Men's Vogue > Magazine

« May 2008 | Main | July 2008 »

Thrash to the Onion Patch

Bermuda1
All photos are courtesy Bermuda Race

The 2008 Newport Bermuda Race set sail June 20, with 198 boats sailing out of Newport and maneuvering to Bermuda with hopes of procuring the prize-winning silver. Spectators flocked to the grounds of the Castle Hill Inn to get a glimpse of their preferred boat and watched the boats sail out of view from Narragansett Bay. The biennial 635-mile race, known as the first ocean race, is held in mid-June and has been in existence since 1906. It is administered by the Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and usually lasts 3 to 6 days. The "Race to the Onion Patch" is infamous for tricky weather, above all, the Gulf Stream strong currents.

Bermuda2

Alex Jackson's Juan 99-footer, Speedboat, was the first to cross the finish line at St. David's Lighthouse and did so in 64 hours, 42 minutes and 56 seconds. The race has five divisions. The divisions are divided into classes, so that boats of comparable size begin together and compete for class honors. All divisions are scored using an evaluation system through which slower boats are allowed more time than faster boats to complete the race.

Bermuda3

The 2008 division winners:

St. David's Lighthouse Division: Peter Robovich's Cal 40, Sinn Fein

Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division: Julien Douerty's Beneteau First 36.7, Tenacious

Double-Handed Division: Richard duMoulin and crew Chris Rayling on Express 37, Lora Ann

Cruiser Division: Paul Hubbard's Oyster 435, Bermuda Oyster

Open Division: Ron O'Hanley's Cookson 50, Privateer

Also, this year a North Rock Beacon Trophy was awarded to Peter Robovich's Sinn Fein. Trophies were awarded Saturday in the shank of the afternoon at the Government House, the residence of the governor of Bermuda. Afterwards, a party ensued with lots of Gosling's Rum. Ahoy! --BUNNY TOMERLIN

READ MORE:
An elite squad of Coast Guard snipers is targeting drug runners from above
A slideshow of the worst uniforms in sports history

June 30, 2008

Fan Favorite

Fanelli
photo via SkyShaper

This is a great place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Fanelli's may be the only spot in NYC open 365 days a year that always has some sort of sport on the TV. Great food, great location, and really cold beer. --SEAN AVERY

94 Prince Street, Soho
(212) 431-5744

READ MORE:
Sean Avery discusses his Vogue experience
A slideshow of the worst uniforms in sports history

June 27, 2008

Team Player

Mickmargo_2

Mick Margo is a great place to get something for the lady in your life. They carry Isabel Marant and Smythe, labels that are perfect for the hip women. Mick Margo also carries antique jewelry for the cherry on top. --SEAN AVERY

19 Commerce Street, West Village
(212) 463-0515

READ MORE:
Sean Avery discusses his Vogue experience
A slideshow of the worst uniforms in sports history

June 26, 2008

Hockey Maki

Lanjapanese_3

Lan Japanese serves the best sushi I've ever had, as well as my new favorite food, shabu shabu. Try and find a better sushi spot in NY. Won't happen! -- SEAN AVERY

56 3rd Ave
(212) 254-1959

READ MORE:
Sean Avery discusses his Vogue experience
Chef Grant Achatz learns taste isn't everything

Just for Kicks

Alife1

For the limited edition Nikes that I lie in bed dreaming of, ALIFE is your spot. -- SEAN AVERY

Alife2

Alife3

Alife4

158 Rivington Street
(212) 375-8128

READ MORE:
Sean Avery discusses his Vogue experience
A slideshow of the worst uniforms in sports history

June 25, 2008

Creme de la Cream

Bluecreaminterior2


Blue and Cream is a great one-stop shop for guys and girls. While you're trying on a new V::room cashmere T-shirt, your girl can get her Phillip Lim dress.

