Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i Esquire Singapore

An esteemed colleague wrote about comfort zones in Esquire Endorses and I’d like to add to it, if I may (I mean, I will and I shall because as Deputy Editor, you tend to have the last word). Comfort zones are great. Fantastic. I’d love to curl up all foetal-like and be buffeted by safety. But there’s danger in being comfortable for an extended period. It becomes routine; muscle-memory-ed and before you know it, to even imagine that you can live a life more ordinary, or, at the very least, different, than yours is anathema. Perhaps, lately, I’ve been living in that relative calm. Security seems preferable to struggle and I remember my early days working in Los Angeles, poring over MacDonald’s Dollar Menu and stealing complimentary snacks from the…

You know a storied luxury brand is relevant when even its name has become part of Gen Z slang. Whether it’s ‘Gucci gang’ or simply ‘Gucci’—a term that runs along the lines of ‘good’, ‘great’ and ‘awesome’—there’s little wonder why it’s held its spot as the most popular luxury brand online in 2021 based on an annual study by Luxe Digital. There’s a lot of Gucci to love, and now, there’s a whole lot more. Under Alessandro Michele’s creative direction, Gucci has cemented a signature look and vibe that are instantly recognisable. It’s the excess of everything—embellishments, flora and fauna, rehashed classics, and in general, just a lot—that’s made even a single Gucci item stand out on its own. In recent years, Michele’s touch has gone from ready-to-wear and fashion…

Innovation has always been in Apple’s mission and vision. To no one’s surprise, the tech behemoth produces its own processor chip to power its flagship devices. Named M1, this debut chip replaces the Intel processor that Apple used previously. Touting many world firsts including being a chip built on using cutting-edge five-nanometre process technology, the M1 certainly boosts performance and efficiency in the Mac family and iPad Pro. Every refreshed Apple product definitely outperforms its predecessors. For instance, instead of using multiple chips for the CPU, I/O and security, they are now combined and integrated into a single SoC that features a unified memory architecture which brings together high-bandwidth, low-latency memory into a single pool within a custom package. This allows access of the same data without copying it between…

The more one examines the work of artistic director Kim Jones for Dior Men, it becomes quite a clear realisation that his interpretation of Christian Dior’s menswear is one that’s the truest embodiment of the Dior man now. While that may be a bold proclamation to make, Dior’s menswear division never really took off (at least, not in the way its womenswear did) when it was first launched by then-creative director Marc Bohan, until Hedi Slimane came in and shook things up in 2000. Slimane’s skinny cuts defined the look of menswear of the time and were peppered with his love for rock and roll. But at the same time, hardly a vision that, at a glance, one would have immediately connected to Christian Dior himself. Next on the roster,…

It’s strange that jerky doesn’t find more currency as a snack. It makes sense if you think about it; a good serving of protein portioned out into between-meals bite-sizes. Perhaps it’s all the processing and preservatives that disqualifies, which was why Andrew Lim, who’s an underwater photographer by trade and a serial snacker by habit, created his own. Lim’s drive to construct his own jerky came from the lack of healthy snack alternatives, combined with his dissatisfaction with the existing ones–leathery, shrivelled meats with a limited range of flavours; your teriyaki, black pepper and whathaveyous. After his handmade attempts surprised himself, he ran rounds of research and development to perfect the recipe. “Friends who came over to my place loved it and wanted to buy it,” he shares. “From there,…

Aside from its bespoke perfumes, Parisian haute perfumery Maison 21G’s customisation also extends to home scents. Which is great because now your home doesn’t need to smell like farts and depression… (oh wait, it’s just me?) From creating your candles to home sprays, your home can be further personalised with a scent you can call your own. Take the Reed Diffuser. Each set has a 200ml apothecary bottle filled with your scented composition and reeds; it lasts for approximately 12 to 16 weeks. You choose two scents (you can only choose up to two online and up to three when you’re in the store) from a spectrum of 36 perfume essences. To refine your choices, you’re asked questions ranging from where the diffusers are placed to what sort of mood…

