GQ

Welcome to GQ’s 27th annual Men of the Year issue. I happen to think this is one of the most exciting and wide-ranging MOTYs we’ve done–a twisted issue full of twisted people celebrating a twisted year—but ultimately that’s for you to judge. I could use this page to enumerate all my favorite things about the incredible stories in this issue, but it’s probably more fun and helpful if I do your holiday shopping for you instead. Herewith, my personal list of cool things you should buy as gifts, or try to finesse out of your loved ones, or better yet just go buy for yourself. Let’s start with a forgotten classic, the navy blazer. For decades, a navy blazer was one of the most foundational elements of a man’s wardrobe,…

Featuring DIEGO CALVA Diego Calva’s Very Big Debut AFTER PRODUCTION wrapped on Babylon, a 1920s Hollywood epic, Diego Calva received some advice from the film’s director, Damien Chazelle. “Go travel the world. Walk in your town with no problem. Your life is really about to change. I know you love movies, but sometimes I feel guilty because I am literally going to make it so you won’t be able to walk down the street,” he recalls Chazelle telling him. “And I was like, ‘Come on, Damien. What are you saying?’ But maybe it’s going to be true.” Such is the scale of Babylon, and of Calva’s role in it. He stars as Manny Torres, a movie obsessive from Mexico. Trying to make it in Hollywood, he finds mischief and camaraderie in the company…

AFEW YEARS AGO, Jeremy Allen White was hanging out at a party in Malibu hosted by Julia Roberts. Sean Penn, one of White’s idols, was also in attendance. The two actors had never met before. But White and Penn were the only two people smoking at the party, so every time the former would head out for a cigarette, the latter would ask to tag along. For most aspiring young stars, this would be a dream come true: one-on-one face time with a legend whose career you want to model your own after. “He’s, like, my hero,” White tells me. But when it came time to actually make small talk, White…blew it. Just completely froze up. “I couldn’t think of one word,” he admits, curling his fingers to make a zero.…

EARLIER THIS FALL, 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…

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET Venice, September When you’ve got sculpted scapulas like Timothée Chalamet’s, it’d be a crime against fashion not to show ’em off. Thankfully, designer Haider Ackermann’s shimmering halter-top-cum-jumpsuit situation ensured Timmy arrived elegantly bare-backed to the Venice premiere of Bones and All. A$AP ROCKY AND RIHANNA Milan, February The multitude of grails in this photo—from Rocky’s Gucci x Adidas gloves to Rihanna’s disco ball headpiece—are all just background noise compared to the one true (prenatal) star of the show. DONALD GLOVER NYC, July Sometimes the biggest fit you can wear on the streets of Manhattan is actually not so big at all. In fact, it’s tiny. Barely there. Case in point: the Atlanta star baring almost everything in color-coordinated short shorts and a bucket hat, with dark shades and two gold chains that set them off. ALANA HAIM London,…

TOWARD THE END of Max Verstappen’s first season in Formula 1—a season in which he’d become, at 17, the youngest-ever driver to compete in racing’s top series—he returned home to the north of Belgium to take his road test for his driver’s license. Despite winning in every racing category from seven years old onward, he hadn’t been in much of a hurry to drive normal cars, but it was getting to be a little silly. There was a break in the 2015 schedule, and a tight window to take the test before jetting off to a stretch of races in Asia. “The driving instructor was actually very strict,” he told me recently, before clarifying, “which is very good—it should be like that! And I wasn’t nervous but just a bit…