Bluecreaminterior

This is a store that can prepare you for a weekend at the beach or the runway during New York fashion week. --SEAN AVERY

Corner of E. 1st and Bowery
(212) 533-3088

READ MORE:
Sean Avery discusses his Vogue experience
A slideshow of the worst uniforms in sports history

June 24, 2008

Blade Runner

Chairs1

If you want to get a trim or have the best shave in town, all while you listen to Biggie or Jay Z,  then Frank's Chop Shop is definitely your spot. --SEAN AVERY

19 Essex St
(212) 228-7442
By Appointment Only

READ MORE:
Sean Avery discusses his Vogue experience
With today's technology, there's nothing dull about shaving

Bad Boys

Mcqueen_2

I would be lost without Alexander McQueen. If you're into high fashion and want to make a statement, then this is your spot. They've got the best staff in the city with a great eye for what works. If you see me anywhere, I'm usually wearing a least one piece from here. --SEAN AVERY

417 W 14th ST
(212) 645-1797

READ MORE:
Sean Avery discusses his Vogue experience
50 films that influenced men's style

June 23, 2008

Secret Sharer

Smithandmills

One of the best secret spots in NYC, Smith & Mills is eight tables in an old Tribeca garage with an amazing bar that  doubles as a kitchen. It's a great restaurant for a date or a small group, and it's the only place that will play a Radiohead record from start to finish while you eat the best oysters in town. --SEAN AVERY

71 North Moore St.
Doesn't take reservations

READ MORE:
Head to toe eating for the brave gourmand
Terrine is more than the sum of its parts

Delirious Fictions

Pollymagoo

The three films brought to DVD in The Delirious Fictions of William Klein (Criterion) are like a trio of evil clowns, tightly walking the line between funny and disturbing. An expatriate American in Paris once infamous for a series of all-too-revealing photographs of New York, Klein created films with the same gritty glamour. His first foray into moving pictures, Who are You, Polly Maggoo (1966) uses the twig-like Dorothy MacGowan as Polly -- a Brooklyn-born supermodel who's strutted her way to Paris -- to stick it to the world of haute couture.

When Polly says sadly, lips perfectly pouted, fat eyelashes batting, "Every time they take my picture -- there's a little bit less of me left," you get the sense, as you are meant to, that there wasn't much there to start with. But the way Klein swings from faux documentary to fantasy on a pendulum of vivid black and white is something else. Aiming at one oversized bulls-eye after another, Klein's later work targets American imperialism and middle-class complacency.

The weakest link, Mr. Freedom (1969) follows a W-like superhero (John Abbey) into the unknown world of, gasp, foreigners. A spooftastic live-action cartoon strip, Mr. Freedom could be called a high-minded precursor to Team America, if it were particularly high-minded. In The Model Couple (1977), an innocent pair of pre-Bobo bourgeois are hand-picked for a government experiment in which they are set up in an Ikea-esque "happiness capsule" and monitored constantly.

This, surprise, leads to unhappiness. The couple's trajectory -- from eager pioneers to overexposed victims --  anticipates the burgeoning blogosphere where tireless chronicles of the quotidian abound -- and are subsequently regretted.

More scientific than sexy, this pointed satire of the modern age then manages to still work now. So ultimately Klein gets the last laugh, proving that even delirium has its delights. --LIZ McDANIEL

The Delirious Fictions of William Klein
From The Criterion Collection, criterion.com

More images from The Delirious Fictions of William Klein >>

READ MORE:
Steve Martin looks back on the serious business of being funny
The 50 movies that had the greatest impact on men's style

June 20, 2008

Flash(man) in the Pan

Tombrown

A whole lot spawned in Warkwickshire: a grand game, a literary tradition, and a bullying, continental playboy. It was 1823 at a little boarding school in this town across the pond when, as rugbyschool.net tells it, a "lad called William Webb Ellis first ran with the ball and invented the game of rugby football." Thomas Hughes attended Rugby School a few bullying-filled years later and lived to write his tale of rugby, cricket, and revenge. Tom Brown's Schooldays became a British school house classic and gave us an infamous villain: Flashman. George MacDonald Fraser later reincarnated Flashie as his philandering, battling, very well dressed cult hero. Today's Old Boys can delve into Flashman's torturous days with great 19th and early 20th century copies of the classic for under $10 on eBay. --HOLLISTER H. HOVEY