Having been in the business for a good number of years, Sennheiser still has a thing or two to teach its peers in the industry. For one, how to deliver on the cutting edge of sound but without breaking the bank. The latest from Sennheiser is the CX Plus True Wireless Earbuds. With an IPX4 rating, the CX Plus is a step-up from the CX True Wireless Earbuds released earlier in the year. The ‘plus’ is the addition of several new features—some that were culled from the higher-tiered Momentum True Wireless 2 model. Unlike the previous model that offers “passive noise cancellation”, the CX Plus has active noise cancellation, which cuts down on background noise but its Transparent Hearing Mode allows how much external noise can be let in so…

The experiment was fun while it lasted, but now that the world is open again, there’s something, well, kinda tragic about your face looking like Grizzly Adams’s Chia Pet. Sorry, man. It’s time to start taking care of that beard. Fortunately, the process isn’t as intimidating as you might think. Just make like Adams and sharpen your knife, gaze at your reflection in the still waters of a mountain lake, and get to work. Or simply follow along with our instructions and wind up looking 272 percent better than a hermit who hangs out with bears all day. Your call. BEARD CARE 101 Whether you’re new to the beard game or just need a refresher, these are the basics. FOR GOD’S SAKE, WASH YOUR BEARD Think of a beard wash…

Recreating a familiar taste solely from remembrance seems far-fetched and success may vary. But it can yield unexpected yet positive results while attempting to execute it. The Dandy Collection founders, Michael Goodman and Rohit Roopchand of Neon Pigeon and Fat Prince fame, pay homage to India with a love letter that celebrates its exuberant culture. Drawing inspiration from experiences of the vibrant South Asian country that are etched in their memories, for the duo it’s all about the connection. For instance, Roopchand has ties to his birthplace in Mumbai and it is through an imagined whimsical kaleidoscope that reveals the many facets that Firangi Superstar takes on Indian cuisine. Head chef Thiru Gunasakaran helms the restaurant. Formerly from Spago by Wolfgang Puck, the Malaysian native applies that innovative conviction to…

It’s always fascinating listening to someone who can sing acoustic or a cappella right in front of you. I don’t mean your decently above tone-deaf peers belting out at the karaoke (once upon a time). I mean actual singers performing without all the bells and whistles. Shak’thiya Subramaniamm, or simply Shak, is in his element strumming the guitar while singing and getting his photos taken. I’ve heard him sing on social media and in 2018’s National Day song. Yet as he vocalises his rendition of ‘Wonderwall’ (switching out to ‘Creep’ right before the famous chorus, a ploy he uses to subvert the overly requested song at bar gigs), everyone looks up as his voice reverberates the room. The quality seems levels above the videos I’ve seen, which is a gap…

All it took was a rumour (or a cleverly orchestrated ‘leak’) and the Internet was abuzz a few days before Gucci premiered its Gucci Aria collection just this April. Articles with headlines along the lines of ‘Gucci and Balenciaga to collaborate’ made the rounds across social media and search terms grouping both houses surged on Google. It was a big deal because there had been no precedent for two luxury fashion houses of their statures ever existing in the same collection. Rumours in the fashion circuit hardly have no legs too—especially when it comes to collaborations. So it was pretty much a done deal and all was left to do was to wait for the first sign of confirmation that the rumours were indeed true. Anyone who stayed glued to…

ESQUIRE: I remembered the two of you acting in a skit on The BenZi Project2. Was that the first time y’all worked together? BENJAMIN KHENG: Annette and I were friends before The BenZi Project. We needed this energy and she had it. I remember asking Hirzi [Zilkiflie]—I think he hasn’t watched any of Annette’s stuff at the time—”hey man, I really want this girl, Annette, for this episode, I’m directing.” And he said, “uh, I Annette-thing [anything]”. ANNETTE: He made a pun on my name. BENJAMIN: He watched her stuff and became a big fan. He’s like, “oh my gosh I can’t believe I’ve never seen her before”. That was it. Yeah, so it was a really fun episode to shoot. ESQ: Is the process different between The BenZi Project…

There is only one way to keep tradition alive, and that is to keep practising it. It’s one of the few precious things in life technology has not easily displaced. Not yet anyway. Meanwhile, Patek Philippe is doing everything it can to keep the flame of its own traditions burning bright the best way it knows how—by perpetuating those time-honoured skills in its contemporary timepieces. Each year, the manufacture hand-picks a selection of different models from the current collection for its artisan studios. Combining technical excellence with rare métiers d’arts, these pieces become true masterpieces in every sense of the word. Patek Philippe has always regarded its timepieces as works of artistic and mechanical perfection, and nowhere is this felt more palpably than in the Rare Handcrafts collection. A cavalcade…

