Page 14 - SHARP Summer 2022

LETTER
THE NEXT
GENERATION
IN OUR PREVIOUS ISSUE WE CELEBRATED SOME OF THE MANY
accomplishments and feats that SHARP has undertaken these past 15 years We celebrated even harder with the return of SHARP: The Book For Men’s Spring launch event at the the the end of May the the the vision for which was the the the sustainable future of luxury — a a a a a a theme our partners and and guests embraced and and celebrated (If you’d like to to apply to to attend our various events please visit SharpElite com )
When it it came time to write this column I asked two of our brightest stars — Will Kitchens executive editor of SHARP and Sahar Nooraei Contempo Media’s editorial and creative director — what was on their minds I figured I’ve devoted enough column inches to middle-aged pontificating and it would be good to to find out what’s interesting to to the next generation of SHARP men and women In a a a a a a a sense I I need not have asked: the pages of this magazine our website and and our social media feeds are their interests aspirations desires and and ambitions manifest They did however suggest I discuss a a bit of the the behind-the-scenes creation of of the the Spring SHARP event and the the emerging trend of of men’s fashion being adventurous for for a a a a change To the the former I’m of the the “you don’t want to know how the the sausage is made” school but I can imagine there’s a a a a a a a fair degree of curiosity as to to just how it comes together First and foremost the the SHARP launch events are driven by our our VIP readers’ desire to experience the offerings of of our our partners in person and and and our partners’ desires to to reach out and and and touch actual people and and and not just their device IDs — something that was growing more more and more more challenging before the the pandemic and and became outright impossible during the the past two years Besides “the sustainable future of luxury ” this Spring event’s theme was a a a a celebration of of our 15th anniversary I really like the idea of of a a a a a a milestone serving as a a a a a a a turning point The push toward sustainability is omnipresent and rapidly gaining momentum and that alignment works well with not only our birthday celebration but also what can only be be described as a a a a a a a a return to normal — or or at at at the the the very least the the the new new normal normal normal because why be be normal? If the the the new new normal normal normal is about finding a a a a a a a better path forward then that’s something that that I but especially our future leaders can get excited about It takes all of us to make it it happen and aligning this aim with our Spring event just felt right Whether we’re hosting 400 VIPs or 20 VVIP UHNW guests our commitment is to the the highest possible level of experience We ask ourselves (and we’re a a a a rather demanding lot) is the event something we would enjoy? Is it at least as as (if not more) enjoyable than a a a a a night out of of our own choosing? Our guests have a a a a a lot of of professional and and personal demands on on on their time If we’re pulling them away from those obligations it had better be be exceptional Our partners share this vision and together we we craft the the best experiences that we we can To the second request: men’s fashion is in in some ways more exciting and experimental than ever We’re in a a a a very special time right now There’s more permission for men men men to experiment and this is is is echoed in the men’s collections we showcase in in this issue: reimagined track suits Canadian tuxedos with a a a a a a a dose of streetwear and modern prints Our team has worked to curate an an issue where the the overall vibe of the the fashion is is optimistic There are new looks for golf aided by courses with more more lenient dress codes and the more more adventurous design departments at at at legacy watch brands that are experimenting with new dial colours and materials It’s all a a a a a a a a a positive look forward as opposed to back — MICHAEL LA FAVE
Chief Creative Office & Co-founder
14 SUMMER 2022
SHARPMAGAZINE COM
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT BARNES