READ MORE:
Joseph O'Neill's third novel, Netherland, everything isn't just cricket
David Rensin tells the oral history of legendary surfer Mika Dora

June 19, 2008

Jersey Boys

Tonysopranorobe

(Tony Soprano's robe)

Like all great icons, Tony Soprano is fully realized in the public imagination. If you doubt that, head to Christie's on June 25 for the pop culture auction where you can bid on clothes worn while filming the show. It's a veritable history of our friends from Jersey: from Tony's bloody shirt when he was shot by Uncle Junior to his signature leather jacket. Perhaps the definitive offering is the bathrobe Tony wore loping down the driveway to pick up his morning paper. You can almost feel his hangover from a night at Bada Bing.

Moving into more garish territory are tracksuits worn by characters like Paulie and Hesh that approach downright hilarity with their louche grandiosity. The cultural miscellany doesn't stop there, the auction ranges from Dean Martin's belt buckle to Jack Kerouac's portable radio. At the opposite end of the sartorial spectrum from the Sopranos is a Western style shirt worn by Hank Williams that's the last word on frontier cool. --DAVID COGGINS

 

Heshtracksuit

(Hesh's tracksuit)

Hankwilliamsshirt

(Hank Williams's shirt)

READ MORE:
A review of Volume One -- the first album from Zooey Deschanel's band, She & Him
Stars of HBO's critically acclaimed drama The Wire suit up for their Men's Vogue photo shoot

June 18, 2008

A Philly Legend

Johnsroastpork

For a place that serves scrapple as a breakfast special, John's Roast Pork has some pretty exalted company.  The restaurant, a South Philadelphia institution that's not much more than a shack with some outdoor seating, won a James Beard Foundation award for culinary excellence in 2006.  That's chiefly due to its Philly cheesesteak, which draws devotees every day who line up for the robust hoagie.


Johnsroastporkii


Cheesesteaks taste better than they look -- maybe that's why people eat them so fast. In the case of John's, you move through the line and shout out your order in a system that seems highly scientific. You have to admire a place where the lightest thing on the menu is the roast pork sandwich (made from the same recipe since the joint opened in 1930).  Head to John's during the week--they're closed on weekends--and don't think about getting there late. They shut at 3pm but the grill closes at 2:30pm sharp, no exceptions. When you become a legend, you make your own rules. --DAVID COGGINS

14 E. Snyder Avenue
215-463-1951



READ MORE:
A family-run business creates delicious burger blends
Wild boar--what the Italians call cinghiale--is the king of pork

June 17, 2008

A Question of Timing

For decades the display cases at Tiffany & Co. have sent chills down the spine of the gentleman bachelor. One look at the array of engagement rings and it's clear to our Lothario that playtime is over. Maybe that's why Tiffany & Co. recently launched a Patek Philippe salon, the first in the nation, inside their flagship New York store. Now jittery grooms can relax in a luxurious art deco lounge, receive private chronographic consultations, and stroll the in-house museum, filled with rare specimens from the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. Absent minded suitors would do well to pick up the the Perpetual Calender, which clocks in at $89,600, and is sure to get you to the church on time, and in style. --BEN POPPER



Patek

Patek Phillipe Salon
727 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY, 10022



READ MORE:
A French watchmaker circles back to the seventies to keep its timepieces au courant
After perfecting the cufflink, uptown jewelry house Taffin turns its attention to the wristwatch

June 16, 2008

A Night of Light

Jennykimtreenalombardo

(Jenny Kim of PRC and Treena Lomardo of W.)

