Indholdsfortegnelse for Febuary 2018- Issue 56 i The Rake

The most important American film of 2017, and the worthiest successor to Moonlight’s best picture Oscar, was Get Out, a psychological horror-satire about a white woman who brings her black boyfriend home to meet her parents. It is a masterpiece: immaculately paced, queasily perceptive to the hypocrisies of white elites, a rise-through-the-octaves howl against semi-camouflaged prejudice. “I have four children. They go to the movies all the time, but they rarely see themselves reflected there.” The plot could also be read as a Trump-era riff on Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, a landmark film released half a century before it with a similarly symbolic representation of the generation above. If Get Out cleverly cast actors with progressive associations (indie darling Catherine Keener and The West Wing’s Bradley Whitford), Guess Who’s…

Why settle for one profession when you can excel at three? That’s what Nathaniel Martello-White has done. He began his career as an actor, but has since become a successful playwright and an award-winning director before the age of 34. Martello-White graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, a school whose doors have welcomed Anthony Hopkins, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Roger Moore and Tom Hiddleston as students over the years. But having RADA on his résumé hasn’t guaranteed success, and Martello-White has had enough setbacks to know you can appreciate a good job when it comes around. This perhaps explains why he’s turned his hand to other disciplines, although when you have as much to offer as the south London native, such multitasking was perhaps inevitable. For…

A well-dressed man with ugly shoes,” according to one of Sebastiano and Sergio Guardì’s favourite style apothegms, “is nothing but a man with ugly shoes.” It’s an ethos on which Barbanera — Italian for ‘blackbeard’ — was founded by the Sicilian siblings, along with Milan brothers Alessandro and Filippo Pagliacci, in 2011. There are a number of tributaries to the torrent of excellence that is the Guardìs’ work: their father’s love of art and antiques; the interplay between Sergio’s penchant for sixties American rock and psychedelia (he’s a former band member) and Sebastiano’s yen for classic Italian silhouettes; the pair’s adoration of motorcycles (see the two-toned riding boots they produce); and their relative youth. Intriguingly, though, another fierce wind in their creative sails is the fact they don’t come from…

“I suppose that the greatest moment in the life of any revolutionary is when he walks through the royal palaces of the freshly deposed monarch and begins to finger his former master’s possessions,” wrote the freshly deposed King Farouk of Egypt in the early 1950s, adding that he would have liked to have been a fly on the wall when the pillaging took place: “I admit that I would have enjoyed seeing those prudish, clerkly sect leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood as they drifted through my rooms like elderly ladies on a cook’s tour, pulling open drawers, prying into cupboards and wardrobes, and gaping like country bumpkins at the number of the king’s clean shirts.” “When the burdens of duty seemed overwhelming, poring over my collections kept me from nervous…

Among the many unsung heroes of menswear — and their number includes a range of figures, from needle-wielding artisans on Savile Row to the technical wizards who maintain giant decatising machines — are pattern designers who cast their esoteric spells in the corner offices of the world’s wool mills. Dreaming up patterns is just the start of their remit: from here, they are responsible for coming up with dizzying mathematical formulas that direct the precise order in which weft and warp ends will interlace, then writing those formulas out by hand for machine operators to programme, then creating a peg plan (the principle of which calls to mind a self-playing fairground organ’s pinned barrel) that dictates the order in which each shaft on a loom should lift, and to what…

A truly noble fibre is luxury made manifest. There is a richness, a suppleness, an opulence to the handle of pure cashmere or vicuña that has a transportive quality, an ability to reassure and empower. When it comes to such cloth, Piacenza is indisputably the last word. The Piacenza factory is nestled in the picturesque steppes surrounding Biella in Italy, and framed by hills that, in summer, explode in a stunning display of floral beauty. It is an apposite setting for the production of such a sumptuous product, a feature not lost on the company’s stewards, Vasiliy and Ettore Piacenza. Speaking to them, it quickly becomes apparent that despite their relative youth (Vasiliy is 34 and Ettore 31), they are possessed of a wisdom and integrity far beyond their years. Vasiliy:…

A lighter replacement for a traditional roast dinner. Sweet potatoes are full of vitamin C, vitamin A and fibre. They also have a low glycemic index especially when boiled, which helps to control spikes in blood sugar. Ingredients 350g of sweet potato, skin on3 sprigs of fresh rosemary1 clove of garlic, crushed Pinch of chili flakes3 lemons, juice2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil4 skin-on chicken breasts280g of mushrooms, halvedSea salt1 cup of chicken stock Method 1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. 2. Cover potatoes with cold water and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for around 8 minutes, or until tender; drain and set aside. 3. Add rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt and the red chili…

