VMAN 52: BOYS TO MEN STARRING TROYE SIVAN & OMAR APOLLO

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SPRING / SUMMER 2024

“I like the challenge of telling a story that I just haven’t heard that much.”

BOYS TO MEN TROYE SIVAN

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JACK BRIDGLAND STYLED BY ABBY BENNETT INTERVIEWED BY LIZZY GOODMAN

52

SPRING / SUMMER 2024

“I love touring. I feel like a way better human being on tour.”

BOYS TO MEN OMAR APOLLO

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JACK BRIDGLAND STYLED BY GRO CURTIS INTERVIEWED BY MATHIAS ROSENZWEIG

P L E A S E E N J O Y C H A M P A G N E R E S P O N S I B LY

WILLYCHAVARRIA.COM

WILLYCHAVARRIA.COM

Table of Contents

Watch OMEGA Seamaster Diver 300M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 42MM ($5,900, available at Omega boutiques nationwide)

ON

ISLAND

In This Issue Ringleader, 20 VMAN News, 22 Room Service, 24 Callum Turner: Airplane Mode, 26 VMAN Trends, 28 VMEN, 30 UN-APOLLO-GETIC, 40 Angel Baby Grows Up, 48 Armani the Almighty, 56 Sydney’s Sonic Scene, 64 Stefon Diggs Never Fumbles the Look, 66 Pharrell’s Moment, 72 One Night in Rome, 78 Bay Watch, 86 Behind the Baguette, 94 What VMEN Want, 96 14

Photography Damien Ropero

TIME

EDITORIAL Stephen Gan Editor-in-Chief / Creative Director Gro Curtis Editorial / Fashion Director Mathias Rosenzweig GEN V Editor-in-Chief / Digital Director Lizzy Goodman Senior Contributing Editor Savannah Sobrevilla Editor Greg Krelenstein Entertainment Editor PHOTO / ART Goran Macura Photo Director Tobias Holzmann Art Director FASHION Xander Ang Senior Fashion Editor DIGITAL Kevin Ponce Digital Managing Editor Meng Ji Weibo and Chinese Editor Todd Kamelhar Managing Director Crystal McGhee Financial Office Manager Jessica Rivera Distribution and Marketing Manager / Production David Renard Distribution Alyson Cox Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief CONTRIBUTORS Jack Bridgland Brett Lloyd Robert Rabensteiner Michael Philouze Luca Campri Roberto Piu Alvaro Beamud Cortés Jonas Unger Geordie Wood John Colver Damien Ropero Jason Kibbler Benoît Béthume Timothy Schaumburg Alex Black Alessandro Mannelli Dean Podmore Abby Bennett Daniel Sachon Soki Mak John Kopp Freddie Fine Mikelle Street Shelby Latterman Bailey Bujnosek Katherine Maria Rojas Olivia Novato Giorgia Feroldi CONTRIBUTING FASHION EDITORS Nicola Formichetti Anastasia Barbieri Patti Wilson Anna Trevelyan George Cortina Amanda Harlech Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele Derek Blasberg Contributing Editor-at-Large Teri Duerr Copy and Research Editor ADVERTISTING / FINANCE Mediaberna S.r.l.

(Advertising Office for Italy and Switzerland) Luciano Bernardini de Pace luciano@bernardini.it Grazia Mortari mortari@bernardini.it Eleni Gatsou Bureau (Advertising Office for France and America) Eleni Gatsou eleni@elenigatsou.com Marie-Loup Faggioli marie-loup@elenigatsou.com PRESS AND EVENTS Purple PR Andrew Lister andrew.lister@purplepr.com Shiana Madray shiana.madray@purplepr.com Remi Jiang remi.jiang@purplepr.com SPECIAL THANKS SN37 Steven Chaiken, Jesse Kahn Interlude Project Elena Mereu, Elena Cimarosti, Amy Coady Needles Total Charlie Brierley, Sam Rhodes Cale Harrison Webber Represents Elle Korhaliller Bird Production Julia Lessere Creative Exchange Agency Jeremy Herzog Artworld Kelly Penford Universal Music Mariam Dib Dean Podmore Studio Rhiannon Yarrow Heroes Jonathon Reis The Society Jaga Acquarulo, Morgan Rubenstein IMG Milan Maria Ianniello Elite Milan Matteo Mazzi D’Management Livia Santangelo Tomorrow is Another Day Şebnem Keseroğlu KNOWN Model Management Ismael Vasquez Rebel Management Quinten Dierckx Independent Federico Lecce Streeters Rayna Donatelli, Tyler Williamson, Maddie Hoelzer CLM Agency Taylor James MA+ Group Andy MacDonald, Julia Kazos Home Agency Josephine Whittaker, Robin Pacheco Walter Schupfer Management Brent Smith, Jillian Johnson Julian Watson Agency Julie Boyle, Alex Wood A-Frame Shanti Bhagawati The Only Andrew Bruggeman Opus Beauty Steeve Foussard Artist Group Kate Sullivan, Savanna Hopkinson Paradis Jovita Lee Kalpana Leela Veeravalli viewFinders Dana Brockman Greg Foley Interns Anna Henderson, Yixiao Zhao, Liv Vitale, Marli Giedt, Maggie Schut, Fabrice Laguerre, Anastasia Inborn, Brandon Brownstein, Natalie Cohen, Will Fleming, Abby Lorenzini

Cover 1 Omar wears shirt LOEWE All jewelry talent’s own Cover 2 Troye wears jacket PRADA All jewelry talent’s own Comb stylist’s own Cover 3 Mr. Armani wears sweater EMPORIO ARMANI

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Masthead

Watch TIFFANY & CO. Tiffany CT60 3-Hand 40MM in stainless steel ($3,400, available at Tiffany & Co. boutiques nationwide)

IN A PINCH 17

HAPPY

HOUR With a sense of joyful abandon, we skipped through the moody streets of Rome and the rocky beaches of Sardinia to studios across New York City, Sydney, Brussels, and Los Angeles, to merge perspectives from around the world and create a juicy smorgasbord of what’s new, what’s global, what’s now—and, more importantly, what’s coming tomorrow. In an exclusive interview with fashion’s reigning emperor, Giorgio Armani, we learned that discipline and passion are what make a brand timelessly good. (Taking time off to recharge on the volcanic island of Pantelleria helps, too). Chatting to Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs only days after his team made it to the NFL playoffs, we concluded that the B in “B-boy” sometimes stands for Birkin, since the stylish athlete is a fan of the silhouette, and V love that. Our VMEN and multihyphenate du jour, Ramy Youssef, are collectively pioneering a new standard for multi-talented celebrities and their many projects to great avail, ushering in a fresh generation of renaissance men. With our cover stars, Omar Apollo and Troye Sivan, shot by V collaborator Jack Bridgland, we got a taste of what it’s like to be young, gifted, and queer in an industry that has grown to embrace and celebrate adversity. In assembling this issue, we concluded that the future of entertainment is not only looking bright, liberated, and inclusive, but oh so handsome. MR. V 18

Editor’s Letter Slug

Watch CARTIER Santos de Cartier watch, large model, in stainless steel ($7,750, available at Cartier boutiques nationwide)

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RINGLEADER

Photography Geordie Wood Fashion John Colver

Ramy Youssef is an exemplary embodiment of the modern-day renaissance man—or, as we’ve come to know it, the multihyphenate. Following his film debut, VMAN caught up with the firebrand and his many projects

Everyone should get the on-set experience of a fashion shoot at least once in their life. There are lots of high highs—particularly when good music is blasting, the photographer and the subject are in a groove, and everyone feels their hard work paying off in real time. But with high highs come lulls, and sometimes you will find yourself just waiting—while the lighting gets readjusted for the fifth time or someone gets their sample-sized look taped onto their regular-sized body—and grazing endlessly on tummy-turning trail mix. By midday, usually, there’s a certain listlessness in the air, like any workplace. Yet, when I walked onto the VMAN set on a strangely muggy December afternoon in New York City, Ramy Youssef was running around dribbling a basketball, chipper as can be. Though the Egyptian-American multihyphenate looked a touch sleep-deprived from the press tour tied to his film debut in Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest epic Poor Things, his eyes literally sparkled when he introduced himself.

It was just over 10 years ago that Youssef moved to Los Angeles after landing a recurring role in the Nick at Nite family sitcom See Dad Run. Then, he was a “20-year-old with a stupidly big mop head of hair who didn’t know many people.” Since he had left his sketch comedy partners back in New York City, Youssef took up stand-up comedy to exercise his funny bone, the solitary practice of which had the unintended result of furthering his isolation. He jokes that the production team must have noticed and that their pity is probably why the See Dad Run writers’ room accepted his request to shadow them while they worked on new episodes. (It’s refreshing to know that, though the entertainment business is partial to nepotism, the good ol’ just-ask-and-be-ready method still works.) But Youssef explains that his ambitions were driven not by a need to socialize but by a pressure widely felt among first-generation Americans: the inevitability of settling into a ‘real job.’

“I never thought this would be my career,” he states, matterof-factly. “I thought I would have to start my real life at some point. In my mind, I was like, ‘At 25, I’m gonna have to go to law school. So, let me do as much as possible before that terrible day comes.’” Fortunately for Youssef, that day never came.

In April of 2019, Youssef’s chaotically semi-autobiographical comedy series Ramy premiered on Hulu, for which he took home a Golden Globe Award that year and a Peabody Award in 2020. It is arguably the first show of its kind, offering the Egyptian-American perspective in a post-9/11 America and poking at expired notions of good Muslims vs. bad Muslims while still making room for salacious jokes about cleaning cum out of one’s toes before praying. “Making the Ramy show has been helpful for my personal life of trying to step out of the good/bad paradigm,” Youssef notes. “And trying to be a bit more rooted in whether or not I’m acting out of love or out of fear.” In addition to the previously unexplored-by-mainstreammedia themes within Ramy, the show’s sleek Arabic typography and Habibi Funk soundtrack were also wildly different from anything available on streaming (even today).

In its three seasons (and counting) Youssef has not only played Ramy’s titular role, but served as its creator, writer, executive producer, and, gradually, its main director. He’s maintained a respected stand-up career, partnering with HBO for 20

his first comedy special, Ramy Youssef: Feelings, in 2019; he co-created the Netflix series Mo with Palestinian comedian Mohammed Amer (if Mo is not the first American TV series with a Palestinian refugee as its lead, it is certainly the first comedy to have the distinction); and he even directed an episode of The Bear which aired in June of last year, making him the first director outside of the show’s showrunners to do so. On December 8th, Poor Things premiered in theaters. For his first feature role, Youssef had the intimidating task of acting opposite Academy Award winner Emma Stone (whom he called the “funniest, fastest, smartest performer” he had ever worked with) and beside Academy Award nominees Willem Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo. He and the movie received raved reviews. One fan gushed that Youssef’s character was a prime example of a “real man.” Just one of many positive critiques.

