Vogue Hommes English Version 28

In 2012, to populate her Girl Gone Wild single, Madonna took her inspiration from George Michael’s cult Freedom! ’90 video, filmed years before by David Fincher, featuring the world’s most beautiful models lip–synching the words of the album’s top track, Listen Without Prejudice. In the Mert & Marcus Material Girl video, Cindy, Naomi, Christy, Tatjana and Linda were replaced by a top squad of male counterparts, including Simon Nessman, shot in the buff in sultry black and white. That’s all it took to set his credentials in stone, which is something of a rarity in the world of fashion. Born in Canada going on 30 years ago, Simon’s success has few comparisons: measuring 1m88, with an enviable physique, a pout like Salvador Dali’s Mae West Lips sofa, and a tumble…

It all began at a dinner for the editorial team to discuss the yet to be chosen theme for the issue of Vogue Hommes you are now holding. As ideas were batted around without any one being really convincing, the conversation suddenly gelled around the concept of “chic”. What does chic mean today? Who is chic? Who isn’t? Has cool done for chic? Can you be chic without looking old? Does anyone care about chic? What if chic were quite simply dead and buried? The discussion was spirited, even a tad rancorous, a sure sign that chic was worth devoting an entire issue to. Then there were the Spring/Summer runway shows and the musical chairs, especially at the top of flagships like Dior and Louis Vuitton, plus the tidal wave…

An award–winning rap phenomenon for more than twenty years, he has sold a hundred million albums, and picked up so many Grammys he doesn’t know where to put them. Jay–Z could quite honestly have approached his mature years by stepping back from it all, taking a break and a one–way ticket to Mustique. But there were still things he wanted to say and to do, especially in the company of his wife, the queen of RnB, Beyoncé, to hold on to first place on the world pop scene, with his cool, impassioned maestria and a raft of hits. Add to this, his fashion switches that are as flashy as they are effective, taking in baggies, caps worn backwards and an entire range of king–size T–shirts and baseball jerseys, diamond–studded caps,…

Shanghai, 18 July 2018. All eyes were on Massimo Dutti, whose Limited Edition collection, the brand's most exclusive line, was about to hit the runway. The show, in collaboration with China's Tmall platform, took place inside a former industrial building, now a vibrant arts centre overlooking the Bund. Contrasting influences of classicism and the avant–garde run throughout the collection, exactly as Shanghai mixes modern and traditional in a unique way. Silhouettes shift between innovation and tradition, surprises and timeless elegance. Wardrobe staples are reworked with an ultra–modern twist, inventing new lines for blazers, pleated trousers or half–belted coats. The collection also features a series of laidback pieces with a vintage, almost Romantic vibe, including new takes on knitwear and suede jackets worthy of any fictional hero. The ultimate wardrobe for…

THE TOP LOOKS THIS SEASON PERSONAL MESSAGE Bottega Veneta, the leather blockbuster bag in glove leather tagliatelli, has won more fun stripes. It is now possible to have your initials tattooed in a range of pop or more conventional colours. It is even possible to do likewise on all of Bottega Veneta bags, so why miss out? CULT RED Twenty years ago, Prada launched Linea Rossa, shrewdly leading the field in what would turn out be a fashion tidal wave in the noughties: the groundswell of sportswear references, technical fabrics and the pre–eminence of “cool” in the male wardrobe. Despite the massive popularity of the line, Prada subsequently put it to bed. Now the House has decided to cleverly resurrect it, with immaculate, functional tailoring, impeccable design, a welter of…

When Mustafa Dawood talks, it’s like opening a bottle of bubbly, his charcoal eyes fizzing the minute you turn to his dawning career as a catwalk model. Back from his Vogue Hommes shoot in Ibiza, he tells us, in a characteristic Indian lilt, that he had been ecstatic about being able to pose for the magazine on the island that had filled his dreams for so long. Born in Hyderabad, southern India, he had never travelled outside his home country until last February, but this was already the fifth time that he had answered Europe’s siren song. Amazingly, he had intended to pass up entering the 2017 edition of the Elite Model Look India competition, having already been knocked back twice, before being selected to represent India in the finals…