Jil Sander celebrated the opening of its downtown outpost last night -- a light-filled store at 30 Howard Street artfully imagined by creative director Raf Simons. The space, over 6,000 sq. ft., takes up two storeys and is full of marble, mirrors, and steel. The dressing rooms and reflective panels can be moved and adjusted, giving the store and Simons endless possibilities. --PHOTOS BY HANUK

More photos from the event >>

READ MORE:
50 films that influenced men's style
Men's Vogue throws a party to celebrate Black Fleece, Thom Browne's line of suits and sports clothes for Brooks Brothers

June 13, 2008

Return to Camelot

Guinevere

The Paolo Roversi: Guinevere show at Pace/MacGill gallery was just extended through June 27. Originally set to close Saturday, the exhibit focuses solely on Roversi's sultry shots of model Guinevere van Seenus, showcasing her versatility as a subject. The two met 12 years ago when van Seenus, now 30, walked into Roversi's studio for a go-see, and they have been creating photographs together ever since. Roversi has tentative plans to do a book on the model, but since that may take years, see Guinevere in all her glory now at Pace/MacGill. --JADE ANDERSON

Slideshow: Paolo Roversi: Guinevere

32 East 57th Street, 9th floor, New York, NY
212-759-7999, pacemacgill.com

READ MORE:
Stunning actresses and models seen through the lens of photographer Marc Hom
Fashion photographer Tim Walker's work never lacks in playful spirit

June 12, 2008

Know When to Holden

Catcherintherye_2

This may be literature's second most important haircut (Samson probably wins first). Those graphic designers at Little, Brown gave the top of J.D. Salinger's head a close shave when cropping the photo on the dust jacket of the first copies of Catcher. Once the second printing rolled out, they gave him a little extra white space at the top. The difference today: thousands of dollars. This 1951 First Edition, First Printing is estimated to go for $2,500 to $3,500. You can place absentee bids for the June 12 auction now. --HOLLISTER H. HOVEY

READ MORE:
Steve Martin looks back on the serious business of being funny
Hunter S. Thompson's former assistant talks about life with the Gonzo legend

June 11, 2008

Advance Notice

Redsnapper1

People go through hoops to get into restaurants -- you can buy reservations online, for crying out loud.  But they rarely commit to a dish before going out to eat, or even know that in certain cases you must stake your claim for a restaurant's more elaborate offerings.  If you're worried that you might not be in the mood for a certain dish, rest assured that some specialties restore your faith after one bite.

That's the case at Le Bernardin, the legendary fish restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, where they serve a baked red snapper for two people that must be ordered 24 hours in advance.  The kitchen, under the masterly direction of Eric Ripert, needs the notice to make sure their supplier in Florida can catch and set aside an entire fish just for you.  Ripert says they prepare about a dozen a week, mostly for regulars who are familiar with the menu and keenly aware of the glories of the dish.

It's worth the planning.  At first, you can't even see the fish beneath a case of rosemary and thyme salt that's about the size of a rugby ball.  It returns to the kitchen to be filleted and finished at the table with a little olive oil. When you finally taste it, it's lighter than light.  Have it with a glass of Chablis, and you've got a meal of sublime simplicity. --DAVID COGGINS

Redsnapper2

Le Bernardin
155 West 51st Street
New York City
212-554-1515

READ MORE:
How Grant Achatz overcame tongue cancer to become the nation's top chef
Can one man survive with only 58 kitchen knives?

June 10, 2008

Rediscovering Goya

Goyarepentance

(Repentance)

For the second month in a row, the 18th century Spanish artist Francisco Goya has made headlines. In April, the Prado Museum in Madrid pulled one of his most recognizable masterpieces, El Coloso, from a collection due to fears about its provenance. That scandalous debate, however, has been overshadowed by news that three sketches by the artist have been rediscovered after 130 years and will be up for sale at Christie's in London on July 8.

The sketches had been considered lost since an auction in Paris in 1877, and their authenticity is unquestioned since they are still on the mounts made for that auction. Having never been framed or exposed to much light, the sketches are in excellent condition, and Christie's expects them to fetch a total of $4 million. The price, Goya scholar Dr. Sarah Symmons notes, reflects how Goya's art "really seems to speak to the 21st century." Members of the Swiss family who brought the sketches to Christie's say they had no idea the artwork was lost and don't know how the sketches came into their family's possession.

Goya, who lived from 1746 to 1828, is most known for his gruesome depictions of war, specifically the Napoleonic invasions. His portrayals of humanity's most callous -- and, conversely, vulnerable -- dispositions are considered unparalleled. These newly found sketches are no exception. Dr. Symmons says that the three sketches "date from the artist's mature years, and that means they are especially idiosyncratic, personal, and episodic."