The same night Poor Things premiered in the U.S., Youssef performed stand-up at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Though— or probably because—they locked everyone’s phone away in a cozy, tamper-proof straightjacket to limit filming, the audience was incredibly engaged and present. Among the audience members were Zoë Kravitz, Cara Delevingne, Selena Gomez, and Taylor Swift. This is especially significant because Youssef announced ahead of time that 100% of the show’s proceeds would go to humanitarian relief in Gaza. Backstage, everyone was high on excitement and, even over Zoom two weeks later, Youssef is still reeling with gratitude. “Zoë is actually a great friend of mine,” he says. “And I just met Taylor [Swift]. We just got on. She’s really funny, a great banter-er… It was really cool of them to come out to the show.” SAVANNAH SOBREVILLA Head to VMAN.com to read the extended interview.

Ramy wears jacket, sweater, pants PRADA Sunglasses TOM FORD EYEWEAR Hat CLUB SHOP NY

Makeup Abigail Hayden Hair Andrea Grande-Capone Producer Carly Hoff (Webber Represents) Digital technician David Jaffe Photo assistant Niko Magraros Stylist assistant Ashley Hood Location Highlight Studios

Ringleader

Jacket and pants LOUIS VUITTON Hoodie HERMÈS Rings talent’s own Shoes UGG

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Joshua wears all clothing and accessories SAINT LAURENT by Anthony Vaccarello

Thather wears all clothing and bag FENDI

All clothing and bag GUCCI

Saint Laurent’s Dark Spring

Fendi Plays Hide-And-Go Chic

Giddy Up for Gucci

Each spring, fashion’s most fervent enthusiasts eagerly await the florals and pastels that accompany the season—however, not all sartorialists are wooed by vernal hues. So, where does one with a penchant for midnight hues head amid the boisterous bloom?

Saint Laurent, where black remains the uniform year-round and darkness reigns supreme, is a good place to start. The house’s Niki messenger bag is an even better direction to head if you are yearning for a bag to spring you into the season—sans the saccharine pep in your step.

Remember when Jack Torrance said, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” in The Shining? So does Fendi.

And while no eerie tune is crescendoing in the background, the Italian fashion house’s latest bag will have you on the edge of your seat. Contrary to the name, there’ll be no hiding when it comes to sporting this bag. Fendi’s Peekaboo ISeeYou is for those who wish to see and be seen.

The question remains: Are you game?

With a naughty neigh and dashing brio, Gucci’s Horsebit once again comes galloping straight from the ranch doors to the runway—except this time around, the mantra seems to be: bigger is better. Blown up to massive proportions, vaster than the Wild West, the equestrian motif takes center stage in a whimsical, new interpretation of the age-old code.

Whether you’re a country-bound cowboy or a city-bound bronco, Gucci’s Horsebit bag is simply for the brave of heart.

VMAN NEWS

10 years ago, men’s bags were not a thing, really.

Sure, there were backpacks and the ever-soencouragingly-coined “murse”, but the culture wasn’t embracing men’s accessories and their many practical applications. Today, men’s fashion is not only hip to bags, but the selection is much more sophisticated and bespoke, offering something for every guy on the fly 22

All clothing and bag LOEWE

Read Between Loewe’s Lines Geometry would have polyhedrons remain solid figures, with the numbers of their sides permanently fixed. Loewe, however, claims that some rules should be bent when it comes to shaping style. Where smooth architectural planes of calfskin collide, Loewe’s Puzzle Fold tote arises with ample elan. Kindred to the lines found on origami, those on Loewe’s latest tote are meant for folding. Sport it on the shoulder, on the hand, or simply by folding it flat—however you don it, seriously smart style is right around the bend with this tote.

VMAN News

Photography Alex Black Fashion Xander Ang Text John Kopp

All clothing and bag FERRAGAMO

Makeup Allie Smith (MA+ Group) using LANCÔME Hair Erol Karadag (MA+ Group) using ORIBE Models Joshua Seth, Thatcher Thornton (Heroes) Production Jillian Johnson (Walter Schupfer Management) Photo assistant Daren Thomas Stylist assistants Liv Vitale, Natalie Cohen Location SHIO Studio

Tote-Ally Freaking for Ferragamo

All clothing and bag DIOR

Cranking Up the Cannage at Dior First spotted on the chairs at Dior’s fashion shows in the 50s, the Cannage pattern left Europe’s glitterati hyperventilating for more than just a hot seat. Now, the erstwhile chair turned it-bag is up for yet another update; this time, it’s headed straight for menswear. On its latest rendition, the Cannage Satchel, everything, from its delectable hue of Cognac to its Cannage quilt glistening in high relief, lives up to its reputation.

The tote, perhaps the height of functional handbags, is often not the steezy go-to you wish it was.

If inundated with snooze-tempting boredom when searching for a tote— don’t be square, be there! Where?

Ferragamo, naturally, where the house’s latest take on the staple revs up some long-awaited edge. Featuring tanned calfskin, deep-covered handles that allow for wear on the shoulder or hand, and an irresistible star shape, this bad boy is all thrills and no frills.

All clothing and bag CELINE by Hedi Slimane

All clothing and bag DOLCE & GABBANA

Indulge in La Dolce (& Gabbana) Vita

Slouch It Out With Celine

A bag, like any sweet treat, tempts the eye with irresistible flavors that beget succulence. What warrants that succulence, however, is a matter of taste. In the palette of the purse, most have a taste for logos; some deem material drool-worthy; others crave structure. While conventional wisdom would decree gluttony a sin—when it comes to glamour, Dolce & Gabbana decadently disagrees with the DG Logo Boxy bag. Thanks to its überboxy structure, lustrous coat of calfskin leather, and logo in high relief, you can have your cake and eat it, too.

Slouching, while often regarded as a postural faux pas, in the hands of Hedi Slimane, can easily go from not to hot with a simple tug the strap or a sling across the shoulder. For those who have a hunch that structure is passé, look toward Celine. Where supple calfskin sags in lustrous glory, the Romy, not unlike Slimane, is all about defying convention and structure to arrive at the lusciously louche. Slippery sleek and lined with criminally smooth suede, the house’s classic shoulder bag feels just as good on the outside as on the inside.

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ROOM SERVICE Rome and Milan, two poles on either end of the spectrum that is fine Italian taste. If you find yourself in one of these two cities and in need of some lavish lodging, here are a few reasons why stylists Gro Curtis and Robert Rabensteiner consider the iconic Principe di Savoia and the buzzy Bulgari Hotel Roma to be two of fashion’s favorite hotspots

Courtesy of Hotel Principe di Savoia

HOTEL PRINCIPE DI SAVOIA What type of trip is this hotel perfect for? Indulging yourself. What time of year is best to visit? Spring. What movie would this hotel look good in? Anything Wes Anderson. Who is your dream companion for this hotel? Lee Radziwill. What is the ideal outfit for this place (gender notwithstanding?) A black cashmere tracksuit. What should we order at the bar? Negroni and fries. Fun fact about the hotel? You can usually spot famous fashion editors near the pool. What to put in your playlist: HBO’s Succession soundtrack.

Recommended reading: The Vanity Fair Diaries by Tina Brown. Pro tip: Keep your sunglasses on by the pool.

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Room Service

Courtesy of Bulgari Hotel Roma

BULGARI HOTEL ROMA What type of trip is this hotel perfect for? An elegant and luxurious one. What time of year is best to visit? Spring.

What movie would this hotel look good in? Ocean’s Eleven. Who is your dream companion for this hotel? A friend who is good at taking photos of you. What is the ideal outfit for this place (gender notwithstanding?) An elegant tuxedo with Bulgari cufflinks and rings. What should we order from room service? Pasta from Niko Romito, the best Italian chef, and the General Chef of all Bulgari hotels. What should we do on our first night? Put on an elegant jacket for aperitivo on the Terrasse. On our last night? Visit the historic gardens of the Villa Medici. What to put in your playlist: “Bella d’estate” by Mango. Pro tip: Bring swimwear so you can enjoy the amazing pool and spa.

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CALLUM TURNER: AIRPLANE MODE Wearing Valentino’s The Narratives collection and caught somewhere between The Boys in the Boat and Masters of the Air, Callum Turner keeps his feet planted firmly on the ground

Callum Turner was the name on everybody’s lips last year. And with good reason. The devastatingly handsome model-turned-actor made a splash with his starring role in The Boys in the Boat, a Christmas Day release directed by George Clooney and based on Daniel James Brown’s #1 New York Times bestselling non-fiction novel. The true story’s retelling of the Great Depression and an American rowing team partaking in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany, just as Adolf Hitler’s nazi reign of terror was beginning, capturing the hearts of audiences across the globe.

Coincidentally, Turner’s role as Major John Egan in Apple TV’s Masters of the Air plays out just a few years later, with the film depicting the true story of the bomber squadron who—amongst other achievements— successfully bombed Berlin and gave Hitler a taste of his own medicine.

However, despite two recent projects that just so happen to serve as bookends to World War II, Turner is very much a man of modern times.

VMAN spoke with the British star and Hollywood hunk about teaching himself how to act, working at Dover Street Market, and how he was inspired by his characters’ true life stories. MATHIAS ROSENZWEIG

Callum wears all clothing and shoes VALENTINO 26

VMAN: You didn’t follow a traditional academic path in order to become an actor. Can you tell us a bit about how your acting career came to be?

CALLUM TURNER: Someone in Paris, a friend of my mother’s, asked me if I wanted to go and meet these agents who had seen my photo. So I jumped at the opportunity and I loved (modeling). I did so many wonderful things through (doing that)—I lived in Japan for six months and I got to work with cool people, you know, Comme des Garçons, Louis Vuitton, things like that…It was like my gap year, I guess. I stopped modeling really when I was about 19, and I worked at Dover Street Market.

A guy I knew was a manager there, and he asked, “Do you need a job?” I said, “I do.” I really wanted a job. I didn’t want to model anymore. I had to make money. So I went and worked there for a couple of years and after probably about a year of working there, I just thought I should really try to do this acting thing. So I worked at Dover Street Market for four days a week, and then the other three days I’d watch films and play, you know, three films a day, just trying to engross myself as much as possible into the world of acting and theater and film.

I remember I auditioned for drama school and I was crawling around on the floor in this room with 20 other people in the audition, and I said, “I don’t think this is what I want to be doing.” Eventually, I got an agent because I’d done a short film with a student, and the rest is history.

VMAN: Having wanted to be a professional athlete, was the sports aspect of this film what drew you in?

CT: Absolutely. I mean, sports and film are two of my favorite things. But, you know, I’m director-driven; it’s all about the director, ‘ cause they’re the boss. They choose the cinematographer, the costume designer, the spec designer…they choose everything. And George (Clooney) was someone I always wanted to work with, of course, because he’s George. You know, if he wanted to do a movie about going to the moon, I’d have jumped on that too. So the fact that it was a rowing movie or a sports movie, was a happy coincidence.

VMAN: Can you speak to which parts Clooney wanted to really focus on or highlight within the film?

CT: I think he was inspired by the story and idea that these guys had nothing and were living hand to mouth, and they were just ordinary people who did something extraordinary.