There are now packs of Goldendoodles, Yorkiepoos, Cockapoos, Schnoodles and Puggles roaming the developed world’s parks and greens. Indeed, my owner spoke the other day of a Bullshihtzer she had met at a Malibu beach party. But us Labradoodles were the first dog breed to be named with a portmanteau. This is no great badge of honour — two words blended into one is a concept that started out a bit mimsy when we were introduced to it in Lewis Carroll’s Through The Looking-Glass in 1871, and has since gone weapons-grade twee thanks to atrocities such as ‘glamping’ and ‘bromance’. Such has been our fate since 1988, though, when Australian breeder and veterinarian Wally Conron, at the behest of a Hawaiian husband and wife with allergies to fur and vision…

The 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High carried the tagline ‘At Ridgemont High Only the Rules Get Busted!’ That’s pretty much all you need to know to surmise that the plot centred around barely legal Californian sex, dope dabbling, and — wait for it — a cranky principal whom the kids always got the better of. Intriguingly, it marked the beginning of Cameron Almost Famous Crowe’s scriptwriting career, and, decades before the El Chapo hook-up, it was Sean Penn’s bong-friendly second role. Infamously, it will forever remain branded into the medial temporal lobes of men around the globe. Because of that scene. At the time the film was released, Phoebe Cates was a 19-year-old actress with a look that was just different enough — thanks to a mix of…

In the universe that occupies the collective mind of The Rake, every waking day presents an opportunity to showcase one’s latest fashions, and to display to the outside world what a cultivated individual one is — it’s one of many reasons why wearing nice clothes is such a pleasurable experience. What we wear helps others form first impressions, and allows us to present an image of ourselves we want the rest of the world to see. There are some instances, though, when adhering to a particular aesthetic goes out of the window, and getting dressed in the right gear becomes less of a luxury and more of a necessity. Good quality clothing appeals to The Rake’s inner narcissist, yet some people in certain locations rely on it to perform important…

An island named after an insect infestation is surely no one’s first idea of paradise. Yet since the 1960s, Mustique has been just that: a privately owned, reassuringly inaccessible castaway retreat for the jet set. This tiny landmass in the Caribbean, little more than two square miles of sand and wild cows, was transformed into an expat colony of million-dollar beachside villas, a local shop stocked with caviar and a beach bar so iconic it was mocked-up for the wedding reception of the heir to the British throne. As the meeting point of ancient aristocratic privilege and permissive-society decadence, it has become a byword for rock-star extravagance and royal misbehaviour, a model for the new lifestyle of the super-rich and the venue for a party to which everyone, whatever their…

As a committed cheerleader of menswear and its prosperity, the popularity of Mr Porter is rather gratifying, largely as it proves one inalienable fact that is often lost in stereotyping, which is that men have an interest in how they present themselves. Perhaps our buying habits are different to women’s, as well as the regularity with which we update our wardrobes, but it is lazy to suggest that leaving the house is not an opportunity for men to express themselves through clothes. There is no doubt that Mr Porter offers a window into the options available in a way other brands or portals aren’t able to keep up with. So what to do with all the success? Mr Porter’s Managing Director, Toby Bateman, and its Content Director, Jeremy Langmead, are…

Kalle is a Swedish director and photographer. A master of the atmospheric cinematic moment, he shoots both print and motion for an advertising client list that includes Paul Smith, Gant, Johnnie Walker, Volvo, Hackett, Peroni, Rolex, H&M, Neiman Marcus and Mr Porter, and editorial clients including GQ, Vogue Italy and Russia, Marie Claire, Esquire, Elle Malaysia, DuJour and Madame Figaro. He is as comfortable recreating stolen moments that evoke a 1960s Italian film as he is staging cinematic stories out of a fifties American drama. Across his visual styles, the candid moment is elevated to art with a languorous, fluid elegance and a natural intelligence. For this issue Kalle joined us to shoot our cover star Damian Lewis (page 82). Ed is a screenwriter and journalist. Two years ago he…

He was known as the quintessential Svengali — a word derived from George du Maurier’s 1895 novel, Trilby — in which the title character, a singer, is entranced via hypnosis by the roguish antagonist, making her unable to perform without Svengali there to lead her to a state of reduced peripheral awareness. Aside from his leonine features and movie-star-turned-director/photographer status, what exactly was it that hypnotised Bo Derek about John Derek, a man 30 years her senior who became not just her lover but her mentor and sole creative collaborator? Born Derek Harris in Hollywood in 1926 to the silent filmmaker Lawson Harris and the film actress Dolores Johnson, Bo’s beau-to-be had matinee idol looks that saw him, in his youth, singled out for a movie career by David O.…

