yourself. And if you want to improve, you
have to be honest with yourself.
And the reason he and other senior leaders are willing to
leave their egos at the door is that
People need to go
most companies are operating
back to the drawing
in a changing landscape, either
board and redesign
because of new technologies or
their lives. What they
tighter margins due to increased
did yesterday isnt
competition and sluggish global
good enough for
growth. The petrochemicals world
what they need to do
is not immune to these pressures.
tomorrow
I say to my people, dont change
the business, change the way we do
business, says Mehta. Were in a hostile economic landscape
and we have to be smarter, more disruptive and willing to
reinvent ourselves, or we wont survive. Its that simple.
Mehta speculates that the baby boomers his generation
havent done this as well as they should. We didnt innovate
enough in the last 10 or 20 years, he warns. We saw Google
coming, we saw smartphones but we
didnt know what that meant and how
to deal with it. And now we live in a
new world where you have to come
up with new ideas every minute,
and everyone has to learn new skills.
Good ethics and hard work will not
be enough. People need to go back to
the drawing board and redesign their
lives. What they did yesterday isnt
MENTOR #4:
good enough for what they need to
MICKEY GOLDMILL
do tomorrow.
Burgess Merediths
Mickey got Rocky Balboa
Thats bad news for companies or
off the ropes, but was
individuals who are set in their ways,
less mentor, more
mental as The Penguin in
but he thinks the younger generation
1966s Batman movie.
is more aware of these challenges.
The youth have ideas. They need
direction and they need a platform so they can listen and be
listened to. But smartphones and social media have brought
people and ideas a lot closer to each other. And those ideas can
change the world.

PRE-SUASION
by Robert Cialdini
The social
psychologist Robert
Cialdini draws on
scientific research
to reveal what
separates effective
communicators
from truly successful
persuaders.

DECLUTTER
YOUR MIND
by S.J. Scott

YOGI MEHTAS
GUIDE TO
PITCHING FOR
BUSINESS
The biggest problem I see in
presentations is a lack of focus.
Youve got to have clarity of mind
and be able to deliver a sharp
elevator pitch because you win or
lose your audience in the first 40
seconds. Your demeanour is also
important, because the person
youre in front of has a defence
mechanism that you need to break
down. A relaxed, honest approach
will help you do that. These
techniques go a long way. The
price or product may not be quite
right, but your approach will go a
long way to overcoming that.

Scientifically backed,
practical exercises
to teach you habits,
actions, and mindsets
to clean up the mental
clutter thats holding
you back.

TOOLS OF
TITANS
by Timothy Ferriss
Tim Ferriss
eponymous podcast,
with its in-depth
interviews with worldclass performers, is on
the cusp of exceeding
100 million downloads.
The high-leverage
tools revealed in the
show are distilled into
this hotly anticipated
book, out later this
year but now available
for pre-order.

THE VENTURE
The Venture is Chivas Regals global competition to support social entrepreneurs. Entries are now open for the Gulf heats.
The winner will progress to the global final in summer 2017, where theres $1 million in funding to be won. theventure.com

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jeans by Dolce &
Gabbana; boots by
John Lobb; camera by
Fujifilm.

BY DWIGHT
GARNER
PHOTOGRAPHS BY DUSAN RELJIN

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THE
KING
OF
SCOTLAND
EWAN MCGREGOR HAS DONE EVERYTHING FROM
PLAYING AN ADDICT IN TRAINSPOTTING TO
HAVING THE GUTS TO WEAR A RATTAIL IN THE
STAR WARS FRANCHISE WHILE VANQUISHING
HIS OWN DARK SIDE. AND NOW, IN A BUILDUP
TO THE BIGGEST MOVE OF HIS CAREER, HES
PUT IT ALL ON THE LINE AGAIN TO DIRECT HIS
FIRST FILM AN ADAPTATION OF PHILIP ROTHS
MASTERPIECE, AMERICAN PASTORAL

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ITS A COOL
GREY DAY

in July, and Im
climbing a dormant volcano with Ewan McGregor. Were
halfway up Arthurs Seat, a rocky summit that looms over
Edinburghs medieval Old Town. Robert Louis Stevenson once
described this promontory as a hill for magnitude, a mountain
in virtue of its bold design, which is Scottish for steep as
s***e. Im already winded. McGregor is as chipper as a puppy
going for its morning walk. When I stop to catch my breath and
soak up the view, he flashes me a grin that terrific, lupine
Ewan McGregor grin and announces that he can already see
tomorrow mornings tabloid headline: EWAN KILLS JOURNO AT
LAST. He tips his head back, laughing, and pats me on the sweaty
shoulder. Then he gambols up the stony path.
In Edinburgh, Scotlands capital, McGregor hardly needs to
kill an out-of-shape journalist to get tabloid attention. Hes here
filming the sequel to Trainspotting, the 1996 film that put him
on the map as an actor, and the city is pulling for the cast and
crew as if they were Scotlands World Cup team. The original
Trainspotting, a black comedy about a cluster of criminally
hapless drug addicts, is beloved here, as it is across Great
Britain. (Londons The Observer newspaper named it the best
British film of the last twenty-five years.) Photographs from the
sequels shooting fill the front pages of Edinburghs newspapers.
Teeming crowds gather around roped-off set locations. Ive
never seen the like of it, McGregor says about the mania.
People just standing there with a million phones, you know?
Hiking is what he does to relax, to disappear, to flush his
lungs with ozone. But theres only so much disappearing you
can do in Edinburgh when youre Ewan McGregor. Today hes
semi-incognito in a drawstring sweatshirt, jeans cuffed at the
ankle, and hiking boots, with a wool newsboy cap pulled down
low over his forehead. But every ten minutes or so, a woman
passing us on her way down the mountain does a double-take,
screams like a teenager, and asks for a photograph. To the first
one he politely says no, he doesnt do photos when hes out
and about. This, he quickly realises, will be a losing battle. To
everyone else who asks, he happily obliges. Everyone gets, for
posterity, exactly half of a trademark Ewan McGregor grin.
Near the top, we pause to discuss obscenities because,
walking upward, I have unleashed a string of them. Does Irvine
Welsh, the Scottish author of the novel Trainspotting and its
sequel, Porno, I ask, use obscene words as often in person as he
does in print? McGregor nods yes. Deploying them isnt a big
deal in Scotland, he says.
The IMAX view from up here undulating green hills,
charcoal sky, ancient city, cobalt sea is absurdly beautiful.
McGregor points north, toward Crieff, Scotland, the small
country town, fifty miles away, where he grew up. He also
points to city blocks in Edinburgh, spread below us, where
he spent some time as a teenager. Filming here, he says, feels
like a homecoming.
Weve reached the summit of Arthurs Seat. Its tempting to
say about the air up here what Renton, McGregors character in
Trainspotting, said about a rush being a thousand times beyond
anything youve ever experienced, and then some. Or maybe
Im just happy to catch my breath. We take photographs of each

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other standing at the summit cairn. McGregor tells me hes

pleased to be working with director Danny Boyle again. Theyve
patched up an old friendship. But T2 isnt the movie thats
most on his mind. Mentally, hes back in Pittsburgh, where he
recently directed his first film, an adaptation of Philip Roths
1997 novel, American Pastoral.
Its an audacious first movie to make, and McGregor knows
it. Roths novels are notoriously hard to translate to the screen.
How to capture, in images, the authority and crackling interior
music of this major American writers thoughts and sentences?
Anthony Lane, The New Yorkers film critic, has put one of the
challenges this way: How do you film an exclamation mark?
American Pastoral is the first book in Roths postwar American
Trilogy, which includes I Married a Communist (1998) and
The Human Stain (2000). It may well be the best novel of the
second half of the twentieth century. McGregor loves American
Pastoral and had long been attached to play its central character,
Seymour Swede Levov, a prosperous Jewish businessman
and former star high school athlete from Newark, New Jersey.
The Swedes life comes undone when his only daughter, Merry,
becomes radicalised during high school in the late 1960s. She
goes on the lam after bombing a small-town post office, killing
an innocent man. McGregor had wanted to direct a movie for
fifteen years but didnt dare dream hed get this project. When
he got the call offering him the directing job, he was in a black
car in Manhattan, stuck in traffic, on his way to a performance
of Tom Stoppards play The Real Thing, in which he was starring
on Broadway. He was terrified.
I spent a whole day with the script, just turning the
pages slowly and thinking, Okay, can I see myself playing
this scene and having done the prep for it and then doing the
postproduction for it? Can I do it? Can I do it? Can I do it? I
came to the conclusion that yes, I should definitely give it a
go, he says. I would always be regretful if I didnt. He threw
himself into the production the way he throws himself into
everything: headfirst. He immersed himself in Roths novel
and in the zeitgeist of 1960s America. The process of learning
to understand both took him into, to put it in Roths indelible
words in American Pastoral, the fury, the violence, and the
desperation of the counterpastoral into the indigenous
American berserk. McGregor smiles, asks if Im ready, and
begins to hurtle down the other side of the dead volcano.

WHENEVER SOMEONE

turns up to write
about him, McGregor has complained, they only want to talk
about two things: 1) How frequently he drops his trousers
onscreen and 2) How hes now a teetotaller. Yet each is true.
McGregor has done more full-frontal nudity than any other
A-list actor working today, to the delight of both those who
prize realism in film and the compilers of YouTube sizzle
reels. When he played an Iggy Pop like glam rocker in Todd
Hayness Velvet Goldmine (1998), McGregor flashed his Little
Ewan, as its been called, in true Jim Morrison fashion. In Peter
Greenaways 1996 film The Pillow Book, he was naked for nearly
the whole movie and shared a love scene with a seventy-

Coat by Bottega
Veneta; boots by
Timberland
Boot Company.

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five-year-old Japanese man. McGregor was worried about his

parents sitting through that one. After a screening, his father
faxed him a note that said, in its entirety, Im glad you inherited
one of my major attributes.
He quit drinking in 2001. There had been bad scenes
and nights he could not remember, some spent in London
with friends like Jude Law and Angelina Jolie. His mouth, in
those hazy days, got him into trouble, too. He criticised Hugh
Grants acting and called David Letterman a rather arrogant
and uninteresting man. About the actress Minnie Driver, he
commented, Shes gone mad, mad. She goes to the opening of
an envelope. He described the filming of Attack of the Clones
(2002), the second of the three Star Wars movies he made, as
the epitome of tedium. He doesnt miss drinking, he says.
McGregor also quit because hed become a family man. In
1995, he married the production designer Eve Mavrakis. They
live in Los Angeles now and have four daughters: Clara, who is
twenty; Esther, fourteen; Jamyan, fourteen; and Annouk, five.
The medias focus on his famous appendage and infamous
drinking habits is among the reasons that, years ago, he quit
reading his press profiles, reviews, any of it. Its especially
dangerous for an actor to read reviews of his stage
performances, he says. Its hard to go on the
next night with a critics aperu ringing
in your head. Everyone knows I
McGREGOR
dont read reviews, he says. But
QUIT DRINKING
he remembers being about to go
onstage in London, where he
IN 2001. THERE
appeared in 2005 in the musical
HAD BEEN BAD
Guys and Dolls, when someone
SCENES AND NIGHTS
handed him a newspaper,
HE COULD NOT
telling him there was a
REMEMBER, SOME
rather nice article about him.
SPENT IN LONDON WITH He decided to break his rule.
I started reading, he says,
FRIENDS LIKE JUDE
and
the second paragraph
LAW AND ANGELINA
was Of course McGregor
JOLIE. HIS MOUTH, IN
hasnt been without his knocks
THOSE HAZY DAYS,
for doing this. And it listed every
GOT HIM INTO
negative critic in one succinct
paragraph. He remembers thinking
TROUBLE, TOO
to himself: Thanks a lot. Now Ive got to
go on and apparently I dont sing well,
I cant act, and la la la la la.
McGregor probably should read his press more
often. Hed learn what most serious critics think of his work
that hes among the most important and least predictable
film actors of his age. Hes a busy, committed actor who moves
easily between blockbusters (he starred in three Star Wars
prequels as Obi-Wan Kenobi, the legendary Jedi), action movies
(Black Hawk Down), musicals (Moulin Rouge!), light Woody
Allen comedies (Cassandras Dream), intellectual thrillers (The
Ghost Writer), character studies (Beginners, with Christopher
Plummer), voice-over roles for animated family films (Robots),
and friendly popcorn movies like Tim Burtons Big Fish.
In between there have been roles in dozens of smaller arthouse films of the sort he prizes. Most recently, he played a
journalist in Don Cheadles bio-pic Miles Ahead, about the life
of the jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, and both Jesus and Satan in
Last Days in the Desert, a film by Rodrigo Garca, the talented
son of the Nobel-prize-winning Colombian writer Gabriel
Garca Mrquez. Many of these smaller films are excellent.