And he’s such an incredible director. He taught me so many things that I’m going to take on and changed the way I think of acting, and my approach to acting. He’s just a real leader of people, you know, and everyone wants to be there for him, because everyone trusts him implicitly. You want to work for him because he provides a space that is fun and enjoyable and loving and warm and safe. He’s such a generous human being on so many levels. You know, he is such a film fan—he loves cinema so much, the history of cinema, and the business. And he’s, you know, infectious, George. He’s really more than what you think he’ll be, you know?

VMAN: What was it like working with Austin Butler, who was also just recently on the cover of VMAN? CT: Austin is one of my favorite actors and one of my favorite people. Every day we went in together I was inspired by him.

He brings such wonderful gravitas to Cleven, and humor. I think he nails this part.

VMAN: Can you tell us what drew you to this particular role, as well as what you learned about your character while researching the bomber squadron?

CT: You know, Egan signed up before Pearl Harbor happened. He wanted to fly. He wanted to fight. He wanted to protect our freedoms. He’s a hero. But he’s also someone that loves to have a good time. I was so inspired by his tenacity and his determination. I fell in love with him immediately. Egan’s someone you’d want with you on a night out.

Makeup Frankie Boyd (Streeters) Hair Jenni Wimmerstedt (Paradis) Digital technician Kylie Coutts Photo assistants Justin Mulroy, Mike Skigen, Iain Gomez Stylist assistants Liv Vitale, Natalie Cohen Hair assistants Vanessa Verea, Summer Key Location Salt Studios All clothing VALENTINO

Photography Jason Kibbler Fashion direction Gro Curtis Fashion Xander Ang

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Finlay wears all clothing MSGM Shoes MONCLER Bernard wears all clothing and shoes KENZO Socks model’s own Ibby wears all clothing and shoes DOLCE & GABBANA Watch OMEGA Hazem wears all clothing and shoes MARINE SERRE Watch OMEGA

VMAN TRENDS Men are finally thinking about their pants (thank God). What was once an option pool of strictly straight-leg jeans or unironic Bermuda shorts has now been expanded to include oversized takes on classics, utilitarian motifs, and printed short-shorts, providing everyday statement pieces at any length 28

Makeup Frank B (Home Agency) Hair Anton Alexander (Streeters) Models Finlay Davis, Hazem Mohamed Aly, Bernard Uechtritz, Ibby Sow (The Society) Set design Caz Slattery (CLM Agency) Photo assistants Leanna Siupinys, William Pippin Stylist assistants Liv Vitale, Marlie Giedt, Natalie Cohen Makeup assistant Natsuka Hirabayashi Hair assistant Katherine Cabrera Location SHIO Studio

VMAN Trends

Photography Timothy Schaumburg Fashion Xander Ang

Bernard wears all clothing and shoes ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

Ibby wears all clothing ZEGNA Sunglasses TOM FORD EYEWEAR Shoes MONCLER

Hazem wears all clothing MOSCHINO Shoes model’s own

Finlay wears all clothing DSQUARED2 Sunglasses TOM FORD EYEWEAR Watch OMEGA Shoes MARINE SERRE

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V M E N

For this issue’s people-to-watch, we rounded up a sampler of young talent that features undefinable soon-to-be pop icons, moody indie boys du jour, classically hunky actors, comedians who perform at cabarets, and downtown troublemakers

JEAN DAWSON THE UNDEFINABLE ARTIST KNOWS EXACTLY WHO HE IS The title “indescribable” has followed Jean Dawson since he began releasing music in 2018. It is an ironic moniker from an industry that fixates on fitting people into boxes; Dawson, however, has consistently fallen outside of these bounds since his debut single “Glacier Gallery.” The young musician’s alluring mystique could be credited to his desire to create something that didn’t exist yet, and his ability to create a world where that unique style could live.

Adversity is not a new theme in Dawson’s life.

He grew up between San Diego and Tijuana, crossing the US-Mexico border every day to attend school. In high school, he was antagonized for passing out his music on CDs by everyone except for two people— his best friend and his first-ever supporter. This independently led journey followed Dawson throughout his career, as he has never made music for the masses, but rather, for himself.

Dawson debuted the slogan “For The Kids Like Me,” during the rollout of his sophomore album Pixel Bath, featuring it on his merch and social media. It is a message to anyone who connects with his music, from having faced similar challenges to Dawson to going through similar journeys to finding themselves. He is unapologetically Jean Dawson, carrying himself with a fearlessness that sprouted from the darkest time of his life.

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Following a series of panic attacks in college while working on his debut EP Bad Sports, Dawson was forced to return home, falling into a deep depression.

“I spent the worst part of maybe 100 and something days wanting to kill myself every single day,” Dawson shared. Yet, he was able to emerge with a newfound perspective on life. “What the fuck do I have to fear?

I’ve already felt the closest I’ve ever felt to the Grim Reaper. I’ve laughed with him, I’ve cried with him, I’ve yelled at him, I’ve spoken to him, but I’ll never shake his hand.”

In the six years since starting his musical career, Dawson has produced three completely original projects. Now, Dawson has his sights set on everything – yes, everything. Following a year that saw him share “NO SZNS,” a collaboration with SZA, he is soon releasing the third installment of his trilogy, titled JEAN DAWSON AS “ACOÍRIS”, with a larger project looming in the distance. He is opening for Lil Yachty on his Europe tour beginning in April and has a comic book coming out. He’s also writing scripts, creative directing, and becoming further involved in the fashion world: If there is an artistic path to take, Dawson is testing it out. So, instead of labeling Jean Dawson as “indescribable,” “fearless” seems more fitting: “What fucking matters to me in the long run is the fact that I did what I wanted to do until I died.

As long as I was safe, as long as I didn’t hurt anybody, and as long as nobody hurt me, we’re all good to go.” FREDDIE FINE Jean Dawson wears all clothing PRADA Rings PAUMÉ LOS ANGELES

Photography Daniel Sachon Fashion Soki Mak

VMEN

Jean Dawson wears all clothing and necklace talent’s own Sunglasses GUCCI Rings PAUMÉ LOS ANGELES

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VMEN

DUA SALEH THE SUDANESE STAR EMBRACES THEIR BIMBO ERA “I’m trying my hardest to be smooth-brained,” Dua Saleh says, chuckling over Zoom. They are outside in Los Angeles, on a patio of sorts, wearing an apricotcolored oversized hoodie with a ruffle collar peeking out of the top. They look at ease, even though they are just back from a bout of traveling that left them slightly out of it. “I accidentally sound rugged-brained because I’m Sudani and I’m trans and I care about the state of the world.”

If you’re unaware, the term “smooth-brained” is essentially online code for “no thoughts, just vibes” — it follows the idea that the amount of brain wrinkles one has is caused by all the hard thinking going on in there. The 29-year-old, Kassala, Sudan-born singer and actor, who is best known for portraying the often-vocal Cal Bowman on Netflix’s internationally successful show Sex Education, is hoping to move into an era of their life where they are doing a little less brain-wrinkle-causing hard analyzing and a lot more creating. In that spirit, two years ago they relocated from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Los Angeles, the global center of vibes, creativity, and, one could argue, smooth-brainedness.

Saleh’s role as Cal came about through an already-established notoriety as a genre-bending musician. The show’s team found them online while looking for a nonbinary person to step into the role of a nonbinary rabble-rouser who would hold school administrators to account. Saleh fit the part to a T having spent some of their years in high school and university organizing walkouts and actions—they once staged a walkout over St Paul’s Central High School’s school-to-prison pipeline. Cal is also from Minneapolis, the place where Saleh grew up. But don’t define the performer by their character.

“I have noticed myself getting more feminine in the way I describe myself or act in real life because everybody who sees me out sees Cal,” they say.

“I find myself trying to differentiate.” Saleh often finds themself seeking to defy definition or escape a box, especially in the music world where they make

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Dua wears all clothing DIOR Durag stylist’s own Earrings MONDO MONDO Rings PAUMÉ LOS ANGELES, O.P.P. JEWELRY On face DIOR BEAUTY Dior Forever Skin Glow Foundation in #8N Neutral

extremely lyrical, genre-defying records, like 2020’s Rosetta, a dark project that draws heavily on Saleh’s beginnings as a poet. They refuse the label of activist, even though they create projects that will benefit those impacted by the ongoing third civil war in Sudan. That need to avoid easy categorization does beg the question: How do they feel about being in VMAN, a men’s magazine?

“Because I am transmasculine, it does feel more comfortable,” they say. “Being understood for my core masculinity is something that is really helpful and healing for the younger version of myself and even me currently where I’m in environments where people don’t quite understand what being nonbinary and being trans is. They don’t understand that trans masculinity can be something different than the Western portrayal of someone who is post-op.”

They continue, speaking eloquently and in a measured, but clearly studied tone about how these notions of masculinity connect with a longer history of gender fluidity on the continent of Africa that people are “often surprised by,” as the artist puts it —particularly within Sudan. “Let me not go too dark,” they say as the conversation segues into how Arab imperialism impacted gender-neutral body modification in that country. Right. Smooth brain. Just vibes.

MIKELLE STREET

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A former sketch comic in college, Carney used joke writing to process the unpredictable flux of transitioning. “It helped me put concise words to my feelings and build self-esteem. I could talk about something targeted and taboo in a way that’s like, ‘This is funny now. This is silly.’ It was a beautiful way to understand myself.”

Still, Carney needs to see the proof of delivery.

“On stage, I know I’m going to end with a punchline– I have control.” But if a joke fails, he bears the weight threefold: “Oh, that wasn’t funny, and you’re trans, and you’re on stage so everyone is looking at you.”

His natural confidence conflicts with an intense pressure to tell his story right. But in reclaiming his identity, he already has. Carney is unabashed and proud to be trans. “This is who I am. Nobody can take this from me again,” he says, referencing middle school, “This is mine.”

Carney extracts a universal lesson from the trans experience: Change what does not resonate with you.

He implores us to do the same, saying, “I don’t need to stay in this job or talk to this person that’s mean to me. I can take control of my life. I’m going to be myself and I’m going to live that out loud.” He pauses, then continues. “I’m choosing me. I’m taking a chance and I hope it goes okay.” Everyone can take a page from Carney’s book. SHELBY LATTERMAN

Nico wears all clothing GUCCI Ring talent’s own On skin GUCCI BEAUTY Baume Nourrissant Universel

NICO CARNEY THE COMEDIAN REDEFINING THE PROVERBIAL BOYS’ CLUB Nico Carney thinks men should want to smell better.

The 26-year-old stand-up comedian and writer’s mission is to use humor to guide men to their full potential. His central piece of advice to his male peers: “Be introspective. How do you want to dress? How do you want to move through the world? Who do you want to be?” In just two years, after leaving the relaxed open mic circuit of his hometown, Savannah, Georgia, Carney has risen to the top of New York City’s comedy scene. His material relies on a playful candor to canvas his experience as a trans man. “I’m a man,” says Carney before clarifying, “but not like that.” Carney co-hosts a popular monthly show, BOYS’ CLUB, at the East Village’s quintessential Club Cumming and was a select for the 2022 Netflix Is A Joke Festival.

