British GQ - May 2022_downmagaz.net

MAY 2022 WHY ROSALÍA RULES THE The GLOBAL Boundless NIGHTCLUB Mind of WHERE WE TO EAT (AND DRINK) IN BRITAIN THE FAST TIMES OF F1 WONDERKID GEORGE RUSSELL Photographed with Google Pixel















It was never about a shirt, but a way of living







CONTENTS May GQ World Behind the Scenes With the People Who THOMAS BRODIE-SANGSTER is Punk, Actually. . . . 29 Make GQ Himesh Patel Was Always Here. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Contributor Why the Coolest New Watches Look Like Vintage Grails. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 SHARIF HAMZA CHROME HEARTS: There’s No Place Like Chrome 52 Photographer Rolling Home with Atlanta’s L AKEITH STANFIELD 59 Hamza is a London-born, New York- based photographer. For this May issue, The GQ Food & Drink Awards 2022. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 he photographed Oscar-winning actor Chiwetel Ejiofor. “I asked him to perform Features to an audience on stage,” Hamza says. “He gave a performance so passionate it came Cover Stories: across as aggressive in the images, so to ROSALÍA: Queen of the Global Nightclub. . . . . . . . . . . . 84 tone it down, I changed it to an audience of children who he was reassuring that there The Enlightenment of CHIWETEL E JIOFOR. . . . . . . . . . 96 was no danger from a monster.” Peak Sneaker: The Nine Most Fabulous Trainers (and One Clog) in the World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Office Grails Can Anyone Stop F1’s GEORGE RUSSELL?. . . . . . . . . . . . 116 → The Simpsons Forever: DANIEL BORRÁS 33 Years of an Animated Juggernaut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Head of JOSÉ ANDRÉS: The Frontline Chef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 editorial content, FUTURE is the Best Rapper Alive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 GQ Spain Final Shot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 “Helmut Lang knew that my office laptop would fit perfectly in his vintage carrier bag.” COVER T YPOGRAPHY, FERNANDO VALLESPIN. On the Covers Photograph by ↑ ← Jack Bridgland. Photograph by Styled by Oliver YUNA SELMAN Sharif Hamza. Volquardsen. NISHIKIORI FA Z I L Styled by Luke Day. Bodysuit, £470, by Jacket, £1,678, rugby Saint Laurent Social media Style editor, shirt, £332, rollneck by Anthony manager, GQ India (underneath rugby Vaccarello. GQ Japan shirt), £273, trousers, Vintage jumpsuit from “Instead of £350, by Dunhill. Costume – The “Just here an undereye Photographed Stylist Room. to praise concealer, with Google these comfy I go for these Pixel. Andfamilys overalls.” chunky Bottega Veneta glasses.” MAY 2022 GQ 11

CONTENTS May For our cover story on Rosalía, see page 84. STYLIST, OLIVER VOLQUARDSEN. Vintage jumpsuit and boots, from Costume – The Stylist Room. 12 GQ MAY 2022 PHOTOGRAPH BY JACK BRIDGLAND





CONTENTS May ST YLIST, LUKE DAY, GROOMER, CARLOS FERRAZ, SET DESIGN, KING OWUSU. For our cover story on Chiwetel Ejiofor, see page 96. Jacket, £1,990, trousers, £640, by Alexander McQueen. MAY 2022 GQ 15 Rollneck, £129, by Johnstons of Elgin. PHOTOGRAPH BY SHARIF HAMZA

CONTENTS May For our story on Future, see page 136. STYLIST, MOBOLAJI DAWODU. Coat, (price upon request), by Michael Kors Collection. Jacket, £2,250, Gucci. Rollneck, £675, by Dolce & Gabbana. Sunglasses, £410, by Ahlem. Necklace, £56,400, ring (price upon request), by David Yurman. Watch, £19,000, by Jaeger-LeCoultre. 16 GQ MAY 2022 PHOTOGRAPH BY GREGORY HARRIS