The fashion industry’s relationship with sustainability and its push for more environmentally friendly practices is one that’s often taken with a pinch of salt. While there have been significant strides made across the board, being a commercialised industry—one that undoubtedly focuses on sales and profits—the idea that a brand can exist, cater to (hopefully) successive demand, and at the same time do so in an environmentally conscious manner is quite a pipe dream. There’s simply no easy win-win situation. In the most simplified economic terms, supply-and-demand dictates that as demand for a fashion item grows, more resources are needed to produce it. Even with environmentally conscious practices put into place, most times, natural resources are still being used albeit in a reduced manner. And the more we learn about supposedly…

If Penhaligon’s is a relative, it would be the cousin who always leads with, “so as a doctor…” That’s not a bad thing, mind you. It’s just that when you’re in the orbit of one of London’s oldest perfumeries and the royal perfumer to Queen Victoria, it’s only natural you know what it is you’re getting involved with. But now the focus is on a series of hand creams—that’s right, hand creams from a brand known for its perfume—still stay thy judgement and lend an ear, these hand creams still carry that signature Penhaligon’s scent. With three in the collection—Luna, Quercus and The Favourite—each 75ml tube possesses the ingredients that soften and moisturise dry skin; taming it from the hell horse of itchiness and inflammation. What is of import are…

YOU CAN BE a great singer, have great songs, be a great performer—and it still might not happen. I GRADUATED SECOND in my high school class. I was in prelaw in college. And then I discovered playing guitar. I finally had to make a phone call to my mum and say, “I’m going to drop out of college, sell everything I have, and move to Nashville.” I said that wincing, expecting a rebuke, but got “If you don’t do it, you’ll always regret it”. MY OLDEST DAUGHTER wanted to move to LA. It was tough. But I was 18 or 19 wanting to move to Nashville. How can I say, “Well, I did it, but you can’t”? BLIND FAITH IS not true faith. Asking questions and constantly dissecting faith—and still…

We’re just going to say this upfront—it’s a pity having Ted Charles for Health Club. Sure, the guy can bust out a mean hollow back* on almost any given surface and looks like he came out of the womb walking on his hands, but there’s a lot more outside the physical ballpark that he can do too. But hey, protocol first. Let’s get into the whole handstanding shebang you see on his Instagram account. Well, one of them anyway. “I haven’t really done a proper inversion class per se,” the 33-year-old Australian considers. “Only one intensive workshop in Thailand by French hand balancer and circus performer Yuval Ayalon back in 2019.” If that sounds like going from zero to hundred, well, it kind of was. Charles had dabbled in yoga…

Regressing to a past life finds Pedro Alonso filling the sandals of Filipo, an ancient Roman warrior. In an autobiography unlike most others, the actor—I’m referring, of course, to Alonso’s present-day proceedings—details a journey towards spiritual liberation; how encounters with a rebel leader (think Neo from The Matrix) open young Filipo’s eyes to a hidden truth and a troubling trade-off: to serve the system or to serve his principles. For a man robbing the Royal Mint of Spain, this soldier’s dilemma is easily answered. After all, the desire to illegally print billions of euros doesn’t betray much love for the system. In Money Heist, Alonso plays Berlin—a character driven by a strict code of duty. So committed to the plan, in fact, that he opts to stave off a SWAT…

How boring would it be if we, like the rest of the world, told you to step out of them? There’s an undeniable prevalent notion that these boundaries of familiarity are negative; a self-imposed time-out corner. Let’s break it down linguistically: ‘comfort’ has never had adverse connotations, but ‘zone’ implies limitation. Together, the dictated consequence—an eternal doom of passivity. And should we end up nowhere, is life even worth living? We’ll reign in the melodrama, but that is essentially the pressure one takes on to avoid such dire fate. We are constantly bombarded with habits to change and aspects of life to improve; as if we’re living incorrigibly. We’re not saying we can’t better ourselves; it just has to be from an innate desire as opposed to an external compulsion.…