Despite family support, Carney did not have a linear transition. “I presented as a boy until I was twelve. I had short hair, played sports,” he said, adding, “There was a period when one of my parents called me Michael.” He was socialized to female gender norms in middle school when the gender division became more pronounced. Carney came out as lesbian in 2018 in a place he deems cliché: the Division 1 women’s soccer team at Wake Forest University.

Upon moving to New York in 2021, he began his social and medical transition.

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ZANE PHILLIPS THE TEXAS THESPIAN TAKES TO THE BIG SCREEN In 2020, Zane Phillips was ready to leave acting behind.

It was during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic when theaters were shuttered, and plays and musicals were postponed indefinitely. The seasoned stage actor, who’d earned his B.F.A. in musical theater from Elon University, began wondering if theater was really his calling. “The entire time that I was doing it, I felt a little bit like a square peg in a round hole,” he recalls. But before he quit acting completely, Phillips decided to submit audition tapes for a few television and film projects. His expectations were low: Though he’d accumulated an enviable array of stage credits like Rolf in the National Tour of The Sound of Music, his on-camera experience was limited. Then, he got a callback. And the part.

As pandemic restrictions eased, the Texas native found himself on his first film set. The project: 2022’s Fire Island, a rom-com that puts a queer, modern-day twist on Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. Phillips played Dex, an OnlyFans creator whose sex-positivity turns troublesome as he flirts and fights with his fellow Fire-Islanders. The shift from theater was challenging, but also uniquely exciting. “With TV and film, you’re playing a character that nobody’s ever played before. So, you get this sort of power to dictate, ‘Alright, how does this person show up?’” he explains.

His darkly humorous turn in Fire Island was followed by a stint on the popular The CW series Legacies, a spin-off of The Vampire Diaries. Despite only appearing in the latter half of the show’s final season, Phillips’ brooding demigod, Ben, quickly became a fan favorite—a testament to his scene-stealing charisma. And the rising actor/model’s following only continues to grow. Most recently, he earned praise for playing douchey himbo Chad, the spoiled son of makeup mogul Madolyn Addison (Kim Cattrall), in Netflix’s short-lived comedy series Glamorous. Phillips describes the role as his favorite thus 34

far, offering him a chance to tap into the wealthydudebro villain archetype that was a staple of ‘80s flicks—think Steff from Pretty In Pink or Stan in Revenge of the Nerds.

“I want to play characters that feel alive,” he says.

“Down the line, I can be more of a hidden, furtive kind of actor, but right now it feels good to use what I bring to the table: a sense of being responsive. And I loved Chad because he was so responsive.”

The up-and-coming talent also appreciates having worked on projects like Glamorous and Fire Island that center LGBTQ+ storylines. As a gay teenager in Fredericksburg, Texas—a town of just 10,000 people—he struggled to find community around him.

In that circumstance, he explains, “Media becomes your only connection to this queer world that exists inside you, and you just want confirmation that it exists outside of yourself as well,” making his work all the more meaningful to him.

The uncertainty Phillips felt about his career in 2020 is far behind him, but he sometimes wrestles with a new emotion: disbelief. “There are moments where I’m on set, or doing something a little out there, and I’m like, ‘I’m living a life that I used to watch on TV?’ And that’s where I’m like, ‘Zane, just shut up your brain and enjoy what it is.’”

BAILEY BUJNOSEK

Zane wears all clothing and accessories EMPORIO ARMANI Watch OMEGA On face ARMANI BEAUTY Fluid Sheer Glow Enhancer in #10 Bronze

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THE DARE THE UNDERGROUND PROVOCATEUR THAT NEVER REALLY CHANGED Harrison Patrick Smith, better known as the musician The Dare, has the sort of chic boyish blitheness that twink lesbians envy. His outfit of choice for his sweaty, high-octane performances at any one of Manhattan or Brooklyn’s IYKYK underground clubs is a slick Gucci suit, yet he’s a laid-back guy. At Casetta, the wine bar in the Lower East Side where he chatted with VMAN over drinks, he ordered “the cheapest red,” a choice refreshingly aligned with his tuxedoed couch-surfer vibe. But what’s more covetable than his sleek suiting and general nonchalance is the fact that he sometimes acts like a little bit of an asshole and that when he does it’s, admittedly, a little charming. Case in point, in an interview with Dazed last year, he was asked to name some underground gems. His answer: “Can’t give mine away or else they won’t be underground anymore. People are calling Times Square the new Dimes Square, so maybe go there?”

Smith was born in Los Angeles, but raised in Seattle. He never took to Nirvana, instead, he relished the musical stylings of the Seattle-based indie/electronica band Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head. “They changed it to Brite Futures because they got sued,” he clarifies with a slight smirk. Growing up he played guitar and violin and hung out in the ironic corners of the internet, where he learned more about style.

“When I was getting into fashion as a 16-year-old, the trends on the internet were really funny at the time, like, health goth was a thing,” he recounts. Before assuming The Dare persona, Smith was the frontman of a band called Turtlenecked when he was a student at Lewis & Clark College. Turtlenecked’s output was more in line with the sentimental, Pacific Northwest indie rock of yesteryear like Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie, except imbued with Smith’s romantically offbeat lyricism like, “Am I the only one who wants a novel romance?/Not some pixie dream to save my life/We’d be like Algernon and Lady Fairfax/We’d talk like two mating dragonflies.”

The Dare wears all clothing DIOR MEN On face DIOR BEAUTY Dior Backstage Face & Body Powder-No-Powder in #2N Neutral

A Google Image search of Turtlenecked results in relics of Tumblr-era aesthetics: Smith’s sleepy MacBook selfies and photos of him in a thinking pose next to a neat stack of books and a vinyl record of The Smiths, his hair a pretty platinum blonde. By contrast, The Dare’s Spotify profile picture is a hard flash headshot of Smith in his Gucci suit, his lips parted enough to reveal a cheeky tooth gap, his coif resembling that of a bedhead-ed member of The Beatles, and his face nestled in between someone’s red painted toes, seemingly ready to dig in. Where Turtlenecked Smith was a blogger dream boy who wrote odd but genuinely heartfelt poems about Axe body spray and Wildean lovers, The Dare Smith is a city-slicker who fucks. But Smith is reluctant to confirm that the two projects vary at all: “[It’s] all the same shit; drums, bass, guitar, vocals.” We press, and though he eventually agrees that simply using the same ingredients will not always render the same cake, we concede that Smith is not entirely off base when he says that it’s all “the same shit.” It’s not hard to believe that the guy who referred to his band as a “pale indie bro trash pile” in a 2017 interview with Pitchfork, is also the same guy who proclaimed in his 2023 hit “Girls” that he likes “Girls who got so much hair on they ass, it clogs the drain.” Smith is tongue in cheek, so to speak, and he always has been. SAVANNAH SOBREVILLA 35

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DEL WATER GAP THE INDIE INGENU THAT COULD’VE FILED YOUR TAXES S. Holden Jaffe, the artist behind the indie-pop persona Del Water Gap, could’ve been keeping your books, if it weren’t for a stroke of luck in 2020.

Right before the lead single from the artist’s selftitled debut album, Ode to a Conversation Stuck In Your Throat, made its way into the world, Jaffe decided to step away from a career in music, something he’d dreamed of since college when he started the first iteration of Del Water Gap. “I quit music during the pandemic,” recalls Jaffe. “I’d been doing Del Water Gap for a few years, and I called a few of my friends and said I was going to go become an accountant.”

The singer is kind of joking about the accountant thing but it’s clear that the Brooklyn-based artist found himself at a serious crossroads. When Ode—a melodic tribute to the words that are often left unsaid—connected in a big way (the song is currently sitting on 83 million streams on Spotify,) this aspiring rock star turned temporarily aspiring real-job-haver found himself faced with the idea of getting what you want after thinking it was all over. This triumph, and the feelings that came along with it, are chronicled in Jaffe’s sophomore album, I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet, released last fall.

The 12-track project, which touches on self-discovery, communication, love and how to exist independently of, yet committed to, another person, is unapologetically honest, both in its indie-alt yearning and admissions of Jaffe’s own struggles to communicate. In conversation, the singer shares his tendencies to rely on indirect forms, like songwriting, to convey his feelings — a habit that originated back in his hometown of Sharon, Connecticut. “I grew up in a very loving household, but a household where things were communicated by inference,” he says.

“One of the ways that I communicate with people is sending these little messages out into the world and hoping that someone would hear it.”

Now, as he moves into his thirties, Jaffe is practicing more openness in his life, a shift that can be heard in his music, as well. He believes that when it comes to the best songs he’s ever written, he was simply a conduit for them, an artistic container meant to deliver a message from above, or even better, from his own subconscious. “A lot of my life as a writer is trying to be open,” says the songwriter. “So that when that message arrives, I can be there to receive it.”

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Del Water Gap wears all clothing DOLCE & GABBANA On hair ORIBE Curl Gloss

Another element in Jaffe’s sonic evolution is working with producer Sammy Witte (credited on both Harry Styles and SZA’s most recent projects).

Throughout IMYA + IHLY’s lengthy recording process—spanning nearly a year and a half—the producer challenged Jaffe to think of himself not only as a writer, but also as a live vocalist. Accustomed to creating music that skewed more melancholy, this time he let himself blend despondency with danceability. “This was the first time I just let myself make music that you could sort of bop to,” he says with a chuckle. “I think that’s classically been my favorite music—a bit thoughtful and insightful and sad—but disguised as something a little more hype.” Songs that feel ever-so anthemic, but still are tinged with sadness. That is to say, music meant to be played live. Which is exactly how it has been. “I spent more time on tour than off tour in the last three years,” explains Jaffe. His most recent set of live shows, the North American leg of the IMHA + IHLY tour, put him in over thirty cities in the span of a month and a half.

In these sold-out theaters, a conversation, a ceremonial exchange of energies exists between the artist and his growing fanbase. Under the warm glow of his first headlining tour, one thing is strikingly clear: This is way more fun than accounting.

OLIVIA NOVATO

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IVAN CORNEJO

Grooming (Dua Saleh, The Dare, Jean Dawson, Nico Carney) Michelle Harvey (Opus Beauty) Makeup (Ivan Cornejo, Zane Phillips, Del Water Gap) Melissa Rodgers (The Only) using DIOR Forever Foundation Hair (Ivan Cornejo, Zane Phillips, Del Water Gap) Yiotis Panayiotou using DYSON Haircare Executive producer Dan Cingari Photo assistant Ryan Hacket Stylist assistant Jack Wilson Location Smashbox Studios

THE CALI CROONER PROVING AGE AIN’T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER Though he’s inching his way towards his 20th year, Ivan Cornejo is taking anything but baby steps. Having wrapped up his sold-out 2023 Terapia tour (which set off a bidding war between two major record labels) and with 2 consecutive Billboard Latin Music Award wins for Best Regional Mexican album under his belt, Cornejo now has a comfortable seat at the big kids’ table.