® Deputy Global Editorial Director Adam Baidawi design director editorial operations manager style director visuals director features editor Kevin Fay Emma King Teo van den Broeke Robin Key Oliver Franklin-Wallis european lifestyle editor entertainment director entertainment editor editorial assistant Michael Christensen Emily James Poppy Evans Rebecca Dolan audience development & social media manager Web & Social associate digital editor Hannah Blacklock associate audience development manager Ben Allen Hannah Enderby fashion editor Fashion & Style retail & events editor Angelo Mitakos style editor Itunu Oke Zak Maoui senior commerce editor commerce editor Commerce commerce picture editor Robert Leedham Aaron Toumazou associate commerce writers Josephine Judd Daphne Bugler, Heidi Quill Video Design + Visuals video producer junior video producer designer junior visuals editor Mateo Notsuke Kieran Brett Oliver Hazelwood Annie Jones Production deputy group production director art production manager Aaron Callow Luke Kiley Contributing Editors Luke Day Nick Foulkes syndication [email protected] c h i e f b u s i n es s o f f i c e r , c u lt u r e Nick Sargent e x e c u t i v e as s i sta n t Tiana Ware c o m m e rc i a l d i r e cto r : watc h es Vikki Theo c o m m e rc i a l d i r ecto r : m e d i a / e n t e rta i n m e n t Silvia Weindling c o m m e rc i a l d i r ecto r : b i z / f i / t ec h Christopher Warren c o m m e rc i a l d i r ecto r : au to m ot i v e Melanie Keyte ac c o u n t d i r e cto r : f i n a n c e Joe Teal ac c o u n t d i r e cto r : au to m ot i v e Nicholas French ac c o u n t m a n ag e r : m e d i a / e n t e rta i n m e n t Rosie Campion ac c o u n t m a n ag e r : watc h es Dawid Matkowski b u s i n es s m a n ag e r Ellen Garlick e v e n ts d i r ecto r Michelle Russell e v e n ts ac c o u n t e x ec u t i v e Charlie Jukes c r e at i v e d es i g n d i r ecto r Jeffrey Lee c r e at i v e d es i g n e d i to r Duarte Soares s e n i o r v i d eo p ro d u c e r Lucy Hewitt p roj ect m a n ag e r Sian Bourke p roj ect m a n ag e r Natalie Zak director, cnx Helen Anglim he ad of cre ative marke ting str ategy, cnx Anna Byrne h e a d o f d es i g n , c n x Dom Kelly h e a d o f p roj e ct m a n ag e m e n t , c n x Gareth Hogan u s as s o c i at e p u b l i s h e r Shannon Tolar Tchkotoua i ta l i a n o f f i c e MIA srl c l as s i f i e d d i r ecto r Shelagh Crofts c l as s i f i e d a dv e rt i s e m e n t m a n ag e r Emma Alessi c l as s i f i e d sa l es m a n ag e r Laura Bailey m a n ag i n g s e n i o r s a l es e x e c u t i v e / t r a i n e r Lydia Hadded s e n i o r c l as s i f i e d s a l es e x e c u t i v e Grace Fox c l as s i f i e d s a l es e x e c u t i v e Georgia Graham v p r e v e n u e st r at e gy e u ro p e Malcolm Attwells d i r e cto r o f c o n t e n t o p e r at i o n s e u ro p e Helen Placito h e a d o f m a r k e t i n g Ella Simpson h e a d o f data i n t e l l i g e n c e Tim Westcott c i rc u l at i o n d i r ecto r Richard Kingerlee n e wst r a d e m a r k e t i n g m a n ag e r Olivia Streatfield s u bs c r i pt i o n s d i r ecto r Patrick Foilleret c r e at i v e d es i g n m a n ag e r Anthea Denning d i r ect m a r k e t i n g & e v e n ts m a n ag e r Lucy Rogers-Coltman as s i sta n t p ro m ot i o n s & m a r k e t i n g m a n ag e r Claudia Long s u b s c r i p t i o n s m a r k e t i n g m a n ag e r Emma Murphy i n s i g h ts m a n ag e r Lauren Hays-Wheeler r es e a rc h e x ec u t i v e Holly Harland p ro d u ct i o n d i r e cto r Sarah Jenson c o m m e rc i a l p ro d u ct i o n m a n ag e r Xenia Dilnot s e n i o r p ro d u ct i o n c o n t ro l l e r Emily Bentley s e n i o r p ro d u ct i o n c o - o r d i n ato r Skye Meelboom c o m m e rc i a l s e n i o r p ro d u ct i o n c o n t ro l l e r Louise Lawson c o m m e rc i a l , pa p e r a n d d i s p l ay p ro d u ct i o n c o n t ro l l e r Martin MacMillan d i g i ta l p ro d u ct i o n c o n t ro l l e r Lucy Zini group propert y director Fiona Forsyth p eo p l e d i r ecto r , lo n d o n Rosamund Bradley h e a d o f f i n a n c e Daisy Tam c h i e f o p e r at i n g o f f i c e r Sabine Vandenbroucke m a n ag i n g d i r e cto r , e u ro p e Natalia Gamero d e p u t y m a n ag i n g d i r e cto r , e u ro p e Albert Read

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR A Feast for All W H E N W E M O V E D B A C K T O L O N D O N L A S T J U L Y , the streets were whisper quiet. My partner, cat and I pulled up to a temporary apartment on St. John Street, Clerkenwell. We had just relocated our lives and worldly possessions to a new continent, mid-pandemic. Clerkenwell was our first taste of freedom after 11 nights in a quarantine hotel. And it was dead quiet – even the sad little Pret was closed. Me, wine, cig, clogs, joy. In hindsight, it was the result of literal months of fatigue, paperwork and bureaucracy – digging through a decade’s worth of travel records for our new visas, filling out a form with literally every item we’d be bringing into England, down to the jumper – but somehow, we’d got it into our heads that London wasn’t much fun anymore. Maybe it really was a place of tired rules, codes, and tradition. Maybe it wasn’t built for 2021. Fortuitously the rebuttal was a few long strides across the street from our apartment. Maybe four bounds total. In the months leading up to our move, an industrious circle of friends had WhatsApped us a laundry list of bars and restaurants to hit up: there were decadent degustations and Japanese fusion spots, Instagrammable North African dining rooms, brunches allegedly worth queuing 90 minutes for, towering institutions on Piccadilly. But absolutely nothing we, upon arrival, felt like. We didn’t want theatre or anything experiential or some pumped-up masterclass in excess. We wanted something grounding and real. The answer was across the street. I knew within seconds of entering the long hall into St. John. Everything was stark. White walls. Concrete floors. Unfussy. There was nothing MAY 2022 GQ 23





