British GQ December 2022 / January 2023

GARY YOUNGE Writer Gary Younge is a writer, broadcaster and professor of sociology at the University of Manchester. He profiled Stormzy for this issue. “Stormzy had been on an intense personal journey. He seemed more reflective, determined and heavily focused on self improvement than I have ever seen him.” Office Grails FEDERICO SARICA Head of Editorial Content, GQ Italy “What will never die? Loafers, denim, and white socks. (Pink shirts come and go.)” MURRAY CLARK Senior Style Editor British GQ “I’ve been rewatching The Sopranos for the fifth time, if you couldn’t tell by the vintage Sergio Tacchini tracksuit.”…

GREETINGS FROM GQ HQ. And welcome to our 25th annual Men of the Year issue. Yup: this marks a quarter century of our biggest, brashest, shiniest moment, MOTY. It’s the time of year that we celebrate and honour the people who have shaped culture most radically. Here at British GQ, we’ve spent much of the past year rethinking… everything. And that approach applied to MOTY, too. So, a few pieces of housekeeping. Firstly, we have for many years honoured people who are, in fact, not men! Secondly, we’ve chilled out the mood a little this year, dropping traditional “awards” and “categories” and instead simply filling our pages with a collective of honourees that we truly and deeply admired. Lastly – and this needs to be said – jeez, what a year. I’ll spare…

Stormzy wears Bottega Veneta. Photographed by Jenny Brough. Styled by Itunu Oke. Sydney Sweeney wears Versace. Photographed by Charlotte Rutherford. Styled by Anna Trevelyan. Andrew Garfield wears Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. Photographed by Luke Gilford. Styled by Michael Darlington. Joe Locke and Kit Connor wear Boss and Boss Bottled. Photographed by Brendan Freeman. Styled by Angelo Mitakos. Jack Harlow wears Boss and Boss Bottled. Photographed by Danny Kasirye. Styled by Angelo Mitakos. Zoë Kravitz wears Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. Photographed by Steven Klein. Styled by B. Åkerlund Klein. Max Verstappen wears Uniqlo. Photographed by Mikael Jansson. Styled by Kate Phelan. Leah Williamson wears The Row. Photographed by Elliot James Kennedy. Styled by Angelo Mitakos.…

GROOMING FOR HARRY LAWTEY, CHARLIE CULLEN @GARY REPRESENTS USING DIOR BEAUTY. HAIR STYLIST FOR MARISA, ELIOT MCQUEEN @FUTURE REP USING L’ORÉAL PROFESSIONNEL. MAKEUP FOR MARI SAABELA, NEILYOUNGAT PREMIER HAIR & MAKEUP USING CLÉDEPEAU BEAUTÉ. PHOTOGRAPHED AT COMMON DECENCY BAR, THE NOMAD, LONDON. FERRAGAMO AND PANCONESI: COURTESY OF BRANDS. PROP STYLIST, SHARON RYAN AT HALLEY RESOURCES. LOUIS VUITTON, BALENCIAGA, AND LOROD: COURTESY OF BRANDS.…

LITTLE ABOUT INDUSTRY, the least BBC show the BBC has ever aired, should work. It’s a workplace drama that dropped during the pandemic, when the very notion of the workplace lay in tatters. A show about careerist tenacity set in an era in which, as Kim Kardashian said, “It seems like nobody wants to work.” One led by Gen-Zers but pitched at FT readers (and quite successfully, at that). Its core characters are City of London bankers, who, post-pandemic and mid-cost of living crisis, are less relatable than ever. “All of the people in this world are incredibly selfish,” Marisa Abela, who plays Yasmin, one of the show’s ascendant leads, says. Plunging the depths of the UK’s vacant, hyper-capitalist soul, it forces us to confront society’s flaws head-on when the news…

EARLIER THIS AUTUMN, when it released its Ultra, Apple did more than simply put out a new timepiece: The company took its first truly momentous step forward with its watch since debuting it back in 2014. This was a watch designed to appeal to mechanical-watch aficionados. Not that the previous iteration didn’t suit their smartwatch needs, but, viewed horologically, Ultra features many of the characteristics found in a classic tool watch: the larger case size and crown; activity-specific bands (elastomer for diving, woven textile for climbing); and a fortress-like construction with a titanium case to protect the glass and crown guards. The redesign is radical, and certainly newly alluring for Rolex fans, but Ultra’s best attribute is that it runs on software. Which means it can be truly multifunctional while still…