For an artist who has only been performing live for about two years, Cornejo’s 2023 touring solidified him as a major player within the Latin music scene.

At his sold-out show in Ontario’s Toyota Arena, the crooner’s fans—mostly young girls and boys and their equally enamored parents—scream-sang his lyrics so blaringly loud that the singer’s voice could not be heard for stretches of time throughout the show.

“Fans were covering their ears. It was really loud,” Cornejo recounts.

Though he was originally planning to speak with me on the phone at a local mall, Cornejo’s driver mistakenly dropped him off at a Target in Burbank (a hotspot hangout for suburban teens), where he found himself wandering lesser-traversed aisles (think that nondescript back corner with command hooks and power strips, adjacent to a myriad of insecticides) to find some privacy. Cornejo was nonetheless stopped and greeted by fans whom he, in between answering questions and apologizing to me, took the moment to greet and take photos with. After all, these fans are the figures who pushed him to start singing and performing years ago.

When he was 16, Cornejo started posting TikToks of himself playing a requinto guitar (a small guitar used in traditional Mexican ballads, which he taught himself to play), with his face usually cut just out of frame. “I was like, maybe my voice isn’t ready to record and, you know, post covers of me singing,” Cornejo says, aware of his newcomer status. “But I can do this in the meantime and once I’m ready, I’ll have a bit of a following from my guitar covers.” His videos were met with comments like “Why don’t you sing?” and “Oh I bet he sings good!” from fellow youngsters. This laudatory feedback emboldened Cornejo to add and post vocal accompaniments to his already sickly sweet strumming.

Cornejo grew up in Riverside, California, a predominantly Mexican-American enclave outside of Los Angeles. He was introduced to regional Mexican sounds by his school friends, playing instruments and singing alongside them at the ripe age of 7. This early ritual nourished his love for Sierreño music, a sub-genre of regional Northern Mexican music originating in the ‘90s, which celebrates sadness, wherein the singer and the guitar compete to see who can whimper more beautifully.

Though English is Cornejo’s first language, the singer prefers to sing exclusively in Spanish, feigning

ease for the concisely complex and romantic storytelling that can only be conveyed through Ñ’s and rolled R’s. “I love how things work with the Spanish language. It’s more of a challenge for me at the same time, but that’s what makes it fun.” The singer also touts authenticity and the celebration of his own cultural identity as motives for singing in Latin America’s lingua franca. “For example, with the song ‘Tatuajes’, I thought of the idea in English, but [the writing] came out in Spanish. [With other songs] I try to flip certain lyrics from English to Spanish, and if it works, I write it down.”

Not only does the singer play piano, guitar, violin, and ukulele, and sing with the voice of a man with decades of life experience, but Cornejo also writes all of his songs. “My past two albums were all written by me,” he confirms. “The way I write is, I’ll go to my studio and close myself off. I try my best to be alone; I think that’s where I really get in my zone.”

We asked about his plans for 2024 and he alluded to an album release, something that embodies electronic and house music influences while remaining true to the traditional Sierreño identity his music has so proudly claimed. For goals and resolutions otherwise, Cornejo stated, “I want to grow as an artist musically. On the more personal side, I want to gain 10 pounds.” KATHERINE MARIA ROJAS

Ivan wears all clothing GIVENCHY Durag talent’s own On face ARMANI BEAUTY Crema Nera Acqua Pantelleria Hydra-Plumping Treatment Lotion

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VMAN photographed and spoke to the adored singer-songwriter, queer it boy, and rapidly rising star Omar Apollo as he was in the midst of creating a new, larger-than-life album Photography Jack Bridgland Fashion Gro Curtis Interview Mathias Rosenzweig

APOLLOGETIC Omar Apollo was arguably one of 2023’s biggest breakout stars. But, as is usually the case for those who get Grammy-nominated for “Best New Artist,” the 26-year-old Indiana native is far from “new” to music, or performing as a whole for that matter.

After eight years of releasing music, the “Evergreen” singer was photographed by Jack Bridgland in LA, where Apollo was finishing up his sophomore album.

After the biggest year of his life—filled with highs and lows—the chanteur seems more confident, and more comfortable with his rising fame than ever.

MATHIAS ROSENZWEIG 40

Omar wears all clothing LOEWE All jewelry talent’s own

“I make songs that are literally just for my friends. They’ll tell me they’re into some type of music, and I get kind of jealous. So I’m like, ‘Fine, I’ll go to the studio and make a song like that today.’ I don’t put it out. I just send it to them, like, ‘This is for you, so you could bump it in the car instead of listening to that other person.’”

—Omar Apollo

All clothing and shoes LOEWE Earring talent’s own

All clothing and shoes LOEWE Earring talent’s own

VMAN: I know you’re working on a new album. Are you still recording it?

OMAR APOLLO: Yeah, it’s not done yet. I’m actually about to go work some more on it. But it’s close. I’m in a weird stage of making better songs every day. I’m trying to make the best version of what I can make at this point in my life. It’s been maybe six, seven months now that I’ve been tapped into “album, album, album,” and nothing else. I’ve reached a really focused feeling now when I go to the studio. Like, it feels like it all makes sense. The music seems better. The words are coming out easier. Everything’s going really well. The good thing is that there are a lot of songs—the hard part is gonna be picking the ones I like best.

VMAN: I read that you used to rent Airbnbs to avoid distractions while you were recording your albums.

OA: I’m way more comfortable now. I know how to make an album now. I’ve done it before. I know what it takes. I know where I wanna take it. I mean, I’ve been making the album here in LA, but I also made a lot of it in London for two months. And then some in Miami, a bit in New York. And now just in LA finishing it.

VMAN: As you’re finishing up the project, are there any themes you’re finding yourself focus on for this album?

OA: I think there are definitely undertones and themes, you know, sonically. I hate the word “sonically…” It reminds me of— VMAN: Sonic the Hedgehog.

OA: Exactly. But I guess like, the bed of sounds…wait that sounds worse.

VMAN: We’re going downhill here.

OA: We’re going downhill. Okay, but the themes are very well, I’m kind of angry. I’m more angry on this album. I guess that’s what I could say [about it]. A lot of the songs are leaning toward anger.

VMAN: Can I ask about that? Are you more pissed off now than you’ve been before or are you just more comfortable sharing anger in your music?

OA: I’m just pissed off (laughs). It’s not that deep. But one thing that I’ve done is gotten better at speaking about how I feel in the present moment. I used to go back years and years for the songs I was writing. “Evergreen,” you know, that happened to me two years before I wrote it. As a writer, you know, that can be really hard to channel. I sit in a room with three or four other people, and you have to explain to them how you’re feeling. But I love that I can do that now. I couldn’t before.

VMAN: You’ve developed a really big and loyal fan base.

What does it feel like working on new music this time around when you know that there are so many people eagerly anticipating it, which isn’t the case for a brand new artist?

OA: Well, you know, I’ve been making music for eight years.

But definitely over the past two years I’ve gotten a lot more visibility than I ever had. Even last night, some kids saw me in a restaurant, ran home, got their vinyls and brought them back for me to sign. But to be an artist is not to be in service of anyone else’s opinions. Even my friends and team will be like, “We need to try something like this.” Well, no one really tells me that because they know not to, but it gets implied.

And I’m like, I don’t work for any of you. I make music that moves me and I hope it moves other people…I do care about the people and seeing their faces react to the music and words, but the pressure is always the one I put on myself.

I wouldn’t be able to live my life as an artist if I sat and listened to every critique.

And you know, I make music for me. I make songs that are literally just for my friends. They’ll tell me they’re into some type of music, and I get kind of jealous. So I’m like, “Fine, I’ll go to the studio and make a song like that today.” I don’t put it out. I just send it to them, like, “This is for you, so you could bump it in the car instead of listening to that other person.”

VMAN: I love that you just can’t stand them listening to somebody else.

OA: Yeah, it’s supposed to be about me here (laughs). Like your friend makes music too, okay?!

VMAN: It must be an amazing creative exercise to try out all those genres, though.

OA: That’s my life. It’s a good exercise for sure. Even with rap—I’ve always been rapping, but obviously, you know, I’m a singer-songwriter. Rapping is a whole other skillset.

VMAN: Artists tend to have a love-hate relationship with touring that leans more towards hate. How do you feel about it, assuming you’ll be on tour next year?

OA: I love touring. I feel like a way better human being on tour. I’m actually functioning and whole. This next tour I’m definitely going to get into video games. This last tour I spent renting cars and going to lakes, watching the sunset every night. That makes me feel grounded.

VMAN: I know you were a dancer when you were younger, so I guess you also just love to perform.

OA: I love attention (laughs). It’s fine. It doesn’t bother me.

I mean, maybe one time, I was in the street walking around New York and I was really sad. And I was getting noticed every two seconds and I was like, man, I should have put a hood on or something. But I was just sad. Other than that, it’s never a problem.

VMAN: You’re an ambassador for Loewe, who were by far one of the most popular brands in 2023. Why do you think people love them so much?

OA: I mean, every piece that came out for from their last collection was beautiful. I wear the clothes every day. My closet is literally full of Loewe.

VMAN: It better be…

OA: (Laughs) It really is. And I just realized how much their clothes can make you feel more confident. When you’re in a room full of people wearing something beautiful that drapes over your body, I mean, what else could you ask for? I always say that I want to be able to dress so I don’t have to speak.

Like, I just look good enough.

VMAN: Since we’re doing this interview in December, I have to ask you about goals for 2024.

OA: You know, 2023 was full of amazing moments for me.

But also some of the hardest moments I’ve ever faced in my life. I would hope that in 2024, I can respect myself a bit more.

I also want to hold my niece and nephews more. I want to go see them more. I want to make more bread so I can buy a house in Indiana and they can all run around. I have those types of goals.

All clothing LOEWE All jewelry talent’s own

All clothing and shoes LOEWE All jewelry talent’s own

“It feels like it all makes sense.

The music seems better. The words are coming out easier. Everything’s going really well. The good thing is that there are a lot of songs—the hard part is gonna be picking the ones I like best.”

—Omar Apollo

All clothing and shoes LOEWE All jewelry talent’s own

Grooming Anna Bernabe (Kalpana) Set design Evan Jourden Executive producer Dana Brockman (viewFinders) Producer Frank DeCaro (viewFinders) Digital technician DJ Dohar Lighting technician Ryan Hackett Photo assistants Ricky Steel, Adam Matijasevic Stylist assistants Carson Stannard, Eliott Soriano, Juliannah Schram Set design assistants Nikolai Berrones, Daviel Shy Production assistant Justice Beverly Location Milk Studios

ANGEL BABY

Troye wears jacket PRADA

GROWS UP VMAN caught up with one of this era’s hottest, queerest pop stars as he processes his newfound global superstardom and prepares for the tour of his—and our—collective dreams Photography Jack Bridgland Fashion Abby Bennett Interview Lizzy Goodman 48

All clothing and shoes PRADA

All clothing PRADA

Something feels predestined about Troye Sivan’s fame, like it was only a matter of time before this kid with the big baby blues and riveting mix of selfpossession and vulnerability would find his way to a global audience. “I started making YouTube videos when I was 12,” he said, fresh-faced over Zoom from his home in Melbourne on a recent weekday morning.