LETTER FROM THE EDITOR ornate. There was no imperial something saved strictly for front of house. No frilly table special occasions (and Mum, cloths. Not much of anything, I’m sorry). really: just us, our table, and our plates. We savoured every second of it: a meal that brought us An unassuming bloke laid back to life. down menus and recommended a light red. We were wearing Four bounds back across the same Birkenstock clogs. St. John Street. Two flights He didn’t find the coincidence of stairs. And the first truly that interesting. The wine deep sleep in six months. arrived, and then the plates I woke up like I hadn’t budged did too. From there, I can in eight hours. (The wine.) only remember in vignettes, I woke up, for the first time, in London again. “We’re living through a sustained period of maximalism – in food, in art, in music, in fashion.” these perfect little scenes in It was of course temporary hundred million more listens Remnants of the an experience that was soulful madness to think that London by the time you read this. mussel dish at St. but not corny, exacting but not couldn’t offer precisely the John: the kind of pretentious, proper but not, meal we needed. It always And how great that this sauce you could y’know, proper. can – Britain always can. We’re zeitgeist also houses a star like live off. incredibly proud of the winners Chiwetel Ejiofor, our second There were just moments. we’ve honoured in our Food & May cover star and one of the The snails and the oak leaf. Drink Awards this year. Across actors of his generation. Ejiofor Mussels cooked with leeks and the 18-page feature, each winner is not in as loud a zone as cider which formed a sauce represents a bite or a sip – a Rosalía right now – but in this, that I could have eaten, soaked moment – worthy of your time his Marvel era, he is simmering in sourdough, for all eternity. and money. and electric, outspoken and, if The scrape-filled ceremony you can believe it, frequently of the bone marrow on toast, We have been living through inclined to meditating in VR. washed down with a vital and a sustained period of simple parsley salad. We moved maximalism and optionality This is the privilege we get to through smoked eel and grey – in food, in art, in music, in tap into each month: whirring mullet. The bloke in my clogs fashion. It’s a moment where through culture that is vivid uncorked more of the light red. degustations and breezy and bold, curating the most dining halls can be trending compelling of it, and serving We had our table extended by simultaneously. And in a it straight to you. We hope you a half hour. Then an hour. Then moment where there’s a lane agree, it is a killer dish. we relocated to a spot by the bar for everything, surprising for dessert (and dessert wine). breakthroughs can happen. Adam Baidawi What felt like the longest day of the British summer stretched How else can you explain DEPUTY GLOBAL and yawned. We never wanted our cover star Rosalía, the EDITORIAL DIRECTOR it to end. It was perfect. radical and wonderful Spanish sensation who has lovingly A couple beside our bar reengineered flamenco music table introduced us to their for a truly global audience? I’m dog. St. John was her favourite quoting her streaming figures, restaurant too, they explained. which at time of writing are I’d pat the dog – who was somewhere in the realm of 3.4 working her way through a bone billion, but Lord knows she’ll from the kitchen – each time I have found her way to a few snuck out for a Marlboro Light, 26 GQ MAY 2022





Thomas GQ Brodie- World Sangster is Punk, Drops Actually ICYMI: the drummer kid from MAY 2022 GQ 29 your favourite Christmas film is Very Grown Up – and with his next project, Pistol, he’s more rock and roll than ever. By JACK KING PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD DOWKER STYLED BY ANGELO MITAKOS

