Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2020 - Issue 69 i The Rake

I have to admit I got it wrong. When the outbreak of Covid-19 was first announced, I thought, in a cavalier way, that it would be limited to Asia, that it was primarily an issue that had affected China and was being contained there, and that people were being unnecessarily alarmist and even a little chickenshit about it. With unrestrained abandon I continued to indulge in my favourite group activities, from spin class to negroni swilling, ever confident that my seething pool of rage combined with high-intensity exercise — and fuelled by an endless supply of alcohol — would be enough to combat and kill any virus that might dare cross my path. I realise now how blithely stupid I was to perceive things this way. Even a week before…

One bright, balmy Hollywood morning in the mid 1930s, David Niven presented himself at Stage 29, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, for a screen test, “made up like a Piccadilly tart” and feeling ridiculous. When his turn came, he recited — “out of my panic” — an old schoolboy limerick featuring an old man of Leeds who swallowed a packet of seeds, with unfortunate foliage-bearing results for his nether regions. It wasn’t exactly a Hamlet soliloquy, but Hollywood had a vacancy for a stiff-upper-lipped Brit — the society hostess Elsa Maxwell had urged Niven westward, saying “nobody out there knows how to speak English, except Ronald Colman” — and a few weeks later, Niven was enrolled at Central Casting as “Anglo-Saxon Type No.2008”. It was a billing that Niven more than lived up to…

You don’t want to fight Greg Austin. Partly because he seems like a charming guy, with the irresistible energy of a young actor on the rise, but mostly because his parents were karate teachers and their only child got his black belt at 14. On the mean streets of early noughties Bournemouth, this martial prowess gave the teenaged Greg enough confidence to develop a passion for musical theatre. He was cast in the ITV drama Mr Selfridge straight out of drama school. A lead role in the Doctor Who spin-off Class followed, as well as smaller parts in staples like Endeavour and Being Human. Not bad for a 27-year-old. But 2020 is set to be a breakout year, thanks to his performance as the villainous Travis Leich in Amazon Prime’s…

Blancpain Villeret Quantième Perpétuel Were some bizarre, modern-day Labour of Hercules to involve setting up mankind’s Facebook profile, selecting ‘It’s complicated’ from the relationship status drop-down menu would barely do justice to our epochs-long affair with the Moon. A deity and a symbol of transience and rebirth to humanity for the vast majority of our time together, its magnetic pull on us literally and figuratively has lasted through rocky patches such as Renaissance astronomy, continued suspicion about its darker side, and even accusations of gaslighting — and yet we’re still writing it poetry. (India’s Chandrayaan-1 lunar craft of 2008 carried a verse from the Rig Veda, a collection of sacred texts. And possibly a mix tape.) So it’s no surprise the moonphase complication predates the cogs/gears/hands depiction of hours, minutes…

Of the many unlikely stories surrounding Peter Fleming, the least credible is that he is now most famous for inspiring his brother Ian. It seems certain that this adventurer, spy and bestselling author, a man with the mind of a scholar, the charm of an international playboy and the looks (and wife) of a matinee idol, was one of the chief models for Ian Fleming’s James Bond. But that, for all the glory it brings, is very far from the epitaph he deserves. The first of those unlikely stories, and the one that kickstarted his wildly eccentric career, came in April 1932, when, as a 25-year-old journalist, he saw an advertisement in The Times. “Exploring and sporting expedition,” it read, “under experienced guidance, leaving England June, to explore rivers Central…

As a little girl exploring the Hermès workshops in the 1960s, Pascale Mussard was forbidden from touching the works-in-progress on craftspeople’s desks. She had free rein, however, to play with anything discarded on the atelier floor. “I would pick up these pieces of material and wonder what they could be,” the great-great-great-granddaughter of founder Thierry Hermès told The Rake in 2013. “I think, looking back, the concept for petit h began as early as this.” Mussard spent most of her life working at the family firm, eventually launching the long-gestating sub-label in 2010. Crafting whimsical objects from leftover materials, abandoned components and imperfect products, petit h was established by Mussard as “a laboratory and a place of innovation” that bridged Hermès’ numerous métiers — “an atelier where we invite artists,…