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At other times, McGregor seems to be taking career advice from

Elvis Costello, who wrote in Unfaithful Music & Disappearing
Ink, his recent memoir, If you intend to have a long career in
showbusiness, it is necessary to drive people away from time to
time, so they can remember why they miss you.
Theres a sense of both commitment and abandonment in
all of McGregors performances. His enemy is stasis. Very big
studio pictures are tedious to make, he says. If youve got
eighty people in your crew, as opposed to two or three, suddenly
youre with all these massive f***ing egos walking around.
All that takes up time and money, which is why they take five
months to shoot. Everyones quite happy if you come home
having done a third of a scene. I cant stand it. As a Scottish
working man, Im like, F***ing get on with it.
While hes talking about his choices as an actor, you begin
to realise what a profound professional homecoming it is for
McGregor to be in Scotland working with Danny Boyle again.
The Trainspotting sequel, which is titled T2: Trainspotting,
is the first movie hes made with the British director in nearly
twenty years. They were once inseparable. McGregor starred
in Boyles first three films, each uncommonly intelligent and
alive: Shallow Grave (1994), Trainspotting, and A Life Less
Ordinary (1997).
Boyle and McGregor made their names together. Danny
was my first movie director and the most important of my life,
because I was part of his filmmaking team for those three first
movies, McGregor says. It was who I was. I thought: Im
Danny Boyles actor. But when it came time to film his fourth
feature, The Beach (2000), Boyle passed McGregor over in
favor of Leonardo DiCaprio. Wounded, McGregor fell into the
welcoming arms of George Lucas, the Star Wars director. These
prequels were vastly successful but critically dismissed, and in
them McGregor sometimes seemed bored and distracted. Hes
an unconventional actor given to unconventional roles, and he
looked vaguely sheepish wielding a powder-blue light saber.
Were nearing the bottom of the hill. A woman and her
twenty-something daughter spy McGregor and make a noise
as if theyve seen a baby seal holding flippers with a baby
penguin. While McGregor poses for a photograph with
the daughter, the mother says, You inspired her to go to
Mongolia. This is a complicated reference. She might be
alluding to Jamyan, McGregors third daughter, whom he and
his wife adopted from Mongolia in 2006. She might also be
alluding to McGregors 19,000-mile motorcycle ride in 2004
with his friend, the actor Charley Boorman. They barrelled
through Mongolia while travelling from London to New York
by way of Europe and Asia in a dust-filled adventure that

McGregor (left) in a promo shot for T2

Coat, sweater, and

trousers by
Giorgio Armani;
shoes by Burberry;
scarf by Gucci; cap
by Walker Slater.

became a book and a seven-hour television documentary

called Long Way Round. (McGregor and Boorman followed up
this trip by riding fifteen thousand more miles, in 2007, from
Scotland to South Africa.) McGregor doesnt ask. He merely
says to mother and daughter, Cheers.
McGregor has a collection of vintage motorcycles; he still
rides whenever he can. When he needs to clear his head, he
rockets off and winds through, among other places, Palomar
Mountain, some hundred miles from L. A. His wife hasnt asked
him to quit; she knows how important biking is to his sanity. I
dont see it as an inherently dangerous thing to do, he tells me.
I mean, I dont get on my bike and think, F***, I hope I make
it. I ask how hed feel if one of his daughters bought one. He
laughs mightily. Id say, Get off that, its too dangerous!

THERES A STRANGE

and touching moment in

McGregors new film American Pastoral in which hes portrayed
in makeup as a wrinkled and blinkered old man, the Swede in
his eighties. Its a very Philip Roth moment, in a way. So much
of his writing is about the things sons owe to their fathers,
and vice versa. To make sure the details were right, McGregor
gave the makeup team photographs of his own father. The
experience of seeing himself as his forebear spooked him and

made him think about his own future

as husband, father, actor, and director.
McGregor looks preternaturally young
for his age. Whats more, at forty-five
hes in the best shape of his life. Hes
been reading Christopher McDougalls
book Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe,
Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the
World Has Never Seen (2009), and its
pushed him as a runner. Hes now doing
10Ks at least five times a week in and
around Edinburgh. Still, theres a hint of
grey at his temples. Aging is on his mind,
too, he says, because in the Trainspotting
sequel Boyle has been intentionally
lighting the actors harshly to highlight
the lines on their faces. The second half
of McGregors career is wide open in
front of him, and one thing he hopes to
do more of is get behind the camera.
He filmed American Pastoral in
Pittsburgh because some of its urban
and industrial blocks resemble Newarks
back in the mid-twentieth century, and
frankly because it was cheap to work
there. As a first-time director, McGregor
had to prove he could deliver on time
and on budget. He took a tiny salary.
Still, he managed to attract a host of
gifted actors, and the film is a small
anthology of memorable performances.
Chief among them are Jennifer
Connellys as the Swedes wife, Dawn,
a former beauty queen who seeks more
gravitas from life, and Dakota Fannings
as Merry, his bomb-throwing daughter.
The movie has five really stonking
female parts in it, McGregor tells me.
Did you just saying stonking? I ask. Yes, he says. Stonking.
Its later that afternoon, and were sitting in a small
Edinburgh coffee shop, not far from where he is filming T2.
Hes ordered a cheese scone and a sparkling water. Were
talking about casting American Pastoral. Hes particularly proud
to have the Bronx-born actor Peter Riegert hes perhaps
most famous for playing Donald Boon Schoenstein in Animal
House portray Lou Levov, the Swedes blunt, warm, oldschool Jewish father. In Roths novel, as in the movie, Lou gets
the best lines. When the Swede buys an expensive minimalist
painting, Roths Lou looks at the thing and comments, Awful
lot of money for a first coat. Whats it going to be?
McGregor has a deep regard for Riegerts acting. He also
loves that Riegert was a star of the 1983 movie Local Hero, a
small classic, about an American oil company representative
who is sent to the fictional village of Ferness in Scotland.
McGregor estimates he has watched it over a hundred times.
Hes seen it so often in part because it also featured McGregors
uncle, the actor Denis Lawson. McGregor, who was born in
Perth in 1971, didnt grow up in an artistic or theatrical family.
His father was a gym teacher; his mother worked with specialneeds children. But Lawson, his mothers brother, was an
inspiration and later a mentor for him. By acting in the Star
Wars franchise, McGregor was following his uncles

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Jacket
by Timberland;
sweater by Etro;
trousers by Canali;
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lead. Lawson had appeared as Wedge Antilles, a young rebel

pilot, in the original three Star Wars films.
The hardest thing about directing for the first time,
McGregor says, may have been learning to give actors notes
on their performances. Thats because, for an actor, giving
direction to a fellow actor is a serious no-no. Only directors
get to do that. An actor has no business telling another actor
what they should be doing, McGregor says, but in this case it
was my job. He tells me few notes were necessary on the set of
American Pastoral because the level of the performances was
so high. Even the smaller performances shine. In
what is perhaps the films crucial scene, the
Swedes daughter, Merry, is played by
McGREGOR
the twelve-year-old actress Hannah
Nordberg. She and her father are
LONG AGO
sitting in the front seat of a car,
DECIDED, TO
having a talk that will change
BORROW THE FIRST
both their lives. McGregor had
TWO WORDS OF
loved Nordbergs screen test.
TRAINSPOTTINGS
But he adds, You dont really
FAMOUS OPENING,
know with children how
theyre going to be on set
TO CHOOSE LIFE. ITS
once the cameras are rolling
IMPORTANT TO HIM
for real. And during that
THAT HIS DAUGHTERS
scene, I was sitting there, you
KNOW HE LIKES HIS
know, as the director and actor
WORK. I SHARE THE
playing that scene with her just
thinking, Oh, f ***ing yes.
EXCITEMENT OF
McGregor possesses a lilting
WHAT I DO WITH
Scottish
accent. I get to hear an
THEM
especially florid version of it after he
sneezes three times in a row, in the coffee
shop, and comments in mock horror, I think
Im allergic to this cheese scone. He had to tame that
accent in order to play the Swede, the star New Jersey athlete.
He wanted to sound New Jersey, but not Jersey Shore New
Jersey. People think you just drop your rs, he says of a Jersey
accent, but in fact thats not the case. He modelled the music
of his American voice on that of Ray Liotta, the GoodFellas
star. I watched a lot of Ray Liotta interviews, McGregor says.
Before takes, hed tank himself up on the sound of Liottas voice
and stride onto the set.
McGregor has spent a lot of hours reading and rereading
Roths novel. He likes how Roth presents many sides of the
argument, and youre left to figure out how you feel about it.
He appreciates, too, how much Roth has to say about things
like parenthood and a fathers search for blame. About the
Swede and Merry, he comments, She inherits his strength of
character but just in a totally different direction. Most days
on the set, McGregor focussed on things like his characters
motivations. But he also got to stage the explosion of the smalltown store that Merry bombs. We had two options: to do it for
real or do digital effects. So we shot both, if you like. We shot
plates of the store just sitting there, so we could blow it up if
we wanted to, then we blew it up for real. He takes a bite of his
scone and says, We used the real one, of course, because it was
so much better.

LATE AT NIGHT

when he cant sleep, McGregor

listens to the radio news, mostly BBC Four. The headlines
have been so nightmarish lately that hes become, almost self-

defensively, a political animal. In June, after the UK voted to

remove itself from the European Union, McGregor fired off
an expletive-filled tweet in the direction of Boris Johnson,
the right-wing Brexit champion who, after the leave vote,
decided not to run for the Tory leadership. McGregors tweet
read, You spineless **** You lead this ludicrous campaign to
leave EU. Win, and now **** off to let someone else clear up your
mess. Talking now about Brexit, he uses words and phrases
like f***wits and Etonian w*****s. He worries hes not as
savvy a political-news consumer as he might be because he
tends to take people at their word, which is a mistake. At
the mention of Donald J. Trump, McGregor shakes his head
in disbelief and wonders if this tentative moment in history is
comparable to Germany before Kristallnacht.
McGregor is not a serious watcher of television. But a few
years ago, killing time on a film set in Thailand, he bingewatched The Sopranos, The Wire, and Breaking Bad. (Hes
also an enormous fan of the sitcom Broad City, about a pair
of hedonistic and raunchy best friends.) These series were
so consistently excellent that they made him begin to think
seriously about a television role. A year ago, skiing in Utah
with his family, he met a producer of the FX series Fargo,
who encouraged him to consider acting in it. He loved the
original 1996 movie by the Coen brothers but hadnt seen the
show. I went away and I started watching them, he says. I
watched them out of order. I watched the second season first
and thought it was so good. Then I watched the first season
and liked that one even more. He met Noah Hawley, Fargos
showrunner, and they clicked. Soon McGregor will begin
filming the third season of the series. Hell star as two brothers,
Emmit and Ray Stussy, who arent twins. Ones a handsome,
self-made mogul, the Parking Lot King of Minnesota. The
other is a balding, potbellied parole officer with a chip on his
shoulder because nothing has gone his way. Its the kind of yinyang dual performance McGregor was put on this planet for.
Right now, hes having a ball on the set of T2 but longing
for home and family in Los Angeles. When Im home, Im
really home, he tells me. The family has dinner together every
night, around the table and not in front of iPads and s*** like
that. His favorite thing is the school run, the twenty or thirty
minutes he gets to talk to his daughters in the car on the way to
school. His and his wifes friends tend to be the parents of his
daughters friends. Hes proud of being a good provider. About
being away so often on film sets, he says, Im not in a unique
position in being a father who travels for his work. I could be
an oil-rig worker. Theres lots of people who are not home on a
Monday-to-Friday regular basis.
We pay the checque and head out onto a busy Edinburgh
street. Up above us, in the distance, theres the volcano. Hell
climb it again before he leaves Edinburgh. He can see it all
from up there past, present, and future. McGregor long
ago decided, to borrow the first two words of Trainspottings
famous opening, to choose life.
Its important to him, he tells me, that his daughters know
he likes his work. I share the excitement of what I do with
them. I dont pretend its all [makes a face] ugh. I make sure
they know when Im going off on a work trip that Im going
away to do something that I love. His oldest daughter, Clara, a
junior at New York University, has begun to act in independent
films. I ask him if he ever warned his daughters away from
acting. I would never dream of steering them away from it.
The truth is: If you want to do this, youre gonna do it.

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Members of the Trem

Brass Band walk through
the Ninth Ward after
attending a Memorial
Day service honouring
the victims of Hurricane
Katrina 29 May, 2006, in
New Orleans, Louisiana.
The event included
a prayer service at
thelevee wall, a recital
of victims names
and a remembrance
walk through
theneighbourhood

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IN IT,
BUT
NOT
OF IT

Hurricane Katrina changed

everything about New Orleans.
Except for the food, and the
music, and thespiritthat
wouldntbe submerged.
Sanjiv Bhattacharya
makes apilgrimage to the
leastAmerican city inAmerica

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ajun Seafood on Claiborne Avenue doesnt appear on any

tourist maps of New Orleans. Its in the Seventh Ward,
just across from Trem, a part of town where tourists
probably shouldnt wander about after dark. But we have
a guide, Mrs B and I, and this is his favourite crawfish
spot. DJ Chicken (not his real name) has been showing
us around all afternoon.
No one messes with Chicken out here. Hes only a
little guy, about 5ft 2in, and a gentle soul, more lamb than
chicken. But he grew up in the hood in a well-known
musical family, which is royalty in this city. His dad
was in the New Orleans funk band Chocolate Milk, and
Chicken himself has been DJing for 26 years. They called
him DJ Chicken Scratch at first which beats his real name Kenneth Williams
(I know, bruh. Ooh matron!) but it was Chicken that stuck. Not to be confused
with his pal, DJ Duck.
Yall must be here for the storm, huh? he grins, as we wade into our shrimp,
ripping off heads and sucking on tails. Apparently a deluge is headed our way its
all over the news an alarming forecast for a city that can fill up like a bowl of
gumbo. But Chickens not one to flap. Even with Katrina bearing down, he wanted
to ride it out: We have hurricane parties out here. Dont matter if the lights go out
we got this! In New Orleans we party for everything.
It was his seven-year old who changed his mind. My wife left with my other two
kids, but my boy wanted to stay with me, he says. And I couldnt risk it, not with
him. So we left the day before. And he saved me, honestly, because we had five feet
of water. I would have been on my roof.
Chicken was one of 175,000 people who fled New Orleans in the summer of
2005 because of Hurricane Katrina. Most were from the poor black neighbourhoods
that were hardest hit, and 100,000 of them have never returned. It was just too
difficult and expensive to come home. Besides, their new cities were clean and
well organised, while New Orleans could be a tough place to live. In Dallas, where
Chicken wound up, the buses ran on time and you were far less likely to get shot.
So he made a go of it. There were 23 of them crammed into his aunts house, stacked
like sardines, and Chicken had arrived with nothing more than the clothes on his
back. But he started gigging and founded a DJ coalition. He almost stayed.
I had opportunities, he says. But my wife, shes Sixth Ward born and raised
and she cant live nowhere else. Shes like, I dont see people walking around, just
out. Back home they sit out on their stoops. And they aint got no parades, no second
line, no festivals. Which is true. In New Orleans, we got jazz fest, voodoo fest,
always some kinda fest. And the food the pickled turkey necks, pigs feet thats
hood food. This crawfish boil, people fly it in, Im serious. And the bars close at 2am
in Dallas. Thats where she got me. I cant live with that, bruh! In New Orleans we
go all night. And you get a go-cup. We put your drink in a paper cup so you can walk
the streets and keep your buzz on. Try that in Dallas. Actually dont!
They came home two years later. It took that long to fix their house. And the city
was already in the throes of a transformation.
In the past decade New Orleans has become a case study in disaster capitalism,
a gentrification story on steroids. Developers swooped in, politicians took their
cut, and the city was re-branded. In the new New Orleans, there are now 600 more
restaurants than before Katrina, and the population has almost been restored. Only
this time, the people are whiter and better off, and from cities like New York, DC,
San Francisco and Los Angeles, where for the most part they were priced out by
similar forces of gentrification. Chicken sees them on their porches in the Ninth
Ward, an historically black neighbourhood, in what was once a majority black city
and he can hardly believe it.
It aint a racial thing, we party together down here, he says. But they
messing with the mystique of New Orleans. They want to take Trem back,
because they love the music and the jazz. But the music comes from the black
people they pushing out!