GQ World Drops Meet a Whole New Malcolm McLaren HOMAS BRODIE- Was life on set as anarchic as the DRESSED PREVIOUS PAGE, JACKET, £2,050, SHIRT, £950, TROUSERS, £725, DOLCE & GABBANA. BELT, £164.50, ELLIOT RHODES. SHOES, £790, PRADA. band itself? “The temptation is to TO FRILL SOCKS, £13, FALKE. EARRING, £910, SLIM BARRET T. GROOMING, DAVIDE BARBIERI AT CAREN USING TOM FORD BEAUT Y AND KEVIN MURPHY. T S A N G S T E R is strolling just keep adding ‘fucking’ this, and Make no mistake: through London’s Hyde ‘fucking’ that,” Brodie-Sangster says, the dandy is back for Park wearing a pale “because you’re playing the Sex Pistols summer with Anthony trilby, corduroy flares, – but you risk losing the effectiveness Vaccarello’s standout and his great-grandfather’s 100-year- of that word.” That’s not to say that new collection for old overcoat. As you might have punk energy was lacking. “The boys Saint Laurent. gleaned from his roles in period were rowdy and fun,” Brodie-Sangster pieces such as The Queen’s Gambit, says of castmates Louis Partridge (Sid Jacket, £2,080, and Danny Boyle’s new Sex Pistols Vicious), Toby Wallace (Steve Jones), shirt, £1,350, drama, Pistol, the 31-year-old actor and Anson Boon (Rotten). by Saint has an affinity for the past. “There are Laurent by stories in this coat,” he says, gloved “Our studio was scheduled for Anthony hands clasped behind his back like demolition and we were the last Vaccarello. a reserved school master. “And I do people there, so they were running Earring, £910, enjoy dressing up.” by Slim Barrett. The days when Brodie-Sangster was known simply as the lovelorn, around kicking holes in the walls.” drumkit-lashing kid in 2003’s Love Rotten has not been flattering Actually are ancient history. Lately he’s been notching up a swathe of about Pistol, calling it “the most prestige TV roles, from Game of disrespectful shit I’ve ever had to Thrones to his Emmy-nominated endure.” Last year he fought, and lost, spell in the hit Netflix chess drama. a court case to prevent the band’s As Danny Boyle, his Pistol director, songs being used in the programme. puts it: “The kid from Love Actually Brodie-Sangster is upbeat about it: is now 30-something, actually.” “I hope they like it. Everyone’s got Next is Pistol, in which he plays the a different version of the story. notorious punk band’s infamous So many drugs were involved it’s manager, Malcolm McLaren – once actually quite hard to pinpoint married to Vivienne Westwood and exactly what happened.” labelled the “most evil man in the world” by perennially disgruntled pistol is out on Disney+ in May. Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten. “It’s hilarious,” Brodie-Sangster says, laughing. “That’s how it goes with these people. They just rip into each other.” On the face of it, the casting is peculiar: Brodie-Sangster and McLaren barely share a resemblance, and in person, he is a quiet presence, markedly laid-back. But on set, he was able to let loose, Boyle says: “What emerged was this inkjet portrait of a flamboyant, vain, brilliant, loud, insufferable, inspiring, and slightly insane man.” 30 GQ MAY 2022

13 - 15 July 2022, Soho Farmhouse, Oxfordshire IN ASSOCIATION WITH A festival of ideas Three days of live talks and performances from game changers, creative radicals, deep thinkers and cultural icons. EWAN McGREGOR FKA TWIGS DAISY EDGAR-JONES MICHEAL WARD National treasure, star of Disney’s Grammy-nominated Star of Normal People and the BAFTA-winning actor and star of new Star Wars series, Obi-Wan singer-songwriter, highly-anticipated adaptation of Drake’s reboot of Top Boy and Steve producer, and actor. Kenobi, and UNICEF ambassador. Where The Crawdads Sing. McQueen’s Lovers Rock. ZANE LOWE MJ RODRIGUEZ TREMAINE EMORY ADWOA ABOAH Apple Music’s global creative Award-winning actor and singer, Founder of cult label Denim Tears Top model and founder of Gurls director, television presenter and LGBTQ+ advocate and star of the and the new creative director of Talk, a mental health support group renowned DJ and record producer. critically-acclaimed Pose. skate giant Supreme. for young women. To register interest for tickets and accommodation,sign up now at gqheroes.com PAYMENT PARTNER BUSINESS PARTNER WELLNESS PARTNER

GQ World Bag-a-Palooza:Drops BBEatAogbsCiunaatHsdrttpehohbBiedsreateeePAhbgsllo,ereioGinwfbagsnbefntehdg£raMaaeiii1nagrcnlcd,etsheh4gahTaqodt,0rnestuaiid0codyatewee,hw;ntsllrcnorgiitnrokvoi;elasneeeuTasng(-rstbess,eaaphtrnghirsri,,act£,te£1u,54p88o00n;). 39 STlSoinatgetcss,,heItlsaB,tnhadgeOsMtoohfmeBryaSenAdMYUnAENLGH-tIYNIEGOH

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GQ World BAG, MEET PILLOW Drops The undisputed It bag right now, WHITE Bottega Veneta’s extra-quilted BRIEFS crossbody is a tactile way to get up close and personal with Milano’s coolest LA label Chrome Hearts has applied its hard-living brand (£2,090). aesthetic to the humble briefcase, made from white leather, meaning it’s made for beating up (£6,290). BROWN SUGAR The colour of a Werther’s Original and the texture of melted butter, this fine leather crossbody by Giorgio Armani is chic enough to eat (£470). 34 GQ MAY 2022