Down They Come shows four women falling through the air with one grinning and clawing at another who screams out in pain. Another sketch tells the story of Lampinos, an unjust constable who finds himself stitched inside a dead horse after peasants seek revenge against him. According to Goya's handwritten explanation of the drawing, Lampinos lived for a full night inside the horse's carcass, surrounded by dogs.

The sketches elicit both repugnance and empathy, anxiety and pity from the viewer. Benjamin Peronnet, Christie's director and international head of Old Master and 19th century drawings, says they each "illustrate to perfection the inexhaustible fertility of Goya's imagination, and the creativity and flair that see him recognized as arguably the first modern artist." One hundred and eighty years after Goya's death, his themes -- vengeance, guilt, and violence -- still strike a chord in viewers' hearts, not to mention bidders' wallets. -- CHLOE KAMARCK

Goyadowntheycome

(Down They Come)

Goyalampinos

(Lampinos)

READ MORE:
Miguel Zugaza has ushered The Prado into modern-day prominence
John Currin travels from sublime to ridiculous and back

June 09, 2008

Big Apple BBQ

Bigapplebbq

(Image via bigapplebbq.org)

New Yorkers can be forgiven for assuming they live at the nexus of the culinary world. However untrue that fact may be, it seems like there isn't a cuisine on earth that's unrepresented, and barbeque -- not traditionally within the purview of Yankees -- is no exception. But while diners may think they can get their hands dirty and arteries clogged with just about any variety of smoked, grilled, or charred meats round these parts, strolling into this weekend's 6th Annual Snapple Big Apple BBQ Block Party in Madison Square Park will feel something like performing a quintuple bypass after watching Scrubs. Like a miniature, highly caloric Olympics, 14 pit masters from across the country will flaunt their regional specialties, offering up gut-busting $8 plates of beef or pork doused in vinegar, ketchup, and even mustard-based sauces, thanks to a South Carolinian contestant. (In deference to the Big Apple's even bigger ego, no fewer than four hometown heroes will take the field.)

On breaks between portions, pick up some crawfish, hushpuppies and smores, catch seminars and discussions with Jeffrey Steingarten, Calvin Trillin, and other panelists, and enjoy the Eli "Paper Boy" Reed or a grab-bag of other bands while your food coma takes hold. If it all seems too perfect, lines will be, inevitably, long and temperatures should hover around 90. But anything worth having is worth fighting for. --NICHOLAS MOSQUERA

The list below from bigapplebbq.org:

Ken Callaghan, Blue Smoke, New York, NY
Kansas City Ribs & Pickles

Jonathan Burrows, Mr. Cecil's, Los Angeles, CA (New!)
Beef Ribs & Cucumber, Tomato Salad

Pete Daversa, Hill Country, New York, NY
Beef Ribs & Beans

Joe Duncan, Baker's Ribs, Dallas, TX
Beef Brisket & Coleslaw

Tommy Houston, Checkered Pig, Martinsville, VA (New!)
Chopped Pork Sandwich & Coleslaw

Jimmy Hagood, BlackJack BBQ, Charleston, SC
Pulled Pork Shoulder & Coleslaw

Chris Lilly, Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, Decatur, AL
Pulled Pork Shoulder & Beans

Mike Mills, 17th Street Bar & Grill, Murphysboro, IL & Memphis Championship Barbecue, Las Vegas, NV
Baby Back Ribs & Beans

Ed Mitchell, The Pit, Raleigh, NC
Whole Hog & Coleslaw

Garry Roark, Ubon's "Champion's Choice," Yazoo, MS
Pulled Pork Shoulder & Coleslaw

Michael Rodriguez, The Salt Lick BBQ, Driftwood, TX
Beef Brisket, Sausage & Coleslaw

John Stage, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, New York, NY
Pulled Pork Shoulder & Beans

John Wheeler, Rack & Soul, New York, NY
Baby Back Ribs & Beans

Ed Wilson, Wilson's Barbeque, Fairfield, CT (New!)
Texas Style Brisket & Coleslaw