“I’m 28, now.”

Sivan was in elementary school when he picked his stage name. Then came the YouTube videos. And by the time he was eighteen, on the eve of signing his first major label deal, he officially came out because, as he has said, “I wanted it to be out so that they couldn’t tell me to stay in the closet.” (His label congratulated him the next day.) In the decade since, Sivan grew into the role of pop boy wonder—with the voice (and face) of an angel, and the instincts of an old soul artist with many lifetimes under his karmic belt.

But it’s only on the 2023 release of Sivan’s third album, Something to Give Each Other, that his two sides—the boy wonder and the old soul—have truly merged. Perhaps it’s just time, and the experience, both professional (acting in TV and film, including on The Idol) and personal (Covid isolation, a breakup, most of his 20s) that came between Sivan’s second and third records, but the performer who brought us this uber-confident new pop experience is no longer a boy with extraordinary potential, he’s an artist fully inhabiting his gifts and just beginning to show us all where they can take him. LIZZY GOODMAN

All clothing PRADA

“My actual dream is that people are walking out of the show with people that they’ve met at the show, exchanging numbers. And then whatever they want to do with the rest of the night is up to them.”

—Troye Sivan

VMAN: I know you’ve been traveling around quite a bit, how are you holding up? And how is your creative brain doing?

What are you focused on right now?

TROYE SIVAN: I’m actually in a really fun phase of full-time tour prep, which is so exciting. Last year and the year before it was so much about a million spinning plates and a million projects. It was really fun because it was the rollout of all of those things. The culmination. This year I get to focus a little bit more on just putting on the show that I’ve always dreamt of.

I’ve kind of, like, given myself a bit of a gift.

VMAN: Yes! The pleasure of real focus.

TS: Totally. It’s little things, like I have my first personal trainer session after this interview and then I’m going in the studio and we’re working on the music and we’re starting choreo soon and I’m getting to do most of it from Melbourne, which is making me really happy. The first show is May 29th, and I’m like counting down in my head. It’s a really fun and inspiring time.

VMAN: Is there a show you saw as a kid - some kind of gold standard pop experience that has the emotional flavor you’re trying to generate with your shows this year?

TS: This wasn’t as a kid though, but the show that I saw right before I started writing the album that really influenced the whole album and is now following into the tour was Janet Jackson at the Hollywood Bowl. That was my first time seeing Janet live and I was totally floored. Like, I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. I mean, the amount of time and effort that would have gone into that show and into every single element of it, the amount of care, it just was so mind blowing to me. I realized, like, that’s where everyone really learned it all.

VMAN: It’s interesting to hear you say that because your music has always been, at least to me, serious and joyful at the same time. Pop music often gets misread as unserious because it’s so joyful, and that’s certainly been true of Janet in the past. So I’m just curious about how her show influenced the sound of your record?

TS: I think it was exactly what you’re talking about—like, the spirituality of pop music. I think about when I supported Robyn a couple years ago in the US—I did LA and San Francisco—and she did this thing on “Dancing on My Own” where she muted the instrumental and had the crowd sing the chorus. And then I saw her live as well in Stockholm. Of course in LA you’ve got the gays that are obsessed with it and dying for it and it really was that sense of community and warmth. And then seeing it in Sweden, where she may as well be the Queen, and you’ve got elderly people, you’ve got kids with families and they’re all singing to that moment, too. I take that very seriously. I think that is super, super beautiful and very profound. It really influenced the whole ethos of the album, seeing the Janet show and seeing the Robyn show. It’s like, oh no, okay, this is like, this is serious business. It made me want to write a pop album, it made me want to think about dance music and how powerful it is. It made me think about joy and sex and. It really just kind of set me on the path that I’m still on now.

VMAN: Given that the five years between your second and third record included the Covid-19 pandemic and included—as you’ve talked about—a breakup, plus getting into acting and all the other amazing creative stuff you’ve been up to, did you feel extra pressure around the release? Did it feel like an especially big deal?

TS: Maybe I’m just really lucky but a lot of that external pressure to me feels very much like just that: external pressure. I don’t think I internalized that very much. The thing that excites me about making an album is the creative process and that has always been a very personal experience. It’s not really about anyone else, do you know what I mean? I’ve been online since I was really, really young, so I’m quite used to my safe

audience that I know is going to show up for me. I feel like I’m making music for them and that’s a really, really nice feeling.

VMAN: You’re making music for them, but you’re also saying, you know, I make music ultimately for me. So do you think of yourself as part of “them?” Like, are you and your fans interchangeable in some way?

TS: They’re, like, friends of mine. I started making YouTube videos when I was 12. I’m 28. I make the music that I want to make. I make the albums that I want to make. But at the same time, the thing that’s in the back of my mind—it’s almost like an update on my life to those people. Like you said, I’ve been through a breakup, this is where I’m at now kind of thing.

VMAN: When you’re songwriting, how does it start?

TS: So it’s literally different every single time. But I do think that the best ones are always when I just kind of like, go and don’t think too much about it.

VMAN: Do you see the movie unfolding like a movie while you’re writing?

TS: When I’m in the studio the picture really starts to come together between the production, the lyrics, the melody— when all those things start to really work together, that’s when I know that I’m excited by something. Like the “One of Your Girls” video concept, for example. Same with “Rush.” While we were recording, I’m like, oh my God … can you imagine…? It’s basically just me and Leland, who I work with on almost every song on the album, it’s us, like literally queening out being like, gag, can you imagine!? And we go with that.

VMAN: There’s no better feeling than when you’ve opened something up creatively that has a long runway in front of it.

TS: Totally. You know those funny memes about people listening to sad music and staring out the window in the car pretending they’re in a music video? That’s what I’m doing but it’s just I get to actually make the music video.

VMAN: You said earlier that you are interested in stories that don’t always get told. Do you mean underrepresented narratives, or do you also mean aspects of our inner lives as humans that are under-expressed? What does that notion of an untold story really mean to you and to what extent does it have to do with gender and sexual identity?

TS: It’s very easy to pull from my own story, and chances are that story hasn’t been told that much because there hasn’t been that many openly gay pop singers. But, for example, I’ve got a ballad on Bloom called “The Good Side” that’s about getting the better side of a breakup. It’s this breakup song, but also talking about how lucky you got in that situation, and having empathy for the other person, and being like, by the way, I know that this must really suck for you and I apologize.

A song like that is so fulfilling to write because it just felt so, so, so real to what was going on and I had never heard that perspective. “One of Your Girls,” is obviously very specifically gender-y and sexuality-based and completely, completely true to me. But “The Good Side” is an experience that’s not really about that stuff, it’s just a love song. I really like the challenge of telling a story that I just haven’t heard that much.

VMAN: Okay, final question, returning to the theme of the day, which is your tour and everything we’re going to get to see from you in 2024. Do you have in mind what you want people to do when they leave your show? Should they go out?

Should they make out? What mood are you setting?

TS: My actual dream is that people are walking out of the show with people that they’ve met at the show, exchanging numbers. And then whatever they want to do with the rest of the night is up to them. I often will meet people and they’ll be like, oh, we met at your show in Paris in 2016 and we’ve been best friends ever since. That kind of stuff really means the world to me.

All clothing and shoes PRADA

Shorts PRADA

“[Watching Robyn and Janet Jackson perform live] made me want to write a pop album, it made me want to think about dance music and how powerful it is. It made me think about joy and sex and—it really just kind of set me on the path that I’m still on now.”

—Troye Sivan

Makeup Gillian Campbell (Artist Group) Hair Fernnando Miranda Senior producer Anthony Federici (Petty Cash Production) Producer Rachel Oliver Digital technician Jake Nemirovsky Lighting director Ryan Hackett Photo assistants Jeremy Kees Orr, Jax Oliver Production assistants Matthew Stott, Mae Hatrick Location Tamale Studios

ARMANI THE ALMIGHTY

Nearly fifty years after Giorgio Armani’s namesake brand was founded, the 89-year old Italian designer is enjoying the view from his throne as he continues to prove why he’s one of fashion’s ultimate masters Photography Alvaro Beamud Cortés Fashion and Interview Gro Curtis 56

From left to right: Alessio, Daein, Cheikh, and Jos wear all clothing and accessories EMPORIO ARMANI

Daein wears all clothing and accessories EMPORIO ARMANI

“I am always confident in what I am doing, but I do feel that idea of judgment. It is still something that triggers a lot of adrenaline.

And that is a beautiful sensation.”

—Mr. Armani

From left to right: Kelly, Cheikh, and Jos wear all clothing and accessories EMPORIO ARMANI

Jos wears all clothing and accessories EMPORIO ARMANI

Legend says that before Giorgio Armani—widely known in the fashion industry as simply “Mr. Armani”—arrives at his Milan offices in Via Borgonuovo, one can smell his signature Bois d’encens scent wafting through the building’s corridors. There are many myths such as this one built around the persona of Mr. Armani. In the last couple of years, I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of the press entourage accompanying him from Dubai to Venice, from New York to St. Moritz. He is regal and enigmatic but also extremely kind, somewhat of a paternal figure to all of us in the business of fashion. I became a firm Armani believer in my 30s—my will even specifies which dove gray, double-breasted

cashmere-infused suit I will be buried in. (One has to be ready for every occasion.) I have learned that to fully understand Giorgio Armani, one must step into his designs. Behind his multi-billion dollar empire is a single perfect blazer, cut with the savoir-faire specific to couture houses and the raw emotion that is oh-so-central to all Italian exports. This July, Mr. Armani is turning 90. He remains fully involved in every aspect of his company (overseeing everything from the designs to image approval for campaigns and new collections). In this VMAN exclusive, the legend himself talks to us about his passions, philosophies, and, of course, the future. GRO CURTIS

“Discipline is a core aspect of my personality. It translates into dedication, tireless work, and being strict with myself regarding my goals.

Quite simply, for me, discipline is a commitment to what you do and focus, as well as a rejection of any easy complacency.”

—Mr. Armani

From left to right: Daein, Alessio, Jos, Mr. Armani, Cheikh, Kelly, and Yiorgos wear all clothing, accessories, shoes EMPORIO ARMANI

VMAN: From personal experience, I can say that you have to reach a certain maturity to fully understand what Armani clothes do for you. What do you think about this assessment?

GIORGIO ARMANI: I agree that wearing Armani clothes requires a certain maturity. However, I would like to clarify my idea of maturity, which I do not link to a person’s age but rather to their awareness. Meaning you can be mature at 15 and immature at 60. To wear Armani, you must be in tune with your body and how you want to present yourself to the world. My clothes are made for the confident man who does not want to appear excessive or impetuous.

VMAN: There are many larger-than-life adjectives one can assign to you, but I would dare to say that the most important one is connected to the level of discipline you maintain. Would you say discipline is at the core of your personality? What is your philosophy on discipline?