FLORALS? STUD-U-LIKE IS IT A WASHBAG? FOR THE GYM? Roman brand Valentino No, it’s a pochette, if Quite groundbreaking is as celebrated for its you’re fancy,andit’sfrom actually, yeah. You can immaculate suitsasforits the leather-obsessed thank Kenzo for your studmotif,writlarge on Aspinal of London springy new sweats- this easy-carrying leather (£350). and-sneakers carrier pouch.It’salso serving (£775). post-punk-dad-gone-luxe vibes… a good thing ELECTRIC FEEL (£1,550). An ultra-bright blue handbagbythe USlabel LUXE LAUNDRY DECKCHAIR TOTE Coachisthe spot-on Undercreative director Creative director size foryourvape and Walter Chiapponi, Francesco Risso’squirky phone (£495). Tod’s has embraced its approachto accessories leatherwork roots in a is epitomised in this SNAP THIS UP lo-fi way, as evidenced by summer-ready, striped Tom Ford isfamedfor this faultless canvas and beach bag from Marni his stealthily luxurious leather number. (£850). approachto accessories. (£1,230). This chocolate-brown leather shoulder bag is THE ORIGINAL SMART SHOPPER givingusstrongle Carré MAN-BAG This “mink” leather- vibes (£2,390). Chocolate-brown structuredtote by leather? Check. Contrast youngbrand Anest MAJORING IN overstitching? Check. Collective comesdirect MONOGRAM With this understated fromItaly,where each MCM’s geometric messenger, Ettingerhas piece ispainstakingly tote isthe ultimate in your new daily carry made byfamily-owned multifunctional nailed (£580). manufacturers back-to-work luggage (£1,035). (£510). TASSELS CONCERTINA FOR DAYS CARRIER Partofthe collaborative This teal leather bucket offering from young bagfromAmi ispart- British designer smart tote, part-Dick Nicholas Daley Whittington pouch – and and Mulberry,this we like it,guvnor(£755). crossbody is rodeocore done right(£695). MAY 2022 GQ 35

GQ World GRANNY CLUTCH BOARD BAG Drops The Marni Trunk bag If you have any doubts left was originally designed about skateboarding’s LEATHER SLING by the brand’s founder, once-again ascendant Nobody captures the way Consuelo Castiglioni, influence on fashion, New Yorkers dress these an avid cyclist who took let this lavish Hermès days – or designs the inspiration from antique shoulder bag – with a soft, low-key accessories coin purses to make shrunken skate deck as they want – quite like a bag she could wear its base – kickflip them to Maryam Nassir over the shoulder on the kerb (£6,050). Zadeh (£370). bike rides (£950). THE BUSHWICK CROSS-BODY VOLCANIC TOTE KELLY? CANVAS This sumptuous deerskin To follow up the culture- One way to make an über- bag by Salvatore shifting success of the covetable bag in 2022 Ferragamo will bring Shopping Bag (aka the is to have it feel like a some serious spice Shoreditch Birkin), piece of priceless art. to your summer Telfar dropped this Matthew M. Williams did looks (£1,855). chic Circle bag. It may be just that by collaborating more expensive than its with the painter Josh cousin, but it sells out Smith, whose spectral instantly just the same figures and devilish (price upon request). scenes populate Givenchy’s leather PHONE-FRIENDLY utility packs (price This season, the upon request). 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli handbag, a favourite PUNK PURSE 3.1 PHILLIP LIM, TELFAR, MARNI, GIVENCHY, ASHYA, AND PAUL SMITH: PROP ST YLIST, MELODIE DEWIT T AT CREATIVE SPACE ARTISTS MGMT. when it was unveiled The iconic Gucci Jackie MARYAM NASSIR ZADEH, HERMÈS, SALVATORE FERRAGAMO, AND GUCCI: PROP STYLIST, SHARON RYAN AT HALLEY RESOURCES. in 2011, is iPhone-size bag was (under a different – the ultimate 2022 name) a favourite of upgrade (£340). the former first lady, and is now one of Alessandro Michele’s most interesting canvases (£3,080). THE CONVERTIBLE BEST OF BOTH YOU CARRY WORLDS This sculptural Ashya Japan’s Porter- design has a circular Yoshida & Co. is handle and a strap that famed for its spacious, unhooks to transform it meticulously constructed from an on-the-go sling nylon twill bags; Paul to a sleek handbag Smith is arguably our (price upon request). finest purveyor of colour and wit. Together they’ve built a backpack that’s equal parts practical and whimsical (£465). 36 GQ MAY 2022