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Revellers in
a traditional
second line
parade;

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Chickens conflicted, though, like the city as a whole. As a DJ,

he welcomes a boom in tourism because it keeps the clubs full.
But as a fourth generation Ninth Warder, he worries about the
loss of culture and identity.
I guess, we just dont like change, he says. New Orleans is
like a planet. Were rooted in our culture, we dont sway to whats
popular elsewhere. A lot of cities are a melting pot of this culture
and that, but here we made our own. We invented our own
music and our own cooking. What else do you need? He takes a
crawfish and sucks on the juice. We like it like we like it.

HEARD VARIATIONS ON THIS THEME

ALL WEEK. That New Orleans is just
different; that its in America, but not of it;
and that when locals leave town they call it
visiting the States. Yes, its a shambles and
full of corruption and potholes, and you ought to watch your
back as you stagger about the French Quarter. But dont think of
it as the most disorganised city in America, think of it instead as
the most organised city in the Caribbean; as though a chunk of
the West Indies broke off and floated north, getting stuck in the
gator swamps of Louisiana.
As American cities increasingly come to resemble each
other, New Orleans is a wonderful exception. It lives by
different rules. From the wonderfully preserved 19th Century
gothic mansions of the Garden District, to the clapboard
shotguns of humbler wards, in orange, yellow and aquamarine,
nowhere else looks like New Orleans. Its beauty is inimitable.
In Triksta: Life and Death and New Orleans Rap, veteran music
journalist Nik Cohn writes of the citys battered grace, its
subtropical jungles of blossom. Its the only US city below
sea level, and Cohn writes, the air has a velvet weight. And its
culture is so fierce, so distinct. Theres the voodoo and parades,

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beads and brass bands, things that cant

be found anywhere else. And then, theres
the New Orleans culture that is found
everywhere. Its only 20 minutes end to
end and yet so bursting with life, its hard
not to marvel. For without New Orleans,
we wouldnt have jazz, rnb or funk. Or
twerking. Or quite possibly the cocktail.
Everyone is seduced by The Big Easy
in the end. Cohn fell for the ramshackle
city of the Seventies and Eighties, so
he decries the post-Katrina version as a theme park, a Creole
Disneyland, a commodified version of itself. But I was new
there, so nostalgia didnt ruin it for me. And I fell as hard as
anyone for its charms. To stroll down Royal Street in spring, gocup in hand, while an old black man on a street corner plays the
clarinet blues, is to be romanced. Its New Orleans giving you the
come-on.
Each morning, wed leave the small but perfectly formed
W hotel in the Quarter and let the winds buffet us around town.
They were the harbinger of a storm that was already pounding
Eastern Louisiana. So naturally, with disaster looming, the bars
were full. And fellow drinkers were more than happy to weigh in.
Dont worry they said, the Quarter doesnt flood. And, if it rains,
well, well probably get two-for-one cocktails.
Did New Orleans invent the cocktail? The guy with the red
nose at the Sazerac Bar seems to think so. Evidently, one Antoine
Peychaud, a pharmacist in the mid-1800s, had a line of bitters
which hed serve with brandy in upturned egg cups, or coquetiers
in French, which then evolved into cocktail. The cocktail in
question, the Sazerac, is synonymous with the Crescent City.
It takes a dash of absinthe, a lump of sugar, some bitters and
cognac (though its typically made with rye whiskey).
The truth may be more mundane, but Im going with Rudolfs
version. And there are so many sites to visit. Cocktail pride is
strong here. Theres the impossibly elegant Arnauds French
75; the Carousel Lounge at Hotel Monteleone with its 25-seat
Carousel Bar which goes around every 15 minutes (it sounds
cheesy, but isnt); and the epic Sazerac Bar, at the Roosevelt
Hotel, which looks fit for a Scorsese gangster movie. Theres even
a bullet hole in the back wall for good measure.
Having fun in New Orleans can feel terribly civilised, always
the sign of a great city. Faulkner did it, and so did Hemingway
and Matisse, and there were moments on those same barstools,
within earshot of a swinging trumpet, when I thought I could
see what those old masters saw in the place; that this city knows
something important about life and death.

the St Louis Cemetery Number One off Basin Street, where they
shot the acid trip scene in Easy Rider, and where Nicholas Cage
has bought himself a plot the voodoo, it got to him. Our guide
was a little nun in New Balance sneakers, who wasted no time in
busting that myth. The above-ground graves are a cultural thing,
they have them in France. Nothing to do with the water table.
But why let a little fact like that ruin a good story? After all: dont
sweat the small stuff.

TS A MONDAY NIGHT IN BYWATER,

formerly known as the Upper Ninth. Blustery
out, but the rains holding off. And as one
would expect for a residential
neighbourhood, its pretty quiet, not a soul on
the streets. But down at the far corner, at the end of Chartres
Street, theres a big house with all these lights on. A guy on the
door, a line down the street, and inside, a revelation a
combination wine store and restaurant with a gorgeous garden
out back draped in Christmas lights. An avant-garde cellist,
Helen Gillet, is performing. And the place is packed.
The story of Bacchanal is the story of the new New Orleans
in many ways. It sits at the epicentre of gentrification, a stretch
of Bywater known as the sliver by the river, which escaped
flooding and so quickly became ground zero for developers. But
Bacchanal was born before Katrina. The founder Chris Rudge
(who died last year, aged 40), bought the building in 1998.
He paid $90,000, can you believe it? It needed work, but that
shows you what this neighbourhood was like back then, says
chef Joaquin Rodas, 42, one of the partners. It was rough out
here. Still is!
Rudge opened a wine shop downstairs in 2002, and lived
upstairs with no more than a mattress and a light bulb. He let
customers drink in the back yard, because as his partner Beau
Ross says, people needed a place to hang out. We didnt have
the permits but our philosophy was, its always better to ask for
forgiveness than permission!
After Katrina, Bacchanal became a campfire for a traumatised
community. We were all doing house clearings, says Ross.
We all knew the stench of dead bodies next door. But we were
here, you know? We didnt leave. We worked hard to build this
back up.
Katrina brought a flood of government engineers and work
crews which helped bars and restaurants survive. Some places
were getting $78 a plate, breakfast, lunch and dinner, says Rodas.
Then, just as the markets were crashing, the city got another
financial shot in the arm. All these funds had been earmarked
for New Orleans, but they couldnt flow until theyd been
approved, says Ross. And that was around 2008. So we kind of
rode out the recession. And then Hollywood started shooting in
the city lured by tax breaks. Suddenly, we had this injection of
young people and money, in this entertainment city. They saw it
was cheaper than LA or New York.
As Bacchanal bloomed, Ross started booking local bands to
put on in the back yard, and by 2009, Rodas had put together a
menu; they were essentially running an illicit bar, restaurant and
jazz club out of the back of a wine shop. But still no permits. And
sure enough, the city shut the place down in 2011, On a packed
Friday night, too. The outcry was immediate. Signatures were
collected, petitions drawn up, and ultimately 52 neighbours
spoke up for the restaurant at City Hall. It took eight months,
says Rodas. Its like a third-world country, New Orleans. A lot

In his book Nine Lives: Death and Life

ABOVE:
The Bacchanal on
in New Orleans, Dan Baum cites a poll
Chartres Street
conducted before Katrina when New
was opened in
2002 by founder
Orleans was the worst city in America for
Chris Rudge, who
poverty, schools, crime and corruption.
allowedcustomers
to relax in its
More New Orleanians, he writes,
back yard; today,
the popular
regardless of age, wealth or race, were
bar, restaurant
extremely satisfied with their lives than
and club is
afocal point of
residents of any other American city.
NewOrleans
And you can tell. Theyre so happy here,
culture
they paint their houses pink and yellow.
BELOW LEFT:
The Mardi Gras
They invented the Lagniappe, a little
Indians group
complimentary something that merchants
rehearses its
march through
give customers out of love a shot at
the Sixth Ward;
the bar, or some lucky beads. Theyre
local performer
DJ Chicken
famously late. Baum again: Calendars are
photographed
for managing the future. In New Orleans
by the author;
the future doesnt exist... While the rest
of Americans... chase the horizon, New
Orleanians are masters at the lost art of living in the moment.
And they love a parade here. Their second line tradition is
so called because people got so excited, they formed a second
line behind a parade (even funeral processions) to join in. There
was exasperation in some quarters when, only six months
after Katrina, New Orleans celebrated Mardi Gras; the city was
devastated, surely it had other priorities. But that parade was
New Orleans in a nutshell, its essential duality a lust for life
and an acceptance of death. They go hand in hand in voodoo
town. They know better than to sweat the small stuff, here, and
should they forget, there are huge cemeteries all over to remind
them of that indelible fact.
These cemeteries are known as cities of the dead because
the graves are above ground and, according to legend, they have
to be in this sub-sea level city as the water table is liable to rise
and move the coffins about, forcing them up through the earth.
Its another irresistible story, but not quite true. We took a tour of

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of corruption. But we made it. Today, Bacchanal is held up as

a change agent, a beacon of gentrification, like the cocktail bar
Cure across town. Other businesses sprout up around them. In
Bywater, for instance, theres the Satsuma Caf and Oxalis. Ross
and Rodas welcome it all.
I know people are angry, Rodas says. But you have to
remember, this is New Orleans people love to complain here.
It takes 10 people to change a light bulb; one to change it and nine
to say how they preferred the old light bulb. Even with those new
houses Brad Pitt built in the Lower Ninth, people still wanted
their old, shitty houses back. Dude its a free house!
We drive to the St Roch market on St Claude Avenue, a
spotless white hall full of kale juice, gourmet lunch options and
(mostly) white people in their twenties and thirties. It used
to be a seafood market which stank of rotting shrimp, Rodas
says. But people still say, oh, its not how it used to be. Well, I
could mug you right now if you want. Is that authentic enough
for you?
What Ross and Rodas see at St Roch is a renaissance for their
city. We order some beers and oysters and find a table.
This right here, says Ross, gesturing at the crowd, this
means the time has come for New Orleans to return the
American narrative, after our near-death experience. Katrina was
a Woodstock moment.

HERE ARE YOU EATING? Everywhere we

went we got the same question. Its like a tic
in this town, something more than just
southern hospitality. In New Orleans
everyones a foodie, more than happy to
buttonhole tourists and insist they take down their
recommendations. The same names recurred time and again
Arnauds, Shaya, Borgne, Pche, Galatoires, Compre Lapin,
Cochon, Domenica and Commanders Palace. We couldnt do
them all, but we tried.
For my dollar, the Creole palaces are still the main draw.
In the current restaurant boom, New Orleans risks the kind of
foodie homogenisation that has swept New York, Los Angeles
and Chicago, where the best restaurants are often hard to tell
apart once youre in them. Its their high design, the attractive
waiting staff, a well-heeled crowd and ambitious menus that
need explaining. But at Antoines the oldest running restaurant
in America, theres no doubt youre in New Orleans. Ditto
for Arnauds, founded in 1918, with one of the most beautiful
dining rooms in the city. Its a world of white tablecloths and
chandeliers, exquisite service and traditions that go back 100
years. This is New Orleans at heart tradition. Families which
go back six generations and cant tell you about it quickly
enough. For all their libertine ways and party spirit, New
Orleanians are deeply conservative. Its that duality again.
Theyll party all night, but only in the time-honoured fashion.
After all, if it aint broke.
At Galatoires for instance, the menu has barely changed
since 1905. They take no reservations and require men to wear
jackets. Its traditional to have your waiter order for you, and
youll get the same waiter when you come back, as will your kids
(its common for waiters to serve three generations of the same
family). And theres no music, no art on the walls, only mirrors,
chandeliers and the clatter of conversation. Everything you get
from an energy standpoint comes from your fellow patrons, says
its president, Melvin Rodrigue. It all reverberates on itself.

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We went on a Tuesday night, Mrs

B and I. It meant navigating Bourbon
Street, which is never easy on the nerves.
Like Vegas, New Orleans tends to attract
a certain type, the frat bros and coachtrip slappers who drink from luminous
gourds. They shriek about the Quarter
all day, and then at night they flow like
tributaries to their Mississippi, which
funnels them into a roiling channel of
chunder and tchotchkes. The streets
are too narrow to give it the wide berth
it deserves.
And yet, in the middle of it all, is
Galatoires, a pinnacle of old world
elegance. Theres a different brand of
raucous here. The tables talk to each
other. To our left, they just broke into
song. And our waiter Skip assures us that
Fridays are even better. Its a New Orleans
custom to work maybe an hour or two at
the office and then go to Galatoires for
lunch, never to return. The doors open
at 11:30am and people often stay through
dinner. We get people lining up outside
from six in the morning, he says.
And sure enough, I happen to be passing through the Quarter
on Friday morning, about 11am, so I give Galatoires a look-see.
Its raining heavily but still, here they are, the lunch crowd,
huddled under brollies, waiting for a table like its the new
iPhone and they just have to have one.
Ive only been here a couple of hours and Im nearly at the
front! Mike, a legal assistant from Uptown St Charles, tells me.
He is here to keep a table for his colleagues who will be along
soon enough. Our clients understand, he says. In fact, Ill
probably see them here. Its the start of the weekend!