GA: I would say that is correct. Discipline is a core aspect of my personality. It translates into dedication, tireless work, and being strict with myself regarding my goals. Quite simply, for me, discipline is a commitment to what you do and focus, as well as a rejection of any easy complacency.

VMAN: You are fully involved in creating all the collections for the house and you stage approximately ten to twelve fashion shows per year. What is the secret to your drive? What makes you move forward?

GA: At the risk of repeating myself, it is passion that motivates me, combined with a drive to continuously improve. This, of course, is also an aspect of discipline: the idea that you can always move the bar a little higher and that the next feat will be better than the one before. This sense of ambition remains undiminished, even in the face of success and achievements.

VMAN: How do you feel before a show? Are you nervous?

Do you feel the same excitement you felt decades ago with your first show? Or has that feeling evolved into something else?

GA: I feel apprehensive and partly nervous before a show.

It is nowhere near the same tension I felt at the beginning of my career, but there is always that sense of throwing your work out to the public and waiting for judgment. I am always confident in what I am doing, but I do feel that idea of judgment. It is still something that triggers a lot of adrenaline. And that is a beautiful sensation.

VMAN: What do you think about the Italian fashion scene today? Who do you think could potentially inherit the muchcoveted Armani throne one day?

GA: The scene today is alive and well and full of interesting characters. People always ask me who the new Armani might be, but we need to change [that] perspective: it would be impossible today to create what I and the other Italians did at the origins of ready-to-wear. Times are different and expectations have changed. No one is aiming to create an empire but to have shorter and more limited success, which is fine. I see many very talented young people with that approach who might devote themselves to something else in ten years’ time.

VMAN: Why is Pantelleria your preferred refuge and place to recharge? What does your average vacation day look like?

GA: Pantelleria is the perfect place for me because it is a wild island of volcanic origin in the middle of the sea, somewhere between Sicily and Africa. You can feel the power of nature there, with the sea all around and that sense of freedom that only the sea can transmit. I like to spend my days on the island on a boat or the veranda, absorbing the energy of that magical place and recharging my batteries through contact with nature. Summer is perhaps the time of year in which I ease up on the discipline a little.

VMAN: What do you notice first when you meet someone?

GA: I notice immediately the eyes and the gaze, which always communicate a lot. I notice clothes later and usually

only if the person is badly dressed. I am always attracted to personality.

VMAN: The Navy blue sweater has become such an iconic part of your personal style. How do you approach clothes when it comes to your own closet?

GA: For us men, it’s inevitable. We tend to create a uniform, and that’s how I approach my wardrobe. A blue pullover is reassuring and avoids distractions: I am interested in the clothes I create, not the ones I wear.

VMAN: Which four or five pieces do you feel every man should have in his closet? What would you consider to be the Armani essentials?

GA: A blazer, definitely; a pair of soft trousers and maybe a waistcoat; a nice shirt that can be worn as a jacket, and then a sporty blouson. These are all elements that can be combined in different ways with varying levels of informal formality.

From left to right: Yiorgos and Daein wear all clothing and accessories EMPORIO ARMANI

Makeup Luciano Chiarello (Julian Watson Agency) Hair Pierpaolo Lai (Julian Watson Agency) Models Alessio Pozzi (Elite Milan), Daein Moon (D’Management), Cheikh Dia (D’Management), Jos Schenk (Independent), Kelly Rippy (IMG Milan), Yiorgos Paraskeva (D’Management) Production Elena Cimarosti (Interlude Project) Casting director Shaun Beyen (Plus Three Two) Prop stylist Annalisa Nleddu (Interlude Project) Digital technician Andrea Cederle Photo assistants Simone Triacca, Luca Soncini Stylist assistant Lian Lubany Makeup assistant Greta Roncoroni Hair assistants Manuel Sunda, Yuri Napolitano Prop stylist assistant Federica Manca Casting assistant Elizabeth Miles Location Milano Studio

Nick wears all clothing and shoes CELINE HOMME by Hedi Slimane

SYDNEY’S SONIC SCENE En route to his shoot for VMAN, musician Nick Ward chatted with cover star and fellow Aussie Troye Sivan about their collaborative track in Sivan’s 2023 album Something to Give Each Other and Ward’s Sydney-based music collective, Full Circle Photography Dean Podmore Fashion Abby Bennett Interview Troye Sivan 64

TROYE SIVAN: Honestly, a big source of inspiration for me when we were making the album—and going into the visual side of it—was Full Circle. I was so inspired by the purity of the collaborations. You can tell that you’re making it with friends and people that you love. There’s something rowdy about it in a way that I really like. [It] feels very inspired.

NICK WARD: Oh, that’s really sweet. Thanks so much.

TS: I want to ask about something that stuck out to me so much in [your new album]: how much identity is in it. Has that always been a source of inspiration for you?

NW: That’s a really good question. My music has always been about identity in some way, whether I like it or not. I think it’s interesting, listening back to old songs or things you’ve written, and you can almost see your younger self working through something that you would go on to realize afterward.

For the album, once I realized that it was going to be an album, I wanted it to be a culmination of everything that had happened in my life up until that point.

TS: I think similarly about music. I’m writing it for myself.

But I’m also writing it for this like, imaginary third party that, of course, for the first time you have to introduce yourself, you have to tell them everything that’s happened up until this point.

NW: Do you think that making an album is your preferred format for music? Or are you interested in exploring other formats of releasing music as well?

TS: I love exploring. For me, an album is a big, once-everyfive-years project. It’s the most intimidating thing in the world to start from nothing and by the end you’ve built this world.

NW: I think I learned so much from our trip to Stockholm.

Seeing how you guys approach music just completely flipped my shit. It changed the way that I made music because I’m not a great editor of myself a lot of the time. I’ll let myself go on crazy tangents.

TS: The irony of you saying this is the reason why I brought you in. I was like, we need to shake things up around here.

I wanted some of that rowdiness that ended up happening.

NW: And it ended up converting me instead? So funny.

TS: It just goes to show that there’s such beauty and value in all creative processes.

Nick Ward will be releasing his debut album later this year.

Hoodie CELINE HOMME by Hedi Slimane

Makeup Gillian Campbell (Artist Group) Hair Fernnando Miranda Production Matt Withaar Digital technician Orson Heidrich Production assistant Vasja Senft Location Christison Park

STEFON DIGGS NEVER FUMBLES THE LOOK

The athlete tunnel walk has undoubtedly become the new catwalk.

With football royalty, sports fashion icon, and Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs as its top model, watching from the sidelines has never felt so chic Photography Jonas Unger Fashion Michael Philouze Interview Savannah Sobrevilla 66

Stefon wears sunglasses JACQUES MARIE MAGE All jewelry talent’s own

Is there a certain sport you find particularly stylish?

The most stylish sports, in my opinion, are soccer—the real fútbol—and the WNBA. In the WNBA, there’s great range.

You can wear anything from dresses to letterman jackets, it’s very versatile.

And soccer, you’re kind of born into it over there. The countries where soccer is most popular, they have great jackets, great coats, great shoes… It’s a little bit like cheating because if you’re already in Paris and Milan, you’re where the best clothing is, so you already have a leg up.

I joke that I chose the wrong football sometimes.

All clothing, accessories, shoes LOUIS VUITTON All jewelry talent’s own

Any athletes you idolized when you were younger?

I’m a lover of all sports, it’s something I attached to early. One of my big influences growing up was [basketball player] Allen Iverson. He was one of the few who spearheaded just being yourself.

They even made rules in the NBA because of him, they made guys wear suits and be more presentable because he was always wearing baggy clothes and dressing more comfortably. From a young age, you learn that being yourself will get you the furthest, so some of the guys I idolized weren’t just because of their profession or on-field performance, but their influences off the field, too.

All clothing, accessories, shoes GIVENCHY Earrings talent’s own

All clothing and accessories DIOR MEN All jewelry talent’s own

Grooming Muhammad Muid Executive producer Dana Brockman (viewFinders) Producer Frank DeCaro (viewFinders) Digital technician Alastai Casey Photo assistants Shadi Best, Milos Janjusevic Stylist assistants Peter Hallberg, Louis Guillemain Production assistant Kelsey Healey Location Pier59 Studios

All clothing and bag HERMÈS All jewelry and watch talent’s own

Basic question but what’s in your bag?

(And what’s your bag of choice?)

Definitely, the Birkin. I’m a huge Hermès fan. I have multiple Birkins, I even have women’s Birkins that I have just because I think they should be appreciated. Since I’m a huge Birkin guy, I call myself a B-boy. It’s the most useful bag for me, too, because I actually use it all the time. In my bag, I usually have some headphones in case I don’t want to be talked to, snacks in case anyone gets hungry, and hand sanitizer because cleanliness is close to godliness.

And if I’m traveling, I have a blanket in my bag. Can’t forget the blanket.

Ashley wears all clothing and accessories LOUIS VUITTON

PHARRELL’S MOMENT Back in June of 2023, a cultural event occurred on the Pont Neuf in Paris. A gathering of music, art, film, fashion, and sport’s ultimate all-stars came as one to support the debut show of Louis Vuitton’s newly appointed men’s creative director, Pharrell Williams. Here, VMAN explores the ready-to-wear pieces that serves as the French fashion house’s latest blueprint Photography Benoît Béthume Fashion direction Gro Curtis 72

Elias wears all clothing LOUIS VUITTON

Nathaniël wears all clothing LOUIS VUITTON Earrings talent’s own

“When you come from a culture that has been purposefully blocked and set in disadvantaged situations, you can’t imagine what’s even possible. But there’s this narrative that’s changing.

So many of us are being swept up from one place and landing in fertile soil in other places, and being treated and watered and sunned like all souls should be. I can say there is an impact in that way, which is changing. It’s not enough but it’s happening.

I’m very honored to be a part of that. When I say the sun is shining on me—and it’s shining on all of us—listen. This is a French house, but they went right back to America and found another Black man, and gave me the keys.”

—Pharrell Williams

Austin wears all clothing and accessories LOUIS VUITTON

Nathaniël wears all clothing and accessories LOUIS VUITTON Earring talent’s own

Ashley wears all clothing LOUIS VUITTON

Grooming Sofie Van Bouwel Models Austin Neyt (TIAD), Ashley Coronel Teale (TIAD), Elias Boussy (Known Model Management), Nathaniel Ortiz (Rebel Management) Line producer Xavier Bourgeois Casting director William Lhoest Stylist assistant Jules Hénaut Location Best Western Hotel Royal Centre

ONE NIGHT IN ROME Massimiliano Caiazzo is poised to be Italy’s next Giancarlo Giannini, and we’re here for it. Inspired by nocturnal Rome, the budding actor takes his own stab at the Roman holiday Photography Brett Lloyd Fashion Robert Rabensteiner 78

Massimiliano wears all clothing PRADA Earrings talent’s own

All clothing and shoes FENDI Earrings talent’s own

Though ‘o Piecuro (Italian for “the coward”) became Massimiliano Caiazzo’s nickname after his breakout role in the Italian teen drama The Sea Beyond, the young Italian actor is far from embodying his character’s moniker in real life. Interestingly, before auditioning for the Netflix show, which tells the story of inmates at a juvenile detention center in coastal Italy, Caiazzo was considering a break from Italian cinema (and Rome altogether). Four years later, after having gained international recognition for his role as the mob heir turned hairdresser, Carmine Di Salvo, in The Sea Beyond, he is learning how to manage the schedule of a full-on star. As VMAN hits the market, so will the fourth season of The Sea Beyond, and Caiazzo is in the middle of filming something else for the streaming giant, which will be announced later this year alongside a Disney Plus film, Wonder Boys.