Marketing jargon would describe David Evans, better known by his nom de plume, Grey Fox, as ‘target audience’ for The Rake: successful, over 40 years of age, and with a keen eye and interest in things made with quality, skill and an emphasis on story. Nevertheless, he is a tour de force of his own creation, an internet sensation with a devoted following, many of whom cannot find the right style advice for men of their age and stature in the aspirational magazines that dominate the mass market. Evans eschewed a successful career in law to become a bona fide commentator on men’s style. His opinion matters, and, as a result, so does his endorsement. Still, he is shrewd and aims to champion smaller ateliers, and won’t be unnecessarily swayed…

Breguet Tourbillon Extra-Plat Automatique 5377 While the hoverboard and the jet-pack have been confined to the more risible realms of sci-fi, one gravity-cheating device has not only stood the test of time but remains a technological marvel in 2018: the tourbillon, for which Abraham-Louis Breguet was awarded a patent in 1801. It wasn’t Breguet’s only major innovation: there was also the ‘perpetual’ automatic, the gong spring for repeater watches, the first employment of rubies for watchmaking, the first shock-absorber device, and even the first wrist watch. But the tourbillon — an unfathomably ingenious technology based on encasing the balance and spring, lever and the escape wheel into a cage whose rotations compensated for the effects of gravity, thus ensuring better accuracy — was surely the most unequivocal statement of his…

Among the more ambiguous archetypes of the celluloid age, that of ‘leading man’ is perhaps the least defined. Far from the specific criteria of commedia dell’arte and melodrama, in which the characters are demarcated (bad guy = black hat and moustachioed, etc.), the leading man is purely subjective. Arguably he is the origin of celebrity, pulling screen presence into the limelight of fame. But the list of leading men over the years has shown that no colour, size, hair, manner or cultural identity has ever had dominion over the sobriquet. That is until Damian Lewis entered the fray. For Lewis is a man who, above anything else, is an exemplar of leadership and integrity at a time when the acting world could use a dose of it. He is not…

The more I get to know William & Son, the more profound my understanding is of their existence in luxury retail. While it is to be expected that the people behind a brand of such vibrancy and sophistication will exhibit those same characteristics, it is the objects that really shape the romance of the brand. It is a ladies’ and gentlemen’s shop in the oldest sense, where everything from shotguns to backgammon boards are made in-house by William & Son’s expanding empire of authentic, working mills and factories throughout Britain. As well as that, they support craftsmen and women all over the country by giving them an elevated platform to show their wares. At the head of the firm is its eponym, William Asprey, scion of the Asprey family and…

I grew up in Hampshire, where meal times were always a family matter. I am the youngest of three children. My parents made supper time an essential and social evening routine, when every member of the family would come together to talk about their day over a traditional English meal such as a roast dinner, fish pie or chili con carne. At the time, it felt like neither my parents nor anybody else were especially ‘health conscious’ — unlike today, when it seems to be at the front of everybody’s minds. During world war II, the rationing of fat and sugary foods led to an increase in the intake of fruit and vegetables. Although not driven by typically healthy cuisines, my parents would source meat from the butcher’s, vegetables from…

I’ve chosen to adapt this recipe to a vegetarian chili, to help increase our vegetable intake and reduce the consumption of red meat. An overconsumption of red meat has been proven to increase our risk of bowel cancer. It is also much harder to digest than vegetables. This dish is packed with fibre from the legumes, something we, as a nation, are deficient in. And it’s perfect for helping to keep us warm during the winter months. Ingredients 1 medium onion, finely chopped2 cloves of garlic, finely crushed2 tablespoons of olive oil1 red chili (I like to keep the seeds in for heat)1 tsp of paprika2 tsp of cumin1 tsp of cinnamon1 tsp of oregano5 sun-dried tomatoes1 large red pepper, chopped2 tablespoons of tomato purée400g of black beans, drained400g of…

True to the slogan printed on his wallet, Pulp Fiction’s hitman Jules Winnfield is the baddest of bad motherfuckers. He’s a foul-mouthed, hell-raising, bullet-spraying motherfucker who can quote the Bible on cue. Or that’s what you’re led to believe when he launches into Ezekiel 25:17. “The path of the righteous man,” he thunders, “is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men.” It is one of the most quoted monologues of all time, and one of the most misconceived. Instead of borrowing it from the Holy Scripture, director Quentin Tarantino instead borrowed heavily from the script of Karate Kiba, Sonny Chiba’s martial arts film of the seventies. Regardless of its origins, the idea of a man in a suit quoting biblical literature…