TS ALL IN THE MIX. Thats what this place

is about. Jon Cleary, one of the citys most
beloved musicians, is having lunch at Borgne,
a buzzing seafood restaurant. Naturally, weve
ordered oysters. Theyre just so good here, so
clean. Cleary says its to do with the brackish water, the mix of
freshwater and brine where the Mississippi meets the Gulf of
Mexico. And its the same with culture, which teems in New
Orleans much like the frutti di mare. Because jazz came from the
mix, too the mix of cultures, races and religions.
It was French then Spanish then French again, says Cleary.
All Catholic. Then the Americans bought it and they were
Protestant. Then you had the slaves from Africa who used to
gather in Congo Square and make music. New Orleans was the
only place they allowed slaves to congregate freely. So the African

While the rest of Americans chase

the horizon, New Orleanians are
masters at the lost art of living in
the moment

FAR LEFT:
A brass band
marches through
Frenchman Street,
home to some of
the best live music
venues in the city

LEFT:
A sign in Trem
indicating Congo
Square, the
birthplace of jazz

players met the classically trained Creole players from the

European side, and thats how jazz started.
No one fell harder for the romance of New Orleans than
Cleary. He came here aged 18 from Cranbrook, Kent. He found
a job at the Maple Leaf Bar, a famous jazz club. And he learned
by listening to the best, not least James Booker, a one-eyed, gay,
black, heroin addict genius. Its a fairy tale story. Cleary got his
start when Booker didnt show up one night and he was asked to
stand in. Today, Cleary is considered something of a custodian of
New Orleans musical traditions. A white guy from Kent.
Over fresh pompano and amberjack, Cleary tells the story of
a fabled libertine city, with sin palaces full of gorgeous Creole
girls, their pimps and dope dealers. And at the heart of it all were
musicians like Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and King
Oliver. We think of jazz as middle class, a noodling noise in bijou
restaurants, but here, it has always been the music of the streets.
Times, however, are changing. When I started out, clubs
used to go all night, Cleary says. Id go on at 3am. But Im on at
9pm now, because the new people coming in, thats what they
expect. They dont know our New Orleans ways. Did you hear
about that white couple in Trem?
I did. Its an apocryphal story: the couple who moved to the
birthplace of jazz and then complained about the music in the
streets because their baby couldnt sleep.
And they stopped it! Its a metaphor, Cleary says. Katrina
has brought us kicking and screaming into the mainstream model
of a US city. But we dont want that!
After lunch, Cleary takes us on a tour of the citys jazz
heritage, pointing out storied clubs like The Little Gem Saloon on
Poydras St and Joes Cozy Corner in Trem. But its a sad drive.
The clubs are either in disrepair, or closed down altogether.
Others are literally collapsing, like Club Desire in the Ninth
Ward, where Fats Domino, Count Basie and Ray Charles all
played. And the homes of cornetist Buddy Bolden and trombonist
Kid Ory, arguably the first ever jazz horn players, dont even bear
a plaque. Its a racist town in a lot of ways, Cleary says. Jazz
was the music of the poor. It was disreputable.

The idea that black history is American history still hasnt

quite caught on in the States. Harriet Tubman, a former
slave who freed hundreds, may soon be on the new $20 bills,
but Trem remains a ghetto. So, gentrification has an added
dimension here. It speaks to a deeper American anguish. Jazz
is the cultural legacy of slaves and yet the people of Trem were
not uplifted by it. Instead, Trem is crumbling and risks cultural
erasure, while across town a few minutes, the mansion homes of
former slave owners are perfectly preserved. In some ways, New
Orleans, for all its uniqueness, is a microcosm of America, a place
that still hasnt fully reckoned with its slave history.
Trems plight was no accident. On Clairborne Avenue, for
instance, there was once a beautiful colonnade of ancient oak
trees where the people of Trem would gather and celebrate.
But in the Sixties, in the new dawn of the civil rights era, city
planners built the I-10 freeway right through it. On its soulless
white pillars, local artists painted the trees that they miss. The
painted oaks of Claiborne are as poignant a symbol as any that
the struggle which gave birth to jazz remains relevant today.
The past lives and breathes in New Orleans, in all its joy and
pain. And what more can one ask of a city than a sense of the
lives that have passed through? Trems troubles only add to its
aura. And theres something utterly compelling about a place of
history and tradition that doesnt want to change, and yet must,
so it fights with itself. Chicken and Cleary are right that Trems
jazz culture was diluted when some of the areas musical families
left, to be replaced by the white middle classes. And yet equally,
Bacchanal is booming. Flush with new blood, and new money,
New Orleans pulses and throbs as it always did if ever there
was a time to visit, its now.
Later that night, Mrs B and I head to Frenchman Street in
the Faubourg Marigny for some music. A whole string of bars all
hopping with live music. It looks especially alluring tonight in
the rain. The music pours out of the doors into the streets.
Clearys on tonight at DBA. He closes the show with a New
Orleans classic, Blueberry Hill, made famous by one of the
citys favourite sons, Fats Domino. And at some point while hes
singing, while the crowds belting out and you were my thrill...
something extraordinary happens the rain stops, the wind
mellows and the air feels strangely warm.
One of the barmen is outside smoking, looking at the sky.
Looks like it missed us in the end, he says. Kissed us and
moved on. The gods are smiling on New Orleans today.
Sanjiv Bhattacharya stayed at the W Hotel New Orleans, French
Quarter; wfrenchquarter.com. Emirates flies to Houston where
connecting flights to New Orleans are available

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103

WHAT IVE LEARNED

Brian Wilson
Esquires What
Ive Learned
interviews take
the established
form of presenting
afamous subjects
thoughts and
opinions without
any narrative
intrusion from
the interviewer
on the page. Its
simple: we ask a
series of personal
yet incisive
questions and let
the wisdom-laden
answers flow.
Unless, of course,
our subject
happens to be
the flawed-genius
chief Beach Boy.
Hands up
whatever were
wethinking?

INTERVIEWED BY
SANJIV BHATTACHARYA
PHOTOGRAPHY:
GETTY IMAGES

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MUSICIAN, 73

How longs this gonna take, about 15 minutes? Not the most promising start to an interview, admittedly, but
then its Brian Wilson. Hes been known to leave after five if the mood takes him, and not because hes difficult,
either. Brian just isnt like regular folks. He doesnt mean to be rude, his publicist explains, as she walks me up
the stairs to meet him. Hes just not really a words person.
Its an odd experience. Were in the music room of his Beverly Hills home, off Mulholland Drive, and hes
sitting on the couch before me, a big man, 6ft 3in, with swept-back silver hair and a loud Hawaiian shirt. Every
question I ask is batted back with the briefest of replies less a conversation as a tennis match and then he
looks at me, waiting for the next one. Its an unwavering look, a little disconcerting but also open and simple,
no menace in it at all. Hes not annoyed, this is just his way curt, childlike answers, often no more than an
enthusiastic Yep! or a No! or an I dont know! Writing his autobiography he says wasfun. Fun in what
way? It brought back memories. Was there a period you especially enjoyed looking back on? No!
Maybe fatherhood is a better topic. Wilsons late father Murry propelled The Beach Boys to Sixties fame as
their first manager, but he also beat Brian as a child, arguably causing the deafness in his right ear, and ultimately
sold The Beach Boys publishing rights in 1969 for a paltry $700,000. How does he think of his father now?
He was a good coach. He said, get in there and kick ass! Yeah. What about the conflicts, do you think about
those? No! What have you learned about fatherhood? Fathers should take care of their kids.
And so the interview proceeds, in this staccato fashion, awkward pauses and all.
This is how the upcoming I Am Brian Wilson was written, through two years of interviews with ghostwriter
Ben Greenman, all of it in Wilsons idiosyncratic voice. But what a story! The sensitive genius from Los Angeles,
who at 23 overcame his many insecurities and opposition from his band and Capitol Records to compose,
arrange, produce and perform one of the most enduring albums of the Sixties, Pet Sounds.
And then in the late 70s and for most of the 80s, Wilson disappeared. Hed started to hear voices and had
fallen under the sway of a controlling psychotherapist, Dr Eugene Landy, a story best told in last years movie
Love & Mercy. He was the lost icon, a cautionary tale, a tragedy no doubt. But he returned to recording in 1988
and in 2004 finally delivered a rerecording of the shelved (and legendary) 1967 Beach Boys album Smile. This
later flurry of musical productivity has seen him release nine albums in the last 15 years. Hes still as busy as ever.
But talking about it is not his forte. Heres what I learn. If he had his time again, hed avoid drugs. LSD made
me more creative, he says. It helped me write Pet Sounds. But the voices started after LSD, too. He still hears
the voices. That faraway look he sometimes has is because of the schizo-affective disorder the voices are
screaming at him, even while hes on stage. They say different things, he says. Like were going to hurt you.
Its crazy! But not all the time, yeah. Like every other day. Not today, he assures me.
Hes happiest at the piano. Music, he says, is joy. Its love. The thing he likes most about dogs is their bark:
its just such an interesting sound. And the English appreciate his music more than Americans do: you can
tell by the way they clap. He doesnt know what genius means. He doesnt know how he lost his fear of flying,
either. And dont ask him how he feels about how the world has changed since he was a kid. I cant answer
that! The 80s is about as modern as he gets. But he loves Los Angeles, hes never lived anywhere else. What do
you like best about it? The restaurants.
Its easy to feel sad for Brian, the exploited artist, the sensitive boy who, like Michael Jackson, was so
traumatised by a violent stage dad that it left him in a state of guileless naivety for the rest of his life. But Wilson
isnt fragile or bitter. While so many 1960s icons have gone, hes thriving. Seriously tough is how John Cusack
described him, when making Love & Mercy.
The one thing he loves to talk about is his daily routine. I have my breakfast. I comb my hair. And I go to
the park and I take walks. And then I come home and watch television. Like the news or Jeopardy and Wheel of
Fortune. And then he plays the piano, which keeps me happy. Thats his secret, he says. My secret is that I
dont use drugs and I play the piano. With that, he puts his hand out. Want to help me up?
Weve spent 40 minutes together. I enjoyed this interview very much, he says. I tell him Im surprised.
People think he doesnt like interviews. I love interviews, are you kidding? What does he like about them?
The questions!
Brian Wilson will be performing at the Dubai Duty Tennis Stadium on November 3rd to celebrate the 50th
anniversary of Pet Sounds. I Am Brian Wilson: the Genius Behind The Beach Boys is out this month

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

Brian Wilson is the leader

and co-founder of the
Beach Boys, formed in
1961. The groups original
lineup consisted of
brothers Brian, Dennis,
and Carl Wilson, cousin
Mike Love, and friend
Al Jardine.

Music is joy. Its love. I find the sound of

dogs barking such an interesting sound

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105

Rubber Soul
CROSS A DOUBLE-MONK-STRAP WITH A STREET SNEAKER AND WHAT DO YOU GET?
SOMETHING COOL THAT WILL GO WITH JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.
P H OTO G R A P H S BY N I G E L C OX

KIND OF BLUE
Left: Sneakers
(Dhs2,075) by Tods.
Right: Sneakers
(Dhs1,175) by Ludwig
Reiter. Belt (Dhs642)
by Paul Smith;
sunglasses (Dhs547)
by Carrera; scarf
(Dhs910) by John
Varvatos; necklace
(Dhs220) by George
Frost; tote (Dhs2,196)
by Michael Kors;
portfolio (Dhs2,920) by
Salvatore Ferragamo.

JUST LIKE HEMINGWAYS TAKE on

going broke, the elevation of sneakers from
athletic afterthought to high-performance
statement of style happened gradually and
then all of a sudden. You can, in fact, trace
a straight line from your grandfathers
comfortable walking shoes all the way to
Kanyes 750 Boosts (now available on the
secondary market for a cool four figures).
Along this march of progress we see Chuck
Taylor, Stan Smith, and Michael Jordan.
And then the arrival of the New Balance
990 (courtesy of Steve Jobs), after which
we come to the present, when fashion
designers and artisanal shoemakers
everywhere seem to be pushing the
boundariesand priceof a footwear that
finally feels as good as it looks.

106

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BROWN UNBOUND
Left: Double-monk-strap
sneakers (Dhs3,287)
by Christian Louboutin.
Right: Sneakers
(Dhs1,983) by Feit.
Radiomir California
3 Days Acciaio watch
(Dhs28,283) by
Panerai; pocket square
(Dhs808) by Kiton; tote
(Dhs2,020) by Filson;
portfolio (Dhs7,162) by
Dunhill; wallet (Dhs550)
by Shinola; key ring
(Dhs826) by Tods.

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

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107

RED INVASION
Left: Sneakers (Dhs3,011)
by Dior Homme. Right:
Sneakers (Dhs2,920) by
Ralph Lauren. Black Bay
Red watch (Dhs11,386)
by Tudor; belt (Dhs359)
by Allen Edmonds;
sunglasses (Dhs1,634)
by Barton Perreira;
scarf (Dhs716) by
Michael Kors; briefcase
(Dhs7,328) by Pal Zileri;
wallet (Dhs3,636, top)
by Valextra; card holder
(Dhs4,407, bottom) by
Kiton.