DISCO SHOPPER New US kid on the block Commission specialises in louche, extravagant party clothes – and the louche, extravagant studded silver bags you carry while wearing them (£300). THOM BROWNE, CHANEL, ISSEY MIYAKE, THE ROW, BODE, COMMISSION, MONCLER, AND LEMAIRE: PROP STYLIST, MELODIE DEWIT T AT CREATIVE SPACE ARTISTS MGMT. SPACE-AGE TOTE RUBBER LITTLE BLUE BABY MAISON MARGIELA, DRIES VAN NOTEN, AND BALENCIAGA: PROP STYLIST, SHARON RYAN AT HALLEY RESOURCES. In the futuristic CARRYALL The down-filled quilting world of Bao Bao The postmodern fashion on this Moncler belt Issey Miyake, the mash-up was pioneered bag isn’t merely a nod to exotic-animal bag at Maison Margiela, the French ski outfitter’s is transformed into a where it carries on puffer jackets; it also 3D geometric exploration stronger than ever: the serves as extra padding of the sublime textures house’s latest 5AC bag to protect anything found in the natural is like a tote wrapped inside (£375). world (£790). in a rubber boot, weather- readysole andall(£1,390). EXOTIC EVENING JEWEL BAG BAG Pebble-grain leather BIG BAG ON Under Demna, is sturdy and beautiful CAMPUS Balenciaga has done in any colour, but the From the rugby-striped luxurious leather Ikea unexpected emerald ’60s-era cloth to the rope- bags, grocery bags, and tones on this Thom cinched construction, rubbish bags. But the Browne shoulder-strap everything about this house still does a classic tote feel especially Bode rucksack screams croc handbag better fresh (£1,050). “rebellious public school than anyone (£1,685). athlete” in the raddest WAIST CANDY way possible (£595). RENAISSANCE Prefer to head out of the MURSE door with nothing but your Emblazoned with a print wallet, keys, and phone? by the 17th-century The Row’s elegant lizard Flemish painter Peter envelope-and-card-case Paul Rubens, this roomy duo can be slung over your Dries Van Noten tote shoulder or worn around is a work of art in every the waist like Batman’s possible sense (£485). utility belt (mini envelope, £1,380; card case, £1,500). BUTTERY SLING The croissant-like AN OUTFIT shape of this oversized UPGRADE Lemaire cross-body is With its intricate woven already plenty ergonomic, metal-and-lambskin but the coated linen chain, this miniature canvas is designed to Chanel grail is an soften and mould to your undersized finishing torso over time (£850). touch that punches way, way above its weight (£1,390). MAY 2022 GQ 37

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GQ World Culture GROOMING, LIZ TAW AT THE WALL GROUP PHOTOGRAPHS BY TUNG WALSH MAY 2022 GQ 39 STYLED BY ANGELO MITAKOS

GQ World Culture H E N H I M E S H P A T E L was that’s an exhilarating feeling and other doesn’t go, ‘Look at all the people times it’s overwhelming – but it’s a pro- dying, and the horror of what that is’. W a child, he pretended to found experience.” It’s about what we’re left with. How be an American called we rebuild. What are the best parts Mike. It was one of those Patel is wearing a yellow beanie of society that we can nurture?” The inexplicable impulses and wrapped up in a Carhartt jumper, paternal relationship between Jeevan children have to test the limits of what topped with a tan shearling jacket, not and eight-year-old orphan Kirsten they can get away with, like faking a unlike the one he wears pushing a line (Matilda Lawler) is the beating heart girlfriend, or convincing someone of shopping trolleys in Station Eleven, that sustains the entire series. At the Paul Rudd is your distant uncle. “The (available on StarzPlay). The actor has onset of the show’s pandemic, Jeevan stuff I was consuming at the time was been quietly accruing Hollywood roles reluctantly takes Kirsten in as his own American kids being all cool,” he says since his big-screen debut in 2019’s once it becomes clear that her parents now. “I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s what Richard Curtis/Danny Boyle Beatles have died, and the two gradually form I want to do.’” By the time his family rom-com Yesterday, but it’s for the a deep connection. Acting opposite moved to another town, no one had HBO miniseries that he’s received children is a gamble, but for Patel, he caught him out. It’s something Patel his most lavish praise yet. Patel plays couldn’t have hoped for a better screen still thinks about sometimes today as Jeevan Chaudhary, a freelance journal- partner. “She’s just phenomenal,” Patel he navigates Hollywood, an industry ist forced indoors while a virus wipes says of his 13-year-old co-star. “Her that notoriously keeps its gates hermet- out 99 per cent of humanity. The series, performance is one of the best I’ve ever ically sealed. Did they really convince based on a 2014 novel by Emily St. John seen. She’s so composed and confident. them, or were they just indulging him? Mandel, pre-dated the pandemic, but She’s got a really wonderful curiosity, Was he really being accepted? the eerie similarities with reality are actually, and she really wants to learn. Just recently, Patel, 31, found him- not lost on Patel. “There’s no doubt She loves being an actor. I just loved self alone with the Americans he once that what we all went through had working with her.” emulated. It was at the LA premiere an impact on a lot of things,” he says. of Netflix’s Don’t Look Up – in which Patel plays a disaffected journalist “Every now and then, I look at my and Jennifer Lawrence’s boyfriend – daughter and I’m just like, ‘Oh my god, and as soon as he walked off the red you’re completely reliant on me…’ carpet, he was escorted into the green I hope I can live up to that.” room, reserved for stars. “I walked into an empty green room and at the far The plan was to shoot the first episode A M I D T H E B R U N C H T I M E cacophony of previous page end were Meryl Streep and Leonardo in early 2020 and take a brief hiatus couples on dates and parents unsuc- DiCaprio,” he recalls. Patel couldn’t before resuming production that sum- cessfully attempting to corral kids on Jacket, £2,160, bear interrupting the two, who mer, but the break ended up stretch- sugar highs, the Breakfast Club proves shirt, £530, appeared to be deep in conversation, ing to almost a year. When filming to be a less than idyllic place for a trousers, £800, but being in the room was enough. It resumed, in January 2021, Patel came conversation. Trying to earnestly dis- trainers, £800, was a small moment, emblematic back with a much clearer understand- cuss making art about the end of the by Berluti. of the journey he has made since his ing of what his character — who spends world is a challenge when your voice Tie, £110, by nine-year stint in EastEnders (he left a year trapped in a high-rise apartment is drowned out by Maroon 5 blasting Paul Smith. the series in 2016). There’s something in Chicago – was going through. “Not through the speakers. Patel speaks feelgood about seeing the former only had we lived through a year of iso- slowly, his sentences punctuated by opposite page Albert Square resident popping up in lation and lockdown, but we had just long pauses. Partly, it’s the suppressed Oscar contenders or time-bending in got to Canada, had to do two weeks in exhaustion of a new father to a one- Jacket, £1,500, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet – like bump- quarantine, and then went straight year-old (“It’s so hard”) and an actor by Paul Smith. ing into an old friend and finding into filming that,” he says. “Some of in the trenches of a months-long press Shirt, £950, by they’re thriving. that residual claustrophobia was very tour, but still, he remains engaged, Dolce & It’s February, and looking for an immediately accessible.” interested. Sometimes he’ll turn it back Gabbana. escape from the bitter gusts of Storm on me. Where did you grow up? What Eunice, we duck into a booth at a Dramas dealing with the pandemic was your upbringing like? How did you Breakfast Club near Borough Market. have so far made for depressing view- cope with the storm? Patel reaches for his phone to show ing. Station Eleven shines in part me a video of a eucalyptus tree in the because it tells a rare post-apocalyp- Spending an afternoon with Patel garden of his in-law’s house, thrash- tic story about hope. “It doesn’t dwell doesn’t feel like hanging out with a ing about in the wind. He’s been living on the pandemic of it,” Patel says. “It nascent movie star. Dozens of people there since he moved back to the UK from Toronto last summer. “The flat is too small,” he explains, his London home cramped since the birth of his first child last year. For Patel, the new arrival has changed everything. “Every now and then, I look at my daughter and I’m just like, ‘Oh my god, you’re completely reliant on me,’” he says. “I hope I can live up to that. At times, 40 GQ MAY 2022