And, of course, he’s looking good, too! As a Fendi ambassador, the performer’s bond with clothes is an important one. Over the phone on one Italian winter afternoon, we chatted about the actor’s relationship with fashion, style, fame, and more.

GIORGIA FEROLDI

All clothing, accessories, shoes GIVENCHY Earrings talent’s own On hair COLOR WOW Dream Coat Anti-Frizz Treatment for Curly Hair

All clothing DIOR MEN Earrings talent’s own

All clothing FENDI Earrings talent’s own

VMAN: Tell me about your roots and growing up close to Naples: How much of an impact do your origins have on the roles you play?

MASSIMILIANO CAIAZZO: Castellammare di Stabia’s proximity to the sea has left an important signature growing up.

I did water sports for many years at a competitive level and that dedication became the mold to build my characters’ emotional point of view. It is no coincidence that the first roles I played were all roles with roots in the language and city of Naples.

VMAN: Now living in Rome, how much of Italian culture do you bring to your acting?

MC: It’s been 9 years since I first came to Rome. This city has been crucial to my training and I still connect with my mentors anytime I have to play a new character. Italianness, which is not and must not be a stereotype, is an inevitable transverse hint to all the roles that I have played: an important added value, I believe. Pier Paolo Pasolini has been a crucial artist for me, as have the films of Massimo Troisi, Totò, and Eduardo de Filippo.

VMAN: Rome is defined as the eternal city. Do you think the arts—like cinema and fashion—are eternal, too? Or, rather, strongly attached to the moment?

MC: One thing doesn’t exclude the other. Every artistic event is the manifestation of a certain historical period and its specific circumstances, the difference lies in the artist. When an artist manages to channel a universal message, you have a classic.

VMAN: How does fashion help you embody the characters you play?

MC: Costumes and fashion can provide insight into a character’s general physicality. When I played Riccardo Degli Esposti

in “Filumena Marturano”, the way he dressed gave the character a certain type of movement that differentiated him from the others.

VMAN: Outside of cinema, what’s your personal relationship with clothes?

MC: I am very fascinated by fashion. If I find myself playing a character for a long time, their stylistic characteristics end up influencing me. At some point, I had to dress very urban for six months and I never got rid of [the] high-waisted pants. In any case, clothes rhyme with comfort to me.

VMAN: If you had to choose a garment that represents you, which would it be and why?

MC: High-waist flared pants and boots. I feel very comfortable with both and I have many different models, which I like to pair with rings.

VMAN: Do you have any rituals before filming a scene?

MC: Whether it’s a stage or a set, I always kiss my hand and touch the floor I’m walking on. I am very “scaramantico” (superstitious in Italian) but, other than that, I change gestures from role to role.

VMAN: What’s your relationship with success and failure?

MC: It’s human, I had to learn how to handle what is happening. It scares me to fail, but sport has taught me that defeat can ignite the fire for victory as it makes you hungry.

VMAN: What’s the role of cinema in wartime?

MC: Cinema, like art, is a testimony to the present moment, animated by artists who have the courage to witness reality.

It doesn’t have the power to change things but it has the power to shake consciences.

All clothing and tie DOLCE & GABBANA Earrings talent’s own

All clothing and accessories VALENTINO Earrings talent’s own

All clothing EMPORIO ARMANI Sunglasses JACQUES MARIE MAGE Earrings and boots talent’s own

Groomer Giulio Ordonselli Set design Soraja Cehic Executive producer Lucinda Agar (Magma Productions) Producer Serena Notarmasi (Magma Productions) Photo assistants Enrico Brunetti, Valerio Di Girolamo Stylist assistant Irene Casillo Production assistant Gus Riccioni

Luxury is subjective. For some, it is a trip to St. Barths, for others it is a mega shopping spree along the Champs-Elysees, but for us, it’s more about the attitude. Maintaining a sense of levity and play when it comes to high-end accessories is the ultimate indulgence Photography Luca Campri Fashion Roberto Piu

BAY WATCH 86

Ottawa wears sweater and bag GUCCI Necklace MELLERIO Rings VILTIER Towel FRETTE Diving fins stylist’s own

All clothing, towel, scarf, chain necklace, bracelet HERMÈS Yellow beaded necklace PANCONESI

All clothing and accessories DIOR Shoes LOEWE Watch MELLERIO Rings DELFINA DELETTREZ

Top SAINT LAURENT by Anthony Vaccarello Shorts COMMAS Glove MAISON MARGIELA

All clothing, accessories, shoes LOUIS VUITTON

All clothing PRADA Necklace PANCONESI Bracelets YANNIS SERGAKIS

All clothing, hat, bag ISABEL MARANT Necklace ETRO Bandana HERMÈS Shoes DRIES VAN NOTEN

Jumpsuit LOEWE Sunglasses JACQUES MARIE MAGE

Model Ottawa Kwami (Wilhelmina) Production Voltura Sardinia Casting director Julia Asaro Photo assistant Alex Cacciabue Stylist assistant Viktoria Vikyukhymenko

BEHIND THE BAGUETTE Fendi’s Artistic Director of Accessories and Menswear Silvia Venturini Fendi is taking the phrase “Italians do it better” to another level Photographer Alessandro Mannelli Fashion Roberto Piu

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From left to right: Nicola, Abas, Hamaam, Rubuen, and Takfarines wear all clothing, accessories, shoes FENDI

Makeup Daniel Sallstrom (MA+ Group) Hair Gary Gill (Streeters) Models Nicola Macchi (Success), Abas Abdirazaq (Known Model Management), Takfarines Bengana (Supa Model Management), Rubuen Bilan-Carroll (Supa Model Management), Hamaam Pelewura (Elite London) Casting director Piergiorgio Del Moro Photo assistant Nico Barbieri

When Silvia Venturini Fendi decides to hold Fendi’s latest menswear show during Pitti Uomo, inside their new factory in Bagno a Ripoli, one simply does away with any hesitation or qualms and heads straight towards the Tuscan sun. Why? Rarity. As it’s not every day that an established fashion house reveals how the sausage—or, in this case, the baguette— is made.

One can think of Silvia’s latest showing like the moment in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy’s pup Toto pulls back the curtain to show who was really behind the charm of the Emerald City. Only this time, the land of Oz lies on the outskirts of Florence, where a normal working village populated with suburban houses and mom-and-pop shops also serves as home to one of fashion’s most important, LEED Platinumcertified facilities, situated around the corner from those aforementioned family homes. Once there, one would be surprised to find just how light the space feels–a stark contrast to the concrete facade that welcomes all visitors upon arrival. A botanical oasis enclosed by glass panelings will satisfy any fashion devotee’s craving for a baguette (a Fendi Baguette bag, that is) as it reveals the house’s latest designs as they are being brought to fruition by the hands of local artisans.

Winding through the factory’s hallways, the sounds of fine Italian leather being laser cut and hammered to perfection by workers (donning “StaFF Only” T-shirts, of course) remind one that a human touch goes into every piece. Alongside carts filled with shipping boxes that read “handle with Fendi care,” a conversation between man and machine echoes the halls where an in-house community of craftspeople comes together to honor a commitment to craft. It’s no wonder why Ms. Fendi brought out all of the factory members to join her bow during the show’s finale. Fendi is not just the Fendi family’s legacy, it is a continuation of centuries of fine Italian craftsmanship. “Here is where our work collides with our sense of family. Sometimes, when a collection is coming, we ask our artisans to work a lot as we develop prototypes and make changes at the last minute, and they are all committed,” explains Ms. Fendi to VMAN. “In fashion, you hear a lot about the designer, and the brand, but to be fully transparent, you should be able to know who makes the items, and in what conditions. That’s what we want to do today.”

Defined by a homecoming of sorts, as Silvia’s grandmother Adele Fendi traveled from Rome to Florence to master the art of leather craftsmanship nearly a century ago, it only makes sense that the house’s men’s spring/summer 2024 collection sees a reinterpretation of the term “workwear” in a manner that is authentically Fendi. Think looks that feature patch pocket belts equipped with the literal tools of the trade, styled over leather aprons that have been paired alongside logo-emblazoned lunch boxes, coffee cups, and vegetal-dyed carryalls. As an ode to tried-and-true practices, this latest lineup not only solidifies Fendi’s stance on homegrown craft but also signals the need to keep it alive. In an increasingly vapid landscape of fast fashion and microtrends, true transparency seems to be the quality that stands out most in the current climate of style. Luckily for the Fendi family, it seems they’ve been doing it right all along. KEVIN PONCE

Photography Damien Ropero

WHAT

VMEN

It’s the bag heard around the world. When the reimagined Speedy appeared on the arm of then-pregnant music superstar Rihanna in Louis Vuitton’s men’s spring/summer 2024 campaign, the fashion world got its first official look into the LV world according to Pharrell, the maison’s newly appointed men’s creative director. Revealed days before the multihyphenate’s highly anticipated, star-studded debut show (hosted at the historical Pont Neuf in Paris,) the bag was an automatic addition to luxury lovers’ must-have lists and Pinterest dream bag boards. Just after its premiere, the new Speedy was spotted on A-listers such as Tyler the Creator, Jacob Elordi, and Lebron James—just to name a few.

With all that being said, one would think “What the hell makes this version of the Speedy so special?”

It’s storied past, of course. The Speedy silhouette was introduced in 1930—right when Louis Vuitton was solidifying itself as the premiere luxury luggage brand—and served as a smaller version to its larger sibling, the popular Keepall bag. But it wasn’t until the 1960s when Hollywood icon and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn requested a bag that was good for everyday wear yet small enough for her petite frame, as fashion folklore would have it, that it turned into the pop icon it is today. Now, over 90 years later, Pharrell offers his take on the bag, after the many cultural figures of the Y2K era helped bring the arm candy to new levels of desirability (we’re looking at you, Paris Hilton.)

In addition to this latest remix, the Speedy now comes in its ultimate form, as Pharrell created a super rare, yellow crocodile version—complete with a solid gold chain strap and diamond-encrusted padlock (and an estimated price tag of $1 million), it’s been dubbed “the Millionaire” bag. But until you’re ready to drop seven figures on a bag, we suggest opting for this more readily available version to store all your everyday belongings in unbeatable style. KEVIN PONCE

With Pharrell Williams as Louis Vuitton’s newly appointed Men’s Creative Director, the highly coveted speedy bag is experiencing a bold new rebirth 96

Bag LOUIS VUITTON Speedy 25 ($9,300, available at select Louis Vuitton stores)

Set design Yasmine Leutwyler

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