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GRAY MATTER
Left: Sneakers (Dhs5,362)
by Berluti. Right: Sneakers
(Dhs3,030) by Brunello
Cucinelli. Sweatshirt
(Dhs359) by Todd Snyder +
Champion; scarf (Dhs6,295)
by Brunello Cucinelli;
handkerchief (Dhs532) by
Herms; bracelet (Dhs363)
by Cartography; backpack
(Dhs5,491) by Smythson;
alligator wallet (Dhs3,617) by
Jean Rousseau; leather card
case (Dhs348) by Shinola.

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

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109

BLACK ATTACK
Left: Sneakers
(Dhs1,928) by Lanvin.
Right: Sneakers
(Dhs2,424) by Bottega
Veneta. Portugieser
chronograph
(Dhs27,915) by IWC;
scarf (Dhs1,726) by
Dior Homme; bracelet
(Dhs697) by Scosha;
MH40 headphones
(Dhs1,465) by Master
& Dynamic; portfolio
(Dhs2,864) by
Salvatore Ferragamo;
wallet (Dhs1,322) by
Giuseppe Zanotti
Design; ballpoint pen
(Dhs1,359) by Dunhill.

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GOING GREEN
Left: Sneakers
(Dhs2,773) by Louis
Leeman. Right:
Sneakers (Dhs1,509)
by Common Projects.
Double-breasted
jacket (Dhs3,655)
by L.B.M. 1911; scarf
(Dhs2,663) by Brioni;
bracelet (Dhs826)
by Tods; card case
(Dhs1,652) by Jean
Rousseau; beach
paddle (Dhs991-- for
the set) by Frescobol
Carioca.

SET DESIGN
BY PETER TRAN
FOR ART DEPARTMENT.

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

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111

WHAT IVE LEARNED

Don DeLillo

INTERVIEWED BY:
PAUL WILSON
PHOTOGRAPHY:
GETTY IMAGES

112

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WRITER, 79

Comic books were the only thing I read as a child. I didnt come from a family of people who had a reading
tradition, at least not in English. I lived in a very crowded house, but my Italian-American experience is not the
Italian-American experience you understand from films and television shows you may have seen. You may have
seen more of those than I have.
I like to imagine things, and do as little research as I can possibly manage to. I dont want to learn too much, I
want to be free to invent.
Routine used to seem compulsory, but it doesnt any more. I work mornings, always, but I dont necessarily
return again in the afternoon. My mind just isnt working the same way.
In the space of a day-and-a-half [in 1964], I knew I had to quit working in an ad agency. But I didnt quit to
become a writer, I quit to quit the job. Id saved some money and the rent for my apartment in New York then was
only $60 a month. I knew it was time. Writing fiction came later. When my first book was done [Americana in
1971], I knew I was a writer and that I would keep doing it somehow for as long as I could.
It is important to make decisions based on what you feel to be right. The landlord of my $60-a-month
apartment offered to eliminate my rent if I were willing to take out the garbage for everybody in the building. It
was actually an interesting proposal. But finally I turned him down because I would have to get up at six in the
morning and that did not fit in with my writing routine.
In the Sixties, when great European and Japanese movies began to appear in New York, they were a revelation
and may have had some kind of effect on my work, although I cant describe exactly how or what. I suppose it did
tend to help me think visually. Antonioni, Godard, Fellini, Kurosawa and Truffaut Im just rattling off names,
of course there are others those film-makers produced work that still lives, no doubt about it. I still go to the
movies, absolutely. Good movies Ive seen recently? Son of Saul was very impressive. It is powerful.
Getting older hasnt diminished my need or urge to write. I get maybe even more of a thrill from working with
words and constructing sentences because Ive come to understand that so much of this is sheer intuition. Sure, I
think about whether this process may not work for me someday, but I also have an idea for something new.
When I lived alone, back in the Sixties and early Seventies, all I cooked was bacon and eggs. That was finally
pointed out to me that it was pretty unhealthy. Im a terrible cook. I dont like to cook. I like to eat, but I just cant
cook. There you are maybe that is one of the reasons Ive been married for 40 years.
People tell me Ive had a best-selling book, but I honestly dont know the sales of any of my books. I never cared
about that. What I care about, and am happy about, is I was able to keep doing it, to write fiction. Thats the heart
of the entire matter, and this is another aspect of the feeling of sheer good luck I carry with me.
I havent seen any of the television dramas that people nowadays call novelistic. I just dont tend to lean in that
direction, I dont know why exactly. On television, I watch the news and sports and the occasional documentary.
The secret of being married for 40 years is you eat, drink and sleep. Were not looking for romance here, were
looking for survival. But I absolutely have enjoyed being married.
My characters dont speak for me, ever. So, when one of them says he can poke his finger through the thinness
of contemporary life, thats not me. Would I say that if directly questioned? I dont think life is necessarily thin.
Theres too much danger in the world to describe it as thin. I dont want to alert people to those dangers. I simply
want to write fiction. I wouldnt know how to alert people to anything at all, even if they needed to tie their shoe.
Theres no particular logic behind how I start writing. Every so often, I begin with only an image. With my new
book [Zero K], it was simply imagining a series of tall buildings clustered at the edge of a river. Thats all I had.
This did not survive to the finished book. But I think that once I felt the idea of a physical remoteness behind this
story, which that image gave me, I felt that there had to be something secretive going on, and thats where the idea
of cryogenics entered. After that, the crucial element was that some people would be not only willing but eager to
endure the cryogenic method, even though they are nowhere near death.
Most people see death as a problem, as something inevitable that they wish did not have to happen. I dont see
it that way. Writing a book about cryogenics has not made me want to choose that path, but I do think for many
people it represents a possible solution to the spectacle of dying, and it would be better than nothing.
Zero K (Picador) is out now

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

Don DeLillo is a
multi award-winning
American novelist,
playwright and essayist.
His works have covered
subjects as diverse as
television, nuclear war,
sports, the Cold War,
mathematics, and the
advent of the digital age.

Im a terrible cook. I like to eat, but I dont like to

cook. Its against my religion. Maybe thats one of
the reasons Ive been married for 40 years

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

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113

ESQUIRE ADVERTORIAL

Suit, Versace;shirt, Pal Zileri;

tie, belt, bothHugo Boss;
sunglasses, Emporio Armani;
shoes, Santoni; IWC Portugieser
Annual Calendar, price on request

SEDUCTION OF THE
H E A RT A N D M I N D
The Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coup invites you into a world of thrilling
design and modern luxury. This is a car with sportiness in its every fibre.
P H OTO G R A P H Y: E T H A N M A N N

A RT D I R ECT I O N : CAT E WA R D E

FAS H I O N & ST Y L I N G : C H LO E B OS H E R

114

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O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

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115

ESQUIRE ADVERTORIAL
Shirt, trousers, jacket, tie, allHugo
Boss; sunglasses, Persol;shoes,
Santoni; IWC Portugieser Perpetual
Calendar, price on request

116

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O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

A LU ST FO R L I F E
As the sportiest variant of the C-Class, the Coup
displays its driving enjoyment-oriented character in an
emotive and at the same time formally distinct design.
A sporty striking front section featuring diamond
radiator grille and long bonnet the new Coup is 60
millimetres longer than its predecessor between
the firewall and front axle.

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

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117

ESQUIRE ADVERTORIAL

118

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O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE:

Shirt, jacket, both Hugo Boss;
sunglasses, Emporio Armani; shoes,
Berluti; leather brief, Tumi;
IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar,
price on request

A B E AU T I F U L C O M PA N I O N
Athletic and sporty, the vivid,
sensuous design of the new
Coup cuts a fine figure on the
road, and embodies modern
luxury. At the same time,
its interior elevates beauty and
style to a sporty level.

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

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119

ESQUIRE ADVERTORIAL

Polo neck, Lanvin; lightweight bomber, shoes,

both Berluti; trousers,
Salvatore Ferragamo;
sunglasses, Versace;
IWC Portugieser Annual
Calendar, price on request

120

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O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

A D R I V E R S CA R
The C-Class Coup comes with a dynamically configured chassis, with
optional air suspension, that forms the basis for a high level of suspension
comfort, low road roar and tyre vibration, agile handling, and driving pleasure.
The lightweight construction helps reduce weight, while the excellent
aerodynamics and high-performance, efficient engines play their part.

LOCATION: FOUR SEASONS HOTEL DIFC / NATIONAL CEMENT CO., DUBAI

GROOMING: MELANIE MEYER AT ILLUMIN8 MAKEUP STUDIO
MODEL: TOMAS AT BAREFACE

Shirt, trousers both Hugo

Boss; bomber jacket,
Salvatore Ferragamo;
boots,Santoni; IWC
Portugieser Tourbillon
Mystre Rtrograde,
price on request

mercedesbenzme.com

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

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121

F
FAS
H I O N & ST Y L I N G

TED BAKER

A/W16

C H LO E B O S H E R

9.00:
THE
AGENT
WHITE SHIRT, Dhs465.
JACKET, Dhs2,035. TIE, Dhs285.
BURGUNDY TROUSERS, Dhs515

A RT D I R ECT I O N

CA
A T E WA
ARDE

AG E N T,
C O M M E N C E
T E D BA K E RS AU T U M N / W I N T E R WA R D RO B E W I L L E N SU R E
T H AT YO UR E D R E S S E D FO R E V E RY ASS I G N M E N T

P H OTO
O TO G R A P H Y

122

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O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

ETHAN MANN

ESQUIRE ADVERTORIAL

10.00:

THE

MISSION

SUIT JACKET, Dhs1,765. SUIT TROUSERS, Dhs715. BELT, Dhs235. SHOES, Dhs825. SHIRT, Dhs485

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

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123

ESQUIRE ADVERTORIAL

11.45:

THE

TARGET

SUIT JACKET, Dhs1,765. TROUSERS, Dhs515. SHIRT, Dhs415. SHOES, Dhs665

124

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O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

14.30:

THE

DROP

PRINTED PAISLEY SHIRT, Dhs465. GREY TROUSERS, Dhs765. GREY WAISTCOAT,

Dhs665. SHOES, Dhs665. SATCHEL, Dhs665. FEDORA, Dhs235. TIE, Dhs285

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

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125

ESQUIRE ADVERTORIAL

18.00:

THE

GETAWAY

TROUSERS, Dhs515. SHIRT, Dhs415. BOMBER JACKET, Dhs665. TRAINERS, Dhs415. HOLDALL, Dhs965

126

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O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST:

MELANIE MEYER AT ILLUMIN8
MAKEUP STUDIO
MODELS: FRANSISCO AT MMG
MODELS AND OLHA AT BAREFACE

NIGHT MODE

LOCATIONS:
THE FOUR SEASONS HOTEL, DIFC.
THE ASPEN CHALETS, KEMPINSKI
HOTEL, MALL OF THE EMIRATES.
AL SAHRA DESERT RESORT.

11.30:

THE

GIRL

THE AGENT: TEAL VELVET JACKET, Dhs2,035. DINNER SHIRT, Dhs665.

DINNER TROUSERS, Dhs715. SHOES, Dhs665
THE GIRL: ROSE SKIRT, Dhs1,015. TOP, Dhs815. BAG, Dhs1,175. SCARF, Dhs515

O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

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127

DIRECTORY / WHERE TO GET ALL YOUR STUFF

ABC
ACNE at Boutique1, mrporter.com
AGENT PROVOCATEUR +971 (0) 4 339 9570
AHMED SEDDIQI & SONS +971 ( 0) 4 339 8881
ARMANI +971 (0) 4 339 8121
ASCOTS & CHAPELS +971 (50) 458 3700
ASOS ASOS.COM
AVENUE AT ETIHAD TOWERS 800 384 4238
BALENCIAGA at Saks Fifth Avenue Dubai
+971 (0) 4 501 2700
BANANA REPUBLIC +971 (0) 4 339 8462
BAUME & MERCIER +971 (0) 4 339 8880
BIN HENDI +971 (0) 4 348 6361
BLANCPAIN +971 (0) 4 339 8304
BLOOMINGDALES DUBAI +971 (0) 4 350 5333
BOGGI +971 (0) 4 325 3422
BOUTIQUE 1 boutique1.com
BREGUET +971 (0) 4 339 8756
BULGARI +971 (0) 4 330 8834
BURBERRY +971 (0) 4 339 8357
BURJUMAN +971 (0) 4 352 0222
CALVIN KLEIN +971 (0) 4 340 3448
CARTIER +971 (0) 4 434 0434
CARVEN at mrporter.com
CHOPARD +971 (0) 4 339 8333
CHURCHS church-footwear.com
CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN +971 (0) 4 395 8530
CLARINS +971 (0) 4 434 0522
DEF
DEBENHAMS +971 (0) 4 339 9285
DIESEL +971 (0) 4 341 1395
DIOR HOMME +971 (0) 4 330 8739
DOLCE & GABBANA +971 (0) 4 341 0626
DSQUARED +971 (0) 4 339 8709
DUBAI MALL, THE +971 (0) 4 362 7500
DUNHILL +971 (0) 4 434 0403
FINS at Saks Fifth Avenue +971 (0) 4 501 2700
FRED PERRY +971 (0) 4 339 9358
GHI
GALERIES LAFAYETTE +971 (0) 4 339 9933
GARRARD +971 (0) 4 339 8386
GIORGIO ARMANI +971 (0) 4 330 0447
GIVENCHY +971 (0) 4 330 8282
GRENSON at Boutique 1 and mywardrobe.com
GUCCI +971 (0) 4 339 8712
HARRY WINSTON at Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons
HARVEY NICHOLS +971 (0) 4 409 8888
HAVAIANAS +971 (0) 50 358 2797
HERMS +971 (0) 4 330 8385
HOGAN +971 (0) 4 341 3144
IWC +971 (0) 4 339 8111
JKL
J.LINDEBERG at Boutique 1
JAMES JEANS asos.com
JAQUET DROZ +971 (0) 4 330 0455
JOHN LOBB +971 (0) 4 330 8244
KENZO +971 (0) 4 434 0472 and Saks Fifth Avenue
KIEHLS at Harvey Nichols
LACOSTE +971 (0) 4 339 8294
LANVIN +971 (0) 4 330 8008
LOGSDAIL +971 (0) 4 3233 148
LONGCHAMP +971 (0) 4 339 8460
LORO PIANA +971 (0) 4 330 0546
LOUIS VUITTON +971 (0) 4 330 8060

MNO
MALL OF THE EMIRATES +971 (0) 4 409 9000
MAN/AGE SPA +971 (0) 4 437 0868
MARC BY MARC JACOBS at Saks Fifth Avenue
MARC JACOBS at Saks Fifth Avenue
MARKS & SPENCER +971 (0) 4 339 8890
MARNI at Harvey Nichols
MARTIN MARGIELA at Saks Fifth Avenue
CITY CENTRE MIRDIF +971 800 6422
MISSONI Boutique 1
MONTBLANC +971 (0) 4 341 4451
MR.PORTER mrporter.com
MY WARDROBE mywardrobe.com
NEIL BARRETT at Harvey Nichols
NEXT +971 (0) 4 340 3898
OMEGA +971 (0) 4 339 830
PQR
PANERAI +971 (0) 4 339 8444
PARIS GALLERY +971 (0) 4 237 2222
PATEK PHILIPPE +971 (0) 4 339 8999
PAUL & SHARK +971 (0) 4 434 1412
PAUL SMITH +971 (0) 4 359 0099
PHILIPP PLEIN at +971 (0) 4 339 8262
PRADA +971 (0) 4 501 2870
PUMA +971 (0) 4 434 0204
RALPH LAUREN +971 (0) 4 330 8005
RAY-BAN at Al Jaber Optical and Yateem Opticians
REISS +971 (0) 4 341 0515
RIVER ISLAND +971 (0) 4 339 9685
RIVOLI +971 (0) 4 339 8496
RODIAL at Harvey Nichols
ROLEX +971 (0) 4 339 8000
ST
SAINT LAURENT BY HEDI SLIMANE
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DO

Like father, like

son Scott and
Clint Eastwood
photographed on
n
the Warner Bros.
lot in June.
On Scott: Sweaterr by
Louis Vuitton.
On Clint: Shirtt by
Louis Vuitton.
n

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UBLE TROUBLE

Think your old man

is a ball-buster?
Try being the son
of Clint Eastwood.
And then try
making a name for
yourself in the
family business.
As Clint and Scott
Eastwood went
head to-head at the
box office this past
summer, father
and son sat down
together for an
interview for the
first time.
BY

MICHAEL HAINEY
PHOTOGRAPHS BY

TERRY RICHARDSON

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A mess of gnawed-open peanut

shells litters the stoop of one of
the Spanish-style bungalows on
the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank,
California. Since 1975, this
bungalow, in the shadow of the
massive Soundstage 3, has been
the home of Clint Eastwoods
production company, and when
Eastwood and I walk up to the
front door, we both notice the
shells, bleaching in the hardwhite late-afternoon sun.

NG
I
S
S
I
M
C
PI

Those yours? I ask him.

Kind of, Eastwood tells me. Theres a squirrel around
here. I like to put peanuts out for him. Hes a nice guy. He
comes right into the office sometimes. The other day, I opened
the door and he was clinging on to it.
Eastwood is eighty-six now. But if you think hes devolved
into that old man on your block who walks around talking to
squirrels, youre dead wrong. Eastwood does not stop. Never
has. Twenty years after most guys would be in full-on coast
mode, Eastwood is still vital and vibrant, still pushing himself
creatively. The guy is an inspiration, a reminder that we
should always be evolving.
Most days youll find Eastwood here, at his office, doing
what he likes to do, what gives his life meaning: work. Or,
more accurately, creating. Over the past few weeks, he has
been holed up in one of the editing bays here, his six-footthree frame splayed out in an old brown Barcalounger,
working with his editor to finish Sully, the thirty-fifth film hes
directed in a career that stretches back to 1955. Sully, which
stars Tom Hanks as Captain Chesley Burnett Sullenberger,
the pilot who landed his disabled plane in the Hudson River
in 2009, is like many of Eastwoods films of late the story
of a man who takes action and does what is right but suffers
consequences at the hands of second-guessers.
Sully shares a September release date with another film
about a man who stands up for what he believes is right:
Snowden. Directed by Oliver Stone, it tells the story of Edward
Snowden and features Eastwoods son Scott as Snowdens
superior at the NSA. It is the biggest role to date for the
thirty-year-old. And lets be clear: Its not easy being Clints
son, let alone taking up the family business. And then theres
their fifty-six-year age difference. For much of his childhood,
Scott lived with his mother, Jacelyn Reeves, in Hawaii (Clint
fathered him out of wedlock), and the two men didnt spend
any real time together until Scott moved to California to live
with his father during high school. In the past few years,
however, they have grown closer, especially after Clint cast
Scott in a small part in Invictus. A few minutes after Clint
and I sit down in the study of his wood-panelled office,
underneath an old French-language movie poster for All Quiet
on the Western Front, Scott arrives.

ESQ: Your movies have similar themes. Sully stands up for his
principles against people who want to take him down. And
Snowden stands up for a different set of principles. This is a
time when we are looking for individuals with integrity.
CLINT EASTWOOD: Well, we have a great lack of it now.
Its a madhouse out there. You wonder, what the hell? I mean,
Sully should be running for president, not these people. Scotts
movie sounds fascinating. I want to see it because its about
deserting your country . . . for whatever reasons you have.
Snowden became famous for the wrong reasons, as Sully
became famous for doing something spectacular.
SCOTT EASTWOOD: Its an interesting time. My fathers
definitely old-school. And he raised me with integrity to be
places on time, show up, and work hard.
ESQ: Scott, when you were growing up, you didnt see a lot of
your father, right?

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Most peo
p
people
ple
intellectualise
intell
e ect
ec ual
ualise
e their
their
instincts away, Clint
Clint
says, bu
but
ut when you
feel something, you
have to go for it.
On Scott: Shirt
by Perry Ellis.
On Clint: Shirt by Louis
Vuitton.

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[My dad]
always told me,
Nobody knows
anything, so
dont listen
to anyone else
Jacket and
T-shirt by AG.

134

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O CTO B E R 2 0 1 6

SE: Yeah, I lived with my mom in Hawaii until I p***ed her

off. And then I came to live with my dad and p***ed him off.
[Laughs.]
ESQ: When you were a teenager and Clint was laying down the
law, did you think, This guy scares the hell out of me?
SE: Oh, yeah, sure.
CE: He was a pretty good kid. Not much of a problem. His
mother gave him a lot of values, because shes a good person.
SE: She was definitely a little more understanding. You get the
law laid down, you know, the ax. I look at it like weapons in my
war chest now. He made me hustle, and claw, and fight. Thats
all stuff you want. You want that drive.
ESQ: Scott, if you were going to play your father in a movie,
what would be the key to nailing his character?
SE: Well, I wouldnt have to speak that much.
[Scott and Clint laugh.]
CE: See how much you can do with so little.
SE: Yeah, right go through the script and cut all your lines.
CE: Keep your eyes open and your big mouth shut.
ESQ: Clint, when you were about to direct yourself in Play
Misty for Me, director Don Siegel told you, Dont short
yourself. You said it was advice you live by. Talk to me about
that.
CE: What he meant was when you are directing and starring
in a film, theres a temptation to spend more time on the other
actors performances, and then when you get to your own
work, you kind of go, Oh, yeah, well, lets cut that. And he
said, Take your time and make sure you do your work right.
Its especially good advice if youre going from one career to
another.
ESQ: You went from being an actor to running your own
business. You were essentially the guy who created that model
in Hollywood producing and directing your own material.
CE: Yeah, I was forty the first time I directed. I formed a
company in 1967, looking to the future. My dad taught me that
whatever you do, do it well. Be the best at what you can do for
that particular job in life. That always resonated with me.
ESQ: What advice do you give Scott when you direct him?
CE: Well, I havent done a major project with him yet. But Ill
probably be begging him for one soon enough.
SE: [Laughs.] Yeah, right.
CE: But he always came in and did a good job. And hes now
graduated to better roles, and the chicks are all calling and
asking where Scott is. They used to ask where I was. Now
theyre going, What about Scott?
SE: Ill take you out to the bar with me. Itll be fun.
ESQ: You could be the wingman, Clint. Thats a movie I would
watch.
CE: I could be the driver the Uber guy saying, I used to be
in films years ago. . . .
ESQ: A remake of Sunset Boulevard. You could be
the chauffeur.
CE: Yeah, right. Erich von Stroheim. My favourite
film. Have you ever seen it, Scott?
SE: I have.
ESQ: What do you love about that film?
CE: Two different styles: the style of the silentmovie actress, and then with William Holdens
character, someone more contemporary.

The two styles working so well together. And I always liked

Billy Wilder.
SE: What Ive discovered from working with my father is
that Im still learning. Im just a kid in this business. But film
is much more of a directors medium. And Ive seen from my
father transitioning into being a director, thats where the
power lies. And, like he says, its feast or famine for an actor. If
youre not creating your own material, then youre just fighting
for whatevers out there. I definitely have the desire to go to
the other side.
ESQ: Clint, if you were going to look at your life as material,
how would you describe the narrative?
CE: I dont look at my life too much. Im always looking
forward, not backward. A lot of times people get to a certain
age and they quit. I always felt sorry for the Frank Capras, the
Billy Wilders, directors like that, because they quit in their
sixties. Why would you quit? Think of the great work they
couldve done in their sixties, seventies, and on up. Ive been
lucky. Theres a saying that we use in golf: Id rather be lucky
than good. Of course, to be lucky and good is the ideal. If you
study hard, you can get good. And if you get lucky and get the
proper parts for people to be able to appreciate what youre
doing . . . Im sure there are many actors that are quite talented
who have never been a success because theyve never had the
right opportunity and the right material. My mother used to
think I had a guardian angel.
ESQ: How do you, Scott, stand next to your old man but
become your own man, forge your own identity?
SE: I just do what he does: Keep moving forward. You cant
look back or think about that kind of stuff too much. You just
keep making movies; hopefully you make some good ones.
Probably gonna make some bad ones along the way.
CE: Well, hes smart. Hes doing a lot of things, and you
learn on every picture. And thats one of the secrets: With
everything you do, learn something new about yourself.
SE: I remember something he told me early on. I dont
remember how old I was when you told me this, Dad. But you
said, As an actor, I never went back to my trailer. I always
hung out on set and learned. That stuck with me. Im on this
Fast and the Furious movie right now, and everyone goes back
to their trailer. I stick around and say, Why you are setting up
the shot like this? I want to learn.
ESQ: Keep your eyes open and your big mouth shut.
SE: Exactly.
CE: When I used to be a contract player in 1954 at Universal,
I wasnt getting good roles. I was getting one-liners, and then
Id be gone. But Id hang around; Id watch guys. And when
I had days off, which was most days, Id go down and watch
other sets while they were shooting. Watch Joan Crawford
or whomever. Just watch how they worked and how the

MY FATHERS DEFINITELY OLD-SCHOOL.

AND HE RAISED ME WITH INTEGRITY TO BE
PLACES ON TIME, SHOW UP, AND WORK HARD
S C OT T E A S T WO O D

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director handled them. I didnt know anything about making

movies, and theres a lot to learn.
ESQ: Clint, your father retired when he was sixty and died at
sixty-four. Does his death haunt you? Like, If I stop working,
I will drop?
CE: Maybe. A lot of people when they retire, they just expire.
It happens to men more than women. Women usually have
great interest in the family, because the familys always growing
and theyre always coming to the rescue.
SE: [Laughs.] Are you talking about my mom?
CE: For a man, once youve sired your pups, youre done.
ESQ: You won your first Oscar, for Unforgiven, at sixty-two
the time most guys would be shifting down.
CE: I put it in third gear at that point. That project was a
turning point, and I knew it when I read the story. I believe in
my gut. Most people intellectualise their instincts away, but
when you feel something, you have to go for it. A Fistful of
Dollars was a great instinct for me, because here I was, a guy
whos doing Rawhide. Im in the saddle every day playing a
screwball. And then somebody comes along and says, How
would you like to go to Italy and Spain and do an Italian/
Spanish/German co-production with an Italian director whos
only directed one movie? It wasnt like I was going there to
be with Fellini. But something was there, and I thought, Well,
I loved this story when it was told by Akira Kurosawa; maybe
this is a good idea. Thats an instinctive moment.
ESQ: Scott, do you think youve picked up any of Clints instincts?
SE: Ive tried to take every opportunity I can to learn from him.
I flew to Georgia to see him work on Sully. Every chance I get,

CE: Nobody knows diddly. They just think they do. And the
people that think they know the most know the least.
ESQ: Your characters have become touchstones in the
culture, whether its Reagan invoking Make my day or now
Trump . . . I swear hes even practiced your scowl.
CE: Maybe. But hes onto something, because secretly
everybodys getting tired of political correctness, kissing up.
Thats the kiss-ass generation were in right now. Were really
in a p**** generation. Everybodys walking on eggshells. We
see people accusing people of being racist and all kinds of stuff.
When I grew up, those things werent called racist. And then
when I did Gran Torino, even my associate said, This is a really
good script, but its politically incorrect. And I said, Good. Let
me read it tonight. The next morning, I came in and I threw it
on his desk and I said, Were starting this immediately.
ESQ: What is the p**** generation?
CE: All these people that say, Oh, you cant do that, and you
cant do this, and you cant say that. I guess its just the times.
ESQ: What do you think Trump is onto?
CE: What Trump is onto is hes just saying whats on his mind.
And sometimes its not so good. And sometimes its . . . I mean,
I can understand where hes coming from, but I dont always
agree with it.
ESQ: So youre not endorsing him?
CE: I havent endorsed anybody. I havent talked to Trump.
I havent talked to anybody. You know, hes a racist now
because hes talked about this judge. And yeah, its a dumb
thing to say. I mean, to predicate your opinion on the fact that
the guy was born to Mexican parents or something. Hes said a
lot of dumb things. So have all of
them. Both sides. But everybody
the press and everybodys
going, Oh, well, thats racist,
and theyre making a big hoodoo
out of it. Just f***ing get over it.
Its a sad time in history.
ESQ: What troubles you the
most?
CE: Were not really . . . what
C L I N T E A S T WO O D
troubles me is . . . I guess when
I did that silly thing at the
Im trying to be on set with him.
Republican convention, talking to the chair . . .
CE: Hes doing great. Hes on the right track.
ESQ: I didnt say it was silly.
SE: I think hes got a knack for picking good material.
CE: It was silly at the time, but I was standing backstage and
CE: You know it when you see it. But by the same token, you
Im hearing everybody say the same thing: Oh, this guys a
have to keep an open mind. Its so easy to get to a certain spot
great guy. Great, hes a great guy. Ive got to say something
and say, This is very comfortable. My agent begged me not to
more. And so Im listening to an old Neil Diamond thing and
do Every Which Way but Loose.
hes going, And no one heard at all / Not even the chair. And
SE: [Laughs.] That always cracks me up.
Im thinking, Thats Obama. He doesnt go to work. He doesnt
CE: And my lawyer begged me not to do it: This is a piece of
go down to Congress and make a deal. What the hells he doing
s***. Its not the kind of thing you do. And I said, Its not the
sitting in the White House? If I were in that job, Id get down
kind of thing that Ive been doing all these pictures where
there and make a deal. Sure, Congress are lazy b******s, but so
Im shooting people. I want something you can take your kids
what? Youre the top guy. Youre the president of the company.
to. I said, I like this character. I think its hip that the girl
Its your responsibility to make sure everybody does well. Its
dumps the guy and its not happy ever after. And the public
the same with every company in this country, whether its a
loved it. If you make a couple decisions where your instincts
two-man company or a two-hundred-man company. . . . And
worked well, why would you abandon them?
thats the p**** generation nobody wants to work.
SE: He always told me that. Nobody knows anything, so dont
ESQ: Youve campaigned for office. If you were going to write a
listen to anyone else.
stump speech for this election, what would you say?

WHEN I HAD DAYS OFF, ID GO DOWN AND WATCH OTHER

SETS WHILE THEY WERE SHOOTING JOAN CRAWFORD OR
WHOMEVER. JUST WATCH HOW THEY WORKED AND HOW
THE DIRECTOR HANDLED THEM

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[Scotts] doing better than I was

at his age, and thats the way it
should be, says Clint.
On Scott: Jacket and T-shirt by Burberry.
On Clint: Jacket and shirt by Burberry.

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Clint Eastwood on a
promotional visit to
London in the 1960s

CE: Knock it off. Knock everything off. All these people out
there rattling around the streets and stuff, s***. Theyre boring
everybody. Chesty Puller, a great Marine general, once said,
You can run me, and you can starve me, and you can beat me,
and you can kill me, but dont bore me. And thats exactly
whats happening now: Everybody is boring everybody. Its
boring to listen to all this s***. Its boring to listen to these
candidates.
ESQ: What would you like to see change?
CE: Id say get to work and start being more understanding
of everybody instead of calling everybody names, start
being more understanding. But get in there and get it done.
Kick ass and take names. And this may be my dad talking,
but dont spend what you dont have. Thats why were in the
position we are in right now. Thats why people are saying,
Why should I work? Ill get something for nothing, maybe.
And going around and talking about going to college for free.
I didnt go to college for free. I mean, it was cheap, because
I went to L. A. City College it wasnt like going to a major
university. But it was okay. And then, you know, I didnt
finish, because I decided to become an actor, ruin my whole
life. [Everyone laughs.]
ESQ: What do you think of Hillary?
CE: What about her? I mean, its a tough voice to listen to for
four years. It could be a tough one. If shes just gonna follow
what weve been doing, then I wouldnt be for her.

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ESQ: But if the choice is between her and Donald Trump, what
do you do?
CE: Thats a tough one, isnt it? Id have to go for Trump . . . you
know, cause shes declared that shes gonna follow in Obamas
footsteps. Theres been just too much funny business on both
sides of the aisle. Shes made a lot of dough out of being a
politician. I gave up dough to be a politician. Im sure that
Ronald Reagan gave up dough to be a politician.
ESQ: Scott, you would never go into politics, would you?
SE: Id leave that for the birds. [Laughs.]
CE: When I harken back to my dad, I remember we left
Redding and drove down here so he could get a job as a gas
jockey at a Standard Station on the corner of PCH and Sunset
Boulevard. But you travel five hundred miles, bring your family,
rip up everything, and do that because thats the only job that
existed. So I think, What would happen if hed have said, Oh,
I cant do that? Well, wed have been begging for sandwiches
at somebodys backdoor. Which is, I remember, one of the most
affecting things that ever happened in my life. I was a little kid,
five years old, and a guy comes to the back of our house and
says to my mother, Theres a bunch of wood in the back. Could
I chop that up for you, maam? And my mother says, We
dont have money. And he says, I dont want any money. Just
a sandwich.
[Clint goes silent; his eyes well up.]
ESQ: Does that memory haunt you?

CE: It haunts me when I think of all the a**holes out there who
are complaining. I saw people who really had it bad. There was
no welfare to catch, to fill the bill there. The guy just wanted a
sandwich. Hopefully later on he got a job somewhere. He was a
guy trying to exist, and thats the way people were then.
ESQ: You got a little choked up just now.
CE: Its a strange vision, when you see desperation like that. It
was for a kid I guess I became a kid for a moment. You know,
when somebody says, I dont want anything. I just want the
bare necessities to exist.
ESQ: Do you find yourself dreaming about your father?
CE: Occasionally I do. I always regretted not asking him to
play golf more often or do something, you know, hang out
somewhere.
ESQ: Was it hard being away from Scott when he was growing
up in Hawaii?
CE: Yeah. I didnt get a chance to see him because I had a hot
career going.
SE: He was gone; he was doing his thing. But he was there, too,
you know.
ESQ: Clint, do you still describe yourself as a libertarian?
CE: I dont know what I am. Im a little of everything.
ESQ: Politically, youre the Anti-P**** party?
SE: Thats right. No candy-a**es.
CE: Yeah, Im antithe p**** generation.
Not to be confused with p****.
SE: All of us are pro-p****.
ESQ: Does Clint Eastwood still have a
pickup line?
CE: You mean like Come here often?
Are you new in town? Fool around on
the first date?
SE: Ill be sure to use that last one.
CE: I dont have any great pickup lines. I was never an
extrovert, so I always had to have someone meet me halfway.
If she was interested, wed come together, and if not . . . When
I became a movie actor and became well-known, it took care
of itself. Maybe thats why I became an actor. Ive always
told Scott the same thing: Dont rush into anything, because
theres gonna be a lot of fish in the sea. You can be one of the
people thats lucky enough not to become a loser two and
three and four times over like people do, just by being a little
more patient.
ESQ: Collecting wives is an expensive hobby.
CE: Yeah, cut out the middleman. Just find somebody you hate
and buy em a house.
SE: I gotta write that down.
CE: When you call your lawyer and you tell em, you know,
Im gonna get married to this girl and theres a long pause on
the other end of the line, you know damn well theyre thinking,
How are we gonna set this up, and then how are we gonna
dissolve this?
ESQ: Do you guys get competitive with each other?
CE: I dont think Im competitive. Im happy to see him do
well. Im happy that hes working. Hes doing better than I was
at his age, and thats the way it should be.
SE: I couldnt be more proud of him. I couldnt be more
inspired by the films he makes. His movies are the kinds of
movies that I want to be in. Im just a pawn in getting to work

with these great directors. Im just trying to be in more of those

types of movies.
CE: I never figured anything I made was ever gonna be a hit.
By the time youre through with it, youre going, Oh, nobody
wants to see this. And that goes for even the ones that were
pivotal in my life, like Unforgiven and The Outlaw Josey Wales
and Million Dollar Baby. They seemed good, but by the time
youre finished with them, you go, Oh, nobodys ever gonna
wanna see this. Because youve lived with it too long. I dont
know if anybody is going to want to see Sully, but I dont care.
Im making it and thats it.
ESQ: Does anyone want you two to do a film together?
SE: I do!
CE: People call up and say, Theres a good role for your son in
there, too. And Ill say, Well, thats fine, but lets see what the
main thing is first.
SE: Well, Dad, they used to say to me forever, Hey, theres a
great role for you in this film if you could just get your dad to
say yes to the other role. Jeez, guys, come on.
ESQ: How do you deal with failure?
CE: Pay attention to the work you want to do and everythingll
work out fine. If youre in it for the ego, you might be successful
but at a limited level.

I USED TO LIVE CLOSE ENOUGH TO MY FATHER THAT

I COULDVE DROPPED IN A LOT MORE. I NEVER DID
AND I WAS ALWAYS BUSY, DOING ALL THE FILMS
C L I N T E A S T WO O D
[AT this point, Scott announces that he has to leave for a
screening of the new Dwayne Johnson movie. He and Clint hug
and say goodbye.]
CE: You always wonder if you couldve done more. You couldve
spent a little more time with him, a little more attention. I had
that regret when my dad died. Because it was sudden. I didnt
know; it wasnt like he had an ailment or something. I used to
live close enough to him that I couldve dropped in a lot more.
I never did and I was busy, always busy, doing all the films. My
mom lived to be ninety-seven, so I compensated and I spent a
lot of time with her after he went.
ESQ: How do you stay vital? Youre eighty-six but still making
great work.
CE: Yeah, youre as young as you feel. As young as you want to
be. Theres an old saying I heard from a friend of mine. People
ask him, Why do you look so good at your age? Hell say,
Because I never let the old man in. And theres truth to that.
Its in your mind, how far you let him come in.
ESQ: Have you ever let the old man in?
CE: No.
ESQ: Never?
CE: No. He aint out there.
ESQ: You dont even hear him in the middle of the night,
knocking on the door?
CE: Once in a while, you get up and youve got a crick in your
back and you go, [moans]. But you shake it away and you walk
it off.

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I M AG E : G E T T Y I M AG E S / B R U C E DAV I D S O N

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S T O R M

C H A S E R S

On the hunt for tornadoes in the American Midwest

STORY BY TOM PAT TINSON

PHOTOS BY SANDY HUFFAKER

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HE SKY LOWERS LIKE A BLACK

CURTAIN all around us, as jagged spikes
of lightning encircle the car. Directly above
us, one of the more vicious-looking clouds
begins to swirl. Sitting beside me in the
suddenly not-so-safe environs of our car,
Tornado Tim, gazes through the splats of
water thudding onto the windscreen, his eyes
widening with a rush of adrenaline. I reckon
weve got ourselves a twister, he declares excitedly. I know from
what he has already told me that this mighty weather system
could unleash the power equivalent to that of a nuclear explosion
if it touches down close to us, so I bury the cars throttle and we
head east away from the maelstrom fast.
Tim Baker has built a reputation based on 20 years of
dedication to the insanely dangerous business of storm chasing.
Tornadoes are more common in the United States than in any
other country. Stretching from North Texas to Canada, and
centred on Oklahoma, Kansas and northern Texas, Tornado
Alley is particularly prone to outbreaks, as is Dixie Alley in the
southern United States.
Ive joined him on his latest hunt, taking us from Colorado to
the American Midwest in search of the next big twister, and there
isnt a better man for the job. Baker is the ideal mix of focussed
professionalism he has an uncanny ability to read the sky and
interpret the arcane data using a range of weather models on
his laptop along with bounce-on-your-feet enthusiasm for the
task at hand. He says he has always been a thrill-seeker, but it
was after a large tornado outbreak where he lived that he started
asking questions. He found out there were people who chased
the storms, photographing them and predicting the location
of tornadoes before they were even created. I found this so
intriguing; I had to know more, he recounts.
After doing some research about storm chasing and severe
weather, Baker tried to see if he could do the same. Once he
started trying to chase tornadoes, and then actually intercepted
one, he was hooked. Fascinated by the scientific side of storm
chasing, he read every tornado book he could find. I became
obsessed with understanding and predicting tornado events and
that helped me become better at chasing them down.
This knowledge enables him to explain how the centre of the
US is prime tornado territory. Before we set out on our mission, he
explains the factors that contribute to the regions unique status.
For starters, the landscape is characterised by flat plains and lack
of surrounding mountain ranges to act as wind breaks. And into
this mix comes the rich moisture from the Gulf of Mexico to the

south, which meets the cold air coming in from the north.
The exact reason for a tornado forming is not fully understood,
but lighter warm air creates an updraft, clashing with different
winds as it rises. If the updraft collides with strong wind it might
have sufficient energy to cause it to rotate like a spinning top.
This would be similar to rolling a pencil between your palms,
moving your hands in opposite directions, explains Baker. The
storm then begins to show visible rotation, often forming a wall
cloud. Its these spinning winds inside the storm that become a
tornado, and the results can be deadly. Among the 1,200 tornadoes
that strike every year, 2011s super outbreak killed around 350
people. The tornado that hit Oklahoma on May 20 2013 released
600 times the energy of the Hiroshima bomb in just 40 minutes.
These statistics are a testament to the awesome combination of
weather systems and topography.

EARLY MORNING ON THE DAY OF THE EXPECTED

STORM , we head east from Des Moines, Iowa, towards
Davenport, which sits by the Mississippi River on the border
between Illinois and Iowa. We settle into a loping cruise for just
short of three hours along highway 80 while Baker furrows his
brow over his laptop. Upon reaching Davenport we relax over
a burger and fries while Baker continues to unpack the Storm
Prediction Center (SPC) data. Gazing out at what seems like
a perfect summer afternoon, Im struggling to imagine where,
exactly, the maelstrom Baker anticipates might come from. And
then, suddenly, he starts yelling, jumping to his feet and pointing
at what seem like innocuous small clouds on the horizon. There
it is! he practically screams, That is the beginning! Weve got
our storm! Its time to start chasing.
The car were using in our hunt is a Jaguar XF all-wheeldrive, which Baker says, surprisingly, is the ideal tool for the
task. People are so surprised at the car I usually use to track
storms. Its not an SUV or pickup truck, which so many people
think are the vehicles to use. I like sports sedans because theyre
low-profile builds, so theyre ideal in high winds. I want a car
that will stay on the road even in 150kph side winds. You get
these tall pickups and they just start sliding towards the ditch in
those conditions, especially on muddy roads. I just keep going
aerodynamics are really important in high winds.
The car is also equipped with a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, which
is crucial for Tims tornado hunting. In the early stages, were
monitoring the governments SPC data, which gives an indication
of where a weather system is heading. Using that information,
Baker calculates where we might need to be in order to intercept
a big event. What hes looking for is a supercell. Thats a

Riders of the storm:

tracking a twister in
the Jaguar XF

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precursor to a tornado: a thunderstorm

that grows to the point that it becomes a
mesocyclone and begins to spin.
We leap back into the Jag and go
haring off down minor Midwest farm
roads amid Field of Dreams cornfields,
rippling green against a perfect blue
sky. The film analogy feels appropriate
because were following Tims
inspiration, his gut feeling. Its not a satnav co-ordinate or a government-issued
position the official predictions are
only a vague idea of where and when
were guided by his intuition and
20-years experience.
Once a storm kicks off, Baker reverts
to tracking it on radar, which gives
him a more accurate picture of whats
actually happening. This allows him to
much more precisely judge where we
need to be. Im pulling the data live
right onto my computer, he explains as
I drive. This gives me a Doppler radar
image, which puts a GPS marker on the
car and allows me to literally see where
the storm rotation is on the radar map.
Then I navigate my dot without even
having to look out my window. Using that
technique we can put the car precisely
next to where the tornados going to
come down.
Baker quickly zones in on a location
a few miles away where we can race ahead and intercept three
potential tornadoes. This means driving east towards the town
of Atkinson. Were using much of the performance that the
supercharged V6 Jag can deliver, and after a long, hard run we
stop to survey. In what seems like such a short span of time,
weve gone from clear blue summer afternoon to a glowering,
oppressive gloom with bustling clouds and then, suddenly,
terrifying spikes of lightning all around. Get in the car, now!
shouts Tim.
We make for the intercept point and chaos descends. I have
never felt rain so hard; it sounds like the car is being showered
with marbles and the wipers cant keep up with the deluge.
We pull over as a black, swirling storm system looks like its
about to put down a funnel (a tornado doesnt properly form until
its funnel touches the ground) but it moves on in a furious wind,
so we dive back into the Jag and head out to another intercept
point. Its as though Steven Spielberg has choreographed
the perfect storm. Farmhouses look like small toys under the
enormity of a black, roiling, lowering sky. The wind is savage, and
lightning stabs at the ground in thick, jagged shafts.
Were travelling as fast as I dare in the sheeting rain when
Baker says, look up. We gaze up through the Jags panoramic
sunroof to see a circular swirl of rain and cloud. We are, Baker
announces, right under a tornado, although thankfully not one
that has touched down, yet.
A few seconds later, our phones vibrate and squawk with
a text message from the National Weather Service that says
EMERGENCY ALERT. TORNADO WARNING IN THIS AREA. TAKE SHELTER
NOW. I put my foot down and when the tarmac turns to rain-

saturated gravel, Im grateful for the all-wheel-drive as the Jag

[Above] A resident searches

through debris left by the 2013
tornado that hit Oklahoma,
killing 24 people. [Below]
Tim Baker surveys the wreckage
of a storm he has chased.

struggles momentarily for traction. We vote not to get out of the

car again and head for the safety of Princeton, Iowa. We make it
there after a wild ride, relieved and in dire need of a cold one.

THE FOLLOWING DAY, we realise that the storm centre we

snuck beneath was just getting warmed up. It hit Pontiac, Illinois
later that night, and it hit hard. A building has been flattened
by the tornado, gas station awnings are bent flat as though
suspended on rubber rather than their two-foot thick steel bases.
Wooden boards pierce car windshields and a tanker truck has
been tossed into the air like a childs toy. Anyone on the ground
here last night would have been in big trouble, so a large part of
me is grateful for Bakers number-one rule: dont chase tornadoes
after dark because its too hard to tell what theyll do next.
When Baker learns of the damage, he issues a warning to
would-be amateur chasers: This is a very dangerous sport and
people have died. There are too many people who see me out
chasing I get recognised from the Tornado Road reality TV
show I was in and start following me. Thats so stupid because
I push it right to the edge, where sometimes Ive got four seconds
to move before disaster strikes. So if somebody is following me, if
they dont know what theyre doing, thats it. People have no idea
how difficult it is to navigate around a storm.
True. And if you ever find yourself having to get close to a
natural phenomenon with the power of a nuclear bomb, come
prepared ideally with a Tornado Tim in the seat beside you.
Tornado Tim can take up to two guests tornado chasing for $105
per person per day. Flights and accommodation not included.
Go to tornadotim.com for more information.

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Santorini I

IF ITS SUN, SEA AND SECLUSION

YOURE AFTER, LOOK NO FURTHER
THAN THE GREEK ISLAND OF
SANTORINI FOR YOUR NEXT ESCAPE
BY K AT H RY N C L A R K

H OW TO G E T T H E R E :
Emirates offers direct flights between
Dubai and Athens. Both Aegean Air and
Sky Express offer 45-minute connecting
flights between Athens and Thira on
Santorini. Alternatively, there are many
ferry companies that offer shuttle
transfers between the two ports.

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t was an explosion of apocalyptic proportions that gave

birth to one of Greeces most legendary islands. An
eruption 3,600 years ago, on the Greek island of Thera,
is one of the largest volcanic events ever recorded.
In addition to bringing about the end of the ancient
Minoan civilisation and initiating widespread climate change,
it caused the island to sink into the sea, leaving only the
glittering Caldera basin, framed by the old volcanos crescentshaped rim for future generations to stroll upon.
Make no mistake, a visit to Santorini is well worth an
elevated position on your bucket list. Here, black cliffs tumble
down into aquamarine waters, you can take a leap into the
sea from the foundations of an old cliff-side church, lazily
wander between sugar-cube buildings, and tuck into seafood
caught that morning, while admiring those unforgettable
Caldera views. For an island born from a violent act of nature,
Santorini does a remarkably good job of helping you unwind.
And here are some of the best ways to do it.

STAY

CHROMATA UP-STYLE
HOTEL
Santorini is legendary for the clusters of pretty white buildings
that cling to its black cliffs like icing on a birthday cake. One of
the best ways to enjoy this classic Santorini experience is to stay
at Chromata Up-Style Hotel, part of The Leading Hotels of the
World, which tumbles down, over and into these iconic precipices,
serving up holidays at the height of luxury. Offering absolute
privacy in the quieter village of Imerovigli, the master suite is
a glowing cave that offers open-plan living, a plunge pool and
sunloungers on a private veranda. Enjoy an unforgettable Greekstyle breakfast spread at tables clustered around the hotels infinity
pool with Caldera views, or sundown drinks at the fashionable bar.
If youre going to do Santorini, you might as well do it properly.
chromata-santorini.com; lhw.com

DO

TRIP

CLIFF JUMPING

NEA KAMENI AND THE

HOT SPRINGS

At some point, youre going to leave the comfort of

the sunlounger and infinity pool to take a dip into
the fresh, blue water of the Caldera. And seeing as
every holiday requires a dose of adventure, make
your way down the winding hill from Oia to the
port of Amoudi, resisting the urge to sit down
at a table at the Sunset Taverna (it will still be
there afterwards and will provide an excellent
lunch). Follow the cliff path to the left for about
three minutes along the rocky path and here you
will find likeminded fun-seekers dotted around
a jumble of black rocks. Their mission will be the
same as yours: to swim over to the little island
opposite the shore, climb the cliff to the precipice,
about four or five metres above the sparkly seas, take a
run-up and jump. Trust us, its worth it.
LIVE MUSIC

E AT

CASABLANCA SOUL

VOLCANO BLUE

Tucked away in the

lively heart of Fira, enjoy
some alfresco beats at
Casablanca Soul. This
classy lounge bar offers a
connoisseurs array of live
music every night of the
week, served up until the
early hours with handcrafted cocktails and
the coolest clientele on
the island.

Its quite obvious once you get

to Santorini that sunset dinners
are a thing on the island. Out
of the many fantastic dining
options, head to the busy
capital, Fira, and book a table at
Volcano Blue. This two-leveled
open-plan deck serves up some
of the finest, freshest seafood
alongside Santorini specialities,
a killer wine list and dramatic
sunset views.

casablancasoul.com

volcanoblue.gr

If youre done sunbathing,

shopping and lazing about,
one of the most interesting
things to do in Santorini is to
get on one of the boat tours
that shuttle between Firas old
port and the Caldera island
of Nea Kameni. After a quick
dip in the hot springs (which
arent really that hot), the
boat will deposit you on Nea
Kameni, where a 20-minute
walk will take you to the top of
a double-active volcano. See
the volcanic gases whispering
out of the shallow crater while
enjoying amazing views back
towards Santorini. Located off
the main square in Fira, Pelican
Travel can organise tickets.
info@mysantorini.com

ATHENS

While youll leave your tranquil Greek island adventure with a heavy heart, a day or two enjoying
Athens unique pleasures before heading back to reality is a must. To integrate more gently into urban life, instead of
staying in the sweltering and crowded downtown, book a room at the Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso, also part of
The Leading Hotels of the World. While its dcor might be a little dated, this substantial beach-side property boasts
one of the most famous spas in the entire country, two huge pools and a private beach. At the end of a long hot day
exploring the Acropolis and the pretty streets of Plaka, there is nothing better than slipping into the hotels perfect
saltwater pool before dining in their beachside restaurant, dreaming of the islands you left behind but to which youll
vow to return one day soon. divaniapollonhotel.com; lhw.com

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T H I S WAY O U T

WHY HAVE WE SENT A

PROBE TO JUPITER?
BY C H R I S A N D E RS O N

ast your mind

back to earlier
this summer,
and you may
remember a
news story about a Nasa
probe reaching Jupiter. The
craft was called Juno, and it
has been in a highly elliptical,
54-day orbit around Jupiter
since 4 July. Sometime
this month it will perform
an engine burn and shift
to a tighter 14-day orbit,
performing 37 circuits in
total before its mission ends
in February 2018.
For the next 20 months
scientists will pore over
the findings that Juno will
relay back to Earth, but this
is just the culmination of a
much longer story and one
that will cost a projected $1
billion. The probe launched
in August 2011, taking almost
five years to travel the 588
million kilometres to reach
the largest planet in our solar
system. Perhaps surprisingly
to some, this isnt uncharted
territory space probes
have been sent there before,
starting in 1973 with a quick
flyby from Pioneer 10 on its
way to Deep Space, while
others have taken photos
en route to other planets.
Galileo arrived at Jupiter in
1995, becoming the first to
orbit it, examining the planet
and its moons.
All of these previous
probes discovered something
noteworthy. The Pioneer
missions confirmed the

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presence of radiation fields,

while Galileo determined
the composition of the gas
surface and monitored wind
speeds. Though Juno cant
land, due to Jupiters lack of
a solid surface, the fact that
Jupiter is its sole focus and is
carrying the most advanced
equipment so far makes
scientists hopeful that there
will be more discoveries.
So what is it that Nasa
wants to learn that we dont
already know? Despite being
our largest neighbour, we
understand very little about
Jupiter one reason being
that its not the easiest object
to study. The fifth farthest
planet from the sun, its over
300 times the size of Earth,
with 67 known moons.
As with Saturn, Neptune,
As the biggest planet
in our vicinity, surely
Jupiter holds the
most clues about the
creation of our solar
system

and Uranus, Jupiter is made

up mainly of gas around
90 percent hydrogen and 10
percent helium. It also has
many layers of cloud, and
winds that can reach speeds
of up to 618kph. Its thought
to have a dense central core
a theory scientists hope
Juno will confirm and
its famous Great Red Spot,
located just south of its
equator, is known to be a
huge, continuous storm.

Everything looks
promising so far for further
revelations, with Juno
already delivering thousands
of new photos, including the
first ever of Jupiters north
pole. Its bluer in colour up
there than other parts of the
planet, and there are a lot of
storms, says Juno principal
investigator, Scott Bolton,
of the Southwest Research
Institute in San Antonio,
in a statement released
last month. Its hardly
recognisable as Jupiter.
Were seeing signs that
the clouds have shadows,
possibly indicating that they
are at a higher altitude than
other features.
Further objectives
include measuring the
abundance of water in the
atmosphere, to see if there
are any connections between
Jupiter and the formation
of the solar system; looking
for the planets core mass;
producing detailed maps
of its gravitational and
magnetic fields; and learning

more about the cloud

structure, its magnetic poles
and angular momentum.
Most of this work will
begin this month when the
new 14-day orbit kicks in,
and who knows what Juno
will discover? Surely the
biggest planet in our vicinity
holds the most clues to the
creation of our solar system
and is therefore worth
examining closely.
And if it does manage to
unlock such secrets, fittingly,
Juno will become at one
with its subject at some
point in February 2018 when
it de-orbits, falls into and
burns up into nothingness
in Jupiters atmosphere. The
Greek and Roman mythology
around the planet seems an
appropriate way to finish, as
Nasa explains on its website:
The mythical god Jupiter
drew a veil of clouds around
himself to hide his mischief,
but his wife, the goddess
Juno, was able to peer
through and see Jupiters
true nature.