MAY 2022 GQ 41

Jacket, £4,180, trousers, £560, by Ralph Lauren Purple Label. Sweater, £179, by Tiger of Sweden. Sandals, £330, by Birkenstock. Socks, £20, by Falke. 42 GQ MAY 2022

GQ World Culture flit in and out during the lunchtime this day”, he felt he was alone grow- Having now worked with the likes Jacket, £249, rush, oblivious to the leading man ing up in Sawtry, a tiny village in of Danny Boyle, Christopher Nolan jeans, £169, sitting just inside the front door. It’s Cambridgeshire. As a child, he was and Adam McKay, Patel has acquired shirt, £139, a curious thing: in the global press, hooked on Teenage Mutant Ninja what he calls the “superpower” of being by Tiger of Patel is often referred to as a “breakout Turtles and Star Trek, shows his older able to turn down roles. It’s a luxury Sweden. star”, but he says he hasn’t experienced sister introduced him to. But coming not everyone has, and it’s something he Tie, £110, by any dramatic shift in celebrity since from the only Indian family in a pre- often wrestles with. There’s the eternal Paul Smith. his soap days, even as he’s starring in dominantly white town, his small “double frustration” of seeing tokenis- Christopher Nolan movies and stand- group of friends “didn’t get” his other tic roles for minorities. The no-name ing alongside Leonardo DiCaprio on love, for Bollywood cinema. Becoming extra with an accent. “We’re not dumb,” the red carpet. famous at 16 proved just as isolating. he says. “We’re all aware of the tropes “Ultimately, I was still a nerd play- and how painful it is to play that time Eventually, as a waitress hands ing a nerd,” he jokes. “It wasn’t like and time again. I’ve been lucky, I hav- over our vegetarian fry-ups, she turns I was suddenly Spider-Man.” Kids who en’t had to. But there’s also a bunch towards Patel. ignored him were “at least a bit more of actors wanting to get a foothold in intrigued”, but he also found himself the industry. They need to work and “Excuse me, can I ask you a ques- persistently taunted by a group of boys pay the bills, and the only option is to tion?” she asks. who would follow him around singing play the cab driver again.” Conversely, the Coronation Street theme tune. Patel counts himself as a “beneficiary “Yeah,” he says, anticipating what’s to come. “Are you from that amazing film, Yesterday?” “I am, yes.” Whether subconscious impulse or an intentional action, Patel subtly angles his body closer to the window. I ask if people come up to him often. “Do you know what? Less and less. I’ll never have it as much as I did when I was in EastEnders.” Patel “loathes” having his stint in EastEnders dismissed now that he’s moved on. “It’s as worthy to me as everything I’ve done since,” he says. At 16, he moved to Albert Square as the beloved Tamwar Masood, a bespecta- cled dork who fails to get into Oxbridge and at one point dabbles in stand-up comedy. “Obviously, it gave me my start as an actor and opened doors for me, but as a person, it gave me so much. I was a kid when I started, so they really nurtured me.” Patel is passionate about changing the public perception of soap actors, an agenda that he says is embedded in every part he plays. If Patel has escaped the so-called curse of EastEnders, he’s the exception that proves the rule. “It’s such a hotbed of young talent and I feel like we don’t tap into it,” he says. “I don’t think, as an industry, we’re looking to these places.” Why are soap actors being overlooked? “Snobbery is what it is. I don’t know how to change that other than to just keep working on myself.” Patel affec- tionately calls the soap his “drama school”. By the time Danny Dyer had joined the cast to play his future father- in-law, peers his age were graduating from drama schools of the academic variety. Maybe it was time, he thought, to leave his. “I didn’t really enjoy my teenage years,” Patel says, trailing off. For reasons he’s “still deciphering to MAY 2022 GQ 43

this page Sweater, £795, by Fendi. Necklace, £610, by Alighieri. opposite page Coat, £1,950, by Connolly. Sweater, £189, trousers, £179, by Hugo Boss. Boots, £325, by Grenson. 44 GQ MAY 2022

GQ World Culture MAY 2022 GQ 45

GQ World Culture of colour-blind casting”. In a film like really wants to emulate is that of Dev My Agent (titled Ten Percent, which Jacket, £369, Tenet, his race is incidental; he’s just Patel. He doesn’t want to be the next is streaming on Prime Video), a voice trousers, £189, the suave, leather jacket-wearing agent Dev Patel so much as another Patel – to role in the Terry Pratchett adaptation by Oliver who crashes a jet into a hangar. share that space with other actors. “We The Amazing Maurice (coming to Sky Spencer. Tank all want a leading role, but it doesn’t Cinema later this year) and a podcast, top, £795,by “I want to do what gets me going cre- come as easy to brown actors,” he says. but for now, his schedule is clear, and denzilpatrick. atively, but I always question it,” Patel “[Dev] has come into that leading man he’s happy with that. Patel is enjoying Sweater (worn adds. “If any [roles] come in, I go, ‘OK, thing, but he’s had to build his way up that sweet spot of fame where he can underneath), what’s the angle here?’ More and more, to that and make the right choices. be in a green room with Meryl Streep, £525, by Dolce I’m going to be questioning the [cul- Riz [Ahmed] is doing the same thing. but also catch a train back to Kent & Gabbana. tural] specificity of it.” To him, acting is They inspire me. You have to work hard undisturbed. He knows that it might Shoes, £850, by not just an art, but a duty to be upheld. to navigate it.” only be a matter of time before that Christian When taking on a part, he has to con- changes and so he may as well enjoy Louboutin. sider not only how it will affect him On the flipside of that, he’s wary the moment – to take a break, to learn Socks, £20, and his career, but also other actors of of the exposure leading man status to be a father. There’s a time for pre- by Falke. colour. “I’m standing on the shoulders would give him. “I want to be able to tending – and a time to be yourself. of others. There’s a whole generation jump on the Tube,” he admits. “I’m of actors from the ’80s and ’90s who glad [Yesterday] didn’t blow my life iana murray is a culture writer worked through hideous racism and up.” New projects include a guest-star- based in London. glass ceilings. The exclusion that they ring role in the British remake of Call experienced was more often very obvi- ous. It’s perhaps more subtle for me and my peers, but we wouldn’t even have this if they hadn’t been through that. There’s work that we have to do. You know, I’m a dad and I’m thinking about the next generation.” Patel has adopted a collectivist out- look to his profession. In late 2019, Patel created a sort of support group with Nikesh Patel and Sacha Dhawan, attended by a troupe of South Asian actors – and once the pandemic hit, they continued with it, reading plays together over Zoom. “The ethos behind it was there’s no point leaning into a scarcity mentality,” Patel explains. “Let’s support each other. Yes, inev- itably me and Nikesh and Sacha and a bunch of others will be up for the same roles. That’s just a fact. Let’s be a community and celebrate each other when one of us gets that role. It’s good for everyone. You want to get to a point where we’re all raising the bar so there are leading roles for everyone.” Patel is not competitive, and he views the idea of fighting with some- one over a part as an egregious sin. “I want to be able to sleep at night,” he says. That collaborativeness is help- ing to nurture an environment where not just he, but everyone can thrive: Nikesh Patel is reviving rom-coms with Starstruck and in the US miniseries of Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Dhawan is huzzah-ing opposite Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult in Hulu’s comedy The Great. Patel can rest easy. This basic decency permeates his craft. He plays the kind of characters you want to be friends with, a habit that has led to comparisons with Tom Hanks. It’s a label Patel brushes off with a chuckle. The kind of career he 46 GQ MAY 2022



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