READ MORE:
A new crop of Manhattan restaurants is reinventing the hamburger
Mortadella regains its name as the king of salumi

June 06, 2008

Fashion's Patron Saint

The beautiful and the powerful gathered in Paris today for the funeral of the legendary couturier Yves Saint Laurent, who died of a brain tumor June 1. Saint Laurent, who was 71, was widely recognized as one of the most influential fashion designers of the last 50 years. He brought the world of high art to fashion with collections inspired by Mondrian and Picasso, and yet he was also known for effortlessly incorporating styles from the street. He was one of the first designers to put women into pants, and many at his funeral, including France's first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy -- who modeled for Saint Laurent before she married into politics -- wore black trousers in homage to this legendary designer. --BEN POPPER



Yves

Yves with one of his closest friends and customers, Catherine Deneuve

Saint Laurent remembered around the web

A photo retrospective from the New York Times
Film of Yves in action, 1962
A tribute to his life



READ MORE:
50 films that influenced men's style
Men's Vogue throws a party to celebrate Black Fleece, Thom Browne's line of suits and sports clothes for Brooks Brothers

June 05, 2008

Beyond Duty Free

Dutyfreeitems

(Items available for purchase at cathaypacific.com)

In today's travel climate, many airlines are downsizing their in-flight perks. Cathay Pacific is taking a different route, becoming the first airline to offer in-flight, duty free luxury shopping. Their Beyond Duty Free service gives passengers the opportunity to own a piece of the golden era of traveling history: Louis Vuitton monogram trunks, immaculately maintained watches, and choice Hermès clocks are just a few of the many items up for grabs.

Beyond Duty Free has already broken records; a Rolex Explorer II, a favorite of Steve McQueen (it was designed to function even under the most treacherous conditions), sold for a smooth $25,000, the highest price ever paid for an in-flight item. Every piece up for sale has been sourced from French antique dealers, so you know they're in top collector's condition. Some even date as far back as the late 19th century. Pre-order your items online, and a flight attendant will deliver them to your seat once on board. Like most quality vintage, these pieces are selling out quickly. Head over to cathaypacific.com to see more. --JONAS PELLI

READ MORE:
The evolution of the Rolex sports watch from the Oyster to the present day
The Panasonic HDC-HS9 makes a perfect travel companion

June 04, 2008

CFDA on Display

Group_2

( Matt Foley, Robert Childs, Sam Lothrop, Jordan Silver, and Tom Becker of Thom Browne)

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) presented their annual awards last night, honoring Tom ford for Menswear Designer of the Year, Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein for Womenswear Designer of the Year, and Carolina Herrera for the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award, among others.

But the night was as much about the up-and-comers as it was celebrating the best of fashion. For the first time ever, the awards included a live simulcast for design students as well as Upstairs at the Library, a viewing party hosted by T-Mobile. Both represent the next generation of talent and fashion VIPs, and, perhaps, the winners of tomorrow. --PHOTO BY HANUK

More photos from the event >>

READ MORE:
50 films that influenced men's style
Men's Vogue throws a party to celebrate Black Fleece, Thom Browne's line of suits and sports clothes for Brooks Brothers

June 03, 2008

The Beauty of Bikes

Dearvelo

In the land of yellow cabs, bicycles don't often get enough respect on New York City streets. But a new art exhibit, part of the 8th annual Bicycle Film Festival, gives two-wheeled friends their due. Partners and Spade hosts "Dear Velo," which highlights the sculptural beauty of the bicycle. Twenty handmade bikes are featured from artists and cyclists from around the world. Andy Spade and Anthony Sperduti worked with curators Katharine Barthelme and BFF founder Brendt Barber to bring the show to the Partners and Spade Gallery on 40 Great Jones Street through June 2. --MORDECHAI RUBINSTEIN

Related: A slideshow of bikes from the event

READ MORE:
GPS goes off-road with this ultimate cycling partner
Are midlife triathletes trying to turn back time?

June 02, 2008
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier