Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2022 - Issue 81 i The Rake

On May 10, 1982, Duran Duran released their second album. The thrusting, Thatcherite eighties had barely got going, but Rio already seemed the decade’s aspirational apogee. There was the title, with its whiff of sun-kissed exotica. There was the vivid purple cover, with its study of a slinky siren by the Playboy illustrator Patrick Nagel. And there were the songs, from the title track’s lush carnival hedonism to Hungry Like the Wolf’s unabashed I-want-it-all covetousness. It spawned three monster hit singles and went double platinum in the U.S., making Duran Duran the spearhead of what was swiftly branded the ‘second British invasion’. They had legions of devoted fans, known as Durannies. They had the world at their feet. And yet the press was resolutely unmoved. “Anglodisco at its most solemnly…

From diplomat to butler to a stint in the circus, Henrik Hjerl has lived a life full of adventure and spontaneity. His travels have taken him to 194 countries, and he once spent 52 days on a deserted island. Now, Hjerl spends his days teaching A-listers etiquette, form and style. One thing is certain: he has an innate eye for detail. He describes his sense of style as classical with a twist. “You are not overdressed — it’s the rest of the world that is underdressed!” he says. “Tailoring was introduced to me by my father. Growing up on an estate, it was expected that one be dressed for dinner and wear a tie. My sartorial background goes back generations, which apparently makes my opinions and thus any advice more…

Richard Lange Minute Repeater The joy of A. Lange & Söhne is that production is so small (in the low thousands per year), they are still something of an insider’s choice. The build quality in the hand is obvious, and the finishing is unparalleled. Looking for the definition of Lange wrapped up in a single watch? You may well have found it here. The all-new Richard Lange Minute Repeater is everything one would expect from Lange, including that most slippery of concepts that might be summed up in the phrase ‘stealth wealth’. On the dial side, it gives nothing away. Just the wildly elegant, restrained, elongated Roman numerals, three-part enamel finish, and running seconds at six o’clock. The giveaway? The minute repeater slide on the left flank of the 39mm…

Rudyard Kipling said that, “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten”. Thank God, then, for Ralph Lauren, who has, in more than half a century, proved himself the master storyteller of our time, a man whose sartorial tapestry has broadened our capacity to connect with America’s history and cultures. As our Founder, Wei Koh, said in Very Ralph, the HBO documentary on Lauren, “He finds beauty in every aspect of American culture, whether it be Native American, whether it be cowboy or Ivy League culture — he finds a nobility in each of them. Ralph Lauren democratised the whole idea of what was stylish, and that’s the story of America.” This democratisation means no one can be left behind. The latest exploration of…

If I’m being honest — as you always should be in matters as serious as relaxation — there aren’t as many options for the luxurious shelter seeker in Los Angeles as you might think. There are lots of hotels, sure (an almost insane amount, actually, until you remember that L.A. is more like several cities in one). But places where you want to stay? Beds you want to lie in? Amenities you want to use? Neighbourhoods in which you want to stroll — and that won’t keep you caught in traffic when you’re trying to get where you need to go? In reality there’s only a few. And of those happy few, let’s be clear, many have seen better days, days they’ll happily tell you about while charging you an…

When I was at school I was a keen dramatist. So keen, in fact, that I went on to do a degree in drama. I loved acting in school plays, and while The Crucible was my magnum opus (cf. our previous issue), the first lead role I picked up was Orsino in Twelfth Night. I was dressed in silver and gold and really hammed it up, probably too much (there is a video of it somewhere). Anyway, even after all these years, I still remember the opening soliloquy, which starts with the famous line, “If music be the food of love, play on”. In those days, my music tastes were susceptible to peer pressure, which is why, as well as Shakespeare, I can also still recall the words to Slipknot’s…

James McArdle’s intimidating reputation precedes him. It’s not that in person there’s anything intimidating about the Glaswegian actor: indeed, he is warm, witty and thoughtful. But his reputation as a thespian (of the classical kind, which seems increasingly rare) is of a magnitude that occasions awe when I mention his name to those who follow his work. His accolades — from the Laurence Olivier award (previous winners include Chiwetel Ejiofor and Mark Rylance) to the Ian Charleson award — are proof enough that his acting talent does not go unnoticed. “It’s nice to be recognised,” he says via Zoom while on a break in Florida. “But it’s barely an afterthought when I am preparing for a role.” In April, McArdle stars in the anticipated television adaptation of Kate Atkinson’s novel…

The world of static art is packed with testimonies to the bond — which goes back at least 15,000 years — between humans and canines. One doesn’t have to wait for the Italian Renaissance and oil-based paint first being applied to canvas to witness us, daubed in soot and red ochre on cave walls, acting as protectors, grazers, grafters, shepherds, hunters and companions to mankind. The relationship between canines and the Homo sapiens who domesticated us is also celebrated prolifically in literature: from Lassie Come Home to Jack London’s White Fang and Call of the Wild to The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein’s 2008 novel about a racing driver but narrated by the reincarnation-obsessed pooch (named after Enzo Ferrari) who rides shotgun with him. (It’s better than it…

Bespoke should be fun. If it’s not an enjoyable experience, you should ask for your money back. The tailor’s role here is vital — he or she should make you feel comfortable and engage with you as a partner in a project rather than a customer. Instilling trust and bringing a degree of showmanship to the process goes a long way. It is also incumbent on the client to be as helpful as possible in conveying thoughts, feelings and desires, so that what is required of the garment can be made manifest. “I don’t really know what I want” isn’t a particularly helpful approach when every tailor has tens of thousands of fabric choices. You shouldn’t be afraid to ask for what you want, or you might end up like…

If Rome has a soundtrack — and this being a music-themed issue of a magazine that has a soft spot for the Eternal City, it’s an apposite point to consider — it might be considered Ottorino Respighi’s Pini di Roma. Those in search of a cinematic tribute, of course, need look no further than Fellini’s La Dolce Vita. If it’s a sartorial toast to the Italian capital you’re after, though, look no further than a fashion house founded in 1945 by the master tailor Nazareno Fonticoli and his business partner Gaetano Savini, a luxury outfitter whose narrative milestones include holding the first ever men’s fashion show (at the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti in Florence, in 1952) and the pioneering of the prêt-à-couture concept seven years later. The sartorial footprint…

ADRIANO MENEGHETTI – www.adrianomeneghetti.com ALBERT THURSTON – www.albertthurston.com ALFRED RIFUGIO – www.alfredrifugio.it ALICE MADE THIS – www.alicemadethis.com AMOUR LUX – www.armorlux.com ANDERSON & SHEPPARD – www.anderson-sheppard.co.uk ANDREA POMPILIO – www.andreapompilio.it ASPREY – www.asprey.com AUDEMARS PIGUET – www.audemarspiguet.com AUDI – www.audi.co.uk BALLY – www.bally.com BAMFORD – www.bamfordwatchdepartment.com BARBANERA – www.barbanerastyle.com BASELWORLD – www.baselworld.com BATES – www.bates-hats.com BEGG & CO. – www.beggandcompany.com BELL & ROSS – www.bellross.com BELSTAFF – www.belstaff.co.uk BERLUTI – www.berluti.com BERRY BROS. & RUDD – www.bbr.com BLACKHORSE LANE ATELIERS – www.blackhorselane.com BLANCPAIN – www.blancpain.com BORSALINO – www.borsalino.com BREGUET – www.breguet.com BRIONI – www.brioni.com BROOKS BROTHERS – www.brooksbrothers.com BRUNELLO CUCINELLI – www.brunellocucinelli.com BULGARI HOTEL – www.bulgarihotels.com BUDD SHIRTMAKERS – www.buddshirts.co.uk BULGARI – www.bulgari.com CALABRESE 1924 – www.calabrese1924.com CAMOSHITA UNITED ARROWS – www.united-arrows.jp CANALI – www.canali.com CARMINA SHOEMAKER – www.carminashoemaker.com CARUSO…

CHARLIE GRAY Charlie is a London-based international fashion and portrait photographer known for his playful, cinematic and intimate images. He is inspired by past photography masters Richard Avedon and Terry O’Neill and filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Michael Mann. Charlie has become a regular in these pages, but never more so than in this issue, for which he has contributed three shoots. He worked with us on our collaboration with Audemars Piguet (page 86), harnessing his environment’s colour and texture to produce images that are dynamic and exciting; profiled the British actor and director Andy Serkis at the Rosewood hotel in London (page 106); and created our Main Fashion feature — ‘Me and My Rock ’n’ Roll Queen’ — on page 130. DANNY KASIRYE Danny is a Ugandan-British photographer and director…

Whatever way you look at him, Howlin’ Wolf was a towering figure. At 6ft 3in and built to match, he was a seriously imposing presence, employing his physicality on stage to create a sense of authority and even threat. As a singer, his hoarse growl gave his performances an authority and drama that made them impossible to ignore. Though he dressed in sober suit and tie, his hair neatly clippered, he gave no doubt that he meant business. Even on record, the impression was the same: this was a man who could steal your woman and do you damage, and who had seen and felt things you never would. His influence was equally heavy. British bands such as the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin formed their sound in emulation not…

Naomi aside, there’s always been something rather approachable about your British supermodel. Blag yourself into a Glasto compound that your lack of notoriety doesn’t deserve and you could find yourself occupying a similar slick of mud as Kate and Cara. But the woman who spearheaded the shift from aloof aristo to boho bonhomie was Yasmin Le Bon. Le Bon was born Yasmin Parvaneh in 1964 to an Iranian father and English mother, and grew up in Oxford. She modelled for a local agency while she was still at the Cherwell School, but it was after she signed with Models 1 in London that her career took flight. She emerged onto runways and production sets at a time when it seemed the never-ending garland of English roses was becoming interchangeable, their…

Debbie Harry was a cooler version of Marilyn. When she performed, she perched on five-inch leather waders and wore an asymmetrical top with cropped shorts or a stylish button-down shirt open at the top to reveal just enough cleavage to be sexy but not tacky. As clubs reopen and parties are started once more, Harry has inspired Mrs Rake to rock it in public. 1. A must: Adriana high-heel boots Maison Skorpios was founded by the sublime Adriana Abascal, a 51-year-old Mexican-born model who participated in Miss Universe 30 years ago. Understanding what it feels like to walk on heels all day long, she wanted to create a brand whose shoes were designed the perfect way. The squared heels are thin, high and comfortable. The leather is soft, like a…

The eccentric genius has become something of a boilerplate historical character, and with good reason. Pythagoras — who, as the man who showed humanity that natural phenomena can be explained mathematically, basically invented physics — thought that fava beans contained the malevolent souls of the dead. Albert Einstein, forbidden from smoking by his doctor, collected cigarette dog-ends from the street so he could fill his pipe on the quiet. The chess prodigy Bobby Fischer had his fillings taken out, thinking it would prevent Russians from radio-signalling thoughts into his brain; Lord Byron overcame a dog ban by keeping a bear in his student digs at Cambridge; Nikola Tesla wouldn’t touch anything spherical. The link has even been explained scientifically: geniuses are often schizotypal individuals, it turns out, who have reduced…