GQ India

FARHAN HUSSAIN Photographer Farhan Hussain shoots all our cover stars for the issue. “Seeing our art team turn those early 3D set sketches into the real thing and then watching my lighting team (truly the best in the world) bring it to life before the talent even walked in. That transformation from a digital sketch to a fully lit world we built together is the moment that sticks.” Any favourite shoot? “The ones where the team synced instantly. When everyone’s in the same rhythm, the shoot basically shoots itself.” JANHAVI PATWARDHAN Set Designer For GQ’s Men of the Year shoots, Janhavi Patwardhan focused on creating distinct visual worlds for each personality, while maintaining a cohesive editorial undertone. “For example, four of our backdrops are ‘red’ to a layperson, but we…

I GREW UP ON THE SOUTHERN tip of Mumbai in Colaba, a steadily narrowing cape that marks the physical end of Maximum City. As a precinct, Colaba has no forts or sites of ancient historical value, nor does it possess shimmering glass and steel towers, the imperious markers of modern commerce. The odours from Sassoon Dock waft through its many narrow lanes, and no film stars call it home. Yet what Colaba lacks in physical attributes, it makes up for in rare, intangible qualities that help make it one of the world’s greatest urban enclaves: it is unpretentiously cosmopolitan and multicultural, with its residents belonging to a wide range of economic and cultural backgrounds—a heady, concentrated microcosm of the virtues that make Mumbai distinct, unique and exceptional. The late great…

1 MCPURA CIELO MASERATI Maserati’s latest mid-engined flagship is a paean to the traditional Italian supercar—and a pointed rebuttal to the ever-intensifying supercar arms race. Featuring a carbon-fibre tub, a snarling Nettuno V6, a dual-clutch 8-speed gearbox and perfectly proportioned bodywork, the MCPura is a gimmick-free return to normalcy. As much an artistic achievement as it is a technical one, it’s a car governed not by algorithms but by instinct, carrying the grace of Turin’s design greats without ever tipping into ostentation. The butterfly doors rise without theatrics; the proportions whisper elegance rather than shout for attention. On the move, it feels alive—light, reactive, with steering response that borders on telepathic. In a world drowning in hybridised horsepower, the Maserati MCPura Cielo is a reminder that purity, not power, is…

THE YEAR 2025 brought a wave of new stores that feel like meticulously designed worlds of style and grandeur. India’s metro cities are seeing everything from homegrown designer flagships to global heavyweights, each reimagined for the modern Indian shopper with a taste for experiential retail. SAHIL ANEJA Defence Colony, New Delhi What’s the vibe? Minimal yet warm, with lighting so flattering that it might just outdo your front camera. Vinyl records and quirky collectables add personality and charm, turning the store into more than just a shopping spot. Sahil Aneja’s new store is part boutique, part lounge, part gallery, and a fully curated world for everything menswear. What’s in stock? Menswear with sharp tailoring, fluid silhouettes and subtle rebellion stitched into every seam—each piece wearable and anything but ordinary. On…

WHEN YOU’RE THE watch editor of GQ, you tend to field a lot of questions about which watch to buy a husband, boyfriend or son to mark a birthday, anniversary or graduation. Considering I don’t keep the company of many multimillionaires, these requests are most often made by folks with regular-people budgets. Thankfully, I’ve had plenty to recommend lately: In recent years, the watch market has exploded with new entry-level models that never make you feel like you’re settling. Even at the lower end, there are treasures out there to be found. While there are longtime icons in this category—shoutout to the TAG Heuer Carrera—we’d like to introduce you to a new class of (relatively) affordable staples. Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto Chiming watches—which use complex mechanisms to hammer a…

DILJIT DOSANJH New York, May The 41-year-old singer made his Met Gala debut looking every bit the modern-day maharaja. In a custom Prabal Gurung look, the ivory sherwani and its embroidered cape, along with the turban, gatra and stacked jewels, hit the perfect note between tradition and Dosanjh’s personal style and swagger. A$AP ROCKY Los Angeles, January and February (here and next page) If the suit fits, you must acquit? In a bumper year for courtroom style (see also: Kid Cudi), Rocky’s designer tailoring master class—Saint Laurent, Gucci, Tom Ford and more—epitomised coolness under pressure. TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET New York, January Welcome to GQ Style Mad Libs. We’ve filled in the nouns for you: Timothée Chalamet stunned in an Arc’teryx beanie, bubblegum-pink Telfar puffer jacket, striped Chanel knit scarf, silver mini…