BRIAN BOWEN SMITH Brian Bowen Smith was born and raised in New York, and he became a professional photographer by a less than traditional route. After catching the eye of Herb Ritts while performing as a pro athlete in a print campaign, the legendary photographer became a friend and mentor, helping Brian find his personal photographic style. Brian has been working steadily ever since, shooting for countless publications and commercial clients, as well as publishing two books and focusing heavily on his fine art photography. When Brian’s not shooting you will find him surfing, snowboarding or riding his motorcycle. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and young son. This is the first time Brian and The Rake have worked together, and he spent it with us in L.A.…

“James Bond and I have nothing in common. Both men are secret agents, but that’s as far as it goes.” So said Patrick McGoohan while playing the international spy John Drake in the successful British television series Danger Man (Secret Agent in the U.S.) from 1960 to 1968. McGoohan turned down the opportunity to play Bond in Dr. No after three approaches. As he once said to me, he considered Bond an anti-hero who could exist only on the basis of violence and promiscuous sex, with his ability limited to choosing a wine and wearing a suit well. So McGoohan found it easy to justify his refusal. “I just didn’t care to do it, and I have no regrets,” he said. It was quite a refreshing point of view. “I…

The story of one Bach begins with another. Catherine Bach, the hot-pantsed eye candy in the smash American series The Dukes of Hazzard, found herself at a swish party in London in the 1970s. At that point she was as big a sex symbol as all of the Charlie’s Angels combined (but minus Farrah) thanks to a pair of stratospheric pins, minuscule denim shorts, and a smile as broad as Venice Beach. She caught the eye of Barbara Broccoli, whose father, ‘Cubby’, produced the Bond films and was taking an increased role in the family business. When Barbara introduced herself, Bach thought she was pulling her leg and replied, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Cathy Carrot.” And so the search began for another actress to star opposite Roger Moore…

To paraphrase our founder’s description of Ralph Lauren: if Jeremy Hackett didn’t exist, Japan would have to invent him. Yes, Hackett is the quintessential English gentleman, but the Japanese have taken him into their hearts in the same way the Kastom people in Vanuatu have taken in Prince Philip. The deification is certainly justified. Jeremy looks like he’s been carved out of the Union flag, and has been a martinet for British elegance since he first established his eponymous brand in 1983. Jeremy worked on Savile Row when he first moved to London, in the 1970s, which was when he became besotted with the romance of bespoke tailoring and its ability to enhance the essence and identity of the wearer, a power that he wanted to harness in his own…

David Mason cuts a polished figure. When I meet with him on a rainy day in February, he is wearing a crisp navy mohair blazer and perfectly pressed charcoal flannels. He serves coffee on a silver tray and reclines into a leather armchair in his showroom in London’s Montagu Square. Mason, who is a longstanding champion of little-known British brands, has built his career by bringing sleeping giants back to life. In 2012 he bought and relaunched Anthony Sinclair, the tailoring house that dressed Sean Connery for his on-screen appearances as James Bond. He followed this success by relaunching an early 20th-century gem, Motoluxe, which is known for its sumptuous alpaca motoring coats, and he has just relaunched the British heritage eyewear brand Curry & Paxton. Next on the list…

As the train pulls noisily into the station, The Rake’s photographer Rikesh Chauhan and I can make out the figure of Guy Berryman in his Mercedes AMG, a vehicle altogether more futuristic and impressive. There is something charming about the sight of the bass guitarist of one of the world’s most successful bands — Coldplay — waiting to collect us. We are on the way to his house in the Cotswolds to discuss his passion for and profound knowledge of cars. Even though Guy is more famous as a musician and producer, he is a genuine connoisseur when it comes to cars, though music had to take the lead early in his life. When he met the other members of Coldplay — Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion —…

He’s a self-made man of the world, a savvy entrepreneur who has built from nothing a prosperous, multifarious global organisation. A darkly charming sophisticate, he commands unwavering loyalty from all who work for him and is respected by business partners as someone not to be crossed. With a take-no-prisoners approach, he’ll do whatever’s necessary to succeed. The above passage could describe any number of individuals featured on Forbes’ list of the world’s wealthiest people. What sets Ernst Stavro Blofeld apart from many (but sadly by no means all) of them is his willingness to sacrifice countless lives in pursuit of greater power and riches. That, and the fact that, fortunately for humanity, he is a fictional character. One of the greatest, most rakish imaginary villains of all time — alongside…